Taking your coin (10gp each, please add to your sheets), you take your leave of Barthen's Provisions. Elmar, in passing, says, "If there is anything you can do for Gundren, please do so. He's been good for this town." He then waves as you leave.
Walking, and leading the wagon, further down the street you pass the smithy on your right across from a few homes on your left. A bit further along is a newly built roadhouse of fieldstone and rough-hewn timbers. A sign "Stonehill Inn" is out front.
Sildar sighs and says, "I am going to stop here and see about a room. I could use a bit of rest. Then I am going to look for Iarno Albreck. After you're done with the supplies come back and join me for a drink."
He turns and enters the building.
Continuing further on down the street you can see a small Shrine of stones built along the right side of the road, up against the back corner of a pair of homes. It looks well tended, although no one is there at the moment.
There is a small town square that opens on the right hand side of the main road, behind which is the Town Green. Some small boys play with sticks and hoops, running across the grassy field.
On the left, opposite the town square, is a large building with study stone walls, a pitched wooden roof, and a bell tower at the back. Posted on a board next to the front door is a notice written in Common. It reads:
"REWARD--Orcs near Wyvern Tor! Those of a mind to face the orc menace should inquire within."
Clearly this is the Townmaster's Hall.
Elmar's direction indicated your destination was a bit further along the street, and indeed as you move past the Townmaster's Hall you come upon a building on the right. Hanging above the front door of this modest trading post is a sign shaped like a wooden shield with a blue lion painted on it.
As your wagon pulls up to the front and stops, the door of the building swings open and a middle aged woman in leather breeches and a bright blue shirt steps out. Wiping her hands on a rag, which she stuffs into a pocket she puts her hands on her hips and looks you over for a moment or two. "Well. What have we here?"
Ryssa paused by the shrine but, seeing the woman the store clerk mentioned was not present, made a mental note to check back later and, after clutching her holy icon and murmuring a brief prayer, quickened her steps to catch up with the others.
Getting accustomed to Bern taking the lead in cases like this, she waited for the ranger to respond to the woman in the blue shirt.
The idea of hunting down some orcs was attractive, but he currently ad several items on his plate. Once that was done ... maybe.
He smiled and nodded in greeting to the woman. "We =might= have something that belongs to you, but was apparently ... diverted by some now quite dead goblins. Master Elmar suggested these", he indicated the items in the wagon, "might belong to you."
The dragonborn stopped and waited for someone else to speak up. He wasn't disliked by most civilized folk, but they weren't always fond of a large creature like himself speaking up, even if it was in turn.
He looked around the street to see what kind of a spectacle they were creating.
The woman pauses a moment, hands still on hips. Her sharp eyes take in the wagon and it's contents. After that moment, she nods quickly.
"Well don't just stand there on the street gawking like that. Come on inside and we can talk like regular folk. You can leave that there. It isn't going anyplace. (indicating the wagon)."
She waves a hand for you to come along and she turns and heads back into the building behind her.
Once you follow her inside you can see the Lionshield Coster is a Trading Post. The interior is appointed much like it's manager, direct and to the point. No frumpery but no clutter either. There is a sitting area with several chairs and a couch, desk with lamps and chair, a counter with various bound books stacked neatly atop it. There is a set of double doors leading towards the rear of the building. As you entered, you spotted a small cottage out behind the Trading Post, most likely the woman's home.
"Have a seat." She offers. "My name is Linene Graywind. Manager of the Lionshield Coster here in Phandalin. We are a branch office for the Lionshields, a merchant company based out of Yartar. We ship and distribute finished goods to small settlements like this all over this region. Might I know your names?"
You know that Yartar is a city over a hundred miles to the east.
The dragonborn finds a spot to stand rather than sit in the chairs. Being one of the great descended offers many things but sitting in human sized chairs wasn't one that fit well.
"I am called Luminmorn. I am a Paladin of the Great Dragon."
"Well met then." She replies. "Might I ask where you found my supplies? I had been expecting this shipment for some time. It is quite late. You mentioned Goblins?"
"Yes, they had set up an ambush along the road. They tried to waylay us, but we managed to beat them back. Then tracked them to their stronghold and, after we 'cleaned' that place, we found what turns out to be those items of yours."
She takes a moment more to look at each of you closely, her sharp eyes seeming to miss nothing. After that moment she seems to come to some internal decision as her head nods once, briefly.
She rises, saying, "Wait here. I will be right back." She passes through the double doors out of the room and true to her word, in just a minute or so returns.
"Here." She passes a small coin purse to Ryssa. "In appreciation for returning my supplies. I will also make available to you the armor and weapons I keep in storage. You may purchase whatever you might need."
She looks at you again. "Is there anything I can help you with right now?"
"Your generosity is not required, but =is= appreciated", he said when she returned with the coin purse. "I do not know what my companions may need, but I could certainly use a few more arrows. Beyond that, we could use some information. Elmar mentioned a group ... the Redbands? ... that had been causing some problems in town. Is there anything you can tell us about them? It sounds like they have been causing problems here."
"I have arrows I can sell to you. One gold piece for a quiver of 20 (she can sell you any normal weapon/armor using the standard pricing in the PHB). I don't sell to anyone. Only those I don't think will be a threat to our town. That group you mention, the Redbrands, I won't sell to them."
She looks at you more closely. "They are trouble. I'd stay away from the Sleeping Giant Tap House if you don't want trouble with them. That is their favorite place in town."
He grinned. He liked taking out 'bullies' almost as much as orc and goblins. He turned to his companions and grinned. "Maybe we should see if we can't do for the Redbands what we did for those goblin ambushers. What do you think?"
"YEAH! Me too. Let's teach them a lesson ... after we stop by the inn and celebrate our last victory. We just got here and I'm sure the Redbands ain't goin nowhere this second. It might pay off to sit back and observe before we rush in to take them out. For all we know, they're the good guys. Ever think of that? Oh, and let's get rooms at the inn too. And food. And drink.... but I said that already, right? Yeah, let's head for the inn first."
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