> I've been To the opposite of the lake, swimming, close to the forest, 'round the entire city. I'm one silver coin short of buying a mace.

well, don't buy the mace then. find something you can buy. Assuming you have enough silver that is. If you got all the money from your house, adn I mean all, your fortune, plus whatever's laying around in your cushions, you're good to go.

And, if there are any, I need two gold coins for the wire cutters. Help, please?

You don't get those until later.

Other things you need to do before leaving town...

Explore the bottom of the well throughly until you find something, but make sure you have a way up.

Raise and lower the bucket of the well until you win a prize.

Make sure you take the rope and the bucket with you. You'll need them later.

Find something in the water somewhere that will enable you to find another thing in the water that will enable you to go across the lake, which I see you've already done, because you said you've been across the lake, so disregard htis entire thing.

With one of the items that you get above, use it with the pick to reach a new place, where you fight a new thing, and get a new item.

Have fun.

Rift "Red Dragon" Traveler