"How good are you with your music?" Wumbrout asks.
Niamh looks perplexed. "I guess I'm quite a bit better than okay."
"If you're good you might ask at the Captains Club." Wumbrout replies. "It's a high class club and they might be interested in some good music. It's in Dockway."
"Thank you. And..." Niamh takes out her journal with the map "where in Dockway is the Captain's Club exactly. Oh and before I forget, could you order cherry pie for me?"
"Sure." he replies and makes a note on his list for the baker's delivery boy.
"The Captain's Club is at the sea. At the end of the peninsular. It has a big sign at it. Wurmbrout explains.
"Thank you very much." Niamh says pleased. "I still wish you a more than wonderful rest of the day." She walks out of the house and to Dockway where she walks to the peninsular.
Dockway is an interesting district with a lot of people on the street. Everything is bustling with life. The sailors from the ships in the harbor are in the streets and the taverns here. Te Bazar takes up a lot of place and makes it more colorful.
The peninsular is easy to see from the upper part of town and walking in that direction Niamh finally reaches the end of it and stands in front of a building with a sign reading Captain's Club. In front of it stands a bouncer.
A woman walks up to the bouncer at the Captain's Club "Hi there."
"Ship captains only." the bouncer replies.
"I'm searching a job as a barmaid." the woman explains.
"Not here." the bouncer replies.
The woman gives the bouncer a glare and moves on.
Niamh swallows and starts thinking about buying a ship. That would also help to fetch Brutus. Finally she decides that there are other ways. Niamh walks to the bouncer and starts talking to him. "Good morning sir. Do you think it would be possible for me to play songs in this tavern today?" she smiles at him. "I have recommendations." She holds him her jounal under the nose where she collected signatures from people she played for. "Even on ships!" Niamh points with her fingers on different signatures which have a 'captain'in it. "And these" she shows him an empty page "are the people who were discontented!"
As Niamh approaches the man starts to grin and can't stop to do so. He listens to her talk and takes a look at the recommendations and replies "Sure thing. Go inside and ask the boss."
Niamh looks a bit irritated at the grinning man but then decides to grin back. "Well then, thanks. How does the boss look like?"
"She has a hat just like yours. You can't miss her." the bouncer replies trying hard not to laugh.
Niamh starts thinking that this tavern is kind of an asylum for captains only but nevertheless she walks through the door looking for a red and purple hat.
At all of the tables sit either captains or a captain with his personal guests. At one of the tables sits a woman with the same hat as Niamh. But there are more similarities.
Niamh's face falls down and she starts to understand the bouncer. She shakes her head and twinkles her eyes, but that woman doesn't disappear. At least Niamh tries to look normal again and walks to that table. "Good morning, ...captain?" she asks with a frantical smile. "I wanted to ask if I may play here and the bouncer at the door said I have to ask the boss who wears the same hat as I do..."
Leruu looks at Niamh with her mouth standing open. As she catches herself after a few seconds she exclaims "You're mini me!"
Shaking her head and closing her eyes she tries to shake off that 'halluzination'. As she looks again and the halfling is still there she asks. "What do you play?"
The captains at the table start laughing and making jokes.
"I play a violin. I know songs like 'what shall we do with the drunken sailor', 'the mermaid', 'the rambling sailor', 'my bonnie is over the ocean','ward the pirate'..." Niamh throws again a gaze over Leruu. "My name's Niamh. You don't call yourself Niamh, do you?" she asks sceptically.
"Haha! No, I'm Leruu. This is too funny to send you away." Leruu replies.
"Hey Sam. Play a few songs with that girl here. I want to see if she is good." she calls to the man sitting at the piano.
Niamh walks over to Sam. "Let's play 'ward the pirate', okay?" she asks him with a smirk and raises her violin and her bow.
Sam tickles the ivories and together they get the music going. It is quite some fun and the good music together with Niamh looking like mini Leruu leads to quite some fun that is had.
Meanwhile at the Shadow Clock
____________________
The carpenters make first plans about the replacement stairs. It is not trivial for the stairs can only be firmly fixed to the wall at the outside. At the inner side of the stairs it would be unsupported. They decide to go with a double spiral of almost 2' high boards connected by the 5' wide steps that consist of a tread of about 1' and a riser of about 8" that extends below the base tread for more stability. This will be anchored at the wall every 5' and every 20' a wooden beam 4" by 12" spans the whole width of the tower to support also the inner spiral.
