Gasps went through the room and the female he was toppled into groaned under his weight as his head still spun. He let go of the hammer pushing the handle away so it wouldn't fall back on either of them, and he heard jangling as Leah rushed over.

“Oh no.” She said, sounding ever so sweet and innocent as everyone else was still reacting in a mild panic.

“You fell. Did you hurt yourself or Julia? Are you both okay?” Leah said coming to them and gently pulling them apart with her ridiculous strength.

She was strong enough to pull him up by his arm and keep him steady as she did the same with the chair and moving Julia's legs out from beneath him.

His vision was still swimming when Pelanna came around the side of the table he was facing and Vivian came into his awareness suddenly holding him by his shoulders as Leah got Julia up.

“Oh my fucking head.” He said, putting a hand to the table. “What the hell did that do? I didn't feel you poke me, but fucking Christ that's one hell of a dizzy spell.” He would stop swearing as soon as the room stopped moving so violently.

If that was what it was like to teleport he didn't see how it could be used safely in battle. It felt like someone had taken every liquid in him, emptied it, swirled the bottle, and then poured it back in with the contents still spinning. It was awful.

Julia, a little red faced and her short hair tousled got right in his face.

“Well that's what you get for teleporting on top of the table and falling on someone dummy.” She pouted at him and held her arms to her breasts protectively, but she was smiling widely. “Greedy boy.” She called him, and stuck her tongue out at him.

Micheal looked at her completely astonished and Vivian laughed and then looked away when he looked up at her. Her laughter had cut off, but she was still clearly grinning and stifling laughter. The wooden chair had broken a leg, but otherwise everyone else was fine. Leah got her hammer up from the floor protectively cradling the impossibly tough weapon in her hands like it was her baby, but came to him looking excited.

“How did you do that?” She asked her bare heels coming on and off the tile as she stood in front of him with little slapping sounds that mixed with the jangle of her casually worn mail hauberk.

Micheal shook his head.

“I'm sorry, but I have no idea. It was just the same as what I did with Vivian's, it just felt a little different. And it's one hell of a head trip doing that.” He explained, “-And I had no control of where to go, it's a complete roll of the dice.”

Vivian laughed.

“Teleporting skills are rare and hard to get used to. It will take a lot of practice for her to get used to it so there's no hurry to rush into it too fast.” She said with her laughter carrying on into her voice as she explained.

“Veevee poke me.” Leah demanded holding her hammer and closing her eyes.

“Veevee?” Vivian exclaimed, her voice dripping with incredulity.

Julia and Pelanna snickered.

“Poke me! I want to try!” Leah insisted in an admittedly cute little outcry of eagerness.

Vivian poked her chainmail covered belly and made her wiggle back with the hammer.

“Again!” She demanded and Vivian did so with a patient and bemused expression.

Yet nothing happened. Leah opened her eyes and frowned at her hammer and then at Micheal.

Vivian smiled at her and touched her shoulder.

“Don't worry Leah. We'll make sure you learn to use it a little later. The practice arena would be better anyway so we don't break any more of our furniture too don't you think?”

Leah looked at Vivian's hand and then at her hammer, frowned a little, but nodded.

Julia and Pelanna were instantly at her side after that and both of them broke into girlish whispers telling Leah just how fast they were going to get her to learn it tonight or tomorrow after they ate.

“And uh Leah.” Micheal said, getting her attention from the two as they went on while giggling and talking in a little gaggle.

Leah turned with her eyes bright and happy.

“Yes?”

“I think the heaviest part of the rain and wind was just dealt with by the Mages guild. Maybe we can beat the rush out to the shops if we go now. What do you think? Still want to help me?”

She stood on her toes coming to nearly the same height as his chin and positively bounced with energy for a moment before she darted back into her room.

“I'll get my boots and money!” Came her shout from the room as things crashed and armored clanged inside.

Pelanna and Julia hurried after her looking a little panicked, but not upset.

Some time later she was ready with her hair had been combed and straightened, and even accented with a little braid in her bangs, she was in her full armor except her helmet with a full oil treated cloak over it and the hood up and the first few clasps tied at the front.

“Okay ready.” Leah piped sweetly.

