Ch. 19: Jewelry Crafting

I woke up in a mass of bodies. Breasts and curves and hair were suffocating me.

Each of my bonded had one of their limbs around me. Meryl was on one side of me, her leg draped over mine. Emilia and Carmella were curled into each other. Emilia used the First Knight's arm as a pillow, and both had hands resting lazily on my chest. I closed my eyes, letting their existence wash over me again. The three women's sleeping hearts all beat slowly.

Or so I thought. Carmella shifted, and I looked at her. Her green eyes were watching me. She raised a finger to her lips. Contentment and fatigue leaked from her into my mind. My arms were pinned under both Meryl and Emilia, and I had lost blood flow some time ago, but I didn't mind so much.

I spent the time enjoying the intense heat of four bodies on the bed, somewhat grateful that Shari wasn't here to add to it. Which brought new thoughts and desires, which I shoved to the side. Before I got here, I'd gone years between partners, and now I can barely manage six hours, I chided myself.

Instead of focusing on any of that, I tried to comprehend the intense magical bonds inside of me. There was a lot there. Even asleep, I could feel the maddening scope of Meryl's powers. I mentally reached out to it. I couldn't really do anything with it; there was a wall of some sort keeping us separate still, with just a trickle of knowledge coming through. A bubbling core of molten energy kept at bay by the crucible of my queen's will. I also got a sense of her feelings, as I tried to understand everything. Her anxiety, her fear, her love, her desires. It's good to know I'm not the only one desperate for more. I didn't know what she was dreaming, but I knew it was intense and fun.

Emilia's presence was more muted. Her magic was there. A distant source of power far away that she could draw on at will. I didn't understand how it could be so different, but it didn't really matter. She shifted and curled into my chest, snoring softly and I never got the impression of a dream. Just contentment. As though something she had been worrying about had been lifted. It'd be arrogant to assume that it's me. But I didn't know what else it could be. In some ways, the women still kept me at an arm's length. Which makes sense. Even if they love me, I'm still pretty useless to them. After a brief pause, I added, But that'll change. It has to.

I glanced over and found Lady Carmella watching me. Her position in my head was warm and comforting. Larger than life and full. She wanted me to know she was there. Wanted to be there for me. Our eyes met and I felt a giddiness from her that I wouldn't have believed. A smile broke across my face and she glared at me.

After another beat or two, something dawned on me. If I know what they're feeling... All of this... Gods, they know me too, don't they? It stood to reason. It was even explained, kind of, in the vows. Though I hadn't really thought anything of them at the time. It didn't change anything. But an uneasiness spread into my stomach and I frowned. Being known like this... it's terrifying. I didn't know what to do. I doubt there's an easy divorce process for magical soul bonds. The thought itself made me sick. Even the possibility of not being with them was worse than being known. By magnitudes. I'll just have to get used to it.

It took a long time, but eventually, Emilia stirred, and Carmella used it as an excuse to get up. The half-elf groaned and whined sleepily. My valkyrie leaned down and kissed her softly and I watched pink eyes flutter open. She looked around and smiled at me, laying her head on my chest. I shifted slightly, still sore from yesterday, between the fight with those men and then the bonding ritual.

Worse than that, though, I felt my length shift and blood start to flow down there. I groaned internally, willing it to stop. It didn't work. How in all the hells could I want more after last night? I wanted to spend the day with them; to explore this new depth of our relationship.

But Carmella was getting dressed. She'd be going out on patrol. Making sure there weren't any attacks by Babrycg. Terrorists, not directly related to any official political movement, had attacked a few times, but Meryl had dispatched a team of adventurers to see what could be done to quell the secession. I didn't know much about them and wasn't sure anyone was up to such a task, but their primary mission was scouting and gathering information. Gods, I hope they succeed in cleaning up my mess. Guilt spread out in my stomach. I should be the one to do something about it. Not that I have the foggiest idea of what should be done.

After Lady Carmella was ready, she leaned over the bed and kissed Meryl's cheek. Meryl stirred and grabbed her knight by the neck, kissing her fully on the lips. It lasted for several moments and embers of lust started to heat up in both of them. They broke it before it could become a burning desire. The knight also leaned over and kissed me. Her passion wasn't as hot for me, but it was still present, still growing. I kissed her back and gripped her shoulder, urging her closer to me. She smiled into the kiss and retreated, leaving the room without a word. But I knew how she felt. I guess I don't need words as much anymore. Which left me in a weird spot. Until I realized that no matter what I could sense, I'd still need them to say what they felt anyway. Otherwise I'd just over-analyze everything.

Meryl curled into me, fingering my chest, Emilia on my other side, still content to use me as a pillow. In the early morning light, I could see my queen's eyes were still black where the whites used to be. I watched her for a moment, rubbing her shoulder. Emilia pressed harder into me, squishing her soft chest into my side. I stroked her shoulder as well.

