Once the passengers were let off the ship Rollo instructed them to wear the clothing they had been given for their night watches. He warned them against making their affiliations known as even here far from Bonny, The Magpies and the Seventh Star held influence. Even should they find connection with the Magpies in Dayargain it would not assure their safety for they too had a tenuous and mutually beneficial relationship with Horrog.

They were to carry some of the cargo from the ship to the port appearing to be the crew. He gave Ra’Handa a broad-brimmed hat and long-sleeved shirts and gloves to cover herself with. Her green skin stood out too much and it would give them away. Half-orcs were not uncommon among the peoples of the world, but they were often shunned and tended to draw much attention. If the Daybreaker were specifically looking for a half-orc it wouldn’t be hard for someone to point her out. Blink was given the same handkerchiefs and wrappings the crew wore. He used it to cover his hair and blend in. Danu transformed herself into a gull and kept watch as they carried a large barrel between them. She didn’t require a disguise of course, yet she seemed far more comfortable in the skins and shapes of animals. Indeed it made it easier for her to keep watch on the happenings about them, at least when she could maintain focus and avoid becoming bored. For much of the trip she seemed to favour the form of the seagull more than any other. She had more than once grown wearisome of talk and taken flight about the city, hovering lazily on buffets of wind current, and making cheeky sckree sounds as Blink and Ra’Handa worked. Rollo reminded them again to head for The Iron Lioness and gave them directions once they were almost done.

‘The master there is a friend of mine and will keep you from the city guard. Give her this.’ He handed Blink an envelope sealed with wax. The seal was that of a ram with a fish tail. Blink thought it an odd creature and certainly nothing he had ever seen or heard of before. ‘Ask for Brin when you arrive. She will take care of things.’

‘What about you? What if the Daybreaker find out you’ve helped us?’ asked Blink.

‘It is not my first time dealing with them. Worry not for Rollo,’ he said with the rolling tones. He was a joyful and boisterous man in most of his interactions as Blink and Ra’Handa had learned. Yet at the same time Blink did not doubt that he could take care of himself. He certainly held a firm command about the ship with both crew and passengers. He reminded him often of the grizzled old pirate Fisk in many ways. The way they held such sway with others, and the trust placed upon them. In others they could not have been more different. I suppose I’ll never see Fisk again now that I’ve run away, thought Blink saddened by the prospect.

‘You’ll be staying here rather than in the city?’ Blink asked.

‘Never you mind young pup. The Daybreaker may keep me and my ship here for a time, but it matters not. I have business to attend to here before I make take my leave,’ there was something in the way he said business Blink thought. Certainly he had learned there was far more to this boisterous captain than met the eye. Somehow, he didn’t think it anything to do with goods and trading.

‘Nonetheless I’m sorry we brought this on you. Although I must admit I’m glad you’ll be close by for a while,’ said Blink. Truthfully in many ways the captain reminded him of Fisk. Rollo was certainly more theatrical in his interactions, but he had the same air of authority and kindness that that the old pirate Captain Fisk maintained with Blink all his life. Blink silently hoped that Fisk were well and that he wouldn’t get in Horrog’s way.

‘Enough of these long farewells. They always go on far longer than necessary and never fulfill as we wish they would,’ he spoke gruffly urging them to leave but his face was filled with a warmth that mirrored Blink’s sentiment.

‘Goodbye Rollo,’ said Blink and Ra’Handa in turn.

‘All waves and ports share the same sea. May we meet again,’ said Rollo giving a nod of his head. Blink thought he would have bowed deeply with sweeping gestures had there not been so many people around. A ship captain certainly could not be seen to bow to his crew. With that he watched them walk away into the whitewashed walls of the city.

