[F01 - PP] <<The Fourth Lesson>> "Fishing for Compliments"

[Elora 0]

  ~ Click to See Fireflies Dancing ~  

 

Elora grabbed the oar and lowered it into the water before carefully stroking it back and lifting it out again. The action seemed a lot easier now that she wasn't so eager to row until she had a chance to 'test the water', so to speak. "I don't know why you're thanking me", she said with her back now turned to him, "You did it all yourself" That's usually what makes it feel most rewarding. Her mind quickly finished the trailing thought without searching for a reason as to why she felt that way. Elora's disposition on the subject came as second nature at this point. 

Their voyage back to the dock was serenaded by an ambiance of chirping crickets and frogs that floated and croaked in nearby marshes. Fireflies danced like Christmas lights strung across the scenery while distant stars flickered from above. The lake seemed to reflect all of it as the  fabric of the water's surface folded and rippled with skeeters skating across it, turning the landscape into a kaleidoscope of thousands of lights and colors. 

They soon arrived at Pete's boathouse as the two players helped him to unload all of his supplies and claim their rewards. Elora emanated exhaustion by the way she drug her feet and slumped forward while she tried to complete the tasks. "I'm definitely not looking forward to trudging all the way back to town", she sighed sleepily. Lifting a hand to wipe her eyes, her foot suddenly made contact with something sticking out from the beach, causing her to fall face-first into the sand. "Nnnnn", she groaned without moving for a moment before reluctantly rolling onto her back, "What the hell was that?"

 

Spoiler

ID#: 159969 LD20 Chest Found

Edited July 18, 2020 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

Freyd couldn't believe her dumb luck.  A treasure chest?   Just like that?  Persi was always finding them, but his luck was generally terrible.  Elora's stumble had also broken the latch, so he simply bent down and flipped the lid open.  If it was trapped, it would have gone off already.  Inside was a small collection of loot suitable for a starting adventurer.  It was entirely appropriate for the first floor.  He collected the treasure and handed the col and materials to Elora.  

"You might as well take those.  If you don't mind, I'll identify these other two pieces when I get back to my shop.  They're all yours if you want them afterwards, but I could really use the practice with identifications.  Quip and Dingo have been working hard getting the shop to actually open."  The very thought of it brought warmth and happiness into his heart.  "I should probably get my house sorted out as well.  You'll get an invite once I've done so."

Perhaps it was a day of firsts after all.

"Are you alright, or do you need a hand getting back to Pete's?"  

Spoiler

Loot:

50 col

2x T1 mats

2x T1 uncommon consumables

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Elora 0]

"What's in it?", she asked as Freyd rummaged through the chest. She must have kicked the thing pretty hard based on how much her toes hurt. Great. This will make the walking easier, she sighed as she began to rub them through her boot to ease the pain. "That's fine with me...Quip and...who? Do you have servants or something?" Elora accepted the remaining materials and slowly stood up, causing a series of bones in her back to audibly pop before it settled back into a slump. "Nah, let's let the old man sleep. Besides, I'm just as tired as he probably is, and I don't know that I want him to see that. He'd give me a hard time about it." At this point she didn't feel capable of cracking any jokes, so she decided not to attempt it. She located the path that they had taken, which was all the way up the hill. Her first of the final challenges would need to be getting over the bank and walking at an incline. So, she began trudging forward, not bothering to coax Freyd into following her. He'd understand where she was headed and that she was looking forward to collapsing on her bed, wherever it was that she slept.

[Freyd 0]

"No, not servants.  Friends."  Freyd paused as he said it, thinking it odd that he could define them as such.  "They were a pair of strays, two of three siblings who had lost the third to tragedy and deceit, and would have lost their lives if not for the kindly intervention of a good neighbor.  He told me about them and I raced off to rescue them."  He looked uncertain about himself.  Playing the hero never sat well with Freyd because he thought so little of himself.  "It's a long story, but in the end they needed a place to stay.  I needed help setting up my shop, and people to tend it when I race off to help promising young adventurers.  It was a good deal for all of us." 

He watched Elora start trudging up the hill, clearly exhausted.  Standing idle and watching her for a moment, he recalled his first meeting with his two wards in the ruins of Valehaven, and the foolish risks they were willing to take on false hope of seeing their sister again.  It hadn't made sense for him to run out of Quaestor's shop that morning and race after them.  It was a foolish and irrational thing to do, and he'd acted without hesitation.  Here he was helping someone else, for no better reason.  A small smile crept onto his lips.  Maybe that just what people do.

"Come on, I'll walk you to your inn." She'd surely pummel him if he offered to carry her or even given her his arm.  It didn't matter.  He was there.  That was all that was needed and most important.

Quest Rewards:

Elora:

4 SP (1 page, 2 quest, 1 event)
450 col 
2x T1 mats
1 Fish with +1 ACC snack (+1 BD for one Thread)

Freyd:

2 SP (1 page, 1 event)
2x T1 uncommon consumables