Thorne sat at his desk, eyes vacant an expression of concern on his face. The harvests just started, it being early autumn, and that meant the one part of his job he truly despised – taxes. For the last three days he’s been racking his brain, trying to find a way to avoid an issue they faced every year. As part of Lord Eltnam’s domain they needed to pay 40% of their crop, for “protection and maintenance”. Thinking again of the Lord and his followers, Thorne scowled and muttered to himself.

“Protection and maintenance my ass. More like extortion!” He slammed his fist on the desk, causing the papers on it to bounce a little. The water in his mug refused to settle, his emana keeping it agitated. Noticing this, he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

The farmland they used wasn’t the best, not so much because of bad soil, that could be remedied with magic, but because the Dark Forest kept trying to claim it. This meant that every spring there was essentially an arms race between the villagers and the dungeon deep in the woods. The village tried to saturate the land with their own mana and appropriate seeds, the forest doing the same. They did it with their hands and spells, the forest by sending various beasts.

Thorne looked over the projected numbers once again. Drogan was good, but there was only so much they could do. Once again the village would be struggling to reach spring, relying on Eira’s game once again to see them through the harsh season. He hated that they were so dependent on the most dangerous part of their supply, but it was that or starve. And he wouldn’t let another winter like the one that claimed Drogan’s parents and many others happen again. And so he planned, counted, portioned and sighed. Staring at the numbers, he realized he forgot to account for Alice and her companion.

Alice.

Thorne’s eyes widened as he realized the potential dangers of Whimsy’s Champion being in his village when the tax collector arrived. He groaned, feeling his stomach churn at all the ways her presence could cause massive problems for them. He had to make sure to minimize the chances of their meeting.

—

Alice and Olivia left Bridgitte’s house some time after midday. Alice felt really out of place in her dress as she walked on the beaten dirt road. Though, she couldn’t argue that she did look, and feel, good in it. Sprawled over her bare shoulder was Chesire, barely awake. During tea Alice realize she was hungry and after a short mind-to-mind, Alice confirmed it was mana, rather than milk she neede. Alice obliged, to the apparent delight of the other women as they saw Chess acting like the baby she was.

That done, she then demanded to be put on Alice’s shoulder where she first stretched, then almost completely relaxed. Alice was keenly aware of the cubs precarious position so they walked rather slowly. Not that there was far for them to go.

Only five minutes at the leisurely pace they arrived at Miles’ house. It looked almost identical to Bridgitte’s, with the key difference being a shed, about a third of the house’s size, attached to the back. Olivia explained it was the craftsman’s workshop. They headed straight for it, walking around the house and knocking on a small door. Sounds of hammering were coming from inside the small building.

“Enter!” Cane a low, gruff voice. As they walked in, Alice was hit with the smell of leather and wet fur. Looking around she noticed several rabbit pelts stretched in frames, likely the ones Eira hunted when they first met. The room was dimly lit and much like Bridgitte’s house, clearly a working space. Frames and barrels were standing against the walls, a large, thick, angled table in the middle of the room. In front of it was a chair and a stool, the latter occupied by the craftsman they were here to visit.

Miles gave Alice a pause as she looked him over. He was short, at most one and a half meters, but broad shouldered. He had short black hair, peppered with gray. He had a square face and, what she could see of it, was covered in wrinkles. Not the marks of laughter, like Olivia’s or Bridgitte’s, but rather signs of a perpetual scowl. He had a large scar, going from the top of his forehead all the way to his chin, though missing the eye.

The biggest feature of his face, however, was the beard. It was plait in two simple braids, black and gray, like his head. Each braid reached easily to his navel, making Alice think that had it been straight, the facial hair was nearly as long as the man was tall.

He wore short, natural leather pants and an open vest, likely to deal with the heat in the room. His arms were thick and muscled. Alice noted in her head that most of the villagers she saw were well built. Considering the place and way, they lived it shouldn’t be surprising. Coupled with what little she knew of some of their origins, she figured most, if not all of the villagers would be similarly sculpted. Her reverie was interrupted when the gruff man spoke again, addressing her, his eyes scowling. She was right, the wrinkles definitely came from that.

