Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

As I look up again Fox is there, wearing the shape of a many tailed but otherwise mundane fox. At least that is how my divine sponsor appears at first. Even as I look their form blurs and they become a slightly effeminate young man. Or are they a rather tomboyish girl? It's really hard to tell, and in the end it doesn't really matter anyway. What matters is that Fox greets me with a pleasant smile.

"Good work, with Raccoon's lackeys. Good job on learning a new miracle too."

Even as they speak, they sit down on one of the benches. Looking at me they pat the empty spot next to them, inviting me to join them there.

It doesn't strike me as sensible to refuse their invitation, thus I do just that. I sit down next to Fox.

"Thank you. I doubt that's all though. Am I right?"

The snow white polar fox sitting next to me all of a sudden rolls onto it's back, acting as if I just dealt it a mortal blow, before shifting back into the form of a young girl.

"Can't a divine patron visit their favorite mortal every once in a while just because they enjoy their company?"

I snort in amusement.

"Of course you can. Who would stop you? Maybe I should bring snacks the next time I offer a sacrifice? I got to know a cook recently who happens to make an excellent crab pot."

Fox licks her lips and sighs.

"Oh! Well, I can't say that I wouldn't appreciate it. It doesn't have to be fancy cooking though. I really like the personal touch too."

I give that some thought and nod at long last.

"I could work a little on my campfire cooking while I'm out in the woods. And I probably should look after the hidden shrine too anyway."

Fox, who has now taken the form of an elf, except for the many bushy tails of course, nods with enthusiasm.

"That sounds like a plan. I'm looking forward to it. Oh, and by the way, try to improve the quality of your masked mediator class by leveling up it's skills some more. That way you should be able to fold your new miracle skill into it too, with room to spare for more."

I blink in surprise, but before I can answer, Fox is gone and I'm alone again. I blink again and then once more, before I finally bow to the altar.

"Thanks for the tip. I'll be going then."

For a moment it's like I can hear Fox's childlike bright laughter again, as I turn to leave, but my mind is already racing again. I need to make some more preparations for this trip. And making preparations essentially means making purchases.

I think of the contents of my purse and a crooked little grin finds its way onto my lips. Easy come, easy go. If this keeps up, it will be a while before I'll be able to safe up enough to get myself a nice set of armor. Or a set of underwear for that matter. Or anything else really. Oh well, I guess that's just the way it is.

As I climb back out the window, the only entrance to Fox's hidden shrine in the tower above the temple's roof, I already ponder what I need to get for my little trip. Most of my basic gear is good to go. There are two additions I'm seriously considering.

The first would be an actual blanket. I could use it either like a bedroll when my cloak is good enough or as an additional blanket on top of my cloak. It certainly would make sleeping out in the woods a little more comfortable.

The other thing would be either a small pan or an equally small kettle. If I'm to work on my campfire cooking and maybe even impress Fox with it, that certainly wouldn't hurt. It would open so many more options to me.

That at least resolves where I'll head to do my shopping. The Flea and Flotsam by the upstream waterfront will be my first destination and afterwards I'll visit the small smithy where I got my utility knife. If I can't get a pan or a kettle there, I can still drop by the Paws and Pawn, although I'd like to avoid it for once.

Of course I should stock up on travel rations too. Some food I can either eat or use in my cooking should I not be able to scavenge and forage for anything. Bread, cheese and sausages should do the trick. Pretty much like on my trip along the river to find the Rock Crabs. Maybe some salt and butter too? If I can get them in containers fit for travel. Yes, that would be nice. Even very basic things like those already open up so many possibilities!

With my mind made up I return to street level. I'm tempted to do another rooftop run, but it's already too bright and the streets are too busy. Sure I could still do it, but I doubt I'd stay unnoticed. Thus I resolve to leave the inner city through the gate. For once I'm actually stopped and briefly questioned on my way out. It seems the whole affair from the last two nights is still causing ripples. My guild tag and the quest papers still get me out without any trouble though. Once again membership in the adventurers' guild is proofing quite beneficial.

Once I'm out of the inner city I quietly make my way to the upstream waterfront, where my first and second destination are situated. My efforts to blend in with the crowd are rewarded with a little progress for my [Stealth] skill too. It's not much, but small surprises like that one are always welcome.

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A little bell above the door rings pleasantly, as I enter the Flea and Flotsam not much later. The usual mother and daughter duo is on duty. Right now they seem to be busy mending some old things. The younger stops and puts needle and yarn away to greet me with a cheerful voice and a smile that matches it.

"Welcome! What can we do for you today?"

I do my best to return her pleasant smile.

"I was wondering if you have some blankets on sale too? Nothing fancy. I'll be heading out of town for a job from the adventurers' guild and thought I'd improve my sleeping accommodations a little."

