Chapter 4 - Chipping's Village Shop
The village shop was white and black with the same timber framing as The Jolly Gnome. It wasn’t as big, but, like many of the businesses on the high street and around the village square, it clearly doubled as a house. There was a narrow front garden, separated from the street by a dry stone wall and a little wooden gate. A few large bushes and flowering plants grew up around the wall, which had green and blue and yellow bunting hanging over the sides. A small placard rested on the gate that read "Chipping's Village Shop.”
Hollie opened the gate and walked up the cobblestone path to the door. She could hear someone inside singing—if the noise could even be called that. As she pushed the door open, the shrill sound of a cuckoo clock filled the air.
A woman at the back of the store who had been bent over rearranging some items on a shelf stood up and turned towards Hollie. She was massive, the tallest, broadest woman Hollie had ever seen—six and a half feet at least—and towered over the store shelves. She had mousy brown hair that fell to her shoulders. Her nose was large and ridged, her jaw wide and square, with two sharp teeth that protruded from the bottom. Her skin had a greenish tint to it, the same color as her friendly eyes. And perched on her shoulder was a massive white cockatoo.
Alice Chipping [https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53841324527_7d4b48e0aa_c.jpg]
“Well good morning!” the woman said cheerily. “What can I do for you?”
“Top of the morning! Top of the morning!” the bird echoed.
Hollie made to speak, but the woman interrupted her.
“I haven’t seen you around before. You’re not dressed for traveling, so I’m sure you’re not on your way to or from Derby. You must be new in these parts.”
Hollie smiled. “I am.”
The woman clapped her large hands together, let out a squeal of excitement, and hopped up and down—which, Hollie noted, the bird clearly didn’t like. He moved his feet back and forth on her square shoulder, trying to find a solid foothold, then flew away to perch on the top of a nearby shelf when he’d had enough.
“I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am!” the woman exclaimed. “We haven’t had anyone move to Foxley Cross in quite a few years! Passing through, sure. Happens all the time. But it’s rare for anyone to just show up and settle down! So, whereabouts are you from? Oh, and I’m Alice by the way. Alice Chipping.”
She stretched out a hand to Hollie, and as Hollie shook it, she felt a flood of relief flow within her. She hadn’t known what to expect when she walked into the store. It wasn’t every day that one met a half-ogre—or a full ogre, for that matter—though, Hollie thought, she was quite likely to see Alice whenever she came into the village now.
“I’m Hollie. And as for where I’m from, well, it’s a bit of a long story.”
She told Alice everything she could remember from when she first woke up in the glade to her lunch at The Jolly Gnome. Alice listened with interest to every word she spoke, nodding along, gasping at all the surprising moments, and smiling at all the happy ones. Alice seemed to Hollie to have the most animated features she’d ever seen. She wondered if all ogres were like that, or if it was just her personality shining through.
“Well, I must say, never in my life have I heard of something so wild! To wake up in the middle of a forest with no memory, and to find a cottage and a letter and a magical Codex, and to find out you’ve been brought here on a quest to save the world, only to be told you’ve got to focus on growing your [Cottager] skills before you can even go on the quest!”
Alice was talking a million miles a minute. Hollie could almost see the thoughts rushing, swirling about in her head.
“I can’t even begin to imagine what must be going through your mind! If it had happened to me, well—”
Alice was cut short by the sound of a cuckoo. The shop door swung open and in strolled a thin young woman with hair so blond it might have been silver. It was pulled back into an ebony clip behind her head. A few pink-dyed strands dangled against the sides of her face. She was pale, which made the dark eyeliner and glossy crimson lipstick she wore stand out all the more. Her pink skirt fell just below her knees, and her frilly white peasant top was cropped short. It was the first time Hollie had noticed anyone in makeup, or dressed so…flashy.
Alice’s large eyes narrowed as the young woman walked in.
“Isobel,” she said curtly.
Isobel Bowens [https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53842577594_7aed894cf9_c.jpg]
The young woman gave the shopkeeper only the slightest nod of acknowledgment.
“Just need a pack of tobacco, Alice. My usual.” She turned her attention to Hollie now, looking her slowly up and down and smirking. “And who might you be?”
Though by the looks of her the woman wasn’t the sort of person Hollie would have typically cared about impressing, she couldn’t help but wither under her judgmental stare.