By then Vivian had gone into the room and gotten his cloak she had bought him back in Rosebridge. It was oil treated and would keep off the rain. She put it on him and then headed into one of the other rooms with Forgen who had on his pair of spectacles again and looked to be going through some paperwork.

They talked over a few things and Forgen began to relate things to her on the paperwork he was going through. It sounded dry and dusty. He decided to leave that to her, but noticed Eva lounging on Forgens bed looking rather pleased with herself and her plate of cookies as she added a thing or two to the conversation. That either meant they had been talking and that was just Eva or maybe that they had done it. Good for them he supposed.

The food came shortly after however, almost forgotten in the excitement, but almost everyone came out to eat or get a snack or two. Even Dexter. He came out and made up two plates, and to Micheal's surprise a red eyed Luna nervously brought Jack out and handed him over to Micheal.

Micheal looked at his cute bunny eared friend with his last bite in his mouth unable to ask what was going on.

“He needs to go out. You look like you're ready to do that. It also looks like the mages got their things going too. Can you look after him for a bit?” She asked in a soft voice.

Micheal nodded earnestly and touched her hand on Jack's collar before taking a bit of chicken and feeding it to Jack. The two went back into their room with their food and the conversation in the room picked back up again. It hadn't gone completely silent, but people had definitely been watching the two of them reaching for insight on how they were doing.

Eventually with Jack in tow Micheal got outside with Leah. They both looked up at the growing and somewhat incomplete dome of weather dampening magic that was spreading through the city. It seemed that the worst hit areas were being dealt with first and already workers with roof beams, tiles, and repair tools in hand or in wagons were rushing to sites across the little city. Mages were going to houses where the cover wasn't as good that had the highest roofs and pounding on doors until someone answered. A little talking and they were inside or shown the easiest way up to the highest point in the building or outside it.

They let Jack potty in the grass outside the Adventurer's Guild and then headed out with him in tow. Micheal figured he might need a walk after a few days cooped up inside for the most part. The little drizzle and gentle gusts of wind were pleasant almost when compared to the raging hurricane-like winds that were going on outside.

Leah took the lead after petting Jack some. She loved his fur with an almost creepy sort of affection, but Jack took to petting like a fish in water as long as it was only one or two people doing it. They made their way to the first shop that hung a sign decorated with an anvil on a stand, a sword and cuirass resting against its base.

They were seen by the combo smith and shopkeeper inside as he watched the mages run about doing their work with an approving eye and his big eyebrows shot up and he boasted a big smile to them as he spotted them coming to his door.

He had them inside and their cloaks hung up at a rack near the door before introductions were made.

“I am Thadelus Gurbain.” He greeted Micheal.

He gave the same to Leah who shook his hand with an open sort of dull smile, but he eyed her gear now that she had her cloak off.

“Pretty. Good riveting in the mail. Looks like Rosebridge's smith work. Am I wrong?”

Leah's eyes went from somewhat flat and disinterested to wary and alert, but she looked at the man then and shook her head.

“No.” She said obviously thinking of how she overpaid.

“Well then he probably over charged you. All penny pinchers in that little village. Everyone of them. You might not be able to leave town `til the flooding outside in the marshes goes down, but anyways you come to me for repairs and I'll do you fair not like them over there. I know what you adventurer's do, and why it's so important so I only do the best work too. Yes-- Don't you worry about your armor when you're near Mayonn Old Thadelus Gurbain is your man for that.”

Leah smiled at him and girlishly twisted her hips about as he looked over the work on her mail mittens and leather gauntlets. He nodded looking over them and then rushed off with a sudden light in his eyes.

“Shouldn't be out in this rain with that really, but sometimes adventure calls and you got to be ready. I'm going to give you a vial of my sister's special oil she makes for me. I use it on my blades and armor before I sell them. Keeps the moisture off it, and can help clean off rust if need be.” He came back and gave Leah a leather bottle about the size of a coffee mug with a thumb sized cork in the top.

“You keep that little lady for bringing your tall friend here to my shop to look at my armors and weapons. You've got an eye for it, I can tell.” He said with a wink to Leah.

Leah smiled at him and after checking her own pouches for the size of the bottle frowned and then suddenly stepped over to almost bend Micheal over backward to put it in one of the empty large pouches in his. The smith laughed at Micheal's sudden floundering, but then got to business.

