Niall hadn’t realised that his preoccupation was so obvious as he pulled out of his thoughts back to the present. He looked over at Devon. “Why didn’t you try to get home?”

Devon raised an eyebrow. “That is an interesting line of questioning. What makes you think that I didn’t?”

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be rude.”

Devon waved it off. “I’m messing with you. I spent a long time trying to find a way home. A very long time. In fact, part of the decision of where to go on my Journeyman Quest was to try to track down clues on how to get back. Patrick spent even longer – he dedicated his whole life to it and never gave up. He was an academic and approached things systematically. It meant that he knew a lot more than me. My contribution was to head out and do some of the field work for him. My shard seemed happy with that. Given that you arrived though, it would appear that he died before he achieved his goal.”

“Journeyman Quest?”

“It’s an overly flowery name for something banal. The guild requires Journeymen Smiths to get experience to become a fully-fledged smith before they can attempt their master piece. They have to leave the forge where they apprenticed, to learn from a different Smith elsewhere. For some people it’s pretty nominal, particularly in cities. They just go to a forge across town for a month or two before going back.”

“Doesn’t sound like that’s what you did.”

A faraway look came into Devon’s eyes, “No, I was at it for a year and a half. Even before that, I spent another year saving up enough to be able to buy and kit out a mobile forge. Then I was out on the road. Sometimes just a night in one place doing some sharpening or some minor mending to get some cash, sometimes a few weeks. Whenever I would come across another Smith I would offer to do some work for them in exchange for food, lodging and some pointers. It’s a pretty good deal from their end. Particularly when they knew that I intended to move on. Even with that though, there was many a night in my cart at the side of the road, but there’s more work than Smiths out there so it wasn’t too bad.”

“But where were you heading?”

“I was chasing down the clues that Patrick’s research had suggested would be worth following up. The first couple of places were duds. Third time’s the charm though. There was an old manuscript that suggested that there was a valley in the mountains that might have a portal between worlds.”

Niall sat up. “Really? A way to get home?”

Devon nodded. “Maybe. The only problem was that this valley was well beyond the boundaries of the Duchy, which means that it was well beyond the boundaries of Gwilliant, deep in Bulvine territory. But I was young and foolish. I didn’t think that anything could kill me back then, so off I went.

“In those days, Raintor was the last town before the border. There were only a few farms and hamlets beyond it. This was twenty-five-odd years ago now. Winter came so I spent it here. Folks were glad to have a Smith around. There wasn’t one for miles before I got here.

“I met Alana that Winter, we danced all the night through at the Snow Snap festival. As dawn rose, I knew what I wanted from my life. If I believed in such things, I would say that it was fate that led me here. I would have stayed with her there and then, but I’d promised Patrick. So, Spring comes, and I head into Bulvine territory. I won’t bore you with everything that happened but, after several months of travelling and some run-ins with the Bulvine, I found it.”

“Wait, what?”

“I found the valley. It was well hidden, but it was there.”

“With a portal back to Earth?”

“No. It was beautiful but it had been abandoned. There were remains of farms and houses scattered all over the valley, a river full of fish running into a crystal-clear lake, lush forest with the easiest game I ever caught. It was a little Eden. But no people. I spent a couple of weeks there camping beside the lake looking around. I even found the cave that the manuscript had described. There was a statue of a woman inside. Nothing that looked like a portal to anywhere though. Eventually, I left and headed back. I arrived back in Raintor in late autumn and spent another winter here. I knew then that I was going to come back to make a life with Alana. So, I headed to Hallen to tell Patrick what I had found. Took me a bit longer to forge my master piece and to get my Smith’s marque from the guild, but I did it and back I came. I’ve been here ever since.”

“That’s quite a story. You’re happy?”

“Don’t get me wrong, every few years I wonder what happened to those I left behind. But, I was single when I came here and I’m an only child. My parents will be long dead by now. There’s nothing that The Deathless One can do to anyone I love. My Fae shard agrees as well. It stopped nudging me to try to find a way home years ago. So, what’s there for me on Earth that I don’t have here? I have a family, friends, honest work and a good life. I wouldn’t give that up for anything.” He paused for a moment. “But I’ve rambled on enough. No more firewater for me. What’s going on in your head, Niall?”

Niall took a sip of his drink to give him a moment to gather his thoughts before he spoke. “I’m grateful for everything you have done. Honestly. I’d likely be dead if you hadn’t looked after me. But I want to go back. I can’t let anything happen to my parents and sister because of me.”

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He paused before continuing. “If I’m honest though, it’s not just that. It sounds stupid but I like my cities and my tiny little flat. I like having hot showers, and electricity, and screens. I like having food from around the world arrive at my door whenever I want. Your coffee is fabulous, but I want Jose to hand me a latte as I walk through the door at ‘Beans and Steams’ without me having to ask. It’s shallow but that’s who I am, not this. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise, son, I get it. I truly do. That’s how I thought until I met Alana, and it’s how Patrick felt all of his life. So, what does that mean for what you want to do next?”

That question again. What did he want to do?

Niall sat up. “Well, I didn’t really have a plan until now. But it sounds like maybe I should try to find Patrick’s family, if he had one, to see if there is anything in his things that might give me a steer of where to look for a way back to Earth. It’s not going to be quick, but I have to start somewhere.”

