"With a name like Rapscallion she might be." Jimmy says laughing.
"I have no idea about furniture yet."
Faerveren leans onto Abomentolor with an arm around him and hands him the sausage "Here take it little man." she says.
On moving back to her place she pulls a vial out of Abomentolor's backpack.
Abomentolor waves his arms in a pattern and speaks some incomprehensible words and touches the clown. "See how you think about that now."
"Hey, what are you doing? What happens to me?" Faerveren screams as she shrinks to half her size.
Tauriell looks interested at this little comedic performance.
Noticing the theft she hands the donkey another apple puts on teh hood of her cloak and silently moves around the back of the cart until she stands behind the young woman.
Grabbing the woman's ear ring and slightly pulling at it Tauriell gains her attention. "You're good little lady. But you're far from being good enough to pull that stunt here." she says holding out her open hand to get the item back.
"Ow!" Faerveren shouts surprised as she feels the pain at her ear. Usually she would simply deny what she is accused of and trying to get rid of the item. But this situation is a really bad starting point for that. She hands the vial to the elf.
"Good girl." Tauriell says releasing the earring and patting her on the head.
Handing the vial to Abomentolor she says "Be careful around that one. She has a hard time to keep her hands in her own pockets."
"Hey. I just wanted to take a look what it is." Faerverenn boldly lies.
"Looking at you I'd say lies have short legs." Tauriell chuckles.
"So not only are you pig rude. You also try to steal. I only wanted to teach you a lesson for being snotty. But now I'm going to leave you this small. Have fun with you new life as a halfling." Abomentolor tells.
"What? You can't do that! This has to be a crime! Turn me back to my original size!" she replies hysterically.
"Like stealing is. So we're even now. But if you want to get big again I have an offer. I need some clearing out done at my new home. You're doing that and I turn you back to your original size. A simple yes or no. The offer stands til 10. One, two, three, ..." Abomentolor offers with a grin.
The people of Underbridge are watching interested how this plays out. It's a mixture of fear and awe. The beer queue has come to a halt.
"Alright I'm doing it." Faerveren hurriedly replies, desperation in her voice.
"Deal. I'm generous. You get your size back before doing the work. It's no use if you are only at half your working power. Let's move." Abomentolor replies and jumps off the wagon.
Tauriell uses all her concentration to not starting to laugh out loud. She walks to the donkey grabs two more apples and follows Abomentolor and Faerveren to the Shadow clock.
"I guess you're doing fine here alone with your litle friend?" Tauriell asks Abomentolor. "I'll go ask Fenster if he is interested." She leaves in direction of the warehouse.
Abomentolor has a rather good feeling for the timing of that spell de to practice in time critical situations. He explains the work that has to be done and a few moments before the time of the spell runs out he does a fake casting in her general direction. "Now it's time to fulfill your part of the deal. And don't try any more tricks on me. Next time you do I'll turn you into a toad."
Faerveren is relieved as she grows to her original size again. But this still sucks. Getting caught while stealing and then embarrassed in front of all these people. And now this endless work. Work! What a harsh punishment. 'You stupid b$*#&. Couldn't you keep your hand with yourself just this one time!' she curses herself for her stupidity. Dragging out the rummage from the floor out on the cart with her bare hands she gets herself dusty and dirty.
The day went so well. And now that.
"Hello Fenster." Tauriell calls as she stands in front of his shack. "We did as you told us and killed the Scarecrow. Wanna come and see?"
Fenster comes out of his hut. "You really found the Scarecrow?" he asks with a crooked smile. "Tell me more." he asks and sits down on the floor.
"How about you come with me. We're cleaning out The Shadow Clock and thought you might be interested in some of the stuff there." Tauriell suggests. "I'll tell you on the way."
Fenster looks around and thinks for a moment.
"Yes. I'll come." He finally answers and gets up. He follows Tauriell to the tower.
Tauriell tells the story how they found the Scarecrow and how Abomentolor finished it. He is the fame hungry part of the duo and no one needs to know what she can accomplish. "See here. That was the Scarecrow. And here you see what we need out of here. If you can use something you can have it. The rest is going into the sea or something."
Fenster examines the Scarecrow with awe. Then he looks inside and is delighted. Wood and straw. And some furniture that are only slightly broken. "Good stuff." he says with shining eyes.
He stats to rummage through the stuff and drags it to the cart. Every time he finds something like a tin mug he is delighted.
Faerveren is disgusted. This guy is the human equivalent of what they drag on the cart here. Touching him even by accident would surely get her parasites or some disease. She can't even decide if she would prefer to do all the work on her own rather than be in the same room with this guy. But the prospect of becoming a toad lets her continue without complaining.