Leah and him went on about what he should wear, and the old man took her to a counter where he pulled out sample mail and linkage patterns for her to inspect against what he had on hand. She laughed and talked in her usual childish manner, but they agreed on something and then the old man came to Micheal to take a few measurements before heading into the back leaving the two of them to look through weapons in the front of the shop.

“Might have just the thing in the back. A big piece I thought might be useful for patching or making some other huge thing, maybe horse barding, but you actually might just fit in it.” He said with a laugh.

The weapons were stacked in neat racks, standing together in barrels, or hung in leather strapped bundles up against the walls of the man's modest shop reminding Micheal of an antique store or out of the way bait and tackle shop up north. The place was lined with racks and shelves and display cases anywhere they would fit. The store quite literally had enough arms to outfit an army for battle. Some of them were plain and maybe a little battered, but everything that was on a stand or a rack looked both of solid make and were completely rust free. There of course was so much more to the shop than just ordinary weapons.

He went with Leah around to a glass encased weapon rack that locked with a key. The others had been simple open air affairs, but this was a nice display case with small glowing stones lighting the red velvet lined interior. In this rack was an assortment of weapons, one or two of each design depending on the size, all shining with silvery magical luster. On the walls along this row further on and behind were other racks with glossy and seemingly lustrous weapons that were definitely not new, but now to his eye contained a certain waxy kind of look that just didn't match what was on the steel of the other weapons.

He picked through a few of the older weapons pulling them up carefully from the rack and testing them in hand. Some had faint echoes of something inside them, but nothing that really called out to him or made too much sense. He had gone through the rack of old magic weapons almost entirely when he was about to give up. It was when he decided to wait for the man to come out again so he could look over the magically forged weapons when he spotted something behind a barrel of weapons at the end of the rack and stuck back in a corner.

He had to work to get the piece free, and it wasn't exactly free of rust, but even Leah grew a little interested and came close just as he got it free of its tangle between the rack and other weapons in the barrel. The stave attached to it was snapped, but the thin steel banding down its length still held tight to the remaining pieces of the haft were they weren't bent. The head was something of a slightly exaggerated design quite unlike anything else in the shop. The spearhead was like a sword nearly two feet long with a wide fuller in the blade. The blade base spread into the cruciform hilt six inches to either side replacing flanges Micheal saw on another spears. They were of one piece with the blade and their chisel-like tips looked like they were made for punching into armor.

It was some kind of sword staff or partizan maybe. He wasn't sure of the technical definition. He held the barely connected pieces in his hands, questing out into weapon with his concentration as he had before with Vivian's and Leah's. Sudden images struck him in flashes, emotions boiled up from the weapon like phantoms lunging into his mind and thoughts with haunting memories that didn't belong to him.

He saw death. A battle overrun by a single powerful enemy. Dread and fear played out in the memory. The sensation of a new made weapon of steel and just coming into its own as its youthful former owner's battle companion. There was a sort of scream inside the weapon. Pain. Regret. And a moment of shining will to stand against the monster before it, brought on by the will of its former master.

A shadowy figure seemed to appear in Micheal's mind as he held the weapon. It moved like a cat and when the wielder struck both blade and spike of the crossguard came free of its hide as if it were a bronze blade set against the finest steel armor. Whatever it was it had claws and was huge and fearsome. The crack of the stave was the final scream of agony and then the sensation gave out to the faint impression of falling to the ground beside its master; the blade carrying the memory of the fighter who had lost his life in those moments like a burning brand.

The memory was too faded to really give Micheal an impression of much more than a look at a single blood red iris divided into parts by a four pointed star. It had been that way with each of the old weapons he picked up all of them old and faded in some way. Some of them were abandoned, or forgotten, but always there was something, but nothing this bad. Nothing that contained the sort of will apparent in this weapon's final moments with its master.

He held the weapon in his hands and could only really attempt a one handed thrust, but the weapon even with its broken half called to him. He could feel it had grown, only sprouted really, and was just short of being ready in time to assist its wielder. Even now it almost felt like it was begging to have been given one more chance to strike, like that single strike was all the weapon needed to manifest its own magic and save its master.

“It's broken.” Leah said in a rather plain voice.

Micheal nodded.