Devon nodded. “That makes sense. It’ll mean heading to Hallen. That’s not a short journey. It’s why I’ve not tried to go to see what happened to him. I can’t leave things here for that long though. There was no family when I left there, just him and Lucas. Lucas was only a few years older than me and the two of them were very settled. Even if Patrick has passed away, Lucas should still be around.”

Niall hesitated and then took a deep breath and spoke again. “But, before I can consider heading to Hallen, there’s a lot that I need to learn. Despite all of your help I’m still pretty useless in this world. I’ve been thinking about this all day. Would you consider taking me on as an apprentice?”

At Devon’s silence he rushed on. “Even if I can get back, it’s going to take time. Likely a lot of time. But in the meantime, I can’t just ask you to support me. I want to earn a living and pull my weight.”

Niall trailed off. He glanced up at Devon who was looking at him with narrowed eyes. Niall looked down at his lap. “I’m sorry. It’s too big an ask.”

“It is a big ask. You probably don’t realise how significant it is. Apprenticing as a smith is something that many people dream of. A smith, even an average one, is set for life. Most apprentices start as teenagers. If their family can’t pay the smith to take them on, they commit to working for that blacksmith for food and board for a decade. You’re going to be older, slower, and harder to teach. Why should I chance it with you?”

Niall sighed. “Honestly, you’ve got no reason at all. I’m just someone that landed on your doorstep. You’ve been more than generous to me. But you’ve seen me. You know that I’ll work hard. If things take me longer, I’ll work late until I can do them right. I won’t be any trouble. In fact, I’ll make your life easier. Give me your dullest, dirtiest jobs. I’ll do them just for the chance to learn.”

Devon turned from him and looked out onto the countryside. Long minutes passed before he spoke. “It is a big thing to ask, but it is also a big commitment on both sides. Do you even know what you’re letting yourself in for? It's hot, filthy, sweaty, backbreaking work. If you want this then, even with all of the help that your Spirit may provide, it’ll take a lot. A lot of time, a lot of hard work, and a lot of frustration on all sides. And that’s just for you to learn some basic skills; the minimum that’ll allow you to do any useful smithing when you’re out there by yourself. If you actually want to be good, it’ll take even more.”

“I’m prepared for that.”

“Are you? You’re darned right that you’re going to be doing all of the dirty, tedious jobs. I’m not even going to allow you to make a nail for months, never mind anything more. Are you prepared to work and to wait that long?”

Niall thought about it carefully. He had hoped that it would be faster than that, but he had no skills that would be useful in this world. The alternative would be to travel as a vagrant, trying to pick up bits of work wherever he could, but that did not seem like a path to a long and healthy existence. No, this was his best option.

“If you’ll have me, I’ll do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to learn from you. If a decade’s the price then I’ll pay it.” He hesitated. “The only thing that I’ll say is that if Pobble tells me that I need to move on to save my family, then they have to come first.”

“Good caveat. If Pobble tells Niall that he has to make progress then Niall really should listen.” Pobble’s voice was uncharacteristically serious. “Pobble will only do it if they have to.”

There was a long silence as Devon looked out into the night and sipped his drink. Niall tried to stay quiet and not move. The silence stretched out until Niall could almost scream with it.

Eventually Devon turned and looked intently at Niall again. He nodded. “Alright, I’ll take you on.”

Niall sagged with relief and grinned, “Thank you so much. You won’t regret it”

Devon held up a finger. “Only on a trial basis at first. Three months. If it’s not working for either side, we shake hands and walk away, no questions asked. I’m sorry to insist. Bitter experience. I’ve got a reputation and a family to look after. No matter how much sympathy I have for you, I can’t allow that to be damaged by someone associated with me.” Devon held out his hand, “Deal?”

Niall ignored it and grasped Devon’s forearm. “Deal.”

“In which case we should finish our drinks and get to bed. Big day tomorrow.”

As they drained their glasses, Alana walked up the path to the house. She sat down with them and Devon poured her a generous tumbler. “Having a good evening, boys?”

Devon gestured at Niall. “Darling, meet my new apprentice.”

Alana saluted Niall with her glass then smiled at Devon, “Congratulations, honey. You finally got round to asking him then?”

Niall looked at Devon with confusion. “Wait. I asked you.”

Devon scratched at his beard sheepishly. “Well, actually, Alana and I have been talking about this for a while now. We’ve got used to having you around. You’re a hard worker and a quick learner. Now that Alyce is in the process of making her master piece and getting her full Smith class, it’s about time I had another apprentice. You seemed like a good choice.”

“But you made me think that you weren’t sure about taking me on.”

Alana turned to look at Devon. It went some way to assuaging Niall’s indignation to see the large man squirm under his wife’s gaze.

“I’ll deal with you later,” Alana said before turning back to Niall. “Niall, you’re one of the family now. Rest assured that we never had any doubts. If anything, muscle-for-brains over there was more worried that you may turn him down.”

Devon gave Niall another sheepish grin. “Anyway, it’s all worked out for the best, hasn’t it? Right. I’m off to bed then. Playtime’s over. Work starts tomorrow.”