“What’cha looking at girlie? Never seen a dwarf before?” Alice nodded.

“No, actually.”

Miles tilted his head, seemingly confused, but quickly shook it and pointed at the chair.

“I know why you’re here, sit. I got other work to do, let’s get this done.”

Alice dutifully did as requested, giving Olivia a look as she did, who just shrugged. Apparently, this was normal. Miles reached under the table and puled out a metal contraption Alice has only ever seen in documentaries. The Brannock device was a simple, two piece mechanism to measure the length, width and arch of a foot.

He pulled his stool in front of where Alice sat, and unceremoniously grabbing Alice’s leg fitted it into the tool. Or tried to, anyway, but after straining for a moment he looked up.

“C’mon girl, I’m sure you got better things to do than play tug’o’war with an old man.”

Alice immediately realized what the problem was, and that it might be more than just a problem for the grumpy dwarf. She spoke up, though couldn’t hold herself back from a biting remark, if he wasn’t going to be polite, why should she?

“You’re a bundle of joy, aren’t you?” She quipped. “Anyway, I’m not playing tug of war with you. Tell me, how much do you think I weigh?” The man’s scowl deepened, though he ignored the jibe, looking her over.

“I dunno’, maybe sixty kilos? You seem rather thin for your height. What’s that got to do with anything?” Alice barked a laugh in response.

“Hah! Quite a lot, actually. I weight, at the very least, three hundred kilograms. I’ve not actually had the chance to weight myself. Not that I suspect a house scale wouldn’t do me any good anyway.” She enjoyed the look of shock on Miles’ and Olivia’s faces for a moment when Chess spoke up in her head, confusion in her voice.

“Momma fat? Momma not look fat.” Alice looked at the feline askance, her voice dry.

“Call me fat again, furface, see where that gets you.”

“Sorry.” Cheshire responded, though Alice could tell through their link she really wasn’t. Probably because she knew Alice wasn’t seriously going to hurt her either. She turned back to the leatherworker whose eyes were now as wide as saucers.

“Yeah, if you wan’t details about that, we can talk later. For now, as you said, we gotta deal with the problem at hand. Which is – I am likely significantly heavier than the biggest man you’ve ever made shoes for. Can you make me something that can sustain it, and not wear out too fast?”

Miles snapped out of his stupor, his eyes first narrowing then gaining a peculiar glint in them. Alice wasn’t sure, but was he smiling?

“Now this is interesting. A challenge. It’s been a while since I had something interesting to work on!”

Yup, definitely smiling. Alice smiled too. She appreciated people who took pride in, and enjoyed, their work. She put her foot in the measuring tool.

“So? Can you make something that will last? I’d tell you the same I said to Bridgitte about using the steel silk, but I’ve been told not to bother with frugality...” She looked then at Olivia, who nodded. “And I don’t think cheap stuff would work anyway.”

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Miles worked the device, noting down the measurements, then repeated the process with the other foot after slapping Alice’s calf a few times, prompting her to switch legs.

“Correct. I’ll definitely have to use enchanted materials, probably wyvern leather, at least for the sole. What are you looking for? I’m sure Olivia told you I can’t really make anything fancy. I’m usually a repair man, not a shoemaker.”

“She did. I was thinking gladiator sandals, you know what those are?”

Miles nodded.

“You want just straps, or some actual protection?”

“Protection please. I feel they’ll have to last me a while and since I’ll be heading for the dungeon in the forest at some point before I see a proper shoemaker...” Alice shrugged. “Every little bit helps.”

“Got it. Come back tomorrow. I’ll have to think on this, I should have something ready by then, Olivia nag—” The aforementioned woman cleared her throat quietly, hand covering her mouth, causing the dwarf to flinch slightly. Miles straightened his back and corrected himself. “—asked me to make sure you get something sooner rather than later.”

“Thank you.” Alice said politely as she stood up. She looked to Olivia, who just smiled sweetly and opened the door, heading out. Alice followed. She waved at Miles as she closed the door, but the dwarf wasn’t paying them any attention, focused on his work.