Fenster actually can use everything but the broken stones and the dust. He tries to explain to the young woman that she should sort the materials on the cart but she is not willing to talk to him or even listen to him. After three times driving the cart to his warehouse and back all the useful material is moved.
"Thank you! I'll going to sort my new stuff now." Fenster says his good bye.
"Last load." Tauriell tells Faerveren and hands her the anytool shaped as a shovel.
Faerveren gives Tauriell a glare, takes the shovel and puts the reminding rubble on the cart.
As only dust remains on the floor Abomentolor casts Prestidigitation to clean it out.
Faerveren winces as the gnome starts casting again "Hey I didn't do anything."
Abomentolor laughs "No fear my little toad. I'm only cleaning the rest out." Casting it a few more times the room is clean. "Work is done. You're free to go." Then he casts it once more on Faerveren.
Faerveren winces once more as he casts the spell on her. She turns and runs all the way home. Tears running down her face. She goes directly to her room into her bed pulling her blanket over her head crying into the pillow.
_________________
"I guess she is not interested in working for us on the long term. It's a shame. She has potential." Tauriell muses.
"I don't think we're ever going to see her up close. I told her I'd turn her into a toad if she ever tries a trick on me again. Luckily she didn't wet herself. That would have been a rather unpleasant smell in here." Abomentolor jokes.
Faerveren lies in her bed with her face still hidden in the pillow. "On noooo!" she screams into the pillow as it hits her that she has to go back to get Missy and the wagon.
Gwenhwyfar takes a sausage and a piece of bread and a few grapes. After eating all of this she states "I'm calling it a day. I'm going back to the manor. Are you coming too?"
"I need to hand around to pay everyone when they are done. I will see you later dear."
Gwenhwyfar waves goodbye and leaves. She enjoys the evening sky on the way and turns around every now and then to look at the sun slowly approaching the horizon. After quite some time she finally reaches the manor and enters the guest house.
Margaret sits at the table reading a book. "Good evening." she greets her and closes her book. "Here is your stuff back. And payment for your documentation and the stuff Mrs. Heidmarch kept for the Pathfinder archive. There is also a note for you. I'm leaving. If you have questions, ask Mrs. Heidmarch. Good bye."
"Hello and good bye." Gwenhwyfar replies. She looks at the stuff on the table.
On the table lies most of the stuff and the journals. On top of them a note weighed down with three pouches.
I kept the platinum plate with the guest list from the 25th anniversary of the Lady's Light. You got 300pp for that.
Also the book Dreams and Desires for 40pp.
Your documentation is really great. The drawing showing Sorshen inside the pyramid of Korvosa is something completely new that asks for further investigation. This gives you quite the renown with the pathfinders. For such great discoveries the Pathfinder Society pays an extra reward. You'll find 800pp for that.
I did some research on Jimmy's condition and if that was a misguided clone spell he suffers from a condition that can be removed with a restoration spell. Therefore I took the freedom to replace some of the coins with the spell component for that spell. You could ask in most of the temples here in Magnimar to get that cast.
Best regards
Sheila Heidmarch
Gwenhwyfar reads the note. "Nice. I'm a renown Pathfinder!"
She moves to Tauriell's room in a happy mood and prepares for bed. As she is a big girl now and no longer afraid to sleep alone she locks the door. 'I'm not sleeping in one bed together with my mum since I'm four. Eight. Twelve at most but only when I was ill. I'm not sharing my bed with Jimmy as long as he looks like he could as well be my mum.' she thinks taking the key with her placing it on the night stand.
She puts herself to bed musing about her mum. She becomes melancholic as she thinks about how her mum would have brought her to bed if she were at home now.
Faerveren drags herself out of bed again and walks back to Underbridge. She hides in a safe distance and waits until the party is over.
"I'm checking if Lini is still there." Tauriell says and climbs up the wall. But as she finds only Artoo up there still working relentlessly on the clockwork she climbs down again.
"I guess we're done here for today. Shall we go to a place where a cosy bed waits for us." she suggests and starts walking in direction of the summit.
"Sure. Let's do that." Abomentolor replies and follows her with a happy smile on his face. As they reach the manor grounds and enter the guest house they find their stuff.
"Hey look here." Reading the note he adds "That is quite some money. I guess there is a comfortable bedroom or two in that for us."
"Yup. But not today." she replies moving into Abomentolor's room and hinting at him to come too. She closes the door behind him.
As the sun goes down and it gets even darker than it is already through daytime in underbridge the people working on removing the rubble give up one after another and come back to Carl about their payment.
Carl approaches Jimmy followed by a large queue of people "Sir, eh ma'm. The workers are asking for their payment."