It's now that the older woman joins the conversation too.

"And of course you are on a budget."

I let out a lighthearted laugh and nod.

"Can't exactly spend coin I haven't earned yet."

She snorts at first but soon laughs too. Without much delay she heads to one of the more out of the way shelves, where she pulls a nondescript blanket off a pile.

"Six pennies for one of those. This one might have been used as a horse blanket, but it has been washed and it only needed a moderate amount of mending. It should still get you through a few trips, possibly even in winter, if you show it some love and care."

I join her to get a closer look at the blanket in question. I run my hands over it too. The weave is a little coarse, but otherwise it's not too shabby. I hold it up to check the size as well. A blanket that's too small won't do me much good after all. Thankfully I need not worry. Not as I'm right now anyway. In my current rather short and slight guise, the blanket is just right.

There is just one last thing I need to try. I roll it up and tuck it beneath the flap of my backpack, wedging it in place that way. It shoulder the pack and move about a bit under the watchful eyes of the shop owner.

She seems to understand what I'm doing well enough. She tugs at the edges of the rolled ip blanket experimentally, trying to pull it free, but it doesn't move all that much. Finally she nods, signaling approval.

"Looks good. So, what do you say? Want it?"

I'm satisfied with the way things are too. I don't even try to haggle. The price she named is already pretty good.

"Do you have some small change? If you don't mind, I'd like to pay with a shilling. I might still need my pennies when buying provision at the market."

I fish the mentioned silver coin from my purse even as I speak.

She in turn moves over to the counter, where her daughter is already back to mending clothes, and motions for me to follow her. In exchange for my shilling I receive six pennies and a handshake to seal the deal.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

I nod, but before I can be off the younger of the two stops me once more. Before I can ask why though she rights the rolled up blanket, which has slipped a little due to her mother's tugging, again.

"There you are. Come again!"

I flash her a grateful grin.

"Thanks! And I will."

With a quick wave I'm off to my next stop, the small smithy in the backstreet. The old man running the place seems to recognize me, or possibly the knife at my belt. He stops sweeping his shop, as I step close.

"Welcome back. Need something sharpened? Or are you looking for something new?"

I flash him a mischievous smile.

"New for me. Old for you probably. I was wondering if you have other things but knives and the likes. Something like a small pan for wilderness trips maybe."

He lets out a soft chuckle of genuine amusement.

"Tired of sticking meat on skewers and burning it to charcoal over the open fire?"

Well, I haven't ever actually burnt anything, but I can see how that threat might be always looming in the background. I wag a finger at him as I step closer.

"It's not so much that I'm afraid of burning my food. But when roasting something on a stick you usually will not have any tasty sauce to go with it. It all drips right into the fire after all. Such a waste."

He laughs again and nods. My approach to campfire cooking seems to be to his liking. He moves past the knives and other refurbished tools and weapons and pulls something else from a hook on the wall. It is indeed a small pan. A moment later he adds a second, larger one, which he sets down next to the first.

"Are you on your own? Or will you be cooking for a group? If it's the latter, you'd be better off using the bigger pan. Especially it's more than three people."

It's easy enough to see the logic behind that statement. Sure, I might be able to cook for a few people using the smaller pan, if I were to heap it, but that would be a mess just waiting to happen. It's not an issue for me anyway, as I'm on my own, at least for now. Thus I shake my head.

"I'm on my own for now."

He nods and puts the bigger pan back.

"Very well, the smaller one it'll be then. Keep in mind this is a forged pan, not cast iron. Most camp fires shouldn't reach temperatures high enough for it to matter, but you better keep it in mind anyway. Don't bend the handle too much either if you can avoid it. And, I shouldn't have to say it, but keep in mind that this is soft iron. It's a pan. Not a shield or makeshift weapon."

I smile and nod along with his words, as I commit them to memory.

"Fair enough. How much?"

He holds up a hand, all five fingers extended.

"Five pennies."

"Bought."

We shake hands and he helps me affix the pan to one of the straps keeping my backpacks flap closed with a sturdy enough leather string. That way I don't have to open it, which would mean dealing with the blanket again. I won't get around it though. Not in the long run. Not before long either, as I still need to stock up on consumables.

For now though I'm off with another friendly wave though, heading to one of the city's food markets. There I stick to stalls and merchants I'm familiar with already for the better part. A little later I have a decent sized piece of hard cheese, some hard, smoked sausages and some bread that should keep just as long in my pack too. All together in exchange for just two pennies.

Getting everything sorted, including pan and blanket takes a moment, but overall it's no big trouble. It will be even less trouble in the future, as I begin to figure out how to best go about it. Thus I'm good to go and that is exactly what I do. The way I'm following is somewhat familiar too. After all I know the destination, roughly at least.