E pondered silently in front of Russell at his offer. He held the tattered chain shirt in his hand and look at Bean. This was already a huge step towards armor, but he kept feeling a gnawing at him. "Mae's whole focus right now was to make money for her own armor. And I don't have any either. But at the same time, we're content. What more could Bean use?"
"Brock, you ever used a shield?"
" E I've never even had a javelin. I would throw sticks and rocks in fights back home. Beats me how I got my class. Also, hey I know you're the party leader and everything but you have done enough for me. I already owe you so much. What if I die our first quest? You're gonna feel real silly"
" Brock has a point. I should just be humble and ask for him to fix this chain. Plus I doubt he could make me anything big enough for Mae. Do you think you can fix this?" He tossed over the chain shirt.
Russell sighed a relief. He nodded and got right to work. He sat down at his anvil and thought to himself. " Note to self, even if you like the customer the will try to wring your pocket. Offer small thanks" He turned back to E and Bean. This will probably take me awhile. But let me offer you something, You ever need some repairs swing by and I'll hardly charge you anything. Come back in a few hours. I'll mend it and throw in a few links, then treat it and oil it. Thanks for your helps guys." Russell shoo'd them out of his work space.
The two of them felt happy. They zoomed on over the to stable looking for the Fletcher's shop. E and Bean looked both ways across the road and didn't see a shop for the Fletcher. E looked to bean,
" Do you see the shop?"
Bean shook his head " Nope just some big horses."
E looked at the entrance to the barn and the row of horses tied to a bar over a hay troft. There was a teenage male human brushing the horses as they ate. E went to ask him if he knew. " Hey do you know where Portia's Fletcher shop is? I don't see it anywhere."
The kid looked up to him. " Yeah her shop is around the side of the barn on the next street over, the corner house. Not every shop and business is on the main road. We're a small town."
" Awesome thanks, also do you work here? Do happen to know if you guys have any horses for sale? If so how much?"
" Yeah we have like 4 left we've sold most of the available stock. Many of these are just stabled here and I'm just tending to them for this weekend. I think we have two horses at the 75 gold piece price range they are heavy horses, a light horse around 45 and well you don't want the last one."
E wasn't surprised, he realized very quickly dealing with Aren and Russell is
"Savings" really was just a flash in the pan. He would have to settle for a light horse and it would cost him most of the remaining coin he had left. E asked a few more questions. " So the light horse how much can it carry? And what of the last one makes you say that? Is it mean?"
The boy finished up brushing the horse he was tending to and fed it a carrot. " Hah Yeah, mean. The light horses usually can handle a 600 pound load. But to much stress at that weight will require frequent breaks feeding and maintenance. I recommend keeping it under 300 pounds.
Her why don't I take you to see her. Follow me."
E, Bean and the young man walked into the stable. It was quite warm inside. There was a wood furnace lit on the far side of the room, a good ways from the hay bale's. The rows of partitioned stalls were quite small and only a few more large pens were to the far stall. They walked towards the large penned section and the young man began to point and speak. " These two are our heavy horses as you can see they are much larger and have more muscle. The lady over here is our light horse, we just got her in on trade for one of our larger horses. I cleaned her up she's a little fat but her hooves are clean and without any fault, she just needs some work. And this bastard over here. That's Topher. The most rude ass I've ever dealt with. He's been here a few years, hardly even will pull a plow less you feed him the carrot first."
E looked at the animals admiring them, the stables they were in were well kept.
The lady horse was a pretty brown with a dark black mane and a white stripe down her snout. Topher on the other hand was a solid grey Mule. He wore a blind and stood in a corner. E didn't see anything wrong with him. " What's wrong with that guy? He's almost as large as the heavy horses, is it just the attitude?"
" Eh kinda, the main issue is he shrugs off any saddle you try to put on him, he's liable to kick anyone who approaches his rear, and IF you manage to get on him, you're getting bucked off or he won't budge. He's not broken in and I can't remember where we got him from, I think he must've been a wild one."
E thought about it. There are to many problems with him. He's not worth it. Also 45 gold was kind of to much right now. He hadn't even got his arrows or javelins yet. He decided it wasn't the best time to buy right now. He thanked the kid and said he will think about it. Afterwards since they were at the back of the barn they walked outside and the kid pointed them to Portia's shop.
They walked up to the house. There wasn't even a sign posted, they never would have found her house without direction. A small hut shaped home with a small fence around it with a few chickens in the yard. E opened the gate and knocked on the door. A few moments later the door opened. A child no older than 8 opened the door.
" Hello, who are you?" he asked
E and bean looked at each other. Then E spoke up. " Hi, my name's Everest is Portia home? I came looking for some business."
" Moooom" The boy cried back into the house. " One sec I'll get her." He ran back into the house
A few moments later a mid twenties female came to the door. She wore a butchers apron and was a bit frazzled holding a small cleaver. Deep red hair on her shoulders flowed down in curling fire like spirals.
