Tracey
_Kiros moved about the smithy, being careful with his left foreleg. He grumbles a bit at a bit of soreness as he placed the leg down on the packed ground. He places a barrel of shallow water down by the anvil and shuffles over to the forge and a barrel of thin stock. His eyes move up to the old dwarf sitting on a chair nearby, "Nails... Fine... I'll see if I can fill the barrel..." He grumbles out. He lights the forge and waits a good bit, making sure the charcoal caught well and coming to heat.

After the forge got to temp, he started putting a few pieces of stock into the bed of embers and starts working the bellows with his right foreleg. He piles more charcoal as it burns down more and more, "We should get the coal from the dwarves..." He mumbles out. The old dwarf chuckles slightly before, "And hurt the local charcoal makers... Bah."

Kiros sighs at that, "Yer right... And I am not sure... If I can trust any dwarves outside Miller Dale... After what happened a few days ago..." He grabs his tongs and pulls out one of the stock and starts working with the hammer and the anvil, having set up the header tool earlier. A few dozen nails were made before Kiros spoke again, "And the sighting... Dragons are gone... It was just a bird... A big bird... But a bird."

An hour passed and the barrel was nearly half full... And all his thin rod stock ran out. Kiros sighs a bit and starts cleaning up after himself. He was tired... And sore..._
Florence
As Kiros finished what nails he could make, Bruwilyn entered the smithy, nodding at her father and Kiros. She set down a small bag of charcoal.

"Right," Bruwilyn agreed. "But even they're hurting. We had so much taken, all over the city." She sighed, looking down at the bag of charcoal. "Even those of us dwarves who've been here are starting to get looks. Everyone's on edge."

Bruwilyn helped Kiros clear up. "You should be resting, Warden," She smiled at him. "A fine title, indeed! You deserve it," She told the centaur. "What sorts of rewards come with that?"

Outside, Miller Dale still reeled from the twin shocks of the deadly dwarven raid and the dragon sighting. Coincidence that the two happened so closely together? 

Or providence?

Whilst Miller Dale's streets had been cleared of debris and bodies, buildings still buckled under the damage the raid had caused. The memorial markers in the Market Square attracted candles and flowers in memory of those who had been lost. The few vendors whose stalls had survived the raid moved elsewhere out of respect for the fallen. An impromptu board appeared in the Market Square as well, swathed in notices seeking out information on citizens who remained unaccounted for. 

The Dale's grimness had climbed when the dragon flew overhead. Like Kiros, some people tried to convince themselves that it was a bird or some other more easily-explainable creature. Others decided that those who had seen the dragon were stressed and hallucinating, traumatized by the attack. Still more regarded the dragon's flight over the recently-defaced city as a portent of doom.

Few citizens liked what the dragon sighting brought, which was adventurers and scholars and monster-hunters and the curious, who followed the rumours and began trickling into the city. They began filling inns. They began talking to residents who had seen the beast fly overhead.

And all were curious about the first confirmed dragon sighting in Eluaria in recent memory.
Xavier
*Having heard news of the major sighting of an actual Dragon, Marcus spent several days flying at breakneck pace to Miller Dale. Utterly exhausted from this, he lands a bit roughly a short distance from the city's edge - it wouldn't do to startle these people by landing in the middle of town so soon after a battle, he is a stranger to them after all.*

*Marching slowly and tiredly toward the Dale, Marcus mostly ignores the looks and whispers surrounding him from various folk surprised by his sudden appearance from the skies. A man with black wings? And wearing such odd clothing... Who could he be?*

*Marcus eventually asks a few people directions to a smith, and to the local Warden - hoping that the title Warden still means to these people what it means to Marcus' own people... But even if it doesn't, someone with such a title can surely still be helpful...*

*Imagine his surprise to discover that the Warden is actually a smith! And recently given the title as well! Apparently this smith was instrumental in the defense of the Dale - something that Marcus finds himself respecting. A common smith stepping up to defend the people? A noble deed for sure... Marcus finds himself optimistic that this Warden smith and himself will get along well.*

*Eventually Marcus arrives at the forge people have been kind enough to direct him towards. He stands outside for a short time, trying to think on how to introduce himself... But his tired mind doesn't cooperate. Sighing, the winged man steps up to enter the smithy...*

"Pardon my interruption, I am told I can find a talented smith and the local Warden here. Is this the correct place?" *Marcus speaks in a soft and smooth tone, his baritone voice easily heard over the noise of the forge but not overly loud...*
Jillian
*Ducking into the workshop with his goat, looking back outside through the mostly closed door as if checking to make sure they weren't being followed, a guilty looking Albright sags in relief against the door jamb before turning and giving his goat a verbal tongue lashing in an angry but hushed tone*

"That has to be among your top 10 worst ideas ever and let me tell you that list is pretty darn long. How many times do I have to tell you to leave people's shoes alone? Just because somebody leaves a pair of shoes outside where you can reach them doesn't mean they are giving you a gift. Most likely they were just left there because they were particularly muddy and they didn't want to track it inside the house. That does not give you leave to simply waltz over and help yourself to them. Hopefully the owner will think it was simply some vagabond children playing a joke on them and expect to come across their shoes a block or two away, perhaps even hanging from a wire." *The goat stands there ignoring the man as if he was a complete stranger. Once again, he cracks open the door to peek outside to make sure no one is chasing after them.*

*Satisfied that they seem to be in the clear he turns to see several people are in the room, some of whom seem to be looking right at him and the goat. Albright freezes, desperately trying to come up with a spur of the moment excuse for his presence and strange behavior, which clearly was not him simply ducking in here to hide. His eyes quickly shift around the room taking in the tools and the forge and a smile blossoms upon his face.*

"Ah-ha! I finally managed to track it down. The local forge I had been looking for." *Noticing Marcus standing there, he takes a keen interest in the man's wings and quickly takes out a pad of paper and begins taking notes as well as some quick sketches* "Well, it seems there is a line already, so you already have a customer to deal with. We'll just look around if you don't mind." *Glancing down at the goat, he decides to amend that*, "Actually it will just me looking around" *Looking sternly at the goat* "You are to sit right here, out of reach of anything you might consider editable. Don't even think of moving a muscle" *The goat continues to ignore him, as Albright starts wandering around the room looking at the equipment while he waits his turn.*
Tracey
_Kiros harrumphs, "When buildings are fixed... I'll rest." He carefully moves about, his lower half actually being an issue this time, his left foreleg still weak. He looks her over before, "More work... I have not received anything but the title." He sighs a bit before, "Sorry Bruwilyn, just... Annoyed... It has been a while since I had such an injury..." He moves to a corner that can better fit him, taking a broom and starting to sweep up small scraps he couldn't use to a place someone could gather them.

A moment later, he heard the gentleman call out. He looks up and his eyes land on the wings before the person. His gaze moved on to the person before slowly nodding, calling out, "Over here..." His voice was a bit tired. His gaze moved over to the man and the goat that came in after the other. His eyebrows rised slightly at the goat... Before nodding to them, "Bruwilyn can help you for now..." His gaze turns to here, "Please?"_
Florence
"Seems a good half the Dale's going to be carrying wounds for a while," Bruwilyn grumbled. She crossed her arms and shook her head at Kiros, grinning up at him.

"Stubborn," She muttered to the centaur as he began to sweep. "Just don't over-strain yourself." Bruwilyn turned to greet the two new customers before blinking at them... A winged man and a tall elf chattering away to a goat he had brought in.

"Ah, sir... Your goat ought to wait outside," Bruwilyn told the elf. Since the winged fellow seemed to want to converse with Kiros, she approached the elf.

"Anything I can help you with?" Bruwilyn asked.
Jillian
*Looking up, as Bruwilyn spoke to him.* "The goat will stay where I commanded it to" *Mumbling* "Unless it wants to be turned into glue" *Then in a louder voice,* "I honestly don't trust it outside. Goats can be quite resourceful when you aren't paying attention and this one seems too clever for its own good."

