If Isa was reading Tinero’s spellbook correctly, he’d created a scroll with the gate spell embedded in it. And then he’d hidden it somewhere. Isa sat back and let out a ragged breath. That could be a ticket home. But what are the chances he had been able to use it? And if he hadn’t been able to, what are the chances that it was discovered and used by some-- Fedru!

Isa quickly reread the last page, yes there it was - the wizard Fedru’s name. And Vernal was his first name, wasn’t it? She threw open her bag, not caring if the library monitor noticed, and grabbed her notebook. With shaking hands she turned to her quest log. There it was under the heading Delivery. “Vernal Fedru lives outside of the village in a secluded cottage.”

So Fedru had been guiding Gerry Tinero. Like he guided Joth? Well, that might be some comfort - if Fedru had found Gerry’s gate scroll, he would have used it, right? And he was obviously still in Varana so that meant he hadn’t found the scroll. Which meant that maybe Isa could.

Unless of course Fedru had sent someone else through the gate. Or some thing. Who knew what his agenda might be. He’d been off-putting in their one interaction but not unpleasant and not threatening.

There was only one person she could talk to about the scroll and about Fedru - if she could trust him. And that was a big question - could she trust Joth Windbane?

Isa closed the spellbook and rang the bell to bring the library acolyte to her. “Thank you. I don’t need this anymore,” she told him.

As she walked to Lund’s, Isa couldn’t help but think about the day before. She’d gone into the tavern with 30 some odd gold, and before the night was done, she’d gained 71 more gold. It felt like a fortune, until she remembered that it would take 25 gold just to buy one of Anne’s healing potions.

The merchant was suddenly at Isa’s elbow. “What are you needing, girl?”

“Ah! Don’t sneak up on me.” Isa looked up and down the road. “Where did you come from anyway?”

“I can’t believe you didn’t see me. You should pay more attention. What is it you want to buy?”

“Nothing really. I was thinking about your healing potions, and--”

Anne dropped the handles of her wheelbarrow and jogged around to the front. “Well, aren’t you in luck! Fresh batch from my friend. I should charge more because they’re fresh, but it’s a public service, really. You adventurers are out adventuring; it’s the least I can do to give you access to healing potions at cost.”

Isa couldn’t help but smile. “At cost, huh? What goes into a healing potion that makes it so expensive?”

“Herbs, spices, liquids… important stuff. Secret recipe. Magical essences.”

“Makes sense.” Isa nodded for a moment and came to a decision. “I need some information. Can I buy you a drink at Lund’s? Maybe something to eat?”

“Information about who?” Anne narrowed her eyes.

“Information about what. Spell scrolls, to be exact.”

“Magic. Hmmm, magic’s trickey stuff. I don’t know if I’ll earn my reward, and I have a big appetite. I know I look small, but my stomach is large.”

“I’ll take my chances, and Lund has good prices.”

“You two….” Anne bumped her closed fists together. “Making it?”

“No! He’s my friend, that’s all, and I don’t have a place of my own yet.”

“It’s just that there are other places to eat, you know. Like Saddler’s. It’s good. Quiet, older crowd. Perfect place to talk.”

“Saddler’s? There’s a Saddler’s in my neighborhood. Back home, I mean. Isn’t that strange?”

Anne veered down a small path. “Most places have inns and taverns - places where a body can get a bite to eat. Seems to me - keep up! Seems to me that it’d be strange if you didn’t have them in your world.”

Isa double stepped to catch up with Anne. The woman was short, how did she walk so fast and with the wheelbarrow?

“The names, I mean. The names are the same.”

“Saddler’s everywhere. Or just about. Man was a genius for marketing.”

Isa shook her head. “But no, my world’s not like your world.”

The merchant flashed a white-toothed smile. “Oh child, that’s what everyone says.”

With effort Isa kept from sighing. Annoying old people - they sure seemed universal.

Anne took another few turns as the thin path widened out to be a proper foot path. “Forget Saddler’s,” Anne said. “Let’s go to Zileek’s. He lays a fine table. The plates are huge.”

With a shrug Isa followed Anne as she veered right again and took another narrow path. Isa thought they might be near the river, but she wasn’t sure. Still she kept an eye to the sides of the path. No gnolls were going to surprise her.

“Don’t you worry,” Isa asked Anne, “about bandits?”

Thin branches, ferns, and wildflowers whapped against the wheelbarrow as the path narrowed more. “I told you first time we met that I have protections. No one is messing with the wheelbarrow.”

“The wheelbarrow, fine, but what about you? You’re pretty important.”

