“Will you be running around in that all day or will you be changing into something more discreet?” Broda asked as she gestured at the sections of my Armor that remained exposed outside my casual outfit.
“I’ll be keeping it on, Broda,” I replied to her.
I had actually thought about this very issue during our conversation around the table that morning—while I wasn’t ready to let word of what had happened spread throughout the realms, I decided that it wasn’t a bad idea to let my own people have some indication of what was going on. Although I wouldn’t be making any ostentatious displays, I didn’t intend to hide the gifts I had been given either. And while the extraordinary quality of the Armor would be readily apparent to anyone who saw it, I also figured that only a bare handful of my citizens would be able to recognize its true nature. My people were mostly ordinary folks: farmers, miners, hunters and the like, so very few of them had any of the talents that would reveal the properties of the Artifact that I wore. The ones that could, however, like Hilgreth, Renn, and possibly Donnell, would undoubtedly spread the word, accomplishing the task for me without me having to seem like I was flaunting anything.
I explained my thoughts to everyone, and they agreed with my decision; parading about in two God-forged Artifacts might have been just too much, and they approved of the subtler approach that I had chosen. Then, once we finished with our meal and discussion, we each headed off on our usual daily errands. As Venna left to tend to the infirmary, Bane jumped onto my shoulder to join me before I went off to inspect the various projects that were being worked on.
‘I don’t think you can stay there today,’ I sent to him as he struggled to perch on my shoulder. ‘Not only have you gotten much heavier, but you’ve definitely gotten bigger as well.’
I could sense his disappointment as Bane slid off my shoulder, folded his wings against his sides, and began walking beside me as we wandered through the trees that surrounded our house.
Bane and I had discussed the changes that had been occurring to him, and while neither of us understood what was happening, the fact that they had begun almost immediately after I’d first been able to speak to him with my mind was not lost on us. The notification I received at the time mentioned that the method I’d used to strengthen our bond was something that had not been done in a very long time, and we could only surmise that it was that action which had instigated Bane’s transformation.
‘I’m sorry, Bane—truly I am,’ I sent to him with as much reassurance as I could impart to my thoughts. ‘But you’re just too big to sit on my shoulder anymore.’
I know, my Sintári, he sent back, and I could feel the regret in his words. I think that I have been for a little while now.
‘I wonder how big you will get.’
Hopefully not too big to rest my head on you and feel your heartbeat, my Sintári.
‘I don’t think that’s possible, Bane,’ I sent him with a hint of amusement.
Let’s hope not.
‘I do have some good news that I hope will brighten your day.’
Bane was quite upset when he learned that he had missed the previous night’s visit from the Goddesses, and fell into a state of shock when he saw the armor I was wearing underneath my clothes.
Truly I have a very special Sintári, was all that he could send to me.
Once I’d caught Bane up on what had happened, I made my rounds in the valley and found that all was going well. The farmers had planted the seed that Stel and Khorim had brought back, and the first sprouts were just breaking through the fertile soil. The paddocks and pastures had been finished as well, and the small herds of sheep and goats seemed to be adjusting well to their new surroundings.
The miners were also making great progress and had begun excavating a few living chambers in the caverns to make things a bit more comfortable for themselves. With the addition of Renn’s forge, their treks to drop off the ore they mined were much easier, and they used some of the time saved to work on their quarters. If things were more urgent, I would have sent Ridge to help them with the task, but they begged off my offer to provide his help, claiming that it was important for them to do the work themselves.
Before leaving the valley to inspect the work at the outer fortifications, I stopped by Renn’s forge to see how his work was progressing there. He had only been in the facility a short time and had just received the much-needed tools required to make full use of it a short while ago when Stel and Khorim returned from their trading mission.
“How are things going in the new forge, Renn?” I asked him as I stepped into the confines of the smithy.
“Really well, Dreya Sintári,” he replied without looking up from the glowing red hunk of metal he was hammering on.
Renn was always a bit shy around me, and most other women as well, as I had noticed, so I didn’t feel slighted by his failure to look at me. In fact, his reaction had been exactly what I’d expected.
“Keep up the good work,” I told him as I left. “Hilgreth tells me good things about what you’ve been sending her.”
As he blushed at the compliment, his hammer missed a stroke, and the piece he’d been working on clattered to the ground. Renn was clearly flustered, and fumbled for a moment before he was able to pick the metal up with his tongs and thrust it back into the blazing heat of the forge.
I didn’t want to add to his discomfort, so I pretended not to notice as I continued on my way. His response puzzled me though, because even though he was a bit embarrassed on occasion when I praised his work, his shyness was usually most pronounced in his dealings with women. I hoped that his awkwardness wasn’t getting worse—he was an excellent smith, and not only did I want him to succeed, but he was critical to our efforts. I decided to visit Hilgreth’s forge next to see if she had noticed any change in Renn’s behavior, and sent Bane off to begin his scouting for the day as I headed into the canyon.
