Fletcher's Shop

I decided to go hunting and Rose pointed me into the right direction. Maybe mostly because I wanted to impress Rose. Okay actually that was the main reason. I was not sure if I stood a shot given I had fuck her best friend and her best friends sister last night, but hey. You never know right. I found the place easy enough.

"Ah, come in. welcome to my shop. If you need to kill something your in the right place." A goblin said as she came around the corner. She wasn't to bad looking I guess if you didn't mind the green. Slightly shorter then gnomes but slender. I really didn't have a problem with Goblins per say as a whole but I knew well enough to be on my guard.

Goblins where by nature problematic. They could be clever but not necessarily intelligent. Friendly but mischievous. Humorous but not civil. City goblins where okay for the most part. They like any race had their good and their bad. It was the uncivilized ones who lived together in the middle of no where you really had to worry about. The one defining quality they had is loyalty. That and they where the place to go if you wanted something cheap. Just don't ask if it was stolen.

"So what are we shooting at?" She smiled.

"Deer." I nodded.

"Ah. So nothing armored, guess no steal arrows then which is good. Steal arrow heads are of short supply of late." She said. I had a feeling any steel that came to the city went straight to the Kingsforge. "But you want range so you wouldn't want crossbow bolts. No you would miss and the deer is gone before you can reload. Especially if you get anxious and shoot your bolt to soon. Happens to a lot of boys your age." She had a sense of humor at least. "You want iron heads. Good for severing blood vessels and muscle but not as pricey." She said as she sowed me to a shelf where stacks of arrows sat.

I picked up one and looked it over. The heads where actually pretty good quality. Strong and sharp which is what I needed. I frowned when I looked at the flecthing though. Straight fletching was okay and typically used for military purposes such as firing at an arch to hit enemy troops at distance but offset fletching, a trick my father learned from elven arrows, caused the arrow to spin in flight increasing accuracy.

"Your not happy?"

"No this will do." I shrugged. I could make it work. "Do you have any arrow heads like this that you haven't used yet? Even a few will do."

"Of course." She smiled and went to get some from behind the counter.

"Ah, I have a few I haven't used yet. Not a lot though?" She said sitting five of them on the counter and I placed the arrow down.

"You're only buying one Arrow?"

"It's all I need."

"Well your certainly confident. I suppose you are going to make your own. Three copper for the arrowheads and one for the arrow."

"Three copper for all or I look else where." I said.

"Fine." She shrugged and I paid her and headed out. I stopped at the tailors and bought thread for then went to the bakery and bought a loaf of stale bread. Last thing I needed from town was an ax. That would be the pricey one if I wanted something new that would last me as long as my old one did. I figured I would try Tomen's shop.

I headed back toward the tavern and asked for directions which sat a few buildings down on a corner. It was a decent sized shop. I went in to see a few people perusing the wears. He had a little of everything from the look of it. I saw a Astrid, Tomens Wife. at the counter. She smiled and gave me a wink as she held up a finger to say one second before she turned back to a man she was talking to. Or I thought it was a man until I noticed his massive height and horns. He was a minotaur. Beside him stood a female who was browsing the shelves. She looked almost human. She had the cow like ears and small horns but outside of a broad nose she looked very much human. She was actually kind of cute for a cow girl. Astrid counted out the money for him and slid it over and he slid over a sack taking the money. They headed out. The female smiled as she passed though the male only gave me a look.

"Hey sweetie." Astrid said as she came around the counter and hugged me. It was clear to see where the girls got their looks as her nice large breast pressing against me. "I hope my girls didn't keep you up to late?" She said as she stepped away.

"What?" I asked hoping she didn't know as well.

"Keep you up drinking. We gnomes have a stronger tolerance for the stuff. You don't have a hang over do you?"

"No, Helga gave me something last night." I thought. I didn't even think about it but I felt perfectly normal and could remember everything I had done. I had no idea what was in that potion of hers but it worked.

"That's good."

"What was the Minotaur selling?" I asked trying to change the subject away from what happened last night.

"Minotaur cheese." She smiled and walked back around the counter as she pulled out a piece. "Here tell me what you think?" She smiled. I shrugged and popped it my mouth.

"Mmm. Tasty." I smiled and swallowed. "Where do they get the milk?"

"From the minotaurs of course."

"You mean?" I said thinking about it for a second.

"Yep." She nodded. I just gave a little shrug. Well it tasted good despite where it came from. A teat was a teat i guess. "Tomen and Hannah are of making deliveries. Unless your here to buy something?"

"You wouldn't have a hatchet for sell would you? An old one is fine."

"I think we have one we used for cutting fire wood during the winter." She shrugged. "What do you need it for?"

"Arts and crafts." I smiled.

"If you say so." She said and went in back and came out with a wood cutters ax. "Here we are."

"That will do." I smiled. "How much do I owe you?"

"Please. I am not charging you for this old thing. Not for the man who saved my husband. Speaking of which Tomen wanted you to have this." She reached under the counter and pulled out a coin purse. "This is some of the money we made on that last shipment.

"I can't take that." I shook my head. She took my hand and gave it to me.

"You will. Consider it payment for making sure my husband and our last shipment made it here." Astrid gave me a look.

"Thank you." I nodded.

"There might be more in the future. We can't hire you on full time. We got to many mouths to feed already but I am sure my husband could use a hand when he makes his delivery runs if you like. After last time I would feel better if he had some company." Astrid added as she squeezed my hand before letting my hand go.

"I would be glad to help, just let me know when." I nodded.

"Thank you." She smiled. I headed back to the inn where I saw Helga serving a few guest. She blushed brightly when she saw me but I thought better of messing with her while she is working. I went and grabbed my quiver and then went back down and saddled the horse and headed off to the gate to pick up my bow.

I followed the river until I reach a lake that would be perfect for what I needed. First I found some reeds picking the one's that would be best and laid them out to dry in the sun. When they dried they enough I could use them as the shafts for my arrows. Next came the fun part.

I took the bread out and sprinkled it on the ground around the pound before walking a good distance away and sitting under and old tree for shade. Giving the rest of the lough to the horse. It didn't take long for the birds to descend. Small ones at first but luckily a mallard came to chase the others off which was what I needed. I popped up and popped him with an arrow. Plucking him took a little bit of time but now I had lunch and some decent feathers for fletching.

As lunch cooked I made my slits in the reeds for the feathers then took the ax to a tree cutting away some of the bark until i reached sap which I used as glue for the arrow heads and the fletching and used string to secure the feathers but left enough room at the end for the nock. All that was left was to let them dry in the sun. I sat and ate lunch as I longed against a tree enjoying a cool breeze.

My peace and tranquility was short lived as a woman's scream cut through the woods sending birds a flutter. I saw a woman on horse back going full speed across an open field. From the look of her she didn't seem to be in control of the horse and was just holding on for dear life. I jumped up and untied my horse and took off after her. I just hoped the old girl had some speed in her left.

I rode her hard cutting through the field toward the woman on horse back. I had to admit the fact that she was still on the horse was a surprise. I debated my option as I closed the gap. None of the ideas in my head seemed to be very good idea's but I had to do something.