103 After the Tournament (2)

The Dragonsinger Tavern was classier than the caravansary taverns – it had fresher straw on the floors.

Morumain chivvied him up to the second floor, snagged a pitcher and two cups from a server, and sat them at a private booth. "You're the talk of the town, my friend."

Eh?

He'd heard nothing though.

Morumain chuckled. His sharp eyes caught Krow's confusion.

"Due to the admittedly ignoble actions of others, Rakaens is now being accused of deliberately attempting to force Cerkanst to turn over their trade contracts."

His brows rose. "That's a stretch."

"Not really. The town, these last years, has made a point of favoring certain of the larger villages."

Morumain went on to say the herb trade was diffused between a number of small villages in the area, after the monopoly Cerkanst enjoyed fell through with the destruction of the Cerkanst herb fields.