I tally up the potions the gnome wizard has picked out for his group. It's quite the purchase. Considering the seize of the group it really isn't a surprise though. Seven adventurers can guzzle down quite a few potions if they get really serious, and this outfit looks and sounds like they are quite serious. Ulruegor's inverted tower is not just any random ruin after all. It's one of the more notorious sites in the Twilight Forest.

After a little haggling we agree on a total of twenty silver Crowns for seven stamina potions, three mana potions, four lesser healing potions and two healing potions. It's a small discount only, given that the total would usually be just a little over twenty one silver Crowns, but the short wizard seems pleased anyway and so am I too.

We shake hands to seal the deal and while he stores the potions in his bag I put the coins away and note the sale down in the ledger.

The gnome isn't off again right away though, despite us concluding this particular business transaction. He still has a request for me after all. He nods in the direction of the now mostly empty potion shelves.

"Like I already mentioned, we'll need some more potions for the actual delve. Could you brew up on stronger potions for us, while you restock the shelves? I know most adventurers around here probably don't need the really powerful droughts, but some greater mana and healing potions could be real life savers for us."

I can see the point he is making and nod in agreement.

"I'll look into it. I certainly know how to brew them. Getting all the necessary ingredients around here might take a day or two though. You aren't in too much of a hurry, or are you?"

He laughs out loud and shakes his head.

"Good gods and goddesses, no, we aren't in a hurry. Careful preparation is key to exploring the more notorious ruins in the deeper and darker parts of the woods. The groups who rush preparations are usually the ones that disappear never to be heard of again, until someone finds their sorry remains a century or two later. So, take your time. I overheard you at the inn, talking with the guild official, sorry about that by the way, but curiosity just got the better of me. If you do get around to brewing other potions too, let us know. We probably could use some of those too."

Once again I nod while I flash him a beaming smile.

"Sure! I'll keep it in mind! I might have to post more requests for rare ingredients for those too, so keep checking out the quests at the inn!"

"Will do!"

With one last wave he is off again at long last, to return to his comrades at the inn, judging by the direction he takes after leaving the shop.

In the meantime I grab a rag to properly clean the now mostly empty potion shelves. Who knows when the opportunity will come around again after all. Once I'm done with that I head back to the workshop to take stock of my ingredients. I'll really need to stock back up now. In fact I better get started sooner rather than later. Right away would be best in fact.

I decide to make a fresh batch of health potion first. Maybe even two batches. First I'll make some lesser healing potions. And once I'm done with those I'll make some regular ones. If I still have time and the necessary ingredients I can look into making some greater healing potions afterwards.

Ingredients really are an issue though. The only thing I still have in abundance are dried wild rose petals. I can get fresh ones too from the wild roses growing all over the walls of my house. Other ingredients are a little more scarce though. There still are some leftover dried purple mountain flowers. I can use those together with the rose petals for the lesser healing potions. They go well together after all and make for a pleasant taste in addition to a potent enough potion.

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I head back out into the garden for a moment and sure enough there is still some juniper growing there. I leave it for now, but I have already spotted a few berries I can use for healing potions. I'll have to dry them first though. That will do for now.

Humming to myself I grab a small cauldron and get some water from the creek and some firewood from behind the house. That stockpile is dwindling a little too. I might have to do something about that soon. Either I enchant my fireplace in some way, or I'll have to buy some firewood. I could put up a request for it with the guild too of course. Maybe I'll do both the latter and the former? I could place a request with the guild and I could enchant the fireplace in a similar way to my lantern, so the wood will burn longer? That sounds tempting. It's an idea for another day though.

I build the fire in the fireplace, start it burning with my experimental lens staff and put the small cauldron with the water on. So far, so good. The dried rose petals and the purple mountain flowers are next. They go into the mortar and I grind them down.

I don't put the ingredients into the water just yet though. On one hand it's not hot enough yet. On the other hand I need to prepare the potion bottles and the stoppers first too.

I have a half dozen potion bottle lined up and ready, together with freshly cut stoppers, when a knock from the door separating the workshop from the shop distracts me. A middle aged man, one of the local farmers, judging by his looks, is standing there. I greet him with a smile.

"Hello and a good day! What can I do for you?"

He lets out a chuckling laugh.

"A good day to you as well, but actually it's the other way around. My visit is about what I can do for you. Agnieszka let me know that you need some beeswax."

I nod and leave my half finished work behind for a moment to join him out front at the counter instead.

He already has some of the fine wax I covet with him too. Just in time as well, as sealing the potion bottle would probably have used up the last of my reserves. Sitting there on the counter are four nice blocks of wax wrapped in plain cloth, each weighing probably two or maybe even three pounds, I'm not entirely sure, but give the size it's probably closer to the latter. The farmer partially unwraps one so I can have a better look.

I like what I see. It's good quality wax. There is no contamination I can see. The wax is quite clear too. Top quality that can be used for just about anything, from candles over chalks to seals. I nod and smile, quite satisfied with the goods. There really is only one question that remains to be answered.

"How much? What price do you have in mind?"

He doesn't have to think hard on it. He doesn't think long on it either. Well, it really shouldn't come as a surprise. This isn't the first sale he is making after all. He isn't a youngster new to his line of work.

"A silver Crown for a block. The same price your grandmother got too."

That isn't exactly cheap. I really shouldn't expect wax of this quality to be cheap though. And if it's the same price my grandma got, it's not a bad price either. There isn't reason to doubt his words either, as far as I know or can tell. I nod, but I don't seal the deal right away. Instead I get my scales to weigh a bar, so I'll have a better idea of how long each one will last me.

My initial estimation is proven right. The bars all weigh about three pounds. Close enough to it in fact that there is no reason to make a fuss. I nod again, as I speak up.

"Three bars for a silver Crown each, means three silver Crowns in total."

He doesn't have anything else to add, thus we shake hands to seal the deal. He wraps the one bar he unwrapped back up while I grab the coin from my strong chest.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you, miss."

With these words he is off again and I enter the transaction into the ledger before I take the fresh wax to the workshop in the back. Then I return my attention to the potions I'm busy with. The water is close to boiling, thus I take it off. The crushed ingredients go first into a silk bag and then into the cauldron to get the brew started. I start to melt some wax, and add a little red Ochre to it, while I wait for the brew to finish.

As I wait some more I start humming to myself again. One of the tunes of the adventures of Ksawery the catfolk adventurer. As far as I'm concerned all is right with the world right now.

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