>>5426197The market fair had ended and it seemed to be a success, at least until the novelty of it wears off. The merchants from Tarren Mill had sold all their cider and most of their other apple products as the people of Dawnholme wanted to top off their foodstuff supplies for the winter. Along with the apples, other foodstuffs were quite popular as people wanted to eat something different that they wouldn’t normally get, but what didn’t find customers were the basic products of cottage industries and furs. The local craftsmen and craftswomen already made enough wicker baskets and winter clothes so the merchants of Tarren Mill had to return back home without much success on that front.
But when the merchants from Tarren Mill prepared to leave back home, you spoke with them and heard that they counted this trip as a success. They had made a nice profit selling the goods and would be telling the good news to Mayor Fowley. With Beric already planning what he and the traders from Dawnholme would be bringing with them, you thought about the potential profits and how this cooperation could help the both towns.
Though not all the news was good news. Stromgarde Guards led by Sergeant Maxwell had asked for their release from their contract and you had given it. They had taken heavy casualties in the battle against the Syndicate and the bandits and they were still shaken from that. Seeing a good officer leave you like this did hurt you, but it was better to let them return back home than to keep them in your employment, keeping them wouldn’t benefit you at all.
You were there to see them off next morning and as they had thrown their bags and belongings on their cart and were preparing to leave, it started to snow. Winter truly was here.
…
You had retreated back into your renovated and refurbished manor and waited for your officers to arrive. Captain Normand Garside was in his office preparing his papers and Beric of Strahnbrad, your trusted trader, was in the town. But everyone else that normally would have joined you were elsewhere. Lieutenant Cromwell and Lieutenant Beckston were in Strahnbrad Hills and Sergeant Maxwell had just left your service. You thought about inviting someone else to join the Council meeting to provide their opinions, but you had some doubts about inviting more people to the meeting. They would after all learn about things that weren’t necessarily relevant to them, or they couldn’t provide much input.
As you waited for your officers, you looked at a large map of the whole Alterac and Hillsbrad. Stones of different colours were used to depict who owned what and you picked up one of the orange ones and thought about putting it down in Strahnbrad Hills and replacing the grey one there, but decided against it. You didn’t control Strahnbrad Hills fully even with the village of Stonedon having become your vassal. There were still issues like the trolls to deal with that would have to wait till the spring.
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