“Hollie Townes,” she answered. “I’m new here. Just—”
“Sure, whatever,” Isobel said rudely. “Are you just passing by? You don’t look like no traveler.”
“Not exactly,” Hollie said, trying her best to address Isobel as politely as she could. It was obvious Alice didn’t like the woman, but, as she was the newcomer, she didn’t want to tread on anyone’s toes. “I moved into a cottage. Spritespring Hollow.”
Isobel arched an eyebrow.
“Really now? I think I know the place. Dingy little run-down shack out in the middle of the woods. I’ll bet it’s crawling with—”
“Now listen here, you!” Alice had both hands on her hips and had puffed herself up even taller. “If you can’t find anything nice to say, shut your mouth and go bugger off!”
Isobel glared at Hollie for another second, then smirked and walked to the counter with a haughty swagger. She plucked a pack of tobacco from a stand and plopped down some change, then sauntered out the door.
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“Later, Alice!” she said smugly, leaving the door wide open behind her.
“Vile little tart!” Alice huffed and walked to the door, slamming it shut.
The cockatoo ruffled its feathers at the noise and echoed, “Little tart! Little tart!”
Hollie couldn’t help but to snicker.
“Don’t worry about Isobel. No one here cares for her much. She’s rude and thinks too highly of herself. And dingy little shack my great half-ogre behind! Spritespring Hollow, if it’s the place I’m thinking of—though strangely, now I’m not so sure—is a lovely little place. Anyhow, she isn’t even from Foxley Cross herself! Came from a homestead family about ten miles south, but now works as a maid at the Silverhelm Manor.”
Hollie had been taken aback by Isobel's rude manner, but Alice’s words reassured her.
“Now, I take it you need some supplies,” Alice said. “Let’s see what we can rustle up, shall we?”
Hollie spent a good while with Alice, looking through the Codex at the inventories of her pantry and outbuilding, and discussing what items would be best for her to purchase on her limited budget. Alice also urged her to check the Quest Board for postings, as there was usually two or three small jobs posted each week, and occasionally something that would offer a large payout.
“Also, anything you make or grow that you’d like to sell, you can sell directly or you can sell to me,” Alice explained. “I buy all sorts of goods and wares and produce from people in town and nearby farms. You can either bring them to me directly, or…” She stooped behind the counter and pulled out a small wooden box. “You can put your items in this and send them to the store for a small amount of [Magic].”
Hollie eyed the box suspiciously.
“It doesn’t look very big,” she said. “How would anything even fit in it?”
Alice let out a throaty laugh and smiled.
“It’s enchanted, of course! Just say the magic words and it will grow big enough to fit whatever you need. I’ve got one as well, in the storage room, and whenever someone sends something over, it goes directly to it. I hear a chime, then I unload everything and send the payment over in return. And no need to worry about thieves. The box will keep all gold safe and secure until you open it again. You see, you set your own magical phrase, in your own voice, which the box recognizes. It won’t open for anyone else. So, what do you think? You want one?”
“It sounds like it would make my life so much easier,” Hollie answered. “But, I’m sure that costs a fortune that I don’t have.”
Alice waved a hand in protest and smiled.
“Not at all! I make these myself and give them away to anyone who might have things to sell to me. It makes things easier for them, which, of course, makes them more likely to sell to me than someone else! It’s a win for everyone.”
“Wow! Then yes, I’ll certainly take one. Thanks!”
“You bet,” Alice said. “Best of luck to you Hollie. Don’t be a stranger. Come in and say hello whenever you’re back in town. Oh, and before I forget…” Alice snatched a piece of paper from a pile on the counter. “Foxley Cross has a Cottager’s meeting each month in the village hall. Anyone who is currently a [Cottager] class, or who has attained a [Cottager Level 3] before switching classes, can attend. It’s a great way to meet other folks and learn some tips and tricks and new skills. The next meeting is six days from now.”
Hollie took the paper with the notice and looked it over.
The Cottager’s Guild would like to invite you to our first meeting of the Spring! Join us at the Village Hall at noon on the 8th of Sun’s Rise for food and fun. This month’s guest speaker will be our own Bernard Brambleburr, who will be giving a talk on how to increase the production of [Gold Level] crops. Dinner will be provided by Gilda Willowroot, and dessert by Elara Copperleaf. The fee for the event is [5 balnochs].
“Thanks,” Hollie said. “I’ll plan on being there.”
