Chapter 10 - Leveling Up
Hollie perused the Quest Board. It appeared that Mr. Tynfell's request to repair his roof had been undertaken by an Eleanor Frigby, who Hollie imagined must be currently perched high on top of a house somewhere around the village.
Another parchment asked for some brave soul to return the carcass of a nuisance bear that had been terrorizing their homestead in the forest about 15 miles southwest of town. The pay was [600 balnochs], which to Hollie sounded a tempting amount, but she’d learned her lesson with the thunderwolf yesterday. She wasn’t ready to meet any large, ferocious animal out in the wilds any time soon.
The last job on the board had been placed by a Mr. Ashwood Brambleburr, and as Hollie looked it over, she smiled. According to the posting, the job was to help finish tilling and planting the final field of Brambleburr Farm. The job was scheduled to start in two days’ time and was estimated to last two or three days, depending on how much could get done. Pay was [400 balnochs], and the only thing required was the willingness to put in the hard work.
And that, Hollie thought, was something she could do.
“I’ll take the farming job,” Hollie said. “For Mr. Brambleburr.”
In an instant, her name was now on the posting in large letters: “Accepted by Hollie Townes.”
[Job Procured: Till and plant the final field of BrambleburrFarm
Begin: 9th of Sun’s Rise
Pay: 400 balnochs]
With a satisfied sigh, Hollie left the Quest Board and made her way to the village shop. She was looking forward to seeing Alice again, and to stocking up on a few supplies.
Chipping's [https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53852877320_66863fae0a_c.jpg]
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“Hollie! Good to see you again.” Alice’s eyes were bright and her toothy smile as wide as ever. “How have things been—oh dear! What happened to you?”
Hollie sniffled. “Do I really look that bad?”
“Honestly?” Alice playfully arched an eyebrow. “Yes. You look absolutely miserable. Puffy eyes. Red nose. You’re sniffling like crazy. And—”
“Ah-choo!” Hollie sneezed with such force she was surprised the whole shop didn’t fall down around her.
“And you’re sneezing like a fat dragon who’s gorged himself on hot peppers!”
Hollie laughed. “I guess you’re right. And if I look even half as bad as I feel, I must look pretty bad indeed.”
“Tell me you’ve stopped by Althea’s to pick up something for that cold.”
“I have.” She pulled out the satchel to show Alice.
"Hmmm, elvenstar tea,” Alice said with an approving nod. “That’s the good stuff. Not only will it knock this cold on its feet, but it’ll double your [Energy] for the day.”
“Really?” Hollie was intrigued. “I guess that will come in handy. I just accepted a job to help finish tilling and planting a field at Brambleburr Farm in a couple of days.”
“Did you now?” Alice seemed surprised. “That’ll be a lot of back breaking work. But the Brambleburrs are good folks. And good cooks to boot. Halflings they are. Old Bernard Brambleburr, who’s the head of the farm, suffered a broken foot a day ago. Tripped over a rock in one of his fields while he was plowing. His son, Ash, posted the job. They’ve got to get the field plowed and planted quickly so that their crop will be ready come harvest time. With Bernard out, they were in desperate need of another pair of hands.”
The way Alice described the job, it seemed much bigger than she’d thought. She wondered if she’d made the right decision. Alice, seeing the uncertainty on her face, added, “You’ll be alright. Nothing you can’t handle with a bit of grit and elbow grease! Now how’d you end up with that cold of yours? You weren’t out and about in that storm yesterday, were you?”
Hollie took a seat on the stool by the counter and told of her adventure meeting Mr. Grimsworth and hunting for the Spotted Redcaps, and how she’d nearly fallen prey to a thunderwolf in the forest.
“How frightful!” Alice exclaimed. “I’m so glad you made it back safely. And good on you for having found the Redcaps too. Between you and Mr. Grimsworth, I’m sure the sick little chap will be feeling better in no time. But Hollie! Really! You should never go out into the wild in the middle of storm. Especially one like that!”
“I know, I know,” Hollie replied. “Lesson learned. And believe me, I’m in no hurry to go out any further than my back garden any time soon. I guess I just thought, naively, that everything here was perfect. That there wasn’t anything really dangerous.”
Alice nodded. “It really is a wonderful place, Balnochy, but it has its share of dangers. And in time, the more you learn about this world, and the higher the levels you attain, they’ll be easier to face. But take it slow. You’re still new here, and you don’t know yet just what you don’t know.”
“One small step at a time,” Hollie said. “It’s a hard thing to do when you feel like sprinting.”
“Well, you’ve finished the job for Mr. Grimsworth, which means you have a bit more money to your name again. I’m guessing you stopped by for more than conversation.” Alice gave Hollie a friendly wink. “What can I get for you today?”
“Well, if you sell recipes, I could use a few,” Hollie answered.
