The Underworld Has No Fury Like A Snow Elf's Scorn

I broke the few-minute silence with Irene and then looked at her before saying, "Anyway, I'm off to look for Ari and Harold. I'll see you later."

Irene inclined in understanding and that irritable frown turning to a tender motherly smile "Alright, they won't be far, but take the back door, love. The place on Sjorven road is called Jarvik's Mountaineering." She warned, and I took my leave and then down to my room to grab my flight jacket before locking up and I left via the door that went into the beer garden and out into the back alley and into a street.

The street was bustling. Cars and carts moved up and down the streets as I pulled out a small map of the city I brought with me as I looked for a street name or maybe a landmark, that would give me an answer to where the hell I am! So... I looked for where the airship port was and then calculating from there.

I worked out where I needed to go and then took tracks to Sjorven Road, of course, asking for directions from different people and trying to work out where Ari and Harold where, since I assumed they might be in other shops by now. But the first place I looked for was Jarvik's Mountaineering.

"Ja, welcome to Jarvik's mountaineering," The moose horned and eared man said in a fed up greeting. I saw Harold and Ari furiously arguing, then looking at me when I walked in.

I raised a brow inquisitively to them both, as Ari then says, "Why did we let this PRAT on our team?!" with a vexed hiss pointing at him.

"I'm the prat?! this is my... my investors' money! I have control over what we buy!"

"So you'd rather be a cheap git than be actually safe when we go into these tombs?!"

I rubbed my face in both hands, displeased how this partnership was going and now my assumptions turned from being an orc spy to a conman and archaeologist.

"Right, what are you purchasing or planning to purchase?" I asked, before walking over and looking at the catalogue which has items circled that were made by well-known mountaineering equipment companies. All of it seemed sturdy before I asked the moose man behind the counter, "Can we check these items first?"

The moose nods and then heads into the back and bringing out icepicks, ropes, firm leather climbing harnesses, hooks in fabric bags and carabiners "Here."

I pulled out a small booklet from the inner part of my jacket and then looked for the page I kept Harold's bank account on "Thank you. Going to ask you, think you could put a withdrawal charge on behalf of account number two-three-zero-eight-seven-seven-eight-four for all this equipment under the name of Harold Drangadzun of Number 21 Haversham road?"

the moose nods with a grin as the dwarf was in shock "How dare you!" He yelled at me before I then said, "No, Harold, you promised us you'd use this investors' money and buy whatever we require."

"Yes, but doesn't mean robbery!"

"Is it theft if that money came from illegal ways? Think carefully, you return from Elderen with chests of ancient gold and non-magical artifacts worth more than whatever you have in the bank and..." I paused and then added.

"And... it will clear your name as a wanted conman because you'll be renowned as a hero of the continent and the Isle Kingdoms because you found such powerful artifacts?"

Harold then nods after letting out a heavy sigh before going to the counter and signing the cheque to allow the purchase.

"You better be telling the truth, Joseph,"

"You lied first, you are trying to dodge using your account, you're a conman!"

"That's a vapid insult!"

"I'm not arguing here, we have the stuff bought now, man up. We have tombs to recover artifacts from."

He warns with a glare after a small bit of silence, "Honestly though, you best be telling the truth boyo!"

It wasn't long before we left the mountaineering store and then headed onto the street again, as we had a growing mistrust between Ari and I against Harry, even if we were getting along swimmingly again.

The snow elf picked up her pace, so she then shifted to stand next to me as we walked along. She leaned in and then whispered, "Do you think he'll try to play us like he played his investors? try to snatch the book from us?"

"maybe, but he'll have to pry it from our cold, dead hands,"

"Where are you storing the book?"

"in a hidden compartment in my suitcase where I store my magical wand and book. Why do you ask?"

"Just so I know if the tricky bastard tries to play us."

She answered with a quiet nod, as the dwarf was doing his best to catch up amidst the fastened pace. So we slowed down for him and then asked, "Any exact types of cuisine you like, Harry or is it just Kingdoms cuisine?"

"I'm more than happy to try something new, Joe!" Harold said with a smile on his face.

It took a while as we glanced at the many Elderanian signs which made me pull out my Elderanian language notebook and then I did my best to translate what was on the signs and what was on the menus as well before finally deciding and then heading to an Elderanian greasy spoon that mostly served different fish meals.

We entered which got a few heads to turn of different locals before they went back to eating and then we came up to the counter, scuffed, scratched but the scent of disinfectant and the girls behind the counter were always wiping the tops after the patrons that left, for a cheap cafe it was incredibly clean as I then asked to the lean but skinny Elven man behind the counter

"Hey mate, do you speak Isle?"

"Nay, I speak nay Isle," he grunted, but kept a friendly look as he shook his head

"Alright..." I said while fumbling for my translation book in my jacket and then tried my best to replicate the accent and then said

"Treta tae yan mol eta sugger."

He looked pleased at my attempt to order in his tongue and dashed to get it fulfilled as we sat on the stools and Ari sighed before saying, "One question for you, Joe. Do any of you got an idea where we can hire a truck for the work we're about to do?"

"Let's think about this after our cups of tea and dinner." I say while quietly settling on the stool and then putting my head between my arms and closing my eyes on the bar top.