"You have my old windbag?"

Parry turned a quarter to show the holding bag draped over his shoulder.

"Your quiver is well made, but it only holds arrows. Or I suppose anything very long and thin and pointed. But not too long. Arrow long. It wouldn't take much to modify it. Hand it here, I'll dip off to the workshop, won't take me--"

"Father."

Domo added his voice too. "You're not a hen, Pharryl, and the boy isn't a chick. Let him out of the damn nest."

The shaper glared at his old friend. Then at his son. Then at the hi-lo for some reason, which was a mistake, as the two-headed dog now expected a treat.

Parry felt compassion. "There's nothing too dangerous needed to craft a Divine Heart. I'll be safe in Baronston at least twice, maybe more."

"The problem is, you think towns are safe. You've never been in a town of any size. Alright, it's not the Capital and it's no giant metropolis, but there are dangerous people there."

"And helpful ones."

"I suppose," Pharryl relented. For a shaper who attended school, he was never comfortable in urban areas, thinking of them as harsh markets at best, and at worst, human swamps. It's no coincidence he moved to such a quiet place soon as he could.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"And I have your compass, Father. It's beautiful." He held it up, eliciting a smile of pride on the older man's face.

Two Rose Compass

Indicates North, South, East, West, depth, height, home. Cost: 0

Indicates place of safety. Cost: 5, use: 1/day

Bound: cannot be lost or taken from owner.

It was a beautiful piece, Parry thought. The "old windbag," just a bag of holding, something his father had used for decades, showed nothing beyond utility. The compass was something else, made with affection and craft. It was a touch embarrassing to have his name engraved on it, but the Bound aspect required a name. Lovely engraving, though, framed by enameled flowers and songbirds native to the area.

"There's no way you made this last night, Father."

A shrug. "I finished it last night. Sort of. Nothing's ever finished. I can add to it if you bring back some firetwine blood. There are empty vials in the windbag. And a little extra money. Keep a coin in your boot, in case you get robbed on the highway."

Domo stepped in. "Goodbye, Parry." He mostly said it to Pharryl.

"I'll be back before winter," Parry lied, but it was one of those lies everyone agreed should be made.

He set off towards the dock, where one of the river barges was soon to head downstream. No sense walking those first few miles, there would be plenty of hard hiking to come. Passage was only a few coppers, and most ships were happy to waive it just to have a shaper on board. Parry paid anyway, preferring not to be beholden.

"It's been so long since I was truly alone," he mused.

"Hardly," offered Styak from his memory vault.

Parry rolled his eyes. "It's going to be a long trip."