Chapter 12
YOU CALL THAT ARMOUR?!
Aggy walked into the forge and looked around. The echoing sound of hammers on metal rang out, backed by the roar of the forge just outside. She glanced over toward the forge and, sure enough, found Finn with his back to her, hammering away at something. What made her smile wasn’t how natural her son looked in the forge hall but that Hamish had stationed him at the workstation next to his own. The one he’d always said should be kept spare in case he ever took an apprentice.
Thinking of her Hamish made Aggy’s eyes sparkle. He seemed gruff and unapproachable to some, but to her, he was as soft as a kitten and the most loving man she’d ever known. Not only that, but he’d taken to Finn as if he were his own flesh and blood. Just days after their darling boy had wandered into their lives, neither she nor Hamish could imagine life without him. It made her wonder if the goddess had cast her influence on them, but she didn’t care. She had the son she’d always yearned for, and he was her own personal miracle.
Aggy walked through the middle of the forge hall that was kept clear for large projects. She glanced around the walls at the other smiths in the building and nodded to any that made eye contact. Just before she got within ten feet of Finn, he stopped hammering and turned toward her with a smile.
“Hey, Ma. Come to whisk me away into your clutches?”
Aggy was a little shocked but managed to hide it well enough. He must have been aware of her approach before she even got close to him. Could he have heard her footsteps despite the noisy environment? She idly wondered what her son’s mind must be like. He shared mind-space with a vast, sentient boat and had magic that defied even Abbot’s understanding. Abbot had told them as much when he fetched them out to meet Finn on that fateful day. Aggy was sure her boy could see and touch the world in ways she couldn’t imagine. He was a wonder. He was her wonder.
“How far away was I when you sensed me?” Aggy asked out of curiosity.
Finn gave her a sheepish grin and blew a stray hair from his face. “Uhm! Honestly?”
“Of course. I just want to understand how you see our world compared to us,” Aggy replied.
“Sooo,” Finn started slowly. “You left the house about two hours ago, went somewhere nearby, spent an hour there, came home, then walked into the forge. Now, here you are,” Finn finished with a small smile. “If you want me to be completely honest, Gypsy and I share the same vision, and she has managed to push our sight well past the monastery already.”
Aggy stared at him for a few seconds until she began to worry it would make her son uncomfortable. “Truly?”
Finn grinned widely. “Yes, Ma. Really, truly.”
The dwarfess shook her head and tried to clear her incomprehension about what such an ability would even be like. Instead. she put a smile on her face and stepped up to Finn. Despite his protests, she started to arrange his floppy hair until it looked a little tidier, then took his hammer from his hand. These were things she knew about. Something she could do without her mind bending each time she tried it. As Aggy reached to put the hammer on the workbench, she noticed the glowing spearheads lined up. She looked back at her boy with a raised eyebrow.
“What?” Finn spluttered as he laughed and tried to look innocent simultaneously. “‘We won’t speak of this again’, remember?”
What he meant clicked in Aggy’s head. “Oh that! I see. So, what is it that makes them glow like that? Is it a Gypsy thing again?”
Finn scoffed. “No, Ma. Not everything weird that happens around here is a Gypsy thing. This is a Finn thing. Those spearheads were all enchanted by me, except that one,” Finn said, pointing out the disaster that was his first attempt.
“And you did that because—” Aggy questioned.
Finn looked a little confused. Hadn’t she asked him for this? “I’m, and I quote, ‘doing a little magic for Mish’.” Finn sighed but kept smiling. “Each spearhead is enchanted with a sharpness rune. The spear will remain sharp for at least ten years. I put enough mana in each to keep the rune active for that long, which is more than enough for an example. It’s a simple thing to do if you have taken the years needed to learn how.”
Aggy nodded, then cleared her throat as she carefully placed the hammer down. “Right, young man, we’re off to see your aunt and the lovely ladies that work at our shop. All of whom are very keen to meet you, I might say. In case you’re interested, they’re all single, too,” Aggy finished with a wink.
