Alania tossed and turned all night, worry invading her restful slumber. Though she had a plan, she couldn't help but feel the large lump in her throat and the fear that things would not go according to plan. After fighting with her mind for sleep for well over three hours, she finally fell into fitful dreams and awoke a few hours later, her nerves a bit frayed at the seams. When the sound of roosters crowing rang through the small window in her room, Alania sat up in bed and stretched her arms above her head, groaning tiredly before throwing the woolen blanket from over herself and throwing her legs over the edge of the bed.
The day had only just begun, but Alania was already wide awake. She looked out the window at the early dawn sky. The bakery across the way, the only shop open at this moment between twilight and sunrise, already smelled of fresh bread and sweet rolls, making her mouth water and solidifying her first task of the day: getting a good meal in before she tracked down the town's mayor. She quickly dressed in a flowing green tunic and brown trousers, throwing her belt around her waist and attaching her bag of coins. Looking in the small mirror in her room, she examined her pink curls, fingering the strands until they behaved and tying her hair up with her ribbon, her curls forming an appealing mess atop her head. Satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed the key from the table in her room, opened the door, locked it, and placed the key in her trouser pocket.
The town was cloaked in the calm of the early morning; in between the moment, early risers roused from their beds, and the first workers emerged from their houses to start their workday. Alania breathed in the chill autumn air, taking in the atmosphere as she slowly made her way to the bakery across the street. Opening the door, the smells of baked bread and sugar hit her like a tidal wave, making her stomach growl with anticipation.
"I'll be out in just a moment!" A sweet, cheery voice called from the back of the shop. Alania took the time to peruse the different baked goods piled up in wicker baskets on an enormous shelf behind the counter. There were breads and confections of every sort: loaves of bread of all sorts, pies, muffins, and cookies all piled up together in a delightful and delicious display. Alania had just begun looking over the different bagel options when a young, friendly-looking halfling appeared behind the counter.
"Now, what can I get for ya, darlin'?" The halfling dusted some flour off of her apron and smiled brightly. "If you're looking for fresh, the blueberry muffins just came out of the oven. Quite popular with the regulars." The halfling pointed at the fresh muffins in a basket nestled on the counter. The promise of sugary sweetness mixed with the melt-in-your-mouth appearance of the bread made Alania's mind up.
"Actually, yes. A blueberry muffin, please. And if you could also point me in the direction of the town hall, that would be lovely." Alania grinned, hoping to come across as friendly as the woman in front of her. She merely nodded and took a muffin from the basket, wrapping it up in wax paper before handing it to Alania. "How much?" She asked while grabbing her coin purse.
"One copper for the muffin, but I'll give you directions for free." The halfling woman winked at Alania as she rummaged through her coin purse for the right coin. She placed the copper coin into the woman's palm, chuckling as she did. The halfling put the coin in a lockbox hidden behind the counter and straightened, pointing towards the road outside before handing over the muffin.
"Go down Ruebrooke and take a left after four blocks. After that, you should see the bell tower. Walk towards that, and you'll see the town hall next door." Alania began committing the directions to memory and almost walked away until her manners came back to her.
"Oh, I'm Alania, by the way. Alania Silverwind. I'm looking to open a bookstore here soon."
"New to town, then? I'm Belladonna Baker. Quite on the nose, I know, but you can't escape it when your family has owned the best bakery in town for seven generations. My friends call me Bell." Bell reached her hand out, and Alania switched her muffin to her left hand, taking Bell's hand and shaking it with a smile. "I wish you the best of luck, Alania. And hey, maybe I'll see you at your shop soon. You're always welcome to a snack iffin you come back my way."
Alania nodded and retracted her hand. Her mouth watered from the smells of the bakery around her and she eyed her muffin hungrily. "I hope so. Thank you, Bell." She took a bite of the muffin, moaning in pleasure as the sweet blueberries burst between her teeth and the crystalized sugar melted in her mouth. "Wow, Bell this is magical! I do have to get going though. I'll definitely be back. See you around!" With that, she made her way out into the street and towards Ruebrooke.
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As Alania made her way up Ruebrooke the sun rose from the horizon, gently warming her skin from the morning chill. It was beautiful, the sunrise, the sky blossoming into pinks and yellows over light blue the peaks of the mountains frosted with snow that seemed to glow in the early morning light. The view was so beautiful. Alania stopped for a moment to take in the scene.
"I could get used to this." She said out loud, taking a mental picture before continuing on to the town hall. The town of Quakeshire seemed to wake with the sun. With daybreak in full swing, the streets around her became more crowded. The smells that greeted her as she made her way through the town streets were both recognizable and foreign to her. The familiar smell of meat and leather mixed with a more earthy smell from the foliage planted in small planter boxes along the roads and in the windows of the buildings she passed by. Frostguild was too cold year-round for anything other than sturdy fir trees and the occasional holly plant. Here in Quakeshire, the trees were turning brilliant oranges and yellows, and fallen leaves littered the cobbled streets. It was like a whole new world this far away from the fjord, and Alania couldn't help but smile as she walked through this fall wonderland.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
After a few minutes of following the halflings' directions, Alania spotted the clock tower begin to rise from behind the shops and homes. She quickly adjusted her trajectory, taking a quick turn onto a side street before emerging in front of what had to be the Town Hall.