Hilgreth looked up from her work as I entered the forge, and she started to smile at me for a moment until a look of astonishment came over her face. Ironically, she too dropped the red-hot hunk of metal she was working on as she stared open-mouthed at the boots and gloves that stuck out from the cuffs of my clothes.
“Close your mouth, Hilgreth, and I’ll tell you the story,” I said to her as I approached the smith.
“Is that really what it looks like?” She whispered back to me in awe.
“It is, Hilgreth,” I confirmed. “A gift from Melía, to help us bring peace to Arrika.”
I extended my hand to let her examine the glove I wore, and Hilgreth’s fingers trembled as she ran them across the smooth leather of the Artifact. The smith spent a long moment taking in the sheer power of the God-forged armor before I finally pulled my hand away from her.
“Dreya Sintári,” Hilgreth began as she looked at me in wonder. “No one has seen anything like this… ever. Let alone been gifted with such an item.”
“Hilgreth,” I cautioned her as I realized where her thoughts might be headed. “This was not given to me for my own sake, but so that we could accomplish something—together. I may wear it, but I count this armor as a blessing that has been bestowed upon all of us.”
“You may be right about that, my lady,” Hilgreth replied, obviously still reeling from what she had just seen. “But none of this would be possible without you. Everyone appreciates your efforts to include us in the incredible things that happen here, but make no mistake, we all know who is truly behind them.”
I knew that I had no hope of dissuading her, so I didn’t bother to try. Instead, I attempted to blunt the impact of what I had just revealed to her.
“I don’t want to hide the nature of what has been bestowed upon us,” I cautioned Hilgreth. “But I also don’t want people to forget what we need to do here. No matter what help we may receive or what boons might be bestowed upon us, ultimately, we still need to do the hard work—we can’t afford to lose our focus and think that the Gods will do our jobs for us.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” I replied. “But still, let’s not overexaggerate this, okay?”
“Don’t overexaggerate the God-forged armor,” Hilgreth responded wryly. “I think I can handle that.”
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of frustration and I wondered if I had made a mistake in revealing the Armor so soon, but my only other option was to hide it from my people, to hide who I was from them in a way, and I was done with keeping secrets like that. So, I resigned myself to let the chips fall where they may and see how the disclosure played out among my citizens.
“I’m sure that you can,” I replied to Hilgreth’s sarcasm. “But before you do, there’s one other matter I need to ask you about; Renn.”
I was about to explain my inquiry, but before I could, Hilgreth’s face turned beet red, and she stammered back at me in utter embarrassment.
“I… it… it kind of just happened, my lady,” Hilgreth sputtered. “I only meant to share a few drinks with him, but before I knew it, we were back as his place.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked her incredulously. “I thought that he was acting a bit strangely this morning. That’s all I was going to ask you about. Are you telling me that the two of you are together?”
“Oh, no,” her shoulders drooped as she lamented her disclosure. “I thought you’d found out about us.”
“Why would you think that was a bad thing, Hilgreth?” I asked her.
“It’s not exactly common, dwarves and elves… getting together,” she replied hesitantly. “I thought you might disapprove.”
“Have you still learned nothing about what we’re building here?” I responded in utter frustration. “After what I revealed about my relationship with Tási just last night? Do you really think that I care about such things?”
Hilgreth fell silent and stared at the floor, obviously unsure of how she should respond. This was not the first time I had to remind her of the level of acceptance I sought to accomplish, and she was clearly disappointed in herself.
“Does he make you happy?” I asked her in a softer tone.
“Yes,” Hilgreth didn’t lift her head, but replied without hesitation.
“Then that’s all that matters,” I told her. “And all that should matter—to you or anyone else.”
“I’m sorry. I should know that by now,” Hilgreth said as she finally met my gaze.
“We’ve been keeping it secret, but I’m not going to do that anymore,” she continued, gaining more confidence in her words as she spoke them.
“It hasn’t been long, but I’ve come to love him. He understands me in a way that no one else ever has,” Hilgreth went on. “You were right to do what you did last night—you weren’t afraid to let us know who you loved, and I’m going to follow your example. Renn is a good man, and I’m not going to hide our relationship any longer.”
“Now you just have to convince Renn to go along with you,” I teased her, thinking of the shy elf’s awkward nature.
“I think I can get him to cooperate,” Hilgreth smiled back at me. “He’s not quite as bashful as he seems.”
I left Hilgreth’s forge much happier than when I had arrived. Although the smith’s repeated miscalculations regarding the different world I was trying to build were irksome, she came around every time I pointed out her errors. Her shortcomings in that regard were something of a mixed blessing—while they provided me with an almost constant reminder of the obstacles that I faced, the fact that she always saw the light once I shined it in her face gave me hope.
