Persephone finishes her work and waits for Finn to reappear.
As Finn is busy elsewhere it takes long until Gorm thinks the work should be done. As he sees Persephone sitting on a crate and not working he orders. "Show me the list. Put it down and step away."
Once the girl is far enough away Gorm checks the list. "Ah, there are the goods, well, well. But brandy is missing and another crate. Mmmmh. Not good. You wait here."
Gorm leaves with the list.
A while later Finn comes. "Ok. Stand there, feet shoulder wide apart, arms outstretched." He pats her down to check if some of the goods got lost in the nooks of her dress. As he is done he gives her a slap on her butt. "You're free to go. Here is your pay."
He holds out a stack of silver coins. Of the 10 silver he takes two. "That is my provision for getting you this job. The rest is yours. Come back tomorrow to Gorm directly. He will introduce you to your new job you're doing from now on."
Persephone spins around as she gets slapped, only to look into a big grin. Oh, how'd she love to punch Finn hard into his big muscular hairy chest... she blushes, as her thoughts take an unexpected turn that has nothing to do with payback anymore. She bites her lip and grabs the coins from his stretched out hand. She spins around once more and walks away as fast as her limp allows.
"Haha, run girl, I'm here if you change your mind."
Persephone walks towards the old part of town and tries to get her thoughts on another topic as suddenly a really urgent topic comes to her mind. Her pace becomes faster, as she hurries home to check on the cart in her yard.
The yard is a mess. Clouds of flies swarm the cart, the smell of decay is in the air and rats are running along the walls. As the tarpaulin is folded back a nauseating stink is released. The bodies are green and black and they seem to be liquefied internally.
"Blargh" Persephone voices as her stomach turns inside out. Since she had no lunch, its only foam coming out, but it feels horrible.
She moves to another corner of the yard, to catch her breath and let her stomach calm down. Once she is able to, she holds her breath and moves back to the cart. There she casts decompose corpse to get rid of the stinking rotten flesh. After doing so twice, only clean bones are left, but the yard still needs some fresh air.
Faerveren does some visits to her relatives to ensure them that she is still alive and around. When wandering through the place at night she finds a locked room in the basement. It contains some guidons, swords, shields and other knightly stuff. Everything nicely put in display, but covered by years of dust. What catches her eye though is a pair of nice blue boots and s silvery chain shirt. This makes for a nice changing room so she takes off her studded leather armor and her boots and puts on the chain shirt and the new boots. Her old stuff she puts on display where the other items were. Looking at herself she compliments "Marvelous. Why haven't I found this earlier?"
With the bulky armor gone, she decides it is time for some new garb to wear on top too. As her old blouse got stained from the leather of her old armor. Her cousin's wardrobe could use some culling and so she searches through that until she finds something to go well with her new boots.
After playing nice for two days she feels like checking on her new friend again and leaves for the night.
Persephone fetches two empty potato sacks from the house and packs the parts of the skeletons in. For now they go into the basement.
On her way back she notices the bucket with the sheet and the dress soaked in. She goes back into the basement and fetches a jar of elderberry jelly. It tastes gross, but it causes a nice color if you drop it on your clothes. Why not try it on those. She carefully empties the content into the bucket and stirs it with the fireplace poker.
With all that out of the way she still hasn't eaten. But she is also too tired to leave the house. She sits down in the kitchen, pondering if her stomach would accept some bread and cheese, but in the end, she falls asleep at the table.
Another night passes uneventful in Abadon.
About an hour after the bell calls out the start of the day, Fioravanti knock on the door of the suite in the Fat Goose again. This time with the finished clothes. Fines silken underwear, wonderful blouses and shirts, marvelous vests and dresses. Clothes make the man. And for sure those one do. Dressed to impress.
After making many compliments, how Menan and Arawyn are looking great and in fact with their elegant shapes and graceful posture make the dresses shine even more, he accepts the payment and bows out.
"William, the jewelry you mentioned. What is your recommendation? I believe it to be necessary."
"I'm no expert on that. But I know that you can buy exquisite jewelry on the boulevard with the goldsmith called Hatton. There are pawn shops where you might be able to get something cheaper, but the ladies wouldn't be seen dead with a hand me down necklace."
"Thank you, sir." Menan and Arawyn head to the jeweler.
The shop is a small one, but it has a nice shop window with two sets of jewelry on display. Necklace, earrings and finger ring in matching design, made of gold with some gems worked into it. Also there is a piece that looks a lot like those chains of office. The door has an open sign in it.
The two enter the shop.
"Welcome. How can I help you?" the goldsmith greets you.
The shop is a workshop, that is kept very clean, with a stylish workbench made of stone. On top are the tools to hold, form, or soldering. Currently he was busy creating a chain of fine links.
"We are travelers and new to town. We are seeking jewelry that is appropriate for the wealthier side of town. As we have been traveling through wild territories, gems would only draw bandits so we travel without. What do you recommend, sir?"
"You could take an ensemble like the ones on display. They are 50 gold each. Or if you like something more personal, or more extravagant, we could design one to your liking. Designing and making a set takes usually two to three days of work. Until it is available would be within in two to three weeks, as I have to finish some other orders first."
"Perhaps a signet ring in addition that bears our family's coat of arms." Menan reaches into his cloak and produces the scrap of parchment he used to identify the family heirloom. "It will need to be ready in a couple of days, not weeks."