“Certainly!”
“And of course some more food to cook them with.”
“Got it. Anything in particular you have in mind?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe a couple of options each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?”
“We can do that. I’ve got a few easy ones that should work, and give you a bit of variety without having to spend your money on too many different ingredients. [Level 1] recipes are only [1 balnoch] each. [Level 2] recipes are [3 balnochs] each. You’re a [Cottager], right?”
“Yes. [Level 1] at the moment, but I think I’ll reach [Level 2] within a day or two.”
“Splendid!” Alice beamed. “I knew you had it in you! And cooking new recipes is a surefire way to gain some more experience. Keep it up, and I bet you’ll even reach [Level 3] sooner than you know.”
Hollie smiled. Alice’s words made her feel that she might be cut out for this world after all, even if she wasn’t ready to go gallivanting around the wilds as a [Ranger] just yet. Life as a [Cottager] was exciting and fulfilling in its own way.
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Alice rummaged through a large, leather portfolio. It was divided into pockets, each with its own label.
“Aha! This one should liven your mornings up a bit.” Alice pulled a half sheet of paper from the front pocket and laid it on the counter. “And this one,” she said, removing another, “would make for a nice lunch. And maybe we could throw in something to bake while we’re at it.”
She continued on, mumbling to herself as she searched, until seven recipe cards were laid out for Hollie to see.
“These look pretty good,” she said happily. “And they seem easy enough to make.”
“You won’t have any trouble whipping up any of these,” Alice reassured her. “They’re all [Level 1]. So only [7 balnochs] total. And the supplies are cheap and easy to come by too. If you’re happy with the recipes, I can send the supplies over to you in the shipping box.”
“That would be fantastic,” Hollie said. She was thankful she wouldn’t have to lug a heavy load of goods all the way back to the cottage herself. “I’ve only got [83 balnochs] to my name though, so I probably can’t buy too much.”
“Not a problem. None of this is too expensive. Let me go get the supplies and total it up for you.”
Alice left her post behind the counter and zigzagged her way through the shop, gathering one item after the other until she had a large assortment of groceries piled on the counter. Hollie eyed it cautiously, doubting she could afford everything in front of her.
“This all comes out to [52 balnochs],” Alice stated.
Hollie was slack-jawed. “That little?”
“I told you,” Alice answered proudly, “These are good recipes, easy to make and not too expensive. Perfect for anyone just starting out and without too much money.”
“Well, thank you,” Hollie said. “I appreciate it. You’ve been so helpful and kind. Everyone here has. I don’t know what I’d do without you all. And—ah-choo!”
Alice reached across the counter and placed a hand on Hollie’s arm.
“Hollie, as much as I’d love to listen to you sing our praises and accolades,” Alice smiled warmly, “I really think it’s best if you head back to the cottage and make some of that tea Althea gave you.”
Hollie nodded, knowing Alice was right. And as much as she liked the company, she was ready to be home, snug in her favorite chair beside the fire place with a cup of tea in her hands and half dozing off.
“Your items will be waiting for you when you get home,” Alice said.
“Thanks,” Hollie said with one last smile for her friend, then left for the long walk back to the cottage.
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The trek back to the cottage from town didn’t feel quite as long. Hollie figured that her visit with Alice and the successful completion of her first job had lifted her spirits. And the promise of Althea’s healing tea had helped to spur her on as well.
Rural Walk [https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53852877325_1b7bab9e00_b.jpg]
She was pleased to find that all of the groceries she had bought were waiting for her in the larder, sitting in the magical container Alice had given her on her first visit to town. Magic was a wonderful thing, she thought. At least this kind of magic was. Not the kind that ripped through the sky on a stormy day and brought things like thunderwolves to life. Still, she figured that the good kind of magic must vastly outweigh the bad kind in Balnochy, otherwise she wouldn’t have found herself in such a comfortable little cottage, and befriended by so many helpful people.
She lit the stove and put the kettle on. While the water was heating, she took out the recipe cards and looked them over. The excursion into town had left her ravenously hungry, and she wanted to find something she could cook quickly and that would fill her up. She took one in her hand and examined it.
"Bangers and Mash,” she said.
She read through the ingredients, then dug out what she needed from the larder and retrieved a frying pan, a stock pot, and a sauce pan. The kettle squealed and she let out a sneeze.
“Oh, just in time,” she said, sniffling her nose.
Hollie hurried over to turn the burner off. She took one of the satchels Althea had given her and placed it in a cup, then poured the steaming water over it, letting the leaves steep for a few minutes. It had a sweet, almost lavender scent to it, and a hint of honey. When Hollie finally took a sip, she was pleased to find that it tasted as wonderfully as it smelled.
When she’d finished the cup—already she found her nose was slightly less sniffly and her eyes slightly less watery—Hollie went back to preparing her dinner.
