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I make my way back to the market and choose a booth to set up near the other enchanted medical supplies. I see a few other stalls also selling health potions. That’s just as well. I’m not here to sell potions. I’m here to gather information.
For a while, I don’t get a chance. Customers come by too often, and none of them are interested in talking. They just want to buy a few potions and then head off without talking much about it. Even when I raise the price to draw out my stock, people keep coming.
They don’t want to talk about it, but the people of this village are scared. They’re expecting something very big and very dangerous to happen, and for some reason, none of them want to name what it is.
It’s nearly evening by the time someone finally comes by who’s willing to strike up a conversation with me. She’s a short naga with blue-green scales and purple eyes. Based on her clothing, my guess is that she’s a small-scale landowner or perhaps another merchant. Not a noble, but not someone who has to break their back just to make a living, either.
People like that are usually a good source of information. Not rich enough to not worry about danger or poor enough to keep their heads down. They’re the kind who will talk if you just listen.
“Healing potions, eh?” she muses, looking at my wares. “Sounds like someone’s heard about the rumors.”
So she’s even willing to start the conversation without me prompting her? Finally, a spot of luck.
“Are there rumors?” I ask. “I only arrived today.”
“Oh, you hadn’t heard?” She looks embarrassed. “Well, maybe I shouldn’t tell you. It’s all just gossip and hearsay. And nasty gossip at that.”
“I have noticed that I’ve been doing better business here than anywhere else,” I say, trying to let her know that I’m curious without actively saying so. “It’s almost as if everyone here was afraid that something was about to happen.”
“Well, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” She picks up one of the bottles. “I’ll take just this one, I think. Just to be sure.”
“You said the gossip was nasty,” I say, getting a bag for her to place the bottle in. “May I ask who it’s nasty to?”
“Oh, I don’t think I should tell you that,” she says, accepting the bag and the bottle. “It wouldn’t be decent.”
I can tell by the way she says ‘decent’ that she means safe. I don’t know how much longer I’ll have to wait to meet someone who’s as open to talking as she is. It’s time to make a bit of a gamble. There’s one person who it would certainly make sense for people to be anxious to gossip about. Nothing to do but hope I’m right.
“Is it possible that the subject of this gossip wears a certain special hat? Say, a crown?”
She hesitates and a slight smile spreads across her lips. “Well, now that you mention it, it’s certainly a possibility.”
“If it helps, I have no loyalty or connection to the King of this country,” I tell her, leaning forward slightly. “As a merchant, kings are an inconvenience we have to work around.”
She nods, and a look of relief spreads over her face. She clearly wants to share this story, but the King does keep plenty of informants to watch his people. Still, it’s a pretty safe bet that none of them would say what I just said.
“It’s said that the King is planning a military action soon and that he’ll be marching his army south,” she whispers, laying her elbows on the counter.
“A military action that would pass straight through this village,” I add.
“Exactly. And that’s bad enough on its own. Only, there are also rumors about the military action itself and what they’re fighting.”
“I always keep an ear out for rumors.”
She nods. “They say the action is a response to revolutionary activity and civil unrest in this very area. And… well, you’ve probably heard the sorts of things the King has done on punitive campaigns in the past.”
I certainly have. No wonder healing potions are selling well. I’d buy some if I heard that.
“Those are certainly unnerving rumors,” I say finally.
“I agree,” the woman says. “Make sure you keep some of your stock for yourself. You wouldn’t want to be without it.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” I murmur.
She smiles and starts to walk away from me. That’s when I stop her.
“Oh, there was one other thing I wondered. Did you see that round-up that happened in this square earlier today?”
“On the stage?” the woman answers. “Yes, I did see that. Your first?”