The three-story brick-and-mortar building sat right in the middle of the town, its stone steps leading up to a beautifully carved entryway guarded by two elves in uniform. Alania saw the clock tower was indeed attached to the Town Hall building, rising higher still, standing like a sentinel over the central hub. Alania took in the impressive structure, picking at her fingernails as she steeled herself to go inside. She had never done this before. She was in a new town she'd never been to, with no friends or family around her, putting her hopes and dreams on someone she had never met. Taking a deep breath, she stilled her hands and shook her body slightly to release some tension. Then she made her way to the steps.
The steps heading into Town Hall were tall, definitely made for the taller races, but a quick scan of the length of the steps led Alania to a part that was more her size. She was impressed by the design; the farther right you went, the smaller the spaces in between the steps became until you finally came to a full ramp for those in wheelers. She carefully made her way to the smaller steps and climbed the stone steps, taking deep breaths the whole time, trying to keep her calm.
Stepping inside the Town Hall, Alania was greeted by a giant desk in the middle of the room and two large staircases on either side. Two large archways led farther into the building on either side of the desk with signs directing the foot traffic. It seemed everyone in this building was important and had a place to go. Anxiety bit at the back of Alania's mind, but she pushed it aside and approached the desk.
A young elven man sat behind the desk, lost in a tome as big as Alania's head. His half-moon spectacles were halfway down his long, elegant nose, and his brilliant silver hair fell loose around his shoulders. She only came up to the middle of the desk, making it impossible for the elf to see her. She sighed, squared her jaw, and tapped on the desk with her knuckle.
"Excuse me, um, can you help me?" She called out, her voice a wave in the ocean of sound that swept through the building. At first, the elf didn't notice her. But after clearing her voice and one more louder "Hello?" He peeked over the desk.
"Oh, yes of course. How may I help you?" He spoke in a bored tone, eyeing Alania up and down before leaning on his elbows and steepling his fingers.
"Yes, I would like to speak to the Mayor. I am new in town and have a business proposition." She placed her hands behind her, hiding her nail-picking from the elf, and smiled as genuinely as she could. The elf, still bored, waved one of his hands to the right archway.
"His office is through that way. Last door on the right. I believe he is free for the moment." The elf then sat back in his seat and began fingering through the tome once again. Alania called out her thanks and made her way through the right archway.
Despite the grandeur of the entryway, there were only three rooms on this side of the building. One to the left seemed to be a service window of some sort, and two rooms to the side with dark wooden doors and plaques with names and positions written upon them. She made her way to the last door on the right; the door was ajar.
With another deep breath, she knocked on the door and peeked inside.
"Hello? Mr. Mayor? May I come in?" She heard the shuffling of papers and a muttered curse before a grunt of approval. Alania opened the door all the way and entered to find an elderly gnome not much taller than herself sitting at a desk covered in paperwork, pens, and inkwells. The room was bordered by bookshelves that spanned the width and height of the walls. Books and files were stuffed in haphazardly, giving the office a lived in, moderately chaotic vibe. Taking the books as a good sign for her venture, Alania closed the distance between the older gnome and herself.
The mayor looked up from his paperwork, taking in the sight of Alania. His gaze made her feel small even though he was only an inch or two taller. She cleared her throat and mustered every bit of confidence she could.
"Mr. Mayor,-"
"Leno," He corrected.
"Excuse me?"
"You can call me Leno," He said, the hint of a smile on his lips.
"Oh, um right. Well, Leno, sir. I have come from Frostguild to open a bookshop. I was under the impression there was no such establishment in town?" She placed her hands behind her again and rocked up on her toes. "I was wondering what I may need to do to begin the process." Leno really did smile now. He placed down the papers he held and gave Alania all his attention.
"Very good. Yes. We only have a library, and it is in this very building. Though it has a good range of books, townspeople are not allowed to bring them home. I happen to know of a vacant shop that may work perfectly if you have the coin. And, of course, there is the paperwork and taxes. I hope you didn't come here empty-handed." His blue eyes twinkled as he stood from his desk.
"Oh, yes, that would be lovely! I definitely have the coin." She hesitated. "If it meets my needs." With that statement, Leno laughed, his blue and white mustache bouncing joyfully.
"Very well. I will send someone to show you the place. While you scope it out, I will get the necessary paperwork started. Come back after sun high to let me know what your intentions are. Hailey! I need your assistance!" A brown-haired human woman hurried into the office, her pantsuit immaculately ironed, and her hair pulled back in a neat bun. The mayor quickly brought the woman up to speed and dismissed the two women to embark on their mission.
"The shop Mr. Leno spoke of is down Lonestreet, about a 15-minute walk from the center of town and right near the action of the market district. It used to be a tailoring shop, but the old man who owned the building was childless and passed last week, so it is free to sell. Good timing on your part. If it is to your liking, you'll have a good location. I'm Hailey, by the way." Alania nodded as they made their way down the road towards the market district, hoping Hailey was telling the truth about her good luck.
"Alania. It is a pleasure, Hailey. It sounds perfect." Alania felt herself relax in the company of Hailey. She seemed to have an aura about her that emanated calm. Her soft smile and the easy conversation made the trip to the abandoned store go by in a blink of an eye.
"Here we are!" Hailey waved her hand at a wooden storefront. The store certainly looked nice from the outside. The entire length of the shop front was made up of panes of glass. With the addition of some shelves and perhaps a bookshelf or two, it would be perfect to showcase her merchandise. The door itself was painted green, and above the entryway, drilled into the wood, were hooks for a sign. "Shall we go inside?" Hailey shuffled her clipboard to her other hand and grabbed the key, unlocking and opening the door. "Ladies first!" She chirped.