I finished my tour that day and checked Ridge’s work on the Palace and its surrounding fortress on my way back home. With the help of his assistant, Ridge was making great progress, and the construction was moving along faster than I had anticipated. I didn’t want to interrupt their work, and since my compliments and praise never seemed to faze them, I left them to it and passed by with only a wave.
Over dinner that night Venna informed me, in a very terse manner that let me know just how little she liked the idea, that Stel would be going on his recruiting journey in three weeks. Khorim would be joining him again, along with the same group of guards that had gone out with them on their first trade mission. Broda was not pleased with the arrangements either, but Stel quickly told me that he hoped that this would be the last time they needed to venture out this way.
“I think we can recruit enough people to keep a small group at the camp by the crossroads,” Stel explained. “They can trade with any caravans that pass by, and more importantly, use those caravans to send out our recruiting message. It might cost us a few coins, but the caravans will spread word of what we are doing throughout all of Arrika, and we won’t have to venture out ourselves to do it.”
“If we’re going to establish any sort of permanent presence there,” I responded to his proposal, “they are going to need more substantial protection and shelter than the campsite that is there now. I’ll need to send Ridge out there to build a real outpost for them.”
“And once we send out these messages, we will need to prepare for people to arrive,” Tási added. “Ilvain will need to build more homes, and the dwarves will have to carve out extra chambers in the caverns.”
“That’s an excellent point, Tási,” I replied to her comment. “Since this is your idea, Stel, I’m putting you in charge of making sure that there is adequate housing available for anyone who responds to your recruitment efforts.”
“But that’s practically a full-time job!” He protested.
“That didn’t seem to concern you a moment ago when you assumed that I would be handling it,” I crossed my arms as I replied in irritation.
Stel bowed his head and then nodded slowly as he accepted the responsibility I had given him.
“I will begin organizing things before I leave, and will make sure that the efforts are well on their way before I depart,” he replied reluctantly.
“I’ll help you, my love,” Venna offered, showing a hint of support before she yanked it out from under him. “And I’ll keep on top of it until you return and can take over the burden again.”
She stared at him, daring Stel to object, but he was trapped—he had been pushing the idea so hard, that once we gave in to him, he couldn’t back out.
“Thank you, my dear,” he replied flatly as he slumped back into his chair.
Despite his reluctance, Stel dove into the assignment I had given him with zeal. Over the next three weeks, he worked with Ilvain and his carpenters to plan the construction of several villages inside the valley, and then laid out the order in which each of them should be built. Ilvain and his crew took over from there, setting out to build each village one-by-one until they were all complete. Hopefully, the pace of construction would keep up with the flow of new citizens that Stel anticipated.
While Ilvain worked on the villages that would cater to the human, elf, and halfling population, the dwarves started construction of new housing built into the cliffsides around the two caverns. Although the areas had initially been developed as mining operations, they’d quickly grown into something more. Small communities sprung up around both sites, and the dwarves that were not guarding our outer fortifications settled there in chambers they carved out for themselves in the cliffsides. Stel told them of our plans, and the need for more homes to be built, but when he offered them Ridge’s help, they refused his aid, and promised instead that they would keep up with the need on their own.
The dwarves took great pride in carving out their own communities, and while they admired Ridge’s work on the fortifications and barracks, felt the need to build their permanent homes for themselves. Stel took them at their word that they would provide shelter for any who m
ight join us, but also made them promise to accept Ridge’s help if they couldn’t carve out the dwellings fast enough.
While Stel was busy overseeing construction, the rest of us kept to our normal routines. For the first few days, things were mostly normal for me. But then, as word spread about my new armor, I found people staring at me as I walked by or trying to peek at the boots and gloves that stuck out from beneath my outfits. I finally gave up and realized that the events that occurred had transcended my ability to hide from them. After that, I simply wore the Armor openly, and with the Quiver on my back, I let everyone see for themselves just what had been bestowed upon us.
It caused a bit of a stir the first day I made my rounds in the God-forged gear, but after that, once people had seen it for themselves a time or two, things calmed down and almost returned to normal. The only difference was, as Hilgreth had predicted, my citizens took the Artifacts as confirmation of our mission and seemed to redouble their efforts. Their dedication had never been an issue, despite my occasional doubts, but they began pursuing their various duties with a renewed sense of enthusiasm. The increase in morale was a boon, and construction and production from both our mines and forges benefitted tremendously.
The forge’s output was also helped by the outpouring of support that the two smiths received when they made their relationship known. It became a common sight to see the two of them walking hand-in-hand, and I saw more than a few smiles cast in their direction. Aside from some good-natured ribbing, which Renn bore surprisingly well, no one had a bad word to say to the couple.
Although not many relationships were quite as unique as theirs, Hilgreth and Renn’s example spurred quite a few formerly hesitant couples into the open. It wasn’t long before many of my formerly single citizens were also walking around together, and the bonds between them became even stronger in the more relaxed and open atmosphere.
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