The man takes the paper and looks at it closely. "I have rings prepared, it would only take the time to add the coat of arms."
"Please do so. Excellent."
"This is a plain but elegant design. If you are in a hurry, I can do that for 10 gold until this evening." He fetches a massive ring made from white gold from a drawer.
"I would engrave the coat of arms which will free the underlying layer of red gold in the ring. So the rhombus and the surrounding lines would appear in reddish design and if you press it into seal wax, the coat of arms would be embossed."
"Bravo. We shall return at that time and make the purchases." And they do so.
Persephone gets a day of work at the docks again. The new job is partly an office job. Gorm insists to stay at least five foot away from her when explaining the job.
Here are two lists of goods to be loaded on that ship. You need to check everything off the list that is put there. And you need the captain, or the first officer sign it. You ask beforehand who will do that and if they just sign it, or want to check themselves. Best is if the one stands besides you, so you lose no time. Be careful nothing is loaded that isn't on the list."
"Once you're done, you take the second copy and hand it to the first officer. With the first list you come back to the office and update the inventory book of the warehouse. Each line with today's date and your signature. And then file the list with today's date and your signature. Don't screw it up." Gorm is as charming as ever.
Persephone takes the list, searches for someone responsible on the ship and once those niceties are exchanged the job is like before, only this times the boxes come walked to her.
It only gets confusing as some of the dock workers start bringing wrong boxes.
But she can convince all of them to stop, bring the wrong boxes back and wait until she finds where to continue to get the boxes. Besides that it goes like a charm. Once she got the signature of the officer she walk in.
The book keeping in the second half of the task is a nice change, as she gets to sit.
Gorm checks every entry Persephone made in the inventory which takes almost as much time as Persephone took to make them. But the entries are correct. So he puts the 10 silver on her desk and retreats to his own office cubicle at the window.
As the evening comes the signet ring for Menan is also finished and placed in the window on display too.
"What do we owe you sir? The signet is beautiful."
"That is 50 gold per set and 10 for the ring, if you decide to take that. So summed up, as I remember right what are your choices, that would be 110 gold." the goldsmith tells.
Faerveren is so bored that she accepts the job as barkeep at The Pig's Whistle. Not so much for that one silver, which is an offense, but to have unlimited access to alcoholic beverages and some distraction from the fact that she has nothing better to do.
Menan pays the goldsmith. He and Arawyn make their way to the Pig's Whistle.
As Menan and Arawyn leave the shop they run into Eleanor Vanderbuilt. "Oh, nice to meet you here. You remember our tea party at Burston's restaurant tomorrow? You'll join us, yes? It's so exciting to make new acquaintances."
"I look forward to it. Yes, it is. Until tomorrow, Lady Eleanor."
Arawyn and Menan make their way to the bar where Arawyn orders "Two ales, please ma'am. How have you been? Menan is trying to talk me into hunting down a very deadly monster for a reward. You do not strike me as the hunter type but I must ask if you are interested in such."
"What kind of monster are we talking? A cougar stalking your man?" Faerveren inquires while pouring the drinks.
"An owlbear. 250 gold for the head. It causes problems to the south of town."
"Interesting. But this kind of beast is really dangerous. Where is Persephone? Or can you heal someone if it goes south?"
Persephone is happy. She got a good pay for the day, the work wasn't as strenuous as the previous days, so she still has energy to do something. So she walks to The Pig's Whistle to see who is there and hear some news about the other's progress to find something out about Marinelli.
She enters the tavern. "Hi there, how are you?" she greets the whole room.
"Speak of the sun..." Faerveren replies. "Menan heard, from his new friends at the guard I guess, that there is a bounty on the head of an owlbear. Big enough amount to make it worth your while."
Arawyn looks at Menan. "Healing is not our strong point. We would have to purchase some potions beforehand. That will reduce the net pay."
"Owlbear, okay, ... I've heard of that." Persephone voices while she ponders how dangerous that could be. "So who is the hunter to track that thing down?"
As a city girl Persephone knows most animals only from the distance, before they run away, or from hanging dead on the market. And so far owlbears only have come up in harrowing stories.
"The dogs are excellent trackers and we can command them not to attack and get themselves killed. They will no doubt pester it staying just outside of reach. Ranged attacks will be best and we could spread out. Menan can help with his magic and I know he will over plan the event. Getting close to an owlbear is dangerous. They will hug you to death."
Awarded by the city watch.
An owlbear has be seen south of town and several sheep were found torn apart.
For proof of killing the owlbear the city watch will pay 250 gold.
"I would like to enhance your blade further, Arawyn. I need to visit the Unfurling Scroll again. Alendru Ghoroven is trying to retire but I could actually aid him in that endeavor as I know the spell necessary to give you significantly more damage."
"I'm not big on ranged combat. I can throw a dagger or two. Then I'm out of daggers."
"Do we have enough day left to do that today? Because I have a job now that isn't half bad and I don't want to be late on the second day. On the other side this bounty pays a lot more. If we're first to get the beast and if it doesn't eat us."
"You and I could flank the beast, Faerveren. He can only hug one of us."
"Not today by any means, Persephone. I need a few days to make Arawyn's blade much more deadly. Do you work on Stardays? We could do this on a Starday or a Sunday."