Whore's Backyard

289 AC, Wintertown…

"Don't tell me you don't have any coppers…" Lenny squinted his eyes as he asked.

"The coppers were with me but…" Rodrik cut his words in half as Lenny pushed him onto the wall.

Lenny was glaring at him with a murdering glare and said, "You promised me the coppers."

Rodrik pushed him back and held his head high, "I never shied away from any dealing, Lenny. You will get your payment. It is just the guards took all of the coppers when they caught us after the fight."

"Do you think I care about any excuse you make up!" Lenny said.

"As I said, you will get your payment, Also, as compensation, I will pay it double when we gather that amount. Now that we have the Whore's Backyard, there won't be any problem about the payment." Rodrik spoke sternly.

Lenny backed off hearing that he was going to get double payment. That was something that could make him wait for a bit more. However, he still wanted to try his chances, "Triple," he said.

Rodrik snorted, "Don't force it or you won't like the result, Lenny."

"You got cocky after getting Whore's Backyard, aye?" Lenny tried to get him angry so he can gain leverage but things did not go as he wanted as Rodrik stayed calm.

"It will be double payment or nothing," said Rodrik.

"Fine," said Lenny and he went away to his father's side with a satisfied but grudging smile on his face.

On the other hand, Rodrik waited for the other boys to come. Today, they were going to officially occupy the Whore's Backyard and, already, he was feeling excited about it. There were rumours that Rony was earning at least fifty coppers a week thanks to the place. That was why Rodrik was eager to see it.

He did not wait too long as all the boys came down to the alley. Most of them were eager to see their new territory as Rodrik. However, some had black eyes and it was apparent that the fight had its toll on them.

When everyone arrived, they made their way to the brothel and passed from the side alley and came to the backyard. It was deserted and that was something Rodrik found weird as he was expecting Rony to show some resistance.

The boys quickly checked around whether there was anything fishy but found nothing. Just as everyone was going to relax, one of the boys yelled for others to come.

He was the one checking the holes in the brothel's walls but when they came upon them, there were no holes. Rodrik was bewildered as this was not something he was expecting.

He quickly run to the front of the brothel and went inside. He asked for Rony and he trodded down the stairs with a confident smile on his face and an apple in his hand.

"Yesterday was a good fight, Rodrik." Rony smiled, "I guess you found out my surprise."

"You stuffed the holes," Rodrik murmured in anger, "This was not what we agreed upon."

Rony threw his arm around Rodrik's shoulders with a sneering smile on his face and took a bite from the apple, "What we agreed was over the backyard, not the holes. Besides, why should I allow you and your lot to peek through the holes?"

Rodrik knew this was his defeat. Although he won the battle, he lost in intrigue. And now, what he needed to do was to salvage as much as possible, "Okay, tell me what you want?"

"You are smart for a boy of your age, Rodrik." Rony knew he had the upper hand now, "I will not ask too much, only half of your earnings."

Rodrik snorted and made a counteroffer, "Twenty percent of earnings and five of your lads joining us for protection of the backyard."

Rony hummed thoughtfully. He spat on his hand and offered it to Rodrik, "Let's make it twenty five percent and three boys."

Rodrik found this reasonable so he also spat on his hand and took the offer. They shook their hands as Rony said, "So when are you going to open the holes?"

"Well, I need to wait until the night. If the owner catch me while doing it, he would hang me and kick my mother out. Besides, I was ready to give in for ten percent, didn't expect you to offer this much." Rony smiled toothily.

Rodrik grunted but still made no remarks. He nodded his head to Rony and just as he was going to turn around, he looked at the apple on Rony's hand and gulped. He had no meal since yesterday morning so he was really hungry.

Rodrik snatched the apple from Rony's hand while he was humming in his little victory, "Since we get nothing today, this will be our payment."

Rony gaped as Rodrik trodded to the backyard while eating the apple. He told the boys the new deal. They complained a lot but had to accept it as there was no other way.

…

Rodrik and the boys hung around the town until evening but Rodrik himself decided to go home rather early. He had to stay outside last night and he didn't want that to be repeated.