"As for myself, I was wondering if I might be able to help you. The town seems unusually stirred up for some reason and I thought I might offer my aid in the workshop. I am experienced with making mundane items and proficient with nearly any tool that might be needed in their making. I have years of experience under my belt and I'm no stranger to the heat of a forge. I wish I had some of my handiwork to show you, but I am new to the area and traveling light. I had to leave behind all but the essentials in order to make traveling easier. I would be happy to make something to show my skill if you wish. I am no stranger to tests of this nature."

*The tall elf with long white hair looks down at her with striking blue eyes that seem to sparkle with a twinkling light in their depths. His face looked at her with a seriousness that surprised her after the way he entered. Almost as if she were talking to a different person.*

"At the moment I find myself adrift in the world and I'm merely asking for a chance to be useful again."
Xavier
*Marcus nods at the centaur's acknowledgement, and steps forward, unbuckling his scabbard and sword from his belt, pulling on the hilt. Out from the scabbard comes a short jagged piece of metal... He then upends the scabbard and bangs it on a conveniently nearby table a few times so the rest of the blade pieces come sliding out, and arranges them on said table.*

*It is a simple and utilitarian blade, with the only ornamentation being a flowing line of script etched into the flat of the blade. The blade has broken into four pieces, the cross section revealed by each break uncovers a beautiful waving silvery blue crystal structure not seen on the polished surface of the blade, with white flecks dispersed throughout...*

"Business first I suppose. Are you capable of repairing or reforging my blade? I recognize you still need some time to recover from your injury, and probably have many jobs of higher importance, so let me ease your mind by saying I am not in any particular hurry right this moment."

*Marcus does not explain what makes this blade unusual, intending this to be a test of the smith's capability. If he is skilled enough, the smith will recognize that a small amount of the rare metals Mithril and Adamantine have been mixed into the steel.*
Jillian
*Intrigued by what Marcus is saying, Albright casually drifts over and peaks at the sword shards being laid out. His eyebrows rise in recognition of the metals and he draws in closer, like a moth to a flame. Without touching the pieces he carefully inspects them from various angles, looking at the stress marks, fracture lines, and small bits of crystallization in the metal where the cooling in the tempering might not have been perfectly executed. Reaching out towards the pieces, his hands hover over them while he closes his eyes, then removes his hand with a sigh and looks to Marcus.*


"Very nice, very well done indeed. I'm sure this piece cost you a pretty penny in raw materials alone and the smith who did the work was clearly talented. I'm not even sure I want to know what you were facing that was able to shatter it in such a way."

*He clearly wishes to say more on the subject, but he looks to the centaur, clearly remembering where he was and not wishing to overstep his bounds, not knowing how much the smith might know about it, he decides a simple explanation to Marcus might still be acceptable.*

"In the process of repairing a blade, some of the material is lost and new material of a similar nature must be added if the finished product is to be the same size and weight as the original. Without that material, repairs are still possible, but the new blade would be smaller and its balance and heft would be altered. Exchanging more common metals for the rare types used could offset that, but would ultimately make for a weaker blade than the one you started with. I'm sure there are high level magics that might be used, but I doubt anyone around here has such spells."

*Again, looking to the master of the smith, he bows.* "Perhaps I overstep my place and this good man has a better answer for your dilemma"
Tracey
_Kiros turns his gaze to the fractured blade, his eyes sliding up and down. He carefully grabs a blade piece and tests the edge slightly. He murmurs slightly under his breath, "Still sharp... Wickedly so... No rolling... Chips here near the break..." His eyes narrow at the striations within the cracks. He brings the piece closer to his eyes and angles it here and there, "Hmm... Is that... Huh..." He half listens to Albright as he analyzed the fragment.

He looks up to Marcus with a raised eyebrow, "Mythril and... Something else that is not steel... Not sure what it is... I am not sure I can repair this to your satisfaction... I have worked with mythril... I would most likely have to fold in more material... Steel and other fragments of mythril. As for the other metal... I am not sure how to work with it..." He sighs a bit. His hind leg taps in thought for a few moments before, "And how did this break anyhow? Mythril is nearly unbreakable on its own..." He looks to the wings briefly before, "A drop?"_
Xavier
*Marcus nods, understanding the Centaur's skill level and surprised by the wandering Elf's apparent knowledge. He lays the sheath down beside the broken blade before he responds.*

"Heh, no. Amusing thought... And I suppose it might break if dropped from high enough... But no." *He smiles, too tired to laugh at the suggestion he found so amusing, but not too tired to let it show that he found it funny... Though he does not yet answer how exactly his blade broke.*

"The blade is sixty parts steel, twenty-seven parts Mithril, and thirteen parts Adamantine. The steel does have a miniscule amount of other materials folded in as well... But that shouldn't matter terribly much in working this blade."

*He looks to the Elf and shrugs tiredly before continuing his response.* "I admit I am unskilled in the forge, and have little knowledge of actual metalworking... But do know enough to understand what you are saying. Though if the master who forged this blade tells true, you may be surprised by how little material is lost... Something about how this mixture of metals bonds to each other."

*Returning his gaze to the master of this forge, Marcus says softly:* "Thank you for your honesty. If you are not confident in working these metals, then have you any suggestions for who might be?" *He hesitates briefly before glancing at the Elf again, and continuing in a slightly skeptical tone:* "Or perhaps our wandering Elf might? Your speech implied having the pertinent knowledge..."
Jillian
*For the first time since entering the workshop Albright actually appears nervous. Not the ridiculous theatrical show of nervousness that he put on when he first entered, pretending that they might be chased as shoe thieves. Thin beads of sweat were slowly forming on his forehead as he eyed the sword pieces before him. This was just the sort of challenging project that sent a thrill through his body, it would prove his worth as a craftsman and if he was successful it would be easy for him to find worthwhile employment anywhere. It was like a golden ticket. However, it all hinged on success, and that was the problem. He wasn't convinced he could actually do it. He also wasn't sure how he could explain it to these gentlemen but he'd have to try.*

"Gentleman, you may find this hard to believe, but I'm not from around here. I'm honestly not even sure where here is compared to where I started. I remember walking through a portal and showing up here with a goat. I have a variety of memories of my life before I walked through the portal and in those memories I have worked with all of these materials. Adamantite is the most challenging of the three. It's not impossible to work with but it is time consuming. In that place as long as you had the coin to afford it, getting mythril or adamantite was as simple as walking to the market. There was plenty of it as long as you had the gold. The difference is that where I came from you couldn't work either of these materials without magic. It was as important to the process as having coal for your fire or having an anvil to pound on. Without it you could never combine the metals into your final product. I had command of quite a bit of magic at that time and therefore I had no struggles working with this material.

The magic of this world however has so far eluded me. I can sense it around me and I can tell when enchantments have been made but I no longer have the ability to cast spells or control the magic myself. The laws that dictate the physical world around us seem to be the same, so I am able to fully utilize my crafting abilities to make nearly anything as long as it's not magical."

