After placing her backpack on a chair, Aleyn took a look around her new inn room.

"Hope I didn't forget anything."

She had taken a detour to continue her jogging routine and afterwards gone to collect her things from the inn room before turning in her key. A backpack filled with random things and the armor she had made back in Ironedge as well as her bow, she didn't really have that much to carry in the end though.

A lot on her mind she lied down on her bed for a moment to think things over. With her now living in the inn and the previous events Rylee and Kharis had decided on new policies for the inn.

""Until Thess can recover. We're going to have to make a few changes.""

The place had to be turned in to a women only inn. It would only last until Thess could handle having men around her again but that was still an undetermined time. Not even Kharis is spared, he has to live outside of the house while the girls have to take care of everything. All scheduled appointments which involved men had to be cancelled.

While in her thoughts Aleyn started hearing a small echo drifting through the corridors towards her room. It sounded as though someone was yelling. There was very little reason for anyone to be yelling in the inn which aroused her curiosity and she took off to see what was going on.

As she got to the reception area she found the source of the noise. A dwarven man was yelling at Rylee at the reception area and another person who seemed to be a bodyguard stood next to him. The bodyguard seemed to be a nondwarf as his height reached at least three heads higher than the dwarfs but his race was hard to tell through his helmet which covered his face.

"I've been a customer of this place for years and this is how you show me gratitude?!?"

"I'm sorry Lord Steelbraid. We're of course very happy that you've chosen to use our services for these years but due to an unforeseen event we have to decline you from entering. Please leave immediately." Rylee answered very apologetically.

"What nonsense! Where is Kharis, I wish to have a word with him."

Aleyn walked towards the uncomfortable Rylee.

"There a problem Rylee?"

Rylee now noticing Aleyn turned her frown to a awkward smile.

"Oh no. Lord Steelbraid was just about to leave."

"The hell I was! Who is this girl, a new employee?." Lord Steelbraid yelled.

The dwarven man was about Aleyns height, but his width was something else. He was probably the chubbiest dwarf she had ever seen. He had an unusually short brown beard, it only covered his neck and it had some silver jewelry which braided the beard. His clothes looked like something a noble would wear, not a surprise for someone who had the title "Lord".

"None of your business. The lady is asking for you to leave if you didn't notice." Aleyn replied.calmly.

"I am not moving until I get to speak to Kharis and dispel this foolishness!" He yelled again.

The room behind Rylee opened and a slightly distressed voice whispered to her.

"Mom, he is making Thess scared."

Thess's sister Adelisa who stuck to Thess like glue as she took care of her had to say something. Both she and Thess were right next to the reception area and as the argument between Rylee and Lord Steelbraid went on Thess became more agitated.

"Please Lord Steelbraid, keep your voice down you're disturbing the other customers...." Rylee tried calming him down.

"No he will remove himself from the establishment or I will throw him out." Aleyn interrupted Rylee.

The dwarven man quieted down and stared at Aleyn.

"Throw me out? Who do you think you are! Guard remove this woman from my sight!"

The guard next to him sighed through his helmet and approached Aleyn.

"Okay little girl.. Could you just step outside with me? No one needs to get hurt."

The guard tried his best to make it uncomplicated for everyone, but he was very ready to get physical if his employer demanded it.

Aleyn sighed.

"Just doing your job huh."

She started walking towards the guard and outside. The guard was pleased that he didn't have to start getting rough with the girl.

"I can't judge you for that I guess." Aleyn said as she got in front of the guard and gave a weak smile.

After saying so the guards stomach cramped as Aleyns fist collided with it. The guard was only wearing a chainmail vest and leather clothing so her punches effect was not diminished by much.

The guard dropped on his knees and threw up on the floor before falling on his side.

Aleyn turned towards the chubby dwarf.

"Could you leave now?"

Shocked and panicking Lord Steelbraid yelled again.

"How dare you!! Do you know who I am!? I'll have your head for that!"

"No clue who you are. All I know is I'm gonna do the same to you if you don't start running." Aleyn said very calmly.

He thought for a moment but when Aleyn started approaching him he took off towards the exit as fast as he could.

"I'll remember this!" He yelled as his last act of defiance.

With him gone, silence fell in the room, the silence was broken shortly after by the door behind Rylee closing.

"Oh dear." Rylee held her forehead and shook her head.

"Did I go too far?" Aleyn asked.

"Yes.. Though if you didn't I don't think he would have left. It should be fine either way."

"You should put up an announcement on the front door or something. It might help in future." Aleyn suggested.

"Suppose so.." Rylee sighed again.

Their discussion was interrupted by the guard grunting on the floor. He had fallen unconscious for a little while and seemed to be coming to. Aleyn walked up to the guard and helped him up.

"You okay?" She asked.

"I'll.... be fine" The guard grunted as he stood up.

He then gathered himself and went after Lord Steelbraid.

"Quite unfortunate for him to be working for that sort of a man." Aleyn thought.

"That was quite surprising though. Didn't expect for you to drive them out with force." Rylee stated.

"Well if they wont leave with words then you have to get slightly physical."

"That man lost his consciousness after one punch..." Rylee said worryingly.

"Like I said. Slightly physical. But really if he had expected it then it could have gotten more interesting."

Meanwhile in Thess's room Thess and Adelisa were sitting on her bed after seeing the events unfold.

""Throw me out? Who do you think you are! Guard remove this woman from my sight!""

After Lord Steelbraid had yelled Thess had been at the peak of her agitation but shortly after the yelling had halted for a few moments she had gotten a familiar feeling from the reception room which gave her the feeling of relief and comfort.

"Stev?"