She looked back at Finn and tutted. “We really need to get your hair cut and styled if you’re going to be our fashion icon. Shanty's most eligible young person does not walk around with scruffy-looking hair. Not if I have any say in it,” she said with a broad grin. Then she sighed deeply, “Oh my! I can just imagine the spectacle of your wedding. The flowers, the dresses, all the people. Mmm! I love a good wedding, don’t you?”
Finn snorted loudly. “Never mind weddings. I’ve never even had a girlfr—” He froze and instantly went bright red.
“Cat’s out the bag now, lover,” Gypsy said, her thoughts dripping with humour. “I’ll wager your mother had no idea you were a thirty-one-year-old virgin.”
“Oh crap! I never meant to admit that,” Finn desperately thought back. “Anyway, technically, I’m eighteen here. That’s not nearly as bad, right?”
Gypsy laughed. “You keep telling yourself that.”
Aggy smiled, slipped her arm through Finn’s and escorted him from the forge hall. She rounded on him once they were out of earshot while smiling proudly. “My lovely boy, being a virgin is a thing of wonder, not shame, today. I won’t mention it to the ladies who’ve already approached me, as I suspect your innocence won’t last long around here. The goblins will ensure that if no one else does first.”
Finn choked when he heard her words. “Approached you? Why you? Why haven’t they spoken to me?”
Aggy gave the poor fae an indulgent smile. “In proper society, a lady looking to court an eligible young man such as yourself must seek permission from his matriarch. In your case, that’s me,” Aggy said with pride. “Now I am the last one to pretend that Shanty is even close to decent society, but it’s still a tradition, and most people respect it. While you’ve been tucked away in the forge or squirrelled somewhere inside Gypsy, the rumour mill has been overheating. You, my darling boy, are already a very hot topic. Of course, ladies hoping to secure a good husband are flocking to me.”
“You couldn’t get them to flock my way, could you?” Finn asked hopefully.
Aggy gave him a sad smile. “You poor boy. I think all those years of isolation wounded your heart more than any of us suspected. Don’t be too hasty choosing a wife, dear. A bad choice will hurt you more than no choice at all. I can promise you that,” she said, then grinned. “My mother once told me that I should never pay the bill before I’d tried the menu. She was a wise old duck, that one.”
Aggy took on a look of determination. “Now let’s get you adequately attired. Conveniently, Darcy is good at cutting hair, too. So, she gets her hands on you first tonight.”
“Looks like you’ve got yourself a pimp, dear,” Gypsy said, her voice weeping with laughter. “I’ve been saying you need a girlfriend. You might even get some at last. Apparently, all you need to do is find a nice goblin. Who knew? It’s such a shame Pip didn’t hang around.”
“Since when did you get so vulgar?” Finn thought to Gypsy.
“Oh! Am I? Sorry. I’ve been watching an establishment not far from us called Madam Cat’s. It’s taught me a lot, most of which I really didn’t want to learn. I think it’s had a bad influence on me.”
“And you said it’s me that needs a new hobby. We’ve got to get you that avatar,” Finn chuckled.
It was a clear, mild day, with fluffy clouds wandering across the azure sky. A slight breeze blew in from the lake with a cold bite to it. Finn thought about getting up among the clouds again but realised that, for now, he was happy on the ground. Especially after yesterday’s storm reminded him of their Stonetalon run.
“Agreed,” Gypsy thought. “I’m happy with the quiet life for the moment. Adventure can wait.”
Finn and Aggy walked for a few minutes. Finn hadn’t had a chance to leave the forge complex yet, and so his head was on a swivel, taking in everything within view. He’d seen much more through Gypsy’s vision, but that wasn’t the same.
Just outside the forge gates, a cobbled road led them between sandy-coloured, sculpted-stone buildings that were simple thirty-foot-wide cubes stacked two high. Each unit had been individually decorated. Some were monochrome, while others had quite ambitious colour schemes. The winner, in Finn’s opinion, was the one brightly painted in all the colours of the rainbow. He wondered what the buildings were for.
