Deney is a large city. It seemed to Isa to be about twice the size of Hanchen. Even the streets on the edge of town were paved with cobblestones. Isa had stepped into the bush in Bywater and stepped out in a small park beside a fancy, 3 story house. The sign on the lawn said, “Thakeley’s & Sons.”

“What is that?” Isa asked Joth. “A law firm or something?”

“Funeral home.” Joth took her arm and turned her around. “It’s the only one in town, so they do a good business.” He smoothed down his robe and then looked at Isa. He tugged at her jacket. “Deney is known for its traders and its guilds. They expect people to be quick and professional. No bullshit, alright?”

“I’m not the one who’s always haggling and trying to angle a better deal. That’s you, mister.”

“Yeah well, not in Deney.” He pulled at his sleeves. “There’s a moneylender I know, she’s usually ready to buy whatever you’re selling. But she’s a little…. She’s a little like Rainman, OK? So let me do the talking.”

“Oh, she’s on the spectrum? Like Asperger’s syndrome? They have that here?”

“I mean she’s an idiot savant, like Dustin Hoffman, in the movie.”

“Oo, yeah, no.” Isa shook her head. “No one says that anymore. You have been gone a long time. It’s like…. People who act differently or think differently, well that’s OK. It’s no big deal. You just adjust a little, right? So this moneylender -- what’s her name?”

“Abboth.”

“Right, Abboth. Let’s go see her. I am tired of carrying around this damned scimitar.”

Joth lead her down several wide streets. They seemed to be in a residental area. “You know your way around, huh?”

Joth shrugged. “There’s a great library here, so I get up this way when I can.”

“Libraries and guilds. Got it.” Isa pointed at a tall, run down house. “What’s that? It’s the poorest place we’ve seen so far.”

“That’s an orphanage. There are 2 of them in town. Or were, last time I was here.”

“Is that a lot? That seems like a lot.”

“I have no idea,” Joth replied. “But Deney’s a big place. Lots of trade. They have a huge book fair here every year. Buying, selling. Of all sorts….”

“You mean sex workers. And probably crude contraceptives. So you get unplanned babies.” Isa sighed. “Who runs the orphanages?”

“The temples, I assume.” He stopped at a row of buildings set back from the road. “Here we are. No eye contact. No sudden moves. Abboth keeps a big knife behind the counter, and--” He held out his hands. “Give me all the stuff. Even the scimitar. Just put it on top.” Once she’d done that, he said. “Keep both hands on your staff and keep quiet. Do that and you should walk out of here with a ton of gold, alright?”

He let Isa open the door for him since his hands were full. “Windbane, Joth. Wizard,” he called out.

A short dark haired woman stood behind the counter. She wore a white apron over a white shirt. “Joth Windbane,” she said. “2nd class wizard, 4th level. 107, 5, 3.”

What was that? Isa wondered. The numbers - did Joth owe her money? Isa expected Joth to correct the woman about his level - he had gained a level recently, but he simply smiled and laid the bundle on the counter, carefully balancing the scimitar in its sheath. “This isn’t mine,” he said hurriedly. “It’s hers. I just brought it in.” He paused. “I expect to be back here in a few days. To settle up. In full.”

Abboth didn’t respond. She took the scimitar in hand first, pulling the blade free of the scabbard. The gray metal shone in the dusty light of the shop. “Pretty,” she said and set it aside. Next she unfolded the one druid’s traveling clothes, running her hands down the side seams of the jacket, inspecting the buttons. She folded it carefully and moved on, taking each piece in turn and inspecting it with care. Belts, blankets, daggers, and gems all met with her exacting eye.

Through it all Isa stood silent beside Joth, her hands consciously glued to her staff. She watched Abboth work from the corner of her eye, remembering what Joth had said. But at one point the woman held the black gem to the light, and she and Isa accidently made eye contact. Abboth turned bright red and dropped the gem with a clatter.

Joth cried out and glanced at Isa, who quickly ducked her head. He retrieved the obsidian and placed it in the center of the counter.

“984,” Abboth said. Isa could see that she looked at the space between the two of them. “Trade? I have an eversmoking bottle. Or 2 black pearls?”

Isa kept quiet, trusting Joth, even though that was hard.

“Hmmm,” he said. “Isa needs some ready cash. How about 150 in coin and the rest in gems.”

“Eversmoking bottle,” Abboth said, “never had anyone express regret for buying one.”

Isa could not remain quiet. “What’s it do?”

Abboth looked at the floor. “I attune it to you. Command word, like. And you,” she mimed pulling a cork from a bottle, “unstopper it. Makes a helluva smoke. Can’t see, can’t breathe. Can’t stopper it back without the command word.”

“Great fun at parties,” said Joth.

Abboth continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “Hide yourself away, hurt your enemies, confuse the law.” She mimed putting the cork back in the bottle. “And it’s eversmoking. The smoke, it’s there when you need it.”

“Very niche market,” Joth said pointedly. “We’ll take the coin and gems.”

“Oh sure.” Abboth turned away from the counter and crouched down. Seconds later she had a sack and an assortment of gems on the counter. She said, “Amber, amethyst, jade, onyx, turquoise.” She flicked one of the turquoise away from the others. “Little flawed so that’s to bring it to 834 in gems.”

Joth swiped the gems into a pouch and handed them to Isa. He picked up the coin bag and hefted it once. “Feels heavy.”

“It’s not.” Abboth began to straighten already straight papers on the counter. “150 gold coins.”

“Of course. I’m not doubting you. Sorry I-- Isa, here you are.” He handed her the coin bag. “Thank you, Abboth. Always a pleasure.”

Once they were outside Isa opened the gem pouch. Inside she saw several turquoise stones, 2 stones of the golden brown that indicated amber, a purple, some green, and some black stones. “Don’t lose this pouch, huh?”

“Yes. Most certainly.”

Isa took a deep breath. “That wasn’t so bad. And with the other coins I’ve earned…. I’m like a 5th of the way home.” She looked sideways at him. “So you owe Abboth some money? Is that what that whole greeting was about? You owe like a hundred some-odd to her? I don’t mean to pry, but I just got a ton of gold, and if you need some….” She couldn’t believe she was saying this, but it felt right. He’d done a lot for her in the short time they’d known each other.

“No, that is all yours, fair and square. Besides, I have a few Deney quests in my quest log.” He shrugged. “”I should be good.”

Isa put the two pouches into her small bag, the one that held her notebook. “Is there like a bank or something so I don’t have to haul this around all the time?”

“Most taverns and inns have safes. You can store stuff with Lund, or are you going to go stay at Zileek’s? You can keep things with him. Dwarves do not mess around when it comes to guarding valuables.”

She forgot that she’d mentioned the dwarf to Joth. “Yeah, I guess we’ll see how this quest goes, huh?”

“Yeah. So, where is Mery staying?” Joth looked both ways before stepping into the street.

“Cooper’s Rooms. Any idea where that is?”

He started laughing. “She is something else. Honestly? Cooper’s Rooms?”

“Yeah,” Isa felt a little annoyed. “She said they have good prices and good ale.”

“They do. It’s a guild inn. They cater to coopers. Barrel makers. Is your girlfriend a barrel maker as well as a bard?”

“She’s not my girlfriend. Don’t be a jerk. And maybe. I don’t know. How hard is it to make a barrel?”

“It takes years to apprentice. You can become a ‘friend’ to the guild, but that’s pretty unusual.” He headed down the road. “Can’t wait to hear this story.”