Like all buildings in Utgard, it had the typical pointed roof, though this one looked far more elaborate than the standard fare. It had been painted with bright festive colors that looked like it would have been at home on an Easter egg. The house was three stories high and shaped like a rough triangle. Seen from above I actually thought it resembled the outer border of Superman's shield if you had the bottom part flattened out. Beyond that, it was built in the same style as the rest of the houses in the town.
SpoilerThe ground floor was the main public area, where most of the townsfolk gathered when they visited. It was a mostly open space with numerous round tables placed around the room. To the left of the main entrance where the bar and serving area, which all looked very wild west, with a long wide wooden bar with stools placed in front of it, the wall behind it was filled with wooden steins and clay pitchers that waited to be filled with either boor or mead which was stored in huge casks that were located at various points throughout the room. The kitchens were hidden away behind the bar and could be reached through a hard to see doorway that was partially hidden behind a wall of casks.
SpoilerAt the far end of the room was a stairway that led up to the second floor which contained rooms for those that wanted some privacy, for whatever reason. There were even two rooms with beds in them for guests or just for people that wanted... privacy... and had no other place to go. Ahem! The top floor was where Jord and her daughter had their personal rooms. I hadn't been up there so I didn't know how it looked.
Jords' daughter, Idunn was the spitting image of her mother with the same blond hair and the same generous... endowments. Today she had on a blue dress, white blouse, and some embroidered green west thing with yellow flowers on it. Her hair tied back into a ponytail by a blue ribbon. Not a bad look all in all. Idunn was a popular girl in the village amongst the unmarried young men, but for her looks, but also because of who her mother was. Anyone that managed to catch her would-be eating like a king.
SpoilerI took a deep breath as I entered, smelling the spicy fragrant air inside the tavern. It was the smell of freshly baked bread, sage, wild mint, and cooking meats. I took another deep sniff before turning my attention to Idunn, who was busy weaving between the tables, balancing a tray on each hand. I admit she was quite something to look at. If I was bigger I'd totally try for that. There was something about a woman that had boobs the size of your head that made a guy sit up and pay attention. Heh. I gave her a jaunty wave as I drifted inside. A quick engorged charm caused me to shoot up to twice my original height, which allowed me to lean in over her and give her my most smarmy smile.
"Hey, beautiful. I know you're busy today, but can you add me to your to-do list?" I asked and waggled my eyebrows at her. Hey, I might not be in the market to buy, but I can still window shop. Little flirting never hurt anyone.
Idunn just gave me an amused smile and rolled her eyes. "Hello, Drew. I think that was your worst one yet."
With a laugh, I popped back to my original size. "Really? Even worse than when I asked if you were a banana because I found you a-peeling?"
"Well..." She hedged.
"Or when I asked you if you were a cat because I'm feline a connection between us?" I asked her with mock enthusiasm.
Idunn chocked back what I knew to be a giggle. Humor, it always work!
"Or when I conjured a mirror and asked you if you wanted to see a picture of a beautiful person?"
"That one was pretty good actually." She said with a giggle.
"How about, If I had a garden I'd put your tulips and my tulips together?"
"Spirits! Do you ever stop?" She exclaimed between giggles.
"Sure, rights after you stop giggling." I teased lightly.
"Stop it!" She demanded lightly as she swatted after me, I nimbly got out of the way before starting to float over towards the bar with Idunn moving to follow me. "I guess you're here for breakfast, then?"
"Yeah, you think Jord would mind spotting me some food, and the pleasure of your company?" I asked with a smarmy grin.
"The food won't be a problem, the company is another matter. I have work to do, you know." She chided me lightly, ignoring my bad attempts at flirting.
I looked around. Despite the early time, the place was still fairly crowded with most tables having at least one occupant sitting down and enjoying their morning meal. The room was filled with the sound of quiet conversations and the clinking of utensils. It was a mildly unreal experience, particularly seeing as one of the occupants on a table near me was a Sasquatch, dressed in fairly normal clothes, reading a book.
SpoilerI don't know about anyone else, but the words "sasquatch" and "book" were not two words I'd ever thought I'd ever use together unless it was a book about taxidermy. If you added "reading" to that things got even more surreal. Who'd ever conceived of a sasquatch reading a book? Eating a book, sure. I could see that. Entierly within the scope of my experience. But reading, and by the sound of it, discussing it with his table mates. Might as well be raining frogs.
I smiled to myself. This is what I enjoyed about the wizarding world. There was always something new and strange around every corner. The Sasquatch was a prime example. Not much known about them by the general wizarding public. Most thought them to be just Yeti's by another name. There was a relation, of course, second cousins twice removed, or something like that. The most notable difference was their intelligence, of course. Which was no different from humans, by the look of it. They also had a type of innate magic that allowed them to go unseen by those around it, should they want to. This wasn't invisibility though, like with the Demiguise, but more like an SEP field. it made them seem unremarkable. It wasn't perfect though and could be pierced with a bit of effort. Still, a cool ability.