*Turning to look at Marcus very seriously* "You claim to have some knowledge of the crafting that went into this sword. The critical question about whether I can repair this comes down to this: To the best of your knowledge, was magic used at all in the crafting of this sword?"
Tracey
_Kiros sighs a bit, his gaze looking between the two before, "I do not work with magic... I don't care much for it... But with the steel being the major aspect of this... Maybe I can just fold all of this together into a new blank and work it from there..." His gaze moves to Albright, an eyebrow raised, "A traveler from elsewhere... Hmm..." He shakes his head a bit in slight disbelief before, "And if I heated the parts enough... Could this be forged into a damascus?" He moves slightly back to where he was working on the nails. His gaze turns to Bruwilyn, "I will need coal..." He gives her a slight wry smile, "There should be a barrel of it in my wagon."_
Xavier
`A being claiming to be from another world? Most interesting indeed! If such were to be true, it would prove a theory debated in Windrunner scholarly circles for centuries...` - *Such would be Marcus' thoughts as he dips into the ethereal realm to view the Elf's aura...*

*Marcus had been actively suppressing the glow of his eyes until now, but as he gazes at the Elf his irises unmistakably begin to glow a faint blue color. With his lack of skill controlling the innate ability for his race, any creature with a deep enough connection to the ethereal would feel the slight tingling sensation common to interactions with such...*

` The dazzling swirl of bright colors is intense, revealing a man that is clearly both excited and nervous, in very good health, and having a substantial pool of untapped mana... Most interesting of all though is the wild and unique structure his aura takes. Marcus has never seen anything like it! The way it almost seems to battle with the environment around it, and how it clashes with the auras of the surrounding people, it's almost as if—— `

*Marcus closes his eyes and brings a hand up to rub his right temple - what a terrible headache! He mutters something under his breath that a keen eared Elf and Centaur in the room might hear.* "I really need to learn to control that better... Curses upon my teenage self."

*Stiffening his spine to stand up straighter, Marcus returns his gaze to the Elf, eyes still glowing though he is no longer looking into the ethereal.*

"I believe you. You have a surprisingly deep pool of mana that is shockingly untapped. If time permits, I would be willing to help you tap back in to it. For now though, let me respond to both you and..." 

*Marcus' jaw goes slack and he slaps his forehead now that he realizes something - what a fool he's made of himself!*

"Forgive my poor manners! I'm afraid I've allowed my exhaustion to make a fool of me. I've yet to introduce myself, or ask the names of anyone here."
** **

*He gives the Centaur a crisp military salute any drill master would be proud of, introducing himself in a formal tone tinged with mild embarrassment.*

"I am Marcus Publius, holding the rank of Praefectus in the Last Legion of His Majesty, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus-Aurora; and - though I must admit some hesitancy to proclaim it given the reputation other orders hold in the public eye - Dragonsworn of Lord Perno."

*He bows deeply to the Centaur, adding in a meek apologetic tone:* "Again, please forgive my poor manners in not introducing myself to the Warden in his own smithy."
Jillian
*Noticing the glowing eyes and the odd tingling, he is aware Marcus is doing something, but there is no feeling of magical energies being harnessed.* 'There are no words of power or even gestures. He is simply concentrating on me.', *Albright thinks to himself. Then he notices the pained expression and his mumbled statement which only serves to confuse him more. He feels a sense of relief that at least one person believes him and perhaps the most important given the challenging project lying on the table before him. He was further surprised at his knowledge of his manna and then he begins to piece together that he must have been using some alternate form of vision to look at details about Albright. It would be fascinating to learn more about it. The offer to help him tap into his manna leaves him skeptical.* 'As if I haven't already been trying that nearly every day since my arrival.', *The annoyed thoughts go through his mind.*

*Feeling the heat of blood rushing to his own pale face, Albright's spine stiffens in shock at his own poor manners* "I fear you aren't alone in displaying poor manners, good sir. I too have failed to properly exchange names as part of the ancient rituals passed down by our forefathers. Please forgive such rudeness. I don't even have the excuse of exhaustion. Merely that my curiosity and the love of crafting oftentimes gets the better of me and I forget my basic manners I was taught as a youth. My name is Albright, it is an honor to meet all of you."

*Turning to the master of the forge he struggles to find the words to appropriately describe how horrified he was at the plan to simply melt down the exquisite sword pieces and start over. The lines of rare minerals carefully running through the blade would be irreparably destroyed. The final result would likely be unusable and to Albright that is akin to destroying a masterpiece painting to use it as a tablecloth. It was one of the few times in his life that he realized nothing he said would come out of his mouth except insults to the master of the forge. With a snap, his jaw shut, clenching as he realized the futility of it.*

*With a pleading look in his eyes he turned to Marcus. Again he struggled with words that might sway this gentleman without insulting the smith. At last he decides that brevity, no matter how difficult it was for him, might be best.* "I think it would be unwise to simply destroy the pieces in hopes of making something new"
Xavier
*Marcus flicks his eyes back and forth between the Centaur, and Albright, hesitating to say anything before the master of the forge has the chance to introduce himself... But he relents and offers a brief snippet to calm the Elf.*

"I personally only know a little about the magical workings of the materials... But I do know that folding the pieces to make layered metal would work well. I am unsure how fully melting the alloy from this state to make a new blank will change its properties, and I confess I barely understand at all how the alloy would react to forge welding. As for if magic was used in the forging process... I am unsure... But more on that later, let us allow the good Warden to introduce himself."
Tracey
_Kiros blinks a bit before slowly nodding, "Business... Distracts me from niceties... My apologies. I am Kiros Metalhoof... Apparently a Warden of Miller Dale now..." His voice goes wry at the last bit. He gives a half smile before, "A journeyman in blacksmithing... Working toward Master ranking." His gaze moves to the blade, an eyebrow raising slightly, "Well... This could be my master work... Rebuilding a unique sword..." He looks back to Marcus... And then Albright. "Well... I can get started now."

A barrel landed next to him with a slightly huffing Bruwilyn, "There ya go Kiros..." He nods his thanks and picks it up carefully. He moves over to an empty forge and starts getting it ready. He sighs a bit before, "Bring the pieces here..." And he grabs the bellows and starts getting the coal to a workable state._
Jillian
*Nodding somberly*

"Well gentlemen, it was an honor and pleasure meeting both of you. Good luck on your endeavor. You have both reminded me how utterly useless I am without my magic and when I walked in here I thought I could build a life without it. In reality I will never be happy knowing what I have lost. I must continue my pursuit and make my way to the college in hopes of relearning what I need to learn to once again become what I used to be."

*He heads for the door* "Follow me goat, that's an order. And for God's sakes stay away from the shoes this time"
Xavier
"... Prepare the forge, but do hold for a moment please." *Marcus murmurs, before striding over to catch the Elf.*

*Placing a hand on Albright's shoulder, he looks the man in the eyes as if searching for something.*

"Are you ***Sure***, traveller? I meant it when I offered to help you... And you may yet be surprised to discover friends and a place to be useful here. Recovering what has been lost is undoubtedly important; but it can be equally fulfilling to discover the unknown."
Florence
As Albright made his way to the door, a young man was entering and nearly collided with the elf.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir," He said to Albright. His gaze fell to the goat, and his eyes widened. He peeked into the shop, not terribly surprised to see all the people inside.

Content to wait his turn, the young man slid into the smithy and stood aside. Wrapped in a small piece of leather, so he could avoid having to touch it with his bare hands, was a horseshoe.

A rather large horseshoe.

Completely caked in dried blood.
Tracey
_Kiros continues prepping the forge for the possible upcoming work. His gaze moves over to Albright, "If your so knowledgeable... You are welcome to stay..." He smiles slightly, his eyes drift about the shop for a moment. He nods to the young man, "I'll be right with you sir..." And he looks back to Marcus, "Last Legion? Lord Perno?" He shrugs a bit before, "So how did this blade break again?" He pushes for the info that was not given before, "Fire or ice?"_
Jillian
*Looking to the smith* "I expect this project will take weeks to complete following your existing plan. If you wish me to stay in the area, in case a complication arises that I might be able to offer advice on, then I can delay my plans until this project is done. However, I'm sure you don't need us lingering here while you burn coal or heat metal. I will make sure Marcus knows where I am staying so he can contact me if I am needed."

