The ever loudening clatter forced Adabra out of her chair, storming to her window to see… the oddest wagon train she’d ever imagined.
She watched in mild confusion as a three wagon train was being led by a team of six horses. It only took her a moment to understand the advantage of that, as you only needed one driver. But then her eye was drawn to the passenger next to him. The passenger was reclined in a rear facing high back chair. It had been strapped at an angle to the front of the first wagon. So the person sitting in the passenger seat could watch the rear in comfort. All three wagons looked fully laden.
“Huh.” She blurted.
ꖉꕢꕤꕥꕤꕢꖉꖅꖅꖉꕢꕤꕥꕤꕢꖉꖅꖅꖉꕢꕤꕥꕤꕢꖉꖅꖅꖉꕢꕤꕥꕤꕢꖉꖅꖅꖉꕢꕤꕥꕤꕢꖉ
“I assume this is the place, Love?” Pete asked.
Ander craned his neck over his right shoulder to see the three story windmill on Umbrage hill.
He nodded. “That’s it.”
Ander noticed Mistress Adabra stepping out of the doorway as he answered Pete’s question. So he waved to her. Pete had to swing the wagon wide to find a flat spot not too far from Adabra’s home, where he could park the train. Once he’d set the brake, Pete jumped down with Ander just a few steps behind him.
“Ander, what is this?” The lady asked with a smile as she approached them.
“Well, Mistress, this is Pete.” He shrugged. “Our new Town Drunk.”
“Oh.” She laughed. “Finally a decent class of people coming to Phandalin then?”
It was their turn to laugh.
“Something like that.” Pete nodded.
“And what brings you out this way?”
“The Redbrands have been destroyed.” Ander answered.
Adabra’s brows rose.
Pete went on to explain, “A group of adventurers called “The Sisters of Steele” came through town and did for every last one of em.”
Ander wasn’t sure why Pete didn’t mention how much he had helped with that. But he thought it best to leave it be.
“Well, that is good news. How about we step inside for some tea and you can fill me in on all the bits of it?”
The men nodded and followed her up to the second floor. Adabra served tea while Ander retold what happened in town. He was careful to avoid Pete’s part in the initial fight. While being mildly surprised that Pete drank tea without commenting to their host about her need for something stronger.
“So where are the Sisters now?” She asked.
“They left for Thundertree a couple of days ago.” Ander commented. When he saw her confused expression, he explained. “Supposedly there’s someone out there that knows Neverwinter Wood like the back of their hand. The Sisters are hoping he’ll know where these Goblins took Sir Sildar’s friend.”
“Ah.” She nodded. “And now, what can I do for you?” As she turned to look at Pete.
His brows rose in contemplation. “To start, and at the risk of being rude…” He smiled at Adabra. Who looked dubious. “What are you doing out here on your own, woman?!”
She gave a loud laugh as she nodded. “I like my solitude. Plus, I’m close enough to town if a need to run arises.” She smiled back.
Pete gave an unconvinced shake of his head.
“Alright. I won’t harass you about it, but still…” He gave another shake of his head. “How much do you charge for your Healing potions?”
“The standard, 50 Gold.”
“And where do you sell them?”
“At Barth… why?” She suddenly asked.
“Because we have so much from the Redbrands hideout that I think we’re gonna wind up in Neverwinter before it’s all gone. But I didn’t know if you’d be interested in us taking some of your potions up there to sell. I honestly don’t know how hard they are to make.”
“Most people don’t.” She mused as she sipped her tea.
“So, how many do you normally sell?”
She gave a slight shrug. “I’ll take a bundle of 25 to Barthen’s once a month or so. It just depends on how many adventurers have come through in the last month.”
So If I convinced you to let me take 25 of em with me to Neverwinter. Would that be a good thing?” Pete asked. When he saw that she looked interested, “Now for the hard part…”
“Oh!?” Adabra laughed.
“Would you be willing to sell em to me for 30 each?”
She was suddenly serious. “I can’t do that.”
Pete slouched. “Adabra, you cannot expect me to believe it costs you that much to make…”
He stopped talking when he saw her shake her head at him as she waved him off.
“No! No. No, that’s not what I mean.” She sighed.” If you try to sell healing potions for less than 50 gold?.. It’s…” She sighed again. “Every organized group of mages and apothecaries will come hunting for your head.”
“Trully?!” Pete squeaked out.
Adabra nodded. “It’s the one thing that Blackstaff and the Red Wizards agree on. That price is set for the benefit of the many lesser skilled practitioners who need the money.”
“Iiiii did not know that.” Pete stated before sipping his own tea. “However…” Adabra’s head came up. “I was not planning to sell them for less.”
“Oh?”
“If you can settle for thirty, then I can sell them to a merchant for 40. Then he can, of course…” He would have finished but she was already nodding. “Would that work for you, Love?”
“Very much so.”
“Good. Once we get some more gold into our purses I’ll be able to buy more but for now, I only have enough for four or five of em.”
“That’s fine. I only have three ready.”
“How long do they take to make?” Ander asked.
Adabra shook her head. “Only a day. As long as I have enough bottles and can collect enough herbs? I can make quite a few.”
“Well, let’s go easy at first. I think they should be pretty easy to sell, but let’s be sure before you put too much into it.” Pete commented.
“That sounds good. Where you headed from here?”
“From here, I was gonna take us to Leilon. Might be able to sell em there easy enough. If not, then we’ll try in Helm’s Hold or Neverwinter.” Pete replied.
“What about Gnomengarde?” Adabra asked.
“Right, I forgot about them.” Ander commented.
Pete was lost. “Where now?”
“The Gnomes of Gnomengarde, they helped me build this place. They pass by here on their way to Phandalin when they want to trade.”
“How do we get to em?” Pete asked.
“They’re about ten miles from here but the trail will take you right to them.” Adabra answered.
“So, they’re on the way to Leilon.”
Adabra cringed. “Not really. They’re ten miles in the other direction.”
Pete, “Can’t win em all… Still, a group o Gnomes could be worth lookin into. They tend to make fantastical things.” He nodded in thought. “Are they happy about visitors?” He asked Ander.
Ander nodded. “I think so, they’ve always been friendly whenever they come to town.”
“That sounds fine then.” Pete mused. “Lady Adabra, how much of an inconvenience would it be for us to borrow your mill?”
“What did you have in mind?”
Pete explained about the chasm and how much bone they had found there. As well as the process they went through to clean it. AND just how much of the stuff they had to work with.
“So you have almost a thousand pounds of bone with you?!” She exclaimed.
“You know it’s worth about a silver for every ten pounds.” Pete nodded.
“It IS!!!?!!” Ander asked?
Pete laughed. “An we got about another 2000 pounds o the stuff back in town. Just didn’t wanna have to grind it all, right – now.”
“Wooof.” Adabra sighed. “That’s a lot.”