The morning had dawned on the village, rain was soaking the pastures and the lambs were bleating even before the roosters crowed at dawn. I yawned but took my time getting up, my father had gone on a long trek finding a very rare silk way beyond the Valley of Despair.
We had moved here, after my mother had died, the caves in Despair were perfect for my father's work as a silk merchant. I did not like living in the village of Despair, but my father was making a fortune, and who was I to argue?
I had a lot of Shields to myself and it was in the Bank of Nothingness. However, I knew my father had a lot to teach me. I sighed I had to collect the silk and start weaving, after I had a good cup of blackwater tea mingled with hot honey. I nestled into the fur covered chair and watched the fire crackle.
I heard some footsteps come to the front door and tried to get there quickly, to no avail. When I opened the door, there was no one there except for a scroll.
I knew from the seal it came from The Glen, and I knew from the seal of the scroll that it was most important. I opened the scroll, and it was an invitation to the Monastery of the Glen.
My mother was from the Glen and I remember the Monastery as a child, it contained humble stone arches one gate in and one gate out. Many went in and few left. I always wondered why, and no one would tell me as a child.
The scroll burned in my hand. I knew that the Author of Love had sent the scroll through a faithful messenger. I wanted to leave just then, but my father would not be home until the next day, however, the time would give me the space to prepare.
I washed in haste then made the way down to the coast, to the Bank of Nothingness. The Realm of Nod decided the banks would remind the citizens that their wealth only came from the Author of Love, and the currency was Shields was the highest coin, then Gnaggins, and Pinith.
Two thousand Piniths was one Shield, Four hundred Gnaggins was one Shield. To make things simpler, The Realm decided on one currency for all of Nod, because too many people from the ancient times would not give back the right currency and too many citizens were complaining to the Realm, so they convened and came up with a whole new currency to make this equal among the lands.
The road was narrow, and the one side went down a thousand yards to the sea. Children had made camp along the seaside and the smell of fish was making my stomach crave food, I had not taken my breakfast as of yet. I recognized Pip, his father and mine had gone into business together, our silk for his ships, and so it was. His father was a decent man, and like all of those that had lost someone, they moved to the Valley of Despair. His mother died giving birth to Pip, and his dad almost died under the weight of her death and almost went to drown himself in drink, however, the bride's death amount allowed him to buy his first ship, and the rest wrote itself.
He was checking the inside of his fish to make sure the flesh was fully cooked, and his smile told me breakfast was indeed ready to be devoured. I walked over and kissed the top of his head.
"Rune, great to see this rainy morning." Pip said, looking up from his bass and roasted potatoes. I hugged my young friend. He was more like a brother to me.
"I will give you sixth Pinniths for breakfast." I stated and smiled at the young lad.
"Rune, you know your money is no good with me, sit my friend. Give it to the poor, they need it more." He said, dutifully, his family served the Author of Love.
We sat and I told him about the scroll that landed on my door. "I will leave tomorrow." I stated with a nervous hilt in my voice, it was a long journey over nine provinces and about a nine month journey.
"Well, I will give you my travelling sack, when my grandfather made the pilgrimage, his sister made him a sack like no other. I will deliver it before sunrise." Pip said as he raised his fish to me before taking a bite.
After a few minutes when my stomach was full, I made my way into the city. I made the twists and turns in the streets, and arrived at the Bank of Nothingness.
The lines moved quickly as people did not want to take too long as a north wind was coming up from the coast and the rain that was tepid now had teeth that bit hard through our clothes.
I withdrew my life's savings, enough for six ships, and a humble house. I was not sure how much I was going to need. Mulls were the creatures that The Realm assigned to run all of the banks, and they had telepathic powers, and would record to the Author of Love what the money was used for and how one obtained the money. Each withdrawal and each deposit they knew where it was coming from and they kept books, and the books were rendered to the Author of Life when the citizen was called home to Paradise.
The one who helped me make my deposit just looked through me, and wrote everything down, and then waved me goodbye. The Realm made the Mulls mute with no ability to find love, to experience hate, or any other human emotion. They all had long gold hair, shining emeralds for eyes and they were short with large ears. Not a soul knew how they came to be or how they existed, they simply are.
I put my life savings in my satchel and headed home. I was looking forward to my father arriving and I would make my black sea tea and I would broil chicken and roast potatoes. It would take a long time to make the midday meal, and my father would be getting back later that night or early tomorrow.
I arrived home and started cooking, and a knock on the door was heard. It was the Widow Arlow, she was not wealthy anymore, her son gambled all of her groom's death inheritance.
I let her in, and she sat down. Her small body was worn down to scraps of flesh, as she spent her days mending all of the nets for the fishermen. She barely had enough Pinniths to cover flour and nettle leaves for tea. She sold her house for a shanty on the beach that would barely stand if a harsh storm made land.
She bowed as she entered. I fixed her a hot bath in the bath shed and gave her lilac soap to bathe with a little vial of olive oil to help the brush move through the tangles.
Once the meal was nearly done, I took her clothes to the washing wall, and gave them to Tess. "Are ye sure you should not burn them Rune?" She asked, looking at the rags. I stared at her.
"Are you a Mull now?" She teased and I rolled my eyes.
"Burn them, she can have some of my mother's clothes I suppose, and here for your trouble, I tossed her a few Gnaggins, back due from a full month of her doing my father's and mine's laundry.
She smiled. I waved and went back home and obtained my mother's silk work clothes. It would seem peculiar for a net wench to have silks but she could sell them for plenty of Shields and then be able to rent, suddenly an idea struck me, she was astonishing with numbers and was a tremendous housekeeper, the idea made me smile, I laid the dress over the door and went back to the kitchen.
Her scent lingered with soap and she warmed herself as she brushed her long graying hair.
"Widow Arlow, I am going to the Monastery first light, and my father will need you while I go on the journey, stay here, you can have my quarters, it will be good for both of you, won't you please stay?" I asked almost begging her, as I helped her with her tangles and then braided it nicely helping her to the table.
"If your father decides this is good for him, then yes, and your mother would be so proud." She said, looking at me. I smiled. I placed the meal at the centre of the table, we blessed the food and she helped me spin the silk to thread. We talked and laughed, and soon familiar steps were heard on the stoop. My father had arrived home.