Chapter 2: A New Path 1.1 The Warehouse

Chapter 2: Catching up

Chapter 2.1: The Stranger

Jarl woke to the sound of footsteps in the hall. He ached all over, reminding him of yesterday's events. For a few moments he moved stiffly, working his sore muscles and rubbing his head. The shutters on the window were open, allowing the later summer night air to keep the room cool. Dawn was not long in coming. He guessed bakers do get up early. At least Gremmell does.

The door opened as he was putting his boots back on. Gremmell stuck his head in. "Good, you're up. The missus is preparing a bath for you. Normally, we take them in the evenings but you are a guest and you arrived late. Besides, don't want you stinking up the shop, eh? Come on, come on, the day's wasting. I've got pastries to make, need to have them ready before the first customers come through the door." Gremmell had dressed all in white this morning and was clearly in a good mood despite last night or that he trying to hurry Jarl. He had the impression that the baker loved his work. He nodded his assent and started to roll up the pallet and gather the sheet and pillows when Gremmell added "Don't bother with those, the missus will see to all that. Just come on now."

Jarl dropped the bedding, straightened, still somewhat stiffly then followed the rotund man into the hall and to another room. This was a small room with a large iron-foot tub, all ready filled with steaming water. Next to the tub was a washstand with a shelf for towels and washrags. There was even a mirror over the washstand, made from a plate of polished silver. The tub sat next to a small window facing the blank wall of a neighboring building. "Gosh sir, this is even better than the inn I stayed at in Hemly."

Still standing in the doorway, Gremmell proudly and happily responded "Ha-ha, ah perhaps, I wouldn't know, have never been to Hemly. I have a thriving business. People come from all over Rombol and beyond to have my pastries. That's why we can afford to have such a large shop this close to the inner city. It means we can also afford to have our own iron-foot washtub complete with a large mirror." Gremmell was proud as a peacock as he boasted about his prosperity. Jarl had trouble not staring. "You get cleaned up, now. Juel said she'll have Trep bring you his old clothes to wear while she cleans these. He's my oldest and close to your height so you should be fine."

Jarl started to protest that he had a spare tunic and stockings but Gremmell was all ready gone. He wondered if he could ask Mrs. Gremmell to wash both sets. He wasted little time in getting undressed and into the tub. He did have to take his time due to the heat. The water felt so good on Jarl's sore muscles that he found himself just sitting there soaking the heat in till it was entirely gone. A knock on the door proved to be Trep, a skinny, pimply, taller version of Gremmell. He exchanged his old clothes them for ones Jarl left on the floor and the ones in the backpack after Jarl asked if they could be cleaned, as well. Trep said it would not be a problem. Starting to shiver, he finished washing, dried, and tried on the tunic and stockings. They were a little shorter and loser but they would do. He put his boots back on then examined himself in the mirror. Jarl had never seen his reflection before staying at an inn. He found he liked making faces in the mirror, but he did not that this time. He ran his fingers through his dark brown hair to work out any tangles. Jarl felt like he was an ordinary looking young man who's hair and eyes were a slightly darker shade of brown than most.

On his way down the stairs he thought that despite his sores he felt better than he had in days. He didn't pass anyone on the way down from the second floor to the first. A couple of people did pass the stairwell. Before he reached the last step Gremmell popped into view again, heading for the back of the shop and the office. He was instructing a young woman who had some of his facial features, and enough of his girth to be cute ***needs work*** on what flour was needed and in what amounts to mix with a certain type of oil in a certain amount. Noticing Jarl he waved for to follow. Gremmell left the girl to go about her task then led Jarl into the shop's office. It was a tiny room with two small, wooden desks and chairs with papers for orders everywhere.

He turned to somewhat dejected and somewhat stern. "Nothing for it but to state it outright. I'm sorry my boy but I all ready have two too many apprentices as it is. and I don't know of anyone who can afford another, but I'll keep asking. You can stay here for a few days while we figure something out."