“Just so happens I have a rather good staff about this size too. It would need a lot of sanding though...” He said feeling the slightly rounded octogonal shape of the very dry wood of the haft near the head of the weapon.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

He touched the blade and it turned out to still have a decent edge. There was little surface rust and unclean spots on it, but he was sure with a little care they would come out.

“The blade too maybe.”

“Why bother?” Leah asked again, watching him in the dim light of the shop.

He didn't need to really look at her eyes to see the cold look was there. Her voice was almost as bad. He had almost expected this. It wasn't Leah speaking to him right now after all.

He turned and tapped her shoulder for her to step aside.

“Just because a thing is broken does not mean it's not worth repairing.” He said feeling like he was quoting from something as he said it.

He placed the piece on the counter, the only spot he thought the weapon wouldn't fall over near him in the shop. As they waited for the armorer to return he reached up to the items stored on the wall. The ones up here had even less of an echo than the others and were covered in dust. Spears, two handed axes, a few two handed great swords and war swords. It was while he was near to his tiptoes looking that he noticed the wheel pommel of another sword laying atop the rack down the other end. He could just barely see it as tall as he was. He came back to where Leah, or maybe it was Sarra at the moment, stood watching him with her cloak still up around her shoulders.

“Is that why you're nice to..me?” It was a small catch at the end but he heard it.

“Maybe, but you're not really broken. Just complicated and doing your best to deal with it.” He walked past her in careful smooth steps.

His blood was going a bit cold and his heart began to beat fast. She had a dagger in her left hand. He hadn't seen where she had gotten it from, but could make out the handle. With her strength she would tear him apart with that in these close confines.

Sarra hesitated, or maybe just hadn't decided if that was enough to kill him or not. Hopefully he had said the right thing. Micheal meanwhile was conscious of the people going by outside. Some people came close, but many saw Jack sitting outside and seemed to walk away. That was working better than he planned. It might have been good to have people in the store somewhere so she would feel a little less inclined to attack him however now that he thought about it.

He got to the rack where he had seen the wheel pommel of the forgotten weapon though he couldn't see it from this angle and reached up into the cleft of the top rest of the tall racking. His fingers found a dusty belt and then a dry cord wrapped grip. He brought the weapon down. It was a small gladius-like sword or similar short sword, its design something between a roman and viking weapon; its blade made to be easy to wield and its handle meant for one hand securely, even one the size of his own. The sun worn leather of the scabbard and the slightly chunky darkened bronze of the nordic cross guard had the look of spending long journeys on someone's hip. The belt it was attached to was shriveled and cracked, but the scabbard was okay if not a little cracked on the backside. He carefully took the handle so as to not startle Leah and felt for the memory inside with his new found magical talent.

He had a brief thought for how easily magic seemed to come to him now. The ward spell had been frustrating, but even then Lindsey had made it so fun and easy his mind seemed to have adapted without trouble. Maybe it was all those pretend games and stories he had played with friends as a kid. He focused on banishing the last of his wandering thoughts so that he might get a better feel for the weapon.

The memory was old, so much so that it probably should have been in black and white. Indeed, as he had guessed, the weapon had been a companion as the memory of countless steps crashed over Micheal in gentle waves. It was the first thing belted on after armor, the rest for a hand during meetings, and the last defense in a hard fight.

The smell of the dusty road hit him first among many more sensations. There was a sense of going somewhere with purpose; Of being out with a few friends. There was success and there was failure. There was the sense of moving on to something new. The steadfast sensation of always heading back down the road to meet new friends and enemies rose with countless vague images of places far away. The memory of the item went on and on. It seemed through years in flashes of walking or riding on the back of a mount, it had been a companion to a lifetime of adventure.

There was a house it came to know, and came to protect. There were children who wielded it and carried it as a treasure on their own hips when they left home. And then there was a sense of being cherished and put up on the mantle for many years where it continued its vigil over the family before finally being locked away to rest. It was the sidearm of a traveler who had ended his journey in some far distant place and made a family, and it was ready to be out on an adventure again. He could almost feel it. The weapon was reaching out to him, his mana, and toward adventure ready to feel the gentle sway of its master's steps once again. It, like the broken polearm, was the only weapon in the shop to have such a clear memory open to his new talent.

