Kiki’s expression remained neutral, “We are but simple settlers, come to the Freemarks to make our own way.”

Helbram let out a small breath, “Well, you are not wrong in that answer, but I must ask where you all hail from.”

The smith frowned, “Why do you want to know?”

“Because there are factors outside my knowledge moving about,” Helbram said, “You may call it egotistical, but given the travels of my comrades and I - and the tendency of things to spiral out of our control - I wish to be ahead of anything that could come our way. Unfortunately, that means I must press you for answers,” he kept his hands flat against the table, “I swear to you that we mean you no harm.”

Kiki eyed Helbram’s sword, then the whetstone, “Well before I say anything you’d best start sharpening that sword.”

Helbram tilted his head to the side.

Her ears perked up in anticipation, “Get on with it! You have the oil sitting on the stone and everything. If you’re going to press me for answers I should at least bear witness to Scaled Steel fully sharpened, should I not?”

Helbram opened his mouth to answer, but could only manage a sigh before picking up his blade. He angled the base of the sword’s edge against the whetstone, and with a single smooth stroke, ran the blade’s length through the oil and against the stone’s grain.

Kiki’s ears dropped as she sagged in her chair, “Finally, gods above I was going to lose my mind if we just let all that sit there…” she rubbed the bridge of her nose, “I must ask, why me?”

Helbram made another pass of his blade against the whetstone, “Felix’s spear is of quite an unusual make,” he explained, “it is made entirely of metal, which is quite unusual for a small settlement in the Freemarks, and the pattern across its tip is one that I have not seen before. It is merely an inference, but I imagine such a weapon would be maintained by either Felix himself or someone skilled enough to perform maintenance on such a thing. If we compound that with the fact that your workshop is right across from his house, I imagine you two see each other quite often. And, considering that the man is otherwise occupied at the moment, I thought it prudent that I come to you for answers in the meantime.”

Kiki was quiet, letting the sound of the power hammer at the back fill the silence.

“And here I’d thought you’d taken a shine to me,” she eventually said in a playful tone, “but I’m afraid I can’t tell you much.”

“Cannot, or will not?”

She frowned and rapped her fingers against the table, “I’ll tell you what, why don’t you take a guess and I’ll tell you if you are right or not. I shall answer you truthfully, this I swear.”

Kiki met Helbram’s eyes, her gaze unflinching under his searching expression.

Helbram passed his sword over the whetstone again, “Very well. I would think the most telling clue to your origins lies within the machinery that you use,” he started, “While power hammers and enclosed forges are not uncommon within the Six Kingdoms, their aesthetic is much less…” he scratched his chin, “simplistic compared to yours. Their designs would hold some level of embellishment, and the Aether crystals that power them would be exposed in some manner to give their designs a further ornate appearance.”

He continued to sharpen his sword.

“Their designs are not of Esperus either, nor its neighbors. For, though not nearly as fantastical as the Six Kingdom designs, the grooves that line their machinery add a unique flair to their make, especially when Aether is flowing through them. Yours, however, possesses traits from neither one of these regions. Namely their bulky, almost bare designs. Ones that suggest that function and durability are the focus, yet crafted with such a precision that it serves as a style all on its own.”

He eyed the walls and the outside of the workshop, “Much like the buildings within Geldervale itself.”

Kiki said nothing, waiting for Helbram to continue.

“They are not from any of the Pravatan Nations, for they tend to have a focus on Alchemy, and this is expressed through their focus on casting their tools, rather than forging them, utilizing magics that allow their weapons to hold a similar durability to many other parts of the world,” he flipped his sword and started to sharpen the opposite edge, “I would suggest countries from the East, but contact with them is a relatively new affair, and the distance they hold from the Freemarks alone would rule out their involvement entirely. This rings true for the New World as well. Which leaves me with one other option.”

The smith clenched her jaw.

“An empire, one that is renowned for how little anyone seems to know about it. Even Esperus and its surrounding nations, who have been locked in conflict with them for nearly five decades, seem to know little about them beyond what war has taught them,” he placed his sword down and wiped off the whetstone, “about their strength, their efficiency, and rumors of their brutality. Osgilia, the Frozen Empire.”

Kiki sat back, her expression passive as she studied Helbram’s own, “And, do you believe such rumors?”

