Chapter 12: We need land!

Orion was with Ethinir again, before the village. They hadn't gotten a word from Samuel on whatever or not the village lord had agreed that they should be able to mingle in with the villagers, but Orion was a cauldron of bubbling ideas.

Samuel greeted them at the gate, and let them in. They garnered strange looks, but no one stopped them from going to the lord's house.

Orion walked before Ethinir, ready to fight, if he had to. While the elf was all smiles, and good cheer. They made it to the house, and Orion knocked on the door. A maid came out, and looked at them critically.

"Do you have an appointment?" She asked, and the two shook their heads.

"We do not, but I believe that what we have to say to the lord is of the upmost importance," Orion told her. He flashed his fangs, and her eyes widened.

"I will get him right away. Follow me," she moved to the side, and let them in. Then, she led them to the living room, and they took seats by the window. The maid then went off.

"Do you think that the lord will listen?" Orion was a bundle of nerves. The lord didn't have to listen to them.

"I am sure he will jump at the opportunity to get more taxpayers," Ethinir told him, and he reached out to take a hold of Orion's hand. He gave it a light squeeze.

The lord came and saw them like this, then. An elf, in a blue silk shirt and black dress pants, looking like a musician. And a vampire that had one a white robe over his black tunic.

He came to stand in their line of sight, and cleared his throat.

"Hello, my name is Lord Harrison Erion, it is a pleasure to meet you both," the lord spoke. He was a middle-aged man, with silver in his hair. One who had held the village for ten years.

"Lord Erion, my name is Orion, and this is Ethinir. We come in here because we need to buy land from you," the vampire told the lord.

"You want land?" Harrison blinked at them. "What for? Isn't the forest big enough for your living needs?"

"It is not," Orion told him. "I want to get into food production. Mass food production."

Harrison then sat down opposite the two, and rested his chin on his hands. He regarded them then.

"There is no law that states that you can't have the land," Harrison had to admit. These two were still subjects of the King. They paid taxes and all that. "But the village needs the land as well. Still, if you can talk someone to renting you their land, I won't stand in the way."

"We appreciate it," Orion told him, and then went to the second thing he wanted to ask. "Could the forest's creatures come into the village from time to time? I mean, the villagers come into my forest all the time, and they leave it unharmed. Just yesterday, they came to my lover's stand, and had clothes made for them."

Harrison sighed.

"I can't guarantee their safety," the lord spoke. "For every open-minded villager, there are at least two close-minded ones."

"We can make it worth your while. Just imagine the boast of the trade that you will witness, if you let us come and go through the village?" Ethinir spoke.  His eyes pleading.

"From the dawn of time, the forest has been off limits, and the village had been entirely ours," the lord told him. "If I change that, I will be met with a backlash."

"Let us talk to the people," Orion spoke, looking into the eyes of the lord. "I can convince a great many people of many things."

"You can have an hour to make your case. I will call everyone to the village's meeting hall," Harrison spoke, not wanting to appear as if he didn't want to give the two a chance. "Now, if there is nothing else?"

"We would also like to speak to you about more trade between the village and the forest," Orion said. "It will take some time before the forest could begin to produce food from fields, that is, if anyone rents theirs."

"I am listening," Harrison said, and he looked between the elf and the vampire. It was the elf that cleared his throat.

"The thing is, as things stand now, Orion is one of the few people in the forest that have money," Ethinir admitted. He, too, didn't have much. Preferring to barter for what he needed. "That doesn't mean we don't have crafters, who could bring you things you think of as exotic."

"Such as?" The lord asked, and Orion took out the invisibility potion that the witch had given him in exchange for food.

"This is an invisibility potion, the real deal. Made by a witch," Orion handed the vial over, and Harrison stared at it like he was staring at priceless treasure. "There is more from where that came from. Much more."

"Potions, and perhaps fairy dust?" The lord's mind was hard at work. "Many won't do business with you, but if our merchants trade with you, and then sell your potions and the like to others..."

"Do you see, it is a lucrative idea," Orion grinned, and reached out to take his vial back.

"I'd like to buy this from you," the lord spoke. It would be beneficial, for when he needed to go to the herbal shop unnoticed.

"Sure, one gold coin," Orion told him, and the man fished out a coin from his coat's pocket and handed it over.

"Thank you. Would it be too much of me to ask if I demand an unlimited supply of the potions?" The lord asked, and Ethinir and Orion shared a look.

"We can give them to you, in exchange for your land. Consider it as rent money," Orion told the man with a grin.

"Deal," the lord told them, and he got up. "Now, I need to gather everyone. Do stay in here for half an hour. I will be right back."