—

“My Goddess, that man irritates me at times.” Olivia quipped as soon as Alice joined her outside. She turned to look at Alice, slightly abashed.

“It’s fine. I’m not a great fan of that type too, though tell her not to be too hard on him. He’s been through a lot, even for this village.”

Alice put a hand on Olivia’s shoulder and repeated Whimsy’s message, the woman visibly relaxing.

“So, where are we doing now?”

“That’s up to you. I only planned the two visits we just had as they were clearly pressing issues.” Olivia grew silent, thinking. “Actually. What are your plans going forward? I know what you said to Miles, but winter is not far off. Are you really planning to dive that monstrous dungeon?”

Alice didn’t respond instantly, mulling over what Olivia said. What did she want to do? More importantly, what did she need to do? She was still thinking when they reached back to where Olivia sat earlier. Alice sat on a bench while Olivia returned to the rocking chair and her knitting. Cheshire jumped on Alice’s lap and demanded scritches, Alice absent-mindedly complied as she thought. Olivia continued her work, simply glancing Alice’s way every now and then. Finally, Alice spoke up.

“I am going to the dungeon. I promised Whimsy I’ll do it. But... You’re right – I’m nowhere near ready for that, the encounter with the slime taught me that much. In fact it taught me that I’m nowhere near ready for this. I need to learn, in order of importance...” Alice started counting off on her fingers. “Magic. I know next to nothing about it and considering what I learned so far, that’s a must. Not to mention it sounds exhilarating.”She smiled when she said that, gleam of excitement in her eyes.

”Fighting. I know some self-defence basics, but I never fought with a weapon, let alone magic. Self control. Right now I’m massively curtailing my physical abilities because my mind literally cannot keep up with my body. That has to change. Gearing up. We sorted clothing, kind of, for now, but I’m sure I’ll need armour, provisions and probably a dozen things I don’t even know I need.” She looked up at Olivia who was nodding along, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Finally I want to contribute to the village. Whimsy said you’ll help me but even in this one day you’ve done so much for me... I feel like I’m taking advantage.” Olivia started to argue but Alice raised her hand, stopping her.

“I know what you’re going to say. But your thoughts and feelings don’t change mine. I’m really grateful for them, but I want to help. As you said, winter is approaching and I’m sure there’s lots of work to be done. I might not have many useful skills but I can, and want to, learn. I’m also strong, really strong, and I’m sure there’s simple jobs that need that before I can do something else.” Alice took a breath, smiled and looked into Olivia’s eyes, who returned the smile widely after hearing her next words.

“That’s my list and I have no idea where to start.”

“Luckily for you, I do. First things first thought, we’ll set you up in the lodge behind us for the winter. There’s a few empty rooms and it will be easier for Sophia to teach you magics when it’s heavy snowfall. She’s our resident mage and will definitely be able to teach you the basics. For weapons and combat training... Most of the older people here are season warriors of one sort or another, I’m sure someone will be willing to help you. We can spend the winter planning your expedition but you probably shouldn’t leave until late spring, maybe early summer when we can secure enough food for your trip.”

Alice latched onto the last words, concerned.

“Is food a big problem in the winter? Chess and I are likely to be big eaters. I don’t want to take food away from someone else’s mouth.” She whispered the next words, her eyes haunted by a memory. “Never again.”

“We’ll make do, don’t worry. It’s been decades since we lost someone to hunger. It might be lean, but winters usually are, it’s the nature of the world. We can go talk to Thorne later if it bothers you so. Now, back to the topic at hand.” Seeing Alice’s expression, even without hearing her whisper, she quickly changed the subject.

“You’re right in thinking there’s a lot of work to be done, especially for someone young and fit. The easiest, and likely most useful for now, would be to get you to gather firewood. It’s simple but physically demanding work and there is never too much firewood. For today, however, I think you should relax while we talk...” At that point Chess’s stomach growled, causing both women to look down at her.

“Milkie!”

