Is it wrong to fleece adventurers at the item shop?

As I return home I fall on my bed without much care. Somehow getting measured for clothes is more exhausting and time consuming than I remembered. I'm tempted to just close my eyes, but I manage to not give in. I need to get changed first at the very least. I should check on the garden and grandma's grave as well. With a groan I get back up.

It is already dark outside. The bees are all gone and stars are twinkling in the sky. I head down to the creek and get some water for the plants, both the ones on the grave and the ones in the overgrown herb garden, anyway.

I have to carefully watch my step, especially on my way back up with a full bucket. I spread the water with a ladle, before heading back inside. I really need take care of that overgrown garden one of these days. Or maybe I could post a quest with Krystina? That certainly would be easier. It would cost me some of my hard earned money as well though.

I groan, close the door behind me and rub my temples. I will think some more on that issue tomorrow. I'll certainly have the time to do while minding the shop. Instead of worrying about things I can't change right now anyway I head back to bed.

I don't get changed for the night though. Not right away anyway. Instead the big, sturdy chest at the foot end of the bed draws my attention once again. I only gave it and its contents a cursory look when I arrived so far. Maybe I should change that?

I nod to myself and open the lid. Once again the scent of herbal soap hits me. I take a deep breath as it is actually pretty pleasant. Soap. I really should see about making some. I just will have to see about getting the right ingredients though. After thinking about it for a moment, or maybe even two, I slap my cheeks though. I need to focus!

With great care I lift grandma's things, mostly her clothes, from the chest, to arrange them on the bed.

There is an outfit similar to the one I'm still wearing, a sturdy overall, patched with leather in several places despite the thick fabric, and some blouses to go with it. There are two dresses as well. Both are pretty plain though. Understandable, since it is custom to bury the respected dead in their best clothes.

Next up are two nightshirts. One is similar to the one I'm using while the other is longer. It is longer, yet the fabric is so thin it is almost completely see through, except for the pattern of the enchantment cleverly hidden in the embroidery of the hem.

I blush a little. This is pretty extravagant. Its the kind of garment I'd expect to find in the wardrobe of a noblewoman. And its not just extravagant either. Its … I quickly put it down before my mind can begin to wander again.

The chest is half empty by now. I quickly scoop several changes of underwear from its depths and place them next to the rest. I'm not sure about those. I probably shouldn't be wearing another woman's underwear.

The next piece I pull fro the chest leaves me speechless for a moment. Even more so than the nightshirt. It is a fur brimmed greatcoat. It isn't extravagant. No it is very much utilitarian. Still it can't have been cheap. It is a garment for the winter or at least late autumn though and will be of little use to me for the next few months. Still, it is good to have.

By now the trunk is almost empty. There are a few colorful ribbons for tying up long hair and a few towels, of which one can almost never have too many, as well as some belts. There is one other thing as well though and that thing stops me dead in my tracks.

It is a bandanna. A bandanna of a yellow so bright it almost shimmers like gold. Even more so thanks to the red embroidery, just as real gold looks best when mixed with just a little copper. Its the kind of bandanna Krystina and Agnieszka told me about just earlier this day.

My blush is so bad by now that my face feels as if it were on fire. For a moment I'm tempted to just pretend I didn't see the thing, but in the end I pick it up and place it next to everything else.

Then I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths to calm down. It's no reason to be upset or embarrassed after all. Not really. Grandma was a woman too and if her mixed heritage worked for her as it does for me, even if just a little, she probably could still have passed as an older sister of mine.

I shake my head to clear my mind. Before I can get started putting things back my brow furrows though. I look at the chest once more. Something seems off. Then realization strikes me. Of course! It is not nearly deep enough! Could it be a secret compartment?

With renewed vigor I start searching the interior for any hidden mechanisms. In the end though it is much more mundane. As I put weight on the false bottom on one side it tilts a little, allowing me to lift it free.

After placing it down next to the chest I move my lantern a little closer to get a better look. I'm not quite sure what I expected in hindsight, but what greets my eyes certainly is a surprise.

There is no hidden treasure. Or rather there are not piles of coins or jewelry. There is a big book though, as well as piles of letters.

The book is old. That much becomes obvious as I pick it up. The leather of its cover is worn in some places, probably where grandma used to hold it. And as I open it I have to strain my eyes as the ink is pretty faded as well. Still, it quickly becomes clear that I'm holding a treasure of another kind, a treasure of knowledge.

I only skim a few pages but those contain a veritable font of knowledge, regarding the local herbs, the places to find them and the perils one might encounter when looking for them. I hug the book to my chest for a moment and close my eyes.

“Thanks, grandma.”

I put the book back for now. I might have to copy it in the years to come, to make sure the knowledge contained within its pages isn't lost to wear and tear. For now though I take a closer look at the letters.

There are a lot of them. Much more than I initially estimated. Many of them are tied together into neat bundles to safe space as well. Reading them all might take a while.

They aren't all from the same person either. I recognize the handwriting on several of them though. Of course I recognize my own handwriting. I recognize that of mother as well. There are plenty more though which I can't immediately place. One looks vaguely familiar at least. Maybe a teacher from the academy? I'm not quite sure.

With a long sigh I replace first the letters and then the false bottom of the chest. I can't really afford to spend the whole night reading after all, no matter how much I want to. Maybe I can read some of those letters during the day when business is slow before or after lunch. I nod to myself. That sounds more sensible.

With that decision made I start putting the clothes away again as well. Not without trying on at least some first though.

Of course I try on the great coat. It fits well enough, which is a great relief. If I can wear it in winter that is one big expense avoided.

Next I try the patched up overall. This time I'm not as lucky. I can squeeze in but its fit is not comfortable. No, it is actually uncomfortable to wear. Especially around the hips it is entirely too tight for comfort. The thick, sturdy fabric doesn't have a lot of give either.

Maybe I can get Agnieszka to make adjustments though? It would be a waste if she can't, as the garment is still good to wear otherwise. Well, I can still put it up for sale if all else fails.

The blouses are better fits at least. For a moment I eye the bandanna. In the end I put it back in the chest without trying it on though. I really don't want to tempt fate like that.

The last thing that remains is the extravagant nightshirt. I blush again as I take a closer look. Then I bite my lip and activate my appraisal skill, just in case, since it seems to be enchanted.

[A Summer night's night dress, Quality: Epic, An enchanted silk dress as light and sheer as a dream. Anyone who beholds the wearer is affected as if the wearer had the Charm skill. It might even charm the notoriously elusive fey. In addition it keeps the wearer warm even during the coldest of nights.]

My eyes almost bug out of their sockets. A double enchantment! This thing is probably worth more than anything else in the chest, or the house for that matter. It might just be worth more than the actual house and the land it is built on!

My eyes are still widened in shock as I carefully place it back in the chest. Only once I close the lid am I able to relax again. Still my heart beats fast as I slip into my own plain nightshirt and under the covers of the bed and my mind races. Did grandma enchant that herself? Why would she make a garment like that for herself? Once again I end up blushing as some of the possible answers come to me. I shut my eyes tightly, as if that could ward off some of the images that come to mind, in a vain attempt to quickly fall asleep.

Apparently there are some things about my grandma that I'm still painfully unaware of. How many more secrets am I going to uncover? The thought is scary, yet at the same time exciting!