Lonely? Try talking to some of the townsfolk!

Izzy watched Caroline leave. Provide materials, huh? Absurd, but the appeal of looking out into the starry sky at night was going to vanish with the first rain, let alone when winter rolled around. Wood at least shouldn't be a problem. There was enough of that strewn about the property, but how much did she need, and what else?

Izzy wore no watch and so looked to the sky. The sun was still high enough to call it just past noon; too early to call it for the day, and too late to hope she’d get a second wind with a bit of rest.

She wasn't going to get anything else done here, and she was out of seeds anyhow. Might as well pop into town and have a look around. She wouldn't be able to afford anything today, but knowing the layout and prices would still be a win. And getting to know some of the townsfolk would be nice; only seeing a person a day was a foreign feeling and she was more than ready for some company.

After restowing the tools in the chest, she sat down to Lord Snufflebottom, who was still curled up on the deck. She skritched him behind his ear. "Alright, buddy," she said. "I'm going into town. You stay here and hold down the fort. Or find an owner who isn't allergic to you. One of the two."

Snuffles opened one eye and licked her hand before rolling over and back to sleep. Izzy took that to mean he’d accepted his role as watchcat.

Izzy straightened up and brushed off the worst of the dirt and grime. She briefly considered changing into a clean outfit, but she really didn't have the clothes to spare. Hopefully that didn't chase anyone away.

She took a deep breath, and the loamy scent of freshly tilled earth filled her head. It brought back the memories of her past visits and what this place could be. With a tired smile, she headed down the road into town.

The path from farm to town quickly transitioned from hard packed dirt to cobblestone as she passed the turn for the train station. Another sign that this place used to be much more popular. What was it like for those who had lived here to see their town slowly fade into irrelevance? It was a bit sad, really. Izzy doubted there was any way to reverse the damage time had wrought, but she promised herself to keep an eye out for anything that might rekindle that former spark.

Izzy found herself in small plaza when the path ended. A fountain bubbled in the center of the space with a number of benches framing the edges. A couple of kids chased one another around the fountain and an old woman was feeding the birds on the far side. Izzy smiled at the scene, feeling at home despite the weeds growing up between the cracks of the stone and the hunks of missing masonry in the fountain.

Along one side of the plaza, several stores nestled in together, complete with hanging signboards. Izzy didn't see any that looked like it might be Caroline's shop, but did spy a promising store that looked to be a general shop. That was certainly another thing she would be needing sooner than later. Perhaps they also sold new tools, or could at least point her in the direction of someone who could.

A bell chimed as she entered the shop. A man behind the counter glanced up from a small stack of paper smiled and greeted her. Izzy smiled back but didn’t approach, opting to instead look around.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Rows of clean, white shelves ran one length of the store. They were piled high with knicknacks and general household goods. On the far side, bins full of fresh vegetables and fruits crowded the space. Everything was nice enough, but the prices? The prices were strange. Everyday consumables- toothpaste, hand soap and the like- were dirt cheap. The prices for vegetables and cooking supplies were less so.

Izzy wandered to the counter, casting an eye on the packets of seeds and other farming supplies there. She had just about gotten over her sticker shock when she spied a small backpack on display. It was a simple black backpack, well-made if plain. The sign under the bag read, "New lower price! Only $2,000!"

She sputtered upon reading that. The bag was more than two months' rent back in the city. It didn't have a designer brand anywhere.

The shopkeep grinned. "I see you've noticed our new price! I was shocked as well, but you know how it is- the new version is coming out soon."

Izzy shook her head. "I was absolutely looking at the price, yes. I was wondering- what makes this bag worth the money?"

The man raised a brow at her question. "New in town? I heard the mayor mention something about that, and I thought everyone here knew about the UrBag 3X."

"Yes, I am. Izzy," she said as she held out a hand. "I haven't heard of it before. I take it the bag is special then?"

The man grasped her hand with a firm grip and shook it once. "You could sure say that! The 3X has 12 pockets- that's a 50% improvement over the 2X's 8."

"Ahh, I see. That is certainly something, I'll admit."

The man glowered at a very specific spot on the wall to his left. "Just one more specialty item you won't find at Ehv-Isle Mart." After a brief moment, he recalled himself and smiled with chagrin. "Sorry miss, not that I needed to tell you that. You've clearly already chosen to patronize my humble shop rather than that mass produced- sorry, there I go again. Anyway, how could I help you?"

The name of the other store sounded nearly familiar to Izzy, but not in a way that a big chain store should. She nearly asked, but she doubted riling up the shopkeep was going to lead anywhere good. Instead, she turned to the seeds. "I've recently moved to the farm just outside of town. I find myself a bit low of both seeds for crops and cash- is there perhaps a way I might be able to do a deferred payment plan to get myself started?"

"I thought as much; you must be Ol' Lykos' grandkid." She thought the man was smiling before, but the beam that emerged when he made that connection was on a new level.

"Exactly, that's me. But on the delayed payment?"

The man shook his head. "Sorry, can't do that. But, I'll pay you a fair price on anything you bring in here to sell. I have faith that it won't be long until you've got enough for the whole farm." He pointed at Izzy's chest. "Right there for example, in your pocket?"

Izzy looked down and, sure enough, the top pocket of her coveralls was stuffed full of weeds. She pulled out the lot and put the small pile on the counter. "You really want to buy this? I'd like to say I don't need the pity, but I probably do. My ego can stand the blow however, and you don't need to dance around it."

The man laughed. "No pity here. Everything has a use- some weeds can be sold as greens, some are used for dye or composting. You said you need seeds? How about," the man trailed off as he rifled through packets of seeds. He slapped a few on the counter. "Packet of strawberries, blackberries and daisies. Overvalue there, but we'll call that a welcome gift. Fair?"

A brief ting of guilt shot through Izzy. Trading a handful weeds for multiple packets of seeds seemed wrong. But she needed them. "More than generous. Thank you. Before I go though, would you please point me in the direction of Caroline's shop? I'd like to poke around there before heading home."

With directions in mind and seeds in pocket, Izzy waved her goodbyes. Another chime of the door and she returned to the plaza, headed to her next destination.