As they made their way from the docks, they saw more people than they had in their lives and in all manner of clothing and styles. There were elves with the high pointed ears and youthful features, humans of all races and sizes, the occasional dwarf going about their business, they even came by a small band of half-orc traders arguing with the guards that had made a point of examining the contents of their cargo more intently than any others. Ra’Handa tried especially hard to avoid acknowledging them at all. She looked in every direction but that one. Not because she feared being noticed, but because it pained her to think on how her kind were treated, even in Bonny. Blink knew better than to mention it. It was difficult to maintain their disguises and move quickly when they wanted to take in the sights of the city. Blink couldn’t help looking up at the towers and buildings. He had seen stately manors in Bonny, even grown up in one despite being a slave; but those could not compare to the heights and breadth of the city surrounding him. Indeed there had been nothing so tall and grand as the central spire that rose high above the city. The brilliance of the sun at its peak seemed to capture every part of the city.

As they walked, they were regularly reminded to be careful whenever figures wearing the armour of the Daybreaker came by. Danu, still in the form of a gull would sckree sckree emphatically if they risked too much on sightseeing as any Daybreakers approached. There were few of them in the city, far less than Blink would have thought, but enough to make them anxious. Whenever they caught the gleam of armour, they lowered their heads and held their breath as they walked past. Far more often on their journey they came across some of the regular guard to the city. They looked different to that of the Daybreaker, with their simple leathers and iron armour. The only thing distinguishing them from regular adventurers were bronze medallions depicting hounds head and piercing gaze engraved at its centre. There was no mistaking them as the Watchdogs, protectors, and peacekeepers within the city. More than once at their sighting Blinked wondered again if it would not be so bad to risk their luck with this band. It was not until he saw serval moving out of the way of Daybreaker that it became clear they too held some allegiance and in turn too great a risk of discovery.

After some time winding through the streets, and more than once getting lost, they managed to find the building they had been searching for. It was a regular red brick mansion with broken white clay layered over the brickwork. Two metal lions soldered and riveted together stood guard at the entrance of a great double door of hard wood embossed with iron studs and knockers. A sign above the door was wrought in twisted polished iron. Blink assumed it stated the title of the guild, but it was Danu that confirmed it for him when she read it aloud after returning to her true self. As she did so serval passersby startled at her sudden transformation and gave a wide berth. Ra’Handa laughed at their surprise and Blink gave her a sharp jab in the side as a reminder to stay hidden. They may have arrived, but some secrecy was still needed. The entire structure stood out in the streets like a bleeding thumb after a hammer missed the nail. There was the familiar clink, clink, clank of a blacksmith forge on the far right of the building but no other sounds besides folk that passed on by. Approaching the doors they used the great iron ring in the mouth a wild cat to knock on the immense doors. After a pause a smaller portion of the door opened, and a short round dwarven woman stepped out. Her bright red curls, streaked with grey were pulled back into a bun that bounced atop her head. It was tied back with woven leather cord, yet it failed miserably to contain the wildfire mass of hair. Her cheeks were flushed red and covered with freckles that belied her age. Although she was panting from some unknown exertion, she spread her arms wide and welcomed them all.

‘Well, hullo my dearies! May the light of The Solaran envelop you,’ she said jovially, giving a common blessing of those that follow the Sun god. Although, there was little worship in Bonny in general, The Solaran was still known. A city full of pirates, thieves, questionable merchants, and outcasts had little need for deities that did not reflect their own interests. The dwarf looked at their weapons and she nodded as if answering her own question. She walked back inside her small door before they could say anything and firmly shut it. There was a loud banging noise on the other side before the great doors spread open to reveal the interior. The inside of the building was larger than the exterior proposed with rows of seats and tables with a menagerie of patrons. The patrons themselves were as varied as those in the city itself and their weapons and armour made them look like seasoned adventurers, or at least compared to the simple weapons and clothes provided by Rollo. At the far end was a bar with an enormous muscular figure cleaning a tankard. He looked to be from the mountain tribes and bore similar markings to Izek, Horrog’s bodyguard. The man was so large he could not comfortably fit his fingers in the tankards as he cleaned them. It would have been comical if not for the terrifying size of him. Unlike Izek this man had thick black eyebrows and his locks of course hair was tied back into a warrior’s tail. Blink wondered to himself about this. He had thought that all members of the mountain tribes remained hairless.