First she took the large cast iron skillet and poured in a spoonful of oil. Then she gathered a few sausages—thick, juicy ones made of pork with no fillers—and added them to the skillet, being sure to poke them a few times with a fork so they didn’t burst open with a bang. Their tendency to do so, according to the recipe card, was how they got their name. She turned them over and over in the pan, watching them sizzle until they were brown and cooked through. They smelled so good, and Hollie’s stomach growled with yearning as she worked.
When the sausages were done, she put them aside and set to work on the gravy. Hollie chopped up some garlic cloves and onions and added them into the skillet, stirring them a bit until they turned a golden brown. Next she added some flour and beef stock, stirring it patiently as it simmered and thickened into a tantalizing sauce. Finally, she added a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.
When the onion sauce had finished, so too had the potatoes. Now boiled and softened, she added the milk and butter and salt, mashing it all together until it was thick and creamy. The peas she’d had boiling were ready as well.
Hollie fixed herself a plate, scooping out a heaping spoonful of the potatoes and two of the sausages, then drizzling them with the onion sauce. She filled the rest of her plate with peas, then brought it to the kitchen table. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the aroma. It was so rich and savory that it was hard for Hollie to imagine it had been so easy to prepare. When she took a bite, she was even more impressed.
Bangers and Mash [https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53852700368_6f9b7f86ce_c.jpg]
Alice had been right. This was a great recipe. One that she could see herself making time and again, maybe even to share with a friend. She wished that she had some company now. Someone to make things not so lonely. And then she remembered the Codex.
Hollie ruffled through her backpack and pulled out the thick little book, opening it to its blank middle pages.
“Codex, I hope you’re doing well. I’ve forgotten about you since the day of the storm, and I’m so sorry. I think I’m still not used to carrying on a conversation with a book.”
Ink swirled around on the page and formed itself into letters and words.
Quite understandable. It would take me a rather long time to get used to a world without any magic. Then again, if there were such a world, I wouldn’t even exist in it to begin with, would I?
Hollie laughed. She was happy to have a friend with her even if it was a talking book and not a living, breathing person. The Codex asked her how her journey to find the Spotted Redcaps had gone, and she filled it in on everything that had happened since.
So, of all the new recipes you bought from Alice, what did you end up cooking?
"Bangers and mash,” Hollie answered.
And is it any good?
“Better than good!” she smiled. “Absolutely top notch delicious.”
Well then, you should check the Cookbook. Since it was such a success, it should have the recipe added for you.
Hollie turned her attention to the large tome at the end of the table that was now glowing and watched it open, its pages flipping on their own.
Recipe: Bangers and Mash
Ingredients: 1 unit of sausage, 1 unit of potatoes, 1 unit of peas, 1 unit of oil
Health Restored: 10
Energy Restored: 15
And following that was the familiar sound of a trumpet and surge of energy.
[Cottager XP Gained: 5
LEVEL UP!
New Level Unlocked: Cottager Level 2
Points Needed for Next Level: 100]
And then, something new happened. The whole room lit up in a flash of golden light, and in bright letters that glowed like silver starlight were the words:
[Quest: Explore Spritespring Hollow
Objective Complete: Obtain Cottager Level 2
New Objective: Obtain Cottager Level 3]
The words lingered in the air for a moment before disappearing and leaving Hollie breathless with wonder. The Codex, which had been sitting quietly as all this happened, now sprang to life again, flipping back to its first page which now showed Hollie as a Level 2 [Cottager] and displayed her new quest objective.
She swelled with pride. Sure, it was only a small accomplishment in the grand scheme of things, but it made her feel more sure of her place in Spritespring Hollow—and in this magical Kingdom of Balnochy. Perhaps she did have what it took to see this whole thing through to the end, whatever that would entail. All she needed to do was keep at it, one small step at a time.
The Codex flipped back to the middle, where words began to form once more.
Hollie, just so you don’t forget in the midst of all this excitement, tomorrow is the 8th of Sun’s Rise.
Hollie wrinkled her brow in confusion.
“What’s on that day again?” she asked.
The Spring meeting of the Cottagers' Guild. At noon in the village hall.
“Oh, yes! Thank you, Codex! I completely—ah-choo!—forgot.”
If you plan on attending, I highly suggest you make yourself another cup of that tea and use what small bit of magic you possess to have the kitchen clean up your mess.
Hollie nodded. “Advice heeded,” she said, then closed the book and put it in her backpack. “Thank you, Codex, for always looking out for me. I can always count on you.”
Hollie put the kettle on, set the kitchen to cleaning up, then went into the sitting room to rest. Tomorrow she’d be feeling better, and she’d head back into town to the guild meeting as a proud Level 2 Cottager. And after that, she’d get started on her next objective.