He looked at her funny, as she seemed to almost be in a panic. It was a good thing no one else was in the store at the moment.

"What is it?"

"I overheard two men, who were going around looking for trash…" she shook her head at that, as if the thought was strange to her, then continued, "They were talking about your dad. They didn't know I was listening in, and I got away from them before they found out."

"What did they say?" he asked, getting annoyed that she kept getting distracted.

"They said your dad was going to have an accident tonight, for sticking his nose in places he shouldn't," she said, almost out of breath.

"Did they say anything else?" asked Bob, panic starting to course through him. He didn't know what he could do, other than warn his dad, but without more information, his dad wouldn't listen.

She fought to calm herself down, then said, "They were talking about how you were taking the trash they normally hauled away, which was cutting down on the money they were making for Lord Richmond. The lord wasn't happy about it, based on the way they were grumbling, and then they started talking about how your whole family was a nuisance to the lord, and he was going to have something happen tonight, that would come off as an accident."

Bob figured Lord Clark was involved, based on the way everything lately had revolved around him. He couldn't help getting in the man's way, when the man was so intent on running everything himself. It was starting to look like he was interested in the City Lord position, instead of the City Lord himself.

As he thought about that, Bob wondered what City Lord Geoffrey would think of that. He knew that he used to be a rough man, running things with a tight fist, but every since his daughter married Clark's son, he seemed to have faded in the limelight, and Clark had risen up.

He needed to talk to his dad, but he wasn't sure where his father had gone, and he didn't want to get dragged into whatever the accident was going to be.

"Do you want me to go find out more information?" she asked, seeming to follow his train of thought.

"I don't want you to get caught and get in trouble," he said, shaking his head.

She laughed, startling him. "I won't get caught! No one in this entire city could catch me if they wanted to. If you want me to find out about the accident, and what this Lord Richmond is up to, I'll go check on it for you."

He stared at her, as she seemed to burst with self confidence and pride. Shaking his head, he thought about what Liam would say if he knew he was sending his fiancée out on such a dangerous job.

"What…" he started to ask her, and she interrupted him.

"Liam knows how good I am at sneaking around and finding out information. It's one of the reasons why he wants to marry me. Just like his phenomenal cooking is the reason why I want to marry him."

Bob looked at her for a moment. "Are you a rogue?" he asked finally.

"Kind of? I'm not evil, if that's what you mean. My father would have had a fit if I was evil. Grandpa would have killed me."

With the look of pure fear that flashed over her face, Bob had to only a.s.sume her words were true.

"Alright, if you think you can find out information without getting caught, please do so. I don't want anyone getting hurt!"

With a nod she turned to walk away, and was suddenly gone. Bob turned around trying to find her, but she wasn't there. Had she used magic?

Before he could check with Liam, a couple of adventurers entered, laughing at some joke.

"Hey Bob! Do you have a moment? We have some things we would like for you to look at possibly buying?"

Spying the large bag, they had between them, his mind flipped over to store owner, and all thoughts of Trudy were swept away.

"We had a really good haul from the dungeon to the West, and were hoping to be able to sell everything to you so we could get back out there," explained the man with the huge bushy red beard.

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His friend nodded, his scraggly black hair falling across his face as they set the bag down.

They began to pull out magical rings, spellbooks, old armor and weapons, alchemist tools and ingredients, and an old scepter.

"I'm not sure that I can buy all of these things," warned Bob, looking over some of it. "I can buy the armor and weapons, because there are always people looking for those cheap, but the other things…"

"We'll part with them cheap, just so we can get back out there," said the red-bearded man.

"Yea, it would take us all day to run around selling these things," complained the black-haired warrior.

"I know that I definitely don't have the coin to buy the rings," he said, shaking his head. "They're magical and that can be thousands of coins."

"How about we leave them with you, and you pay us what they're worth later?" asked the red beard.

"Lucas, just because I'm a merchant, doesn't mean I can buy everything. You need to take them down to the market and speak with Alastair, the mage who deal with magical goods."

"Aw, Bob, we're desperate. We trust you to do us right. Could you please? We'll let you keep half of whatever you can get for 'em?" begged the black-haired man.

"Giles, just how am I supposed to know what they're worth? I don't deal with magic weapons. Or the alchemy stuff. I sell cheap normal things, that most people can use."

"Bob, I tell you what," said Lucas, "How about you pay us a copper for each ring, then once you sell them, for whatever, doesn't matter what, you keep three-quarters of the profit and pay us the other quarter when we show back up?"

Bob thought about that long and hard. He knew that Alastair wouldn't cheat him, even if he didn't have a clue about magic, but he wasn't cla.s.sified as a seller of magic things. He could get in trouble if he was found out. No one would think he didn't know what it was, he was too good for that. But, if he did only pay a copper, he could swing by the merchant guild hall and get a new permit from Jack since he did deal with the adventurers more than anyone else…

"Alright, but you better give me time to deal with this stuff properly. If you come back tomorrow wanting to get paid, you're going to be out of luck!"

Both men laughed at Bob's words, as they all knew it would take them longer than a day just to get back to the dungeon ruins. As he paid them and packed everything away in the back room, the sound of the door opening and shutting drew his attention. Poking his head out from the back room, he saw that Sam was there from the builder's guild.

"Sam! How can I help you?" asked Bob, rus.h.i.+ng out with a smile.

"Well, we showed up to get started, but the smell of that wonderful soup has my men all wound up. Think we could get some before we got started?"

"I charge a copper a bowl," said Bob with a laugh.

"That's all? For the smell alone, I would fathom it cost at least a silver a bowl. You, uh, wouldn't happen to have any bowls for sale, would you?"

Bob laughed again and quickly sold the man some bowls before showing him around to the side where the line was for the soup kitchen. When he saw the length of the line, Bob was astounded. It stretched almost to the gate, with both poor people and workers who had walked this far to enjoy his soup kitchen.

Leaving the leader of the builder's guild at the road, Bob entered the shed where Liam was busy cooking away.

"Are you doing alright, Liam?" asked Bob, looking around at the small area. The soup kettle took up most of the s.p.a.ce, and Liam was frantically stiring the soup to keep it from burning, while also trying to fill the bowls and take the money of the people in line. Bob felt awful when he saw how hard Liam was working!

"I'm doing alright," Liam lied, giving Bob a weak smile.

Shaking his head, he moved to the side door and poked his head inside.

"Max!" Bob called, spying the girl by the fire.

"Yes, sir?" she piped up, her head snapping in his direction.

"Liam needs you to take the money from the customers!"

She nodded, wiping her hands on her pants and hurrying over. Bob spied Will, the oldest boy and had him come over too.

"Liam, Max is going to take the money and Will will dish out the soup. Alright?"

"Thank you," said Liam, with a genuine smile this time.

"Why didn't you call and ask for help sooner?" asked Bob, taking a couple of bowls for the builders.

"This was supposed to be my job, and I didn't want you to think I was slacking!" exclaimed Liam, startled that Bob could be upset with him.

"I enjoy the fact that you take your job so seriously, but I hate that you are working so hard when the kids can help you out!" rebuked Bob.

"Alright, sorry," said Liam, seeming to calm down now that he was getting help.

Bob saw that the people were moving along much quicker now that Liam had help, which cheered them all greatly. Handing the bowls to Sam, he nodded at him and hurried back to the store. Once he had the kitchen and the dining hall built, things would calm down even more for Liam, he was sure.