Location: Town Square
In the square, a farmer's wagon came to a stop, and he knocked on the wall behind him.
"We're here."
The hay rustled, then a small figure wearing army leathers appeared, climbing down with her pack and her belongings.
"Thank you," Gabs said. "Could you tell me where I can find 'Balenof's', mister..?"
"Mooney. Half-blind Mooney. Look behind you," the farmer said. "You see that tavern in the middle?"
Gabs smiled, taking in the fresh paint, neat appearance, and sharply dressed patrons. "Yeah, I..."
"Well, that ain't it," the farmer spat. "On this side of the square, find Lost street."
"Find the lost street? How am I...?"
"Nah, find the street with the lost street sign. Some idiot took it down and never put up a new one. Anyway, when the town went to put one up again, nobody could remember what the name of the street was."
"They lost the name of the street?"
"It were the year of the goblins raids, little buggers comin' up outta the sewers. We were a mite busy at the time."
"No maps?"
"Burned."
"So you used to live here? Why did you leave?"
"Couldn't stand all the excitement, and people kept making fun of my wooden leg."
"Your wooden leg?"
"Aye, they used this carved post from a bawdy house what burned down durnin' the goblin raids, and everyone what sawed it were ogling it mighty fierce, and makin' jokes. Not me, of course. Can't twist it ta see the front. Back's nice."
"Ah," Gabs said, her cheeks burning, "When you picked me up, you said you were coming to town to get..."
"A mirror, aye," The farmer spat, staring down at her down his nose. "Savin' up for three years now. Want ta see what all the fuss' about."
"Right. So Balenof's is down the lost street?"
"Keep going until you see that hole what's left of the Mage guild. Best not go to close to it, people keep fallin' in and never come out. There's an alley to the right, and on the next street, you'll see the Gruel House."
"The Gruel House."
"Run by a buncha monks. The gruel and the ale's cheap, but ya gotta listen to this long-winded monk in da corner the entire time as he rants on about the sins of this world. Real bitter about it, too, I think he regrets missin' out. Plus he keeps insulting my wooden leg."
"That's ah, that's too bad."
"I'll probably drop in tonight after I get my mirror."
"You ah, you do that. Um, so when I see the Gruel House...?"
"Balenof's is to yer left, they're behind the Mage Guild.
"Why are they behind the Mage Guild if all what's left is some hole?"
"Land were cheap."
"Why don't they just fill the hole?"
"Well, it's floating in mid-air and if ya get too close..."
"You fall in," Gabs sighs.
"If you get a room at Balenof's, try not ta get an end one. They shake worse than most and sometimes something falls off and into the hole. The only good thing is the rooms are dry despite half the shingles gone. The rain..."
"Goes into the hole," she interrupts. "Thanks for the ride."
"Take care, boy."
Gabriella shot him a hot glare, but he had already flicked the reins and heading out of the square. Taking a last glance at the tavern behind her, she sighs and starts checking for a street without a street sign.
Entering Balenof's, the room grew quiet, glancing down at Gabs in her army leathers - then when they saw she was alone, they ignored her and went back to their conversations. Gabs scowled and made her way to the bar.
"Bar keep!" Gabs called out, waving her hand at the man leaning behind the bar, talking to another patron. He sighed and came down.
"Boy, you're too young to be in here," he said. "Best go home and put yer dad's leathers back before he finds out."
"I'm not a boy," Gabs scowls, fishing out a couple of coppers and putting them on the bar top, "I need an ale after what I had to go through to find this place, and I want to know where I can find
'the helping hand'."
"Hah, the 'Helping Hand'," the brute sitting next to her sneered. "You don't look so..."
Gab's hand grabbed the brute's beard and she pulled hard, slamming his face into the bar top. Dazed, he raised his head, only for Gabs to pull it down twice more. He slipped off the stool and fell to the floor, his nose bleeding heavily.
She then glanced up at the bar keep. "Where's my ale?"
After drinking half of her tankard, the bar keep pointed over to where the old man and the lordling sat.
"Hey," Gabrielle said as she came up. "The sheriff in Middleton told me to see 'The Helping Hand.' I need a job."
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