He held the weapon in his hand for a long moment fondly. This weapon too called to him, but this time he offered it to Leah, or Sarra, first.

She took a step back, but then looked in his eyes with that cold gaze of hers and drew the weapon from the sheath with a little tug to break it free of its slightly shrunken scabbard. It took her strength and all of Micheal's weight as counterweight to pry it free. Her eyes seemed to change a little as she took the light blue white steel blade all the way out of its sheath.

“Mythril.” She said, surprised as she looked at the edge and tested the grip of the weapon.

She nodded and took a proper grip of it and swung it in a loop in the short space between them.

“Balanced.” She added and then with a chilly little grin handed it back to him by way of sliding it back into the sheath. -As she did he noticed her pushing the dagger back onto a table behind her.

Coming along with a great amount of jiggling the shopkeep finally made his way back into the front of the shop.

“There we are. Not the cheapest stuff, and by far the longest to have made, but this one I found buried in the back--knew I had it back there somewhere. It will serve as the main part of that hauberk you wanted; it won't take too long to adjust it for size--hopefully.” Thadelus said, coming to the counter and stopping as he noticed the sword staff laying on its long smooth face.

There was plenty of room left on the counter since it ran from near to wall to wall in the back of the shop, but Thadelus still paused.

“Oh...” He said looking at the broken weapon.

“Well anyway you'll want a gambeson too. We've got lots of sizes. Some are a little bigger because they are easier to cut down than to add to, so look to the back end of that line on this side of the shop.” He said pointing over to the other wall.

Micheal came to the counter to see where he was pointing beyond the rows of weapon racks and set the short sword down there too as he looked and headed that way. Thadelus looked at it curiously, but noted the dried out belt and either the dust in the air or the dust that had come off his upper shelves with an almost resigned look in his eyes. Luckily the man dismissed it taking in Micheal's clothes and lack of gear on him. Likely he had been hoping for a better sale than just some old, cheap pieces from his large inventory.

“You know I only usually keep these old things around for the Mages to come through and pick up when they need to break them down for whatever magic builds up inside the steel when you folks use and carry them, but I haven't been getting as many in recent years.” He said scratching at his short growth on his chin. “You know my brother would kill me if I didn't at least have you look at our new-made stock there son. What did you say your name was?”

“Micheal Morrison. Sorry I should have introduced myself earlier.” He said as he fingered through a number of lighter and darker colored gambesons and aketon's meant to go under the chainmail and add further protection. Many of them were quite basic, but he supposed they would do. He wished one of them had real pockets. One of the long ones that would fit his taller frame anyway.

“Oh think nothing of it.” Thadelus said leaning over the counter on his hands now set upon the broken sword staff.

“Your young lady friend there got me all worked up talking about the best chainmail makes. Knows her stuff I think, but she'll have you reaching deep in your pockets for just this.” He eyed the broken weapon again and then back to Micheal before he noticed Micheal had watched him do it and he broke into a smile. “Or is she the one paying?”

Micheal looked at his fairly basic and plain outfit holding up his arms and twisting slightly to take himself in. The man had a point. He did not exactly look like he had much buying power with what he had on just now.

“I got a gift from a friend that should be more than enough to cover expenses here. Well unless I wanted to take a pair of things from that nice locked case over there. That would leave me little to bring back to her.” He said with a smile to the old smith.

He seemed a little relieved, but then piped up a little.

“You'll at least want to look at them then. --Hold one in your hands. They're the newest make. Fresh from the Mages Guild Forges in Three Bridge. As powerful as whatever you might need, and they won't lose their edge even if you're cutting rocks with them.”

He fumbled at his belt and his little keyring and made his way around the counter coming close to Micheal and waving him on.

Micheal followed the man and Sarraleah made room by going to the far side of the cabinet. The man eagerly worked the smooth lock with his key and opened it wide.

“Here now.” He said hefting a late medieval era design of halberd out of the case.

It had a scarlet cloth covered shaft which was studding up the length of it to the head. The end cap was a hand long silvery spike. The edge of the axe head and spike almost seemed to catch on the air and slip through it as if they were cutting the very particles floating in the air as they passed through the space.

“Here's a polearm a big man like you could get behind eh?”

