“Some of that was very sloppy,” Myna chided her, “but you weren’t wrong to gamble. Against more experienced opponents, sometimes you have to take the risks.”
“I’m curious what that throw you used on Sean was,” Andrea asked.
“Sumi otoshi: it’s something my grandfather taught me,” Myna said.
“Corner drop,” Sean chuckled. “It’s a Judo technique. Hmm, we should teach them some Judo, Myna. I hadn’t even thought of it before, but most of them are unarmed a lot of the time. In cases like the party last night, we’d be unarmed again.”
“Most of them have a pretty good grasp of their chosen weapon now, so I’m fine with changing the sparring up.”
“We’ll start on that with you tomorrow, Andrea. First thing you’ll learn is how to fall correctly.”
“Yes, much like balance training,” Myna nodded. “You’ll learn to fall and keep your injuries small.”
“Oh,” Andrea looked to Sean, then back to Myna. “After we learn to fall, we’d be learning things like that ‘somee otoche,’ right?”
Myna’s ear twitched, “‘Sumi otoshi,’ and yes, it is an early throw to learn. Sean, go ahead and get back to work. I’ll show her how to fall now so she understands what she seems to be so eager for.”
“Okay. I’ll come back for evening sparring.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Myna smiled.
Making his way back to the smithy, Sean chuckled when he heard Myna explaining ukemi to Andrea. Well, later is going to be different, Sean thought as he was about to enter the smithy.
“Sir, a wagon is here,” a Fairy said, hovering in front of Sean’s face long enough to deliver the message before zipping off.
A second later, the bell at the back gate chimed. “So there is,” Sean chuckled and went toward the gate instead. “I got it,” Sean told Myna. “Go ahead and keep at it, or break.”
“Maybe we should stop for now,” Andrea said quickly.
“Worried that others will see you rolling in the dirt?” Myna asked.
“I wouldn’t want it to reflect poorly on Sean,” Andrea whispered.
“I will accept that today, but tomorrow, you will be rolling a lot,” Myna agreed. “Go clean up. I need to be getting back to the bathhouse.”
Sean got the gate open and saw a wagon with four men waiting for him. “Delivery?”
“Silvertouch and Gertihs for MacDougal,” one of the men grinned.
“I remember you,” Sean chuckled. “How has business been since Angusson left the racket?”
“Busy, much busier,” one of the others smiled, “which is good for us. There’s a lot of chatter going around that working for anyone in Forged Bonds is a bad idea, but since Angusson didn’t believe that, neither do we.”
“Solid view,” Sean said, stepping aside for them. “Take the metal into the smithy. If you’re tired of hauling, you should ask Gertihs about guard duty for the next bathhouse.”
“Now that would be a cushy job,” one of the men Sean had not yet met laughed. “Not many people get into it when they’re naked, am I right?”
“It’s not the people bathing I was thinking of,” Sean corrected him.
“Fair. Angusson is a deterrent all by himself,” the first one said. “It’d take the four of us to be as imposing as he is.”
“I know that Gertihs is looking for solid people who won’t bend when pressure is applied. Your choice if you want to take the risk.”
“We have a chest here, as well,” the fourth man said, pulling it out of the back. “Told to hand it to you specifically.”
“I’ve got it,” Sean said, taking it and resting it on his shoulder. “I’ll help you unload so you can get to the next job that much quicker.”
“Told you he would offer,” the second man laughed.
“He’s an odd one,” third man nodded. “I’ll buy the first round, as promised.”
“Wagering on me?” Sean laughed. “That’s always a good bet.”
“From the rumors going around today, it’s costly to bet the other way,” the fourth man grunted as he grabbed the first bar from the back of the wagon.
“Oh, right. I need to ask Mageeyes about that,” Sean sighed as he set the chest inside the smithy, coming back out to help with the metal stock. Small bars of mithril and adamantine made Sean’s eyes sparkle as he thought of all the things he would be able to do with them.
“Small fortune,” the first man whistled, looking over the bars and rods now stacked neatly in the smithy. “This is why there were four of us. Well, besides the load.”
“For the weight or for the security?” Sean asked.
“Both, but mostly the second,” the first man replied. “The cart was already loaded for us. If I had known this was what was inside, I would have asked for more men today.”
“Luckily, nothing happened,” Sean said.
“Do you always help with deliveries?” the third man asked.
“Depends on the people. Assholes get to do all the work.”
All four men laughed as they grabbed the last of the metal stock. “Glad we aren’t in that category, then,” the second man laughed.
“At least not today,” Sean chuckled as he walked with them back to the gate. “Let Gertihs know he should use you next time, as well.”
“Return business is always good,” the first man grinned. “Have a good day, MacDougal.”
“Good day, and light loads to you all,” Sean chuckled.