“...Right after we feed the little one, I suppose. We can also talk to Thorne, get his advice on your plans while we’re getting milk.” Saying that Olivia put away her project, and stood up. She swayed for a second and Alice was quick to help the older woman, dropping Chess from her legs in the process. A thought of annoyance reached Alice’s mind but she was quick to send one back. Shush, it’s important to help those who need it and respect your elders. A simple, dry “OK” was all the response she got.

The women got back to the tavern arm in arm. Alice was surprised to learn that Sophia was in fact Thorne’s wife and the cook from the night before. That made Alice wonder if the food she ate last night was enchanted in some fashion. It was simple, but amazingly tasty, maybe it was magic? Something to ask later. They asked her to heat up some milk for Chess, then walked to Thorne’s office.

The next half hour they spent talking with the mayor, planning Alice’s winter. He was quite adamant about Alice not being a burden. He did offer, to Olivia’s amusement, Eira’s services as a hunting and survival teacher, with the understanding that she would do so after securing the minimum they needed for winter. He also agreed that until she was more self-sufficient, he’d have her help some of the men chopping down trees and preparing the firewood.

In the middle of their conversation, Sophia joined in, bottle of milk in hand. As Alice got to feeding Chess, who was purring loudly at the meal, her husband asked her to be a magic teacher. She gave Alice an appraising, somewhat confused look. She squinted her eyes at Alice, then quickly nodded and left. Wonder what that was about, thought Alice.

After finishing their talk, the two women grabbed the only thing of value Alice had in her room – the knife Whimsy made for her – and headed back to the lodge. Olivia showed Alice to her room, identical to her own with the exception of personal objects. Afterwards they returned to the porch, Olivia insisting on enjoying what was left of the autumn day.

They spent the rest of the light hours talking and playing with Cheshire. Olivia had some questions to both Alice and Whimsy, and after a short discussion they both agreed to tell Olivia everything they could, but kept Alice’s resurrection to themselves. They were quite open about keeping the secret, the older woman not minding as she was more interested in Whimsy than Alice.

The discussion was halting at times, Alice had to explain concepts she didn’t really understand to someone who, by and large, had no working basis of a technological world. They persevered, though and by evening Olivia had a good idea of what Whimsy actually was and how their respective positions came to be.

Interestingly for both Alice and Whimsy, she flatly refused to stop her worship.

“I’ve done it all my life, it would be really hard to stop now. Besides, you are powerful, much more than any human I’ve met. And, like you said to me – you’ve done good in your life, my understanding more about you doesn’t change that.That is enough for continue. Though I would caution you about sharing these revelations with the active clergy. Especially ones of the other gods.”

Whimsy agreed with her instantly, saying that because of her nature and lack of presence her own temples were not only much smaller, but also much more understanding, as exemplified by Olivia’s reaction.

—

As the sun set, the two women finished their talk, Alice promising Olivia to always be available to answer questions. Or relay Whimsy’s answers, as the case might be.

They made their way to the Tavern then, to join the village in the evening meal. They sat with Eira, wearing her usual scowl. The woman gave Alice a look, then informed her it will be at least two weeks before she could take her into the forest. Alice nodded, apologising for the added work. Eira’s response was to shrug and tell her she’ll just press her to work when they were out. Alice didn’t mind.

Sometime during their meal, Sophia came by, informing Alice to meet her the following morning for their first lesson.

Meals finished, the three women stood up, intent on heading back to their shared house. As they were about to leave, Thorne stopped them introducing a tall, middle aged man by the name of Finn. As soon as Alice’s work clothes were ready, she would be helping Finn cut down trees and moving firewood. Alice agreed and promised to be ready as soon as possible.

As she lie in bed, hand on Chess, she thought of the day’s events. A lot happened. She now had a plan for the foreseeable future, a goal to achieve and people around to help her reach it. She was giddy with excitement for her first magic lesson. Forcing her mind to calm down, she turned on her side, scooting her furry companion closer and giving her a kiss on the head, whispering.

“Good night sweetie.”

“Night mommy.” Came the half-yawned reply. Alice smiled at the words, still weird, but feeling good regardless.

The little kitten purred quietly. The soft vibration eventually lulling Alice to sleep as well.