"Hey there! It's, um, Olive, right?"

"Olavi, ma'am." The dwarf bowed his head as Amelia entered the open part of the smithy. He pushed his thick goggles up onto his forehead, then rubbed his hands on the heavy leather apron he was wearing.

"Sorry, Olavi. And it's Amelia, not ma'am. We're friends, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. That is, Amelia."

"I'm surprised to see you in here! I thought you were a toy maker?"

"Clockwork and toys, yes. I'm honored you remember! I mostly work in the shop in the tower, but I've been helping Bellows with some projects. I'm not the smith he is, but I can hold my own with the delicate work."

Amelia nodded. She remembered the clockmaker's lathe the man had created in the machine shop. Bert had been able to provide a general-purpose lathe and mill, along with other shop tools, but the dwarf had wanted something for making the intricate and tiny parts needed for clockwork. It had been fascinating watching the dwarf create the machine, and she had dropped by frequently to get a glimpse of his work. She hadn't gotten a chance to speak with him much, though, since he was always deeply focused on what he was doing. It was a thrill, though, watching a master at work, and like many of the others, she could see the cares and worries just melt off of him as he worked.

"He asked me to come by. Some project or other he wanted to show off?"

Olavi furtively glanced at a table in the corner, covered in a cloth. Amelia could see several lumps underneath it but had no idea what they might be.

"He's in back, tending to the smelt."

"Ooh! I heard you guys were starting on that. Can we go see?"

The dwarf waved for Amelia to follow him, and the pair went around to the back of the smithy. The roar and heat of the furnace hit them as they rounded the back corner of the building. The smelting furnace was a beehive-shaped affair, which Bert heated as needed. Which was a good thing, since otherwise it would take mountains of coal to fire and would produce nasty black smoke and particulate. This way just used up a little energy, of which the realm had 'way more than enough'.

The goblin smith was wearing a heavy apron like Olavi, along with a heavy face mask and gloves. He had a glowing crucible held in tongs and was carefully pouring liquid metal into ingot moulds. They watched as he finished the last of it, putting the equipment to one side on a brick work surface. The goblin lifted the mask and wiped the sweat from his face, then pointed at the moulds.

"First big pour! We did a trial run earlier, just to make sure we had the process down, but this is the first mass run we've done." he explained.

There were a dozen or so ingot moulds slowly cooling on the work surface, and about a third that many crucibles. The air was wavy above them from the intense heat.

Amelia peered carefully at one of the blocks of metal that had cooled enough to stop glowing. It was a dull yellow color, vaguely like gold.

"Um, this might be a silly question, but what kind of metal is that?"

"We call it grokzite, the dwarves call it durganite. I've heard some call it 'mountain copper', if that's more your thing." the goblin answered.

"It's yellowy, like brass. Shouldn't copper be more reddish? Or something?"

"No, miss. Mountain copper isn't a copper at all. It does look like brass, but can take a better polish. Worked right, it's better'n steel, but finicky. Takes a delicate touch, and a lot of effort, but it's worth it."

"Cool! You guys got that from the cavern?"

"We did! We've got a load of raw ore to sell on, but we thought we'd try processing some ourselves. We barely have the workforce to mine it, much less process it, but I couldn't resist!" The smith looked over at the solidifying molten metal bricks, clearly proud of his work.

"Is it valuable? I was hoping we'd have mithril or adamantium or something cool like that. Or at least gold! The boys looked so excited when they talked about the mineral traces they saw, I figured it had to be something good."

The goblin and dwarf exchanged incredulous glances, then peered at the girl to see if she was joking.

"Well, first off, mithril and adamantium aren't real. And there is some silver in there, along with iron and some other stuff, but we mostly went for this first. Because it's indeed exceedingly valuable."

"Oh. Okay. Cool. Hope you guys make some good money off it, then! Got big plans for how you're gonna spend all your riches?"

The two exchanged glances again.

"Ah, all of the proceeds will go to you, of course. We wouldn't dream of taking the money!" protested Bellows. Olavi nodded in agreement.

"Oh no! You guys put the work in, you get to keep it. So start planning! I mean it! Nobody was gonna do anything with that stuff until the boys came along, so as far as I see it, it's all yours. Ah bah bah bah! No arguing! Make cool stuff with it, or buy all the tchotchkes in the Night Market, or whatever. I don't care. I just want to see it go to good use if you guys are gonna put the effort in to extracting it."

