Summoned Again?

“You are lucky that I don't startle easily.” The Freemartin said to me as we walked behind the badgers and cat women. “You would have to answer to the Tup if I had fainted.”

I chuckled. “I assume you're taking us to the Tup after we stop at the blacksmith.”

“Yes. He will want to see you.” She said.

“Not you?” I asked, teasingly.

“He has... no real use for me.” She said.

“Is it your lack of large horns to head butt with that pisses him off?” I asked and she took in a sharp breath.

“How do you know that?” She asked and put her hand on the hilt of her sword.

“We have rams and sheep in my world.” I said. “I'm not going to profess excessive knowledge of your social system. I just know that males butt heads from a young age to practice, then when they are of age, they fight for real to prove who is stronger.”

The Freemartin moved her hand and nodded. “It was a lot easier when I was younger to compete. Now, their horns could fracture my skull if I tried to challenge anyone.”

“Which is another reason why you want metal armor.” I said and she nodded again. “You do know that they can still severely hurt you, since their skulls are so much thicker than yours.”

“I do.”

“It also means their brains are smaller.” I said.

She let out a bleat of laughter and a snort, then she backhanded my shoulder and my armor let out a clang. “That wasn't funny.”

“Yes, it was.” I said with a laugh. “Did you hurt your hand?”

“No.” She said and tried to hide it behind the edge of her cloak.

I reached out and took her hand, felt her try to take it back, and used Minor Healing on her. She took in a deep breath and let it out at the eased pain. The glow of the spell was quick and ended barely before it began.

“You're a magic user?” She asked, surprised.

“Enchanted item.” I said, truthfully.

“The Tup would buy it from you or kill you for it.” She said. “I suggest you don't tell him you have it.”

“You would just offer to buy it, wouldn't you?” I asked and she nodded. “You see? Bigger brains help.”

She let out another bleat of laughter and then caught herself and tried to swipe at me. I was still holding her hand and easily stopped her. “You can let my hand go now.”

“And let you hit me? I don't think so.” I said and we entered the small blacksmith shop. There was almost nothing on display or hanging on the walls. “I think you're not getting much metal.”

“We're too far away from the mountains to mine.” The blacksmith said. His face was uncovered, unlike tradition dictated, and he took a large drink from his mug of ale. He sat on a barrel of ale and by the sounds of his hooves tapping the side of it as he swung his feet, it was nearly empty. His forge was cold and he sat in the far corner of the room. “We buy what we can from groups that pass by.”

“Wow, that's horrible.” I said and he nodded. “How much do you pay?”

“Why? Do you have some ore that you picked up on the mountain pass?” He asked as he perked right up.

“No, we're actually going that way.” I said.

“Oh.” He slumped back down and took another drink. “I'm not paying for something beforehand. I'll never see you again.”

“I didn't say that I didn't have anything for sale.” I said and took out the split metal rod that the big cat used to convert into a broadsword. I had a bundle of them from his bedroom, too.

“METAL!” The sheep bleated happily and ran over to me. I was nearly a foot taller than him, even with his horns. “Ooo, nice quality. It's a shame that it's in pieces.”

“Just forge them together if you want to fix it.” I said and he snorted.

“That'll just weaken the blade.” He said. “You're better off making two smaller blades with this.”

“So, how much will you pay?” I asked.

“Hmm. I don't want to overpay, since I don't know what it'll do when I reheat it.”

“Will a full size one loosen your tongue?” I asked and took one out.

The short ram's eyes glistened at the full size metal bar. “All right, that I can definitely use.”

I chuckled and we haggled over a good price. I knew that he didn't have a lot of money, considering the shocked reactions to me buying four sets of leather armor, so I sold him that one and gave him the split pieces.

“You're too generous, metal man.” The short ram said.

“Not really.” I said and took out the eight remaining ones that the big cat had owned.

The ram bleated in surprise and shook his head. “I'm sorry, I can't buy them all.”

I turned to the cat women. “Do you see anything you like?”

“I didn't see any pack animals.” One of the said and poked at the horse harness to make it jingle.

“They aren't for sale.” The Freemartin said.

“We're too fast for them, anyway.” I said and looked at the badgers. “What about you? Is there anything here you want?”

“We just deliver.” The head badger said.

“I see a lot of small swords on the rack over there. They should be about your size.”

“Can't fight.”

I chuckled. “It doesn't matter if you can fight. If someone tries to rob you, there's twelve short swords you carry and that should stop people from trying anything. If not, you draw them and point the sharp end at the enemy.”

The badgers talked back and forth for several moments. “We will take twelve of them.”

I nodded and turned back to the short ram. “How about a trade?”

“DONE!” The ram bleated and grabbed the pile of rods from me with abnormal strength and ran over to his forge. “It's been weeks since I had something to do!”

I waved at the badgers and they took a short sword each, then wondered what to do with them. “A quick backtrack to the leather workers for belts and scabbards, I think.”

We went back there and they all had their face coverings removed as they ate the chips just like the lamb had. It took them several minutes to even look up from what they were doing. Their lips were covered in salt and crumbs, too.

“Oh!” The one behind the counter exclaimed and scrambled to cover her face.