Helbram shrugged, “Truthfully, I am not sure what to believe. The speed in which they conquer nations would suggest so, yet the rate at which they choose to strike suggests something else entirely.”

The smith narrowed her eyes, “Like what?”

“I have no idea,” he admitted, “Esperus would have us believe that their efforts to stop Osgilia have prevented them from expanding further, but given the years between their offensives are free of skirmishes along the border… that would suggest that perhaps they are occupying other nations for another purpose,” he threw his hands up, “What that could possibly be I have not the slightest, and I have no investment in that conflict either way,” he met Kikis eyes again, “but your reaction tells me that my guess rings true.”

She sighed, “I just had to swear, didn’t I? Yes… you guessed correctly, and I am quite surprised you managed to do so.”

Helbram reached into the bucket at the side of the table and picked up a whetstone with a smoother grain, replacing the one that was set in the wooden platform.

“I just happen to have done a fair bit of wandering, is all,” Helbram said, “and that tends to make one observant of such things.”

“...and what does this revelation mean to you?”

“Nothing.”

Kiki gave him a bewildered look.

“I have no investment in the conflict between Osgilia and Esperus, and I have never seen any confirmation that suggests the rumors of the empire are true. They could be, they could not be, but I would rather operate on what I do know,” he smiled at the smith, “and that is that your village welcomed us with open arms, provided us with shelter from the Winter, and have given my comrades and I respite in our travels. And for that, I do thank you, and I apologize if I sounded forceful in my questioning.”

The smith scratched her chin and looked off to the side, “Well you did come on a little strong there…”

“Though I must ask, what would have driven you all to come so far away from Osgilia into a land such as the Freemarks?”

“That, I’m afraid, is something you must discuss with the,” she pressed her lips thin, “mayor.”

“From the way you say that word it sounds like you are used to calling Felix something else,” Helbram remarked, “Captain, perhaps?”

Kiki frowned, “Commander… has anyone ever told you that you are too vocal for your own good?”

“Only those I am comfortable enough to speak with,” Helbram said with a smile, “If I did not trust you I would not be questioning you this way.”

The smith laughed and shook her head, “I suppose I am just not used to dealing with Adventurers… such things are foreign to us Osgilians.”

“I would say personalities among us can vary, you just happen to have the misfortune of encountering us first,” he splashed some mineral oil over his whetstone, “but has Felix forbid you from saying anything?”

“Oh he hasn’t, but it would be the right thing to let the Commander explain himself rather than hear it through me.”

Helbram tapped his chin, “I see, well I appreciate what you’ve told me so far.”

“I’ve said little, you were the one doing most of the talking,”

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Helbram chuckled, “Fair enough, perhaps we could discuss other things while we wait for Felix to finish his talks with Merida.”

He finished sharpening his sword with the whetstone and removed the stone from the platform. As he did, he grabbed the last stone - the one with the smoothest grain - and placed it onto the platform before splashing it with another swish of his flask. Before he passed his sword over it, however, he noted Kiki’s keen interest in his process and held the blade out for her instead.

She looked at him with a cautious expression, “Are you sure?”

Helbram snorted, “Am I certain that a smith would be capable of sharpening my sword? Yes, I would say so. And after I pressed you for answers I think letting you handle such material is only fair.”

After a moment of contemplation, Kiki took hold of the sword.

“Besides, this is clearly me passing the burden of maintenance onto you,” he said with a smile.

The smith laughed, “You truly are a devious sort.”

“Only with the most benign of intentions, I assure you,” he stood up from his seat, “Before I leave you to your own devices, what’s the status of that other project?”

“Just needs a few finishing touches is all. If you come by later today it’ll be ready,” she looked over to the party, “She’s going to love it.”

Helbram smiled, “I hope so.”

He left the smith alone and joined his companions at the entrance of the workshop.

“Osgilia…” Leaf said as he stared across the street, “Can’t say I’ve heard much about them.”

“If you’ve never been beyond the Freemarks or the Six Kingdoms, news about them is scarce,” Elly added, “unless they decide to direct their ambitions across the ocean, I believe that will remain the case for the time being.”

“Their machinery is quite interesting,” Jahora remarked, “my knowledge of magitech is scarce, but given how rugged it all looks I imagine it was designed to take quite the beating.”

The Weaver tapped her arm, “Indeed, one would wonder how they managed to transport such devices deep into the Freemarks, however.”