I know I have to get going soon, I lamented. Before I get too distracted. I lifted myself, disentangling myself from the two women, both of which protested. Emilia clutched at me, trying to find a way to keep her new pillow with her. Meryl just pouted cutely up at me, sleep threatening to overtake her once more. I grabbed their hands and squeezed tightly before leaving the warm, comfortable bed. Emilia sat up, her bare chest heaving in the dawn peeking through the windows. "And where do you think you're going, Cel'vin?"

"I have some stuff I need to do in town, Inya," I said simply, declining the implied offer in her chosen title. It occurred to me that I didn't have any clothes in this room. I frowned. I really don't want to wander the castle halls naked, I thought. Meryl wasn't entirely conscious yet, and I didn't want to bother her just for a portal to my room. It seems like such a waste.

My Head Maid got out of bed, wrapped her arms around me, and pressed her cheek into my arm. She stood there for a moment, sharing in our mutual warmth. I wrapped my hands around her and stroked down her back. Then she went to a closet and grabbed some clothes that were stashed in an armoire. She pushed them into my arms. They were mine, I smiled down at the bundle then to her, remarking, "You really planned everything."

"Of course. That's my job," my Inya Nute replied, starting to get dressed herself. "Are you taking Shari on whatever you're doing in town?"

"I wasn't planning to." I frowned, considering. I hadn't forgotten about her, but it didn't seem necessary for her to follow me everywhere I went. With a shrug, I continued on, "I can't imagine she'd be very interested in... What I'm doing."

"And this is some secret, like the sword for Carmella?" Emilia asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Maybe," I said, pursing my lips, trying to sound innocent. Which I am. I'm not doing anything they'd disapprove of. But Emilia did have a way of making me feel a little guilty for not giving her every detail she could possibly want. "Not really sure."

"Uh-huh," she responded, rolling her eyes. I thought I got the sense of amusement from our bond, but I don't know how much I was supposed to feel and how much of it was my read on her. "She's your responsibility. Make sure she's fed and has enough water, or you won't be allowed to have any more pets, Cel'vin."

"Is there a lost lineage of dog ladies I should know about?" I asked, unable to keep the amused grin off my face. Emilia just watched me for a moment, nonplussed. So, I shrugged and continued on, "So you think I should bore her to death with my errands?"

"Maybe she'll have fun," the maid suggested. "She's terribly fond of you."

"Alright," I shrugged uncomfortably. It was hard to believe that I'd luck out and have one beautiful woman fall for me. But now I have three. Four, if everyone else is to be believed. "I'll see if she wants to come along."

I finished dressing, and before leaving, I kissed Emilia and Meryl goodbye, both of which deepened the kiss and threatened to initiate some early morning activities that I knew none of us had the time for; then, I made my way back to my room. When I arrived, Shari eyed me from the bed in her cat-form. She was wrapped up in the blankets, and the only thing visible of her were her eyes and whiskers. It seemed that despite being in her cat form, she'd thrown every pillow off the bed. I walked over to the bed and started to pull the blankets out from around her head, but she batted at my hand, claws extended. I withdrew my hand before she could withdraw blood, frowning at her. "Is this how we're going to be this morning?"

The cat didn't respond vocally, just continuing to glare at me. I sighed, crossing the room. I peered over my shoulder at her. "Alright. I'm going to take a bath. Then I'm going to town. I was wondering if you'd join me."

Her form shifted and she stretched out, fully nude under the comforter. She threw it off, letting it fall off of the bed, and stepped on one of the pillows she'd tossed aside. She strutted, completely unashamed up to me, exaggerating her steps enough to jiggle her chest with every step. I swallowed, dashing past her, as I tried to block the view with my hand, much to my libido's dismay. "Whoa. I just said I was going to take a bath."

"I know. I am not deaf, dearest Johann," she replied, condescendingly. "You asked me to join you."

"I... In town," I muttered. Before she could say anything, I realized the trap I'd set for myself, my arm dropping to my side. "But I did invite you."

"I know you haven't had your fill yet," she purred, pressing into me.

"My fill of what?" I asked, thickly, as I tried desperately to ignore the surge in my pulse and my blood's favored direction.

"Beautiful women indulging you," she murmured, running her clawed hand over my silk tunic. "I have felt your eyes on me, taking in every detail." She shrugged, which shifted her heavy chest against me. "One night with them won't change that."

"I'm perfectly satisfied with them," I growled a little more roughly than I intended.

"I'm sure," she purred, running her tongue over her sharp canines. She wore a predatory look about her as she sashayed over to the tub. She activated the rune and water started pouring out. Sitting on the side of it as it filled, she flaunted herself. "Wash my back?"

"I... Of course," I agreed with a sigh, stripping down. Shari observed me, a small smile spreading across her lips.

"So, how was it?" She asked casually.

"How was what?" I tried to sidestep the assumption.

"Johann, dear. You reek of sex." She eyed me hungrily. "You're calmer than you've been in days," she shrugged. "At least you were. I imagine it must have been serviceable, at the very least."