Gremmell paused, letting that sink in. Jarl's hopes started to sink. "Thank you, sir. I guess I didn't really think this through. Pa said you'd know of a good apprenticeship if anyone did."

"He said that did he. Your Pa has more faith in me than I do. Still, I have had a fair amount of luck in that area and I can probably help you find something. In the meantime, you might check out the city. I recommend going by the palace. Anyone coming to the capital should get a look at the King's castle. Who knows, you might even get a glimpse of him." Trep stepped in the door and said they needed him up front then left again. "Guess I'm needed. Jarl my boy, don't get disheartened. We'll figure something out." Gremmell turned to leave then stopped just outside the door. "Almost forgot. The King's got some strange looking fellow working for him right now. Never see the like of him. He's been building some strange contraption inside the castle walls. I thought it was finished but there's still a lot of work going on in his warehouse across the river. Someone's always doing something with that contraption, especially at night. Anyway, I've a business to run." With that he was gone.

Jarl sat down and pondered what he'd been told. He had to admit he was only slightly disappointed in being a baker, or even an apprentice. Still, he was counting on that option panning out. He didn't want to be a bum. Maybe he could be a driver for a cart or a coach. There were the warehouses and the docks for those who had strong backs. He decided see the city while he pondered what to do next. Stepping out of the office he found Juel. She was a smaller version of Gremmell, very much so in fact. The only difference in that he nose was smaller and her eyes were so light a brown they were almost yellow. She had been looking for Jarl because he missed breakfast. As a guess they didn't want to wake him. She herded him upstairs where a large meal of eggs, bacon, and hash browns waited with some biscuits and a large glass of milk. As he ate Juel told him how to find the palace. She warned him to stay away from the side streets then left him to finish his meal. He was soon on his way south down the North Road and through the North Gate. He passed the Poor Quarter. This was the street Lantrool took him down. Juel called it Dock Street because it led to the docks. The next street was Koopler's Way, names after one of the general who won the war for King Wrothl. The last east-west street was the East Road, the one that led out the East Gate and toward the east, eventually passing south of the Boar's Head Mountains. If you followed it far enough it would lead to Anappon on the west coast, the second largest city in Shurm. Romobol and Anappon were on the opposite edges of the world. By horse it took a little over two months to get from city to city, a long time. And both were on the southern half of the Shurm, meaning up to another month to reach the northern most village on either side of the Boar's Back.

Thoughts of travel fled when he reached the East Road. The inner city seemed to have more warehouses and businesses than homes, but between the street and the river were large homes, the smallest of which was just as tall as Gremmell's shop and three times as wide. The largest had to be more than twice that. The North Road ended in front of a home with an iron-wrought wall made of bars linked together rather than one solid wall of stone. It gave passersby a good look of the home and the grounds inside while keeping people out. As Jarl made his way east he noticed most of the large homes were like this. Only two had stone walls, and those looked old compared to the rest. Compared to the other side of the street, such majestic work contrasted with the plainer homes on the other side mixed in with a few shops and an inn. Plainer in the sense that some of these had shorter, simpler versions of the iron-wrought walls.

From the time he turned the corner he could see the palace. It was easily three stories taller than the tallest building in Rombol. The wall was as tall as the next largest home. Palace and walls both were made of some dark gray stone with towers at the corners. As Jarl came closer he saw the gates. They were huge as well, easily wide enough for several wagons to pass through at once with room to spare. There was a small crowd in front of the gates, mostly on this side. Inside a the strange device made of metal and wood. It had to be the thing Gremmell was talking about and these people were gawking at it.