Metal staircases led up to each cube that wasn’t on the ground, and each had a large window and a door. Finn noticed that some had signs hanging outside that swayed in the breeze.
What surprised Finn was the number of people that bustled around him. A rich variety of species, all living among each other and going about their business regardless of the others around them. Unfortunately, the combination of the crowd and so many industrious vendors brought a unique, rather pungent smell to the place.
Two extremely buxom cowkin girls were walking towards them, and as they passed, they both focused intently on Finn and whistled softly. The pair then broke into fits of giggles and walked on chatting in conspiratorial whispers. Finn was tempted to run after them and introduce himself, but sadly, he lacked the nerve.
Aggy watched Finn’s reaction sadly. It was becoming increasingly evident that her lad desperately wanted a partner. He’d led such a sheltered life, and she became even more determined to find him the perfect girl who would be devoted to him. It’s the least he deserves, she thought to herself.
Wanting to distract him, Aggy pointed to the cubic constructions. “Those are the Merchant Cabins. Crafters and small businesses love them. Their rent is low, and they get enough space to create and ply their wares. The ones with signs make and sell their wares on the premises. Those without just make and probably sell in Barter or further afield.”
Finn nodded his understanding, but his attention had already turned to a stall with a red and white striped awning perched on the side of the cobbled road between two stacks of merchant cabins. The smell of cooking meat reached his nose, and a short, swarthy-looking ratkin man caught his eye with a grin. “You wan’ finest capca shebok, sir? Iz good eats.”
Finn slowed down to investigate what a shebok was. Abbot had already told him what a capca was, so at least he knew something. Fatty meat sizzled on a small hotplate while flatbreads and jars of thick red sauce were misarranged to one side. It smelt delicious, but Finn was suspicious about the origin of the overcooked meat.
“Not unless you like being violently ill, dear,” Aggy said as she dragged him past. That made him determined to come back and visit the vendor when he had his own money, just because he could.
Aggy looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned to Finn. “What happened to the mentor that Abbot promised you? I thought they’d have come to introduce themselves by now.”
“It was supposed to be a lady called Ember that came to Arcathia with Abbot and Bernard,” Finn replied. “I haven’t seen either her or Abbot since I met you. I was wondering about her whereabouts myself earlier.”
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Aggy shrugged. “We should mention that to Abbot. Your training for the trials is important.”
“Agreed,” Finn replied, and they resumed their stroll through Shanty’s merchant district.
More sizeable buildings made of the same sculpted stone were just beyond the Merchant Cabins. More people milled about there, and several times, they’d had to jump out of the way of a more determined group of shoppers heading right for them. The street definitely had the smell of a lot of people, too. Finn liked the scent even though it wasn’t all that pleasant. The odour told him he wasn’t alone. It was a reassuring feeling for him.
These larger buildings had more personality than the cabins and were each a different size and design. Some had brightly coloured awnings with the vendor’s name and product written in large script, while others opted to attract attention with large glass windows framing colourful displays of the vendor’s wares. It seemed Aggy was heading toward one of the largest, most prestigious buildings with four big windows facing the cobbled road. From the look of the building, it was two stories tall with a third, smaller level perched on top. Its sloped roof made it look like a jauntily perched hat atop the rectangular structure. The woodwork lining the windows was painted a richly dark green, and in the centre of the roadside wall were a broad set of double, frosted-glass doors with ‘S & S’ painted on each in large curly letters.
“S and S?” Finn asked. “Smith and Silverthread?”
Aggy harrumphed. “Silverthread and Smith. We tossed a coin for who went first. Guess who lost.” She pushed one of the doors open and practically dragged Finn through. They approached a large counter and stopped ten feet in front of it. “Now, stand up straight and stay put,” Aggy instructed. Her voice was a lot stricter than usual. She then rounded on him again and straightened his hair and clothing.
“Ma,” Finn spluttered, trying to fight her off and save a little face.