Leaf shrugged, “The village has plenty of Awoken to carry it all, from what I saw.”

“Regardless,” Helbram started, “They mean us no harm, so I see no reason to press them on any further details. For now at least,” he nodded towards Felix’s house, “anything happen on this end?”

Leaf shook his head, “Looks like they walked too deep into the building for me to listen in much,” he tapped his ear, “even with Ether, I could only pick up the formalities before the words stopped.”

Jahora rubbed her chin as she peered at the house, her eyes alight with a purple glow, “No enchantments have been cast either. None that I can see, at least.”

Helbram pressed his lips thin, “I see, well I suppose we’ll have to press Merida for answers after she leaves. She certainly raised a lot of Questions when she arrived.”

He looked at Leaf, who narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

“Quite,” Elly said, “However, it does present a rare opportunity for Aria.”

Helbram quirked an eyebrow, “Oh? How so?”

“When it comes to magic, Jahora and I are only two sides of many,” the Weaver explained, “While Druidcraft holds many similarities to our methods, there are enough differences between them that it would be a good chance to expose Aria to something outside our expertise. That entirely depends on how cooperative Merida wishes to be, however,” she made an uncertain gesture, “Druids can be a hard to read sort.”

He looked at Aria, who stood behind Leaf but poked her head out to stare across the street. The girl’s eyes were not focused on the building itself, but rather the two cubs who still play fought on the white wolf’s back. Her attention had been so fixated on the cubs that he wasn’t sure if she had picked up their conversation or not, but in a way he was comforted by that.

Despite everything, she could still be a child.

He snorted and knelt down, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Have our furry friends been up to anything interesting?”

Still looking forward, Aria shook her head, “No they’re just playing,” as she spoke, the white cub managed to knock the black cub off the wolf’s back. The defeated child rolled gently off the larger beast, recovering to his feet as he landed on the ground. His sibling showed no signs of her previous injury as she struck a triumphant pose, which drew an annoyed bark from the black cub.

“Hehe…” Aria giggled, a bright smile stretching across her face.

The black cub’s ears perked up at the sound of the girl’s laugh and he whipped around. As his eyes met Aria’s playfulness returned to his expression and he ran into the street. The guards walking towards him pivoted and walked around the cub, their faces stoic as they passed by, though Helbram could see a small smile tug at one of their lips. Aria, however, moved back behind Leaf, which made the cub stop halfway across the street. He barked and hopped from side to side, but did not move any further.

Helbram looked at Aria, “Well, what are you waiting for?”

The girl looked at him, confused, “What do you mean?”

As they spoke, the white cub joined her sibling and both barked towards Aria.

“They obviously want to play. I say you should oblige,” he said.

She looked back at the cubs, “Are you sure it's ok?”

Helbram chuckled and ruffled the girl’s hair, “Of course it is! But on the safe side, Leaf and Jahora can join you, how does that sound?”

Both the people mentioned nodded at Aria, giving the girl reassuring smiles. Cautiously, she stepped out from behind Leaf and walked towards the cubs, who showed enough restraint to not rush at her and rather wait for her. Given how their tails wagged and from how they wiggled in place, Helbram could tell it was taking everything they had to do so.

Leaf and Jahora followed after Aria, giving her enough distance to meet the cubs alone. When she did, the small beasts barked in excitement and jumped around the girl, standing on their hind legs and pushing against her. Out of reflex Aria ran a hand through the white cub’s fur, beaming as the beast stood still and let the girl pet her.

The two wolves at the building watched the interaction, eyes open and ears perked up as the cubs played with Aria. After observing and knowing that the children were of no harm to one another, they lowered their heads back down and closed their eyes. Helbram could see clear relief on the white wolf’s face, and as it sighed a small smile quirked the black wolf’s lips.

He looked to Elly who, predictably, was jotting something down in one of her many notebooks.

“Have we come to any conclusions?” Helbram asked in a playful tone.

Elly tapped her pencil to her lip, “No, not yet. Other than the fact that the wolves appear to be more intelligent than similar beasts.”

Helbram stood up and leaned against the doorpost, “Such behavior could be the result of training,” he said, “but I think the most likely explanation would be a combination of the two.”

The scholar nodded and wrote down something else before clasping her book shut, “Very true. The tamer of our troupe could make beasts do things many thought impossible.”

“Is that so? Did you happen to pick up a few things from them as well?”

