"I don't know about that. I'm not the one that went and took care of a whole tribe fo goblins by myself," Elizabeth says, "but if I'm supposed to be bringing beauty into this world, I still gotta get you dressed."
She holds out a silk gown of deep green and blue with gold threaded through out.
"I think this would look great on you, so get stripping so I can put it on you!"
"Lizzy! You can't just tell people that," Tera scolds as she tries to hold back her laughter while Elizabeth grins.
Elizabeth's hard work does not go unnoticed and, although Father Zantus' words about not treating the marked differently for their exploits bear fruit, the girls cause a bit of a stir when they arrive for dinner all made up. Its difficult to tell which stares are of which type but its clear that some of the boys are seeing their fellow servants in a new light. After dinner, the rest of the evening passes uneventfully and once evening prayers have concluded the weary adventurers quickly fall into a deep sleep.
The priest pauses for a moment and stares wistfully off at nothing. "In truth, my heart still aches for his loss, but nonetheless I am pleased that you are here. And, I will do my best to provide you with whatever guidance I am able. You are welcome to stay here with the other marked for as long as you like; if there's anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask."
The following morning things seem largely to have returned to normal: acolytes and initiates scurry about doing chores, a hearty breakfast is laid out in the great hall, and morning prayers are said and sung. After all this, one of the young initiates seeks out Tera and whichever of the marked plan to accompany her to Magnimar. "The carriage is here," he informs them, then hastily adds, "Brother Faustwick ordered a carriage for your trip... he thought it would be safer for moving goods, and cause less of a stir on your way out of town..."
The carriage can easily fit six people and as soon as those who wish to do so have boarded it rolls noisily across the cobbled streets of Sandpoint, through the southern gate, and down the pleasant coastal roadway towards Magnimar. The breeze off the still-warm Varisian Gulf moderates the cool morning air and this journey seems all together more enjoyable than the previous one.
"Thank you, Brother." Marcus replies, a bit off guard at having been approached directly.
"The others have been very kind and welcoming. I have never seen such lavish generosity before. I am sorry for the passing of your friend, he was admired by all who I have heard speak of him." Trying to address the question of his needs, he continues,
"I have already been given so much, I will forever be in your debt it seems. there is nothing I need, but perhaps, if you have the time, and its not too much trouble.... You see, when I was taken, the goblins burned my boat. In it, there was a small carving of my mother. It was made of oak, reclaimed from the sea. It seems silly, but if you find a piece of oak that I could use to make another..."
His thoughts seem to wander as he stares at his empty hands, "I Know I should be putting the past behind me, I guess I'm just not ready."
As they shift into lighter talk, Marcus produces his spear for Father Edras' inspection. "I can't explain it, but it feels like it has changed. Like its more a part of me now. Less a tool and more like an extension of my arms. I'm thinking of calling it Zephyr."
Tera spent most of dinner quietly deciding whether or not she enjoyed the attention. Elizabeth had certainly outdone herself, but she couldn't help but feel like she was playing a role or wearing a mask. How many of them did she know? Beyond Elizabeth and the Marked, she could only recall a few of their names, mostly from the acolytes of Abadar.
She laughed and told stories using her magic to help enhance her tales, but inside, she wondered. Had she been cut off from the others by her status as one of the Marked? Or had she cut off the others? A chill ran up her spine at that thought. She'd never known many people her own age, yet here there were dozens, and dozens more in town, but she only knew five of them.
She shook the thought away after she had excused herself and left for bed. She was tired. That was all. She was tired and tomorrow would be a better day.
"Oh, thank you, um," Tera starts to say, but then realizes that she doesn't know the young lad's name. "Sorry for asking this, but what's your name? I've got this embarrassing feeling that I should know it, but I can't remember it for the life of me!" She gives him a sheepish grin as she rubs the back of her neck and her cheeks heat from the embarrassment.
As they ride down the cobbled streets, Tera asks the others, "Have you ever been to Magnimar before?"
"It's a beautiful city full of statues and monuments of all kinds. It's like a jewel on the shores of the sea. I can't wait for you guys to see it! It'll be fun," Tera replies, looking out the windows as well and smiling as she remembered the sights, sounds, and smells of the City of Monuments.
"Anyone know of any good stories," she asks after a little while.
"Yeah, let's stay away from the scary ones. I was thinking of something fun or just plain silly, to be honest," Tera says, keeping her tone light and hoping to brighten Sal's mood.
