THE CASE OF THE SVEIN BLACKSMITH

 

PORT VICTORIA

I was sitting as I usually do at that time in  afternoon, in the Inn on the harbor, although there is no innkeeper lately, and almost all the property slaves do their best but are not expert table servants, Lady Jasmine. which I had had a friendly conversation days before and SHEleft without giving more news of himself.
    In the distance I see a slave arriving whom I remembered having seen in front of the blacksmith's forge Sir Svein also of my own tribe, he was running right in my direction, when arrived near my table with breathlessness trying to tell me things, I said to him: slave take breath and then tell me what you have to say.
    He kneels on my left as the law requires and catched my breath I begin the story: My master Sir Svein, while he was outside his forge to rest an little with a her friend  who arrived in the morning on a ship from  to  the South was verbally attacked by Lady Helena the butcher, who came for a slave and spat on his boot, my master chained her and now he is taking her to the Magistrate, and asks you to be present in the tower of the Scribes, because he does not speak the language very well Northern, but we speaks our desert dialect.
   I immediately worried I not want him to do things that he would later regret, he is normally so closed and calm never that I remember he have had problems with the law and does his job with skill, and we do not know well the customs and habits of this city I got up, suddenly and told the slave to follow me, while he was telling me that he had been present at the discussion between free, but I know well that as a witness they cannot hear him, slaves can only report facts with torture between free.
   Arrived in the Hall of the tower I immediately see the blacksmit with the butcher Helna on a leash, cursing, while the Magistrate on duty, not knowing where to start, I send for the other elderly Magistrate a woman, who landed after a flight from I don't know where exactly in the middle of the hall, like an orange cloud, to everyone's amazement, she immediately claimed to take charge of the dispute, while the Magistrate continually intimated the blacksmith to give him the woman's chain.
    The blacksmith's version was however lawful, a woman cannot be arrogant nor offend a free person, because the old law of the planet provides for collarism, that is, she can become a slave, if the Magistrate after a trial declares her guilty, but in my opinion between two free same Caste as they are, can very well reach an agreement and close the matter, in the city there are enough slaves and feeding another is not the case. Meanwhile the woman did not stop cursing and offending the blacksmith, while I arrived, a free woman who I do not remember her name because she was new to the city, said she had been present at the event and that the woman had spat on the boot of man.
   It was clear that things were going badly for Helena so Magistrate woman took over the situation, sending away all those who had not been present at the event and also the witness and the slave were sent away.
  I being a Magistrate for many years on the planet, I know the law and the procedure well, I told them tha i can help them with the result of being thrown out of the tower of the Scribes as unwelcome, humiliating myself, I tried to counter by giving him some advice on the resolution of the case , but they were adamant, so I waited outside, until after a few hours the blacksmith came out very angry for having been accused of assaulting the woman and the freed woman.
    What was missing was the trial that should have taken place listening to the witnesses, but in my opinion, having a friendship with the butcher, they closed the case, without investigating or opening a proceeding ....
     Do you want to know how the story ended ?. Well Sir Svein together with his friend witness, they have left city with the first ship, because according to them the city is not impartial and does not respect the laws that the two magistrates do to their liking, taking away theyr slaves and other tribe citizens.
A nice case solved ...... you look for an word that can define it I do not find the adjective.

 

                       LOST BLACKSMIT  HOUSE
 

( the mystery is revealed ,,, the butcher in agreement with the magistrates made the blacksmith go away to take possession of his house and the shop placed right in a central area of passage for the houses .... them thought it so well ... who knows where the new blacksmith's shop will be )

 

darianelnairadarliss

ALEXANDRA STEELE the healer

 

  Of all the citizens I met in the early days of my stay in Port Victoria, the one that intrigued me most was her, Lady Alexandra, a Healer who often walks around the city escorted by her two guards, in fact there is not much work for doctors in the city, new ones arrive every day, looking for a job but we are in peacetime and if there are no wars, there are no injuries, and doctors do not work, they just do the medical visits to the new keys, which need the certificate before being collared by their masters. Daughter of the head of the Green caste, Sir Lib Steele, that is of the Physicians or healers, she studied at Svago and then in Turla, where her father di lei had a class for physicians and in that city she graduated with honors. Although she does not have two children, which is the law of the Planet, she doe not have to have children because her di lei Head of Caste di lei does not exercise that Caste rule.

