I wake up bright and early again the next morning. Once more it is the village's roosters making a racket that has me wake with a start after sleeping like a log. Making enchanting dust with a mana mill has that effect on me. At least my wrist and arm aren't aching any more. I really need to look into posting a quest for that at the inn.

The thought alone is enough to kill my good mood. I still need to make some more of that enchanting dust after all and even if I post that quest right away it might be days before someone picks it up. For now I have to deal with that issue on my own.

I shake my head to drive away those thoughts and head down to the creek to take care of my morning routine. The cold water certainly wakes me up properly. During summer time it will sure be a blessing. I'm not quite sure what I'll do once winter comes around though. Washing out here when everything is buried under a blanket of snow while its freezing doesn't sound very appealing.

I'm just about to upend another bucket of cold water over my head when someone nearby clears their throat. It's startling enough that I almost end up falling into the water. The slippery stones don't exactly help either.

Embarrassed I try to cover myself, at least until I realize that it is only Agnieszka, my neighbor.

She in turn chuckles.

“Don't worry. I don't think anyone around here minds seeing a little skin. Doubly so, if it is a pretty thing like you. But, you know, you don't have to wash at the creek. We have a small bathhouse here in the village.”

I blink in surprise and groan.

“A bathhouse?”

I probably sound about as stupid as I feel right now.

My new neighbor nods and points upstream as she grins sheepishly at the same time.

“Yes. Its situated a little ways up the creek in that grove there. Say, why don't you drop by my place tomorrow morning and I take you there? How does that sound to you?”

That doesn't sound bad. I nod in agreement and her face brightens.

“Right, see you tomorrow then!”

After drying myself off hurriedly I get dressed again. There still is something nagging on my mind though, something I need to ask before the older woman is gone again. Despite the slippery slope I hurry to catch up with her.

“Agnieszka! Say, has anyone actually seen me? Anyone else but you that is.”

She just shrugs.

“I don't know for sure, but I don't think so. I only dropped by since I haven't seen you at the bathhouse either yesterday or today. You shouldn't worry too much anyway. The people around here aren't shy about things like that. Even if someone saw you, they wouldn't think anything about it. Don't fret about something silly like that.”

She flashes me another grin as my worries, or at least some of them, get swept away by her casual words of reassurance. She isn't quite done yet though.

“Anyway, I need to get back to my animals. They don't take care of themselves. Not entirely anyway. And I shouldn't keep you from work either.”

As she slinks back in the direction of her farmhouse, without too much of a hurry, the black cat I have gotten to know joins her. It seems to have caught something again although I'm pretty sure that it is no mouse this time but some other small animal.

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

Well, at least it isn't a rat, of that I'm pretty sure. Not one of the kind I'm familiar with from life in the city at least. Thank the gods. I can really do without those nasty critters.

I wave one last time and return my attention to the things I need to do. She is right, I need to get back to work. First though, I get some more water from the creek to water the overgrown garden and the flowers on grandma's grave. After brushing my fingers across the headstone I head back inside.

I'm in a bit of a hurry now. Early morning is the time when adventurers head out as well after all. It is the best time for them to stock up on consumables, like potions, and it is the best time of the day for me to sell them whatever they need and maybe even a little more.

As I approach the front door I can already hear voices from the other side. I quickly remove the bars and swing the door open before they can either knock, or worse, leave again. I flash them a beaming smile as I invite them in.

“Come on in! Sorry about the delay. I got held up a little. Anyway, what can I help you with?”

It is another trio of adventurers. Not the same one as yesterday though. Two young women and a man who probably wasn't any older either.

The woman up front looks like a priestess of some sort, or maybe a paladin. I'm not quite sure. She wears scale mail and is equipped with a shield and a mace, which she has both slung over her shoulder. Both her helmet and the holy symbol she wears around her neck sport the sigil of the Earth Mother. She waves my apologies off.

“Don't worry. We aren't in that much of a hurry.”

At that point the other woman chimes in.

“I'm just glad you reopened the shop. We were running a little low on potions already.”

As I make room the three come inside. The young man, a warrior who wears even heavier armor and seems to wield two curved swords, has an arm around the hip of the other woman. This one wears only light armor, if you can call it that. Cloth died in earthen colors and soft leathers. Bow and quiver suggest that she is some kind of archer or maybe a ranger. Once again I'm not quite sure. What I am sure of though is the fact that she is pregnant. Not pregnant enough to not go adventuring apparently, but certainly pregnant enough to show.

Neither of them need my help to find what they are looking for. They too are obviously familiar with the shop and its layout.

The priestess immediately heads to the shelf with the Mana Potions. The way she eyes them suggests that she has an appraisal skill or something similar, just like me. In the end she picks two potions from the front and one from the back.

The other two make a beeline towards the Stamina Potions instead. They just pick up those from the front, probably not worrying about them going bad at all.

My brows furrow a little. The pregnant archer probably drinks them like water to keep up with the other two. I'm not quite sure that is healthy. I'm not quite sure if it is my place to say anything though, thus I just retreat behind the counter instead.

“Four Mana Potions and ten Stamina Potions. Do you want to pay them all at once or each their own?”

It is the priestess who answers.

“Add it all up, please.”

I do just that and flash them another smile.

“That will be thirteen silver and ten bronze Crowns.”

At that point the archer pipes up again.

“Aw. Couldn't you give us a little discount? How about we call it an even thirteen silver?”

The face of the priestess darkens a little. Before she can say anything though I speak up instead.

“Deal. Just this once though, since I need to get rid of some of grandma's old potions. Can't have them go bad on me on the shelves.”

The bubbly archer nods enthusiastically and the priestess calms down again as well. It is the latter who starts counting the coins onto the counter from her purse. The other two probably trust her with anything related to money since she seems to be the most responsible one of the trio.

Once she is done she ties her purse closed again and lets it disappear under her armor once more. She doesn't wear it at her belt but on a string around her neck instead. She bows her head as well.

“Thank you.”

“Oh no, I thank you. Please take care out there and come again!”

As I drop the coins into the strong chest and note the sale down in the ledger they pick up their potions. Some go into their backpacks while others go into pouches on their belts. Once they are done they leave. The cheerful archer is the last one out and she leaves with a wave which I return.

Once the usual quiet settles in again, I properly open up the shop. I only opened the door so far after all. Now I open the shutters of the windows as well to let in a little more light and some fresh air.

As I return to the counter I pat the ledger. Thirteen silver Crowns. That was some good business. If that group drops by more often I'll have to brew up more Stamina Potions before long though.

I'll have to look into the ingredients I'll need. And of course I need to inquire about potion bottles. Neither of those points worry me anymore though. Quite the opposite is true. The prospects are exciting!