Free The Steel Harvest by J.D. Miller

scarf up over her nose and mouth in a fluster. Carter snickered to himself. If they only knew how quickly that smile could eat them out of house and home.
    “Hello again, Miss Silvia,” Ramus said, bowing slightly.
    “Good evening, Ramus.” Silvia’s tone wavered evenly between serious and friendly.
    “I’m sorry we got to speak so little last night. I trust the room is to your liking?”
    “Yes, it is very cozy. I’m sure I will miss it once we leave.”
    “She has no idea,” Carter interjected, walking up next to Silvia. “Just wait until your first night under the stars, isn’t that right, Ramus?”
    “Quite right.” Ramus smiled, looking back and forth between the two. “The ground gets pretty hard in the winter, too. It’s quite the experience.”
    “S-sleep on the ground?” Silvia said, opening her eyes wide as she mocked the two gentlemen. “How will I ever survive?”
    The trio broke into a chorus of laughter, drawing the eyes of those in their immediate vicinity.
    “Anyway,” Ramus continued, opening the door behind him, “would you both be so kind as to accompany me? It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to entertain company.”
    Silvia curtsied slightly and then walked into the room beyond. Ramus held the door just long enough for Carter to intercept it before turning to the table beyond. Outside, the inn patrons collectively turned back to their drinks, the newcomers already forgotten.
    “Please, make yourselves at home. The food should be ready any moment.”
    Ramus played the role of host well, pulling out Silvia’s chair for her. Carter took his place next to his companion. Ramus lit a small heat stove in the corner of the room, his smile never wavering.
    “This room get rented out a lot?” Carter asked.
    “Hmm? Oh, a couple times in the summer, but I usually use this room for extra storage in the winter.”
    “Weddings?”
    “Exactly.”
    The door at the far left of the room opened as Ramus sat, revealing four cooks, dinner in hand. Carter’s jaw nearly hit the table. Cooked fish, fresh bread, butter and jam, boiled beef, even fresh foods such as corn and baked goods in the form of spice rolls.
    There’s enough food here to feed a group of nobles and then some!
    “Ramus? What is all of this?”
    “Hey, it’s not every day you get to dine with royalty, eh?” Ramus grinned. “Anyway, feel free to dig in!”
    Silvia barely hesitated, piling food onto her plate. Carter watched for a moment, still reeling. How could she put away so much food so easily? By comparison, Carter basically starved himself.
    “This is…delicious…thank you,” Silvia sputtered between mouthfuls, completely forgetting her manners.
    “It’s my pleasure. Is this all new to you?”
    “I’ve had…the fish before…but that’s it.”
    Carter looked over, surprised. “How do they get fish on The Shell?”
    “They grow them…in tanks.”
    Carter nearly spit out his food. “W-what?” he sputtered.
    Ramus smirked. Silvia looked back and forth between them, as if confused.
    After a moment, their host turned to her and explained. “See, down here fish are so plentiful all we have to do is go to a lake or another body of water and fish for them.”
    “Isn’t that inefficient, though?”
    Ramus smiled patiently. “Not really. See, it’s actually pretty easy once you get used to it, and so many fish grow naturally down here that it wouldn’t make sense to waste money growing them. Sure, it might save time when we go to eat them; after all, we wouldn’t have to catch them. But that doesn’t outweigh the price.”
    “Oh.”
    “So, Carter, you all stocked up?” Ramus asked, changing the subject.
    Carter nodded. “Yeah, I think so. Everything’s packed, so I’d like to be pulling out of here by noon tomorrow.”
    “Where are you heading next? Straight for Montar?”
    “No, the path’s too long with too few stops in between. We’re gonna follow my trading route up until we hit