There’s something in the air today, but I can’t place what it is. The bakery across the street isn’t making anything too special, as far as I can tell, though the delvers are of the opinion that everything there is special. I wonder if the spiderkin are still wanting to try their hands at baking, once the maws clear out?

But whatever the situation is on my dwellers learning to bake, I can feel something in the air. I’m pretty sure it’s not Hullbreak about to do something nasty, at least. It feels more like the tension before getting to jump out at a surprise party, rather than the tension of a looming threat. I’ve even asked Tiny, and he’s not telling much. All I’ve been able to get Teemo to wheedle out of him is that it’s not a threat, but that’s it. I could probably order him to spill the beans, but that’d be a dick move. Besides, if it’s not an actual danger, there’s no need to be so rash.

Even if my curiosity is driving me to distraction.

Freddie

The young orc hums an upbeat hymn as he walks down the street. He’s in mostly ordinary clothes, though he has his round shield on his back. He wears it partially as a connection to the Crystal Shield, but also because it’s the perfect size for Fiona to cling to and peek her head over his shoulder. He and Rhonda have been so busy the last few weeks with their training and studying, but they’ve been able to keep in touch with their spiders. He was surprised when Lucas slipped through the shutters in his small room at the church, and surprised again with the small letter he was carrying.

He smiles as he thinks of his short friend. Her hat may be a bit large for her head, but it might be a tad small for her brain. Having their spiders send notes not only lets them keep in touch when their situations keep them apart, but it also helps the two arachnids keep healthy and active. In fact, the last letter Rhonda sent him is why he’s walking to the bakery just outside Thedeim before dropping in to surprise her. Her master says she’s doing very well in her studies and is giving her a bit of a break today. His own work has been going very well, too, so he also has the day off. What better way to spend it than with a bag of sticky rolls and his friend?

The bell above the door to Cobble Bread dings as he enters, and the large troll woman smiles at him from over by the oven. Freddie sometimes wonders if she’s bigger around than she is tall, not that he could blame her. If he had to spend every day around the wonderful things she bakes, he’d fare no better.

“Ah, Freddie! It’s been a while! I was starting to wonder if those god botherers had gotten you to swear off sweets! That, or your beastie decided to wrap you up as a snack, haw!” she says with a hearty laugh, and Freddie can’t help but chuckle with her. Many might take the term she used for his brothers and sisters in the Shield as an insult, but he’s known her long enough to understand she tends to only insult those she cares about, and the more vile the better.

She does try to watch her tongue around him and Rhonda and the other children, at least.

“That’d be quite the test of my resolve, to swear off your baking, Freida! I’ve just been busy with my training, but I have a day off today. A dozen sticky rolls, please,” he says as he reaches for his coin bag. Delving with Rhonda, and his stipend from the church, have given him at least enough coin to be able to afford something like this.

“A dozen, eh? Looking to put on a second chin or two?” she says with a wide grin, knowing exactly how little room she has to speak, and starts moving the small pastries into a bag.

“Not just for me. I’m going to be visiting Rhonda today, too.”

“Ah, good. She could use a bit more meat on her bones, too. Here, have a blueberry muffin for each of you, also. On the house,” she says with a motherly smile, dropping the two extra treats into the bag.

“Thank you, ma’am,” he says with an earnest smile, and pays for his order. She waves as he leaves, and he has to resist the temptation and stay out of the bag of treats until he reaches Old Staiven’s Emporium. He’s still not certain what differentiates an emporium from a shop, but the place certainly has a different feel than the other various places adventurers might look to if they want to gear up in Fourdock.

The bell dings as he enters, and he smiles as he hears his friend’s voice.

“Welcome to Old Stai- Freddie!” Her polite customer service tone vanishes into familiar warmth as she recognizes her friend, and she dashes around the counter to jump at him. He kneels slightly and catches her as the two embrace… and then winces as she cuffs his ear.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I could have put on some fresh tea!” she scolds him, and he offers a quick prayer of mourning for his lost quiet friend, followed by a more earnest prayer of thanks for how much life seems to have improved for her. Gone is the quiet and nervous little goblin from the orphanage, grown now into a fledgling mage with an intense thirst for knowledge.

