"Sheepskin cast-offs! Get your cast-offs here!" Joan sighed and kicked at some grass. No matter what she did or said she was still branded John the Louse's daughter, and because of him people saw her as untrustworthy and a liar. Traits she'd worked hard to prove she wasn't.

No one saw the hours she spent scouring barn floors and the shearing sheds to collect the sheepskin tufts that she painstakingly cleaned and bound together into little balls she now wore around her neck.

But she'd only sold one measly bundle five days ago, which meant she hadn't eaten in three days.

The harsh sun beat down, making her dizzy.

She looked for a well to at least slake her thirst and fill her belly with water.

Her vision blurred. She stumbled and shot out her arms as she pitched forward.

Instead of hitting the ground, she collided hard with someone. They fell in a tangle of limbs and curse words before everything faded to black.

Voices filtered through. A conversation. About her.

"See this magic. Feel how soft the leather of my jerkin is! Supple, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is!"

"She's coming to. I want to ask her to treat my leather skirt."

"No offence Diane, but that'll take ages! Let her do our leather first before she tackles yours."

A resigned sigh. "Alright."

Joan recalled falling against someone. She'd had the bundles around her neck. They weren't much use except stuffing pillows and firestarters.

However, her own jerkin, her one decent piece of clothing, had been in excellent condition since she'd started wearing the sheepskin bundles. There was no magic about it. Just sheep's wool.

She'd have to find a way to get access to more barns and shearing sheds. Maybe her own flock since these strangers seemed keen to access her "magic".

The strangers kept conversing.

"Wonder if her magic works on finding swords?"

"Melodias, don't hold your breath." Was that a pig?

"If her magic works, I say we set her up a shop near the Boar Hat. We can take a percentage of the profits as rent and get our leather treated for free."

Joan almost jumped for joy. A shop! Now they're talking.

In fact, she could probably extend that to treating armour and weaponry. She'd discovered that if she put some wool on the end of a little stick it really worked well on those corners where dirt and blood got caked in.

No time like the present!

She sat up and said, "In fact, my magic works on cleaning armour and weapons too."

A giantess crossed her arms and smirked. "Told you she was coming around."

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