The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Wandmaker Vol.2

WM [13] Knives Are Not Wands

"How about this? I will do a bundle just for you," Tanisha said with an award-winning smile. "Since you need the draught of strength too. I will do it all for two and a half silver. You won't get that deal anywhere else."

"Two and a quarter," a night-hand wendigo man said.

Tanisha had been haggling with this man for a while. He was trying to be a tough sell, but this was reasonably relaxed compared to the people in Lavi, who were always in a hurry. In Lavi, hundreds of other merchants sold similar products if someone didn't like her prices. Here, she was the only alchemist, as the town only had an herbalist and an apothecary. The fact she had five platinum coins and over fifty gold also helped to settle her nerves.

Tanisha said with a clap, "Two silver forty-five, lowest I'll go. You should see what the town herbalist can do if you need anything else. Although I am sure Bodil was here a few minutes ago and was looking for ingredients, I doubt she has anything. So, do we have a deal?"

The man tried to haggle a bit more but buckled and paid when Tanisha went up on the price instead of down.

"Thank you for your business," Tanisha said.

Tanisha and Bjorn were in the town of Birchgrove. It was a larger settlement then they had been expecting but the fact it was on a through road to get to Lavi it should have been expected. The town was well defended with a stone wall that had some slight enchantments. It was definitely to keep out monsters and beast not for a prolonged assault from wizards or especially mages. The town also had the distinct architectural design closer to that of humans than wendigo. Structures were colorful and needlessly complex, at least much more so than was expected in a wendigo town.

Tanisha and Joha had to get permits to set up in the town, and the process took a day, so to make up for the registration cost and the day they lost, they decided to be there for the next week. So far, Tanisha and Joha had great business and couldn't complain. On the other hand, Bjorn looked bored out of his three heads. He would help with setting up and then sit around and watch.

Tanisha was loading her unsold potions back into their proper cases. "Hmm. Joha, do you think there is something Bjorn can do around town?"

Joha rubbed his chin. "I am not sure, no. Is something wrong?"

"No, I just kind of feel bad he just sits around and watches all day. I am sure he would rather not have to lay around me at a stand."

"He can hunt." Joha said with some more contemplation. "Although I have noticed that wendigo don't seem to mind him walking around even alone. It was the same in Lavi when he was larger. Are wendigo just fine with large animals wandering around unattended?"

"Sometimes I forget that you can't sense mana. Umm, people can sense a familiar and at what stage of their familiar bond they are. Anyone that has any sensitivity to mana should be able to tell the difference between a wild animal and a familiar."

"Then he can run errands and hunt when you don't need anything. We can pick up some paper, so if you send him to buy something, he can take the list with him."

"That would work for most things, but I would still have to go to the herbalist myself," Tanisha turned to Bjorn. "How does that sound, Big Man?"

Bjorn hissed his agreement and wrote out, great, in the dirt at his feet. Tanisha smiled; he was getting better with his spelling. She corrected him a little and nuzzled him to encourage him to continue trying. She couldn't believe how fast he was improving and resolved to continue teaching him how to read and write Valish. He could do simple sentences in dirt, but his hands weren't designed to hold a writing utensil.