"I've been trying to collect all the ones I can since I was little. I don't know why, but I just like stories, whether they be real or fantastic, about knights and princesses or what a fisherman almost hauled into his boat once, or make you feel sad or happy," she says as she watches the scenery roll by. A chuckle brings a smile to her lips as she remembers the first time she told a story using her arcane talents to give the tale life.
"Do remember the first time I told a story after they moved us back into the Cathedral grounds?"
"Yup, didn't work out so well when I did monsters the next time. I had to scrub the dishes after meals for a month after that."
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"I dunno. Why don't you ruin Sister Callinova's prized flowers and spend the next month scrubbing pots and pans and you tell me if it was worth it," Tera asks with a grin. "Besides I think the whole town's going to be talking about us for years. I'm just happy last night was, well, normal. I was half worried it was going to be like when we went into the catacombs under the Glassworks."
No, it wasn't us going under the Glassworks. It was Roakkad's murder. That was what made it so bad. What happens when the rest of the town learns of what everyone did at Thistletop? We did good things, and I think we earned a little of what Sandpoint has given us. Besides, it was kinda fun to dress up and have all the boys gawking for a reason besides my Mark for a change. I wonder what Zach thought of it? For that matter, I wonder if Lizzy can help me make an impression on Lord Aldern? It'd be fun to see him go all gooey just by letting him see me, and tease all of the boys in town too.
After a moment, Tera's cheeks begin to turn pink as small mischievous smile spreads on her face, clearly up to no good.
Your time at Thistletop is surprisingly mundane, aside from the constant barrage of questions about what happened and about being marked that erupt as soon as someone is bold enough to start asking (late day 2) and persist until everyone has heard your answers (around lunch time on day 6). Brother Hargev mostly keeps to himself as he settles into his new accommodations and prepares for regular services in his new charge. You are added to the regular duty roster with the watchmen and spend nearly all your waking hours either on watch or cleaning out and beginning to reappoint the fort. Deliveries arrive nearly everyday, gradually filling the fort with human-sized bunks, table, chairs, and footlockers, and stores of simple preserved foods.
Currently, regular watchmen from town are being stationed in the fort a week at a time, and several of the wilderness scouts have had their base of operations switched out to the fort; every few days Sheriff Hemlock is riding out to check on progress, and safety, but rumors circulate that he has sent word to Magnimar of the acquisition along with a request that a proper military unit be sent to staff the fort.
The hours pass quickly in the carriage and before long Sal and Tera find themselves rolling up the Lost Coast road towards the wall of Magnimar. Although it is by no means Tera's first trip, both are struck by the sheer size of the city. Beyond the gate, things are no less impressive: row after row of large, well-appointed, stone buildings surround the cobblestone roads, and small trees are still vibrant gardens dot the yards. It's not until the carriage reaches what had seemed to be the other side of the city that Sal realizes just how big, and how diverse, the place truly is... looking down a steep cliff, she discovers a whole other city, at least as big as the one they'd just ridden through but with none, as far as she could see, of its opulence.
When the coachman opens the door of the now stopped carriage and notices the girls peering over the edge he offers, "I beg yer pardon fer speakin' outta turn but I wouldn't suggest goin' down there with an armful o' valuable stuff. An' if ya do go down after ya sold yer wares here, keep an eye on yer coinpurse. I mean, don't get me wrong, I live down there- there's lotsa decent folk in the Shore, but there's Sczarni down there too who'd smell you two comin' a mile away..."
Marcus shies away from the talk of the trip to Magnimar. Sandpoint has been almost more than he can process, the prospect of a larger city did not sit well with him.
As the fancy dinner goes on, Marcus seeks out the other servants of Gozreh, trying to learn about their studies and daily lives.
In the days that follow, Marcus spends equal time exploring Sandpoint and talking to anyone he can at the temple about what they know of Gozreh and Brother Edras.
As time goes by, the youth in him becomes more evident. He can be heard laughing in the halls of the temple during the day and wandering the streets in the evening.
"We'll be careful. Do you know of any shops that would offer good prices in the Summit," Tera asks the driver.
Tera looks around and wonders at how much and how little Magnimar has changed in the five years since she's been gone. She points out different monuments and buildings that can be seen in the skyline and in the jumble of buildings and streets below. She wishes that Kaede and Elizabeth at least could have been there, but Kaede had left for Thistletop and Elizabeth was helping prepare for an upcoming holy day for Shelynites. She hadn't been able to find Kaelaah or Zach, and Marcus had shied away from the idea. As she points out the Arvensoar, her voice trails off and her expression falls.