*Turning to Marcus* "It seems you wish to speak with me further? Perhaps we should leave the smith to his work and not bother him with our discourse. However, before we go, I would know more of this blood caked horseshoe that has just arrived"

*He looks to the young man expectantly, noting how he is dressed, what weapons/armor he is carrying, the state of his boots, the type of leather and the size of the horseshoe as well as the configuration of the nail holes*
Xavier
*Marcus nods to acknowlege Albright's words, turning to observe the newcomer as he responds to Kiros.*

"A combination of fire, ice, and strong opponents... I'll tell the story another time, after a good meal and some sleep. For now though, I too am curious about this horseshoe bathed in blood... However I do have a quick question for you Albright."

*Though he keeps the newcomer within sight, he turns his attention back to the elf.*

"Could you tell us more about your experience in working with Adamantine before you leave for the night? Even if magic were at play in the process where you came from, I'm hoping hearing it might revive my admittedly fuzzy memories of talking to the original smith, or inspire additional ideas for Kiros on how to approach the project."
Florence
"Oh," Said the young man with the horseshoe. "The gentleman who hired me was wondering if any of you knew any other farriers."

Bruwilyn, meanwhile, glared at the horseshoe.

"Well, you could indeed ask around, but none here," Bruwilyn said quickly, attempting to head off any would-be offers of help from anyone else present. "You might try on the east side of town, if Frostbraids won't deal with *That*, not that I blame him for a moment."

"I, er, I see." The young man sighed. Other than the horseshoe, he carried nothing of note: no weapons or armour. His clothing was of decent make but practical and well-used. He held up the horseshoe as the elf questioned him.

"It's... Well, it's for a warhorse. This was the one the younger Frostbraids got off before he had to stop. Mr Silivasti asked me to try to find someone else to reshoe the horse."
Tracey
_Kiros looks Marcus over, an eyebrow raises slightly before nodding. His gaze turns to Albright, "A week at most... The folding will only take a few days..." His gaze moves over to the young man, "The slave? He tossed his shoe..." He sighs a bit before, "It would be hard for me to shoe him... But I can do it... At a reduced cost. He fought well..." He sighs a bit before looking to Marcus, "This will only be a moment..." His gaze would move to the young man, "Bring the shoe over here... I made plenty of nails to put this in..." He doesn't seem overly bothered by the crusted blood, but then, if handed to him, he places it near the edge of the center of the forge, bringing it up to heat to ready to rework it._
Jillian
*Turning to Marcus with a sigh* "Your question may be quick but the answer will be long."

'How in the world am I supposed to boil down the metallurgical history of adamant and its various alloys, properties, usages and ways to apply it into simple terms that he might understand?', *He ponders to himself*

"First, some basic terms as they are often used interchangeably even though they have different meanings. I myself might call them different things depending upon who I'm speaking to and what I expect their level of knowledge is. Adamantite is typically a mixed ferrous ore found in areas where there was once volcanic activity. Adamant is the pure refined element that is made from the ore. Adamantine is what all the alloys are called that is made from Adamant."

*He paused here for a moment to let those definitions sink in, then continued* "That last part is critically important. As I'm sure you are all aware, each alloy has its own unique properties, applications, melting points, and ways it can be integrated into a finished product. Adamantine is no different. Therefore despite them having the same names, one alloy of adamantine may act and require processes completely different from another one of the alloys. Where I come from, the adamantine alloy had a standard formula and was produced in mass quantities, such that every time you used it, regardless where you purchased it, you could expect the same results."

'Hopefully that gives them enough basic information that they know where I am going with this', *He thinks before continuing on* "The alloy I used primarily had two properties that were sought after. It was used for strength as well as its uncanny ability to absorb energy, even from physical strikes. While some did use it for weapons, most used it with armor. It was applied as a coating and the tricky part was trying to get it to bond and have a consistent thickness that allowed you to get maximum coverage and full benefits that you were looking for. It was a very time-consuming process. Being proficient in the arcane arts was required because of the property of energy absorption. It wasn't that you needed a particular spell but you needed to be able to manipulate magic as you went in order to both bond the new layer to the existing armor as well as determine if the thickness was appropriate. If you didn't use enough then it would not be able to absorb the magic energy. Using more thickness than required did not ruin the end product but you would run out of raw materials before you were able to finish coating the armor."

"As you can see, my experience is drastically different from what was used to make your sword, but it is highly likely that the alloy within your sword is of a different composition than the alloy that I am used to working with."
Xavier
*Marcus takes on a thoughtful demeanor at Albright's words, and turns to watch Kiros and the newcomer interact. When Kiros mentions the word 'slave' he frowns and gives the newcomer a sharp gaze, but waits for clarification on the situation, responding to Albright instead.*

"I am quite intrigued... We have an active volcano in our world that brings Adamantite and nearly pure Adamant to the surface in abundance. The main thing making Adamant rare is simply the danger of the constant lava flows... And your mention of magic-assisted metallurgy sounds remarkably similar to long lost knowledge from the Second Age. Perhaps it was fate that brought you here at this time..."

*Marcus goes silent as he ponders the implications of what Albright has said. There is a chance Albright could help Marcus' people rediscover advanced metallurgy techniques lost to the ravages of time and war...*

"In any case, the techniques you speak of are far more advanced than I believe were used for my sword. Adamant sand was folded in to the metal in the process of making the starting blank, and the natural ambient mana in the environment did the work from there I believe. When you asked if magic was used in the process... What I don't know is if further magical manipulation was needed after the blade was formed."
Florence
The young man brought the shoe over to Kiros and handed it over. Bruwilyn, meanwhile, pressed her lips together but opted to remain silent for the moment.

"Thank you," He said, a bit confused. "When can you come by? I think tomorrow's best, he said."

He half-listened to the conversation between the elf and the winged man, eyes widening slightly.
Tracey
_Kiros places the shoe by the edge and looks to the young man, "I'll be over tomorrow with this reworked and ready to place it back on." He sighs a bit before looking to the other two, "This is a quite interesting discussion..." He moves slowly about, grabbing a few tools and setting up his work area. As he does this, his gaze looks to Marcus with a raised eyebrow, "And again, I ask, who is Lord Perno... And who is Lucius? I have not heard of that king..." His left fore leg stiffens with a recent move and he stops sudden with a hiss of pain and annoyance.

After a moment, the pain ebbs away and he reaches into a belt pocket and pulls out a mash of herbs and starts chewing. His face contorts to hint that what he chews is... Bitter... He moves again and grabs his tongs and hammer, pushing the shoe further into the lit coal pocket. The smell of burning blood would fill the area, along with a distinct smell of sulfur as he pushes fresh coal into the forge. He does this as he waits for answers._
Jillian
*He looks confused and contemplative at the news that adamant sand was used rather than adamantine alloy* "Really? The resulting product wouldn't be nearly as strong as I'm used to. No wonder it broke. I haven't really gotten the chance to work with pure adamant. All I have is book knowledge on the subject but from what I've read it wouldn't be nearly as strong as an alloy and using sand wouldn't help to increase the strength of the metal. I would guess that all it would do is provide some energy absorption, or perhaps help deal with fire or other elemental energies."

*He closes his eyes, concentrating, trying to see back through his memories to glean whatever other scraps of information he might have concerning the subject. Nodding his head as he opens his eyes* "Yes, I'm quite sure of it now. Adamant is extremely hard, but also very brittle. You would never want a weapon made exclusively from it except perhaps arrowheads which could likely penetrate any armor if they had sufficient force behind them. In that case you wouldn't really care about them shattering as long as they had done the job to get through the armor or plates of something like a dragon."

"The only thing making your sword stronger were the veins of mithral running through it. The adamant sand wouldn't help in that regard at all. In fact, it actually might work more like flawed crystallization in cast metal where it actually results in a weak point." *Shaking his head at the waste in such a thing*
Xavier
"You... Have a good point... I must still be missing information, because this sword was far from brittle. It had endured so much that the surprise alone of seeing it break nearly killed me." *Marcus sighs and shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose with his left hand. He grumbles something under his breath, then turns to face Kiros and does his best to appear calm and unbothered by the headache he has developed from his exhaustion.*

*Noting the pain Kiros seems to be experiencing, Marcus raises his hand and murmurs something. A blue glyph of some sort forms in the air over his upraised palm, and a second later jumps over to hover above Kiros' head, where it fades away.*

"I'm not especially strong in magic, but that simple spell should help relieve pain and reduce any swelling and inflammation. It lasts two hours."