Thankfully, Jarl was tall enough to get a fair view without pushing his way closer. There was someone inside it, turning metal wheels with a handle, moving things up and down some metal arch. His head was inside a metal ring that went all the way around the chair. No, it was two metal rings. As he turned the metal wheels his chair rotated left toward the crowd. With it rotated half of another metal ring going from the front, over his head and behind his chair. Actually there were two of those arches as well. Jarl noticed that the man inside had just moved something on the arch down. One said the man was from neither from Shurm nor from across the sea but from another world, whatever a world was. Most ignored him or told him to stop telling stories. He heard someone exclaim, exasperated "He's looking at the moon again. Guess that's all there is left to see now that the stars are all down. You'd think he'd get enough of looking at the moon and stars through that thing." It was a woman and she sounded bored. "If you're so bored, why do you keep coming back every day?" Heckled another. The crowd laughed. Jarl thought he heard a reply about having nothing else to do but it was lost in the laughter.

There were more words exchanged but Jarl was no longer listening. Just then the man was getting out of the device. He was the oddest thing Jarl had ever seen. The man was taller than the people around him, perhaps taller than Jarl, but he was bone thin. He was thinner than anyone Jarl had ever heard of. Jarl had heard of a woman who had died of wasting sickness, that she looked like bones with skin. This fellow was skinnier than that, yet he did not appear bony. He was just some kind of a stick figure. He was dressed just as odd, all in pale green with two belt-wide red stripes moving down from each shoulder, crossing at his belt, then moving toward the outer sides of his ankle-high flared boots. They only flared on the outside, not the inside, perhaps there wasn't room between his thin legs. His head was normal-sized and just did not look right on his body, being almost as wide as his shoulders. He had a long, scraggly white beard with no mustache and long white hair and his face was almost as white as his hair. Jarl saw someone hand the man a hat the same color with another red band around the brim. It was wider than the man was. As odd as the man was, Jarl found himself just as fascinated by his equally odd looking device. He caught part of something like "...letting flies in" before realized his mouth was open.

People in the crowd were still talking as the strange man left Jarl's sight, heading for the palace. He heard someone say that he was planning to take a similar device out into the country side and that he needed people to help load and unload it. Several people said that there was no way they were going to work with a stranger like that. There was no telling what he would do. There were various rumors flying back and forth, from killer to assassination plots, including a couple of perversions Jarl would just as soon forget he heard. Someone said Surveyor. Jarl started to ask what a surveyor was. For some reason he felt like he should know that name. He was about to start asking when one of the gate guards stepped up and bellowed "Shows over. If you're not here to enlist as part of the Surveyor's detail crew then move along."

The crowd dispersed, clearly wanting nothing to more to do with it than to gawk and speculate. When Jarl did not leave with the rest the guard barked "What do you want? You here to join the detail crew? You look strong enough. Well? Speak up. I don't have all day."

"Uh, yes sir. Um, what's a surveyor? and what's a detail crew?" Jarl was feeling unsure about being there, yet he was not used to being treated this way and he was in a stubborn mood so he stayed.

"Yes is all I need to hear or care to hear. Show up at the warehouse this afternoon and you'll learn all you need to know about it." With that the guard turned toward small door next to the gates. The large gates were now closed as well. Jarl was starting to feel a bit frustrated. He kept finding himself in situations where people talked without seeming to care if he had anything to say as well. Still, he was strangely curious about this Surveyor and what working for him would entail. He still couldn't remember where he heard that name from.

Jarl wandered down the street some more, still heading east. Everything was still pretty much the same, except for a large area without houses or any buildings of any kind except for this one near the center of the place. It was a roof with not sides and looked large enough to hold fifty, maybe even a hundred people. He noticed trees and paths and a couple of fountains as he passed. Looking over the short hedge that marked its boundary, he glimpsed a few people moving about, deep inside.

He was within sight of the East Gate when he found a road as wide as the one he was on now, running toward what had to be the Giant's Breath Bridge. Jarl felt fairly certain this street would lead toward the Hemly Gate and the spot where he was attacked yesterday. He turned toward the bridge. There was a small dock nearby for river traffic. The Giant's Breath River was not as wide as the Western River, not even where Jarl's village was located. There are no giant's in Shurm, of course. Never have been. The stories some generation eons past knew of Snow Giant's. They named this river Giant's Breath in lieu of the fact that it was so cold even in the heat of the summer. The river's source was in the Southern Mountains. Jarl heard they were just a group of steep, rocky hills. Whatever the reason, they were cold and so was the water flowing from them.