 

  She has a slim figure, but from what you can tell under her veil di lei, she also has a beautiful face and expressive eyes that seem to smile when she looks at me. She tells me that her favorite hobby of hers di lei is shopping, which is normal for the women of the planet, they go around the shops spending the cooper they have, mostly for perfumes and clothes. In the house with her, she has a pet snake named Powder. She lets her snake wander in the garden chasing urts. Powder keeps the urts under control around her family home and the infirmary garden. Lady Alexandra has not yet a suitor she is yet too young, but now that she has finished her studies and is working, she is waiting for someone to come forward. Perhaps of high caste to ask her di lei father di lei Sir Lib, permission to court her di lei. I can imagine her father would be happy to find a companion for his daughter di lei with the possibility of having brats between your feet and letting 

them play with their grandfather. To tell the truth, I too have recently arrived in the city, I am looking around to find a partner and form a family. So far, I have not had much luck. All the women I have courted have run away or flew to heaven. Every time I have to start over. In the city of Victoria there is a lot of population, many people run through the streets, while the warriors watch over the walls and piers arresting those who break the laws, but even the 

 

 Magistrates like the Doctors do not have much to do, only registrations and certificates, the rest do the many Scribes who crowd the tower, I still do not know them all except Sir Trent with whom I spoke, and Sir Amir the head of the caste, while Sir Liam, I think is the Magistrate who works the most in the tower. Many scribes spend our time drinking black wine in the inns. I got a message from Lady Sierra, the scribe apprentice, who lived here with us, she finally found her father and mother di lei, Sir Youroki and Lady Sabayna and went to live with them city of '' Kargash '' where finally her father her. assigned the job by Scribe. 

 

 They invited me by sending me a message on a scroll, I was the Protector of Sabayna, when the companion was sick, and one of these days I will surely leave to visit them .. By now it is almost night and soon I will return to my house in the palace on the grand stairs, and I will be able to rest, today has been a long day but I am happy, the three moons of the Planet illuminate the sea in the distance, and the lanterns of the ships sway giving their intermittent glow ...

EN-KARA TELETUS FAIR
   

 

   Finally something new on the Planet, I have recently arrived in the city of Victoria, the Caste Chief Sir Amir welcomed me with all the pleasantries due to my rank and my fame, he knows me as a great Magistrate, known throughout the Planet, but unfortunately he says in this city the Magistrate nomine him the Ubar, and there are already a couple of them, I told him that I want to rest and feel comfortable after the tragedies of Cartassa and Thentis, I prefer to be alone and observe what happens for then publish it all in my newspaper.
   

    I am writing  while the dim light of the candle barely illuminates the room but the thought flies to Victoria, who knows if one day I will find happiness there .....

 

The city is chaotic, many arrive, others leave, like Lady Jasmine the Innkeeper on the dock, or Lady Sierrarose of whom I was in love, she left too and Lady Xarra she also left yesterday with a ship greeted me at the port telling me to visit her one day when she finds a city that will make her happy.
    Lady Tenka is a very active merchant she is always around her business. but she always has a good word for everyone, and she helps the newcomers.
    Sir Amir has left for a long journey I hope he will return soon, because some Scribe is already starting to roar for his lack of direction of the offices, but Sir Liam the magistrate, holds the situation firmly in hand, I met the blacksmith  sir Svein of the same tribe as mine. of the Torvie, although I was born in the desert but was adopted by Lady BB and Sir MIth Arliss, Torvie of Finnur village, sometimes he invites me to his house behind the forge and I gladly take with him a horn of Cos wine that he hides with pride.
  

   An event on the planet made us euphoric. the Teletus fair. every year in this period the city is filled with foreign visitors, many traders and many slaves around. We left with the caravan a few days ago, now are here, we stay at the inn, today finally an event not to be missed, for a long time I had not seen the Kajires Festival, the slavesthey try their hand at dances, admirsated from hundreds of people, many slaves arrived from everywhere they crowd the dance floor kneeling as the law wants all around waiting their turn, a beautiful thing, many beautiful women with naked breasts, who dance following the music with their molded and firm bodies, I had already witnessed Port Kar ad such an event but this has surpassed it for participation and beauty.
 

