Zentha watched Jarbuk leave, and sighed sadly.

"You have to get used to it, Zennie." Alea said at her shoulder. "He's engaged to Shaala." Zentha's lower lips trembled.

"I know. On their wedding night, he'll die." Zentha couldn't help but be sad about that.

"It's his choice, Zennie." Alea said quietly.

"Would he make this choice if he knew?"

"You can't tell him. Not only is it against the law, but you would put all of us at risk. Every single elf in the lowlands would be at risk if the humans found out." She said firmly.

"I know. One dwarf is not worth the risk to our stallions, but he is Jarbuk." She said quietly. "He should be mine."

"Aye, he should, but you should also be mine, Zennie. Sometimes, we can't have what, or who we want." Zentha growled slighlty, which made Alea smile a bit.

"I'm hungry, Alea. I need something to satisfy me." Zentha walked up the stairs ahead of the seven foot elf, with a purpose. She wanted this much feared elf to take her mind off of Jarbuk, and knowing her friend's lust for her, she could easily do that.

* * *

"Hm, I wonder which way I should head." Baris said quietly. He set the wolf down, and looked around. "Oh, looks like I am in luck." Not far away, a wagon approached with three people on it.

A few minutes later, the wagon rolled over the small bridge that protected the bubbling brook Baris used as a water source, and stopped a dozen or so feet away.

"Hello, stranger." The man on the wagon said. "Can I help you with something?" He looked down at the dead wolf at his side. "Are you a hunter?"

"Survivor." Baris said with a slight grimace. "I woke up in the forest yesterday without a stitch of clothes. I had to make due with what I could find in order to survive."

"I see. Did you kill the grey wolf beside you?" he asked, but knew it was a stupid question.

"Grey wolf, yeah, that's my kill. Do you know anyone who can buy it? As you can see, I have only crude gear, and need a bit better stuff. Also, do you know magic?" Jarbuk grinned a little.

"Yes, I can do some basic magic. Do you have any wasted experience points?" Jarbuk asked. "I only ask as we have the means to extract the wasted points and sell you some things for the points. I assume you don't have any silver on you."

"Your assumption is correct, sir. I'm cursed to not enter Noobville, so I can't sell this guy inside."

"A curse. Nuella?" Jarbuk asked.

"Yeah. It's about balance, so I'm locked out. The good thing is that I feel better than I've felt in decades. So, what I need is a metal knife, and to see some magic." Baris said and watched as Jarbuk dismounted.

"Let's talk for a few minutes. The wolf bounty for a grey wolf is about twenty silvers. A hundred for a blue wolf, but the Adventurers Guild takes the entire carcass. The materials from a grey wolf would bring in more silver than the bounty by at least five times. Meat, bones, and even the alchemical ingredients, gall bladder and eyes, would make some silver. The hide could be sold to the blacksmith as well. So, for twenty silver, that can get you a basic bronze knife that can easily be sharpened on a stone. How many XP do you have to trade with?"

"I have fifteen hundred and ninety four." Jarbuk frowned. "I was close to a level up when that damned blue wolf tried to take a bite out of me." Baris growled. "It is now food, but the experience points from one grey wolf, and one blue wolf are nearly all wasted."

"What level are you, friend?" Jarbuk asked quietly.

"Three."

* * *

"You haven't gotten out much, have you?" Jarbuk asked quietly. Baris snorted.

"Sat on my fat ass for a few decades due to a disease. If you wouldn't mind showing me some magic, we can get this transaction completed." Baris frowned a bit. "What about bones? I once heard that bones could be boiled to make glue, and that they had some value."

"That would be a really weak animal to have bones that could be ground and boiled down. The grey wolves, and blue wolf variants, have strong bones that require at least an iron knife to carve." Jarbuk thought for a moment. "Are you going to be around her for a few days?"

"Yep. I plan to do some skill leveling, work on my aim with spears, craft some better clothes and armor, and learn about magic." Baris said with a grin.

"To be honest, I didn't expect you to have so many points. The silver will buy you the bronze knife, but everything else is basic stuff. Leather, but without tools it would be hard to work. Some crates. Spices. A few swords, and bows. I can get you a good iron harvesting knife, and a bone carving knife, a standard grade that should allow you to carve bones from grey wolves, and even blue wolves. Bone knives made from grey wolves are equal to bronze, and can make you a bit of silver. Bone reinforced armor is also good for protection against damage. And blue wolf bones make good tools, daggers, throwing knives, or ivory rune totems. The Guild Master of the Noobville Adventurers Guild would like a wolf totem carved rune wristlet." Baris thought for a moment.

"Well, I won't know what I can do before I try. I wasn't bad at leather, even if I don't know how to tan it. I wasn't bad at carving, but didn't do runes or totems before. If you can get me the gear, we'll do some trades. In the meantime, is there anything else you have?" Baris asked.

"I don't know if this will help, but Zentha said to bring this." He picked up a book, and showed Baris. The words 'Animal Harvesting Primer' shone brightly. "Five hundred experience points."

* * *

"Boss, that guy was a little bit odd, don't you think?" One of the guards said quietly.

"You mean how he lifted that wolf like it was made of paper?" Jarbuk asked.

"Yeah, but not only that. He watched you cast your arc spell, and looked quite happy. Like you showed him how to do it, even if you didn't instruct him on how to do it." Jarbuk thought for a moment.

"Yeah, an odd one. However, he still has over a thousand experience points, and the nobles pay good silver for it. I'll need to make another trip to Noobville in a few days. If you're interested, there will be another escort job on the board." Jarbuk watched the two smile, and snorted inwardly.

The likelihood of them needing to fight was low, due to the level of the land itself, and how he was a level fifteen warrior and bowman. They would only be required to drive, feed the horse, and make sure their merchandise was in good condition.

Other then forage for herbs, stand on guard duty, or do simple repairs to the exterior walls of Noobville, the local adventurers didn't seem too eager to do adventurer's work.

Almost like they had an income from another source.