Herm looks at Jominda, keeping his face as stoic as possible. "I see, that is well... an interesting job. My Lady my not like that and I personally do not use such measures in battle or outside of battle."
"I am going to assume you are joking but if not than I will need to be reporting you to the local authorities."
"This is fantastic. Please do that!" Jominda replies enthusiastic. "The sheriff's office is just to the right of my apothecary. I'm sure he is more than eager to follow up on such leads." Jominda adds trying to keep a straight face.
But she is not really good at it.
Kendra bursts out laughing. "Oh you tease! Stop torturing that poor man!"
"Well ma'am I feel as if you worked on keeping your face more motionless you might be able to make that joke work." Herm eats another sandwich and has a drink.
"I am happy to see you laugh Ms. Lorrimor, Will it just be the 3 of us who are traveling to Lepidstadt?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure what all the other people who were captured along with you will do."
"The poor man would have been the Sheriff. And he definitely deserves to be at the other end of that joke." Jominda replies. "But you wanted to tell me who you are. You just let yourself be thrown off the rails by my shenanigans."
Herm contemplates the woman's words, nodding at her slowly.
"I must go back to town and gather my things, I am also going to visit the local store to resupply some of my gear. Coming out only with what I had in my hands I must buy a new traveling back and some supplies." Herm finishes his food. "I Will return on the morrow."
Herm stands and returns his dishes to the kitchen then comes back to the sitting room.
"Is he ignoring me on purpose? Do you know who he is?" Jominda asks Kendra while Herm is in the kitchen.
"Not really. They were friends of my father" Kendra explains. "They came here for his funeral. He seems... straight and incapable of deception."
Trying again with another approach Jominda asks "Mr. Dunlaven, what are you doing for fun? I mean when you have spare time."
"Fun is not generally something that I do, I will play cards and practice combat to pass the time if I have nothing more pressing to do with my time. What might you do for "fun?" Herm will sit down again so not to be rude
"Well, I meet with friends, I go dancing, I go for walks where I sometimes find interesting rare earth elements that I can experiment in my lab with. I created some interesting paint colors with that. And I like to explode things." Jominda replies.
"In fact I'm currently improving my explosives to be more targeted to exclude allies in a fight like we had in the Harrowstone. You seem to be stoic enough to part take in a testing of that without running away screaming. Are you interested?"
"If you provided me with a Shield perhaps, and some pay? I am sorely without cash, plus this armor is rather dented and destroyed from the ordeal in the Harrowstone." Herm smiles a little at Jominda
"What you can earn as a bomb test participant isn't enough to fix your equipment problems. But I'm sure we can put some coins together to lend you. As I heard you're getting some coin from Prof. Lorrimor's estate. And you look trustworthy."
"But I'm no expert in armor. You should talk to Jorfa about that." Jominda suggests.
"Then I will go and speak with Jorfa then about some new armor. I will return on the morrow ladies." Herm gathers his belongings and heads back to town.
"Being a holy warrior for Iomedae doesn't pay too well, does it?" Jominda states once Herm is gone. She takes another sandwich.
"I've never thought about it, I must admit."
She smiles at Jominda.
"Perhaps we should head to Jorfa as well, to discuss what we should do with all these items we got from the prison."
"Yes, why not." Jominda replies.
Meanwhile Jorfa shovels coal into the fire to start with her day's work.
Herm arrives sometimes later, opening the door and stepping into the building.
"Good day Madam, I am Herm Dunlaven, I am not sure if you remember me from the Funeral of the Professor. I have come to see if you can do any repairs upon my armor for me." Herm will take off his battered armor. " Right now I have no coins to repay you but I could work off any debt incurred."
"I wasn't at the funeral." Jorfa replies.
Jorfa throws three more shovels of coal into the fire and puts the shovel away. Looking at Herm she adds "But you're one of those we got out of the Harrowstone."
"But I have no work for you and I don't give credit. Come back when you have the coin to pay."
Herm gathers up his things and heads back to the Inn.
As Herm leaves Jorfa's smithy, he almost bumps into Kendra and Jominda.