"I– I wish Roakkad had been able to see this," she says quietly after a long moment of silence as tears brim her eyes, "I wish the others had been able to come."
"Thanks," Tera mutters as she wipes away the tears, "I guess I'm still mourning him."
The young mage takes a deep breath and smiles.
"Well, let's see if I can still remember my way around," she says in a more normal and much cheerier voice.
"Sorry, ma'am," the driver answers, "'fraid I do alla my shoppin' down b'low. Besta luck to ya though."
Tera's feet seem to remember the old streets better than her mind do; although the buildings that she recognizes are few and far between, she instinctively wanders almost directly to a bustling market street. The cobblestone road is slightly wider here and the well-built stone structures are far more brightly decorated than the impressive homes on the previous road. Signs for all manner of businesses hang from various shops as well dressed people scurry to and fro taking little interest in the two young woman.
Tera, dressed in the blue and gold silken robes she'd been gifted before delving the catacombs below Sandpoint, studies the signs for a moment before pointing to a likely looking shop to sell their bundles of goods at.
"There! That's our first stop," she declares with boundless confidence before leading Sal along and striding in through the door as if she owned the place and towering above everyone at a diminutive five feet and change tall.
At least she does before tripping over her own feet and falling to the ground with an undignified squeak of surprise.
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A grizzled old dwarf looks up with some bemusement from his seat on a plain wooden bench between the forge and the counter of Ironbeard’s Arms and Armor. When Tera tries to enter authoritatively and falls flat on her face he snickers, rises and moves to his place behind the counter, and announces, ”Welcome ta Ironbeards. We mostly deal in weapons an’ armor but I’m sure I got a cane ‘round here somewhere if ya need it.”
"These are the same ones I wore in the Catacombs and Thistletop," Tera grumbles, "Besides, I always wear pants. I still haven't forgotten what happened the last time I didn't. Too bad Gorvi sold the old goat before I learned how to shoot fire from my hands! "
After dusting herself off and retrieving the dropped packages, she looks around and smiles.
"My dear Salomae, do you not trust me? I doubt they'd dare haggle with a Flinders!"
"These are the same ones I wore in the Catacombs and Thistletop," Tera grumbles as she accepts the offer of help form Salomae, "Besides, I always wear pants. I still haven't forgotten what happened the last time I didn't. Too bad Gorvi sold the old goat before I learned how to shoot fire from my hands!"
Her cheeks burn a dull red as she hears the dwarven proprietor chuckle at her clumsiness, but she banishes the embarrassment with a deep breath and a reminder that humor could cover a great many embarrassments.
"Master Ironbeard, I'm afraid that you have found us out. You see, we two are secretly old witches bewitched and charmed into the guise of these charming and bewitching forms. A cane would only give the ruse away," Tera says as earnestly as she can manage, all the while hoping Sal would play along.
The gray-bearded dwarf's eyes go wide with surprise when Tera 'reveals her true nature' but his look quickly turns to incredulity as Sal attempts to carry on the lie. "Course ya are," he scoffs, "an' lemme guess: if I do no give ya me best price ya'll put a curse on me? I'm already sellin' fine dwarven craf'manship at humanware prices, that's a bargain ta be sure."
"Selling, huh?" the dwarf answers even more incredulously. "What could the two a ya have ta offer that'd hold up nexta dwarven wares? Let's see, then..."
"Of course, Master Ironbeard," Tera says as she lets her grin fade into a polite smile, "the items we have are all of fine craftsmanship and have been given some enchantment." She places her bundles on the counter and begins unwrapping them, showing a small set of hide armor, four wickedly barbed arrows, and a gleaming bastard sword. She leaves the last and smallest package unopened.
"These are spoils we and our companions took from those leading the tribes of goblins around Sandpoint after thwarting their attempt to raze the city. Feel free to inspect them yourself. While I'm certain that you could match these with little trouble, I do not think you would be embarrassed to find any of these on your shelves and racks," She finishes with a flourish of her hand.
”Magic, huh?” the dwarf answers with a bit more interest. Reaching under the counter, he produces a six inch wide lens on a brass stand which he carefully sets down in front of him. After reciting a command word he begins inspecting each item through the lens.
”Hmm...” he begins as he looks up after a minute and scratches his long, thick beard, ”I can do eleven-fifty on the sword, an’ another three-twenty far the arrows... an’ ya won’t do better than that anywhere in town. The hide’d be ‘bout five-seventy-five more, even bein’ small, if it weren’t horse... horse hide’ll be hard ta sell... I could give ya four-fifty, I guess.”