Using the brief opportunity, Finn glanced around at the shop’s interior. Deep racks lined two of the walls. Each was stacked high with rolls upon rolls of assorted fabrics. The other walls contained shelves full of clothing in many different styles. In the shop’s centre, an army of mannequins wearing different fashions occupied much of the space. Strategically arranged counters provided workspace for the young ladies diligently going about their business. The shop definitely had the feel of a high-class establishment.
Finn’s perusal was interrupted when Aggy clapped her hands loudly twice. Instantly, there was a flurry of activity as five young ladies dropped whatever they were busy with. A series of soft footfalls and rustling skirts were the only sounds to be heard as the staff came running to stand in front of the broad counter where Finn had been positioned. Each adjusted their clothing and smoothed their hair as they rushed to their place, then stood to attention, chins high, stomachs pulled in, and eyes front.
A mature dwarven lady stood on a low plinth with an array of materials draped around her. Rather than look annoyed, she looked at Finn with an amused smile. One of the assembled girls had been fitting her for something and had just abandoned her task to answer Aggy’s summons.
Finn now understood why Aggy had tidied him up in such a way. She was a sergeant major at work. He looked at his mother with a new sense of respect. Then, his gaze turned to the assembled females in front of him. They were all attractive in a beautifully homespun way. Four very pretty young dwarfesses and a striking young half-elven lady with fiery red hair glanced back at him with furtive looks before looking away.
Another slightly more mature and very attractive raven-haired dwarfess sauntered out from the door behind the counter. She wore a very low cut, dark blue bustier and matching figure-hugging, cotton trousers. A tape measure draped around her neck marred the look of the stunning outfit a little, but not enough to stop Finn’s eyes from bulging. Neeve gave him a radiant smile and winked.
“Ahem!” Aggy said, instantly getting the assembled ladies’ attention. “Girls, I’d like you to meet my son, Finn. I want you to know that his coin is not acceptable here. Anything he wants is free. Today, we must arrange to create a complete ensemble of summer clothing for him.”
Neeve walked around the counter and stood next to Finn. She put an arm around his waist and pulled him into her side. “Pay attention to this young man, girls. Not only has he instantly become the most eligible bachelor in the city, but he has generously agreed to model the new clothes we hope will appeal to the younger folk of Shanty. Folk such as yourselves. Tell me, if you saw him walking past, would his clothing catch your eye? Answer honestly.”
All the dwarven girls nodded enthusiastically, but the half-elf raised her hand.
“Yes, Star. You have something to say?” Aggy asked.
“Mistress,” the half-elf answered, stepping forward half a pace. “He’s handsome and built to please a girl’s eye. I’d be looking at him. His clothes would only highlight his features.”
Star paused and looked Finn up and down, blushing slightly. “I think dark-coloured, figure-fitted trousers and tailored jerkins in a light colour would suit him well. Maybe a long coat, too? High leather boots just off the knee would also draw eyes to his muscular lower half. No hats, though. I don’t think hats would suit him. That is all.” Star gave Finn a final appraisal, then stepped back into the line.
“A very well-considered opinion, Star. Well done.” Neeve said with a small smile. “Agnetha and I have discussed this matter and completely agree with you. That is why our new fashion line will concentrate on the accentuation of the body rather than the standard styles. Summer is fast approaching, and this is our chance to capture sales of light, well-fitted clothes for the younger person.”
“Ahem!” The buxom lady on the plinth said, reminding them of her presence.
“Tully and Star will escort my son into the fitting room, where they will ensure they have a full and completely accurate list of his measurements,” Aggy stated. “When that is done, they may begin to plan at least ten sets of coordinated summer outfits.”
“Meanwhile, Annie will finish Mrs. Angiss’s fitting while Brianna and Poppy will continue serving customers,” Neeve said, then clapped her hands twice like Aggy had done to summon them. The girls rapidly scattered to their allotted tasks.
Finn shook his head and gazed respectfully at the sisters. “Wow! You two were amazing. The Fae Queen’s army didn’t command such well-coordinated discipline.”
Neeve grinned. “Let’s just wait a moment. Star and Tully have forgotten something important.”