On the other side of the bridge was another large warehouse beside a small road leading south. This one stood by itself on the coast side of the road. There was little traffic here, one wagon heading south over the bridge and two in front of the building. A few people standing around the wagons. There were no windows to let air in and out. It was like the place had been built quickly. It was painted plain white. There were a few two-story homes on the other side of the road and he could see two farms farther down the road. The only other person not around the warehouse was a young man standing on the porch of one of the houses across the road. Compared to the city across the river, this was not even a village.

As Jarl came up to the warehouse there was an empty wagon leaving and one of the others taking a load of boards inside. A older man of about average height stepped outside with some paper in his hand. He was reading it while he walked. Jarl could hear him ticking things off some checklist. He went up to the driver of the next wagon to verify what he had and then the new wagon to confirm he brought various food supplies. Done with that he turned to go back inside when he noticed Jarl standing out front watching. "Don't just stand there," he barked, "If you're here to work for the Surveyor then get in here, else go about your business." When Jarl just stood there the man grumbled something like "Another one those. You'd think they would provide us with people who all ready knew why they were here." In a more normal voice, he waved Jarl over. "Let me guess, some stranger in a red robe stopped you in the street then told you to seek out the Surveyor, correct?" Jarl nodding slowly, memory just now coming back to him of that even yesterday. Perhaps those blows to head affected him more than he had thought. "Well I don't have time to fill you in. Follow me." Shaking his head he went back inside, going over his list again.

Jarl stood only a moment longer before following. Inside, the warehouse was the same as the others. There was another one of those strange devices from palace grounds. This one sat on four large wooden posts for legs whereas the on the palace grounds sat on a short platform. There was a wooden ladder leading up to a platform much wider than the device itself, and wider yet in the back. A woman and three men were standing on that part in the back, apparently waiting while four others maneuvered another of those double arches to the platform. Jarl was wondering how they were going to get it up there. They were carrying it from two poles that ran through the arches. Jarl thought the poles might as far apart as they were from the bottom ends of the arches. Jarl was certain that the front of those arches was not going to go onto the platform easily as far below as they were. There was yet another man standing to the side, watching closely. Jarl's musing was interrupted when Burd yanked on his arm "This way, you can gawk later." He was led to three men sitting idly on the floor near the back wall. The man to his left owned thick muscles, like a smith. The one on right was built like many he saw in the warehouses, also with muscles larger than Jarl's. The in-between was slightly smaller than Jarl. This man examined the floor, not really seeing anything. The two other eyed Jarl as he and Burd approached.

"Men, Jarl here should be the last of your team, chances are we'll be moving out soon. Which is good because the acolytes have been making everyone's life miserable about the delay, Train him as quickly as you can, but if we have to, we'll train him on the road." The last said as Burd was all ready returning to his lists, mumbling to himself as he walked away. Jarl noticed that the arches were now held by the four on the platform. Apparently, they had no difficulty getting it there.

"Work is getting hard to find." Jarl turned to see the man to his was speaking. "Judging from those hand-me-downs, I'd bet you're glad to be here, right?"

"I suppose so. Just got into town yesterday." Jarl replied as he turned back to the men in front of him. Before anyone could say more, Jarl started letting everything out if a rush. "My Pa told me I could probably apprentice with Baker Gremmell, if not, then he'd know someone I could apprentice with. Instead, I find Gremmell overstaffed and saying he will have to look far to find someone to take me on. He let me borrow his son's clothes while mine are washed then said I should go check out the strange device on the palace grounds. There was a crowd there watching. Heard someone complain about no work and others saying there's no way they'll work for this strange man. The guards chased everyone off and told me that if I wanted to work with the Surveyor I should go here. I wasn't really trying but somehow I found myself here in short order." Jarl took a deep breath as he looked around, feeling relieved and somewhat abashed. He added as the man to his right stood. "So, is this stranger as bad as they say?"