Micheal held it and smiled at the weight and balance. It was still heavy, but like most swords it had a certain ease of movement about it. He stepped back and assumed a stance that had been drilled into him by Vivian. He tried a few thrusts and didn't have quite enough room for a proper guard stance, but it felt like he could snap it into action quickly. It was certainly nice, but the halberd was the most expensive piece in the case at one gold and one silver crown. The only feel he got from it was a piercing quality not unlike what had been in the sword staff when he held it, but very bland and plain with no memory or sensation attached. It didn't have that longing either, that dried out sense of needing to be held, to go forth, but admitted it did feel ready, or maybe a better word would be 'charged'.

Thadelus eyed him closely once more under the bright lights of the display case.

“That's a...elven made knife at your belt. You come from far off? Bjorn's Rest or the like? Morrison has a bit of the sound of the north to it. Usually Son of somebody or some other thing.”

Micheal smiled remembering the knife and as he put his hand to it he got a small vision. A woman very much like Vivian stood there, just somehow nearly as strangely ageless yet at the same time glowing with the weight and wisdom of years, held forth the knife to new and nervous hands. Her head shot up and she looked over her shoulder and right back at him. Micheal's mind snapped back from the strange vision and quickly retraced the conversation.

“Yeah, another gift. Same friend actually. I would be very lost without her.” He paused with a grim thought. “Or maybe just very dead.” -And frowned heavily, feeling oddly put off by his own words.

Thadelus nodded as if he understood, but there seemed to be little comprehension there. Micheal made the most of that by handing the fine weapon back.

“It's nice and very balanced. The magic inside seems...well pure.”

“Oh yes. Only the finest when they are made like this. A good and bad thing that they are made all alike. Oh you can get different trims and heads when you order them, but the magic is the same. The usual standard cutting and piercing reinforcement. Makes a strike hit twice as hard, but can drain ya if you do it too much.” He told them as he put the weapon back and locked the case once more.

“But I can see it. You've got the same talent my son had. -Before he died anyway. Was an adventurer like you and could always tell the magic in things. Weapons, tools, even his ma's old kitchen spoon he carried with him to cook with his fellows got a little something just from being with him. Tell a story he would say. All of them. Maybe that's why I still hang onto so many.”

He shuffled past Micheal and went back behind the counter his eyes on the swordstaff the whole while. He touched the broken wood in its haft and ran a thumb down the blade.

“If you're really set on this one I could get a new stave and fix these bindings to it, but it will take some grinding and polish to get these spots out. Cheap compared to those fancy things of course. I'd charge you a little for the work, but no more than I would any other clean up. These kinds of things are easy to fix. I don't know where you found this sword, but it's just as old as this one likely.” He said looking down and taking note of each item on the counter.

“I will do ya three gold marks on the riveted mail, and matching gambeson after we fit it to ya of course. Three silver marks more for the broken spear and one silver crown and five silver mark for the sword. I know sometimes money can be tight between jobs so I understand if you don't want me to fix the spear, but I will do that for three silver pennies and have it ready by tomorrow morning.”

Sarraleah went up on her toes looking over the items on the counter and nodded fiercely after counting on her fingers for a few moments.

Micheal smiled at her.

“That a good deal Leah?”

“Yes. He's being very nice to you. The man at rosebridge would tell you all sorts of things about each item and why it's so expensive.” She explained back to her usual sweetness making this actually Leah.

Thadelus smiled at her appreciatively and crossed his arms looking proud of his honest shop.

“Deal.” Micheal said, holding out a hand for Thadelus to shake.

Thadelus took his hand in an almost crushing grip, but compared to Lindsey's fierce hugs it didn't actually seem too bad. Micheal slipped his pouch open and got out one of the gold crowns there and put it on the table.

Thadelus nodded at the sight of it.

“I'll get my scales. You find a gambeson that goes down to your knees. Should have at least one that big that you will have the luck not to have to cut down to size.” He laughed as he disappeared into the back for a moment.

Leah bounced happily looking at the large coin, likely eager to show off her ability to make sure he got what he deserved back. She laughed and giggled when she and Thadelus weighed out the coins for their proper weight. Thadelus even gave Leah a few tips as to what to look for in fake coins, even taking a tip of the dagger at his belt to show how the edge pulled up the silver just a hair.

