My mother was delighted with the fish she had brought. In this world, they were known as Piscibus. Apparently, there were many types, and according to my mother, some were as big as our house and could control different types of magic. As she described them, they were quite terrifying.
They'd told me to get ready, that we'd be going to the nearest town, where Grandma Thea lived. Only my father and I would be going, because we'd be traveling on Aur, the horse, and he wouldn't be able to handle the three of us. Taking the two of us would be quite demanding.
When my father was ready, we started riding toward the village. Fortunately, the animals of this world were larger; Aur's back allowed us both plenty of room, yet there was still enough room to carry the necessary gear.
After almost half a day of riding, I couldn't feel my legs anymore. I was numb from being in the same position as when I tried to get off Aur, falling flat on my face. I turned red from embarrassment. Dad helped me up while trying to clean off the dirt that had stuck to me from falling. I looked ahead; we had arrived at the main town. That was where my father sold things. The houses were ordinary, not much to look at; they seemed old, with few amenities. What surprised me were the people. Some were in carriages with people walking or trotting alongside. Others were simply walking and were dressed in simple clothes, light-coloured shirts with shorts. Everything looked very ordinary. My father took the lead and led Aur on the leash, while I walked beside him.
I kept looking around, interested in learning how the world worked, and this visit would be a good first step.
As my father led us through what looked like a market, I began to see interesting sights: a few shops and stalls on the street. Some sold fruit, while others sold tools.
I asked my father about the shops along the street. He told me that some sold books, others focused on herbs that they claimed were good for the body or helped heal wounds more quickly. My father continued, discreetly pointing out some of the shops.
After walking for a while, we arrived at Grandma Thea's house. It was a small but comfortable house. My father tied Aur up near the house. When we entered, the house looked totally different. Much cleaner and more pleasant than what could be seen from the outside. I stood there watching for a while, until my father put his hand on my back to go greet Grandma Thea.
As I looked at the house and its details, I heard:
"Frank and the little devil, what could bring you to my humble abode?" Grandma said with her arms crossed, as she sat down and cast a curious look.
My father bowed slightly to Grandma and then nudged me with his hand, prompting me to bow as well. Grandma shook her hand and quickly crossed them again.
"Frank, you know those things aren't necessary. You'll only make me angry. Why did you come?" Grandma said in an annoyed voice.
I thought it was a little rude of her to treat my father that way. But considering the status Grandma might have held, I thought it wasn't exaggerated; it was already a good thing that she didn't demand bows and special treatment.
"I hope you're okay, Thea. We came to say hello and ask for a few favours from you. I'll obviously pay for them," my father said, putting on a somewhat nervous smile and rubbing his hair, his nervousness evident.
"Of course, Frank. As long as it's within my capabilities, I'll help. I owe Emma a lot, and refusing would be rude of me," Grandma said.
I was left wondering what a magician and healer like Grandma owes my mother to make her be so helpful. But I didn't ask anything; it was better not to interfere in the conversation.
-"Grandma, I want you to check this first and assess its value. I'll use my savings to make up the excess payment, if possible." My father said as he placed the Ursing skin on the table near Grandma.
Grandma quickly examined the skin and looked suspiciously at my father, as if she were asking him something. My father shook his head slightly, giving me a small glance and a gentle smile.
-"Sam hunted down this Ursing. He made some other products with what he brought back, but it's up to him if he wants to show them off," my father mentioned.
Grandma was surprised and looked at me, as if she were analysing me. I was stunned by her gaze; my father had noticed and cleared his throat. To which the grandma apologized and continued evaluating my skin.
"Frank, this may cost a silver coin at most. The hide, although still usable, has many bruises and some cuts," Grandma said as she examined it. "You can see it was a hard fight. Well done, young man, but you must learn to hunt cleanly and also how to skin it so it can be used easily," she said finally, as she lay back again and crossed her arms. She looked every inch the businesswoman waiting to close a good deal.
"Now tell me, what do you want in return? I hope it's not something too expensive," she said, looking at my father with narrowed eyes, waiting for an answer that would allow her to gain something.
-"Grandma, as you can see, Sam is starting to go to the forest. We want to gather some information so he can benefit and be careful of some of the dangers. We were hoping you could get him a book about forest species or a herbarium, so he knows what he can and shouldn't collect in the forest."
When my father said that, I looked at him, trying to hold back my tears. The tremendous support and trust they were showing me made me very emotional. I wanted to speak up, to interrupt him, and tell him it was better to invest that money in the house and in them. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want that kind of information. Besides, with that, I could bring more things into the house and earn a lot more money.
