[Mkguild] Round Robin: The argument

[Rimme the Weasel]

>
> "My name? Howel Suidh," the trapper said. "I've been a hunter all my life.
Sorry, I'm not used to speaking with merchants. Up north, I make my deals
with Lutins or soldiers. Neither of them care for negotiations. You've
heard my offer. From what I hear, you can't afford to wait for another
offer."

"You don't even know if there is a buyer in Starven," Jerrod said. "What if
some bandits sell their loot up there before we do?"

Gwayn jumped in before Howel. "Then we camp up north for a couple weeks
until it's safe to travel back south and try in Metamor again."

"A couple weeks? In the Giantdowns? Are you serious?" Aldwin gaped.

"A necessary precaution. You know the story of the merchant who fled to
Midtown after a week in Metamor, returned the next day, and got cursed two
days later? Seems to be a rule that you need time away from the curse to
recover. Two weeks is the safest we can afford."

"Sounds like we'll be camping up north whether we find a buyer or not,"
Jerrod grumbled.

"Excuse me," Reed spoke up. "But I think I may have already found a buyer
--"

"Gallus, would you escort our guest to the inn? Reed and I will catch up
with you."

Gallus nodded and led a confused Howel away. It was clear that it didn't
matter to Gwayn whether Jerrod or Aldwin followed or not. Jerrod held his
ground, and Aldwin reluctantly stayed to hear the argument.

Once the two were out of earshot, Reed spoke up. "We wouldn't have to leave
--"

"Your 'buyer' is nothing more than a intermediary, at best. At worst, he's
the reason you'll be on guard duty all night." Gwayn turned to the other
two guards. "All of you."

All three of them blinked. "Us? Tonight?" Aldwin blurted.

"Reed's 'buyer' is a rat named Trey, who claimed he'd be able to find
another buyer in Metamor. What Reed has done is tell a complete stranger
what inn that we're staying at, that we have lots of precious cargo we
can't sell, and that we can't afford to stay and investigate if it gets
stolen."

Reed glowered. "I'm a better judge of character than you think."

"I asked you to find a buyer on the streets. All you've done is expose us
to thieves. Either you ensure they don't cause us trouble," Gwayn said as
he crossed his arms, "or you may consider yourself dismissed."
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