Sure enough, the two girls mentioned walked back out of a side door, their heads lowered.
Aggy snorted an amused laugh. “Dear, go with these nice ladies. I think they’ve realised that they need you before they can do any measuring.”
As he entered the back room, Finn heard the raucous laughter of Aggy and Neeve letting off steam.
*****-*****
Measuring and preliminary outfit sketches done, Star and Tully escorted Finn up some stairs to Neeve’s leatherworking workshop. At the top was a small landing with a door on either side. With a sign on each door, it was easy for Finn to work out who worked where. Aggy’s workroom was on the left, Neeve’s to the right.
“Maybe we’ll see you again sometime?” Tully asked, her pretty round face glowing with a blush.
“I’d like that very much, yes,” Finn replied, blushing almost as much despite doing his best not to.
Star gave Finn a sultry look. “We’ll look forward to it.”
Then she knocked and opened Neeve’s door. “Mistress, Finn is here to see you,” Star said.
Once Finn had crossed the threshold, the two girls hustled back down the stairs in double time, rapidly chatting in excited voices.
Closing the door behind him, he missed Neeve, rapidly closing the gap between them. As he turned back, he was quickly wrapped in her arms in a fierce hug that reminded him of Aggy’s bear hugs.
“Mmm! You’re so good to hold on to,” Neeve said with a giggle, forcing Finn’s face down into her ample cleavage.
Finn had to admit that it was a lovely place to be nestled.
Neeve eventually let him up for air and grinned wickedly. “I had a fascinating chat with Aggy just now. She happened to mention what you told her this morning and thought that maybe you’d allow me to be your first.”
Finn thought about her words for a moment. Then, the realisation hit him hard, and panic gripped him. “My first? You mean for sex?” he asked incredulously.
“Oh, my dear boy! Yes, of course, I mean for sex,” Neeve laughed. “Poor Aggy desperately hopes we’ll fall in love and I’ll marry you. She’s always been a hopeless romantic. She has her Hamish, and he’s all she ever wanted. I can promise that won’t be what happens to us. We definitely won’t be falling in love, and I vowed a long time ago to never throw my life away on something as pointless as marriage.”
“So, you just want the sex? No feelings or attachments.” Finn tried to force the nerves down despite being hopelessly out of his depth. He had to admit that he could easily fall in love with Neeve. In his eyes, she was a fabulous lady.
“Well, yes, the sex is a bonus, but what I really want is your flower and the conquest of taking it,” Neeve said, watching him hungrily. “I would be delighted to claim your virginity, lover. Give me your first time, and I’ll gladly show you the way.”
Finn was unsure he liked the idea of sex without emotion. Maybe he was a romantic at heart? Romantic or not, he was too embarrassed to look her in the eye, so he stared at her cleavage instead. Her magnificent chest rose and fell hypnotically, encouraging his lower brain to answer for him.
“Uhm! I have no idea what I’d need to do. I have medical knowledge of mating, but that won’t help me when confronted with the real thing.” Finn hung his head, ashamed of his naivety. “I’m afraid I’d freeze and panic. You don’t need that, Aunt Neeve.”
“Nonsense! Your innocence is precisely what I want,” Neeve replied. “Just relax and let me worry about the details, my darling boy. You’ll love it, I promise. We both will.”
Neeve drew him in and kissed him gently on the lips. Finn savoured the moment, intoxicated by her. He parted his lips, closed his eyes and kissed her back as best he could. Despite his fumblings, her soft, warm lips showed him the way, and one moment became many. She tasted of the finest heath honey, while her scent was rich, musky jasmine.
When they separated, Neeve inhaled deeply. “Whew! That was intense,” she sighed as she reached to cup his cheek. She stared into Finn’s piercing blue eyes. “You do strange things to me, Finn. Now, be a darling and invite me to spend tonight with you.”
Finn was already trapped by her womanly charms. He wanted to be with her, but his fear strangled his ability to reach out and make a move. Finn hoped she would lead him through his first time and teach him how to make her happy.