"Drew!" An exited and familiar voice squealed and I was then picked up by a pair of large hand and then found my head trapped in the warm smelling cleavage of the owner of the tavern and its cook.
I was perfectly fine with this.
This was the reason guys went for giant women. I could crawl into this cleavage and make a nest and live there forever in peace and prosperity, nurtured by the life-giving warmth of these fleshy hills. Unfortunately, it was not to be and I found myself swiftly yanked away from this warm heaven of pliant flesh and back into this cold uncaring reality. It was enough to make a man cry.
"Mom, stop that, you are suffocating him." Idunn snapped at her mother.
"Oh he doesn't mind, do you dear?" Jord retorted, ignoring her daughters' indignation and gave me a light pinch on the cheek.
I might have laughed dopily. Sue me, I was just in heaven, I'm entitled!
"See, he's just fine," Jord told her fuming daughter smugly before she gave me a once over. "You'll be wanting food I suppose?"
I snapped out of my pleasant haze at the mention of food. Priorities! "Yes, if it's not too much trouble."
"No trouble, I just pulled a fresh loaf out of the oven, I'll get you some butter, ham, and cheese. That fine with you?" She asked me kindly.
"That's fine. You have any of that apple cider from yesterday left?" I asked.
"I just finished another cask today, it's in the fridge, I'll get you some," Idunn answered for her mother before disappearing into the kitchen. I smiled. It was funny that someone who was named after someone whose whole purpose was tending to an apple three, liked to make cider and applejack.
It was good cider too.
"So where are you off to today, dear?" Jord asked while she started to wipe down the bar top.
I shrugged. "Haven't a clue, I figure I'll just fly around and see what needs doing."
Jord clapped her hands excitedly. "So you are free then. Excellent, I have been meaning to talk to you about something."
"Oh?" I asked curiously.
Jord gave me a winning smile. "I know it might sound a bit greedy of me after all the work you did with the freezer and refrigerator down in the cellar, for which I will be eternally grateful, it's such a great help for me, truly!"
"But?" I asked with a lazy smile.
"But, I was wondering if you could possibly, and you are, of course, free to say no, but it would be really nice if you could, maybe, find in in your heart to make me a... greenhouse..." She finished lamely while looking at me imploringly.
"A greenhouse?" I asked dubiously. "What for?"
"Spices!" Jord exclaimed excitedly.
I blinked. "You want to grow more spices?"
Jord nodded enthusiastically. "Yep, I can't grow most spices I want up here, too cold, not the right sort of soil, not humid enough, all of that. I've been wanting a greenhouse so I can fix that, but it's never been possible on account of how hard it's to get glass up here. We have trouble enough getting enough for windows to the houses, building a house entirely out of glass... quite out of the question. So..."
I thought about it for a moment before shrugging. It wasn't like it would be too much of a hassle to make. "Sure, shouldn't be a problem. Just show me where you want it and I'll get it done."
I was suddenly thrust back into a warm familiar place.
Life was good.
---
I was once again "saved" from the confines of Jord's cleavage by her daughter's return, after which I got busy filling my stomach with the food and drink she brought me. Then me and Jord adjourned to the back of the tavern where she detailed exactly what she wanted me to do. As it turns out she didn't want any old greenhouse. Oh no, that would have been too easy. What she wanted was far more complex, because she didn't want to just grow spices. She wanted to grow ALL the spices. Which meant she needed the greenhouse to be able to support a wide variety of biomes. What followed was a lengthy discussion as we tried to figure out what spices needed what environment, and what spices could be grown together and all such things. I quite frankly lost track of the whole thing ten minutes in, but Jord was able to determine that we would need at least six separate areas to be able to accommodate what she wanted to grow.
I just nodded and smiled and then just asked her to direct me through the construction. It took me about an hour to transfigure the needed materials and set up the basic structures. I applied a few charms to keep the glass clean so they wouldn't need to clean it constantly. I also expanded the space inside, which was an experience. Space expansion + transparent walls make for a really odd refraction of the light entering. Who knew?
Then all that was left was to set up the right environment in each section, that part was fairly easy. I'd gotten most of what I needed from reading up on Herbology years ago, so it was a snap.
And after another meal and another pleasant visit to Jords cleavage, I was let go to get to the rest of my day. But just as I was about to leave I noticed something moving in the corner of my eye. Takoda. Takoda sneaking into the woods, looking all shift like. I frowned. What was he up to? Making a split-second decision I decided to follow him. I cast a disillusionment charm over myself with a snap of my finger before floating off after the large Indian.
"Now, what are you up to?"