The deed is done

Maire walked again over the property , it was perfect in every way . She would still have to buy a parcel of extra land for growing outside the city but she had known that. This building had everything she needed. A room for storage and drying, a room for mixing and readying ingrediants for the shop and then the airy shop itself. The buildings were all connected with covered walkways and a back gate made for easy loading and unloading of any cargo.

Maires eyes shown as she saw the upstairs over the shop. It held three rooms, one could be a office and then a sitting room and even a bedroom for the nights she might need to stay in town. The windows opened up over the back garden and the entire property was walled in. The street acess was not on the main merchant street as she might have wanted but it was only two blocks off, easy acesss.

She signed the paper and the place was hers. The red faced broker sighed with relief. He had been nervous dealing with the wife of Lord Caladore. He was glad she was pleased and he had offered her the property at more then a fair price. The title of ownership was given to her and he bowed and made his retreat.

Maire had the first step of her journey completed. The garden needed to be reworked and fresh paint and a good scrubbing for the interior and exterior. Fixtures and then the setting up would come afterword. She would have to acquire herbs from elsewhere so her stock would not be as expansive as she would want in the future.

She would have Rensain when he could form a portal between here and her home. With both of them in the city it would be useful.

Maire needed to send a message to Meghan still however to let her know that the building was acquired. She carefully locked up and walked to the merchants square in hopes of finding her out and about.....

::Meghan stands under the awning of a gem seller's stall in the marketplace, her eyes scanning the merchandise with a practiced gaze. She skips over the faceted jewels and those already in settings and instead moves a little closer to a tray heaped haphazardly with mis-cut stones and scraps. These are what she uses most often in her work, so with a single finger, she pushes some aside to see what catches her attention. As she finds the ones she likes, she picks them up and drops them into a tiny pouch, which she hands to the merchant when she feels she has gathered enough. Paying the merchant's price without haggling, she tucks the pouch into her bag and tosses its strap over her shoulder, turning away from the stall to see what else she might be interested in today. Instead of another merchant, though, she spots a familiar face and breaks into a wide grin as she calls out in her light brogue::

Maire! Lady Maire, I didn't expect to find you in the city today. How are your plans coming along?

Maire was glad she had caught Meghan and she smiled in greeting " I wish it had been sooner, however my husband and I have had guests for a bit and I didnt feel right leaving them to their own devices while I came to Merridia. The broker found me the property that I had hoped for. It needs some work but it will do nicely." She looked up and frowned " it seems a storm is coming off the ocean, I was going to try to find you but I thought to get some fruit and bread for lunch. Join me?"

A wind blew in and the smell of rain told them that they didnt have much time before being caught in a deluge. Nothing would dampen her spirit though, not a rainstorm at the very least. Maire had much on her mind, Amarra should be in Vlads company by now, Marcus was still missing and her beloved husband had a plate full. Lately he had been exhasted and yet worked into the night before Maire could convince him he needed to sleep. His dreams would be troubled, she would do what she could to soothe his sleep and then dawn would come and it would start again.

She needed a neutral diversion and this was it. She wrapped her cloak a bit tighter around her lithe frame and quickly scanned the stands as everyone sensed the coming storm and were closing up. She hurried and bought a few apples, a loaf of crusty bread and a small wheel of cheese, and a bottle of cider. Not a fancy lunch but it would do.

The clouds were thick and fat drops of rain began to fall sparsely at first, hitting the dry ground and disappearing into the thirsty soil. Maire laughed" We better run Meghan or we are going to get caught for sure" She began weaving through the retreating crowd toward her store, grabbing onto Meghans hand to lead her to what would be the new apothocary.

::She laughs as she hurries along with Maire with her head tilted back just enough to catch the rain on her face. Unruly curls spring free of the ribbon holding them back to frame her face, as if to mock the rain with their fiery color. She holds her bag close to her body to protect its contents as she lets Maire lead her, taking an almost childlike delight in the weather and at the reactions of the people milling around trying to get to shelter::

It's cleaning, the rain, don't you think? I love a storm. The smell in the air, that prickly feeling that dances on your skin, the light and the sounds! Like the world is washing itself clean, and us with it.

