THE DISPUTED BAKERY

(story of a Scribe around Planete Gor)

I had heard of the city of Egeria, a city rebuilt by Sir Brandon, an old acquaintance of mine from when I lived in the old city. I had escaped after my slave was stolen from me by Ubar through a subterfuge, buying her back for a paltry fee. But I was still a small, inexperienced Scribe. I didn't even have an office to work in, and the head of the Caste used what was supposed to be the office to meet with the slaves secretly. Ubar himself never missed an opportunity to take under his fur coat the slaves who arrived with new citizens or passing merchants.

I was talking about the new Egeria, a city built of stone with a castle that rose at the end of the large square after the entrance gate. A small bridge was crossed over the stream that emerged from the high rocks where it had been built. Another gate prevented entry to that gloomy gate, while the caste tower was located on the right towards the esplanade of the Arena and the Temple. on the left as soon as you entered the large gate after the port was the Red Caste's cash register, near the prisons and not far away the Kennel, all the artisans' and merchants' shops were arranged in a circle on that large square with a fountain in the center, my accommodation was in the residential area, near that of my friend Lady Roberta, the head of the Scribes' Caste, it was she who had wanted me with them after meeting me in Port Kar where I worked as a lawyer, but there were no trials in that city of Bandits and Pirates, but I had been happy there even if it was dirty and dangerous, there I had my adventure with the Queen of the Panthers, they had their village in the hills near the iron mines.

I arrived in Egeria on a cold morning, the city was already gloomy and dismal, from the outside it seemed so sad, I wasn't very happy to enter, the guard took me to the Commander's office, who together with his son were responsible for security, and the tranquility of the city, the old Commander seemed like a good man, while the arrogant son I don't think remembered that the Scribes are part of the highest Caste after the Initiates, after having handed over my credentials a guard accompanied me to the builder to assign me the accommodation, then on to the Caste tower where I would meet Lady Roberta, busy with some paperwork in the Ubar castle, so I asked the guard to call a slave to show me the city, and after having toured it all, we stopped in front of the Baker's oven, where the smell of fresh bread reached the street, I went in to taste some sweets, I was struck by the beauty of that woman, I couldn't take my eyes off her beautiful face with her long red hair, her Her regal bearing and her kind manner in welcoming me.

The days passed, and whenever I could, I would go down to that square to stop at the bakery, under the pretext of a few pieces of cake, but essentially to meet her. She also didn't disdain my friendship and visits, so I asked if I could court her. She was happy, but she had no family; she had fled from a destroyed village in Torwsland, and L'Ubar was her protector. I promised myself I would ask Brandon if I could court her and later make her my companion. After the passing of my brother Orlando, I was left alone; my adoptive mother, Lady BB, and her husband, Sir Mith, were busy building construction in who knows where on the planet.

One day I asked for an audience with Ubar, hoping he wasn't busy with some raid with compliant slaves, but I was lucky. The Commander of the guards accompanied me to the castle, and after the usual pleasantries, I asked about the baker. He wasn't very enthusiastic about my request but agreed. I happily broke the news to the beautiful Gaya the baker, who also happily took my hand, but the happiness didn't last long, because the Commander's son, an exuberant young man and said to be bad, showed up out of jealousy, saying that Gaya had been promised to him for a long time, and there was no way to make him see reason. He threatened the baker with imprisonment, and in a mean and provocative tone he said to me: if you want that woman, you have to face me in a tournament.

Even the Ubar I spoke to said he didn't remember the promise, but he couldn't contradict the Commander and his son. I was aware of my poor fighting skills. I had learned from the beautiful Panther Shaila, but in terms of training, I would never have gotten the better of that arrogant young Deputy Commander. I spoke to Lady Roberta, but she was also very evasive, saying that as a Scribe, I knew the laws of the planet, and I had to fight if I wanted that woman. I was still a young Scribe without much experience and, above all, without friends.

I was very disappointed, now I looked at that city with different eyes, where the law of the strongest ruled, I always thought of that baker Gaya, but the Deputy Commander had posted a guard preventing me from entering her Bakery, I was undecided, I didn't know what to do, luck would have it that an old friend of mine also named Darian sent me a message from Sir Mingh, the Administrator of the city of Falsworth, they were looking for an Ambassador and a Scribe Cartographer, so I took the opportunity to leave that ugly city with a bad experience, one day I would forget the baker......

darianeditor