Introduction to Payne

Just a quick opening from the book I am currently working on, please note this takes place after the technology wars, (great war) and yet still a few centuries before Lyam's adventures.

Payne sat quietly in the front of the leather booth and worked diligently on the repair of a soldier’s boots, while he reflected on his life.  There wasn’t all that much to it really, he had awoken in the back of a wagon and could not remember how he had gotten there, and with a cloth bandage tied around his head and one arm.  He sat up and had spotted an old woman with thin white hair who guided the horse drawn wagon.  Another bump in the road caused him to lie back down abruptly.  That was but two years ago, and since then he has worked for the old couple which had helped nursed him back to health.

He finished up the repair of the sole on the soldiers boots, and picked up a rawhide training shield.  He started to cut away the torn hide from its wooden frame.  Upon a closer look at the shield, he noticed several places where the leather had been sown together repeatedly.  “Must have hired a cheap repairman in the past,” he thought to himself.  It didn’t take him long to measure and cut a new piece of thick hide and then stretch it over the round frame.  A few minutes longer, and he had replaced the rawhide lace that held the leather to the frame.  “Good as new.” He said to himself.

He looked at the large pile of items to be repaired stacked next to him and sighed, “If they were all this easy to fix I could be done in a week.”  

A commotion down the street caused him to look up; a couple of men argued with each other and threatened to be a problem for the guards.  Payne shrugged and went back to his work; this sort of thing happened at least a couple of times a day, down near the ale tent.  

Head bowed to his work, he was once again distracted when a soft and aristocratic voice said, “Young man, do you by any chance have any riding boots for sale?”

Payne glanced up from his work, and found that he stared into eyes the color of emeralds.  The woman’s skin was the color of cream and her lips bright red.  “Yes ma’am,” he answered from his suddenly very dry throat.

“Well, bring them forth, idiot.”  A grey haired lady who stood behind the young woman exclaimed.  “My lady does not have all day to wait around while you stare at her.”

Payne jumped to his feet, entered the booth, and returned rapidly with two pairs of riding boots.  He held up a plain black pair of boots and said, “Although not elegant, these boots are very well made and will last a long time.”  He then lifted the other pair of boots, red with yellow lace around the top.  “These boots are courtlier, but will not last nearly as long.”

“What makes you think they will fit my lady?” The older woman asked.

“If I may see one of her feet, I will be able to adjust them to fit.”  Payne replied, he was tired of the old woman’s attitude.

The old woman drew a shoe from inside her hand bag and threw it at him, “That is one of her shoes, surely with that you can be sure the boots you show us will fit...”

The shoe hit Payne directly in the stomach and fell to the ground.  He calmly picked it up, and compared it to the pairs of boots and said, “Either pair will fit your lady, it is simply a matter of her deciding which pair she would prefer.”

“We will take both pairs.” The older woman replied.

Payne bowed slightly and said, “That will be half silver for the red boots and three coppers for the black boots.”  He reached behind him and pulled a canvas bag from his belt.  He put the boots in the bag, and handed it to the young lady.  “May your boots last longer than you expect.”

The young lady handed him a single gold coin and replied, “Thank you young man, I am certain they will live up to my expectations.”

Before he could get her change, she turned and started to walk away with the older woman.  

“Well old Kadem will be happy,” he said as he looked at the coin.  He heard hoof beats rapidly approach, and looked up in surprise, as horses were never allowed in the market area while it was open.  About a hundred yards down the road, two horses charged towards the young lady, the men on their backs had their swords drawn and raised overhead.

Without a moment of thought, Payne grabbed the shield he had just repaired and hurled it at one of the horses.  He then leapt forward, grabbed the back of the young ladies dress and jerked her backwards into the leather booth.  At the same time he pushed the older woman forward across the road and into a jeweler’s booth.  As he turned towards them, both horses were directly in front of him which led him to believe that he was about to die.

Strangely the horses veered ever so slightly too both sides and rushed past just inches away from him.  He turned and watched as the riders brought their horses back around towards him.  “Just my luck,” he said to himself, “two armed men and I have nothing to defend myself with.

One rider charged straight at him, while the other turned towards the leather booth.  On an instinct, Payne rolled towards the leather booth as well, and grabbed one of the support ropes.  A quick slice with his leather knife and the rope cut free, a push against the support beam and the front of the booth dropped down in one corner.  “You’ll be safer inside ma’am.” He said as the horsemen wheeled away and around again.

Another quick slash and the other support rope was cut loose.  Payne slammed his body into the support beam for that corner and rolled to the ground outside as the front of the booth crashed down behind him, and closed the booth.  He knew he would be trampled by the horses on this pass, but at least the beautiful young lady would be safe.