Stunned silence followed the pronouncement, and both men just blinked and gaped at the caretaker.

"Really! Not kidding! Deal with it! Now, was this what you wanted to show me? It's awesome, of course! Just what I expected from you guys!"

Bellows shook his head, then pinched himself surreptitiously. He shook his head again, then motioned for Amelia to follow him as he headed back into the smithy. Once there, he pulled the cloth covering partially off the table in back, exposing a half-dozen or so odd-looking bodkin knives.

The goblin picked one up and handed it to Amelia, who took it gingerly. It was double-edged and slim, vaguely leaf-shaped, with no cross guard. She looked closer at the tiny etched words on the handle and blade and realized they were runes of some sort. Blinking and focusing, the weapon glowed with a pale light in her second sight.

"Um, did you make magic daggers? Wow! That is so cool! I had no idea you guys could do that! Do they, like, glow when bad guys are near?" she exclaimed, holding the weapon up and twisting it in the light.

Both crafters grinned widely at her excitement.

"No glowing, that isn't, erm, very tactically sound. And it isn't a dagger, per se. Watch." The dwarf reached over and picked up another of the items, then held it about shoulder height. A wooden haft extruded out from the handle, adding at least two feet to the length. He then shifted his grip to the wood, and the handle extended even further until the weapon had become a full-sized spear, a little taller than he was.

"No way! No way! A switchblade spear! How does it work? Where does the pole go when it closes? How do I make it open?"

"Hold it firmly, and think of it extending." answered Bellows, smiling at the girl's response.

Amelia held the dagger out in front of her like Olavi had done, and thought 'extend' at the thing. Sure enough, the haft sprang out, then extended again as she repeated the thought.

"Brilliant! This would have been sooo useful when we went to Elara! Bill and I kept smacking our spears on everything, especially in the smaller tunnels. So awkward!"

"Yes, we heard. Quiet asked us to make something to help with that problem. Having variable length also means any of our forces can use them, one size fits all, you could say. As well, in the collapsed form, they are nondescript. A handy knife usually isn't suspicious, but carrying weapons of war around can draw the wrong sort of attention, you know."

"Ah, right. I hadn't thought of that. Like carrying a punt gun or a Carl Gustav in public or something. That'd raise some eyebrows!" She stared at the weapon in her hand and willed it to close. The wood instantly shrank back into the metal head, causing her to drop the thing onto the ground.

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"D'oh! Oops! Sorry about that!" she exclaimed as she bent to pick it back up. It didn't seem any worse for the wear.

"Yeah, you have to be careful about that. Hold it by the socket part of the head when you close it, not the wood."

"Got it!" She extended and retracted it several times, then took a stance, flicking the point about like she'd been taught.

"Can I have this one? I like it!"

"Actually, this one is for you. As is this." The goblin flicked the cloth the rest of the way off the table.

"Ooooh! Pretty!" Amelia stared at the two items that had been exposed.

The first was roughly the same shape as the dagger spears, but larger, about eighteen inches long. It was made primarily of the same yellow material she had seen cooling in the ingot moulds. One side of the blade was edged in a dull black metal, looking like a cartoonish outline, with swirling inlays of the same material decorating the blade and handle. The runes, rather than simple etchings, were large and heavy, cloisonnéd with a deep ruby material. They glowed faintly, and as she focused her true sight on it, the entire weapon blazed with light, power screaming from it. The symbols writhed as she looked at them, and flashed through multiple words and phrases that looked familiar, but she didn't quite grasp.

"Whoa! Wicked!"

"Indeed, my lady. We hope it is fitting." Bellows motioned for her to pick up the weapon, which she did, examining the ornate work.

"I thought glowing wasn't, how did you call it, tactical?"

"Ah, well, it is only a dim glow. Plus, that is more a, hmmm, strategic weapon, if you take my meaning." He cleared his throat slightly and rubbed his hands on the heavy apron he was wearing.

The wood of the extended haft looked like ebony but felt far harder in the hand. It was inlaid with elaborate dark scarlet scrollwork, entwined bramble and briar branches that resembled the shadows that had enveloped Alder. The weapon was deceptively light, and she effortlessly twirled it and whipped it about happily.

"Wow, guys! I don't know what to say! It's, um, showy and dramatic, but so pretty! I like that one outlined edge, very unique. What kind of metal is that?"