Kendra greets him. "Hello again, mr Dunlaven. Did you find what you need at Jorfa's?"
"I did but being short on funds right now doesn't help. I am confident in my skills to protect us along the road if needs be." Herm Will stand casually while talking to Kendra.
Jominda nods at Herm but moves past him and into the forge. "Hey. Back to everyday life again?"
"Hopefully." Jorfa replies placing a piece of steel into the fire.
"Ok. Well, if there's anything you really need, let me know, ok?" Kendra says, and awaits Herm's answer before moving into the forge behind Jominda.
She figures she owes him this much, trying to save the town on her behalf.
"Me not." Jominda tells. "It was horrible, but also exciting and ... different. I'm not ready to go back to 'Good day, here are your herbs to help with the flatulence'" The last sentence performed with stilted politeness.
"I'd like to do different things. By the way - I improved my bombs to be able to exclude you when we fight together. I just need a test subject to make sure it fully works. Would you..."
"I would prefer not to." Jorfa cuts Jominda short.
"What about Herm. I thought he wanted to do something about his armor?" Jominda changes the topic.
"He had no coin." Jorfa replies, while working the bellows.
Well, I offered to help him but if he doesn't want it's not my place to impose it on him. "What about the stuff we found at the Harrowstone? What are we doing with that?" Jominda asks.
Jorfa takes a pair of tongs and retrieves the glowing steel. She holds it on the anvil and takes a hammer. "I keep my stuff and you keep that magical stuff." And as if to make clear that she is not interested in discussing this she starts hammering on the iron forcing it into shape.
Jominda covers her ears "Don't you get deaf from that noise?"
Jorfa just smiles to herself and remains silent. She hammers the steel until it's color changes from yellow to orange and black again. Then she puts it back into the fire. Giving Jominda the You're still here? look.
"This armor is dented and worn, I could use a new set of armor but the owner of the forge wouldn't let me work off any debt. As I have said I will make due till I can find some work." Herm looks at Jominda. "Yes ma'am, I am just waiting for Ms. Kendra to be ready to leave."
Kendra answers Herm "Well, I don't expect us to be in Harrowstone for much longer. You'll get your fee from my father, and I'm sure there's more work to be found in Lepidtstad." She bids Herm goodbye before saying "I hope to see you at the town meeting later?"
After she moves into the forge, she just overhears the last part of Jominda's conversation with the taciturn Dwarf.
"Hey Jorfa, I overheard your conversation... I had wanted to suggest you get your own work back, but are you sure you don't want anything else? I feel you did a lot of work down there and you deserve recognition for that."
"I'm fine with my stuff, thank you." Jorfa replies while working the bellows again.
"Ok, well... Thank you." Kendra replies. She feels a bit awkward with Jorfa seeming dismissive. "Should we visit Father Grimburrow too?" she asks Jominda.
"Which one of the magic items are you going to throw into the collection?" Jominda asks.
Meanwhile Jorfa starts with the ear shattering hammering again.
Kendra leads Jominda outside and on the way to the temple before answering, cringing with the every slam of the hammer until they're out of the building. "Wow, that makes a lot of noise... I hadn't planned at all, to be honest. I just wanted an honest discussion on it."
"Just imagine Father Grimburrow with the sword. Or the heavy mace." Jominda tells giggling. But she refrains from describing the picture she has in mind.
Kendra grins. "That may just break his back after all the rigours of last week."
Jominda makes a little jump with every step. It's nice to have someone around who shares her sense of humor. She runs up the stairs to the main entrance and calls inside "Helloohooo!" She likes how it echoes inside the huge building.
A rapid rustling of cloth can be heard from the depths of the building as the old Father hurries towards the main doors, As soon as he sees who it is he slows and a small smile appears to replace his frown
"Hello Father, does the church of Pharasma preach poverty?" Jominda asks.
Jominda gasps and looks at Jominda in astonishment. She half feels like giving her a slap on the back of the head.
"You devil you."
"The church preaches charity, but not to the point of poverty." Vauran reply's astonished that Jominda seems to have taken an interest in religion