Hearthglen

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “I’d like to know who’s been spreading rumors about me,” Sean said, giving the billets to Angusson.

  “My brother-in-law, Heingerd Toolson,” Angusson replied, carrying the heavy load to the rack where his helpers stacked it up.

  Sean nodded, recognizing the name. “Ah, he hasn’t come back to the inn since I showed up. Nice to know he hasn’t forgotten me.”

  As the last of the billets were stowed on the rack, Angusson wiped his head. “None of his friends have, either. They started visiting the inn many of us laborers use.”

  “We good?” Sean asked, holding out a hand to him.

  After a moment, Angusson took the offered hand, applying a firm shake but not trying to crush Sean’s hand. “A Shaper who carts metal himself can’t be as bad as Heingerd says. Heingerd doesn’t even move his own metal when I deliver it. He doesn’t even offer like some of the other smiths.”

  “You asked about a hair clip for your wife the other day,” Sean said. “How about a small wager? If you win, I’ll craft you a clip for free, here and now. If I win, you pay me half the cost of one.”

  Angusson eyed Sean for a long moment. “What is the wager?”

  “Arm wrestling,” Sean grinned. “We’ll use the anvil.”

  “Oh, you got this Angus. He can’t have much left after his display,” one of the helpers with him piped up.

  A brief grimace flashed across Angusson’s face, but he nodded. “Fine.”

  Kneeling on either side of the anvil, the two men clasped hands, and Ida was called in to referee the match. When she pulled her hands away, signaling the start of the match, Sean hardly moved his arm as he gauged Angusson’s strength. With a false grimace, Sean let his arm be driven slowly back.

  The two men with Angusson began to cheer and egg him on. Ida began to cheer Sean on a moment later. The noise brought the others into the yard, and both Myna and Fiona looked shocked.

  Sean gently pushed Angusson back a little, almost to even before he gave ground again. “You’re strong,” Sean grunted.

  “I’m not used to straining so much to win,” Angusson growled, a vein on his head starting to throb as he tried to force Sean’s arm down.

  Myna’s eyes narrowed as she watched the contest, one of her hands touching a hidden throwing knife. Fiona caught her hand before leaning in to whisper to her. Myna nodded and her face cleared, an amused smile touching her lips.

  Sean let his arm slacken and Angusson slammed Sean’s arm into the anvil. Sean let out a sharp hiss as he felt his hand impact. Angusson blinked, “Oh, no, I didn’t mean—”

  “No,” Sean said, cradling his ‘injured’ hand with his other, “I know. You’re fine, Angusson. However, can I ask you to take a clip crafted by my Bonded? My hand is going to have to heal.”

  “Of course,” Angusson said, getting to his feet.

  Myna held out a hair clip to Angusson, “I’m glad this was just a contest and nothing serious.”

  Angusson took the clip and stepped back at the menace briefly radiating off the small Moonbound. “Me as well.” Looking back at Sean, who had Fiona fussing over his hand, Angusson sighed. “MacDougal, I am sorry for what I said to you before.”

  “Not all is as others try to portray it,” Sean said, keeping his hand hidden from the men. “Pleasant day to you all.”

  Goodbyes were said all around as the three men left. Myna closed and locked the gate behind them. She joined the group that had surrounded Sean. “Master, why?”

  “He does a lot of the deliveries,” Sean said. “It appears that Heingerd gave him bad information. I’d rather have the man who delivers to me be my friend, since it might make things arrive sooner than not. Angusson will now also be able to tell other people that I’m not an ass like the others.”

  “Your hand, though,” Ida said.

  Sean held it out. “It’s fine. I heal fast. That’s one of my many secrets.”

  Ida and Chastity stared at his nearly perfect hand, which should have been bruised at the very least. Ida gently reached out and touched it. “Is this a Talent?”

  “It’s more of a gift, but it does seem to work for my Bonded, too.”

  Ida’s eyes grew wider, “I can heal as easily?”

  Chastity’s face fell slightly, but she stayed quiet as she listened to the conversation.

  “Yeah. That isn’t the extent of things, either. Once you’re better trained in combat, we’ll start you in on a few other tricks,” Sean said. Eyes going to Chastity, he noticed her looking thoughtful. “Chastity, we gather out here before dinner to train in self-defense. Did you want to join us?”

  Blinking as she was pulled from her thoughts, Chastity looked at him blankly for a moment. “Can I think about it, sir?”

  “Sure,” Sean said. “Anyway, I think everyone has things to do. I’ll be training Ida out here today.”

  “We’ll get the shop ready to open for tomorrow,” Fiona said, putting her hands on Myna and Chastity. “We’ve already set aside the plain clips for Maridis to take to the market, as well.”

  “Ryann?” Sean asked. “Plans?”

  “I wonder if I can help you?” Ryann asked him.

  “Sure,” Sean said. “Let’s go to work.”