‘The proving will be beginning shortly. Come, come. Inside now,’ the dwarven woman said as she ushered them. She led them to an empty table and brought them tankards of ale. Blink was relieved it wasn’t the same vile swill Ra’Handa had made him drink back in Bonny. The ale was sweet and made his belly feel warm. It was the first relaxing feeling he had had in some time. Before the dwarf woman could leave, Danu spoke up, ‘Wait… what is the proving?’. The dwarven woman gave her an incredulous look and studied her.

‘It’s the time when prospective adventurers prove their worth. Isn’t that why you’re here… like the rest of em?’ She gestured a hand around the room at the other hopefuls sitting at tables.

‘You mean all these people aren’t members?’ said Ra’Handa after a particularly big gulp of ale. She in turn removed the broad-brimmed hat and placed it on the table. The dwarven woman eyed the colour of her skin for a moment but paid no further mind. Blink noticed that there were other half-orcs in the room. Not many, but enough that she paid Ra’Handa’s presence no further mind. A little relief touched him at that. It was easier to hide a length of wheat within a bundle of the same.

‘Well, some are but most are new. We’ve always been a fairly small guild and most of our members are out on assignments far from Dayaragain. Others are stationed at the Borderlands providing much needed support.’ She looked at them confused and asked, ‘so, you’re not here for the proving then?’

‘Well, I suppose we are. But we were also told by Ro…’ Danu was cut short by opening of doors at the other end of the hall. The crowd of people previously creating enough noise to hear all the way to the dock had been silenced. Emerging with a floating elegance Blink had never seen before, was a tall, slender woman. She glided a hand along the banister and faced the throng of people before her. The woman wore a flowing silk dress that shimmered as she moved making it difficult to say if it were white or grey, and in certain places there were hints of stone blue. The woman’s dark and greying hair was twisted atop her head reminding Blink of the black and white liquorice candies the street children would covet in the markets. Cresting the spun greys were ornaments of feathers, silver, and moonstones. Similar embellishments hung from the pointed elven ears. Her face showed some age but everything about her seemed to deny time the chance to touch her features any more than it had. It was impossible to know just how many winters this woman had seen. As she regarded the many faces of the adventurers before her Blink noticed the large yellow eyes that took in everything before her. She appeared more like a bird looking upon prey than a guild master.

‘Welcome all of you to The Iron Lioness. I am Master Innais keeper of this hold and defender of all within that have become my family,’ her voice was beautiful but terrible and commanding all at once. ‘It is high time I welcomed more cubs into my den, and it truly warms me to see so many strong young ones that would wish to join,’ she made grandiose gestures as she spoke.

‘Oh! She really does love to put on a show,’ the dwarven woman laughed to herself and gave them a wink. Put on a show? Are we really up for all of this? We’re meant to be laying low not getting involved in some proving and big performance, Blink thought to himself. He didn’t share these concerns with the others. Ra’Handa would never walk away from an opportunity to take part in an event like this. She could have had half the forces of Bonny on her heels, and it wouldn’t stop her finally living out her childhood fancies of adventure. That aside it was the only plan they had, especially since they were unlikely to find new passage on a ship anytime soon. Blink sighed and resigned himself to the performance before him. Although he wanted nothing more than to stand up and leave there was something about this Master Innais. In fact Blink felt himself lighten slightly and even become, could he really believe it? He felt…excited and overjoyed by the prospect where before there had been nothing but fear and doubts.

‘How I wish I could take in all you valiant individuals but alas I cannot,’ she feyned sorrow. Her tone turned, ‘Here at The Iron Lioness we need exactly that, hearts as hard as iron and as ferocious as the lioness of the plains. Who here among you is worthy enough for that!’ She pointed at the crowd. A few raised their voices in reply as if she had spoken directly to them. Ra’Handa stood letting out a throaty half-orc cry. Even Blink felt himself wanting to stand in solidarity to her. It made the dwarf woman laugh again to herself. It was more amusing than anything else to her.