Meanwhile, Micheal went to get his gambeson. There was in fact one in his size. It was off white, a little dusty, and stiff besides, but it met with Leah's approval too after a harsh fit of sneezing. There was a little time with strap and harness getting the mail to fit and sit right and maybe half an hour of Thadelus using a set of tools to set the riveted mail to Micheal's size. Like he was told he moved in it, tested his reach, and range of movement.

For a few extra silver marks Thadelus even set Micheal up with stiff leather backed mail bracers for his wrists and ankles and leather plated gauntlets to protect his hands. Thadelus waved them off with farewells and well wishes after they paid and they once again went out into the drizzle.

Leah carried the mail hauberk carefully under her cloak covered with the gambeson and Micheal carried the broken swordstaff and short sword in hand, the other pieces tucked away in his pack. It was a quick walk back to the Adventurer's Guild, but they talked and took their time. The drizzle was not all that bad to walk in after being stuck inside for a day or two.

“Thanks for the help Leah. I would have been clueless and maybe tried to haggle if you weren't there.” He said after they had cleared the front steps of the shop and collected an eager Jack.

Leah...or maybe Sarra, let out a cold little laugh. It might have been an evil cackle if there was anything but dead neutral tones to it.

“He overcharged you a little from what we learned of prices now in Rodust, but that mythril sword more than makes up the difference.” She smiled at him with a chilly little smile.

“You're lucky he didn't look at it.” Then she suddenly giggled girlishly, and her voice became animated with life and feeling again.

“Yeah. The silly man was too busy looking at our face and cute armor.” Leah said happily.

They walked on for a time at an easy pace.

“So who told you about us?” Sarra asked after a few adventurer's went past at a jog, others who trained down the basement using the new magical storm shields as an excuse to run outside. While their voices were the same coming from the same throat there was a world of difference in tone.

Almost everyone of the passing adventurers looked at Micheal's broken weapon curiously. Micheal just nodded at them and then winked at the last one, a cat eared Fae Born, just to throw him off. The adventurer, one of the Brazen Boys, noticed and actually stumbled as his face went bright red.

Micheal watched him run on curious about that, getting the feeling like his stare was noticed by the poor boy. The Fae Born had blushed to shame a school girl in an anime. He had just been feeling a bit playful and with his mood having been picked up from the new purchases. --Or maybe, a little voice in the back of his mind told him, from the way he blushed, that the boy was gay and Micheal just did something incredibly insensitive. Either way he was still overthinking it, and got back on his way.

“Disgusting.” Sarra said.

It was undoubtedly her by the cool disgust and level tone of her voice.

Micheal frowned at her.

“Hey I was only having a little fun. Being gay isn't all that big a deal anyway. I was pretty sure Forgen was gay until he had Eva in his room today. She looked a little too satisfied laying on his bed for that to really have been much else.”

“He likes both girls and boys I think.” Leah said, suddenly making her and Sarra' voice cheerful again. “He smells like one of the Bunny boys before the bath sometimes.”

Micheal blinked and looked about to see if anyone heard that. No one was really nearby at all.

“Still disgusting.” Sarra said in her cold voice.

“Hey, people will do what they do.” Micheal said.

Sarra shot him a cold look.

“They're humans with Fae Born.” She said with meaningful emphasis. “I would rather you push Leah into bed than have you continue on with that Elf, but you are so wrapped around her finger you can't see straight. No helping it now...”

Micheal almost went cross eyed with astonishment. He hadn’t been expecting that. He took a deep breath. Implied insults to Vivian aside he didn't see what was the problem with Fae Born being with humans. It was a little rare from what he saw, but no one had said anything to him about it since well... Mrs. Arlee on their first visit, but after that she seemed fine with how Vivian was taking care of him.

Well... there had been those concerned looks and glances from the women and men in Rosebridge and the farm wives he had seen on the way into Mayonn, but they hadn't said anything directly hateful or prejudice outright. At least not about her being a High Elf or Fae Born. Maybe he was just getting used to living with the more progressively minded adventurers who understood race in the way most soldiers back home did. Everyone still bled the same here even if there were extra things like tails and ears involved with some of the Fae Born. Or natural armor in Dexter's case.

