Story part 6 – Greasy Butcher’s report

Slickhaven, December 15th, 1421

His Royal Highness the Prince, Lord of Slickhaven,

This report I send of me labors, those within me store, and those made outside, alike.

The townsfolk come and buy eagerly. A sign this is of the coming winter, so that they have something to put in the pot when it gets cold. Even those who normally value fish more than a good haunch arrive. It will be good for their vigor, methinks. It is known that our great city has and will have fish aplenty, but with regret I say that the hunters have already gained what they could, and they don’t bring as much as in the months past. Good fortune to me, for I have made a sizable stock under me store, thanks to Your Highness’s permission to “diversify” the game. For this reason, I raised no prices last month.

No news from the forest. During the day, hunters inspect caves and lairs, and at night we set bonfires and torches so that nothing comes from the farms behind the walls. A month has passed already, and we didn’t lose any peasant, though we haven’t found any new traces of the beast either. Must be laying in preparation for winter too, for neither the eye sees nor the ear hears of it. Methinks that after the cold, the beast will bare its teeth again, but we will stay on guard. We should give more silver to the blacksmith so he could supply us.

In other news which I heard and saw: a professor from the capital came to town, an expert in plants of sorts. Your Highness most surely remembers that his academy bought the old Ernest’s house, the crates they brought there some time ago too. I gave him the key, and since he had an honest face, I didn’t confide with him too much. What good it would do if I told him that people say the late Ernest hasn’t moved out of there yet.

This completes me report, truthful and honest.

I bow before Your Highness,

GB