Securing the gate, Sean went back to the smithy, wanting to see exactly what he had to work with now. When he stepped into the dimly lit building, he went to the chest first and opened it up. Copper, bronze, silver, and gold coins each had their own small bags, and the fifth held gems.
“Small fortune is right,” Sean mumbled as he picked up the chest. “I’ll take this inside and then get back out here for some work.”
~*~*~
Sean was lost in thought as he went up the stairs for dinner. A steam engine using runes looked viable, but he would need to use most of the mithril and adamantine he had just gotten for it to work as well as he wanted. If he used copper, it would work, but the output would be much lower.
“Sir, is everything okay?” Aria asked when she came out of the small room she was using as her own.
“Thinking about the differences between metals. Mithril and adamantine especially... they are almost the exact opposite of each other. One wants energy poured into it, greedy and gluttonously so, while the other resists it just as much. How did anyone make Dark Cutter when adamantine hates energy that much?”
Aria hesitated, her eyes darting to the sword Sean wore at his waist. “I’ve heard that adamantine is only found in places of death. Mithril is said to embody the properties of life, and energy is just pure life. I don’t know if that’s true. Ida might know more.”
“Huh... thanks, Aria,” Sean smiled. “How was your day?”
“I’ve never Shaped before, much less wood and metal at the same time. Fiona said if I didn’t have the reservoir of energy I do, I wouldn’t have lasted as long as I did, though I rested several times while she and Myna kept going. Myna hinted that I’d match them in time, because of your… gifts.”
“They’ve all expanded how much energy they have,” Sean nodded. “It’ll happen. But, umm...” Sighing, Sean plowed ahead, “Are you really okay with the Bond?”
Aria blinked, her head tilting from side to side, emphasizing her bird-like nature, before she began to laugh. Sean could hear birdsong in her laughter, and he smiled because of it. “Myna said you’d been worrying about it.” Shaking her head, she wiped away a tear, “Honestly, Sean, I’ve gone through life being rejected and looked down upon. My ability to speak with beasts and tame them was probably the only thing that stopped me from being treated as badly as many Moonbound, or worse. When we Bonded, that weight vanished. It felt as if the chains holding me were removed, and now I can soar as high and as far as I want.”
“Okay, go
od,” Sean sighed, happy that she did not hate him.
“Would it be okay if I went out tonight?” Aria asked.
“Huh?”
“I want to fly.”
“Sure, have fun. But, umm... how do you do that? The wings, I mean?”
“It’s said my family comes from a line of Harpies. If we focus our energy, we can materialize wings that will let us fly like the birds themselves.”
Sean’s eyes gleamed, “Later, can I touch one of them?”
Aria face went blank, “That is… yes, that would be alright.”
“Great. Let’s not keep dinner waiting longer than we already have,” Sean said, motioning her down the hall. “Andrea makes the best food.”
“I wanted to ask... the sparring we did, why didn’t we use weapons?”
“Some of them are not going to have a weapon on hand all the time, so it makes sense that they learn to defend themselves without weapons. That reminds me; we need to get your stuff.”
Aria grimaced, “I’d wager by now it’s been destroyed or gone missing, but we can check tomorrow.”
“If it has, we’ll bring a magistrate into it,” Sean said. “Fuck them if they think I’m not going to press them when they do stupid shit.”
Aria shook her head, “You truly mean to stand against them... I know you have the power to be a match for Lord Sharpeyes in a fight since you have removed Fiona’s shame, but it is still just so hard to accept.”
“Lady Sharpeyes and he don’t get along, do they?”
“They have not been getting along.”
“Maybe we’ll have an ally in the future, then. She seemed friendly to you and Amedee, which speaks well for her.”
“Dame Mageeyes is one of the few friends she has left in the city,” Aria said as they entered the dining room.
“I’m sure I’ll find out more tonight,” Sean said, “but first, dinner.”
“We missed you in the shower, Master,” Myna smiled. “I’m glad you were able to get a quick one, at least.”
“Skipped the tub,” Sean replied with a cough. “Had to check on the experiment.”
All four of his wives stared at him, but Fiona decided to accept his awkwardness. “We showed Aria how to use the shower.”
Exhaling, Sean gave her a weak smile, “Thanks.”
“I enjoyed the bath,” Aria commented. “I’ve heard of large tubs before, but I didn’t think I’d ever be using one. Is it true you all bathe every night?”
“Master likes us to be clean, and usually, he’s there, too,” Myna replied. “Next time, he will be.”
“Dinner,” Andrea said, coming into the room.
“What did you make for us?” Sean asked hurriedly, wanting to change the subject.
“I had planned on fowl soup tonight, but I changed my mind,” Andrea said slowly, not looking at Aria.
