Exactly one week had passed since we built the massive stone tavern. Winter had now descended upon the forest in all its brutality, covering the branches of the trees with a thick white blanket. However, despite the freezing cold, life in Essence Haven was more comfortable than ever.
Over the course of this week, not only had the architecture of our settlement changed, but our appearance had completely transformed as well. The steel needles and waxed threads Koram brought from Aethelgard had worked absolute wonders in the disciplined hands of the veteran soldier. We were no longer wearing those makeshift, tattered rags. We now had long coats made of thick deer hide that didn't let a single breath of the freezing winter wind through. The collars of the coats and the insides of our boots were lined with the softest white rabbit furs. We no longer looked like pathetic, freezing fugitives lost in the woods; we looked like elite northern rangers or wealthy merchants.
But there was one major, frustrating problem.
The inside of our massive, underfloor-heated tavern was filled with the crackle of the wood fire, the smell of the fresh, tangy sheep's cheese Lira made, and the meats Barun had professionally smoked, but... the tavern was completely empty. For a whole week, not a single caravan, not a single traveler, not even a lone hunter had knocked on our door.
Eliz, buried in the sleeves of her stylish new fur coat, rested her head on the smooth wooden counter of the tavern. She shot me a sideways glance while tapping her fingers on the table out of sheer boredom.
"I thought this was going to be the heart of trade, Mayor?" she teased, pouting. "We have luxury beds, hot stew, and amazing cheese. So where are the customers? For days, we've just been eating cheese by ourselves and staring at the wall."
Barun grunted as he threw a massive log onto the fire by the hearth. "The rabbits are breeding so fast that my butcher shop is overflowing with meat. If someone doesn't come and buy these soon, I'm going to invite the wolves from the forest inside to eat them."
They were right. Why was no one coming? Just then, I remembered the words of the old merchant who had left us those two silver coins. They hadn't found this place on purpose. They had stumbled upon us by pure chance, seeing our smoke in that damp air while looking for a shortcut to bypass a landslide on the main road.
"Because," I said, suddenly standing up. The revelation in my voice made Eliz sit up straight. "Because nobody knows there's a floor-heated tavern deep in this forest! The main road is exactly one kilometer away from here. Because of the dense pine trees, they can't even see the smoke from our chimney. We are just sitting on a shortcut."
Koram stopped working on the piece of leather in his hands and looked up. "If you don't report your unit's position, the supply line can't find you," he said with military precision. "We need to reveal ourselves."
We formulated a plan immediately. If we couldn't be seen from the main road, then we would drag the main road to us.
Koram brought out the thickest, lightest-colored, massive deer hide from his shop. He threaded his thickest, pitch-black waxed string through his steel needle. While Barun and I prepared a sturdy wooden frame to stretch the hide, Koram began stitching the letters right in the center, using thick, bold stitches large enough for any passing caravan to read comfortably even from horseback.
Half an hour later, Koram held the hide up in the air. The words, flawlessly stitched in black thread, gleamed in the torchlight:
ESSENCE HAVEN(Hot Food, Luxury Lodging, and Safe Haven)➔ 1 KM
"Now that," Barun said, shouldering his massive axe, that wild, excited grin spreading across his face. "Is how you do trade."
I wrapped my new, windproof fur cloak tightly around myself. Eliz slung her silver bow over her shoulder. Tonight, we were going to march out of the forest and plant this sign right at the intersection where our shortcut met the large, busy main road connecting Iron Banner and Aethelgard.
It was time to officially declare our existence to the 7 Kingdoms. Accompanied by the solid crunch of fresh snow beneath our boots, we shouldered our sign and began walking through the dark forest toward the main road.
ESSENCE HAVEN
CITY STATUS: Signage and Advertising Phase
POPULATION: 5 People
INVENTORY UPDATE: Professional Winter Furs and Leather Armor Equipped