Calliope stood at the window of the three story town house she had rented, peering out over the streets. Even from here she could sense the nervousness of the people below. Here and there Ruttiger’s bully boys swaggered about but they looked to be compensating for something. Calliope lifted the goblet to her lips and sipped at the rich red wine thoughtfully. She wondered if every step of her path would need to be this convoluted. A smile tugged at her lips, part of her hoped so, she did so enjoy a good scheme.

“Captain Caradwalden my lady,” Sir Humbolt, one of Otto’s men announced as the mercenary captain strode in. She stepped away from the window and turned to greet him. Kayden made a gesture somewhere between a salute and a wave and then helped himself to the wine.

“One of Ruttiger’s boys tried to bribe me,” he said without preamble. Calliope arched an eyebrow at him.

“Obviously I didn’t take it,” he added in a slightly irritated tone.

“Of course you might just be saying that,” Calliope teased. A raven fluttered down out of the chimney flue, casting ashes in all directions as it hopped free and shook itself as though taking a bird bath.

“Trraaath, trraath,” it cawed, flicking its wings in irritation.


“I don’t suppose you can tell me why he has it out for you, or why he is hiring every footpad he can get his hands on?” Kayden asked.

“I suspect,” Calliope began, “that something has stirred up the orcs in the mountains and they are currently swarming all over the roads he depends on to bring his ore to market. Which  might be inconvenient if he had agreed to supply several hundred weight to someone by noon today.”


Kayden stared at  her for a moment, but his mind was quick.

“That’s what it was about? You had my men drive the orcs out so they would swarm and stop him from honoring his deal?!” he demanded. Calliope nodded and took another sip of her wine.

“Silverhill is all but played out, its value as a mine is limited,” she admitted. Kayden shook his head.

“And what happens when he cant provide it?” he asked. Calliope’s lips drew back from her teeth.

“I’m afraid in his enthusiasm to take advantage of a down on her heels noblewoman, Herr Ruttiger wrote some rather harsh terms into our contract. Of course, it never occurred to him that it would be he that couldn’t follow through.”


“And they call me a mercenary,” Kayden said, the undertone of admiration clear in his voice. He took another sip of wine then looked around.

“Where is Mesmer?” he asked, surprised to see the taciturn man far from his mistress’ side.

“Abroad,” Calliope replied. She didn’t amplify the remark but the crow began to caw ‘Abrraaad, Abraaad.’


______________________


“She tricked me!” Ernest Ruttiger howled, his puddy face a shade of red that had more in common with beets than with men. The spherical man was dressed in a suit that had been out of fashion in Altdorf before Calliope had left, all roughed collars and sleeves. The men in the guild hall muttered uneasily at this outburst. The guild hall was the largest building in Nehren, not that this was saying much, a recent construction of polished wood and imported stained glass. It smelled of parchment and ink and the fortunes made by those mining magnates who frequented itself.

“Order!” Rickter Meirhoff, the reedy looking Burgermeister declared, banging a gavel down on a wooden striking plate to make his point. The two dozen merchants and their hangers on quieted down.

“Lady Blackwood, have you anything to say?” he asked, pressing a pair of pons nez glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Judging by the sheen of sweat, herr Meirhoff was regretting the bribes he had taken from Ruttiger now that he was being required to pay them off.


“I have a very clear contract, Herr Ruttiger was to supply me with three hundred weight of ore by noon today,” she declared, waving the contract around to emphasise the point.

“I have not received my delivery, despite the hour being long past and several polite notes,” she added.

“She set orcs on my wagon trains!” Ruttiger screamed, all but apoplectic. Calliope snorted in derision.


“I am certain Herr Ruttiger imagines I have all manner of magical powers,” Calliope sneered, “but I doubt even  he seriously believes I can bend greenskins to my will.”  Kayden covered his mouth at the mention of magical powers, but the rest of the room chuckled at the joke, happy enough to see their rival discomforted.


“She used her private army to do it!” Ruttiger ragged, making a gesture at Kayden to make it clear of whom he was speaking.

“I have, my friends, engaged soldiers to recover my own mine at Silverhill, an activity that has no bearing on Herr Ruttiger and that I am entirely within my rights to do. My friends at court would no doubt applaud me using my own resources to deal a blow to the greenskins who menace us all, I cannot imagine why it exercises dear Ernst so,” she said in a tone of soft and apparently genuine concern. Ruttiger began to shout a response but Meirhoff banged his gavel again, so forcefully that the powdered wig he was wearing nearly fell off.

“May I examine this contract Lady Blackwood?” Meirhoff asked politely. Calliope handed the scroll to Kayden who carried it across to the lectern the Burgermiester stood behind and passed it up to him. Meirhoff made a show of considering it, a sly look coming to his face.

“This is a very large amount Lady Blackwood, do you uh.. have the coin to pay for it?” he asked delicately.

“Honored Burgermeister, the contract states I will pay on delivery, and pay I would have done… had it been delivered,” Calliope responded with affronted dignity. 
“It is most irregular perhaps…” Calliope held up a hand to interrupt the corrupt official.

“Herr Ruttiger was kind enough to have the contract vetted and witnessed by the Temple, I am certain they will stand by their opinion,” Calliope responded. Another wave of uneasy muttering went through the crowd. Merchants might lie and cheat each other, but the Temple of Sigmar was another matter entirely.


“Herr Ruttiger cannot be held responsible for the activities of orcs any more than you can be blamed for them,” Meirhoff said, his tone wheedling. “Perhaps if he simply returned your downpayment plus some modest fee…”

“The contract is very specific Burgermeister, it states that if he is not able to provide me with the ore I requested he will compensate me with twenty thousand gold florins or twenty two thousand Imperial Karls.” This sent a wave of shocked gasps though the crowd as it was an exorbitant amount. Calliope held up her hand for quiet.

“The same amount I would have been required to pay if I had not produced the funds,” she added, “Herr Ruttiger is very clear on this in the document.”


“I ah… see,” Meirhoff said miserably, his eyes going to the fuming Ruttiger. Such a figure would be ruinous to any merchant without the backing of the court or one of the major counting houses. A guarded look passed between Ruttiger and the Burgermiester. 

“Very well, as the legality of the contract is secured by the Temple we will follow Temple law. As it is currently a Holy day, Temple business cannot be conducted. By noon time tomorrow Herr Ruttiger will render you the payment either in coin or in mortgages on property, is that acceptable to you Lady Blackwood?” Meirhoff asked, sagging as though exhausted.

“Entirely,” she replied smugly, favoring Ernst with a cold smile..