‘These times are growing dark in this city of light,’ the voice of Innais becoming low and the crowd settled into their seats, hanging on every word. ‘This city and her people have stood as the last light of defence again the insanity and blight of the south. The Daybreakers are dwindling in their numbers and although they do what they can, it falls upon the guilds to hold the lines against the tides of the unrested,’ she said with her large yellow eyes moving across the room. They took in every person there and when they rested but a moment upon Blink he felt a calling of a sort. Her words seemed to be for him and him alone.

‘The Daybreakers would have the free peoples of Haydellon believe that in this land the lights never go out. I assure you… all light casts a shadow, and all that was is destined to be no more in the present passing of an age. The lights will go out… become lost to time and memory… unless…,’ she paused, the air in the room became dense with anticipation.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

‘unless you forge a new way forward, a new memory, a new light in the darkness,’ she spoke the last softly, yet it seemed a trumpet call in Blink ears. Master Innais turned and held a hand in the direction of a large board littered with papers.

‘You will see on the board several tasks that require attention, some here is this city and others closer to the blighted lands to the south. Collect yourselves into a group; after all we lionesses hunt together and never alone. Only those truly capable of completing the task they choose will be welcome here in this den. And may you all come back alive to tell the tale!’ Her words were so contrived and dripping with a honey of obvious performance that Blink wanted to roll his eyes, but somehow, he could not help but crave each word and hunger more for the next. Looking about the room is seemed the whole scene was veiled in a dizzying haze. What is happening here? Am I dreaming? Could this be a chance for Ra and me to be the heroes we played as when we were younglings? He wanted to join, he wanted to rally, he imagined himself wearing the finest armour and being heralded as a great hero. Finally, Master Innais raised her hands and clapped them together as a cacophony of sounds and lights erupted through the hall. It was as though the sparklers made in the archipelago had been set off all throughout the room. As they burst, they became fluttering butterflies that flitted about the heads of the patrons. The crowd cheers and the dwarven woman burst with laugher. Master Innais gave a final bow as the street performers did during the Spring Festival and returned through the door from which she entered the hall. As the door slammed shut Blink felt as if he had awoken from a hazy dream caused by too much of Ra’Handa’s moonshine.

‘Who in yer mother’s water was that!’ Ra’Handa exclaimed.

‘That my dear was Master Innais as she said. And don’t mind the theatrics; she so rarely gets to act out these days,’ said the dwarf.

‘She isn’t much of a performer. Every word was spelled,’ said Danu matter-of-factly.

Blink looked at her, ‘spelled?’

‘You didn’t notice?’ she said looking at him carefully. It was then that she knocked him on the head with her staff; not leaving a mark but hard enough to hurt.

‘Ow! What’d you do…’ Blink exclaimed and before finishing what he was going to say he had a sense that his thoughts and feelings had not been his own. The room seemed to become more solid, more real somehow. More real? What did she do me? I feel like I’ve been sleepwalking.

‘Oh! Now young druid don’t go spoilin’ all the fun. She just wanted to give everyone a good show an a lil’ courage before they go off to prove they’re worth,’ said the dwarf. ‘Now you best find yourselves a job to do from the board over there or you’ll miss out completely. Oh! An afor I forget you’ll be needing two more members.’

‘Two more? Aren’t we enough?’ Danu asked.

‘Fraid not dear. We want strong members, but we also don’t want nobody dying on us out there. Draws too much attention if you take my meaning. There’s plenny of folk here that would gladly join you.’ The dwarf motioned to walk away before she was stopped by Blink.

‘Wait! We have this letter from Captain Rollo. He said to ask for Brinn,’ he handed her the letter. She took it cautiously with a crease in her brow.

‘He sends me another one does he now,’ she said to herself. ‘Well, you’ve found Brinn. That’d be me. An’ as for this letter,’ she looked at it and read it carefully. She sighed, ‘It’ll do you no good. Master Innais won’t see anyone right now unless they’re members and you’re going to have to prove yourselves anyway. If … and mind you only if, you pass The Proving, then you can stay here under our care,’ with that she walked away to the bar to help with other arrangements.