"I... Uh... It's rude to kiss and tell, I'm told," I muttered, knowing that my face was flush. I grabbed the soap and lathered up my hands; I gripped the Ipet-Mau's shoulders and massaged her taut muscles. Her figure was astonishing. And even after a night with my lovers, I couldn't help but notice it.

She had remarkable curves and a perfectly sculpted frame. Lithe and capable, despite her chest which rivaled Emilia's, somehow. I took my time cleaning her, and not exactly gaping at her form. I'm just being thorough, I tried to convince myself.

She returned the favor, and I let her. She mostly kept her generous chest away. I tried to ignore it when she didn't. After rinsing off, I scrubbed her stomach at her insistence. She even drew my hand between her large breasts. I resisted washing them myself. I didn't resist looking at them. How could I? She cleaned her own legs and the rest of her chest. I tried not to gawk.

"Do you like them?" She asked, cupping her breasts. I looked away and cleared my throat. "Please, Johann. Tell me."

"They're... magnificent," I remarked almost breathlessly. "And surprising."

"Surprising?" She asked, still kneading soap into her breasts.

"Well, the rest of you is so... taut. The only woman I know with more muscle showing is Lady Carmella."

"Ah, well. I'm just lucky," she muttered, eyeing her own form. I couldn't get a read on her expression. What I wouldn't give for a bond to understand her. It took my brain a few moments to catch up to the implications of that thought. "Or unlucky, depending on how you look at it."

"Unlucky?" I asked, clearing my throat.

"Well, they are a weight on my chest. Literally. Fortunately," She began, wrapping an arm around my neck. "I have a found a dedicated back washer who will take his time to massage me in the bath. A lot of time, in fact." She pulled away a little, frowning. "But, it does make thieving difficult sometimes."

"How so?" I asked. Given everything I've seen, I doubt she struggles much at all.

"Fitting into small spaces to hide can be difficult with a few extra inches coming off you." Her eyes had rested well south of my face as she said that. "I'm sure you could understand that much, my dear Johann." I sighed and finished toweling myself off. She did much the same. "What are we doing today?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about that," I started, thankful for the change in subject. "What I'm doing might be pretty boring to you. I'm going to do some smithing if I can. Craft some... gifts for people."

"And you're inviting me to do this?" She asked, raising a brow. She didn't quite display her sharp nails, but they were definitely in my periphery.

"I'm inviting you to go out for lunch," I countered. "I'd give you some money to do as you please otherwise."

"And if I wanted to stay with you?" She inquired, considering me closely.

"It'll be terribly dull," I replied with a shrug. "And it will likely take me all day to get everything done. Maybe more."

"And why are you inviting me?" She had receded into herself a little bit.

"I..." I spent a moment collecting my thoughts. Emilia had reminded me of my duty, but that wasn't really why I wanted to have dinner with her. And I trusted her not to do anything stupid in town. Or any more stupid than anything I could get up to. I finally found some words that felt true. "I want to get to know you better. I have the feeling that you're not going anywhere on your own. So, if we're going to be... friends, I want to do it right."

"Friends?" She crossed the room over to me and gripped my chin. Her lacquered nails pressed into my skin. "We're not going to be just friends, my dearest."

"Don't I get a say in that?" I asked, hoarseness overtaking my throat.

"Of course you do," she replied, pulling me in closely. "You'll say 'Yes'."

"And how can you be so sure?" I asked, pulling myself out of her grip. Amazingly, she didn't scratch me. Which was surely because she didn't want to.

"Because I've made my intentions very clear, and you haven't chased me away yet," she said, leaning down. "And because I always get what I want. Even if I have to steal it."

"Notably, you don't have to steal what we're willing to share," a voice echoed out from behind us. I jumped and glanced over my shoulder. Meryl was standing in the threshold. She had returned to her human form. I noted the bracelet that she'd returned to her wrist. It's probably enchanted, allowing her to keep her true form hidden. "Johann," she began, eyeing me suspiciously. "What are you crafting?"

"Some new knives for Misses Johnson and the cooks. Theirs are worn and dangerous," I replied truthfully. It was part of what I wanted to do. There were just other things I was going to do. Other priorities. "I need to thank them for their kindness. They've been very nice to me."

"Uh-huh," Meryl replied, making her doubt evident in my tone. "And you were going to let Shari wander the streets unaccompanied?"

"You've watched me smith before," I responded with a half-hearted shrug. "It's dull, tedious work for most. Besides, I understand keeping an eye on her in the castle, but I think the city will be safe."

"I loved watching you work. Getting all sweaty and watching you work through the problem," my queen replied huskily, crossing the room. She didn't stand between Shari and I. Meryl stroked my hair absently, then reached over and petted the Ipet-Mau as well. Shari let her, closing her eyes. I tried to piece together why these two were acting this way, but couldn't. Internally, I checked the bond with Meryl. And though I found her presence and a certain level of fondness directed towards me, I couldn't get any details beyond that. I frowned at her. I guess you can block out the bond when you need to. At least partially.