“You too, Fiona!” she gives the spider a glare, and the arachnid manages to avoid meeting her with any of her eyes. Soon, though, Rhonda giggles and gives Freddie another squeeze before hopping down and letting him finally defend himself.

“How am I supposed to surprise you with sticky rolls if I let you know I’m coming?” he asks, and her eyes sparkle at the mention of one of her favorite treats.

“Watch the counter for me while I get some tea, and some plates for the rolls, ok?” He nods and makes for the counter as she dashes up the stairs to the living area. Fiona takes this as her chance to slip away and find Lucas, leaving Freddie with his thoughts and a smile on his face.

A couple fistfuls of mushrooms from a dusty basement has certainly resulted in quite the change for both of their lives. They both have places they truly belong, and a fulfilling direction to take in their lives. In fact, that’s partially why he wanted to visit her: to be able to tell her face-to-face, rather than just in a note.

He’s drawn from his thoughts as Rhonda comes down the stairs and joins him behind the counter to sit on her tall stool. She hands him a plate and sets her own down, before setting the tea kettle on a small stand. She pulls out her wand made of simple black wood with a rough quartz set on the end, and aims it at the kettle.

“Heat!” she exclaims, and a lick of flame settles around the base of the tea kettle. “There! That should only take a couple minutes.”

Freddie chuckles. “Looks like your studies really are coming along well.”

“Yeah! Master Staiven says I should have no problem solidifying an ice mage class. I mean, I got that fire spell without even looking at my notes!” she says with pride, and her friend can’t help but burst her bubble at least a little.

“I mean, if a zombie fist-fighter can manage it, so can you, right?” he says with a grin, and she punches his side.

“Rocky doesn’t count and you know it! Thedeim’s scions are weird, like how Grim ignored that Turn Undead,” she fires back, and Freddie can only laugh.

“You should have seen the look on the acolyte's face! He thought it was going to be the last mistake he ever made.” The two laugh at that and enjoy a bit more small talk while they wait for the water to boil, and enjoy a sticky roll each, as well.

Once the kettle whistles, Freddie decides it’s a good time to talk about the other reason he’s here. “So, you said Staiven thinks you’re close to your class?” She nods, and he continues. “High Priest Torlon says I’m close to finalizing becoming a paladin, too.”

Rhonda gasps in excitement for her friend. “That’s great!”

He nods. “It is. So I was thinking we should both head to Thedeim and try to get our classes later.”

Rhonda thinks that over as she pours tea for the two of them. She waits to set the kettle aside before replying. “I can’t think of any reason not to try. Master Staiven has been pretty quiet on how to actually get my class, and I guess the church isn’t giving you much, either?”

Freddie nods. “Yea, they aren’t giving me much else to go on. I've sworn the appropriate oaths to the Shield, but there’s still something missing. I think figuring it out ourselves is part of the point?”

Rhonda nods to that and takes a sip of her tea, sighing at the pleasing hot liquid. “That sounds like Master Staiven, yeah. They can prepare us for what we want to do, but it’s up to us to actually do it.”

Freddie smiles around his own cup of tea, and pulls out the two blueberry muffins, handing one to his goblin friend. “Just like with the spell spores.”

“Yeah… if we want it, we need to go get it. It won’t just be handed to us.”

“Shall we go after Staiven gets back?”

“He’s taking a nap right now, actually. Once he wakes up though… yeah.” Rhonda picks up her muffin and holds it high.

Freddie holds his muffin up as well, and taps it to hers. “To getting our classes!”

“To our classes!”

They each take a big bite of their muffins, and after a few moments, cough a little before swallowing. Freddie manages to speak up first.

“A… bit dry…”

Rhonda nods and takes a drink of her tea, and after a moment’s thought, dips her muffin in it and tries that. “It’s good with the tea, though.”

Freddie follows suit and nods. “It is, yeah. Heh, I think I know why Freida gave me the muffins for free.” They laugh and enjoy some more small talk and good company as they wait for Staiven to finish his nap. Gaining their classes will be a great accomplishment, but they’re in no big hurry. After all, there’s still most of a bag of sticky rolls, and they won't eat themselves.