“A-aunt N-n-neeve, w-would you s-spend the night with me?” Finn stammered stupidly as he tried to force the words out.
“Of course, I’d be delighted to. How sweet of you to ask,” Neeve purred. “There is a little business to do before we can get to your deflowering, though.”
Neeve’s expression became serious. “Aggy and I want you safe. We agreed that a good set of comfortable leather armour would help. It would be a great advertisement for our shop, too. I want to make the armour my payment for tonight. Do you already have armour?”
Finn turned his left-hand palm up and fed mana into the tattoo there. A rift opened before him, and he reached in. Summoning his armour and boots, Finn yanked them back through after they touched his outstretched hand. He proudly arranged the complete set on an empty worktable nearby. “I had the honour of being gifted this set,” he answered.
His Shadowstep mother had left the armour in his room as a graduation present, and now it was all that remained of his familial past. The trinkets she’d brought him for his name day each year had long since been thrown out. He’d done it in a fit of pique brought on by his loneliness. Something for which his progenitor family was entirely to blame.
Finn remembered his former mother’s yearly visits and was surprised to feel nothing for her. As time passed, she’d become a ghost to him. Did that make him a bad person? Should he still have feelings for a woman he could barely remember?
“Aren’t you just full of wonders,” Neeve said, watching the rift door contract and disappear. “How much can you keep in there?”
Finn quashed his morose thoughts of past ghosts and forced his focus to return to the alluring dwarfess before him. “Uh! Recently, Danu gave me a boon and expanded my mana core. When I tattooed myself, I could only control a ten-foot cube of storage. Now I can easily manage fifty.”
“Could you show me the tattoo?”
Finn turned his hand over and presented his palm to her. “It took just over seven hours to tattoo all the runes, but now the storage will last as long as I do.”
Neeve held his palm gently. Her touch sent little electric thrills through his nerves. “Such small patterns. What an interesting life you’ve led.”
Neeve glanced at the forgotten armour on the table. She gasped in horror. “You weren’t planning to wear that monstrous costume, were you? It’s hideous!” Neeve said in disbelief. All thoughts of their previous conversation held in abeyance.
“Monstrous?” Finn asked in confusion. “It’s the traditional armour worn by my progenitor family. They were the Fae Queen’s assassins and spies. The armour is ceremonial and a symbol of honour. I’ve only worn it once.”
Neeve turned and ran her hand across his cheek. “Lover, promise me you’ll never wear that armour again. It’s horrible. We can’t allow our fashion icon to be seen wearing something so, uh, disgustingly alien.”
Neeve’s comment bothered him. Was he disgustingly alien, too? It was something he hadn’t considered until now. His physiology was undoubtedly worlds apart from the Allisian peoples’.
Neeve grinned at him. “Right, young stud. If you want assassin’s armour, that’s exactly what I’ll make for you. The best-damned class armour you’ve ever seen, mark my words. I’ll even make you matching boots, just as Star suggested. That will be my payment for tonight.”
“Payment? You make it sound like virginity has value around here,” Finn commented, doing his best to keep up.
Neeve’s lips pursed, and she looked a little annoyed. “Of course, it has value, lover. Why do you suppose the dowry people would pay for a virgin bride or groom is considerably higher than for someone already despoiled? Your virtue is a commodity like everything else around here. To some in society, it has great value. Me included. It’s all in the thrill of the taking,” she replied.
Finn had no response for her. This was a different world. Of course, people had different values. He didn’t need his virginity. It was a source of shame for him. If he got a steamy night of sex and good armour out of it, he was winning, right? He decided the safest option would be to accept the deal and then flee.
“A set of armour would be useful. Thank you, Aunt Neeve. I’ll leave you in peace for now. Will you be coming to dinner later?”
“Yes, yes, of course. Wouldn’t miss it. Especially tonight, with such a delicious dessert on the menu,” Neeve replied salaciously, still eyeing his old armour with distaste.
Finn wrapped himself up in his mana and fled.