With that, she bid Alice farewell and headed out the door.
For [42 balnochs], she’d added some more essentials to her pantry inventory—including all the ingredients to make the recipes Gilda had shared—as well as a dozen seed potatoes, a dozen onion bulbs, and several seed packets of herbs to plant in her garden.
She was ready to head back home, but wanted to have a look at the Quest Board. She only had [8 balnochs] left to her name, and she knew she’d need more than that, quickly.
“Let’s see what there is.”
Two pieces of parchment had been nailed to the board. The first job, offered up by a Mr. Elias Tynfell, was a call to repair a leaky roof that was plaguing his house. Pay was [250 balnochs]. Hollie wished she knew how to repair a roof. That amount of money would be nice to see. As it was, Hollie knew as little about roof repair as she did about, well, almost everything.
Thankfully there was one more job posted, albeit for far less pay. A Mr. Albus Grimsworth was looking for three Spotted Redcaps, which he added were to be found in the woods north of town. They needed to be delivered by the 7th of Sun’s Rise, and the pay would be [75 balnochs].
“I’ll take it,” Hollie said, and tore the parchment off the board.
[Job Procured: Gather 3 Spotted Redcap Mushrooms for Mr. Albus Grimsworth
Due: 10th of Sun’s Rise
Pay: 75 balnochs]
Hollie smiled. She was amazed at how quickly she’d gotten used to the blaring trumpet sound and the magical mid-air writing and that surge of—something—when a Status changed. It was no longer odd, just something that happened in this world. It probably wouldn’t be much longer before she hardly took notice of it.
With the job notice folded and placed in her Codex, Hollie made her way down the high street and out of the village. All in all, the visit to Foxley Cross had been a great success. It seemed a welcoming enough place—with the exception of Isobel Bowens—but she’d learned a bit more about this world, made some new friends, stocked up on supplies, and even taken her first job. She’d only been in this world for a day, but already she was feeling quite at home!
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The journey back to the cottage was as uneventful and peaceful as the journey into town had been. Hollie spent her time admiring the beauty of her surroundings. When she’d made it back to the stone bridge that crossed the stream that ran back home, she paused once more to gaze out at all the land below.
It was so vast. Wild. And yet, it felt tame in a way. She couldn’t imagine that such a beautiful place could hold any danger. It seemed to call to her, to reach deep down somewhere inside and beckon her to cast aside everything she carried and to run freely over the hills and through the valleys.
How did this place have such a hold on her? The hills and dales, the gentle, frolicking stream, the wildflowers blooming alongside the road, the trills and warbles of songbirds, and the trees so green and great and ancient that towered protectively over her. This place felt alive, and she could almost feel its life flowing through her.
“One of these days,” she stated aloud, “I will journey through every forest and field, city and village, hill and valley, and I’ll understand why it was me you summoned here.”
She didn’t know exactly to whom she was speaking—perhaps to whatever mysterious figure had left her the letter—but she needed to say the words, to still her beating heart if not for anything else.
Hollie turned her gaze to the stream and to the forest and headed home.
The cottage was just as welcoming as when she had first laid eyes on it. The cheery light that shone in the windows, and the warmth that flooded over her as she opened the door, were like the comforting embrace of an old friend. She sighed with satisfaction as she made her way inside.
“First things first. Let’s stock up the pantry and then put these seeds in the outbuilding.”
When Hollie had finished, her pantry inventory held a great many additional items.
[Pantry Inventory: Items Added:
Carrots: 10 units;
Celery: 4 units;
Potatoes: 4 units;
Leg of Lamb: 2 units;
Salt: 10 units;
Pepper: 5 units;
Garlic: 6 units;
Wine (Red): 5 units;
Thyme: 20 units;
Parsley: 20 units;
Sourdough Starter: 1 unit]
Afterwards, she made her way to the garden and deposited her new supplies in the outbuilding.
[Outbuilding Inventory: Items Added:
Seed Potatoes: 12;
Onion Bulbs: 12;
Basil Seeds: 5;
Oregano Seeds: 5;
Sage Seeds: 5;
Rosemary Seeds: 5]
Hollie took the Codex from her backpack and looked at her Stat Card. She had [60 Energy] left, and quite a bit of time before the sun set. She didn’t know how much [Energy] it would cost, but she figured now was as good a time as any to get started on preparing her garden. But first, she should probably change.