"You two are getting along a lot better," I said. It was more of a suggestion, a test, than a genuine belief.

"I see her value, husband," Meryl responded, emphasizing my new title with a smirk. There it is, I thought. She's still playing a game. I just don't know what it is. Shari was watching her, too. She didn't exactly have an innocent expression on her face either. "She helped identify the poison those men used on Lady Tripand. And I confirmed the only thing missing was some food. Like you said, it's something we'd have happily given."

"And I saw that you care about your subjects more than most leaders," Shari murmured, purring into the queen's hand. "It's refreshing. And there are benefits to helping you."

"Yes, there are," Meryl grinned evilly, turning to me.

"What are you two planning?" I asked, nonplussed.

"Planning? Nothing," Meryl insisted airily, starting to walk away. "In the exact same way that you're going out to craft knives for my cooks."

"But I'm literally going to do that," I said, deflating.

"Yes. And I'm not planning anything," the queen said before leaving the room. I just stared at Shari, who was smiling smugly at me.

"Why is it whenever I'm doing something in secret, it's a gift or something nice, but whenever one of you does something in secret, it's to torture me?" I asked.

"One of us?" Shari asked innocently. "I'm not part of your little coalition. We're just friends, remember?"

I sighed and got dressed again, including my sword and dagger. After my little tussle yesterday, the familiar weight was a comfort, which was concerning all on its own. We made our way to the town. Dawn had come and passed, and the sun crawled up the sky. I remember a time when I'd already be in my forge working by now.

The capital was large and sprawling, and most roads had been replaced with light gray cobblestone. One of Meryl's goals was to make travel as simple as possible. A lot of the buildings were made of a similar stone. It's still amazing. Only two buildings in all of Sofen were entirely stone. And that's only because they needed to be. We walked down the street, and Shari wrapped an arm loosely around mine. I glanced at her suspiciously, and she just flashed me an innocent smile. "It is to make sure we do not get separated."

I rolled my eyes and made my way to Barmion's Smithy. I navigated the streets easily now. I'd spent a little time here and there exploring the city. And what had once been daunting now felt familiar. A lot of that going around, I guess. I walked through the door and the little bell jingled. A little green-haired fellow looked up at me. "Shop's not open yet."

"Oh, sorry," I said, holding up a placating hand. "Uh. Is Barmion around? I just wanted to talk for a moment."

The man I was just now realizing was a gnome eyed me suspiciously. Realization came over me, and I walked forward, extending my hand. "Oh! Are you his husband? It's nice to meet you. I'm Johann. I... uh... rented his forge previously."

The man looked at my hand. "Wait. You're the human with three women after you?" He broke into a huge knowing grin. I felt my face heat up.

"Four now," I muttered. Just as I did, Barmion walked out from the back,

"Did I hear that right, boy? Ye got another woman after ye?" The bald dwarf bellowed, laughing. "Can ye believe that, Yos? Gods, I couldn't deal with two people chasing me."

"It's nice to make your acquaintance, Johann." The gnome took my hand, shaking it. In a high voice, he said, "I'm Yosfiz Berrysbell. And yes, I am Barmion's husband. He said good things about you. For a human." He shrugged, apologetically. "You understand."

"Yeah," I sighed. "I've been learning that race relations are pretty complicated."

"Aye, I bet ye have. Ye were the one that caused all of that trouble a while back, weren't ya?" Barmion cut in. I wanted to deny it, but I just averted my eyes and gave a nod. "Yer a damn fool. But I hear ye did right by yer lover. There's honor in that."

"Of course, you'd say that," Yosfiz broke in, chuckling. "You fought my dad over my hand."

"Wasn't a fight," the dwarf retorted, his face breaking into a wide grin. I looked between the two. Yosfiz met my gaze, rolling his eyes with a long-suffering smile. "A fight would imply I could've lost."

"Mr. Berrysbell," I began, choosing to change the subject. "Barmion tells me you're a restaurateur and that you're an excellent cook, but I forgot to ask the name. Where is it you cook?"

"FizBerry's. And please. Call my Yosfiz." He smiled easily at me. "Don't need to feel any older than I already do."

"FizBerry's? I went there the other day." I grinned, reminiscing about my first real date with Emilia. "It was great. And I appreciate that you added the common tongue to the menu. I wouldn't have been able to order anything. Or at least not have understood what I was ordering."

"Thank you. And yeah," the chef responded politely. There was a tension I couldn't quite place in the air. "We try to make sure everyone can find something to eat there."

"Johann, I don't mean to be rude," Barmion cut in. I believed him. That's the most deferential he's ever been to me. "But how can I help ye today? Yer intruding a bit."

"Oh. I'm sorry," I said, bowing my head. "I was wondering if I might borrow your forge again. Double the rate as last time."

