Arc 2 - Shopping and making a new friend

In the end I decided to make a hole in the ground and cover it with branches. A simple cage.

I moved away from the village, so close to civilization the prey are scarce. After one hour I now stop and choose the place where I will dig my cage.

Under a big oak.

I grab a branch and start digging, once the cage is ready I mark the tree with an X.

After the last few days I've become very good at hunting. By the time the last rays of light disappear from the sky I have already captured five rabbits.

Just like last night I sleep by the fire, in the morning I get up before the sun rises. I take a morning swim in the river and catch a couple of fish and cook them over my fire.

After breakfast I break the necks of the rabbits and head towards the village.

When I got to Frostwood the sun was starting to rise, there were few people walking the streets. I see a few drunks lying on the street in front of the tavern, the strong smell of piss filling my nostrils. I make a face and give them a wide berth.

The market is almost empty, some merchants are setting up their stalls and a couple of people walk through the streets talking to each other. I, with my five rabbits, attract a lot of attention.

I walk over to the butcher's stall.

"What do you want this time boy?"

As charming as always Butcher-san.

"I want to sell you these rabbits." I go straight to the point. One thing I know about northerners is that they don't like to beat around the bush. "8 pennies each."

The butcher snorts.

"I'll buy them for 2 pennies each, accept or get out of here"

How rude.

"Just because I'm in a good mood I'm willing to drop the price to 7 pennies each."

"I don't deal with brats boy, get out of here." The butcher looks at me disdainfully.

If that's how you want to play...

"Or I could stay here and steal your customers, old man." I look at him with an arrogant smile, the Uchihas would be proud (or pissed because a Senju stole their characteristic smile)

"And who is going to buy from you?" He laughs at me. "I've been a butcher here for twenty years, you're a brat who only yesterday stopped sucking his mum's tit."

"The villagers may know you better but winter is just over and people are still recovering. Do you think a woman desperate to feed her children gives a shit who sells her the meat, or do you think loyalty prevents her from buying from the cheapest supplier."

The butcher stares at me with his mouth open.

"7 pennies each, last offer."

The butcher mutters something and takes out 4 stars and 3 pennies.

He looks at me with distaste as I walk away.

Westeros currencies 101: In Westeros there are eight types of coins divided into three categories.

1 - Gold: Golden dragons

2 - Silver: Moon & Stag

3 - Copper: Star, Groat, Halfgroat, Penny & Halfpenny

Most peasants have never seen a gold coin in their lives. With a golden dragon a peasant can feed his family for one or two years!

The lower class mostly uses copper coins with a few silver coins here and there.

2 Halfpenny = 1 Penny, 1 Halfgroat = 2 Pennies, 1 Groat = 4 Pennies, 1 Star = 8 Pennies

1 Stag = 56 Pennies, 1 Moon = 392 Pennies

1 Golden Dragon = 11760 Pennies

My knowledge on Westeros currency was not good at all, yesterday I asked a nice old lady who was kind enough to explain it in detail.

Thank you Granny Dacey!

Now that I have some money, it's time to go shopping.

The first thing I'm going to buy is a dagger.

Yesterday I looked for a blacksmith without success. Video games have betrayed me, there are no blacksmiths in every settlement! Although it doesn't really surprise me, Frostwood only has about three hundred inhabitants. It's too small to have a blacksmith. Kind granny Dacey told me that I could find some nice daggers at the shop of some guy named Fern.

I ask for directions and in a short time I find his store. It is located at the other end of the market, closer to the river. The store itself is small, barely 15 square meters. My room on earth was 10 square meters.

The store is overflowing with things, I see everything from fishing gear to cloaks. This store is the medieval equivalent of a General Store, I think.

"How can I help you youngling?"

I look to where the voice is coming from, the counter in the corner. I think that's Fern. He is a fairly young man, no more than twenty-five years old. He has long straw hair tied in a ponytail and a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes are kind and he is smiling.

"Good morning, you must be Fern." I approach the counter.

"That's me." He smiles with good humor.

I shake his hand and introduce myself.

"I am Ikarus Senju."

"You're not from around here youngling. That name isn't Westerosi, and neither is your face." He looks at me curiously.

"I'm from the far east." I explained the cover story I created for myself. I'm basically a young adventurer who wants to see the world. I jumped on a ship at the first opportunity I had to explore the world.

That story is not entirely false, I am a young adventurer and I want to explore the world.

During our conversation Fern's eyes sparkle with more and more curiosity. And he tells me his story.

Three years ago he was recruited by the North's army to fight in the Rebellion, during a battle he was lucky enough to face a very proud very unskilled young Lord, he emerged victorious and claimed his adversary's possessions: a war horse, an armor, a sword and a small sack of coins.

After the Rebellion he sold his loot and returned to his home, Frostwood. Here he opened his store.

"Why not settle in a bigger city?" It doesn't make much sense to me, this village is small and in the middle of nowhere. Why come back here? He could have settled in a bigger, more interesting place.

Fern laughs a little and ruffles my hair.

"Hahaha when I was your age I thought the same as your youngling. Frostwood is small and doesn't offer much, but it is my home. My father and his father and his father's father, my family has settled here since the early days of Frostwood. When I was a boy eager to see the world, my father's words didn't mean much. Legacy, bah" He smiles a little bitterly. "But then my father died in the Rebellion, my mother followed shortly after. The only family I have left is my sister Grisel, my little sister is sick and she needs me, I am the only one in this world to take care of her"

Fern is a good guy. Anyone willing to put their own ambitions aside to care for a sick family member has my admiration and respect. I've never had any brothers or sisters before but I'd like to think that I would do the same in that situation too.

We continued talking for a while.

"Talking with you has been pleasant, young traveler but you came into my shop on business I hope."

"I want a dagger." Straight to the point, Fern shows me the variety of daggers he has. In the end I decide on a simple but robust dagger, I will buy ornate and beautiful weapons when I am rich.

"Good choice, the dagger costs 20 pennies. Ikarus if you buy this baldric too I'll give you all for 25 pennies."

That's a good deal, the baldric is 12 pennies. I was right, Fern is a good guy!

Also buy a waterskin and a bag for another 10 pennies.

I have spent all my money but it was a great purchase!

A dagger, a baldric, a waterskin and a bag.

I go back to the forest.

***