‘I guess that settles it. We had better get a job to do and find some other poor idiots that haven’t found a group yet,’ said Blink.

‘Oh! Don’t be like that Blink me ol’ mate,’ said Ra’Handa putting an arm around his shoulders. ‘Cookie always says sour milk spoils more than the belly in good company,’ she added with a wink. She had always said that, particularly when they were younglings and Blink had been sullen after a scrape with the urchins in the streets. He was also sure Ra’Handa had never really knew what it meant as good company wasn’t something she ever kept.

‘Just don’t forget you owe me for healing you on the ship,’ said Danu a hint of concern rang in her voice that they may go off without her.

‘Don’t worry. We’re in this together,’ said Ra’Handa with a wink.

By the time they made their way through the crowd of people they found the board empty. They stared at the emptiness as if willing something to appear. Maybe this is for the best. Do we need to be risking our lives to hide out here? Just as Blink was starting to think that he could try convincing Ra’Handa to find another ship to hide on and seek out another town there came a familiar voice behind him.

‘I had wondered if Rollo would also send you here,’ said Nessus. They had a smirk on their face and was holding a rolled-up piece of paper.

‘What are you doing here?’ said Blink surprised to see the Ghel’Narran standing before him.

‘I asked Rollo to help me find someone in the city that could help me search for The Knowledge. He said that a powerful mage was the Master here and may know something. When I arrived, I was told I would need to become a member and so here I am. Maybe we can work together?’

‘No,’ it was Ra’Handa that answered for them. Her tone sharp and abrasive.

‘Ra!’ said Blink looking at her with surprise. Ra’Handa looked more a half-orc than Blink had ever seen. Her face twisted in a scowl directed at Nessus causing her tusks to be pushed forward threateningly.

‘No. We have a mage with us already. You’re not wanted here,’ she said roughly.

‘Well… I’m druid not a mage,’ said Danu correcting meekly.

‘You turn into animals and healed Blink. That’s a mage isn’t it… an’ more magic that we need around us if you ask me,’ she said ignoring Danu’s round face as it pouted with disapproval. Blink thought he heard her mutter under her breath, ‘I am not a mage… or a witch,’ but it was so low only Blink’s expert hearing would have noticed.

‘Ra, Nessus did help us when we were on the ship,’ added Blink.

‘Help us?’ she exclaimed incredulously. ‘He could a killed you with his magic on the ship,’ she said correcting him.

‘Why are you being like this?’ Blink’s voice began to rise. If anyone should be nervous around magic it should be him. It was he that spent all those years enduring Demera and Horrog. It was him that got burned so badly by a magic box Danu’s magic couldn’t remove the scars. Why was Ra’Handa being so hard on Nessus when they had saved their lives, when they had stopped Blink from… from hurting anyone. From killing another person. A knot of guilt tightened in his gut as he thought it.

‘If any of us should be worried about magic it’s me Ra. I’m saying we need Nessus’ help,’ he said, angry with her. She had wanted to go to a guild and hide there despite everything Blink said about moving on. Here she was standing in the way of her own plan.

‘You didn’t really see what they did. They had you so wrapped up in whatever that magic was that you couldn’t breathe. You looked like you were going to be strangled and all your bones broken from it. You want that again?’ She yelled the last part in what was almost a war cry. Or at least what Blink thought an orc war-cry would sound like. Some of the adventurers around them stopped and looked before going on with their business.

‘It seems I have caused a most unwanted rift. I am most sorry. I shall leave you,’ said Nessus motioning to give them the job posting and leave.

‘Nessus stay,’ said Blink and turned to Ra’Handa. ‘Ra if it wasn’t for Nessus who knows what I could have done. I could have hurt you,’ said Blink softly, the guilt of that night stifling the words. Ra’Handa softened slightly at that. Thought she still had a hardened face her shoulders relaxed a little.

‘Please. I meant no harm to Blink when I bound him,’ Nessus said reproachfully of themself.