"We extracted iron from the cavern as well and were able to cold work it. That was nearly as difficult as working the grokzite."

"So cold iron? That's a thing, really? And mithril isn't? C'mon!"

The goblin grinned. "Really. Not all myths are wrong, after all. Cold iron has many uses. Not as strong as the grokzite but it won't cause any weakness."

"So, gotta ask, does it have a name? 'Cause this thing looks like it should have a name. Like Mr. Pokey, or Sir Stabalot, or something."

The two craftsmen chuckled, but Bellows looked a little embarrassed. "It does have a name, but it hasn't revealed itself to us. I'm sure it will come to you, my lady."

Amelia was so enraptured with the beautiful object that she let the 'my lady' slide.

"You guys really outdid yourselves! This is fantastic!"

"May it serve you well in your endeavors."

"Right. Endeavors. I'll bet this will be real useful for reaching the hard-to-reach branches when I'm out clearing the paths. Oh! And fishing stuff out of the pond! Sorry, I'm a caretaker, not a warrior, but I'll treasure this! Really! This might be one of the nicest things anyone has made for me, ever!" She followed up quickly, seeing the disappointment in their eyes. "Um, any idea where I could get a quiver or something for it? Kinda awkward to carry it like this. I'm afraid I'm gonna stab someone!"

"Ah, we don't have sheaths, yet, sorry. But Miss Annie had a suggestion when she saw me working on it in the shop. Think 'broach'" replied Olavi excitedly.

The spearhead suddenly miniaturized itself, the entire thing shrinking to barely three inches long. Olavi showed her how to thread it through the clasp holes sewn into her cloak, so it looked like a cloak broach. She tugged it to make sure it was secure, and it held snugly in position.

"The edge isn't very sharp in that form. Makes it more innocuous. What lass wouldn't have a broach or hairpin on her person?" He smiled happily.

"You guys think of everything! So cool! What's that bracelet thing?" She pointed to the last item on the table.

"Another gift for you, my ... Amelia. Pure cold iron, forged with all the protective dweomers I know." Bellows stated with obvious pride. "Possibly the culmination of my years of work, but who knows? Glad I warmed up with those other trifles first." He fidgeted at that, looking uncomfortable, as if hiding something. "It will help with your .... domain ... expansion."

"Huh. You been talking to Donald? Maybe Beige or Blue?"

"The birds had ... requests ... erm, suggestions ... for both items." The goblin shuffled his feet slightly, looking down at them to avoid meeting Amelia's eyes.

"Ah, okay. Yeah, figures." She picked up the piece. It was considerably heavier than it looked but was exceedingly simple in appearance. Roughly 'C' shaped, it looked like they'd taken a square bar and twisted it repeatedly, then capped the ends with small spheres. The gap was just large enough for her to force it over the narrowest part of her wrist. It felt cool to the touch, the metal not heating up from the skin contact.

"It has a ... name ... also. Ah, again, to be revealed in time." The goblin shrugged, a bead of perspiration running down his face.

"Okaaaay? Do I just name 'em whatever I want, or wait for some mystical inspiration to hit?"

He looked to the dwarf for support, but Olavi just shrugged. "Perhaps the names will come to you, miss. Or just, maybe pick names and see if they fit? I'm not sure, to be honest."

"Right. Well, I'll try to pick good ones. Ones they'd, uh, like." She twisted and turned her arm as she looked at the bracelet. It didn't reflect a single glint of light, nor did it warm up from her body heat. "I like it! Simple, not gaudy or elaborate. I think it suits me!"

"Ah, um, best you keep it out of direct sunlight, miss. It ... doesn't like it." The goblin shuffled his feet around nervously again.

"Really? Jewelry that likes the shade? Huh. Faerie stuff is weird!" She winked at the goblin, then continued admiring the bracelet on her wrist.

"But thanks again! I'm flattered! You guys must have put a lot of work into these. Not sure you should have, but I really appreciate it!"

They both bowed slightly, a little embarrassed by the praise.

"It was our honor, miss. It was good to do the old craft again. I missed it sorely. I look forwards to making more ... creations."

Olavi nodded in agreement, although he had turned a bit pale for some reason.

Amelia nodded. "Glad you got to do something fun, then! Good for you guys! But next time, make some stuff for yourselves, or others! I mean, I appreciate it and all, but I'm a simple girl. I'm sure there are better things you could be working on."