"Oh? What are you making this time?" The smith's face lit up a little bit. " I can't imagine the lass broke the sword already."

"Oh, nothing like that. I just need to make four rings, a full set of kitchen knives, and a necklace." I whispered the last bit, trying to keep it from Shari, who was off examining some of Barmion's wares. She eyed me suspiciously for a moment, then went back to browsing.

"Four rings? Does that mean what I think it does?" Barmion asked, confidingly. Yosfiz studied the two of us, a curious smile spreading across his face. "Did ye already propose?"

"Bit more than that. We... did a bonding ritual yesterday..." My voice trailed off as I became consciously aware of the three women. I could point to the direction I thought they were in. I don't know how accurate it was, but I was sure I could sense where they were. Carmella was off to the south. She was bored and a little lonely. Meryl was to the north, keeping a tight cap on her emotions; I figured she'd be in court by now. Emilia was elated about something, but I couldn't tell what. I came back to myself. "Yeah. So, I wanted to give them something to commemorate it."

"And I take it the fourth lass is that one right there?" I nodded. Barmion considered me for a moment. "Who're the knives for? I can't imagine that the que... that your lasses do much kitchen-work."

"Oh, the kitchen staff of the castle," I admitted thoughtlessly. Yosfiz's eyes widened at this. My heart sank. I'd wanted to keep my dalliances a little more quiet. But I had bigger things to worry about at the moment. "Their knives are worn, and I don't want any of them getting hurt. A dull knife and all that."

"Tell ye what. I got a fine set of knives I made to order, but the man who ordered them hasn't picked them up in over a year. Why don't ye take a look at 'em and see if they're good enough for your kitchen gals?" I nodded.

He guided me back and took out a wooden box of knives. The wood was finely varnished and must have been a custom job. I whistled, knowing it was expensive. I opened it and revealed a set of ten knives made of a shiny, black metal, each made for a different cooking job; pairing, cleaving, slicing meat, bread, fish and a few other pieces I didn't quite recognize. They were inscribed with a dwarven rune at the bottom. They glinted in the torchlight. I picked one up and balanced it on a finger. It was perfect.

"I don't recognize the metal." I turned to the smith. "What is it?"

"That's Dwarven Blackrock, right there," Barmion replied proudly. "Won't chip for three centuries. Won't rust ever. Ye've me guarantee on that."

"They're the best out there." Yosfiz was admiring the set from just behind us. "Barmie made me a set years ago. Never cook without them."

"There's no sharpener." I noted, frowning. "How long do they keep their edge?"

"They don't lose their edge." Barmion waved a hand dismissively. "It's a special property of the metal."

"Wow," I remarked, pursing my lips. "How much do you want for them?"

"I'll part with the set for three hundred gold," Barmion replied immediately. I considered it. They're incredible. And I want to see them in action. See what a dwarven master could do with a special material. I sighed. But 30 platinum was a lot. Between that and how much I was planning on spending, I'd have basically nothing left. On the other hand, I don't really have expenses anymore. And three hundred years is a long time. That's a good investment for the castle. I nodded, having come to a decision.

"I think... Yeah, I'll take them," I replied, mesmerized by the craftsmanship. I tried to force nonchalance into my voice as I asked, "Do you have any more of this stone?"

"No, boy." Barmion shook his head definitively. "It's some of the most rare to ever exist. Only found in the deepest mines, in the hardest-to-reach veins. I was lucky to get my hands on this much of it."

"Oh," I muttered, sighing. I replaced the knife and took out my bag of coins. I counted out 50 platinum and put it on the counter. Barmion took the payment, scooping up the 30 and leaving the rest on the counter, nodding. Shari was staring at me; she looked annoyed. I raised a brow at her, and she stalked out of the store. I sighed. I'll figure that out later.

"So, what kind of rings were ye thinking of making?" Barmion asked.

"I don't know. I have an idea," I admitted as Barmion considered me. "But I want to see if you have any special metals. I want them all to be symbolic."

"And what were yer thoughts?" The dwarf asked, trying to hide his excitement. I knew he lived for forging and was looking for anything interesting to do that wasn't just another weapon. Both of us enjoyed the challenge of a new project a little too much.

"I was thinking four triple-banded rings. Each band represents one of the women," I replied, trying to get a clear picture of what I wanted to do. But it was hard without knowing what was available.

"Aye, that'd be a nice gift. It occurs to me that ye're miscounting, though, boy," Barmion countered, as he stroked his beard.

'What do you mean?" I asked, a little flatly. I was sure he had some obvious idea that I didn't think of and would be kicking myself over as soon as I heard it. It's best to just get it out of the way, I thought.

"Shouldn't it be four bands?" He asked. Then corrected himself as his eyes glided over to Shari. "Or five, rather?"

"Five? Well, this is for Mer..." I caught myself, trying to think through the problem. "Uh, Ryllie, Emilia, and Carmella."

