“Right, thank you!” Collilingus said as he marched through the open door. He could see the youngster speeding ahead to inform his mistress of the Dwarf’s arrival. Collilingus smiled, and walked through the corridor towards the waiting room. This was one of his first visits to a client in days, so he had to get accustomed. Spending a few days in his house had made him used to the scaled down furniture of his dining room, the lower door knobs and the people of the same height. Dwarves liked to stick together for that reason. Here, in House Noble, everything was of regular size. Doorknobs were just low enough for him to reach them, couches and chairs were at chest height. With some strength from his upper arms, he managed to get himself on one of the more comfy chairs towards the side of the room, from where he could observe the whole thing.
Everything about the room screamed opulence and grandeur. From the onset, one could immediately see that this manor had once belonged to a great family. At least a larger one. It was too big to just house one girl and her staff. Multiple seats were arranged in a comfortable sitting circle, with a table in the middle adorned with fruits and flowers. The floor was made from oaken wood, covered with a red rug that seemed to flow gently in the soft breeze that entered through an open window. On the walls were various paintings, some landscapes and a few people, beautifully framed in masterful woodwork. One of the paintings portrayed a man in armour, carrying a banner into battle. Another was a more civil-looking man, holding a few books under his arm. Other paintings depicted the Moon Pyre, the city itself, and Noble Manor.
It was not an unpleasant place to wait, were it not that the Dwarf knew the history behind the family. At least, the parts that mattered. Charlotte was all alone, and mostly kept to herself. This house was hers and hers alone, with no-one to share it with. Her family had met their demise, and she had survived. How hard it must have been for her, to live a life in the opulence of her forbearers, who left her all alone to the harsh world. He sighed. Yes, he would help the girl with her finances. He took pity on her, and would indeed try to do his utmost to give her something in return. He opened his ledger and began to read from the pages of red and black ink that filled it. Various family names passed by, a few of the great noble families of the city for instance. When he reached the Noble account, he began to study the numbers, trying to get as much of an idea of their situation as possible. This would be his new project.