"Anyhow, to answer you, Lord Perno is one of the Elder Dragon Lords. Long story short, my people did not abandon the Dragons to fight on the side of those accursed Blood Mages during the war millennia ago. We remained Dragonsworn, and our kingdom was destroyed entirely with the loss of the war. His Majesty Lucius Tarquinius Priscus-Aurora was our last King, and he gave his life leading a final assault against the Blood Mages to give a small group of survivors the chance to escape death - or worse enslavement - at their hands. My people have remained hidden ever since. I am the first to return openly to the world."

*He sounds both proud... And cautious. Generations of hiding away from the eyes of the world must have instilled a strong sense of caution, and fear of discovery...*
Tracey
_Kiros nods his thanks to Marcus, he chews the medicine for another minute before spitting it out into the forge, letting it burn off. He starts working on the shoe for a few moments before what Marcus said finally connects. His hammer pauses on the down swing, full stop as he freezes for a moment. He resets himself and comes down and fixes a dent. "So... Dragons..." He sighs a bit, "I thought they were long gone..." He grumbles a bit before looking about. His gaze lands on Albright and Bruwilyn before moving back to Marcus, "I have a feeling the sword... Is not your only reason here..." He returns to the work. His posture turning more focused to the shoe.

A few moments later, he pulls the shoe out, eyes it a bit... Fixes a dent there... And then submerges it into the bucket of water near the anvil, satisfied with how it finished. His gaze looks toward a wall where he has his hammer hanging, his war hammer... Then turns away back to Marcus, "So.. Will I start on the blade today?" His voice comes out a bit tired.. But hopeful. He wanted to work on this project.. To prove to himself... And others that he was ready to move on._
Florence
The young man nodded to Kiros. "Thank you, Warden. I'll tell Mr Silivasti to expect you tomorrow then." He drew a few coins out of a small purse he had been given, but, seeing as Kiros had already begun working on the shoe, he turned and handed it to Bruwilyn as the dwarf returned from the back.

"Good conversation you lot are having." Bruwilyn set the coins aside for Kiros later. "Any chance you can make me some more nails while you talk? I've got to try to find some more charcoal."
Tracey
_Kiros turns his gaze to Bruwilyn with a slight aggrieved look, "More nails... Always nails..." He looks again for any other stock that might have escaped the first gather. He eyes another half dozen rods a good decent length to work with and sighs. He looks to Albright, "I hate to ask this of a customer.. But could you bring over those rods over? They escaped my first gather... And they would work for the nails..." Side eyes Bruwilyn, "That is needed for the town..."_
Jillian
*Albright gives a large sigh, recalling why he came here in the first place to offer his help during the town's need*

"Come now Master Kiros. Any apprentice can turn out nails or work on horseshoes, your skills are needed to work on that sword, and your focus should be on that. Do not let yourself become distracted from the masterpiece you plan to forge. With your permission, I would be happy to take over the more mundane forging tasks that are brought here, freeing up your time and your attention so that you can do your best on this more demanding project."

*He heads over to the rods, removing his jacket and shirt, leaving his lean muscular torso bare. The clearly defined muscles on his forearms and shoulders, show that he is no stranger to swinging a hammer. He gathers up the rods, bringing them over to the anvil, looking them over and nodding before putting the first one into the fire and pumping the bellows lightly. Such thin stock does not require much heat after all to soften the metal. He pulls an odd device out of his pouch and it seems to unfold and change into an odd looking hammer with small attachments and bits protruding from it. From the handle he removes a pair of tongs which he uses to retrieve the glowing rod from the coals, with quick efficient strokes he parts the metal, flattens the head and adds a point with practiced ease, putting the rod back in the fire, then putting the nail into the water for a moment then to the side. He repeats this process over and over, without pause, lost in the work and seeming oblivious to anything else going on in the room until he eventually runs out of stock.*
Xavier
"Your are correct, Master Kiros. There are other reasons I pushed myself to fly here despite exhaustion." *He rubs his temples again... That exhaustion induced headache is getting pretty nasty... He allows some of his exhaustion to creep into his voice when he continues.*

"Chiefly, I would assume being a Warden, you have knowledge and have heard reports that might tell me more about this Dragon who appeared in the skies above... But that can all wait long enough for me to get some sleep and come back with a clear head. Nothing good ever comes from heavy discussions had while exhausted." *Marcus says as he watches Albright go to work. He nods appreciatively at the elf, and slides the pieces of his sword across the table closer to Kiros, indicating that the sword is in Kiros' hands to work upon now.*

*Marcus then pulls from his travel pack a small leather pouch. He opens it to retrieve three large silver coins, each about the size of his palm. He then pulls two small metal rods from within the pouch, each about the size of his pinky finger. One has the beautiful bluish silver of pure Mithril, the other has the chalky grey of Adamant. He explains himself in a very tired and strained voice.*

"The place we ended up hiding our people away in has very little gold, and even less platinum, but a surprising amount of other metals. These rods replaced gold for us long ago. I do not know their value in your market... But I believe this should be more than enough to cover your work... Or they could possibly be used in the repair I suppose... In which case I can pay more silver if needed... Until then, where would you suggest I go to find lodging for the night?"
Florence
"The Singing Shepherd, perhaps, but I don't know the state it's in at the moment. It was pretty badly damaged." Bruwilyn told the winged man before nodding to Albright. "Thank you kindly. I'll see you're paid for today. If it works out, well, we'll see then."

Bruwilyn followed the young man who had brought the horseshoe towards the door of the smithy but stopped. The young man disappeared into the streets.

"There's a few smaller inns near the centre of town, as well, and it seems lots of travellers are coming in. Heard of the dragon, like you." The dwarf nodded to the winged man. Then she pulled her hand away from the door and walked over to look at the proffered metal rods.

"Fascinating," Bruwilyn said, studying the metals. "Certainly something we can keep about. I'd say they'd cover it." Perhaps they even more than covered it.

"I'll be back, then," She said, stepping out of the smithy in search of supplies.
Tracey
_Kiros watches Marcus pull the smaller bars out with a raised eyebrow, "Curious... Curious..." And he looks to Bruwilyn as she leaves.. Nodding with her assessment before looking to Albright, "Um... Ahh... Thank you Albright..." He sighs a bit, grudgingly letting the other do more of his work before looking to Marcus, "Well... I will probably use some of these bars... To fold into the blade..."

He takes a deep breath, looking about for a second before grabbing tools and getting it all sorted to be easily assessable and nods to Marcus to carefully place the blade parts onto the coal. He starts working the bellows with one arm at the side... Then the other as he works the coal first to low red, then bright red, then orange... Eventually to white. He holds this for a few minutes as he eyes the pieces in the pocket. An eyebrow raises as it seems to take more and more heat... Then suddenly, the color reaches something that he could work with. "Albright, take a moment, grab the sledge" Quickly points it out. He grabs his tongs and starts stacking the pieces with a bit of quick layer of white powder between each piece. He sets the stack up and looks to Albright, "I'll hold, you swing..." He takes hold of the stack and nods. "Go!"_
Xavier
*Marcus will choose to sit on whatever convenient stool or chair happens to be nearby so he can observe... And would nod off not long after. He would wake if someone were to give him a shake, but otherwise he would sleep like the dead for a time... If the dead slept sitting upright...*
Jillian
*Albright hears Kiros call him over and he grabs the sledge, and he wears a pained apologetic expression on his face, as he participates in the destruction of a priceless work of a master craftsman. Each strike resounds through the air as his practiced muscular arms aim the sledge with precision at the stacked pieces, small sparks occasionally shooting off as he continues to hammer them. As the hammer fell, the blows felt like cracks in his own heart, over this mutilation. Tears glistened in his eyes by the time he finished and the metal needed to be heated again. He wiped them away, mumbling about the smoke from the coal.*

*He glanced over at Marcus, asleep in the chair, then checked on the goat who was also asleep by the door where he had been commanded to stay.*
Tracey
_Kiros watches the pieces forge weld after a couple more heat sessions. He nods to Albright, "That'll do for now..." He is sweating hard at this time, a good twenty to thirty minutes have passed. He looks to the work... And carefully checks it. It looks like it has welded properly. He smiles a bit, "The weld... It holds..." He sighs a bit, "Let's take a break..."_
Jillian
*Looking like he was mourning the death of his own beloved mother, he says*

"Well, I should probably take the goat for a walk. It's been hours and you don't want that sort of mess in here, especially with what he has been eating lately. Shoes don't look nearly as attractive on the way back out through that end. Don't ask me how I know..."