"Aye." He nodded sagely. I wish he'd get to the damned point! I thought uncharitably before tamping down on the impatience I was feeling. "And what about that cat?"

"She's... different," I managed, lamely. It didn't really explain anything. But I didn't even know how to explain her. "She's... Not a part of this bond. I think. It's... complicated."

"Aye, I imagine balancing four lovers would be," the dwarf agreed slowly. "Still means ye're miscounting, though."

"What do you mean?" I hissed, not able to keep the annoyance out of my tone entirely.

"Yer forgetting yerself," Barmion remarked simply.

"I..." My thoughts froze in place. After a moment, I managed, "Well, that doesn't really matter, does it?"

"I see what you mean, Barmie," Yosfiz cut in, nonplussed. "He is thick."

"Lad, are ye daft!?" Bamrion barked, half laughing. "They chose ye. Of course, ye matter. Just give yourself a band. What's one more band? And what's this about a necklace?"

"I hadn't thought about it. I do want to give Shari something too. Just as a sign of... friendship." I replied, my shoulders slumping.

"Friendship, he says. Ye hear that, Yossie? Friendship!" Barmion snorted, taking out a box of metal ores. Yosfiz smiled politely at me. I felt my face heat up, and, in a poor attempt to hide my embarrassment, I turned towards the box of ingots the dwarf had brought out. Anything for a distraction. I had never seen most of them. I recognized Myrnil, gold, and iron. Some of the others looked similar to things I had seen, but even at a glance, I knew they were different. Weird. Barmion continued in a softer, confiding tone, "Boy, I saw how ye look at her. If ye don't look at the other lasses the way you do her, yer doing them a disservice."

"Well, it's not that simple," I began, holding up a hand. "I have these three. They're more than a handful. Why would I need another woman?" I started sorting through the metals, trying to find anything focus on other than my love life.

Three stood out to me. There was a blood-red ingot that reminded me immediately of Emilia. There was a bright, glowing ingot of mithral, literally glowing. The last metal I chose was the mirror opposite of the glowing mithril. A black ingot that seemed to almost absorb the light around it. It reminded me of Meryl's eyes and hair. I set those to the side. Barmion's right. If I gave them rings that represented each other but left myself out, they'd not like them as much. And I need them to like these. There was some more Myrnil, which I also took and set to the side, figuring it could represent me. It is how all of this started after all. I spotted another silvery metal that seemed to shift slightly like it was reflecting slow moving clouds, despite being inside. Looking at it reminded me of Shari in her cat form, lazing about. I set that aside too, smiling.

"Of course, it's that simple, boy," the dwarf interrupted my musings. "Ye like them. They like ye. Ye already accepted three. What's another one?" Barmion looked over my choices and grinned. "Ye sure do like making it hard on yerself, don't ye?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, deflating again, figuring I'd made some mistake.

"Those all have different melting points and malleabilities and aren't even from the same plane," the dwarf explained, picking up each to examine them.

"They're not from Iotiterra?" I asked, frowning at the metals. I didn't know much of anything about the other planes. Oddly, it hadn't come up in my studies yet. Despite Meryl and Carmella's lineages.

"Nope. Well, it's a bit more complicated than that. These two're all created where different planes intersected with ours, making special alloys or tainting existing metals." He pointed to the metal that seemed to absorb light. "That there is Fadesteel. Adamantine tainted by the Plane of Shadows. The glowing one is Glowsteel. Mithril infused with energies from the Celestial Plane. Bloodsteel was a result of a war on this plane. Said to have been created when the goddess Thrista turned the tides in a battle. Mindsilver is from the Astral Plane. Think Gith are the only ones who use that. Don't really understand it meself."

"I could choose something simpler..." I muttered, eyeing the strange metals greedily.

"But ye don't want to, right?" Barmion asked knowingly. A grin had overtaken his face to rival his husband's.

"I don't," I admitted quietly.

"It'll be more expensive than what ye have left over," the dwarf said, considering the platinum I'd put out already.

"I... I can get you more money," I hedged. I didn't know how I'd get him more money. At least not anytime soon. My monthly allowance was already spent on those knives and dinner the other night.

"I imagine ye could," Barmion agreed hesitantly. Then he shrugged. "We'll work today. Ye'll pay me when ye can, aye?" I glanced at the dwarf, frowning.

"Can you afford to do it?" I asked, trying to keep an even tone.

"Boy, I've had these collecting dust in me workshop fer years." He grabbed his hammer and slapped it against his palm, setting his bearded jaw. "It's not like I was suddenly going to sell them. They're rare and expensive. And I've been itching to have a challenge. Let's get to work."

"Ooh!" Yosfiz exclaimed. "I haven't seen a fire like that in a while. I'll leave you, boys, to it. Johann, bring that girl to the restaurant for dinner. After you clean up and change. Have fun!"

