Chapter 3

I am sure we will Cat

“It’s in a jar with a purple lid and yellow label.” His head popped up over the counter, just barely. The salt and pepper hair was attached to an elderly gnome. His face was weathered but the wrinkles showed kindness. Crows feet and smile lines surrounding sharp crystal blue eyes. His nose was long and hooked at the end and had a pair of wire rimmed spectacles perched on the end. “Well?” He was staring at me. I was just staring back confounded. “Cat, do you even know what Green Beetle Horn is?”

“Oh Shit sorry, yeah Green Beetle Horn.” I began looking in the cabinets with the jars for one with a purple lid and yellow label.”

“Well do you or am I mistaken in what you are here for.” He asked as his head dipped back behind the counter.

“Yeah, it's a common ingredient in your upper level potions. It's most widely known to cause the lovely taste in the growth potion. It's also in the invisibility potion but not enough is used to cause that foul dirty sock taste.” I stopped looking in the area with the jars and closed my eyes taking in a slow deep sniff. I knew exactly what Green Beetle Horn smelled like… it smelled just like it tasted. Like dirty socks. I let the various scents of the shop pass by until I pinpointe it. I tipped my head to the left and opened my eyes walking across the shop behind the counter. The little gnome looked on with curiosity, no longer rummaging through the shelves under the counter. I went to the second shelf from the top, moved some of the bottles with red tags to the side and pulled the jar with a purple lid and yellow label out. The jar was filled with tiny iridescent green horns. I set the jar down on the counter in front of the gnome. “Here ya go.”

Now that I could see him up close he was much smaller than I originally thought. He barely reached the middle of my thigh because he was hunched over. He was wearing loose fitting trousers and a He had an intricately carved wooden cane in his left hand and was holding the handle of a plain wooden box with detailed latch and hinges.

“Yes, yes excellent.” He dragged out a step ladder and hobbled up to the top step, placing the box on the counter. He motioned for me to move the jar closer to him and I obliged. “Now for the good stuff.” He started as pressed his thumb to the latch.

The right side of my mouth lifted in a half smirk. This guy was nuts and I loved it. He opened the box. The base was filled with a grid of various tinctures and small jars capped with cork plugs. He unfolded the top of the box and a pair of small table legs popped out to support it. He grasped the latch again and pulled up creating a small wall between the top and bottom of the box. As he locked it into place a small Alchemy table dropped down. “Holy shit! It's a portable alchemy lab.” I was in awe. “I have heard of these but I have never seen one.”

“Hmmm. Yes it is. Not many in this area but very handy. Especially for traveling.” He unscrewed the lid to the Green Beetle Horn and removed the only uncorked tincture in the box. He pulled a set of tweezers from his front vest pocket and dropped three of the various magnifying lenses down on his spectacles. He carefully filled the tincture with the iridescent horns “Messy smelly things. Last time I touched one my fingers shimmered like glitter in the sunlight and smelled of old dirty socks for weeks. Nothing I tried got the smell out either.” He topped the now full tincture off with a cork stopper and placed it back into the grid.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

He closed the box, “Paw please,” and held his hand out for my paw expectantly. I knew the magic and held my hand out, rolling my eyes at the use of ‘Paw’.

“I’m a Catfolk, not a cat.” Placing an emphasis on folk. My hands were more like hands than paws. I had 4 fingers and a thumb. The tops of my hands were covered in fur and the palm of my hand was a thick skin, and yes my nails were more like claws, and yes my claws did somewhat retract but I didn’t have “Paws”. My right eyebrow was raised and my lips pressed together in obstinance. I went slow on purpose. He pulled my hand over to the box and pushed my index finger to the latch no longer waiting for me. “Baah, you must accept what you are, before you can truly accept who you are.” I felt a prick from the latch and it glowed a faint green. “Now, I was told to provide you with all that you may need and to resupply you as needed.” He pushed the box to me. “Orwin Barrydawdle. I have several shops around the land. Barrydawdle Alchemy.” He then brought out 4 small pouches and laid them out as well. He pointed to each one as he named them. “Jewelers tools, two sets of thieves tools, and a copy of your recipe book.”

“But, wh-”

“No no no. I was paid quite well to not provide you with that information I will have you know. So I will not be giving that information to you. Now I will restock all the basics as you need them when you can get to a shop. But if you need any ingredients that are not contained in this kit, that will be a cost that is incurred by you and not your benefactor.”

I stood there, hand still on the box's latch, eyes wide, not sure what to say. It was extensive and beautiful.

“Now, I don’t have the other tools you will need but I am sure you will find them in Riverstrand.” He gently pulled my hand away from the box and placed it on the counter. As soon as he did the box began to fold in on itself and then the handle turned into a loop for my belt. He stepped down and disappeared behind the counter. I could just barely see the top of his head making its way to the end and then around. When he came around the corner of the counter he more waddled then walked, with a slight limp to his gate, favoring his right side. When he reached me he looked up and gestured to the box on the counter. I gently lifted the box and handed it to him. He took one last look at the box caressing it with a soft touch and a longing in his eyes and attached it to my belt patting it.

“There, perfect fit. Now is there anything else you may need right now?” he looked up at me with a smile that was catching and I couldn’t help but smile back despite being awestruck.

When I didn’t answer he clapped his hands “Cat.”

I shook my head bringing me out of my bewildered state. “Sorry, I’m just a little…” I took a moment, lifting the box, running my hand along the well treated wood and seeing a small Cats Eye engraved in the corner, a small smile grew on my lips. I knew who had done this. “Um, actually no I don’t think I will need anything else.” I touched the small box attached to my belt. “This is one of the most comprehensive Alchemy Kits I have ever seen.” Still in awe, I gathered up the other pouches, “Thank you.” I held out my hand to shake his. “I look forward to seeing you again.”

He grasped my hand, it was like shaking a kitten's hand, it was so small. A warm and gentle smile spread across his face, “And I am sure we will Cat. I just know it.”