  Now the time has come to prepare our things at dawn we will leave to return to Victoria but we will bring a great memory and we will be able to tell our grandchildren.
While walking through the stalls with the products displayed, I came across Lady Sabayna, you will surely remember her I told you about her on the occasion of is companion Youroki's illness and I becamed is protector in the Oasis of the seven palms, after the greetings and the pleasantries she usually told me that Lady Sierrarose was adopted by her and her partner, and now she lives in Cargash with them and has become a scribe of the small town. and she also invited me to visit them so that I could say goodbye to Lady Sierra, I promised him one day when I return South, I will surely visit her city of hers.

   I am writing  while the dim light of the candle barely illuminates the room but the thought flies to Victoria, who knows if one day I will find happiness there ....

PORT VICTORIA

     The city wakes up early in the morning, from my room at Lady Jasmine's Inn, I was awakened by the shouting of the dockers and the first patrons of the morning, who stop at the tables before going to their work, they are not there yet women around surely come out after taking care of the children and the partner, I get up and go downstairs, some slaves are already fumbling in the kitchen and the smell of Blackwine hangs in the air.
 

  Early morning greetings are more like grunts than incomprehensible words.
After having drunk my Blackwine, I go out and look at the clear sky, some Volos flutter happily on the roofs of the houses and the bells of the ships at anchor mingle with the noise of the port, wagons full of barrels. merchants waiting their turn and some warriors who stand guard at the columns.
 

I head to the stairs that lead to the upper floor of the city, I hate the noise, yesterday I discovered a beautiful place just above the stairs, beyond the large gate to the right there is a large terrace with many tables, perhaps another large Inn or a Tea room, but I'm not sure .. I just know that I often sit quietly waiting for Lady Sierra to come too to get her Blackwine.
  

 I have a certain admiration for that woman who is facing alone the disappearance of the children that her partner has taken away, the children would be indispensable to be able to practice their profession as a Pysichian, you know well that the law of the planet obliges women healers to have at least two children, certainly a bizarre law that has been handed down for centuries, and we certainly won't be the ones to change it.
 

  Lady Sierra during an interview confessed to me that she privately she is studying to become a Scribe, she does not need to have children, I who have had classes for Scribe apprentices told him that if she needs her I can help her study.
   Now I'm here, waiting, certainly not that I'm sure it will come but I hope so, ever since I lost SHayla who disappeared who knows where, I was left alone without even a slave, and having a woman to talk to and discuss is always nice.
     I have to decide sooner or later, I have to find the palace of the Scribes and talk to the head of the Caste, to have an office job, I have seen some Scribes and Magistrates around, but the city is in great expansion and the Scribes always serve , I know it well.
 

 While I was sitting this morning in the usual place on the terrace enjoying my good Blackwine made with the beans of Thentis, my old city where I was Magistrate, and where I met Shayla the sister of the healer companion of Lady Monica the Tatrix of the city, who with Sir Ray Lobo they administer it, to tell the truth we did not remain on good terms because Shayla was promised to the Commander of the Guards by her brother, but she fell in love with me and followed me to the oasis even against my will, I told him many times I do not want to create enemies in your city but she fell in love, then given my indifference she thought it best to return to Thentis, at least so I think because once in the Port of the city of Victoria I left her for a short time and did not find her more.
 

  Now that the sun is high in the clear blue sky I believe that Lady Sierra will no longer come for her Blackwine, so I decide to return to the port maybe I can meet some merchants, I still have the ship full of Cos wine, I can make some good business.

LADY SIERRAROSE .. DESPERATE

 

 I was wandering around the city of Port Victoria desperately, and some encounters made me forget Shayla for a moment, I hope soon I will hear from Thentis, my point of reference in this big and beautiful city and the Inn in the harbor square immediately after the piers where the ships stop and unload their goods, from nearby Thentis arrive the ships with special beans, suitable for making the best blackwine, and from the distant city of AR comes the flour, and from the archipelago of Cos the best wine.
   