Strangely, the grandmother sighed and looked with disappointment at the skin, which was still lying on the table.
"Frank, I'd really like to help with that. But the books you're asking for would cost more than four or five silver coins if I bought them. If you go, they might not even sell to you. With what little you have, I don't think it'll be enough," Grandma said, shaking her head with a bored look in her eyes.
I was surprised by that response; apparently, information is very expensive in this world. My father sighed and was about to speak when I interrupted him.
I placed one of the first daggers I made with the claw on the table. Grandma was surprised and immediately took the dagger to analyse it. She continued for a while until she sighed and shook her head again.
"Sam, I don't know how you managed to do this job with the Ursing's claws. Although it's a very good job, at most you can get three pieces of silver for the hide and the knife," Grandma said as she dropped the machete onto the table.
When the grandma was examining the corvo, I didn't see her apply any magic to it, which seemed strange to me. So I decided it would be best if I told her, and with that, I hope she'd raise the price.
I approached and took the ham.
-'Ignis'- I sang.
Grandma jumped up, trying to understand what was happening; she was surprised when she saw that the spell hadn't escaped the crowbar. She immediately snatched the knife from me, thought for a moment before clenching it in her hand and trying to cut the table with it. She was even more surprised when she realized the blade was still cold, hadn't lost any weight, and had become sharper.
He continued to play with the knife for a while, until he realized the spell was spreading. It didn't take long, a minute or two at most, for the effect to wear off.
Grandma tried to appear calm, but the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her. She was clearly very interested; she looked first at my father and then at me. Now calmer, she turned to me, forcing herself to look away from the crow.
"Kid, I hope you haven't shown this to anyone other than me and your parents. Making these kinds of weapons is dangerous and very risky. Your design is unique, and while it may retain the spell for a short time, it's acceptable," Grandma said in a cautious tone that worried me a little.
"For this kind of work, they can offer us up to seven silver coins, not including the skin. That'll be more than enough for a few books, if you want to sell it," he continued. From his expression, it was clear he really wanted the knife.
I turned to look at my father. He was surprised, but not that surprised. He nodded, as if to say it was okay for me to sell it. Apparently my parents trusted Grandma a lot.
"Grandma, if it's okay, I'd like you to sell both so I can get some books. At least one on herbs and another on forest species. That way I'll know who to mess with and who not to," I said.
Grandma immediately nodded and excitedly picked up the two items. She told us we could stay in the house for a while while she went to get what we wanted.
Meanwhile, my father and I just sat there, looking around with nothing much to do. We looked like scolded children waiting for the teacher.
After what seemed like an eternity, the grandma returned. She wasn't wearing her usual frown; she was holding two books. Each book was quite thick, just a pile of pages that seemed sewn together, with no protection whatsoever.
When my father saw the two books, he was very surprised. I thought it was because of their thickness. But it wasn't.
-"Thea, you shouldn't give us such precious things. You know that paper books are very valuable to people like us. Although the dagger is excellent, I shouldn't be able to afford what those two books are worth." - my father said, pointing at the books and saying to the grandma in a serious tone.
The grandma ignored him and placed the books in my hands.
"Little devil. As your father says, these books, while they may seem small, are not. Your work is very well done, and I hope that if you ever have anything else to sell, you'll come to me. You could also see this as a kind of investment on my part."
After listening to them both, I was amazed. The books weren't heavy and seemed very ordinary to me, so I didn't show much surprise at them. I was used to much larger and more polished books, like the ones I saw on Earth.
After that, my father bowed deeply and thanked Grandma. I did the same, trying to show as much respect as I could. I don't know how much it cost, but in my eyes, the grandma did me a great favor.
What I didn't know at the time was that the dagger I made could sell for over nine silver coins in a good shop. While the grandma did a favor with the books, it wasn't something the dagger and the skin couldn't afford.
After selling some of the things my father had brought, we started riding back toward the house. I swore that when I managed to catch some more game, I'd try to make a saddle for Aur. I should also start fixing things up around the house. It's been a long time, and I think I'm old enough not to arouse my parents' suspicions.
We arrived home, and I was completely exhausted. Aur had been very well-behaved and was gentle on the horse, but after so much time, he was very tired; he didn't want to sit still any longer. We finished eating, and if it weren't for the meditation, I would have gone to sleep immediately.
I woke up just before dawn, eager to start reading the books. When I started looking at the pages, I was completely disappointed. I couldn't understand a word of what was being said. Even though I had learned to speak with my parents, I still couldn't read. I continued looking at the herbs and some of the animal species depicted in the books for a while, until my parents got up for their daily chores. I put everything away and began to prepare to help with some of the chores.