2 The Toll
On a reasonably sunny day in the middle of authentic on a planet called Cundus in a galaxy you no doubt have never heard of a largish party of people having just broken camp an hour and a half ago are travelling along what is little more than a dirt track. They are moments away from approaching one of the many toll booths that are commonly found, usually in pairs, when passing between one domain and another.
This particular pair of booths marked the point where the County of Nuedon ends or begins and the Barony of Member begins or ends. Now these booths are operated by toll collectors usually appointed by the lord of the domain and for this service, they were permitted to keep a certain percentage of the tolls they collected, usually 1 in 5 or 1 in 4.
As you can imagine, especially in the larger or more prosperous domains this can be a lucrative position. Hence the fact that in many such domains and even in some of the other ones those seeking the position pay the domains lords to appoint them to the role.
The rates for the tolls while not standard over the whole empire are however set by the Imperial Government and haven't changed in over sixty years.
The person at the head of the party heading towards the border is riding a few yards ahead of the rest and behind him are ten men on horseback followed by several servants and a carriage being pulled by four horses, with eight guards at the rear. He stops for a moment just in sight of the toll booths, ordering the rest of the party to halt and then he continues on to the Booths.
A man exits both of the booths to meet him and he recognises both of them but is surprised to see one of them. While older than he once was Hasculf Magne had been operating the toll booth of the County of Nuedon on this dirt track for as far as he could remember. He was surprised to see Deon Balfe on the other hand, he was the only son of Podrin Balfe who had been Amondos fathers Baliff for twelves years before his death.
He had expected that Deon would have years ago succeeded his father as Baliff as he hadn't been in the best of health the last time he was at home. He must have done something to anger Leonid though what that might have been he could not imagine. Perhaps it is just that for some reason he had someone whom he needed to offer a post to and that was the one he decided on.
Well for whatever reason the toll collection position was Deon's and he had to deal with him. Then again perhaps the toll collector had stayed behind in the booth and Dean was simply here waiting for me to arrive, it was after all the most likely route I could have taken home. Na, if that was the case then surely they would have sent someone else, the Stewart for example. Then again perhaps everyone more senior was too busy to be spared.
"Good day Deon, how are you this fine morning." The leader of the party, sir Amondo Malla enquired.
He was a man of 30, well-muscled and at just 6 foot tall he towered over most others. He had sharp blue eyes, a slightly crooked nose and a well-maintained beard that his an ever-increasing number of scars.
He was riding an impressive black stallion that was unlike him unarmored. Altogether he looked like the kind of a man that you didn't want to cross and that those did would invariably either perish or learned the error of their way.
"Well, I suppose it's fine enough m'lord, the expected rain hasn't arrived yet, although some paying customers would be much appreciated. But I suppose we'll have to settle for having you home where you belong unless those people hanging back aren't with you.", dean replied pointing in their direction.
"Alas, they are, what news of my sister in law."
"They say it's due any day now m'lord, its common enough knowledge that you'd been sent for but I don't think they expected you to arrive this soon."
"I heard with happened, how bad was it?", Amondo enquired.
"Not as bad as it could have been to be sure but still a bloody affair it was. Everything happened so quickly with Ruehasen and Antwa falling so unexpectedly no one had any time to prepare any kind of a real defence before your brother got involved and when he got ambushed at the new border it was all over."
"Who else was there with him when he was ambushed and did any of them survive."
"He was accompanied by sir Philip Staffenger and two soldiers and it was from one of them that bearly survived that we got news of your brother."
"Were there any other casualties during the war I might have known."
"One of your brothers in law from his second wife's family, the head groom at the stables of the castle who was visiting family in Ruehasen and the rest were mainly newcomers since your departure as I understand it."
"I heard Orlando managed to get out of Antwa once he realised he couldn't defend it."
"That he did, however, he lost one of his sons in the early stages of the attack."
"Any other news I should be aware of?"
"Well other than the obvious, good luck."
"I presume you were referring to my late brother's second wife and her families reputation."
"I couldn't say, sir."
Well that will be all Deon, until the next time, good day.", stated Amando, tossing him a gold coin for his trouble.
He then had a quick word with Hasculf before signalling the rest of his party to advance.
Some of his men were able to hear parts of his conversation as they had pulled up at the side of the trail just before the booth, he joined them and asked them for their opinion.
"Well, Stilbor, Elias what do you make of that?"
"Well clearly things are even worse than you feared." was how Sir Stilbor Destry, Amondos former squire replied.
"He steemed very concerned about what the future might have in store for both him personally and the barony. He doesn't think much about your sister in law, Nazma I believe her name is.", came from Sir Elias Labil, his best friend and right-hand man.
"Which doesn't bode well for your and the kind of reception we can expect from her and her cronies.", stated Stilbor.
"Well we'll just have to do our best to see that she doesn't get in our way.", replied Amondo."You'll just have to keep your eyes open at all times and we'll watch your back, old friend."
Whilst they were talking the rest of the party travelled past the border and on down the road. With the conversation over they headed on down the trail after them and overtook them at which point Stilbor and Elias were joined by their squires, whilst Amondo approached the carriage and had a quick talk with its passengers.
"Rachana after talking with the toll collector I have grown even more apprehensive so I will momentarily depart with an even smaller party to try and make Membe as quickly as possible. You'll stay here, wait for the main party to arrive and we'll meet up tomorrow evening at the latest, be sure to behave yourself, pay attention to what your aunt and Mavin have to say about what you can expect when meeting my relatives," he told his ward, Rachana Sabine.
Five seasons ago when she was nine her father had died due to injuries he had received when jousting with Amondo. The healers had tried their best to save his life but he only lasted two days before succumbing to his wounds. He had been conscious for most of it and since he had no other living relatives he had asked Amondo to look after his daughter and since he felt responsible he had agreed.
Her father sir Ely Sabine had been the lord of a once prosperous small island, part of the Kver island chain, that had fallen on hard times. The mine that had once made its lords fabulously wealthy had played out a hundred and fifty years ago and it had reverted to the crown when the family line had died out.
These days it was home to fishermen and little else, Amondo had no idea what her grandfather had done to be granted it by the crown as he had kept it secret even from his family members.
However, it must have come about everyone is sure a more worthless piece of inhabited dirt might exist somewhere else in the empire but if it does no one has any idea where that might be.
Anyway, he had been able to secure the wardship for a nominal fee and made use of the island as a base for his men during the winter months. During this time they like many before them spent some time searching the abandoned mine for signs it hadn't been completely mined out, not that they ever managed to find any. They also did some fishing on the rare occasion when the winter weather permitted.