As I sat in the cool of the early morning, when the breeze rising from the Vosk River brings goosebumps, accustomed as I was to the hot, fiery desert mornings, often with the sand that the wind brings. The Inn is run by a beautiful lady with a very familiar name in the wilderness, '' Jasmine ''. for us in the desert, it means Mulberry or Jasmine flower, she stands up to the many customers who crowd the inn, helped by some very good slaves in their work, she serves me personally and I was very happy, for a moment I forgot all my past, I wanted to look to the future, to create a new place, where to live a new adventure happily, and who knows maybe have a job as a scribe or anything that can make me reborn.
  

 

    In the meantime I arrive the slave on duty at the inn the beautiful Aiko with yellow skin, certainly imported from planet Earth, we need our blackwine, at the end Lady Sierra said she had an appointment with an Ambassador to find out if he had any news, I leave with the promise that we would meet again and look for our companions together ........ continues

 

  Then I went up the large stairs that lead to the upper palaces those of the castes, at the top of the stairs on the right a large palace where in its large patio certainly a tea room with many tables, but these unlike those of the port are elegant, with tablecloths embroidered and flowers, there was no one, I sat quietly, took some rolls from my bag reading about the business I had recently done, in the cities visited during the long crossing from my oasis near the island of Landa in the south of the Thassa sea .
   

 I was so absorbed that I didn't even notice that a free one had approached, waiting for me to notice her, with a cough she attracted my attention, I raised my head and greeted her introducing myself, she said her name was Sierra and she was desperate, the comrade had fled taking his two children with him, he had learned that I was looking for Shayla and asked me if in the ports visited I had heard someone talking about his companion, a Pysichian with two children and difficult to go unnoticed.
  I was very impressed by the story of the woman also Pysichian, I could not know why she wore clothes with very dark colors that did not make her green caste understood, I told him that in the cities on the banks of the Vosk I had not heard anything about them and in my opinion he perhaps he had headed north, taking the track that leads from the Sanctuary to the great north, where I still have my adoptive mother Lady BB and my father Sir Mith, my sister Shani also lives in the North but in Finnur village, while my parents live. case in the village of Jasmine.
    I told him that I would send messages to all the northern villages I know, where I still have many friends especially in Hammersgaard where Lady Nani and Sir Erik live.

   In the meantime I arrive the slave on duty at the inn the beautiful Aiko with yellow skin, certainly imported from planet Earth, we need our blackwine, at the end Lady Sierra said she had an appointment with an Ambassador to find out if he had any news, I leave with the promise that we would meet again and look for our companions together ........ continues

THE KIDNAPPING OF SHAYLA
 
 

PORT VICTORIA

After the renovation of the building, Shayla had wanted to furnish everything according to her tastes, personalizing it, I limited myself to indulging her even though she was of few words, meanwhile another message of threats was sent to us at the Oasis by a passing merchant.
 

   Now I'm sitting here waiting for some news to help me find it. maybe she will settle here for a while .. let's see

 

   As usual, the brother did not want to resign himself to the loss of his pupil Pysichian as well as his sister, Monica meanwhile her companion too with the new administrator Sir ray, whom I had met in Cartassa as the niece of Lady Safina, they let me know that only for the fact that Shayla had followed me to the oasis without my having forced her, indeed she often said that they forced her to stay in the city and that soon she would go as a companion to a warrior friend of her brother.
   I certainly did not worry about a Doctor who threatened me in my life I have known many people some good and many bad so one more did not count.
     While we were at the Oasis I realized that she was not happy, she missed her brother and he missed his life as an apprentice Pysichian, I saw her sadness in her eyes, but by now she was with me and said she would follow me all the way. 'hell.
 

