Meric the Storyman: Rega and the Dragonstones
Chapter 7: Swashbuckler

Eric Torel was the fifth son of a lesser important baron located in the kingdom of Lalloran. Since he was not the eldest son, he was not in line for taking over the barony from his father. That didn’t stop the education process. To be safe, he was still given extensive training in all matters concerning running the barony.

Already in his early twenties, he had grown tired of all the schooling he had been put through. His father and mother were always going away on important matters, matters concerning the noble class. He was always left behind with the tutors or his older brothers.

The area of the kingdom where he lived was located next to the Northern Highlands mountain range. This small city was named Greenrock. What made the area important were the nearby copper mines. The copper ore found in the local rocks was green in color, giving the city it’s name. Although copper wasn’t as precious a metal as silver or gold, it was still a valuable commodity for the kingdom. Fortunately, it wasn’t valuable enough to attract dragons.

Initially, Greenrock was a smelting facility built to process the mined ore. As production increased, a community developed. Due to the value of copper to the kingdom, a small Order of the Silver Rose keep was established. It has a single inn for travelers passing through. Nearby farms to the south were set up to provide some of the city’s needs, both in produce, milk, and meats.

After smelting, most of the copper gets transported to other areas of the kingdom to be turned into bronze. There are a few copper-smiths in the city that specialize in making items from copper, mostly cooking items. Eric had been given lessons on how copper was smelted. He was also shown how to make bronze by combining the copper with tin.

In addition to the copper ore, malachite is also found in the area. These minor gemstores could be cut, shaped, and polished to make some very beautiful pieces. Both raw and shaped malachite were popular exports of the area. Eric had a copper ring with a polished, oval piece of malachite. The gemstone was a high-quality banded malachite, showing bands of different shades of green. It had been made by one of the area’s jewelers.

Not satisfied with the daily happenings at home and feeling the need to be away from the day-to-day mining activities, there came a time when Eric convinced his father into letting him come along on one of his trips. Eric wanted to explore and see other places. This trip would finally be his chance. He was pleasantly shocked to find out his father was actually taking him to the kingdom city of Lalloran.

He tried very hard to pay attention to his father during the trip. From what he could recall, this meeting was to be a very important one. All of the barons would be there. There was also supposed to be an emissary from the kingdom of Makloran present. Events were taking place which needed both kingdoms’ cooperation.

After two long days on the road, they made it to Lalloran. Eric was amazed. The city was massive! It did not look like it would be difficult for him to get away. He began to excitedly formulate his plan.

Once the wagon made it to the gates of the castle, Eric’s father noticed Eric’s excitement and told him to settle down. The guards at the gates saluted the baron as he passed by. Within minutes, they were in the castle.

Servants took their belongings and guided them to a luxurious guest room. The room was spacious. It had two beds, a table and chairs, furniture to relax on and an area to clean up. Heated water had been brought in as well.

After Eric and his father had a chance to clean up and get in more formal attire, they were brought to a large dining hall. There they met the other barons who had already arrived, many greeting Eric’s father upon seeing him. These greetings took place as other barons arrived. All were waiting on the arrival of the King.

Trumpets sounded, letting all the guests know when the King was approaching. They were directed to the dining table. Since Eric’s father was not one of the more important Barons in the kingdom, Eric and his father took a seat a good ways away from the King’s seat.

Everyone stood when the King arrived, and then sat after he was seated. Servants then began to bring out a feast. There were meats, fruits, cheeses, breads and a variety of drinks.

Throughout all this, Eric played the part of a dutiful son of a baron. The emissary from Makloran was introduced to the King, but Eric was not paying attention to the proceedings. His thoughts were always on being on his own and exploring the world.

It took two more days before the remaining barons in the kingdom arrived. Eric spent this time with his father in the many social gatherings. Granted, some barons had brought along their daughters, so it was not all bad. He was not shy, having to fight for attention with four older brothers. Some of these young women were pleasant to be around, and Eric managed to flirt with a few.

Surprisingly, he found that his many years of schooling were of some benefit. Some conversations his father had with other barons led to copper mining production and exportation. His father would turn to him, looking for recent figures. Eric’s answers were always well-versed and helpful for his father.

Eric knew that once the important discussions started, he would not be allowed there. That was when he would put his plan into action.

The morning arrived when only his father was summoned. Eric was told about other social events planned and was encouraged to attend. A well-placed bribe got him some clothes from the docks and a well-balanced rapier, his favorite weapon to train with.

Eric gathered a few rations, placed them in a bag with the clothes and weapon and left the castle. He wanted to make sure to leave on the first day. The talks were supposed to last a few days, so he hoped that his father would not realize he was gone until he was far away. Since it was daylight, there were many people coming and going, so it was not difficult for him to get out unnoticed.

He found an alley and changed into the other clothes. These were not made out of the fine material he was used to. They were stiff and started itching, but Eric did not mind.

Of course, part of his tutoring involved basic seamanship. Some of this he even retained. He knew how to tie a variety of knots. He knew the basics of navigation from the stars. He also knew how to properly rig a sail. This is what led Eric to his decision to go to the docks.

Once there, he found a ship that was leaving that day. He went on board and let the boatswain know he was able to help if they needed more. Soon after, he was sailing to Striplind as one of the crew.

Life at sea was everything Eric wanted. The work was hard and the food was not the feast he was accustomed to. It took several days for him to get his sea legs, but once he hit his stride, he could not ask for more.

He loved working on the deck; the salty spray of water on his face to keep him cool along with the feeling of accomplishment after a hard day’s work. He turned out to be very good at climbing the rigs and maneuvering the foot-ropes when they had to furl or unfurl the sails.

The ship sailed north. In a few day’s time, the coastline began to change. Mountains could be seen. From his tutoring, Eric knew that these were the mountains where the holy city of Morane was located.

It would take several more days to round the coast and head west towards Striplind. In another week’s time, the ship arrived at its destination. The cargo was unloaded and the crew was paid. Except for a few who stayed on board as watch, the rest went ashore to spend their money, Eric included.

New cargo was being sought and would be loaded. In a few days time, the ship would move on to the next destination. Until then, the crew maintained an in-port watch schedule. The rest of the time usually involved enjoying liberty in the city.

It was when he was at one of the seedier places in the back alleys of Striplind, enjoying some watered-down rum with some of his shipmates, when Eric saw a large human and a half-orc walk in. It was the chainmail being worn by the human that caught his eye. It was of better quality than a place like this usually saw. This would not be the last time he would be seeing them.

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