::She wonders where Maire is taking her, but she trusts the woman well enough and is careful to keep up with her, not wanting to lose her in the crowd. A grin plasters itself on her face and refuses to fade, even with the jostling and grumpy expressions around her::

The crowd thinned considerably as the rain came down in sheets. Maires raven hair clung to her face and her clothes were fast becoming soaked. At the door she almost dropped the key as her hands were slippery. A clap of thunder ushered them into the building. It was clear except for a few empty crates that had been left. Maire ushered Meghan in and closed the door behind."Whew, I didnt expect the storm to come on so suddenly" she looked down at herself and at Meghan and chuckled" If you and I arent sodden messes I dont what we are" She gave a grimace" I am sorry . but maybe if we break up one of these crates we can build a fire and dry out a bit, if we can outlast the rain"

Water dripped down her cheeks in rivlets as she smiled broadly"This is it! My apothocary, tell me what do you think? There are a few outbuildings and they all are acessed by a covered walk. Since it rains so much here that will be a great help indeed" She shook her wet dress a bit and grumbled" I am afraid it will take more then a small fire to dry us out."

The soaked clothes though did not really dampen her high spirits. She began to break up the crate and then looked for some kindling. She found some sheets of parchment and wadded them up and spoke a spell from under her breath, a simple enough task. Rensain had been teaching her magics and this was a beginning spell.

The parchment caught and she carefully added the splintered wood to it till a small fire was burning"There now its a bit cozy, and we can feast to celebrate!"

::She wanders around the room with her arms wrapped around herself for warmth while she waits for Maire to light a fire, looking at everything with open and honest curiosity. The rain has chilled her, and she's as bedraggled as anyone caught in a storm can be, but her smile never leaves her lips as she imagines the room filled with the tools of Maire's trade. She finds herself wondering what it will smell like, if all the herbs will be sealed away or if the various aromas will mix together into something new.

She moves to help Maire with the crates, careful to follow her lead so she doesn't harm anything, and takes a small step back as the other woman casts a spell::

You're a mage, are you? There's never been a scrap of magical ability in my family, not in as long as my grandmother could remember. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. It must come in handy. After all, you never know when you'll have to run through a downpour.

::Her eyes, bright with pleasure at the storm and the company both, dart to the ceiling as another peal of thunder echoes above them. Sitting down next to the fire, she sets her bag aside and starts combing her fingers through her hair, careful to keep the droplets of water from falling into the flame::

It looks like a nice shop from here. Is there anything I could bring for you to help get things set up the way you want it?

Maire nodded " My husband has taught me much in the arcane. He is a adept and a master in the arts, I still have much to learn from him" She thought for a moment and then pulled out a piece of parchment and a bottle of ink and a quill from her satchel. The quill was wrapped carefully in a soft piece of leather. She quickly wrote a note to Rensain and then opened the door. A boy passed by and she called to him. The boy was soaked but came running over and bobbed to her. She handed him a note and then a gold piece."Take this and get it delivered to Lord Rensain at the castle, get it to him promptly and he will give you another gold piece...off with you " The boys eyes lit for two gold pieces for a message delivered was a fortune. He tucked the parchment into his coat and then took off running as fast as his legs could take him toward the royal quarter.

Maire closed the door and turned back to Meghan." I thought Rensain might like to see where I am going to be spending some of my time" she added a few more pieces of wood from the broken crate and then sat down." I have such plans , I suppose what I will need most right now is manual labor. This place could use some cleaning and some paint, I also will need carpenters to make shelves and drying racks for the one of the storage buildings." her eyes shone as she talked for her dream was well on its way to becoming a reality.

" Have you finished your obligations to your clients yet? I would be willing to hire you to help. I have two sites, the property here and then a some acerage out of town a bit. I cant always be in two places at one time and so could use a hand if your interested" she began unwrapping the cheese and bread from the waxed paper they had been in. They had been spared the rain and Maires mouth began to water. She was more hungry then she had thought.