-And that thought just made him think about how Dexter's attitude was the least attractive part of him. He'd be a charmer if he'd just lighten up a little. He tried to sort his distracted mind, walking silently with Sarra...or Leah... --With Sarraleah as he recovered his previous thoughts.

“Look as far as I can tell they can reproduce productive and fertile offspring with us and that makes us and them the same species alright?” Micheal said to Sarra, but he looked down to see Leah’s thoughtful expression on the outside at that moment.

“Productive and fertile offspring?” Leah asked innocently, saying the words slowly.

The cold light in her eyes looked like it was laughing at him. He shook his head and tried another tact.

“So you're fine with me knowing about you then?” He asked her with a slight twisting motion of the hand that held the sword to attempt to indicate all of Sarraleah.

“No. Because the elf told you.” Sarra spat.

Micheal wasn't sure which of the two spoke by the sound alone, but that quick response told him it was Sarra.

Micheal shook his head.

“Think back-- I was terrified of you when we first met. That was the first I or Vivian had even seen of you.” He argued.

Sarra took hold of her shared face for the moment she took to stare at him.

“How did she know to tell you before that?” She asked.

Micheal shook his head again, holding her gaze and letting out a soft sigh.

“She couldn't have. I'm pretty sure no one knew where or what you were doing. I take it you've been gone for years since Eva and Forgen seem to have no idea who you are.”

Sarra nodded.

“Who are you then to know me? To know us?”

He shrugged and sighed again.

“It's a long story that doesn't make much sense. I just kind of have specific knowledge about certain people and events. Hopefully most of it is in the past, but this place isn't what I expected. Not that I really had a choice in coming here.”

“Why are we one of those people?” Sarra asked, keeping doggedly to the point.

“Because you're important to key timelines.” He told her. “You're part of what made Theradin into the hero that he was.” He frowned. “I hope he's alive somewhere. I think I want to meet him.”

Sarra stopped, and her face contorted before Leah's smiling happy gaze broke out onto it.

“You know Therry too?” Leah asked in her sweet voice.

“I know of him. He doesn't know who I am...” He answered, but hesitated. “At least Jakcova didn't know me or faked it. I don't see how he would know. The gods might know though.”

Sarraleah caught up and almost stopped again. It was her turn to look around. She frowned at a passerby until they looked away. Sarra stared up at him.

“Leah likes you. You talk to her more than most of the others and have invited her out to help you today though we both did. But I'm not sure we can trust you no matter who you know or what madness you might spout.” Sarra said as the guild hall came into sight.

“Well the only thing to do is to earn your trust then by being your friend I guess. I know you're troubled and there's few enough people who understand what you are and will stand by you. I will be one of those people. If you can't accept that, just know that I have a dire feeling that I will need your strength in the days ahead. Having you as a friend and giving Leah the chance to be accepted as the human she wants to be is a benefit of having you around for that.” Micheal explained.

Sarra's cold expressionless face melted away to Leah's happy smile before changing back.

“This rapid switching is tiring me out.” Sarra said. “Leah, can you hold back for just a little?”

“Oh okay.” Leah said their face changing expressions so rapidly it was almost disturbing.

“I will believe you for now, but I'm not going to sleep in her mind until I'm satisfied that she can count on you. I won't be as easy to win over no matter what vague nonsense you throw out. People have tried to befriend us before. Leah mostly. But that was just to isolate her away from people and attack her. There are people out there who want nothing more than to see us dead.” Sarra explained in her cold and unchanging voice that seemed so unlike Leah's despite coming from the same throat.

Micheal nodded.

“I kind of expected that, but not for this talk to go so well. Maybe that's a bad sign of what lays ahead.” He held out a fist toward Sarra. “For now I will keep my eyes and ears open for anyone coming after you two and be friends with Leah with you watching.”

Sarra stared at it, but then she glanced at him, narrowing her eyes as she reached up with one hand after making sure to hold the chainmail correctly first and bumped his fist.

“What a silly expression.” Sarra said coolly.

This time there was a warm depth to the cold way she kept her gaze upon him like a reverse of the usual normal. Micheal could almost see Leah smiling behind that uncaring blank expression.

They came to the gate then, checked in with the man at the gate and went in. Leah began to hum a happy little tune as she took control of her shared body again and they walked inside.