"Al-alright," I managed, guilt spreading out in my stomach. I don't want to put him out, but I do want to do this. My ladies deserve something nice. Barmion was already taking out various tools. He was smiling, which was only slightly less rare than it was on Lady Carmella. After his husband left, we got to work.

It was complicated. One of us would man the billows, heating the metals up to be malleable but not to melt entirely. We had to do them separately because, precisely like Barmion had said, they all needed different temperatures. Bloodsteel melted at about the same temperature as regular steel. The shadow adamantine Barmion called Fadesteel required it to be much hotter. Glowsteel, the celestial mithral, was actually much cooler. Myrnil, as always, was incredibly finicky.

The first step was to make wire. That started with us rolling the heated ingots in and drawing them out on one end, making rods. One of us would hold an ingot between a pair of pliers and roll the metal back and forth and the other would hammer at it, trying to keep it even and round it out. Once we had the four rods, I glanced around the shop. "Where's your wire draw?"

"Don't have one," Barmion replied gruffly, staring down at our work. I frowned at him.

"Doing this by hand will take a lot of time," I replied, thinking the problem through. "If you have a sheet of steel or clay, I could make one for you. It'll only take an hour or so."

"Nah, lad." The dwarf shook his head. "Got somethin' better." He stomped over to a wheel. It had a mechanism on the ground that was similar to the ground billow that he had designed. I moved to follow him, examining the machine for the first time. I hadn't recognized it and had ignored it previously. "Got a Skammbiktr." The pride was evident in his voice.

"Okay," I said slowly, trying to understand what I was looking at. The wheel was attached to a chain of iron and ended in a pair of what looked like pliers that had another strange mechanism on it. At the bottom, I saw what I recognized as a draw plate. You'd feed hot metal in one side and draw it out on the other slowly. It was slow work, but it'd make consistent metal wire. At least that much I understand. It looked like the draw plate was made of more Dwarven Blackrock. As were the pliers. I shrugged and turned to the dwarf, "I have no idea what this is."

"Told you," he responded with a haughty nod towards the machine. "Skammbiktr. It's like a wire draw. But better."

"And how does it work?" I asked. I'd like to think I was humoring him, but I was genuinely interested.

"Heat up a rod and I'll show ye," he responded. I did so, getting the Myrnil to a healthy orangeish glow. He gestured for a place to set it behind the plate and then enclosed that part and started screwing it into place. I walked to the other side and saw the familiar glow of the metal from the other side. When there was enough out, I attached the pliers to it, having figured that much out on my own, then clipped a little lock on it that would keep the pressure on the wire. He really is a genius. He gestured to the billow on the floor and I stepped on it. The wheel spun and drew the chain tight. I pumped slowly, drawing the chain in, which brought the wire with it.

"Do all dwarven forges have a... uh, Skammbiktr?" I asked, the word feeling strange in my mouth.

"No, most make do with a normal draw plate and a hammer or other such tool," Barmion responded properly. "Attached to the old ways. Which is fine. Legends say it was a gift of the elves. They created the first draw plate eons ago. Used it to create those mesh nets they call armor." He shrugged. "Work well, all told. But we refined it a little more, here and there. We got it and so did the gnomes. Not sure if that was through the elves or through us. But some of those gnomes refined it further. Made something similar to this. I perfected it, though."

"I can see that," I remarked, still pumping the billow occasionally. After a time, we had enough Myrnil wire and we moved on to the other metals. It was much faster than I was used to. Once we had the four strands of wire, I went about braiding them together. The different ductilities were a little complicated to work with, but I worked slowly and meticulously and got them into the shape I wanted them in. The final part was to heat them up again and seal them together. Barmion took over for that, using another tool I'd never seen before. It was some form of enchanted poker that superheated the head and immediately fixed strands together.

We didn't have any gems to put in them, but they didn't need any. Each of the four rings were intertwining bands of a glowing silvery metal, a blood-red steel, a matte black that countered the glowing braid, and finally, a line of the dark gray mercury-like material with a rainbow sheen that the other effects brought out beautifully. We finished them just after midday, and I marveled at them.

While I was admiring our work, Barmion grabbed the Mindsilver and started heating up the forge, eyes alight. "What's the plan for this one, lad?"

"I'm thinking a pendant," I responded, trying to work through exactly what I wanted to give Shari. She was complicated to get a gift for. I considered a bell so that I could hear her coming, but I figured that might get in the way of who she wanted to be. "Something small enough to be concealed but that still catches the eye."

"Right." Barmion considered my words, pursing his lips. "Two pendants then. Easy enough."

"Two?" I scoffed. "Why would she want two necklaces?"

Barmion shook his head, chuckling. "One fer her, one fer ye." He looked up from the forge back at me. "Obviously. Gods, how ye managed to trick four lasses into falling for ye, I'll never know."

"I... I still think you're overstating this," I responded with a shrug. I didn't hate the idea, though. I do like her. Just... not like that, I told myself, ignoring the shift in my stomach. "Shari hasn't fallen for me."