  Once everyone had left, Sean grabbed the first billet from the rack. “Okay Ida, we’re going to make pipes out of these. I’ll do this one, and that’ll be our template. Ryann, I’m going to have you check Ida’s work against mine. It’ll help you practice feeling the metal.”

  “Yes, Sean.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Holding the three-foot long metal bar in hand, Sean focused on it. A memory of helping his dad replace some of the old pipes in the family home came back to him. Smiling as he relived the memory, Sean wasn’t aware of his hands moving on the copper.

  When he finally pushed the memory away, Sean discovered that the three-foot billet had turned into a six-foot pipe. Giving the pipe a long look with Mage Sight, he handed it over to Ida. “That is what we’re looking for.”

  “I don’t think I can do this without your help,” Ida said slowly. “That will take more energy than I have.”

  Ryann took the pipe from Ida and closed her eyes, trying to feel the metal. After a moment, she set it down on the cold forge. “This is completely free of defects, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, no flaws in the metal at all,” Sean said, picking up the next billet. “I’ll give you more energy, Ida.”

  Picking up a billet of her own, Ida took a seat on the forge near Ryann. “I’ll do my best, sir.”

  Hours passed as the two of them Shaped the copper into pipes. Ryann called a few things to Ida’s attention with her first few pipes, but Ida did well after those. Ryann even joined them in Shaping once Sean opened up a connection so she could pull directly from him. A companionable silence settled over them as they worked.

  The sound of a wagon outside the rear gate got all of them to pause. “This is the right place, yeah?” came a voice from outside the gate.

  “We’ll know in a moment or two. She’s letting them know we’re here,” another man said.

  Fiona came out of the house with Eve in tow. “Oh, the coal is here, Sean.”

  “Morning, Eve,” Sean greeted the coal supplier as he set aside the copper pipe. “Looks like I’ll get to start learning today.”

  “Morning to you, MacDougal,” Eve replied while Sean crossed the yard to open the gate.

  Ryann and Ida cleared the pipes away from the forge and set them aside. By the time the cart of coal was maneuvered next to the forge, Ida had everything ready. Angusson nodded and gave Sean a large smile, then began to shovel coal from the large wagon into the coal bin.

  By the time Angusson stopped, the forge was ready to be lit and the bin was just short of half full. “Thank you for the wager earlier, MacDougal,” Angusson said. “My wife was beside herself with happiness.”

  “You won it,” Sean replied.

  “You’re selling clips?” Eve asked, having
heard the conversation.

  “Tomorrow,” Sean chuckled. “Angusson here had a wager with me, with a hair clip as the prize. Did you wish to get one?”

  “I’d like to, but I’ll need to see what the price is going to be,” Eve replied.

  “Fiona, charge her half if she decides to buy one. Any more than that will cost full price, though.”

  Eve’s eyes lit up, “I’ll agree to that.”

  “My husband will break us someday,” Fiona chuckled softly. “Follow me please, Miss Blackhand.”

  “Head on next door,” Eve told the laborers. “I’ll be there in a moment.”

  Sean followed the men to the gate. “Glad we’re on good terms, Angusson. If I have need of your services, where are you found normally?”

  “Dusty Work. It’s a pub near the general market,” Angusson said. “A lot of us tend to be in that area waiting for work if we don’t have anything lined up.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. I hope you have a pleasant day.”

  “Had two big jobs today already, so it’s been a good day.”

  After saying their goodbyes, Sean locked the gate up and headed back to the forge building. Ida was setting out some things around the forge with Ryann helping her. “Okay Ida, you’re the lead on this, and I’m the apprentice.”

  Ida nodded seriously, “I’ll do my best, sir. Ryann asked to learn, as well. I was sure you’d be okay with that.”

  “I am. First we have to get the forge up to temp, right?”

  “I’ll show you how,” Ida said. “Once we get it up and running, we can start with something simple.”

  Sean and Ryann paid close attention to what Ida was doing. She talked them through the steps she was taking as she worked.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sean smiled, listening to the women chat in the dining room while he worked in the kitchen. He basted the slab of meat he was cooking with buttered wine, then pulled the other pot off the stove. The scent of herbs wafted out when he removed the lid and Sean examined the contents carefully. Satisfied, he pulled the meat from the pan and placed it on the cutting board, cutting it into thin slices and arranging them on the serving platter. Sean poured the remaining sauce over the pot of barley and mixed it together before transferring it over to a large serving bowl.

  Carrying the serving platter and bowl with him, Sean backed through the swinging door to the dining room. “Dinner is served.”

  The room quieted down when he set the food on the table and took his seat. I really hope using barley as a replacement for rice works, Sean thought as he served himself. Giving the serving utensils to Fiona, Sean thanked her for pouring him some wine.

  Once everyone was served, they all dug in. Everyone offered up their compliments, and Sean said a silent thank you to James for teaching him how to cook this. Halfway through the meal, a knock came at the front door.

  Myna was on her feet first and headed off before anyone else could. Sean watched her go, curious as to who would be coming by at this hour. After about a minute, Myna walked in with a familiar woman.

