After some prying, he learned Taymon was actually heading to Creeden, Barberos confirming that was the direction he left in. The rogue had told the medicine man he was a merchant, and tried to sell him books, though Barberos couldn't read so none of the tomes stayed behind. Murphy hadn’t forgotten about his rogue nemesis for a moment, but he shifted the topic to his furs before Barberos got suspicious.

"I can work it, but it'll take me a good few days" Barberos said. "Not meanin' to be rude friend, but how do you reckon you might pay for it if I do?"

Murphy blanched. He'd grown comfortable with his coin, and completely forgot he was still broke. A glance at his bag reminded him of the crystal eyes he'd also taken from the wolf, though he didn’t want to part with those just yet, and if he did he'd be overpaying. "I can work it off" he offered.

Barberos scratched at his beard, thinking the offer over. "Could do. Not sure who here has use for a mage right now though."

"I can smith metals too. Don't suppose anyone’s sore a few horse shoes?" Murphy suggested.

"You’re a mage that knows medicine, and you can smith. Are you having me on traveller?" Barberos frowned.

Murphy smiled, he had his answer ready. "I'm older than I look."

Barberos seemed to consider that for a fleeting moment, then sighed again. "You mages really are a sort. Tell you what, I could use a hand with the fixing of tools and the like. If you can take some of that work off my hands, I'll tan your pelts."

Murphy looked around the room in an obvious fashion. "Looks to me like you know a few things for a young man too. If you're also the smith that is" he said. He was curious about the amount of jobs the young man had.

"Lot of work here for sure. Been a lot harder since dah passed off. But we keep up as best we can" the man answered kindly.

"It's not just you here then?" Murphy continued probing.

"Me and my wife, she's out cookin' for the sick lad down the hill there. His dah has to work to get the crops out ‘fore the taxers come out all mad and shoutin'. Potions won't pay themselves as you'd know well, so he can't miss a day of it or I can't buy the herb from the carts. All a sad story really, and I'd do it for nothin' except…".

He stopped rambling, and smiled sheepishly at Murphy.

"Sorry. I get a bit carried off sometimes."

~~

After some negotiations, they decided that Murphy would stay with Barberos and his wife while the man worked his pelts. In that time Murphy got to work at the small smithy, his host made sure there would be plenty to do by erecting a sign with a picture of an anvil out the front of his house. In the first two days he had met nearly all of the residents of Hillcrest, some showing up for nothing else but to see the wizard that stopped by. He enjoyed the opportunity to tell stories to the village children. It was a nostalgic experience, and he didn’t hesitate to embellish or invent certain details. He thought to himself that it'd do him well to have more stories for times such as that. The men and women at the inn had him tell his story about the wolf as well. They liked it so much he found himself telling it every night, ensuring to embellish that too. Uundah was a little huffy about not being involved, but still insisted they only talk in private. Murphy honoured his O'jin’s request by keeping him a secret, though he felt rather at home in the village, and didn't think the locals would have minded.

Through the days he worked on their tools. Barberos had a healthy supply of pig iron, since one of the villagers farmed fat stone bores. The beasts were no good for their meat, but the iron in their bones was often plentiful. He took the chance to make himself a few things, thankfully the medicine man didn't seem to mind. His goal was to enchant every piece of metal he wore on himself, from the new blade he was making, down to his belt buckles, getting the leather from his host with an amendment to their deal. Originally he had Uundah produce the aspects he wanted, but the enchantment would always fade rather quickly. He needed a more permanent source, like ink, so he spent one of his days in the village on reducing things into familiar colours. He knew how to get the aspect of hardening from stones and iron, so that was the first and most excessive piece of magic he folded into the metal. He managed trace amounts of weight alterations as well, even if it wasn't necessary. Being a wizard without enchantments seemed like a silly thing to him. The blade he crafted was intended to be a replication of his original, though his skill for the artistic only went as far as shaping metal, so the effigy of a dead tree on the new blade was more akin to a metaphor for chaos. He altered his grandfather's design slightly, by having the tang draw ink from the pommel instead. Without the skills or facilities for fabricating the shaped vials the new design required, he resigned to putting an iron pommel in the place for the time being.

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In the nights he grew to know his host family better. Barberos was one of the only workers in the village that didn’t work a farm, which is why he had so many responsibilities to himself. His dearly departed father was the old medicine man, it was Barberos that saw the necessity for more trade in his youth. Marry was the name of his wife, and they were expecting their first child soon. Still, the young woman worked for the village just as fervently as her husband. She was the village midwife and nanny. There weren't many children in the village, but she was kept busy enough to hardly be home through the day. The whole experience had Murphy homesick. He found himself fondly pondering memories of his friends and himself sitting around Coil's dining table, making fun of each other over a hot home cooked meal. As much warmth as his stay with the tanner and his wife bought him, he still found himself falling asleep in sadness.

