The Defender: Red Raymond

Two

Allan and Nancy walked into the Inn of the Bend holding hands. They didn't have to work too hard to be seen as a young married couple, because they were.

Being a young married couple of some means, or at least aspiring to some means, took more work. Their clothes had to be clean, since folk who did work tended to wear dirty clothes. They had to appear to have plenty of coins; this came party from saving, and partly from the "golden wand." They debated whether or not they should wear jewelry. They agreed that Allan needed only a wedding band, while Nancy would have her band, a second ring on her left ring finger, and a necklace. The second ring and the necklace were borrowed from her shop.

They also needed to have travel sacks. Those weren't hard to get, nor hard for them to fill. Allan could go about the city of West Bend wearing the leather breeches that were part of his Defender armor. The rest of their leather armor, along with their wands, clubs, and daggers, were carefully packed into the sacks.

Allan left their sacks at the door of the Inn. He offered his hand to Nancy. She took it, and they approached an older man sweeping the floor of the dining area. "Are you the innkeeper?" he asked.

"Aye, that's me," the man replied. "Master Jacob, owner of the Inn of the Bend, at your service. Welcome to the city of West Bend, and the dukedom of West Bend. Who might you be?"

"My name is John, and this is my wife, Mary."

Nancy curtsied. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Would you two be wanting a room?" Jacob asked.

"Indeed," Allan said.

"Well, I have a few to choose from. Follow me."

Jacob walked back to a counter that appeared to serve as the spot where meals and drinks sat before being carried to patrons. Jacob looked down behind the counter, letting out a grunt as he did so. "I have a suite, as well as a pair of common bedrooms," he said.

"A suite would be nice," Nancy said to Allan.

"We don't have the means to afford a suite yet, dear," Allan replied. He turned to Jacob. "A plain bedroom will do fine."

"Very well." Jacob put his hands on the counter. "That'll be three coppers a night, or a silver and seven coppers a week."

Allan took out one of his precious silver coins from his coin purse. "Give us three nights."

"Three, young man?"

"We're looking for a better life for ourselves. We'd like to look around the city before we decide to stay here or move on."

Nancy leaned close to Allan. "We want to make something of ourselves. We're trying to find a place to do that."

Jacob smiled to each of them. "Well, you won't find a better city, or a better Lord to live under. There's good folk in West Bend, I can assure you."

"Really?" Allan asked. Here's our first chance to learn something. "I heard there's an outlaw running loose."

"What? You mean Red Raymond?"

"I think that's the name we heard about."

"Well, a couple like you, wearing jewels and dressed nice, you might have something to worry about with Red Raymond."

"Why do you say that?" Nancy sounded to Allan convincingly fearful.

"Well, young lady, Red Raymond likes to hold up folk of means, between here and Whitewood."

"That's outrageous," Allan said.

Jacob nodded. "To some, sure. But I hear tell that the man gives the coins he steals to poor folk. He takes the rings and jewels and such, sells them to gullible rich folk, then gives those coins to the poor as well."