“It's all right. You're just as cute as your daughter.”

The sheep let out a bleat of happiness and her face flushed red as she blushed.

“We just need a dozen small belts and scabbards for twelve short swords.” I said and she pointed across the shop. “Ah, thanks.”

The badgers quickly grabbed twelve belts and scabbards, then the cat women took pity on them and helped them thread the belt through the scabbard and put them on their waist. They added the short swords and if my imagination wasn't playing tricks on me, the badgers stood a little bit straighter. I paid for them and the sheep behind the counter thanked me, as did the others.

“Hi, metal man!” The lamb said from the doorway to the back room and waved. Her face was still uncovered, so I waved back. I waited until I was stepping out the door to turn back around and slipped off my helm.

“It was nice meeting you.” I said and winked at her, put my helm back on, and left. I heard the bleats of surprise and the sound of people hitting the floor. I laughed, because seeing my face made them faint.

“Bye, pretty metal man!” The lamb said from the doorway.

I waved back and saw that she had draped a scarf over her head, which meant she was smart enough to not expose herself in public. “Bye, Little Lamb.” I waved and caught up with the others.

“What did you do?” The Freemartin asked. “Yes, I heard the thumps.”

“I'll tell you if you promise to not tell the Tup until I leave.” I said and she nodded. “I took off my helm.”

She let out a snort. “You shocked that poor little lamb?”

“Not in the least.” I chuckled. “Her mother and the others? Bam! On the floor.”

She let out a short bleat of laughter.

We walked on to a designated building built of stone and wood. The two large rams only had their faces covered and not the massive horns they had.

I guess a hood that large would look a bit ridiculous. I thought and we were ushered inside. To my surprise, a short ram with small horns sat on a throne made of bone. His hoofed feet didn't even touch the floor.

“I see you've had some fun in my settlement.” The lamb said.

“It's not yours yet.” I said when my Auto-identifier told me that he was the Tup's son.

The lamb frowned and looked like he was going to get angry.

“I think your dad is going to want to sit down, so you better move.” I said as I saw a large red dot on my Search / Map spell approaching from another room. The lamb let out a bleat of surprise and jumped off of the throne. He took off running past us and out of the room.

“I hope my son didn't annoy you, metal man.” A giant ram about nine feet tall said as he came into the room. His face was uncovered and he walked over to the bone throne and sat down. It had looked huge with the lamb sitting in it and now it looked like a normal chair.

“I like kids and I give them a lot of leeway.” I said and saw the Freemartin bend over slightly.

The Tup waved his hand at her and she stood up straight. “He is a bit full of himself right now. He is young and will learn to conduct himself properly.”

“I assumed as much.” I said and nodded.

The Tup pointed to the Freemartin.

“I did not take them to restricted areas.” She said.

“I hope you weren't too disappointed at the blacksmiths.” The Tup said to me.

“We did some business and he has some nice metal rods now.” I said and the Tup smiled.

“I don't suppose you would quest to the mountains to get ore for me?” The Tup asked.

“I would do it just for the experience; but, my destination is quite a ways away from here.” I said.

“Hmm. What if...” The Tup looked at the Freemartin. “You will not tell anyone else I told you this.”

“I swear I will take the secret to my grave... or to yours.” The Freemartin said.

“Jesus Christ.” I whispered the curse at her audacity to tell him, to his face, that she wanted him dead. What I didn't expect was that my words were what made everyone freeze still.

“What did you just say?” The Tup asked, his ears focused solely on me.

“I cursed, apparently in my own language.” I said. “I forgot that names don't translate well.”

“Your own language?” The Tup asked and rubbed the tuft of hair on his chin. “That means my decision to tell you this is appropriate.” He smiled and put both hands on the arms of his chair. “There is a dragon hiding in the mountains.”

I stood there and thought about it. Whatever he thought my reaction was going to be, I didn't meet it. “I wonder what level it is?”

“No one has lived to return and tell me.” The Tup said and took out a large sack from his cloak. “Here's is fifty rock gems.” He said and tossed them to me. “I can give you another fifty when you return.”

I opened the bag and it was filled with rubies, diamonds, and emeralds. I knew they were pretty much useless for enchanting and could only be used for decoration.

“Wow, did you really think that I'd go if you gave me your garbage?” I asked.

The Tup stared at me for several moments, then he bleated a laugh. “I should have known you wouldn't be so easily fooled.”

“You've got bags and bags of these things, don't you?” I asked and he nodded. I looked at them and sighed. “All right. I'll take them all off your hands.”

“Junior! Bring in the garbage!”

The little lamb from before dragged in four large sacks of what they called rock gems. He left and came back in with three more.

“We are not a wealthy settlement.” The Tup said. “What else do you want?”

“I'll take on the task of getting your ore and facing the dragon on one condition.” I said.

“Name it.” The Tup leaned forward, anticipating what I would say.

“Give me the Freemartin.” I said.

“Done!” The Tup said with a grin.

The Freemartin let out a bleat of surprise and fainted, her arms and legs sticking straight out as she fell to the floor with a thump.

“She told me that she wasn't easily startled.” I said and the Tup and his son laughed.

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