Day 969: 5 Minute Freewrite: Tuesday - Prompt: forest

It had started as “a nice hike in the woods” or at least that’s what I’d told Padth. He had no real reason to disbelieve me. Or care for that matter. He was so hungover that being left alone was all he wanted. Or maybe some more wine. How could he have known that a month ago on an expedition to where I’d thought there might be a source of Chuzapwood for the royal luthiers, I’d stumbled onto a cache of Fourth Dynasty gold coins?

I’d only brought back one of them at the time, to have it assayed in the city. Just to be sure. Fourth Dynasty gold is worth a lot more than the debased Sixth Dynasty coins now being used. And I wasn’t about to let my worthless husband know about the cache.

We both came from respectable old families. In the past, wealthy families with merchants and a leavening of landed lower aristocracy. But both families having since then slid down the wealth ladder. Still respectable but no longer wealthy. My dowry should have been enough to set Padth and I up at least comfortably but I then had no idea how quickly he’d use it up funding his dissipation.

My plan had been to carry back as many of the coins as I could on the first of what would likely be dozens of journeys. And then find a way to get rid of Padth. Probably poison, people would think he’d drank himself to death. And slowly start selling off the Fourth Dynasty coins at different jewelers and money lenders in the city so as to not have too many questions.

But then I hurt my ankle on the way back. Twisted or broken I don’t know but I can’t put any weight on it. Had to bury all but a few coins where I’d gotten injured. I’ve got a piece of Chuzapwood that’s a decent crutch but I’ve already fallen twice. And it’s getting dark.

Written in response to the #freewrite challenges that @mariannewest has been posting.

Post beneficiaries:
5% - @peakd
5% - @steeminganarchy

Pixabay image

(5-minute first draft, but then about an hour of editing. Is that really the right place for a comma?)