*Wandering over to the goat he says*

"I know, I know, I said we were leaving and then we didn't leave. I'm sorry I got caught up in things here. It happens to you all the time as well. Remember your so-called date with the fish lady up north? What do you mean it wasn't a date? What would you call it then...?"

*As they walked out the door for their break*
Xavier
*A forge is naturally a noisy place, so the sudden near silence as work pauses is almost as jarring as a smack. It is this absence of noise that rouses Marcus. He blinks, taking a moment to realize he had fallen asleep. He shakes his head, sighs, and stands to amble over and examine the new sword blank. He nods in satisfaction upon seeing the pieces had welded nicely. Marcus then wordlessly gives Kiros a salute, and turns to stride out the doors in search of a bed...*

*The crisp evening air is rather chilly after the almost oppressive warmth of the forge, and that chill provides a little bit of a shock - enough to clear Marcus' sleepy head for a short while. He takes a minute to just stand there, looking up to the sky and wondering which dragon paid the city a visit...*

*He sighs, and begins the trek to search for lodging. Marcus only makes it a short distance down the street before he notices the voice of Albright, talking at his goat as usual. The elf's amusing one sided conversation brings a slight smile to Marcus' lips, but then he recalls the anguished expression Albright had when he began working with Kiros on the sword... He frowns and decides to go speak with the elf.*

*Marcus finds Albright a short distance down the road, and approaches him. He waits for Albright to notice him before he speaks.*

"You seemed rather distraught back at the forge. Tell me friend, what troubles you about the work?"
Jillian
*Glancing up from the goat, he noticed Marcus standing there. He had a weary look on his face as Marcus asked his question. His weariness quickly turned to disgust and he spat into the dust to emphasize it.*

"I started down this path in life, good sir, because I wished to create, not destroy. Everyone wishes to participate in creating something that will last beyond their own lifetime. For some they build buildings for others they build governments or institutions or even revolutions. They participate in grandiose ideals that put them into the books of history so that their names will live on far beyond their own lifetimes. For those of more modest means and lifestyles they create children and families whose bloodlines will continue on long after they are in the grave. I am no different. I wish to craft wonderful objects that will live on beyond me having their own lifespan that could be measured in thousands of years rather than simply hundreds of years. The objects I create do not need to make kings or destroy civilizations or build new countries. They simply need to be well crafted, functional, and hopefully loved by those who use them."

"Every crafter I have met is much like a parent. They pour their energy, their time, their passion, and their love into their children. In the case of crafters our children are the things we make and we love them all dearly." *As he looks up at Marcus he has tears glistening in his eyes* "Today I had to destroy a child. It was a beautiful child that was loved and solidly built by an expert craftsman who poured their time and energy into making it the best that they could. I took a hammer to that child. I smashed in its face, I destroyed his soul, I pummeled it until it was unrecognizable. All that was left of it was a useless lump of metal. That child was gone forever. The love that went into it is lost. The soul is destroyed. Whatever that lump of metal becomes no matter how great or how small, it will never be that child."

"Tell me Marcus, and speak truthfully, if there were a child sitting here before you in a wheelchair that had broken legs and would never be able to walk again and yet she sat there before you with an adorable innocent face beaming up at you with love and trust and I handed you a knife and told you to stab her in the heart. Knowing that we were going to rip apart her body and use the pieces to build another child that had functional legs. Could you do it? Could you stab that innocent child who had known nothing but love and trust. Could you kill her, right here in the streets in cold blood in front of everyone?"

"That is what I did today. I don't think I'm distraught enough for the crime I have committed."

"Is that the fate that awaits all of my children? Someday each of them will be smashed and destroyed, broken down into their basic components so that they could be used to build something else that is deemed more appropriate. What is the point of it Marcus? What is the point of building anything when you know it's simply going to be destroyed?"
Xavier
*Marcus sighs and looks to the sky, sending a silent prayer to whatever gods or dragons might be listening... And a short moment later pulls his travel pack off his shoulders and rummages through it to find an almost empty bottle. The small amount of colorless liquid inside begins to faintly glow a shimmering blue as the light of the currently rising moon strikes it.*

"You're not going to want to hear this, but your comparison to murdering a child isn't quite fair... And I think you know it, else you would have refused entirely to help Kiros. But to answer your question anyway; no, I would not..." *Marcus gently, but with a subtle firmness and insistance places the bottle into Albright's hands as he answers. He nods to the bottle, informing Albright:* "This is Moonshine, from my family's brewery - and it's not the eye-watering, throat-burning junk brewed by country bumpkins. This is about as strong as a glass of barley whiskey; but it's smooth, cool, refreshing, and honestly soothes the soul... A bit like Elven Moonwine if the stories I hear are remotely close to reality. Tastes like... Well... It always makes me think of a mountain meadow full of wildflowers kissed by the moonlight... You'll understand if you drink."

*Marcus' earlier exhaustion shows in the jarring way he changes subjects and rambles on, but he seems clearheaded enough for intelligent conversation. He leans against a nearby fence post and gazes at the moon as he continues to speak.*

** **
"...Back to the child; while I would refuse to perform such a gastly act, I would however recommend amputation in a case where the legs are impossible to heal, and build her a pair of prosthetics and a better wheelchair... The child however, is flesh and blood. My sword, Harrier, is not."

"She is an inanimate object of metal, forged with incredible effort and skill over many hours full of fire, blood, and sweat. Created by a master smith to serve a purpose, a purpose she served well in for many years... And will continue to serve in with her rebirth. Harrier is not dead. Her body may be shattered, but she is not dead, not yet. Instead she sleeps, and cries out to be reborn so she may serve again."

"You see, Albright, the truth is that anything us mortals create will eventually succumb to the ravages of time. Some will last longer than others - perhaps even millenia... But eventually, our children will die. And yet we continue to create them knowing this - why?"

"Many religions seek to answer that question, but the truth is it is simply the nature of the purpose of life - to give a new generation the chance to experience their own lives, to learn, exercise their conscience and will, and to love. In many ways, our crafted children are the same. So the quesiton becomes not what is the purpose of creating it, but *What is the purpose it is created for,* And by extension and far more importantly: *Will it find fulfillment in serving its purpose?*"

** **
"Being an inanimate object does not mean a creation has no soul. The more time, devotion, love and experience that is put into creating a work, the easier it is for that creation to gain a soul of its own. Perhaps not a soul like us flesh and blood mortals... At least not at first... But a soul nonetheless."

"My people have a close connection with the Etherial - hence our glowing eyes. We can't see souls, but we *Can* See auras. I am not talented enough to see the auras of inanimate objects at a glance, but something I am as familiar with as Harrier?" *Marcus shrugs, leaving his explanation of this fascinating and unique ability at that, quickly continuing his meandering speech.*

"Harrier... She did have the beginnings of a soul... Still does in fact. She found fulfillment in serving her purpose. That fulfillment is gone now with her body broken. Her soul sleeps now, slowly fading into darkness as she sat in shattered useless misery - but she has a chance now to not fade away, but be reborn and find that purpose and fulfillment again."