“I enjoy a good soup made with fowl,” Aria sighed. “Maybe tomorrow?” she asked with a hopeful smile.
“Oh, that will work,” Andrea said, clearly relieved. “Tonight, we’re having salad with some diced fruits on the side.”
Aria’s smile vanished, “Oh... umm... I hate to ask, but is there any jerky?”
“What’s the matter?” Sean asked.
“I need meat every day. It is one of the things that drove me to become a hunter,” Aria apologized.
“I’ll bring some right out,” Andrea said, hurrying back into the kitchen. She was back a moment later, “I’m sorry, Aria, I should have asked. I know that not everyone is comfortable with the same things.”
“If you could just set aside some meat for me every day, it’ll be fine,” Aria said. “I’m sorry for causing a problem.”
“It’s not a problem,” Sean said. “If you need meat every day, we’ll make sure you get it. Everyone in this house is family, and we take care of our own.”
“Are you done with the vinaigrette, dear?” Fiona asked Sean, who had been holding onto the bottle the entire time.
“Oh, yeah, sorry about that. How did your day go?” he asked, making the question a general one.
Each of them gave a run down on what they had done that day. Andrea’s was the shortest, because she had just done her usual housework. Chastity mentioned that the shop seemed a little busier, but nothing too odd. Ida and Ryann had worked on the upscale bathhouse, with Felora stopping by with a snack for them at midday. Fiona explained how much more they had gotten done with Aria there helping them, making Aria look embarrassed.
“I had a question, Ida. Why are mithril and adamantine so vastly different?”
“Mithril is found in areas of high energy, and adamantine is found in places of null energy. Miners all have different explanations, but Opa always said that mithril was the metal of life, and adamantine was the metal of death.”
“How does a blade like Dark Cutter come to be, then? It’s adamantine, but it’s heavily enchanted.”
“Dark Cutter was made by Winter’s personal smith,” Fiona said. “He died while making it. I heard that from Darragh. No one else has successfully enchanted adamantine since.”
“When was that?” Sean asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Darragh only said that the blade was old.”
“Huh, okay.”
“Why do you ask?” Ida asked Sean.
“I’m going to use some mithril and adamantine to make my prototype engine. I’m going to need to get a carriage, too.”
“We’ll definitely need a bigger house, then,” Ryann said.
“Onim told me that Amedee will talk with us tonight about houses. Maybe we’ll be moving soon. We’ll almost certainly want to renovate a new place, too,” Sean said. “We’ll also need to let Sam know that we’ll be done using this place.”
“She might move over here,” Ida giggled, “since this place has a bathhouse of its own.”
“We’ll be adding one to the new place, too,” Sean said, “but that one will be attached to the house. I hope Amedee knows of a good one.”
“We’ll find out,” Fiona said. “I’m sure tonight will cause a stir.”
“Are you going to join us tonight, Aria?” Andrea asked between bites.
“For?”
“Praying. Every night, we give thanks to Morrigan, for…” she trailed off, her cheeks heating.
“For everything,” Chastity quickly added.
“I think I will,” Aria nodded. “The idea that any god is influencing this world is... different.”
They lapsed into silence, broken only by people belatedly thanking Andrea for the meal.
Chapter Forty-two
Sean had Fiona on his right, Myna on his left, Ida and Ryann walking in front of him, and Aria trailing along behind with Andrea, and Chastity talking softly with her. He could not help but think that he had his very own Amazonian guards shielding him. They passed a number of other pedestrians, passing through the square or heading to and from the Oaken Glen.
“Sean, I need to talk with you about Ryann,” Fiona said softly. “Tomorrow will be soon enough since we’re going to be busy tonight.”
“She mentioned you would,” Sean replied. “I don’t think she needs to ch—”
“Shh,” Fiona hushed him. “It is what she wants. We’ll discuss it and other things tomorrow.”
“Master, she truly wishes the best for you,” Myna added. “It took her days to ask Fiona to speak for her.”
“Okay, we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Fiona smiled.
“How do you think tonight will go?” Sean asked, feeling nervous and jittery.
“I trust in our friends to accept things. The newer additions… that will be harder for them to take. I expect at least some people to leave the room.”
“This will be dangerous, but we will handle it beside you,” Myna added. “It also gives us a chance to find out who was behind…” Myna trailed off, her face hard.
Sean squeezed her hand, “I know.”
Ryann had reached the door firs
t and opened it, stepping inside before the others. Following her in, Sean was surprised to see the inn busier than it had been since his first day in the city. The largest table sat empty, but Sean knew they would be reclaiming it before too long.
Lilly came their way with a bright smile. “If you’ll follow me, sir, the others are waiting in the private room.”
“Of course,” Sean smiled. “There’s room for eight of us?”
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