So the stairs will be finished after building about 360 steps, 12 beams, 36 anchorings.
Tauriell helps the carpenters to install the ropes at the top of the tower to support their work platform. As all the preparations are done and the men set up their tools and work benches she suggests to get something to drink. "This dusty environment here makes a dry throat. Shall we go and get an ale? I think I saw a Tavern down the road."
"Good idea. We still have some time left until noon." Abomentolor replies and follows the elf.
Leading to the 'Friendly Merchant' and entering the dilapidated building Tauriell orders two ales and chooses a table to sit down. "Everything here in Underbridge looks like you have to be careful to not topple it over. If you sneeze too hard the building might crumble."
As the ale is served Abomentolor pays it and takes a swig. Disappointed he puts the mug back on the table. "That beer tastes like the entire district looks. It's been a while since it was fresh."
"What are your thoughts about where to get the meals once we're in our new home? Visit Gwen everyday? For the taverns here don't serve the quality food I expect." Tauriell asks.
"I don't know. But I won't prepare them for sure. I can burn things. but if you don't like burnt food I'm out." Abomentolor replies.
"So far we don't even have a kitchen. But I fear not even a delivery service would work. Who delivers to Underbridge?" Tauriell muses.
Isabella comes into the tavern and approaches the man behind the bar. "Hello. I'd like an ale." she says and asks "Would you have a job for a barkeeper?"
Siov Cassimeel puts the ale in front of Isabella and replies. "Four coppers. And I don't hire."
Some of the bar patrons comment "Aww! Hire her! She looks much better than you do. Put her into a short skirt and a tight blouse. That would distract us from the poor quality of your beer."
Isabella is frustrated. Not a single tavern in this lousy town is hiring and now these lowlifes amuse themself at her expense. She draws her rapier and cuts the buttons off the guys suspenders. "Let's see your sexy legs."
The guy catches his pants on the way down and starts to cuss. Some of the patrons continue their laughing, but some - seemingly friends of that guy - move towards Isabella to let her pay for that joke.
Siov Cassimeel casts a spell on Isabella "Throw her out and teach her not to make trouble again."
"f!&*." Isabella thinks unable to move.
Abomentolor thought this pretty funny. But no longer. "I feel like hiring a barkeeper. Do a dragon with the shard, or else I have to kill half the people here to get their attention."
Tauriell concentrates and out of nowhere appears a huge roaring red dragon that topples over some empty chairs and tables roaring a deafening roar. Glaring at the ones who move towards Isabella and the man behind the bar the dragon exclaims in a deep booming voice "Make my day!"
Abomentolor gets up and moves to the bar and walks straight through the illusion. "This is only for show to get your attention. Everyone walks back to his place now and minds his own business. Or the next thing you'll see will be the last. As you'd all die in an inferno that burns this shack down to the ground."
He waits to see how the others react and considers where to place the fireball to be most effective.
Faced by a probably illusionary dragon and some small guy full of himself the courage fades from most of the guys and they move to mind their own business as told. Siov Cassimeel is not amused but being a coward at heart he is not interested in trying his luck in a fight with a guy who can probably back his words with actions. "Hey. No need to get drastic here."
Tauriell pulls her hood over her head and moves to Isabella. She picks her up and carries her outside. With that her concentration is gone and the dragon slowly fades away.
Abomentolor Bows to the audience. "I'm Abomentolor Goblinburner. And if anyone feels like talking to me later you can find me at the Shadow Clock. Have a nice day." He turns to the exit and leaves.
Tauriell puts down Isabella and waits for her to move again. "Hello. Are you alright?" she asks as the woman comes to life.
"I guess I am." Isabella replies a bit confused from the experience. "Thank you for getting me out of there."
"You're welcome. You are a barkeeper?" Abomentolor replies.
"No, not really. But it is the closest I thought I could get to my real calling. But not even that is possible here." Isabella replies.
"Can you cook?" Abomentolor inquires.
"I'm no master of that. But I can prepare a meal. Why do you ask?" Isabella asks.