Original X-roads-2003

    After evening fell, Jamie took Naomi to where he met the merchant. After a few hours, the man came in and sat across from them. “The price for the information is five hundred gold pieces.”, he said as he looked Captain Naomi in the eyes.
    “You told me it waz TWO!” Jamie accused the merchant in a loud whisper.
    The merchant looked round nervously, but there were no other patrons in the tent.
    Naomi narrowed her eyes, “You’re not the one asking now.” She took a bag of coins off her belt and set them on the table, she leaned back in her chair and watched the merchant. She spoke in a voice so loud that anyone could have heard. “I can have a chest of gold delivered to your store front tomorrow morning. Tell me what you know, EVERYTHING you know.”
    “When I was a child, my parents lived on Tehrat. One season when everyone, everywhere had famine we traveled from our village to find a new home. We found this place full of trees and fruit, it was like a miracle. We stayed in this place for several cycles before a large army of cut throats lead by Czar Kiliji came.” The merchant looked down at the table.
    “Did he take your mother?” Naomi looked like she wanted to cut off the merchants head.