John Haggerty, the Blacksmith and sometimes crafter of simple weapons and armor, heard the voices from the front of his shop. Setting his hammer down on the workbench near the anvil, John went out front to investigate. It looked like a real mixed bag of customers that were gathered there.
The young fellow holding the livestock collars and sporting a poor attempt at facial hair must be a farmer or farmhand though his outfit suggested something a bit more. John smiled at him first but, with a nod, turned to the others to assess their intentions.
Holding a satchel with a few mundane tools stuffed into it but in plain view was an acolyte of Darien, easily identified by the pendant he wore with its emblem of a shield and crossed swords. Likely he was bringing them along to get them repaired for the temple.
The third fellow, the one he'd seen before moving about the town like he held everyone's future in the palm of his hand worked for the Wizard. Probably a Wizard in his own right, John had seen him running hither an yon on this errand and that, all the while staving off his petty insecurity by keeping his nose as high as he dared. John didn't care much for this Wizard's lickspittle. But John feared the Wizard and that was enough to set Lonny Lickspittle at the head of the line.
"Good morning, Young Apprentice," conjured the Blacksmith with every ounce of mettle he could muster. "I see you have some sort of device there that must be in need of repair if you are gracing my stall with your presence, eh? That wouldn't be one of the mirror stands that Krevirt the Tinker told me he made for your Master, now would it? Of course, it is."
Having overheard the explanation to his son that the other mirror stands would also need to be checked for any damage, John decided to move these transactions along as quickly and smoothly as he dared.
"Allow me to take this one to the back and give it the once over, adjust the hinges and grease them up properly, then I'll bring it to the tower with the tools I'll need to check the rest of the lot. In the meantime, you stay out here where I can call on you should I have any questions. Send your two assistants back to let your Master know I'll be along as swiftly as I may."
Getting the attention of his son he said, "Jack? If this young lad is looking to sell those collars, give him a couple of silver for them. Use a whetstone to work out any nicks and put an edge on those tools for this acolyte of Darien. There's some leather strips and wire under the bench if the handles require fresh bindings. Do it out here in front, would you, so you can keep an eye on the place while I'm in back for a while?"
Smiling to his son, he hefted the mirror stand and moved to the interior of the building to get to work. The two manservants, seeing things were well in hand, returned to Noscalle's tower to report the situation to him. Thus the four would-be adventurers found themselves standing in front of the Blacksmith's shop early in the day with not much to do but discuss their hopes and dreams, or perhaps only the weather…
(OODM- More and desired general information to follow...but post away as you see fit...)