She walked up to the door slowly and opened it slightly to see what was going on. What she witnessed was quite odd and not something she was expecting.

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A dwarf girl with her fist in the stomach of a much larger man who shortly afterwards fell on the ground, she then proceeded to threaten the other man to leave.

Thess was confused at the girl who she assumed to be a hooligan of some sort, but she felt a familiar feeling of security, though she didn't know why as she didn't know who the girl was.

"Who is she?" Thess asked her sister.

"She is.." Adelisa awkwardly trailed off.

"Who is she?" Thess asked her sister, now slightly more stern.

Adelisa thought for a moment and then reluctantly answered.

"She's the one who saved and carried you here last night..."

Thess dropped on her knees and closed the door swiftly. It didn't take much thinking to realize why her sister had been reluctant to answer in the end.

"Sis?" Adelisa hurriedly whispered.

"I'm fine.. I'm okay.. Just.. let me get back to my bed."

Slightly struggling she rose back up with the help of her sister and returned to her bedside. They could hear the yelling of Lord Steelbraid quite clearly before he left for the front door and left in a violent manner. The angry dwarf was finally gone.

The door to their room opened slowly as Rylee peaked inside to see how Thess and Adelisa were doing. After noticing both of them watching her she opened the door fully.

"Everything okay in there?"

Thess raised her head slightly while Adelisa just kept a worrying eye on her.

"I'm fine mom. Really." Thess answered slightly fidgeting.

It was hard to take it seriously when watching her bruised and bandage covered face but it was a better sight than her former unconscious self.

A dwarf girls head popped from behind Rylee's back and looked at Thess. Thess stared at her for a few moments before the dwarf just awkwardly waved at her and smiled. Thess not knowing what to do waved back at her which made Rylee notice Aleyn right beside herself.

"Oh, you haven't really introduced yourself yet have you?"

Aleyn without any prompting walked in the room and towards the bed which made Thess slightly retreat behind her sister but it didn't stop Aleyns approach.

"Hello you two, I'm Aleyn."

Aleyn introduced herself and extended her hand towards Adelisa first as she was the closest of the pair.

"Adelisa. Though everyone calls me Adel" Adel extended her hand and they shook hands.

Aleyn then looked towards Thess who was watching them both from behind Adels. She offered her hand for a handshake but Thess was slightly reluctant to answer the offer.

"I was there for your performance at Broken Horn. You're a very good singer, I would love to hear more of it some day Thess." Aleyn said and smiled.

Thess froze for a moment and looked at Aleyn.

She was small, maybe a head and a half smaller than herself with muscular arms for a woman. She gave a masculine feeling from herself yet definitely not a man. This girl had been at her performance and later in the night she had found and saved her.

Slightly tearing up Thess extended her hand slowly and awkwardly towards Aleyns who just waited for her to reach her hand.

Then she said the only thing she could before collapsing in her wave of emotions.

"Thank you..." Thess said with all of her heart as she teared up.

They held their hands together for a while as Thess cried her heart out. Watching her emotions go out of control made Aleyn shed a tear but she kept her composure as best as she could even though it was hard for her to look at the girl without feelings of guilt. If only she could have found her sooner all of this would have been avoided, but in the end all that mattered was that she was safe now.

"Think that's enough for introductions. She'll be living here for the time being so you can talk all you want."

Rylee interrupted the moment urging Aleyn to leave with her and with that their gentle handshake came to an end as Aleyn and Rylee returned to the front desk.

Aleyn sat down where she usually did on the table and Rylee stayed at the reception desk.

"You don't happen to be looking for a job right Aleyn? We're gonna need all the help we can get since Kharis can't be here."

Aleyn turned back to face Rylee.

"I have a full time job as a blacksmiths apprentice at Camedyr's workshop."

Rylee gave a surprised look.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Though that doesn't mean I can't help out during my free time." Aleyn replied.

Rylee smiled and nodded.

Two days passed as Aleyn got used to living with the girls and her ban had finally come to its end. In those two days Aleyn had assumed the role of Kharis who mostly did the heavier lifting as well as other menial tasks since the girls were not built for it

Aleyn took a few long breaths in front of Camedyrs workshop. After continuing her little run around the city she already felt some expected changes.

Long breaths, her lungs felt a lot clearer and healthier as they had gotten used to accommodating more air. The muscles in her legs had opened up after being put more towards their limits but more importantly, she had a lot calmer mind than before.

Was it because of exercising or the break from work? It's hard to tell.

Inside the workshop was busy as always but oddly enough the front side of the forge had a lot fewer people than she remembered. She strode on towards the top ranker side and realized why that was, it seems that a lot of people had conquered the rank four exam.

A few of them gave an odd glance towards her but ultimately turned back to their work. Amongst all of the workers the usual lump of beard and muscle was overseeing everyone go about their task. The boss man himself, Camedyr Tin-flame.

Currently watching a worker handle what looked to be their first bar of hardened steel. Aleyn after noticing Camedyr walked up to the boss man.

"Yo"

It didn't take much to catch his attention. Camedyr after hearing her immediately turned towards her.

"Ah Aleyn. Has it been four days already? Time sure flies."

Aleyn nodded.

"Well? You expecting a hug or something. Get to working." He waved her off very bluntly with a hint of a smile on his face.

Shaking her head slightly Aleyn turned around to look for an empty bench to work at and started her day.

A hardened steel plate, a sack of mixed crystal dust and lots and lots of parchments. Even with everything gathered she had to take a good look at her notes to remind her self about everything before before she had the courage to start.

After a few of her warm up patterns she was quite stunned and pleased at the results. Compared to her previous work she had a lot easier job completing them.The days not spent with enchanting had not made her forget anything.

And on that note she began her actual task.