"Ye're daft, boy. But maybe that's what lasses like." Barmion shrugged half-heartedly. "I wouldn't know. I never paid them much mind."

"And are you sure that you're not just trying to upsell me?" I asked, sardonically. "You wouldn't just try to pawn off some old inventory on me, would you?"

"Might as well make a gold or two," the dwarf responded in kind. "Either that, or I start charging ye for relationship advice. And this gives me something to do with my hands."

I rolled my eyes. He set out a few casts that we could use and a few gems. There was a brilliant blue one that reminded me of her eyes. It was just large enough to split into two. One for each pendant. I was no jeweler, but I figured I could do a serviceable enough job with a jewel cleaver. I chose an oval cast that reminded me of her eyes and we got to work. Barmion melted down the ingot and poured the casts. I spent some time cutting and polishing the gems to a brilliant shine.

We worked in steady, pleasant silence, occasionally switching. As I had with the daggers, I took an etching tool and worked a vein design into the two pieces. Surprisingly, it wouldn't scratch easily, but it wasn't difficult to manipulate or etch into. It didn't take that long before I was finished and had what I had wanted. Barmion set the jewels easily enough and we got to making the actual necklace. He had some black leather and I had what I thought would be an amusing idea. Barmion made two chains easily enough with some of the leftovers, but I took a little and made a loop and a buckle. It wasn't hard and didn't take long. If she doesn't like it this way, she can always use the chain.

Barmion stamped the back of both pieces with his mark, a dwarven rune. I hadn't ever felt confident marking my creations, but Barmion pushed me to. I put a J, intersecting it with a circle next to his. Barmion nodded and had me do the same with the other. "Ye've still a fair hand. Better at whitesmithing, I think. But yer fair enough at blacksmithing, too. Amazing, considering ye should be out of practice."

"I'd like to do more, but I spend most days practicing combat," I said neutrally. Or at least trying to be neutral.

"Aye. And how do ye feel about that?" The dwarf asked, raising a bushy brow.

"Scares the hell out of me," I replied. Then shrugged. " But it's probably a good thing. Both that it scares me and that I do it."

"Aye. Ye've got a lot to protect these days. That's good that ye can. Too many of ye humans grow soft and complacent," Barmion said, boxing up everything. He took half the pile of the remaining platinum and slid it into a safe he had. "Take that and find the girl."

"I'll come around and pay you in full," I promised. "Figure out my bill."

"Aye, lad." He nodded, but he didn't seem concerned at all about it. "We'll get it done, but for now, get out. Take the cat somewhere nice. Need to close up for the day. We did a lot, and I need some energy for tonight."

"Tonight?" I inquired.

"It's Yossie and my anniversary," he answered, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Huh. Guess mine will be yesterday." I remarked, thoughtfully. "Weird, isn't it?

"There're only so many days," he responded, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't go looking into it, boy. Now git."

I headed out with my bags in hand. As soon as I was outside, a figure kicked off a wall and walked beside me. Shari didn't look at me. She had several bags of her own. I hadn't given her any money. But if they're in bags, it was likely that she'd bought them, at least. And she'd changed her clothes. She wore a white top and a light blue skirt that stood out starkly against her dark skin.

"I like your outfit," I remarked, stopping for a moment to adjust her hair. "But I think it's missing something."

"Oh?" She asked, eyeing me a little warily. "And what would that be?"

I didn't respond, instead choosing to dig through the bag until I found the two boxes with the necklaces in them. Barmion and I had made the pendants a little different. Something that we thought would suit each of us. I handed the one I thought was best for her to the Ipet-Mau. She took it and opened it. She froze for a moment, looking between it and me. The material was a light silvery-gray with a slowly shifting pattern of clouds. In the center, we had put a gem that matched her eyes as close as we could, with a line of Fadesteel going down the middle to represent her pupil. She took it out of the box and fingered the leather absently. "Put it on for me?"

I set my bags down and positioned myself behind her, taking the straps. I fit it around her neck. I had judged the size correctly. It fit snugly around her throat. It looked almost like a collar. She turned to face me, and I couldn't help but smile. She grinned back at me. She then took out the other box. "What's this one?"

"Barmion insisted we make a matching one for me," I admitted a little begrudgingly.

"Ah. I like this idea," the Ipet-Mau said brightly. She opened the box and took out the chain. She considered the difference for a moment, eyeing me with an expression crossed between amusement and chiding. She took a step closer to me and clasped it around my neck, fitting it a little tightly. It took me a moment to get used to the restriction and the new weight around my neck, and I shifted and stretched it out. Her smile softened slightly, but she didn't look less content. Just more comfortable. We picked up our bags and made our way back to the castle.

Before we got there, I noticed a familiar cart riding ahead. I called out. "Ahmed? Is that you?"

"Sorry?" The driver asked, as he stopped and turned around. Confusion was quickly overtaken by a wide smile. "Johann? My friend! It has been too long!"