*Marcus goes silent and contemplative for a brief moment, then gestures vaguely at the bottle of Moonshine.*

** **
"Tell me Albright, and speak truthfully as a craftsman whose creations are children. Is the work of an unparalleled chef, brewmaster, or baker any different? As part of the family that brewed that, I can honestly say you can hardly imagine the effort, expertise, craftsmanship, sweat, blood and tears that goes in to each bottle. Every drop is, to use and adapt your words: `a beautiful child that was loved and smartly distilled by an expert craftsman who poured their time and energy into making it the best that they could.`"

*Marcus sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose as his headache has returned in force. He hopes that his words are reaching Albright, and in the way that he intends them to be received, because he has one more thing to ask the elf.*

"So, Albright..." *Marcus finally turns to gaze into Albright's eyes again, his own glowing faintly like the moon he had been watching.* "Will you help Harrier to be reborn? The love that went into her was not lost. She is not a useless lump of metal. She is not gone forever, and her soul is not destroyed... But that lump of metal is brimming with potential that can become something for her soul to reside and continue to grow in."

"Will you contribute to the growth and life of this creation's soul? Will you add your unique experience, knowledge, and expertise to her reborn physical form? Will you add the joy you find in creating `wonderful objects... Well crafted, functional, and loved by those who use them` to Harrier's soul, and give her a chance at a fulfilling life again? Or will you add misery, regret, and pain, or perhaps even walk away?"
Jillian
*He looks at the bottle he was handed, vague curiosity on his face as he swirls it around a bit, watching it glow in the moonlight. Shrugging, he hands it back to Marcus.*

"It sounds like a remarkable brew. Perhaps I will get a chance to try some eventually. You are already intimately aware that I am not in the mood to have my soul soothed at this time"

*He observes the man's exhaustion, wondering why some feel the need to push themselves near to the point of breaking, while others rarely even challenge their own limits. Such variety among individuals, even from the same race.*

*The topic of amputation is broached and Albright raises his eyebrow at the concept*

"So, you are saying you would advocate attempting to fix the child rather than ripping her apart into chunks to build another. What a novel concept. Why didn't I think to recommend such a thing?" *He said dryly to Marcus, looking at him with accusing eyes*

"We have different viewpoints on the topic of items. I certainly believe some of them have souls. I've seen it for myself." *For some odd reason he turns to look at the goat a bit fondly* "Not that they always turn out the way you hoped they would. The ones I'm most familiar with, the seeds for them were planted by the craftsman who created them. I know they can grow and change over time, they can even develop personalities. I have never been around to witness the utter destruction of such an object and I have no knowledge if the soul would survive. I suspect it wouldn't. A similarly talented craftsman remaking the object might be able to imbue the seed of a soul within the object. It would not be the same soul. Over time, with the same owner and similar circumstances the souls might develop similar patterns or even similar personalities as the original one. It's only natural that such a thing could happen." *He shrugs as if it really doesn't matter*

"As to your question about culinary craftsmen, you didn't even have to reach that far. I have certainly brewed potions as well as made ammunition and other objects that are intended for a single use. I make them, knowing full well that they will not last. Their purpose will be fulfilled all at once, with a single usage. I assume the same can be said of bakers and brewers and chefs. In fact, one could argue that for them their children will simply die on their own whether they are used or not. The shelf life of something that is brewed is considerably longer but it is not infinite. It applies quite a bit more to the products created by chefs and bakers. A loaf of bread will only last so long. Most would say it is best consumed while it is still warm in order to get the full effect of it."

"Will I help Harrier to be reborn? No."

"The sword that comes out of this process may be better or it may be worse. The one thing I know is it will not be the same. Harrier, the sword you grew to love and who served you faithfully is gone. The last chance it had to be whole again was smashed by a hammer wielded by these hands. The corpse of your sword will be shaped into a new one. I suggest you start thinking of a new name for it is bad luck to reuse the name of another."

"I agreed to help in this process, to lend my knowledge and my skill in whichever way it could be helpful. I have no intention of refusing to honor that commitment. My one request was that I did not want to be around to witness the destruction of the sword and instead I felt I was pulled in against my own desires in order to destroy the sword with my own hands. I will help form this new creation even though it might be the last object I ever create. If you feel my misery and regret that is lodged deep within my cracked heart will poison the final product then you should ask me to walk away and I will honor your request and leave to begin searching for my own answers as to what will become of my life." 

"You should go and get some rest. You look dead on your feet and you are of no use to anyone while you are like this."

*With a heavy heart, calls to the goat and they both return to the smithy to continue what was started.*
Xavier
"... I think you're wrong... I wish I could show you what I see, but I won't waste breath arguing over it. Part of the beauty of life, is that people can have differing opinions... Though I wish you could see what I do with Harrier. If you listen closely, perhaps you might hear her sing as you shape her anew?"

*Marcus sighs, not sure if the elf heard all that was said as he walked away, but the elf is right - Marcus may as well be dead on his feet. So he looks down at the bottle Albright refused, and meanders back to the forge. He places the bottle just inside on a countertop near the doors, then walks off into the night to search for lodging.....*
Florence
Bruwilyn, after some time, returned. She had located charcoal but ended up passing it along to several families who needed it more. With her initial quest unsuccessful, she managed to secure some pastries during her return to the smithy.

Bruwilyn apoeared at the tail end of Marcus's and Albright's conversation. She waved at them as she took the basket of pastries back into the smithy.

"You should take a break, Kiros," She told the centaur. "Overworking yourself won't do anyone any good in the end." Bruwilyn set the pastries on the counter.
Timothy
*[reminder ping to keep thread active]*
Tracey
_Kiros looks over to Bruwilyn and nods a bit, "Yer right..." He sighs a bit... Looking down at the blank. He sighs a bit, "Well... This is gonna take a few days..." His gaze turns as he hears Albright come in, "Get some rest... And.. We can work on this more tomorrow..." He starts cleaning up his area, sweaping up the scale from all the work. A good half hour later, he places the tools up and nods to Bruwilyn, "I'll be outside..." And heads on out, carefully not knocking anything over._
Jillian
*Hearing Kiros call it for the night, Albright and the goat head out, following the path Marcos took to look for lodging. He is oddly quiet, not even talking to the goat. Meanwhile the goat which normally ignores Albright seems to watch him with concern, not even stopping to eat some tasty looking shoes along the way that had been left out for him by the door. They find an inn relatively quickly, unsure if it is the same one Marcos might be at. He books lodging for the night then settles in the common room to get some food. He orders for himself and gets a couple of side dishes for the goat. The servers looked unapproving at the goat but honestly, they had seen worse and so far it wasn't causing any problems.*

*Closing his eyes in emotional weariness, in his head he keeps hearing the sound of the hammer striking the metal and the imagined screams of pain from the sword pieces he was destroying. He wears a look of utter devastation upon his face and his heart is left aching with the pain. After their meal, he heads up to his room with the goat and lays in bed attempting to quiet his mind and drift down into his trance that allows him to rest and recharge. His visions that night are deeply disturbing. The trance allows his body the rest it needs, but his mind is tormented and feels equally exhausted in the morning.*

*He returns to the common room in the morning for breakfast, wondering if he will see Marcos again. His eyes wear a haunted expression as he sits quietly at a table waiting for his food and staring into the cup in front of him.*
Kimberly
A pink haired elf stood at the other side of Albright's table. He had only arrived in town the night before. Though he had word of recent events upon the road. 

 Keladan was holding the goat in both hands, though... Something was wrong. It was paralyzed stiff, like a statue or a taxidermy. The enchanter placed the goat back down on the ground. Glad to be rid of it.