   One day we received an invitation from a big city called Port Victoria, a city not very far from Thentis, where Shayla lived with her brother and where I had worked as a magistrate and had a class for Scribe apprentices, so I decided to face a new long travel to reach the vosk river, then go up the Olni river to Victoria.
     After a relatively peaceful journey, we only spent some time in the Gulf of Thassa, then we went up the Vosk river with tranquility pushed by the west wind.
   We reached the port one late afternoon we got ready and went down to the quay with some trusted guards, we arrived in the port square where there is a large and elegant Inn, many people crowded the quay at that hour, many tables were occupied, we sat down at a corner where the cool wind reached us, sitting waiting to be served, I realized that I had forgotten my bag with the plates, and cooper, so I told Shayla to expect I would get on the ship and be back as soon as possible.
  

  On the deck of the ship a merchant was waiting for me for some business, after having listened to him I agreed on what to do, and took my bag I returned to the dock, but to my amazement I saw the empty table and the guards intent on arguing with the commander of the city, I asked Shayla then but no one had noticed her and no one had seen anything.
    I began the search through the streets of the old city, then went up to the palaces of the Caste to the homes of the lords, but nothing
    I spent the night on the pier waiting for some news from the guards but nothing, and I'm still here in the city hoping for her return, now the chances are few and a doubt assails me, maybe the brother who knew of our arrival had come to kidnap her and take it away with you.
 I sent a message to her brother saying that Shayla had disappeared and since he was her protector it was her job to find her, but no answer has arrived.

SHAYLA.....ESCAPES FROM THENTIS

After the departure of Bryjana, for her adventure in the mines in search of Opals, I decided to leave the Oasis, with my ship I reached the port of ShipRock in the province of Shendi, and from there I would continue on foot to the Oasis of Cartassa where before the adventure with Bryjana I had been a Magistrate, hoping to get my job and a decent home back.

 

After a few weeks of walking in the desert, we crossed the great Vosk River to go up the delta first of the Olni River, then of the Thentis River. Finally reached the great city of Thentis, I noticed that nothing had changed and that now Lady Monica. she relied completely on her Administrator of the city, an old acquaintance of mine, we had never had a good relationship, when there was the opportunity, he was the grandson of the administrator of Cartassa ..

The return to the oasis of Cartassa was not exactly happy, the journey had been quite tiring and with many dangers, bands of disbanded Bedouins raided the caravans, but we managed to stealthily reach the oasis  with a long way into the desert.

    After the first days in the city, I no longer felt at ease, even Bryjana had reached Cartassa to inspect an Opal mine and had founded her own small Oasis nearby, don't can live  with her near me, so I decided to resume the journey towards the North-East, to reach the city ​​of Olni and from there I continued towards the city of Thentis, some merchants had told me that they had no Magistrate and sometimes they called him from nearby Sais.

   Crossing the second gate I ran into two citizens of the Green caste, a man and a woman, who introduced themselves and told me they were brother and sister, the girl told me her name was Shayla and was assistant to her brother and apprentice healer, she who came from the great North, she had already been Scribe completing her studies on Campus, but who wanted to pursue a career as a doctor, she wanted to help the population.

       There was an attraction between us immediately, I felt that that woman could have been my partner, but the Commander of the guards had already set his sights on her and her brother was not at all sorry, she as you know asked me to help her, not he wanted that man of arms as his companion, but he would have preferred someone of high caste like me, a Prince from the South.

   I felt proud of that somewhat unexpected request, and at the same time I did not want to make enemy a warrior who could have stabbed me in the dark of the night in some street, even the brother I seem hesitant did not want to lose his assistant or his apprentice, because he knew that I was constantly traveling without having a destination.

    Now nothing could stand between our love, which suddenly blossomed, I loved that little woman from the North, she too confesses to love me, and we decided that I would go to her brother to ask him permission to court her, but an unexpected event  was happened. I proposed to shayla to visit the house I had chosen to live together, but everyone knows that if a free woman enters a man's house she is compromised and could be arrested and enslaved, the brother and the warrior were already discussing what to do, she sent me a message explaining what was happening, so risked everything for everything , I kidnapped little Shayla and we secretly left for the river where my ship was waiting for us, and after many days of travel in the Vosk river and the Thassa sea, arrived to what was my Oasis of the Seven Palms.

   She very happy said that she would live forever with me, and begin to furnish the building according to her tastes, we are happy in the Oasis people love us ....

... continue