After a week and a day, he had himself preparing to leave. Barberos called him into one of his rooms in the early morning, eager for him to see something. The grinning ginger unveiled his weeks efforts with an expectant look at Murphy.

He stood with his hands out in a pose of display. Next to him was a thick and silver fur cloak, glistening in the morning's blue light. Barberos had outdone himself. The sleeves of the cloak ended in what used to be the monster's paws, creating a menacing looking cuff on either wrist. He had fashioned together the top half of a wolf head for the hood, seamlessly blending his craft work into the body with the same furs. It had rough glass red eyes and the fangs of a beast lining its jaw. The collar had similar adornments, completing the motif with a bottom jaw. He never bought the wolf's head back, since there wasn't enough left of it worth recovering, but the replacement his host had managed could have been an easy double of the real thing. The effect looked majestic, if a little intimidating, and Murphy was in awe.

"Go on then, try it on" Barberos said, excited.

Murphy listened to his instruction keenly, and slipped into his new cloak. The collar unclasped to be put on easier. He recognised a latch he'd made for Barberos earlier in the week, and he was confident enough in his work to think it'd hold well. It had a lining on the inside to protect him against the tough skin. Whatever fabric the man had used was the softest thing Murphy could remember feeling. It hung on his shoulders an inch above the floor, and when he was completely embraced within, he sighed a comfortable sigh. He knew it would be a good fit after the tanner had measured him, he just didn’t know how good it felt to fit his clothes properly.

"This is something else. You've really got a talent for this" Murphy complimented.

"You can thank Marry for the sewing. But I'd be lyin' if I told you I weren't proud of this one" he replied, giving Murphy a nod.

"I'll be sure to go see her before I head out" Murphy said with a hint of sadness.

Barberos nodded again, and took in a deep breath. "Be sad to see you go, that's sure."

Murphy nodded back. "Maybe I'll stop off again some day" he said. He knew the chance of that was low, but a goodbye was never easy.

"Certainly got some life goin' in Hillcrest. Folks'l be talking ‘bout you for some time yet."

"No need to worry, if they don't I'm sure old Harred will keep the inn listening. That man can talk about anything."

Barberos laughed. "Not wrong there". He put his hand on Murphy’s shoulder, and looked into his green eyes. "You did a lot for us by bein' here, and while you were here too. We wanted to say a thanks. It was Marry's idea, and the lads at the inn agreed" he said with a serious tone.

"It was work for work, there's no need to thank me for anything" Murphy responded, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"It's more than that" Barberos chuckled. He held up a finger in a gesture for wait, and stepped out of the room for a moment. When he returned, he was carrying a leather satchel. "I made you somethin' else too" he said, holding the bag out.

"You've done too much already" Murphy insisted. Suddenly, he was feeling a lot of guilt for his deception to his host. He knew he hadn't done anything wrong, but the man's kindness felt undeserved in light of Murphy being dishonest about Taymon, and Uundah.

"I won't accept that" he said, shoving the bag into Murphy’s hands. "I won't have to work that forge for a good long time thanks to you. Consider it a favour for a favour if you like, but that bag leaves with you. Got lots a pockets, I know how you magic types love your pockets". He folded his arms and smiled.

Murphy smiled. He knew the man well enough from his short stay to know how stubborn he could be. "Thank you friend, I won't forget this."

"I hope not. You should be thinkin' of me and Marry and baby Keele every time you carry somethin', I won't have it any other way" Barberos said smiling wide.

"I thought she hated the name Keele." Murphy questioned.

"She doesn't have to know" Barberos said with a wink.

They both laughed, and Murphy gave his new friend a hug, thanking him again.

He repacked everything he'd gathered, putting it in his new bag. The fire was happy to swallow the trousers bag, but the smell was enough to keep anything away from the forge for a few hours. His bag indeed had a lot of pockets, as well as three large compartments separated by dividers. He looked forward to filling them with whatever he could find. He said a final goodbye to Barberos, and left to walk through the village one last time. True to his words, he stopped to see Marry, giving her a hug as well. Her goodbye was a lot more teary than her husband's, and he had to leave before he started blubbering himself. He contemplated poking his head into the inn to wake the men there from their drunken slumber, but decided to let them rest. If he waited too long to leave, he thought he might end up not leaving at all.

He walked along the road to make his exit, but in predictable fashion, he turned to take in one more look of Hillcrest, smiling at the sight of the village coming to life for a normal day. He felt a hesitation, and Uunda noticed.

"Murphy" he said softly. "We have to go now."

"I know" Murphy said with a sigh. "We have places to be."