‘Then why didn’t you drop the spell when it was over,’ she said accusingly.

‘Magic is… wilful and I gave too much of myself to it,’ Nessus said with something akin to shame although Blink did not think that could just be about losing control of the spell. ‘I cannot promise it will not happen again but…’ they paused.

‘We. Don’t. Need. You,’ repeated Ra’Handa.

‘Actually, we do,’ said Danu stepping between them with a frustrated sigh. ‘Nessus has a job for the guild, and we need one’.

‘I am happy for you to take it and go without me. It is no trouble,’ said Nessus again holding out the paper. Danu shook her head making some of the wooden ornaments in her dreadlocks thunk together.

‘Its useless to us without the required amount of people to participate. We need you regardless,’ she said looking from Ra’Handa to Nessus.

‘Nessus is alright Ra. I promise. Besides we need them just as Danu says. You wanted to join the guild after all so let it go already,’ said Blink pushing the point. He hoped she would see the sense of it.

‘Fine. But I don’t like it at all. I’ll be keeping a close eye and the point of my dagger near. You got that?’ she said pointing a finger and Nessus. After a moment and a brief nod from Nessus Ra’Handa spoke again. ‘Who is them anyways?’ she said derisively.

‘I am Nessus Tal’Alafondres of the Ghel’Narran,’ Nessus said nodding their head. ‘We of the Ghel’Narran are all genders and no genders. We are all one people. Them is I,’ they said in that almost rehearsed way.

‘I am Danu Wilver; you’ve met Blink, and this is Ra’Handa,’ said Danu indicating each of them in turn. Ra’Handa gave a low grunt of recognition. ‘We have a job and four members; we just need one more person and we can head off. Have you noticed anyone else looking?’ Danu asked. Nessus unrolled the paper and showed them. Both Ra’Handa and Blink waved the paper away, it wasn’t much use to them if they couldn’t read.

‘I believe the last member is the person that requested the job. Brigid Leonassa the young blacksmith that lives in the guild,’ said Nessus as Danu read.

They left the building and returned to the large ostentatious doors when they first entered. As soon as they left, they could hear the rhythmic sounds of a blacksmith at work. They went to the side of the building to find a large workshop. It was filthy and not just because it was a blacksmith workshop. There appeared to be tools left everywhere and sooty burnt books left open on tables, stools, the floor, and one was perch precariously close to the furnace. At the anvil was a soot and grease covered young woman. She was hammering what looked to be metal plate for armour and stopped to examine the strange group that stood before her. She was tall and strong with broad shoulders; she looked as though she had been chiselled out of metal and stone rather than born like any other human. Her face was square yet very beautiful beneath a great smear of blackened char across her left cheek. Her hair was stained with browns, blacks and greys from long days and nights working and was tied back into a thick braid down her back. She looked at the piece of paper in Danu’s hand and threw down her hammer and dropped the metal plate in a trough of water. It hissed as plumbs of steam buffeted forth.

‘We’re looking for Bridgit Leorossa,’ said Danu holding up the paper job listing.

‘You’re the ones that took the job,’ she said raising an eyebrow. ‘Let me guess… there wasn’t anything left.’ The party looked at one another.

‘Well yes if you must know,’ said Danu. ‘Is that a problem?’

‘Not so much a problem as it is expected,’ she said with a sigh. ‘Let me get my things and we can get going’. They waited and watched as the young woman grabbed a worn leather backpack and began stuffing it with mechanical parts and contraptions. Blink recognised the tongs and hammers of the blacksmith but everything else was completely foreign. The others looked as perplexed as he did. She finished by taking a large pickaxe hanging from the wall, securing it to the back. She left for a room out the back and after some time returned wearing a plate of metal strapped across her breast, metal leg guards on her boots that travelled up to her thighs. A long shirt under the breastplate that flowed loosely over the metal plated boots. Strapped to her waist was a light hammer and on the other side a small shield that had been fitted to metal arm guards. She had tried to remove some of the grease and soot from her hair and face, but it had been done in a rush and several smears could still be seen on her jaw and dirty brown braid.

