Welcome to Cove

Me third day as a Covian serf

After spendin' a much needed nights rest in a comfy bed in Mister Banedon's guest bedroom, I woke feelin' refreshed and ready to do a hard days graftin'.  Unfortunately the supplies I had ordered for the tavern kitchen had still not arrived, so I were unable to start preparations for the menu I divised.

So in the mornin' I turned my attention instead to Mister Banedon's supplies.  Top o' my list o' priorities were makin' some kegs.  Mister Banedon said he oft heard Mister Draco mumblin' about a lack o' crates so I thought i'd rectify tha'.  Planin' out some boards and shapin' them over some steamin' water I fashioned some barrel staves and knocked together five kegs ideal for Mister Draco's potions.  I travelled down to his shop an' placed them in the supply bag along wi' me leftover boards.

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Exhausted by an two hour stint o' lumberjackin' I took me a nap back in the tavern kitchen.  When I came to, I heard a ruckus upstairs an' realised  Tavern Night was underway.  But... no food had arrived!  I kept a low profile an' hoped no-one were hungry, an' instead decided to enjoy me evenin' gettin' to know a nice young lass named Seishuko who were also hopin' to get a job at the tavern. 

Before long however, I was approached by a churchman whose name I do nay yet know.  He said tha' he needed twenty five tables for the church, and needed them real sharpish like.  Twenty five tables!!  My heart sank a little as I went back out into the woods to do some more lumberjackin'

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I finally managed to collect enough wood, but my goodness were the effort worth it.  Jus' as I returned to the church wi' the logs, the churchman presented me wi' a bag containin' 2,500 crowns!  I began workin' on the tables with a renewed spring in me step.

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I decided to work on the steps of the church as someone up high were smilin' on me an' decided to grant me a break in the rain tha' had been fallin' most of the day.  MAny blisters later, the tables were made an' I left them in a crate inside the church.  Jus' as I dumped the box down I heard the church doors creakin' an' in stepped a bloomin' drow!!  Instincts go' th'better o' me an' I ducked behind the nearest pillar. 

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Curiousity seized me an' I peeked round and (blast!) got spotted.  The drow said he were lookin' for Smedly, me, so I decided to play dumb until I knew wha' he wanted.  Weren't goin' to volunteer me name if he intended to cook Smedly.  He had sought me out on behalf of Kal ShadowHand who I had served in the past back in Yew an' was lookin' to buy three weapons: a war fork, a spear and a short spear.

I decided to give me old colleague a cut rate deal an' asked only a hundred crowns for the three weapons which I hammered out at the anvil and forge outside the church.  The drow, Cori he said his name was, paid the gold and delivered the weapons to Kal.

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By the time all tha' work was done, Tavern Night was over.  Missed all the fun.  So I decided to pay a visit to the suppliers in Yew tha' were sortin' out food for the tavern.  It was a long trip bu' to cut a long story short they said the food and livestock would be delivered tomorrow.  I am expecting the pigs to fly themselves to the tavern tomorrow morning!

I got back to Cove jus' in time to catch the tail end of an award ceremony, an' a grand sight it were indeed.  A great crowd of guards all lined up with armour shinin' and backs straight.  Almost wish I were tall enough to join the militia!  As the ceremony ended, a group decided they were going to set up a sentry at the Cove gates so I followed in the hope of findin' more work.

One o' the guards present (think it were an Erik Arkay?) said tha' some crates would be needed to build the wall an', havin' done a bit o' carpentry in me time, I volunteered me services.  First of all I made the crates too big, so after Mister Arkay shook me a bit I made some smaller ones tha' were jus' right for the walls.

He paid me fifty crowns for me efforts.

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Then some o' the guards thanked me as I helped contruct the walls with them.  Only the lower section mind you as I couldn't really reach the top on account o' me bein' a hobbit.

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Me last job o' the day followed shortly after and was thanks to Mister Kal ShadowHand again.  He had told Mister Cori tha' I were a "grand tailor" (think me ma must be blackmailin' him!) and wanted me to make him ten oil clothes.  Despite providin' me with most of the materials, Mister Cori very generously paid four hundred crowns for the oil clothes.

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A very tirin' day indeed, but all the graftin' certainly paid off an' I ended up with the sum of 3,050 crowns.  Grand!  Tha' should be jus' enough to win all me gold back from Garand in some games o' Boom Box!!

Smedly: 10 Shillings Rewarded