Marin, Book 1 (The Xortha Chronicles)

Chapter 40: Big Plans

Marin

Chapter 40: Big Plans

    Winter was settling in on Shintzu and snow began to fall. The snows in Shintzu were nothing like in the mountains around Kazak Deep. Marin and Abby were thankful for that. But since their encounter with that dark wizard from The Cult of Darkness, Marin's bones ached when the weather turned cold.

    "How are you feeling?" asked Abby.

    "Sore, but I'm fine," said Marin. She sipped her cup of cammilie tea enjoying the relief from the aching it brought and she was thankful for having something warm to drink on a cold day. Marin watched the snow fall outside while setting at a window and wondered how the dwarves at Dun Bazakrak were doing. After surviving a siege, they were in bad shape, but it had been several months since then and she hoped things were back to normal for them.

    Marin also thought of Tad and Meryl, her brother and his wife. They had just moved into a new house in Shintzu's East Side, not far from Jeb and Natty's place, and Meryl was due to deliver their baby any day now. Tad had a midwife visit them everyday to check on Meryl. Tad had been doing very well at the smithy where he worked and was earning enough for him and Meryl to live on since Meryl shouldn't be working in her condition. Meryl wanted to work but got into an argument with Madam Hester, the shop owner where she worked, over changing fashions. Meryl had some great new ideas while Madam Hester said nothing needed to be changed so she sacked Meryl.

    "Let's go visit Tad and Meryl," said Marin, "I'd like to see how things are going with them."

So Marin and Abby bundled up against the winter cold and walked to East Side. When they arrived, Meryl invited them in and warmed some cider.

    "I'm really glad you two came by," said Meryl, "I've been bored to tears with nothing to do except set and wait for the baby to get here."

    "Well," said Abby, "you should be taking it easy in your condition."

    Meryl did not want to hear this, "I know I'm with-child, but there are still plenty of things I can do. I still clean house and cook, and since I had some spare cloth lying around, Tad went to the potter and bought me some terra cotta doll's and I've been designing cloths to dress them in."She showed her handy work to Marin and Abby. "I've been thinking of going into business for myself and making some of my own designs to sell. I figure Madam Hester is a woman and a business owner so why couldn't I be a business owner too!"

    "I say go for it," said Marin, "well, after the baby gets here." She thought a minute, "If you are going to make clothes, you could probably do that from home while you tend to the baby."

    Meryl looked at Marin, ideas bursting in her head, "You know, that might work!" said Meryl excitedly. "And something I seen during my last week and Madam Hester's; a gnome engineer came in and showed us a contraption they made, it was called a Roto-Stitcher and it did all the sewing for you and it was so fast you could finish a dress in hours instead of days, all you had to do was cut the cloth!" Meryl thought a minute, "With one of those, I could really make a living making my own clothing designs."

    As they walked home, Marin and Abby talked about Meryl's business idea, "We should find a way to help Meryl," said Abby.

    "I'm heading to the only gnomish shop I know of right now," said Marin, "I'm going to buy that Roto-Stitcher for Meryl and give it to her for a Mid Winter gift." They trudged through the snow to Wobblesprocket and Company and a little gnome woman with blue hair walked up to Marin and Abby.

    "Greetings, I'm Beppy Wobblesprocket; welcome to my shop!" said Beppy.

    "Hi, my name is Marin and I'm wondering if you have something called a Roto-Stitcher?" said Marin.