  “Master, you remember Andrea Brandt from Merits?” Myna introduced her.

  Sean stood up, a smile on his lips, “Andrea, good to see you again. I take it you’re the maid that Fiona sent for?”

  “Yes, sir. We were surprised at the offer. I’m here to accept the Agreement.”

  Looking at Fiona, Sean raised an eyebrow. She smiled, “At least one year of service, a silver per year, and a full Bond only if she agrees to silence on our secrets.”

  “I, Andrea Brandt, agree to hold your secrets until my death. In return, I shall serve as maid to the household of Sean MacDougal. My wage shall be a silver for the year. I will be Bonded fully for my time as your maid and given equal access to all Talents and power as your other Bonded are.” The words poured from her with power and conviction that surprised everyone at the depth of feeling.

  “I, Sean MacDougal, accept and agree to the terms,” Sean replied. A heavy weight settled over him as a pulse of energy went from him to Andrea. “Welcome to the family, Andrea.”

  Andrea bowed her head deeply. “I wish to thank you again for helping me before.”

  “You’re welcome, but let’s do introductions and get back to dinner,” Sean said. “I even made enough for you to have some,” Sean said, motioning to the extra food on the table. He paused when he realized that the table was already full.

  Chastity slid her seat toward Ryann’s chair, making some room for Andrea. “If we can get a chair…”

  “I’ll be right back,” Myna said, stepping out of the room.

  “We’ll have to enlarge the table,” Sean said as he took his seat.

  “I’ll have it done by tomorrow,” Fiona told him. “We’ll also get her settled while you’re at the inn.”

  “Which you’re not going to because of Amedee?” Sean asked softly.

  “It is for the best,” Fiona replied.

  “Fine,” Sean sighed, slightly disappointed.

  “Here we go,” Myna said. She came in carrying a chair, then turned back to collect another place setting from the kitchen.

  Taking the seat, Andrea gave the table a nervous smile. “I’m Andrea Brandt. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Chastity, Ida, Ven, and Venn introduced themselves. Andrea seemed a little shocked to see the two Fairies at the table, but accepted it in stride. “I’ll do my best for all of you. Thank you for the warm welcome.”

  Ida kept glancing at Sean throughout the rest of the meal, wearing a puzzled expression. When everyone had finished, Andrea was on her feet and collecting the dishes before anyone else.

  Unable to resist any longer, Ida asked the question that had been bothering her, “Sean, how can you have so many Bonded to you equally? I didn’t feel the energy from you drop at all.”

  “I have a stupid amount of energy,” Sean shrugged. “You’re all getting as much as I can safely give you, and that amount has been increasing slowly every day. Technically, you aren’t getting as much as Fiona, yet, but I’m giving you all as much as you can accept.”

  “It might be quicker and easier to show her,” Fiona said, pulling a silver monocle from her belt pouch.

  “That’ll make her dizzy,” Sean said.

  Everyone who hadn’t seen the monocle was staring at it, including Andrea, who paused in her work to watch. “What is it?” Ryann finally asked.

  “A monocle enchanted for Mage Sight,” Fiona said. “It requires a good amount of energy to use, but Sean can replace her energy while she uses it. Be aware, when you stop using it the first few times, you’ll get dizzy or pass out.” Holding it out to Ida, Fiona smiled. “Want to see one of his biggest secrets?”

  Ida took the monocle slowly, licking her lips. “Mage Sight is such a rare talent. How do you have this? It’s worth a fortune.”

  “I made it,” Sean said.

  Everyone besides Myna and Fiona stared at Sean in shock. “You enchanted it with Mage Sight?” Ida whispered.

  “And Shaped it.”

  Placing the monocle over her eye, Ida took a deep breath. “How does it work?”

  “Focus your energy on it. You need to will it to work,” Fiona said.

  Ida’s face scrunched for a moment, but then her eyes opened wide. “He’s…”

  “Yes,” Myna whispered. “Pass the monocle to Ryann. She seems eager to try it, too.”

  Pulling the monocle away from her eye, Ida turned pale and swayed in her seat. Fiona held her up, deftly plucking the monocle from her hand. Handing it over to Ryann, Fiona kept Ida steady.

  Ryann took a deep breath and brought the monocle up to her eye. A few beads of sweat dotted her brow before she closed her eyes with the effort. Opening them slowly, Ryann’s jaw dropped as she stared at Sean. “So bright…” Closing her eyes, Ryann pulled the monocle away and swayed forward.

  Myna caught Ryann from behind and somehow also managed to catch the monocle that dropped from Ryann’s fingers. “I got you, Ryann.�
��

  “Can we try it?” Ven asked.

  Sean looked at the Fairy with Mage Sight. “You do have some energy, slight though it is… Did it hurt when you started getting energy?”

  “No,” Ven replied.

  “We haven’t felt anything,” Venn added, “except more energetic.”

  “What about me?” Andrea asked from where she stood.

  “You don’t have any energy of your own yet, Andrea,” Sean told her. “The first time you get some… err…”