They nodded, although she could tell they didn't agree with her. But there wasn't much she could do about that.

"Is there anything I can do for you guys? Tools, supplies, anything like that?"

The goblins looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself. The dwarf nudged him, motioning with his hand to 'go on!'.

"Ah, well, miss, the kids were telling us about the classes. I, well, we, were wondering ... Miss Briar, um ..."

"You guys want in on that? Potions and herbs and stuff?"

Then both nodded shyly, their eyes eager.

"Of course! We were gonna start setting up all kinds of classes for whoever wants to teach and learn. I'll get the print girls to make us up a roster, and we can get that going. You'll love it! Just get her to teach you the energy tea first, though. You'll need it to keep your eyes open, but keep that between us, okay?"

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Amelia pulled the sleeve of her hoodie over the bracelet as she walked out into the yard. She loved how elegantly simple the design was. The fact that the two had clearly spent a great deal of effort on the items made her feel both a little guilty and extremely flattered. If nothing else, she consoled herself, it was a good excuse for them to practice their crafts. That was good enough reason in her book. Besides, the only thing lost was a little time, since the materials were essentially free. She was particularly glad they'd made the spear thing able to turn into a pin, though. Walking around the village with a foot-and-a-half long spike was just asking for trouble, no matter how decorative it was.

There was a gentle splash from the water feature, so she wandered over and peered in. Mr. Speckles was in his cave, eyes half-lidded. Bubbles the cave carp lurked just below the surface of the water, tracking a dragonfly that was hovering over the surface. Whiskers, the other cave carp, was just barely visible in the dark depths of the pool. Amelia stood and looked at the pool for a moment, just long enough to see Bubbles leap from the water and snatch the insect out of the air, before diving back into the water with a gentle blurp that barely caused ripples on the surface.

"Bon appetit, buddy!" she called to the fish, before wandering out to the front yard.

She entered the cottage and passed through the living room, then into the brewery. Even with Tuuka gone, Pint had kept the room active, and there were several containers bubbling away. It wasn't quite the same, though, and she hoped her dwarf and goblin friend would make it back soon.

From the brewery, she descended two levels to enter the print shop. The room smelled of inks and machine oil and was a hive of activity. They had gotten a few print jobs from people in the village, then word had spread. They currently had a backlog of orders from every village within at least twenty miles. Everything from flyers, and posters, to brochures and business cards. She was glad she had been able to pry Friskit loose for the 'safety training' today since the goblin teen put in mammoth hours with her mother and grandmother.

"Hi, Stet! Hiya Lede! Alright?"

"Alright, Amelia?" they both answered.

"One of you have a few minutes? I need a sign-up sheet. We need to start organizing classes, and people who want to take 'em."

"I can help, my dear! What did you have in mind?" said Stet, the older goblin cleaning ink off her hands as she beckoned Amelia over to a work table.

"Something like a bunch of boxes, with a space for teacher and subject matter, and a bunch of places for people to sign up. Once we have interest, we can work out scheduling from there."

The goblin bobbed her head, then grabbed a scrap piece of paper and a pencil and started sketching. "Something like this?" She asked after a minute or so.

Amelia whistled. "Wow! Perfect! Could you print something like that up?"

"Do you need many copies? I could just do this up on a poster board in ink if you only need the one."

The caretaker smacked her forehead. "D'oh. Yeah, sorry. I didn't even think of that. One is fine. If we need more room, we can rethink it."

"No worries! I can have that for you, say ... lunchtime tomorrow?"

"Don't rush! It isn't urgent, I just wanted to talk to you guys about it before I forgot. Whenever you get to it is fine! Really!"

The goblin shook her head. "Education is important! And it will give a chance for people to connect and bond, so I'll get right on it! Any idea what kind of classes we'll have?"

"Well, so far Pancake and Lark teaching magic, and general school stuff like math and things. I'm hoping Tuuka and Picker will bring back somebody who's a professional teacher to take over that for them. Briar with potions, herbology, and gardening, Miss Annie for industrial arts. Other people have expressed interest in this and that, but those are the ones I remember."

"Wonderful! I'll put myself down for graphic arts and printing. You never know, somebody might be interested! We're going to need more classroom space, though."

"Yeah, I'm gonna go work on that. Need to expand the living space down below, too. And add a range for dangerous spell practice, that sort of thing. We just keep growing!"