Collecting the reward

The four of them trudged into the Adventurer's Guild, tired and cranky from another day of riding in their rickety cart. Sadly, the kobold den hadn't had much in the way of loot, just a small pile of copper coins among a bunch of random junk and scraps of fabric, so all that was left was for them to collect their own belongings, hitch up the horses, and head back to Drachensturz. The journey was just as boring the second time, though at least a sewing kit and a bit of magic was enough to patch up their torn clothing.

Agatha was behind the counter again, fighting down a smirk as the visibly grumpy girls approached. "Welcome back, how did your first quest go?"

Their cheeks reddened tellingly, avoiding eye contact with each other. Sigrid stepped forward stiffly, and said "Just fine, thank you. We took out the kobolds' leader and the last few survivors fled deeper into the hills."

The receptionist nodded. "Good enough, I doubt they'll be any more trouble. I'll mark it down as complete. I guess you girls will be wanting your reward?"

That perked them up. They gathered around the counter with eager smiles, each already planning what they would spend their share on. Reaching under the desk, Agatha pulled out a handful of silver coins and placed them down with a click. "Twenty silver marks, as promised."

Sigrid sputtered. "Five silver each? That's ridiculous!" she said. "Are you trying to rip us off?"

"Wow, five silver? That's amazing!" Alis said, holding up a coin with a beaming smile.

"That was the listed reward, didn't you check before accepting the quest?" Agatha asked, snickering. "The commission was from a group of farmers after all, were you expecting more?"

At Rosa and Sigrid's devastated expressions, she rolled her eyes. "Oi, what's with those pathetic looks? Five silver for two days' work is more than most jobs around here pay. Besides, registered adventurers get free lodging in the guild hall, provided there are rooms available. So relax, and go get some proper food and rest for now."

She gave them each a room key and they went to stow their gear. After a bath and a dinner of fresh meat and bread, Alis retired for the night. She spent some time sitting on her bed in meditation, cross-legged and nude, but the day's exhaustion quickly had her nodding off. She lay back, sprawled on top of the sheets, and dropped into a dreamless sleep.