The day starts slow. I sell a few potions to groups heading out. Hearing the coins tingle as I drop them into the strong chest, after marking the sales down in the ledger, sure is nice, but my heart isn't quite into it today. I'm still a little distracted by the developments from this morning.

There is only one cure for this kind of absentmindedness. I have to busy myself! Don't spend all day thinking about your problems, do something about them! It is something one of my roommates at the academy used to say and I decide to take it to heart.

Curiously enough Agnieszka's suggestions are what determines the direction my actions take. I'll need more enchanter's chalk. I should try to sell more enchantments anyway, as they are where the real money is. Both quality of life enchantments and armor or weapon enchantments can bring in a decent amount of coin.

Thus I leave my shop again after the morning hours, to visit Urszula and her family once more. Thankfully it isn't a long trip. This time around I get some more bee's wax as well as some linseed oil.

It is the price of the wax that makes me shed a little tear. It doesn't exactly come cheap as they can't remove too much from their bee hives as the bees need it themselves as well. Maybe I should raise the prices for my enchantments a little as well?

I need to find an alternative light source too. Candles will be too expensive in the long run, even if I enchant them. The temple buying candles in bulk pretty regularly doesn't exactly help either. Maybe an enchanted oil lamp instead of an enchanted candle lantern? Yes, that sounds good.

There is another problem though. I'm running a little low on chalk. Either I have to get some more or I need to use a substitute. I could in theory use soot to make black chalks. If I clean my fireplace and the chimney I should have enough for one batch. I don't like those black chalks though and not just because they stain your fingers when you work with them.

I would really prefer to use something else. I eye my enchanting table for a moment. A light pigment would really be best. I bite my lips as I think about my options. Well, I don't really have much of a choice. Ochre is the only suitable material that can be found around here as far as I can recall.

Still, I have to find some first. Or maybe not? I grab grandma's book and start searching it for any relevant entries. It takes a little while, but I find a promising spot. I'll have to head downstream for a change and it will be a little trip. As my stomach rumbles I decide to try my luck after getting lunch at the inn.

First I get ready for my little trip though. I'll need to carry some rock back home after all. More importantly though, I'll need to break that rock free first. It shouldn't be very hard, but I need tools anyway. I decide to borrow a light pick from the second hand gear I have on sale for this purpose, as well, as one of the more worn out bandannas from the trunk at the foot end of my bed. I take my enchanted staff staff as well.

Then I close the shop once more and head to the inn. Before I get my lunch I talk with Krystina to put up the mana mill quest once again. I'll need more enchanting dust as well after all. I let her know that I'll be out for the afternoon as well though.

Afterwards it is time to eat. For a change I'm one of the first to get their meal as I'm a little early. Today's lunch is a tasty mix of stir fried vegetables. It is quite tasty. Sadly I can't bring any as a little snack for later. I get myself a slice of fresh bread though, thus I won't have to go hungry.

I follow the creek downstream for a little while until I reach the spot mentioned in grandma's notes. I probably couldn't have missed it even without them. The creek has cut through the flank of a small hill in this place, leaving the rock I'm looking for exposed.

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Getting there could prove a little troublesome though. I'll have to wade through the water to reach the other bank. First though I sit down in the grass on this bank and watch the scenery a little.

The creek is very different here from further upstream. Its bed is wider and the water flows slower. At least now. In spring or after a downpour it might be a different matter though.

There is more to watch than just the scenery though. A colony of bee-eaters has made its home atop the low cliff, where the soft rock has eroded into sand, on the other side as well.

The colorful little birds are a sight to behold. Well, hopefully they wouldn't mind my presence too much. I grimace. Being attacked by a larger number of birds is not something I want to experience. Not today, not any day. No thank you.

So far they don't seem to mind me. I'm not on the side where they have dug their homes into the riverbank yet though. Well, I have to at least try to get some ochre. Otherwise this whole little expedition would be for naught and my afternoon would be wasted.

I start dressing down a little. Well, I take off my sandals and stockings. I hike up the legs of my overall as well. That will have to do.

Then I grab the old bandanna and the little pick I brought and wade out into the water.

“Co … co … cold!”

I manage to get all of two steps out into the water before I realize just how cold the water of the creek is. A shiver runs down my back. There is no turning back now though. I make my way to the other side, taking great care with every step not to slip on the slick rocks hidden under the water's surface.

Well, at least the birds don't seem to mind as long as I don't try to climb up to their nesting ground. Still, I can feel my feet slowly going numb. I better hurry.

I bring the pick down on the soft rock. I'm pretty lucky. This is a very light shade of ochre, which in turn means that it is almost chalk with only very little iron in it. Among other things this means that it is pretty soft. No wonder the creek is slowly cutting its way through the hill.

I break some chunks loose and gather them in the bandanna. Then I hurry back to the other river bank where I drop every thing next to my discarded sandals. I drop into the grass as well and start to massage my ice cold toes.

It takes a while until they get nice and warm again. I take this chance to inspect my bounty in the meantime. The rock looks pretty decent. It really is almost chalk. Very good! If I were to burn it, it probably would turn a very light shade of red. Maybe I should give it a try? Well, I have brought enough to make a small experiment.

I don't slip back into my stockings and sandals. Instead I head back home barefoot, with the bulging bandanna tied to the end of my staff which I carry over my shoulder.

A mischievous smile makes its way onto my lips and I start humming the tunes of the songs about the miller's wife. My trip, short as it may be, almost feels like a little adventure like that.

I wave in the direction of Krystina as I pass the inn. Before I can get much further someone else walks up besides me. It is Elzbieta. I raise an eyebrow.

She just grins and waves a quest note in return.

“Have to grab the easy ones before I head out to set up some traps later in the evening.”

I can already imagine which one it is and grin as well.

“Good, good! Just in time! I need a lot more enchanting dust!”