"Hmm," Tera thinks for a moment pushing numbers around in her head. "Make it nineteen-fifty for all three and some information about where we might be able to sell one other item and you have a deal," she counters with a smile and holds out her hand to shake on it.
The dwarf looks hard at Tera. ”Thirty extra gold an’ I give ya free information?!?” he barks back, ”How ‘bout we call it a even nineteen, an’ if I don’t want it I point ya ta someone ta sell whatever ya got left?”
Tera blinks in surprise and thinks through the numbers again, then blushes as she realizes she miscalculated the total.
"No, no! Sorry. That was my mistake. I added something up wrong," she apologizes as she shakes her head and holds up her hands to gesture placatingly at the dwarf. "I thought I was only asking for five more to make it split six ways evenly!"
She gives a nervous little laugh and blushes all the more fiercely as she remembers when Kaede had suggested that Tera handle all of the buying and selling after fighting Chief Ripnugget in Thistletop.
She unwraps the last package and shows the dwarf the tiny magical dagger.
"I figured you didn't get many fairies for customers," she said as she showed it to the dwarf. "it's heavily enchanted and older than I can guess, but it's so small that it's more of a novelty than a proper weapon, and I didn't think you'd be interested at all."
The grizzled old shopkeep looks down at his his hand for a second and then let’s out one quick chuckle. ”The gods must favor ya... nineteen-twenty does split six ways.”
Picking up the tiny dagger, he activates his lens once more and begins examining it. He sucks his teeth briefly then offers, ”Not bad, not bad... worth almost forty-two, if it weren’t far the size... gonna be a awful small market far somethin’ like this. Splittin’ six ways ya said? I could give ya three-thousand more ta take the whole lot.”
Tera snickers at the pun, whether intentional or not and has to take a moment to make sure she's not about burst into laughter.
"That sounds fair, especially for something like that," she says once she has control of herself again. "Forty-nine-twenty for the whole lot and it's all yours."
After the affairs of the transaction have been completed, Tera gathers up the mess of twine and cloth that had wrapped the items and makes ready to leave.
"I'll not keep you long, Master Ironbeard, but I would like to know if you have any news about the city of late. I live in Sandpoint, but I come from Naos here in Magnimar. I'm... I haven't really heard much from my family. Are the Flinders still well?"
”Flinders? ‘Fraid I wouldn’t know,” the dwarf answers as he fills a small sack with gems and a handful of coins, ”I import good dwarven metals from Janderhoff and do all the smithin’ in house; an’ me cousin runs a dwarfish alehall a few blocks from here- I got no need to worry ‘bout human politics and whatnot.”
"Sounds as if you'd have little need for human merchants, either," Tera observes with a grin. "I think we may be giving your cousin a visit later if has food to go with the ale."
Once it is time to go, Tera gives the dwarf a huge grin and a blessing. "If I ever need a fine weapon while I'm in Magnimar, I'll come to call on you first. Thank you, Master Ironbeard. May Abadar multiply your profits many times over."
"!"
The dwarf lets out a brief but robust laugh when Tera mentions the alehall, then offers, "He 'as food alright- hearty dwarven fare. It'd fill two little things like ya up far days! Tell ya what: if ya go there, tell 'im Torvin said ta give ya his usual, at the family price; he'll take care a ya."
He grins for the rest of their short visit and nods goodbye as they leave.
Tera does share a quick tale with Torvin about her one time on kitchen duty at the Cathedral, figuring a little self-deprecation couldn't hurt, before giving her blessing and leading Sal out into the sunshine.
"So, where to first? The Arena? The Monuments? The Bazaar of Sails," she asks, growing more excited as she mentions each place. She wraps an arm around Sal's waist and pulls her close as she gestures grandly towards the city's skyline. "Magnimar's the Jewel of the Lost Coast. There's more than we can see in a few hours, but that doesn't mean we can't see a lot!"
"Monuments, then to Torvin's Cousin!" Tera gives her declaration with a wide, cheerful grin before dragging Sal off to the closest monument on the Summit. She tells what she knows with an enthusiasm that hadn't been seen since before the goblin raid on the Swallowtail Festival as she leads her best friend from monument to monument.
Several hours later, she completes the circuit and begins looking out for the place Torvin had told them about. A hearty meal was sounding good to her, and she was sure that Sal was starving as well.
"Did you have fun," she asks, her voice sounding just a touch rough after all of the talking she did.