“Ha! You are sneaky, but I’m not giving you my secrets. Here we are!” They were suddenly standing on a green lawn in front of a 3 story house. Anne rolled her wheelbarrow up the walkway and into the door of the house. Inside Isa saw a dozen tables, only one was occupied.

“Zileek!” Anee bellowed. “Got a live one here. She’s buying my dinner, so start slinging!”

They sat at a table by the window, and Isa saw that the restaurant did indeed overlook the river. “This is a cool spot. Where is everyone?”

“It’s early,” Anne said and waved her hand dismissively.

“Do they have rooms to rent? I’d love a room with this view, if it’s not too much.”

“May as be. I heard that old Ficksma died, but they’ve been saying that for years. We’ll ask Zileek.”

As Anne spoke a very short, round man walked up. He had reddish gray hair and a long mustache. “Inne, my friend, you ire bick,” he said.

“And hungry! Where’s the food? But I want you to meet someone, too. She needs a place to stay. What’s your name again?”

“Isa. Isa Chamberlin.” She stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Zaleek.”

He didn’t take her hand. “You cirry a blide.”

“I wha-- Oh! Yes, I’m a fighter, I guess. But I’m not a….” Isa fished around for the right word…. “mercenary. I don’t hurt people on purpose.”

Zileek looked puzzled. “Thit’s the point, yi? Heirtin’ people?”

“Yes?” She was having a very hard time understanding him. She glanced at Anne, who sat smiling serenely. “I’m sorry - I’m not from around here, so I…”

“Lots of people have trouble with the dwarvish accent,” Anne said cheerily. “He’s trying to figure out how much he can charge you for a room.” She moved her hands in the air. “It’s the dance! Dwarves are basically good - no offense Zileek - but he wants to charge you above market value, of course, and you - you want to undercut his profits and get a bargain. It’s all very fascinating, but it’s not getting me fed.”

“He’s a dwarf? Like a dwarf-dwarf?”

Anne and Zileek stared at Isa. “Yes, I’m i dwirf. Ind you’re a humin. Works thit wiy sometimes.” He gave her a friendly smile and held her gaze for a long moment. “Now, let’s get some food in you, Isi.” He rubbed his hands together.

Isa laughed. “That I understood.”

“Linguige is i funny thing.” Zileek nodded. “I’ll be right bick with something speciil for Isi.”

The dwarf was back 5 minutes later with a laden tray. He put 6 dishes on the table between Anne and Isa, and in the center he placed a basket of flat bread.

“What’s this?” Anne gestured at the food.

“It’s dinner. Whit’s it look like?”

“It looks great,” said Isa as she reached for a piece of bread.

“We eit fimily style, yi? You tike the breid ind some spoons of the dishes, ind you eit ind shire.” Zileek mimed bringing food to his mouth.

“Where’s the meat?” Anne sounded exasperated. “You know I like a good chop.”

“This is triditionil fire. Dwirves, we hive i lirge pililte. I thought Isi would enjoy this meil.”

For her part Isa had already ladled out samplings of 3 different dishes. One seemed to be baked beans, another was greens with cubes of, perhaps, potatoes, and the third looked like falafel.

She bit into the fried ball, and the taste was similar to falafel - savory, nutty, and sharp. “This is so good,” she said around a mouthful of food.

“Hrumph,” said Anne as she tried to spoon the potato cubes without getting any greens.

“Good then,” Zileek clasped his hands. “We’ll tilk ibout rooms ifter you eit.”

After he’d gone Isa wiped her mouth. “About spell scrolls. Let’s say I found one and wanted to use it. What do I do?”

“You don’t do anything,” Anne said as she mopped beans off her plates. “Wish he’d brought me a chop. Don’t you? What’s with the healer’s menu, huh? He must be low on supplies.” She put her elbow on the table and gestured at Isa with her bread. “You can use that, girl. He could use a strong hand around here. A fighter to keep things moving. I hear there are gnolls moving in. Could be they’re causing havoc with Zileek’s supply line.”

“Use what?”

“It’s a bargaining piece, isn’t it? You need a place to lay your head. He needs someone to fear up the gnolls from time to time.” She waved her hand in the air. “It’s a reciprocal thing, right? You wash my hands; I wash yours.”

“Right. Right. So about the spell scroll. Why can’t I use it?”

“You’re not a spellcaster. Are you? Only ‘caster can use a scroll.”

“Then what’s the point?” Isa sat back and moved the plate away from her. Disappointment crashed over her. At every turn she was being thwarted.