The man to his right spoke again, at least he was fairly certain this was the man who spoke earlier. "He's definitely strange. Not sure what he's feeling rushed about. We could probably have done with just eight guys total but for some reason the acolytes wanted twelve. We'll be doing everything from setting up camp to cooking to setting and tearing down that device. We'll also be sharing the driving. The pay's not that great but better than the docks, right Fylp?" Extending a hand the man went on. "Sorry, name's Wrennel, that large fellow is Fylp, and the quiet one here is Poole." Fylp nodded while Poole did not seem to move at all. Wrennel sighed as he rose, "I don't know what this rush is Burd keeps talking about. No one other than Burd has been here even a week. The Surveyor comes by from time but doesn't say much. Nothing of our concern."

Wrennel started walking toward the device, beckoning Jarl to follow. The man overseeing everything was on the with the four men on platform, examining their work. Jarl observed Burd was talking to someone by the gate, looked to be a guard. Burd turned and bellowed "Load the wagons! We move out at high noon! Take care with those instruments! If you damage that thing now it'll be all our heads. Move! Move!."

Wrennel pulled Jarl to the side "Well, if you've got someone to say good bye or stuff to collect I suggest you get to it. By my guess there less than three hours before we start heading south." Jarl had not spent much time with Gremmell but he did owe it to him to say he'd found work and would be traveling, apparently. Plus, there was his backpack and clothes that actually fit him. Thanking the man, Jarl headed for the door, walking fast. Burd was busy telling people what to grab and where to put it. He didn't appear to see Jarl leave.

Outside, glanced at the sun. He did not think noon was a full three hours away yet he still felt he had time. No need to break out in a run. He wasted little effort in observing the city this time. Backtracking the route he took earlier Jarl was soon back at the Double Dozen Bakery. Gremmell and Juel was sorry to see him go, claiming he denied them his company leaving so quickly. Juel insisted that he have another meal while she packed various hard rolls and cheese. He changed into his own clothes and was soon saying his goodbyes again. All Gremmell's boys and apprentices shook his hand and his daughters insisted on a hug, despite the fact that Trep was the only name he could remember. Finally, Juel gave him one last hug and he was out the door.

It was later than Jarl thought. The baker's wife's insistence on being a good hostess delayed him. She kept saying that there was surely time for packing some food and eating a meal and saying proper goodbyes, and so on. The food pack was heavier than he would have expected, but not unmanageable. He took off running south down the North Road. Not too fast, he wanted to pace himself. Jarl was one of the best runners in Wilfreng, able to run farther than anyone around. He was soon back on Wrothl Way, as he'd heard it called in passing, heading for the East Gate. The noon deadline was coming up. There were more people out now. He was having trouble weaving his way through the crowd. Passing the palace gates, the guards on the wall just watched him pass. Before long he was turning south toward the Giant's Breath River and the warehouse.

Jarl reached the top of the bridge began to panic. The wagons were gone and the warehouse doors were shut. He picked up his pace and ran straight for the doors. He tried to open them and they would not budge. He knocked and heard no response. He noticed a normal-sized to the side and knocked on that one, too, louder. Still nothing. Going back to the road Jarl pondered what to do next. His Pa never panicked. He always said people don't act right when their all worked up. If you give yourself a chance, you can see things others miss while they're all still running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Pa would often cite the quake that shook the ground while Jarl was still young. Everyone, including Jarl and his siblings, was running around screaming or trying to right things that fell over. Pa had taken the family to the village to buy supplies and visit with folks that day. Jarl could remember his Pa calling to him and the kids to come over the well. It was the central spot in town. Seeing his Pa appearing to take everything in stride helped calm Jarl and his siblings. As the shaking settled down, others noticed and started to join us in the center of Wilfreng. When it was over, everyone in standing by the well. The rest of the village did not look that bad. Most everything had toppled to the ground except houses.