The door did not budge as always so Rony decided to make a fuss over it and create a commotion. He banged the door until someone noticed.

Unfortunately, the one who noticed him was none other than his old greasy neighbour. He always complained about Rodrik being a naughty boy.

"Old Gods be merciful, stop banging the damn door!!" The old man strode out from his house while leaning on a crooked staff. "Even my old ears had enough of your naughtiness!!"

Rodrik ignored him and continued to bang on the door. He hoped Lydia would open the door instead of being a centre of attention for the whole street.

However, his wishes did not come true as a hand grabbed him from his neck and pulled him back. Rodrik raised his head and looked at the owner of the hand as his eyes grew wide.

"You again," The man grumbled, "Can't you see you are disturbing everyone on the street?"

Rodrik knew the man. He was the one who caught them just yesterday while escaping with Benny, Jon and others. Rodrik remembered him well because this man, Harold, stole his coppers.

"Is this your home?" The guard, Harold, asked, "Where is your mother?"

"I will not tell you anything, you thief!!" Rodrik tried to escape from the man's grasp but it was to no avail.

At that moment, the old man chimed in, "Aye, he lives here. His mother died giving birth to him."

"No wonder he is like this," Harold mumbled out.

Rodrik looked at the guard grudgingly as the door of his house opened a little and a huge woman came out, "What is this commotion?!"

"Do you know this boy?" Harold asked the woman impatiently.

Lydia lowered her eyes and looked at the dirty-faced Rodrik and an ugly smile graced her face, "Unfortunately, yes. Let me take him in so he won't be trouble to you any more good sir."

The guard realized the woman's dislike of the boy but, nonetheless, he did not care as he pushed him towards the woman, "If he makes more trouble, you will be held responsible so don't make me come here again."

Lydia nodded her head like a chicken and pulled Rodrik inside and closed the door behind them quickly. Then, she turned to look at Rodrik who was cursing them silently, "A troublemaker like you should be spanked until he couldn't sit right."

Rodrik snorted but Lydia continued her words without caring, "Your father just left for the war and even if he survives, he won't be coming back for at least three moons so even if I beat you every day, he won't realize it when he comes back. Be a good boy and listen to my words or you won't realize what is coming for you."

Rodrik looked at the woman who was belittling him like she was his mother. He knew that Lydia was telling the truth. Even if she beat him all day, his father wouldn't realize it when he comes home.

While Lydia was scolding Rodrik, Jason was watching what was happening from the corner with a smiling face. His mother thought Rodrik didn't come home last night as she was sound asleep and Jason didn't tell him that Rodrik woke him up last night.

He knew his mother was cruel sometimes and she was after this house as his father always talked about it like it should have been theirs. That was why he decided to help his mother and father.

Though Jason wanted his mother to scold this little bastard more, Rodrik relented and nodded his head.

They were just going to have dinner before Rodrik came so Lydia let him in the kitchen. She filled Jason's bowl to the brim with beans. However, only half of Rodrik's bowl was filled with beans.

Rodrik quickly cleaned his bowl of any beans and asked for more but Lydia closed the lid of the pot and said there aren't any left.

Rodrik snorted and left the table and went to his room. However, before he could get inside Jason pulled him back and went inside.

Rodrik angrily tried to open the door but it was apparent someone was holding it from the other side. He went back to the kitchen and yelled to Lydia, "Your son wouldn't let me enter my own room!"

Lydia raised an eyebrow and looked at Rodrik, "Of course, he wouldn't. He is sleeping there and there is only one bed in that room."

"Then I will stay in my father's room," Rodrik said.

"That won't do as well," Lydia smiled sweetly, "I will be staying there."

"Then where am I going to sleep?" Rodrik gaped as he asked.

"I don't know, you can sleep wherever you want." she said, "After all, you managed to stay outside last night,"

He watched as Lydia blew out the candle and went to his father's room. She just literally told him he could stay outside.

Rodrik felt like a stranger inside his own house. He picked two blankets from the storage of the house. He spread one of them to the ground and lay on it and covered himself with the other one.

It was going to be a long night and he was already burning up inside to get even with those two fat monsters…