" Hello are you from Russell's? Or just someone looking for woodwork?" She spoke in a heavy accent that made her voice hard to describe. It was as if she spoke in a strong retroflex if not a hard roll of her r's, with the omitting of vowels or injection of an 'ei' sound. Similar but different to Jasper.
" Yes we are from Russell's. He said you could make us some arrows and javelin's?"
" Okay that's sound, was expecting you. Enter." She waved them in and closed the door behind them. Following her then walked past a living room were the little boy they met and another even younger girl play with a wooden horse and wood blocks. Entering a workshop sort of kitchen, they noticed a wide range of tools on a workbench along the right wall. A sink and a headless chicken lay on the counter top behind the large table in the center of the room. " Go out back and pick yourself some wood. I've got Birch, Red wood, Pine, and a few planks of Sandalwood. I recommend the Pine or Red wood, s' a bit sturdier for your arrows. I hadn't the time to make those yet but I can fix up the javelin's for you now. Hand'em over, Price is 3 gold for the lot."
E noted the price was quite cheap compared to some recent purchases. It made him release a sigh. " I'll just agree to the red wood, it'll match my bow. Thank you. E went to grab his heads from his coin purse and then realized what he was doing. He looked at Bean and just shrugged. He put his hand in and produced the head's from the small sac.
Portia's eyes went a bit wide for a second then she just relaxed realizing he held a bag of holding.
" Ho ho fancy, I like it. Careful now I might have to raise my prices. Hahaha" E handed over the material then she continued. " Well you lot staying in the guild hall? I can have them arrows sent over when I'm done. Give me just a few minutes for these javelins." She went over to her bench and grabbed a few poles from a small barrel next to it. Wenching a few in place she stuck the javelin tips on and hammered in a few shims. after a few minutes she handed them back. " There ya go. Now out I've got supper to start. Expect your arrows in the morn." E put four of the javelins in his bag of holding and gave one to Bean. Bean held it with glee, they were about as tall as he was. they left Portia's shortly after.
Back on the street E looked to Bean.
" Well now you've got a weapon. Time for you to earn it. Lets get you over to the eating contest." Bean took the belt off his waist and loosened it just a bit to strap over his shoulder and slid in his javelin. He felt proud and walked a little more straight. They made their way to the Inn where the food contest was. It was soon to begin.
Back at the inn on the backside of the building a handful of chef's had set up grills and and camp stoves and we're plugging away at a variety of plating. A Small crowd had been growing as the cooking contest began to end. A table with a large heavyset man, a refined looking gentleman, and a well groomed old woman sat. They were being handed plates one by one and sticking flat sticks with grades in the meals after a few bites.
E and Bean Followed their noses to behind the building practically floating on the scent.
" Aw man I should have signed up for this contest as well looks like you won't be eating slop you lucky little shit. How is this even a contest, I would keep eating til I puked."
Bean grew a smile ear to ear. " I'm so glad we skipped breakfast! Don't worry E I'm winning this contest!"
A few minutes later and they announced the winners of the contest and a beautiful maiden stood atop the table to announce them in the center of the back area.
" Ahem... We have our winners. First place with the prize of a recipe book straight from the capital's royal kitchen..... Drog Tuskar' of the Loyal Beasts party, with a plate of barbecued pork shoulder, loaded baked sweet potato, and a bean medley! " The crowd roared and a large fat orc man approximately 7 1/2 foot tall waddled over to the stage. He accepted his prize and bowed humbly. " In Second place! The winner of a Royal Cocoa block and a set of cooking utensil.....We have Simmone Zeel of the Brilliant Wisps
party, With a plate of spicy roast duck, over bacon bit couscous!" Again the crowd grew loud with the sprinkles of whistles coming through. A beautifully robed, dark skined woman with a staff step forward. She accepted her prize and walked back to the crowd.
" And last but not least in Third place! winning a set of spices from the far off region of Zol..... Jasper Lucarne our towns local innkeep and bar owner! With a plate of Shepard's pie and Blackberry mead!"
E and Bean looked at each other with surprise and for the first time joined in on the applause. This round of the applause was the loudest and longest of the three. Jasper step forward and accepted his prize and shook the bag in the air above him to the crowd.
" Okay those of you who signed up for the eating contest we will begin shortly please get in line to be weighed on the scales to my left and be waiting with your entrance fee of 5 silver as I make the rounds. Afterwards we will seat you and plate everyone then begin!" The woman stepped down and a large portion of the people here began to dismiss. Only 20 or people stayed behind to sign up. A few chefs stayed as well to watch people eat.
In a far corner a man in a dark robe lit a large grin and shuffled his finger tips together. " Hehehehehe I can't wait to see who eats my special ingredient they're sure to drop out right afterwards hahaha. The new camp stove is mine!" He looked over at his company and gave a nod.
" Bring it home for us Frug remember save that plate for last"
" Aye" The fat Catfolk man stepped forward to be weighed.