‘I’m ready when you are,’ she said as she tossed Blink a large canvas sack.

‘What’s this for?’ Blink asked.

‘The job. We’re leaving the city to mine some swamp tooth.’

‘I read that on the job notice but I’ve never heard of swamp tooth before,’ said Danu wrinkling her nose at the mention of the swamp. Why is she making that face. She looks like she crawled out of some swamp with all the stuff in her hair, Blink thought to himself.

‘It’s what the locals call it. You might know is as limonite or bog iron,’ she said with impatience at having to explain something to those she seemed to think were below her intelligence.

‘Bog iron is useless. Why would want that?’ asked Danu incredulously.

‘For anyone but me it is,’ she sighed. ‘I’ve been working with metals all my life. Anything made from swamp tooth is resistant to rust. I think that with some of my enchantments I can make something that won’t ever rust or go dull. Is that enough of an explanation for you?’ she said becoming agitated at being questioned. What’s her problem? We’re here to help her after all, thought Blink watching the interaction. Danu’s face began to take on that familiar pout as Brigid spoke.

‘There’s no need for that. We’re here to help you after all,’ said Danu disapprovingly and mirroring Blink’s own thoughts. Although she was right to say so, it did sound like a spoilt little girl, especially next to the tall frame of Brigid.

‘You use enchantments? That is a rare skill for one so young,’ said Nessus. Brigid bristled at the mention of her youth and looked as if she were about to protest. Nessus either ignored it or didn’t notice, ‘I know of only Anistaria and Demmer’Fal that know it well, and the elven and dwarven crafters keep those secrets close,’ said Nessus.

‘Do you doubt me? Think me exaggerating?’ she said her eyes narrowing and the frustration being replaced with incredulous insult. Blink thought Nessus’s words sounded more like a curious interrogation of scholarly interest than anything else, though this was lost of the young blacksmith.

‘No… not at all. I merely…,’ Nessus tried to speak but was interrupted by Brigid.

‘Well they aren’t the only ones that know how. My age and being a woman have nothing to do with it. I’m just as good a blacksmith, no I’m better than most you’ll find in this city,’ she added with frustration.

‘I don’t believe I said anything about your gender. I mean no disrespect. Quite the opposite if one so young could do as you say. Perhaps you will show me when we return?’ They said apologetically yet still maintained a twist of disbelief and curiosity. Brigid gave a humph sound and looking them all over in turn.

‘I’ll not share those secrets. But if you’re lucky you can buy something of mine when we get back,’ she said arrogantly.

‘There’s no need to be so rude! Nessus was just curious,’ snapped Danu.

‘Can we just hurry up and get this over with. Are we leaving or not?’ interrupted Ra’Handa before things could become more heated.

‘Look I don’t actually need you for this. I’ve spent my whole life in this city and around the lands outside it. Lately that preening, bird faced, Innais won’t let me leave alone. I waited weeks to collect some and this ridiculous proving was the only way I could get anyone to come with me,’ said Brigid. She sounds more like a spoiled brat that has had her toys taken away than a blacksmith, Blink thought. True that many of the blacksmiths he had met in Bonny were gruff and short tempered, yet this young girl, though she called herself a woman, didn’t carry it quite so well and them. Blink wondered if being around the heat of the irons made some of that same heat get into a person. What other explanation was there?

‘There haven’t been enough members in the city of late to take me. I had hoped she’d forget about me, but I seem to be the only thing not falling out of her memory!’ she slammed a fist on a table near her. It rattled with metal and parts of half-finished projects as she did. She seemed embarrassed for a moment and looked at the party staring at her. She crossed her arms daring them to comment.

‘She forgets things?’ asked Danu.

‘It’s… it’s not important,’ she sighed and straightened herself. ‘Are you taking me there or not?’ she asked finally. We don’t have much of a choice, thought Blink.

‘Yes. We’ll take you,’ said Blink reluctantly.

‘Good. Then stay close to me. If the animals and monsters don’t eat you then the golgeists will.’