“Well, I don’t know! What’s the point of anything? What’s the point of this meatless meal? No, you want to know the point? Here’s the point: you didn’t have to cook.” Anne crossed her arms over her stomach.

“OK.” Isa nodded her head. “OK, fine. I can make this work.” She’d just have to trust Joth. That had been her plan anyway. No need to change. To Anne she said, “A spellcaster can read the scroll and that um, triggers the magic?”

“Yeah.”

“So you hold the dia-- the spell material, whatever it might be, and you read the scroll, and that’s it?”

“Don’t need the material. It’s all there, baked in, if you please. That’s why they’re so damned--” She scratched her chin. “So listen, you don’t know what you got, because you can’t read it. And I won’t know what you got because I’m no ‘caster. So let’s make this easy. I’ll trade you a healing potion for the scroll.”

Isa narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to swindle me?”

Anne thought for a moment. “Don’t think so, no.”

“Well it doesn’t matter anyway because I don’t have a scroll. I’m just hoping to get a scroll. And when I do, I can have a friend, I guess he’s a friend, read it for me.”

“Use Ready Wizard. That way you’re not beholding to anyone for anything. That’s how I live my life.”

“What’s that? Ready Wizard. What’s that?”

“Wizards for hire. Though I think they branched to druids, too. They can teleport you, make you a mansion for the night.” Anne wiggled her eyebrows. “For that special occasion, right? Right? Mansion, servants, fancy foods. 24 hours of bliss. But with druids you got practical stuff too like controlling the weather for a day or reattaching a thumb.” She held up her hand and flexed her thumb. “See? Can’t even see the scar.”

“So you think I should hire a wizard to read the scroll - once I have it.”

“Nice, clean business transaction. No entanglements, no having to go halvsies with your friend if you’re getting something good from the scroll. Prices vary, depending on what you need, of course.”

“And where are these wizards for hire?”

“Usually they have a booth on the square, but you can journey out to Fedru’s anytime, and he’ll set you up.”

“Vernal Fedru? He’s part of this?”

“He started it, didn’t he! Crap wizard but a head for business. Wish I’d thought of it. Get a bunch of poor, low level ‘casters, and you put ‘em on retainer.”

Is that how he’d started with Gerry? Maybe they’d been friends at first, but things had turned sinister. Was Fedru still twisting wizards’ minds? He had to be stopped. “I have a friend who might need a job. How do you go about applying?”

Anne snorted. “No, you don’t. You’re a terrible liar.”

Isa tried not to let her hurt feelings show - she thought she’d done really well with that spur of the moment fib. “I’m just interested in the setup that’s all. Gimme a break.”

“Don’t think you should horn in on Fedru’s turf, but you know your own mind. Wanna know the deal, ask your friend Joth Windbag. He’s a Ready Wizard.”

Spoiler: Isa's Character Sheet

Name: Isa Chamberlin

Race: Human

Height & Weight: 5ft 6inches / 120 lbs

Class: Fighter Level: 4

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Background: Stranger in a Strange Land

Hit Points: 26 AC: 15

Current Hit Points: 26

Combat: +5 to Hit

Weapons: Scimitar +1 (left hand) 1d6 +4 (slashing) / Quarterstaff (right hand) 1d6 +2 (bludgeoning)

STR

11

0

DEX

16

+3

CON

11

0

INT

13

+1

WIS

13

+1

CHA

12

+1

Saving Throws: Str and Con +2

5

Acrobatics* (Dex)

1

Medicine (Wis)

1

Animal Handling (Wis)

1

Nature (Int)

1

Arcana (Int)

3

Perception* (Wis)

0

Athletics (Str)

1

Performance (Cha)

1

Deception (Cha)

1

Persuasion (Cha)

3

History* (Int)

1

Religion (Int)

3

Insight* (Wis)

3

Sleight of Hand (Dex)

1

Intimidation (Cha)

3

Stealth (Dex)

1

Investigation (Int)

1

Survival (Wis)

Special Attack: Two weapon fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Class Features:

Second Wind - On your turn, you can use a Bonus Action to regain hit points equal to 5 + your fighter level. Short or Long Rest before you can use it again.

Action Surge - On your turn, you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and a possible Bonus Action. You must finish a short or Long Rest before using it again.

Martial Archetype: Surgical Fighter

3rd level - Clinical Eye: Spend 1 combat turn studying your enemy and learn one of the following: if the enemy is equal to or stronger than you in strength, dexterity, or constitution. Can spend up to 3 turns to discern all 3. Can be used outside of combat as a free action - spend 1 minute to learn all three.