Seren smiled as they worked on the writing, their handwriting had improved enough that they could work with legible speed. Smugly putting papers into the finished pile.

“All right, I have your list ready for you.” Mr. Asche put a binder down in front of them on their desk.

“Oh?” Seren said, surprised.

“It’s monday, so you still have your enforcer job to do as well.” He said, “At least until I find an enforcer who can come even close to the standard you’ve set.” Seren picked up the binder, feeling a little bundle of pride welling up in their chest.

“All right, I’ll get through this before lunch!” Seren stood up, tucking the binder under one arm and running down the stairs. Pausing at the front door to pull on their boots, coat, and a side bag for their collections.

Outside the sky was gray with clouds, not threatening to rain or snow but keeping the sun blocked all the same. Over the ground, the snow had frozen from fresh soft powder to crunchy ice like a snowy brulee. Walk-ways had the sheen of ice patches and little peaks of crystallized ice. Carefully, Seren stepped off the front steps and watched the walk to avoid the ice patches.

Chancing a look up they saw a familiar face.

“Oh hi Wynne!” They waved The fae-touched bundle of cloth looked up from the sidewalk.

“Hi Seren!” Wynne said as Seren left the walkway. “My don’t you look smart.”

“Thanks! I got a bunch of new clothes.” Seren said.Holding out their arms and turning for them to see.

“Very nice, being an apprentice treating you well?” Wynne asked, Seren’s jaw dropped.

“How did you know?” They whispered.

“Word travels fast on the street, also. Is that fae-silver I hear?” Wynne asked. Seren fumbled about in their pocket until they could produce the pocket watch.

“Oh now that’s nice,” Wynne nodded. “You know I’ve heard that the family is trying to get the hospital to release your dad to them… Hope they don’t succeed.” Wynne turned and began slinking away, leaving Seren holding the enchanted watch. Frozen in place. They turned to run back inside and slipped in the ice and dropped the binder and the pocket watch.

Seren bent and scooped up the watch and the binder, remembering the promise they made. If they hurried, and did make good on the promise to be done by lunch, then they could see for themself what the situation was like.

With a brand new resolve, they took off for the first name on the list. In the Spring district.

They ran on the crunchy snow which had better traction for them. Running all the way to the Spring district and reading the address slowly but finding the place. Pleased it wasn’t a butcher but a tinker.

“Hallo!” They called and waved. Sliding the binder into their side bag.

“Morning, what can I do for you? Last minute gift for a parent for Yuletide?” The tinker called. They were at their desk, partially working on something while also hawking their wares.

“Unfortunately no,” Seren said apologetically.”I’m here as an enforcer, see-”

“Hold on, an enforcer?” The tinkerer dropped their tools onto the table “No, there must be a mistake.” The tinker launched into a mess of excuses and explanations. It all grated on Seren’s nerves, their head pounded behind their eyes as his voice grated on their nerves.

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“All right, that's ENOUGH!” Seren snapped, their voice cracked like a whip. Snow avalanched off the rooftops. Everyone on the street paused and looked over, the tinker stepped back. Seren gathered their senses again. They pulled the binder back out of their side bag.

“Are you Ultara Heel?” Seren accused. The tinkerer pressed their lips together and stared at Seren fearfully. Unable to speak. “Are you?”

“Yes,” The tinker said meekly.

“All right well it says here you owe so may I please take a payment?” Seren said shortly.

“Business is a little slow today-” The tinker tried out another excuse.

“I don’t have the patience for this today, so let’s skip the excuses and go straight to you giving me the payment.” Seren said forcefully. The tinker shifted awkwardly.

“Very well, I’ll just go and get it.” The Tinker said, sliding away and into the workshop. Seren felt their instinct telling them the tinker wasn’t coming back. They shoved that thought away and waited, but after the minutes ticked away, Seren had to admit that they’d been deceived. They ground their teeth together as their rage bubbled up. They wanted more than anything to start breaking the metal bits and bobs on the table. They crushed their hands from how tightly they clenched them. Moving on miserably toward the next job.

They moved on with a sour face and a bitter glare down the Spring district, citizens avoiding their gaze and hurrying to the sides. Their prey hastily worked away at the edge of the district, a smithy. Their hammer worked on the anvil with the metal between it. The smithy saw them through the corner of her eyes and kept working as if she hadn’t seen them. Seren glare only intensified the longer the smithy ignored them.

Once the smithy couldn’t continue hammering the metal, the shamefully plunged the metal into the water and stood upright, hastily brushing her hands on her apron.

“Anything I can get’cha?” She said sheepishly, still avoiding their gaze.

“I think you have a good idea of what I’m here for.” Seren snapped shortly.

“I do. I am unfortunately unable to give, but I know that trades are common?” She asked. “I got kids to feed you have to understand.”

“I’ve heard every excuse and I don’t have time to listen today. What trade do you have?” Seren snapped.

“Whatever catches your eye out here, I don’t have-” The smithy started but stopped when Seren leveled a glare at them.

“Please don’t curse us!” The smithy said suddenly. Seren shook their head in annoyance and looked over the wares. Not many weapons were needed in the city, at least not in broad daylight. Most of the items were basic tools for farming or other labor works. But hidden among the useless pieces, there was something that caught Seren’s eyes.

“What are those?” Seren entered the smithy’s market stall, shoving a few tools aside to reveal a set of metal interconnected rings and a handle.

“Oh! How did that get there?” The smithy laughed awkwardly, guiltily. “They must have been left there by someone else.”

“Then they won’t go towards your debt.” Seren snapped dryly.

“Oh, those! I thought you were looking at something else!” The smithy laughed uncomfortably again. “I don’t know if you really want those, they aren’t anything special, just some old caestus rings.” Seren was familiar with caestus rings. In the reflection of the metal they could see Miss Jazz and her companion, slinking around.

“I’ll take them.” Seren said picking the pair up and trying them on, they were a bit big over their knuckles but that would be fine. “I’ll take off… about ten ingts for them.”

“Only ten?” the smithy asked. “But I could sell those for twenty1”

“They’re an inferior metal and have a dent in them. Clearly used. Thus. Ten.” Seren said.

“If you’re only carrying them for protection and not planning on using them, then it should be twenty.” The smithy got bolder in her haggling. Seren kept a glare on her and started putting the caestus rings down.

“Fine, ten. That’s appropriate for a trade then?” The Smithy said hastily, hopefully.

“It’s a start,” Seren sighed. Marking down the offering in their binder. They looked expectantly at the smithy, who stared at the ground.

“Is there anything else we can do?” The smithy asked. Seren ground their teeth together.

“I don’t have the time for this, please just cooperate.” They said tiredly.The smithy nodded and bent down to their coin box. Taking out a few bars and dropping them on the counter instead of Seren’s hand. Seren scowled and picked up the ingts.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself.” The smithy said. Seren scoffed.

“Why does everyone say that?” Seren shook their head. “I’m not the one who got you in this situation, you are!” The smithy went red in the cheeks. Pressing her lips together but unable to say anything. Seren marked the payment and turned away to move on to the next job. Putting away the binder. The weight of the caestus rings in their pocket gave them a feeling of security. Seren put a hand in their pocket and played with the rings. Hoping someone would dare to challenge them, all for the chance to use them.