Elly snorted, “Not at all, there was only so much a little girl could learn, you know,” she looked at Helbram, “Though you appear to have picked up plenty of skills of your own.”

Helbram quirked an eyebrow.

She crossed her arms, “Not to say that most people are a dim sort, but many do not tend to be so deductive in their observations. When confronted with something out of the ordinary, most will tend to go ‘That’s interesting,’ and go about their day. They most certainly would not conclude that such things could originate from a country most know nothing about.”

Helbram rested his head against the doorpost, “When one is unable to walk any further on one path, they must simply walk down another.”

Elly raised an eyebrow

“While my father was determined to break down anything that barred my path, my grandfather was of another mind,” he smiled, “he would often tell me that phrase whenever I grew restless during his instruction.”

“I can’t imagine it was that often.”

Helbram laughed, “Quite the opposite, actually. At least, in the beginning it was,” he closed his eyes, “Often I would wonder what point there was in learning anything else if I could not pursue that which I dreamed of, but the old man was persistent, and if you believe me to be stubborn I pale in comparison to my grandfather’s determination. Patience was the first thing that he taught me, telling me stories of men and women who spent countless years, endless hours in pursuit of goals far beyond my own ambitions.”

He snorted.

“I see now that he did so as the foundation for other skills. Vocabulary, knowledge, all things that require patience to learn. More than that, however, was how he taught me to read one’s body language, how to draw conclusions from what I saw and what I knew, and how to do the same from what I did not see and know,” he let out a breath, “He often taught me how to argue against positions that I agreed with and for those I did not agree with. That last point in particular required an immense amount of patience, from both him and I.”

“The more I learn of your grandfather, the more it sounds like he was far more than a scholar of stories.”

“On the contrary, stories are the vehicle in which he instilled all these skills within me. If not through direct tales, it would be through how they were written. ‘A simple twitch in one’s eyebrow could be the stray thread that unravels a tapestry of secrets. The absence of a door holds the potential of being a gateway to stories yet untold,’ he would often say.”

He opened his eyes and saw Elly was smiling at him.

“What?”

“You’re always so bright when talking about your family,” she said, “It’s nice to see.”

The tenderness in her voice made him look away, but he could not hide the smile on his lips.

“How could I not be?” he asked, “Both men sought to pull me from despair in their own ways, and it is through their efforts that I am who I am today. I will never be able to repay them for it, and I do not know if I could ever reach their heights.”

“You will Helbram,” Elly said as she walked up to him and touched his arm softly, “I have no doubt you will reach such levels and beyond.”

He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, “Thank you.”

As Elly dropped her hand, Kiki approached, holding his sword and sheath in her arms.

“There we are. I did you the liberty of oiling the blade as well,” she held the weapon up to him, “figured that you’d like to admire my work before stowing it away.”

Helbram snorted as he grabbed the sword, “You guessed correctly,” he looked along the blade’s profile, seeing the scaled pattern pop even more than usual, “well, this confirms that your skills far outstrip my own.”

The smith rubbed her upper lip, “Heh, but of course. I still need to put a few finishing touches on your armor and that other thing you wanted, just swing by later and you can drop off your payment then,” she rubbed her hands, “and perhaps another project I could pursue, perhaps?”

Before Helbram could say anything, Elly spoke.

“A shield,” she said, “our Hedge Knight here has a tendency to break his quite often.”

He frowned, “It is not on purpose.”

“Does not change the fact that it happens far more often than not,” she looked to Kiki, “I think durability should be the focus, if you would be so inclined.”

The smith beamed, “Certainly not! I’ll see what I can cook up in the meantime,” she looked to Helbram, “Till then!”

Helbram nodded and Kiki swiveled around, muttering to herself as she walked towards the back of her workshop.

He sheathed his sword and looked at Elly, “Hedge Knight, really?”

“Tis a fitting title,” the scholar said with a shrug.

“One would think you drew some enjoyment from teasing me with it.”

“Me?” she smirked as she looked away, “Never.”

Helbram shook his head and snorted. As he looked back across the street, Aria was still playing with the two cubs, who were both on their backs as the girl rubbed their bellies, a look of pure bliss on her face. Such happiness was not disturbed as Merida emerged from the building, a contemplative look across the Druid’s face. As she left the house’s porch, Helbram and Elly shared a nod before walking towards her.

There were still questions to be asked.