T&B's Thousand Trades

[Johnny Walac]

The story of Thorulf, the merchant from Minoc.

Slowly he opened up his eyes, it was to light in here. Even though there were no candles. It must be the sun. So he have slept whole day? Thorulf got up on his elbows and looked around. He was lying in the middle of the house, on the floor and still alittle bit drunk. He tried to think of the night before but was only met by darkness. Then he noticed he was lying in something sticky. He was infact covered in something sticky, he stood up real quick. To quick, he fell down to his knees and vomited. Blood, he was covered in blood! Then he saw it, he bent down and picked it up. The kitchen knife was covered in blood as he was. He was alone in the house, he panicked. He dropped the knife and ran to the water barrel. He washed his face in the cool water. He washed his hands and arms also. He looked around the house and then just screamed into nothingness. "Bengt!?"

[Johnny Walac]

He opened the bottle and threw the cork into the fire. He gulped the spirit down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. The familiar warmth spread in his chest and he took another sip. The tears cut through the ash covered face and left a path of sorrow. He tried to drown it but this bottle didn't have the effect he looked for, neither had the others before it. The fire rose high from the barrel and lit up the backyard. There was no moon tonight. He had found the body parts an hour later after he woke up. Even though he could not recognize anything, he knew, he knew deep inside that it was Bengt. He chugged down the spirit and threw away the bottle. It crashed against a stone and the broken pieces reflected the fire. He moaned and cried as he took another bottle. He stumbled forward as he bent down to grab it and fell forward. The ground rushed up to meet him. And there he lay throughout the night, crying and cursing. The fire still stood high in the backyard of Thorulf's Thousand Trades.

[Johnny Walac]

He woke up by something. The fire had burnt out and there was only smoking embers left. What woke up him? Then something rumbled inside the house and another crash. While he fell asleep on the backyard someone broke into the shop. He took a big piece of broken glass and stumbled around the house to the front door. Thorulf kicked the door open and stepped inside. There, rummaging through the barrels stood Bengt. The dead Bengt Bengtson, Bengt of Bengt Bengtsons Brilliant Bandages. Bengt turned around and stared at his friend. "Finally you woke up. I found you in the backyard, passed out again. What were you burning back there?" Thorulf could only stare back, his mouth moved but no words passed his lips. Finally he spoke "I..I-I was burning your remains. I thought I murdered you" Bengt raised his eyebrows. "I have been away. You know...the illegal shipment arrived at Minoc yesterday. I had to personally watch over the unloading of our wares" Bengt walked up to Thorulf and took the broken glass from his hand. "You have been killing evil orcs again haven't you?" He threw away the piece and walked back to the barrels. He tipped one over and kindlings fell out and covered the floors. Kinglings in thousands. "From our cheap labor force down south. You better change the sign out there by the way. Bengt Bengtson never left."

[Johnny Walac]

The axe descended and split the log in half. Splinters flew everywhere as the axe cut through log after log. Thorulf leaned on the axe and wiped his forehead with a cloth, he looked up at the gazing sun and cursed. Ah! The buzzing sound came closer, near the ear then around to the other ear. He smashed the fly and cursed again. People walked by and waved carefully to Thorulf. He was afterall a stranger to them all. From the outside it all looked normal. Two merchants working day and night. Well not really working on the night, drinking. A different kind of work he thought to himself. To drown the eternal thirst for thick and brown ale..."Ow!" The pebble hit him in the backhead and he turned around with the axe high in the air. "What ye daydreaming 'bout? Exotic girls serving you fruit from golden platter aye?" Bengt came carrying a huge load of flax on his back. "If you would like to know I wasn't dreaming 'bout any girl. Ale it was" Bengt threw down the flax and spat "Ah, thristy in the early morning are we?" "Always thristy" Thorulf said. Bengt grinned and got up "Well no drinking tonight aye? It's your turn to unload the cargo" He had forgotten that. Bloody hell. He spat and went back to work. Cleaving log after log...

The log came flying and hit the bottle in his hand. "No bloody drinking I said! The ship will arrive anytime now. Off with ya!" Bengt kicked Thorulf in the arse as he made a run for the door. "And don't stop at any tavern for ale this ti-" Thorulf was already outside getting up on his horse. The night air was cool and calming after a day of hard work. He only passed by a few by this time at night. The towns guard didn't pay him any attention, he been passing by many times now and stumbling back drunk. More often then not with a whore or two. He arrived at the docks at the same time as the ship. If it was any normal ship the dockmaster would stand ready to inspect it's cargo. But Bengt has taken care of that, nothing is impossible with gold. After the normal chat with the crew and a drink they started to unload the cargo. He gave the crew some bottles of rum for the help. The barrels was loaded unto the wagon and his horse started walking home again. He put on the hood as he made his way out and was soon home. Together with Bengt he carried the barrels inside and labeled them with T&B's Thousand Trades.

[Johnny Walac]

The shop had reached a higher value then anyone of them could have anticipated. T&B's Thousand Trades had gone from trading in kindlings and bandages to mass produding tailored goods that the rich fat merchants of Britain bought without hesitation. Fine silk to throw at their wives that strut around on the streets of Britain sharing gossips with other rich fat merchants wives. Thorulf shuddered at the thought. Once again the sun gazed down upon him while he was sitting in the flax field taking a break. His mind wandered everywhere and nowhere. "What ye thinking 'bout Thorulf?" Bengt had arrived without him noticing. "About my brother" Thorulf said and picked a flax flower only to rip it apart leaf by leaf. "Ah, ain't it 'bout time you forgot about him?" Bengt sat down next to him and shared a bottle of ale. Thorulf took a sip and lets out a long sigh "Leif ain't dead". At that Bengt looked up. Thorulf offered him the bottle but he just stared at him. "What ye mean? You killed him!". Thorulf only shook his head. "We had a fued like I said. But not over some whore. Leif wanted to go home" Bengt took the bottle and gulped down a good bit. "So? Minoc is just a days ride fro-" Thorulf interrupted him "No not Minoc, home Bengt". "Now why would he go an-" Bengt's eyes widened as he realized. "Why Thorulf? Don't tell me...? No. He cannot. We have built something good here." Bengt got up on one knee and faced Thorulf "There is no reason to destroy it all. You know what they will do. We are rich here Thorulf. Without the...the..you know". Thorulf could only grins "It's what Leif wanted. I tried to stop him thus the fued. But you know Leif. The next day he set sail and I didn't wanna tell you the truth so I said he was dead". Bengt got up and started walking away. "He is gonna tell the cheftain you know?" Bengt turned around "Aye, may the gods have mercy on these fuckers. Because the chief won't."