"Surely I would not expect one of my own kin to be in possession of such a ruthless beast~ yet everyone says it belongs to you."

After several long moments, and probably outrage on Albrights part. The goat unfroze, the thing had been momentarily paralyzed. It made a goat noise before promptly returning to chew upon Keladan's boot. Which this right there was what started the whole fiasco in the first place.

"You owe me a pair of new boots." 

He said this, gesturing towards the gnarled left boot, and the goat there.
Jillian
*At first there is no response from him as he just continues staring into his cup. He gives no acknowledgment that he knows he has been spoken to, or even recognizes the language.*

*After a minute or so, the words finally seem to sink in enough, and he turns to look at the elf and the goat, staring blankly at both. Finally he blinks and replies in elvish*

"Nope" *Returning to staring into his cup*

*After a brief pause, he adds* "Don't trust the goat"

"Or so I have heard."

"I also hear it bites."

"Oh... It also has a thing for shoes, so be careful."

*Looking down at the goat chewing on one of the boots* "See? I try to warn them, but they never seem to listen."

*He goes back to staring forlornly into his cup, apparently having exhausted his wisdom on the subject*
Kimberly
*This elf seemed to be quite forlorn. Keladan had been that way a good few times~ so he had zero sympathy.*!! Damn goat. Which it clearly was *His* Goat. Keladan hastily, and frustratedly got out another paralysis charm. Hexing it into the beast again, this time when it fell over. Kel didn't pick it up. He pulled a chair and helped himself to a seat.

"I am not they, but if it cannot afford boots~ Than at least breakfast.. And if not that. Than be it a binding contract. Enchanted of course."

 The moon elf gave an imp like grin, but his eyes took on a dark glint at his final words.
Jillian
*'Binding Contract' caught his attention and he looked up at Keladan with a look of hopeful glee.*

"You wish to bind the goat to yourself??? Be my guest. It doesn't belong to me. It would be nice to have someone else suffer with its company. If you're willing to do that I would even buy you breakfast!"

"Just a warning though and I'm certainly not trying to talk you out of it. I was serious, don't trust the goat."

"Oh, you should also not kill it. I believe the body is housing some malevolent force, such as a destructive chaos lord, hell bent on the destruction of civilization. You don't want to let one of those go wandering around free. It is better off stuck in the goat. I mean, I'm sure it doesn't think it is better off. I think civilization is better off with it stuck in the goat." *Clapping his hands excitedly* "At least it won't be my problem anymore. I wish you the best of luck with that. Remember, no take backs." *He started humming a happy little tune already thinking about his life without the goat.*
Xavier
*Marcus wanders in to the common room around this time, his wings catching the attention of many patrons of this establishment who missed seeing him last night. He pays them no mind, and simply wanders over to the barkeep to order a breakfast. He has a noticable bounce to his step - the man is markedly different from last night. Sleep must have done wonders. He seems downright chipper this morning, and the dark rings under his eyes have pretty much vanished.*

*Having noticed Albright is interacting with another elf, Marcus chooses an empty table next to them and sits down, awkwardly spreading his wings out to avoid crushing them against the chair's back. As he waits for his food, he listens to the tail end of what Albright is saying and quirks an eyebrow in amusement. Trying to get rid of the goat it sounds like? He glances down to check, and laughs a little as he realises the other elf has a boot that has clearly been chewed upon by the goat.*

"So that's what this is about, the goat got to another pair of boots." *He says to nobody in particular, amusement coloring his voice.*

*Marcus sits there observing the pair of elves, waiting patiently for his food. He doesn't intend to interfere for now, but he would offer to pay for a new pair of boots if things start getting... Heated. He wants Albright to help Kiros reforge Harrier after all; Marcus came to believe as he slept on the thought that finishing the project, and completing a reforged blade for Harrier's soul, might help the elf find joy in the work again. Pouring energy into something like that is cathartic, and might make Albright realize Harrier isn't quite dead... And he hopes that in that time he will be able to figure out some way for Albright to peer into the Etherial like himself.*
Kimberly
It was difficult for Kel to suppress his amusement. This unhinged elf was... Clearly mad. Even if that goat was perhaps actually a vessel for some otherworldly entity. Kel took him at his word for regardless. He continues on in elvish.

"Certainly not- The contract would be *For you*. One has to sign it anyway for any magic to take hold. I care not for that troublesome beast. Only my boots friend el'thren."

 It was too early for trouble yet, Keladan was feeling chaos on the air. Instigating was not what the elf wanted to do but... His damned boot...
Florence
A barmaid approached the table. She was a short young human woman, and her eyes had been drawn, as many patrons' eyes had, to the winged man, the pink elf, and the elf with the mangy-looking goat.

"Would you gentlemen like anything for breakfast?" She asked. "Only... The goat ought to go to the stables, sir," She told Albright.

Another woman, an older one, brought Marcus his breakfast. "Here you are, sir." She slid the warm plate of food onto the table in front of Marcus. "Careful. Plate's hot."

Then the older woman shoved her fists onto her wrists and sighed. "They just keep coming," She mumbled to herself before she strode past an increasing number of patrons and back into the kitchen.
Jillian
*He looks angry as the barmaid walks away*

"Oh, sure. I get blamed for everything the goat does, just because it follows me around. First I get maneuvered into destroying an irreplaceable magical object, now I'm blamed for boots by an Elf who first gets my hopes up about taking the blasted beast away, then goes back on that. Now I'm told my breakfast order that I placed half an hour ago is somehow lost and I need to take my stiff goat elsewhere!"

*Getting up, he picks up the goat off the floor* "That's it. I've had enough. Clearly we aren't wanted around here."

"Sorry Marcus. Even I have my limits. I was already at my breaking point and this was my last straw."

*He pulls out a broom from his pouch as he is walking out the door. Outside he mounts it, speaking the command word and takes off into the air heading out of Miller Dale in a SW direction*
Xavier
*Marcus groans, smacking his forehead with a palm and muttering a few choice words under his breath. He quickly stands, tossing a few coins on the table to pay for breakfast, yelling to the barmaid:* "I'll be back, just bring me some food when I return. Gotta chase after a frustrated elf."

*He gives the other elf (whose name he still doesn't know) an apologetic shrug, tossing a few coins at him to pay for the boots, calling out over his shoulder as he runs out the door:* "You can wait, or not, up to you."

*The instant he is outside, he spreads his huge wings and leaps into the air, leaving a could of dust behind him as he takes to the skies.*

*A trained military man at heart, he doesn't take long to find Albright. Even with his head start - unless he is flying extraordinarily fast - it wouldn't take very long for Marcus to catch up to Albright.*

*Yelling to be heard over the wind whistling past as they fly, Marcus says:* 

"I know I can't understand everything you're going through, but I can understand being depressed over death or destruction and frustrated with the idiots around me. What say you we have a short chat before you run off?"
Jillian
*Albright is not flying terribly fast (roughly the speed of a horse at a normal trot), because it's just a basic flying broom. No fancy upgrades or on-board entertainment systems.*

*Yelling back* "I listened before and regretted doing so. I was a fool not to follow my gut and leave the first time and now my soul is torn asunder. I'm done listening to others and it is time I followed my own path. With luck, you can find me at the college if you still wish to speak at some point in the future. For now, leave me be to suffer alone and figure out if I can heal from this gaping wound"

*He continues on his SW course, like a man riding a goat, next to thoroughbred race horse*
Xavier
*Marcus sighs - which of course can't be heard over the wind, but the body language is unmistakable. He fishes in one of his pockets for something and gently glides over close enough to hand it to Albright. He will hold it out expecting the elf to take it.*

"Very well, then at least take this with you. It is a Scrystone; simply submerge it in a bowl of water - or any other sufficiently large container of water, even puddles will do - and say my name. It will take mana from the last person who touched it to create a two way scrying mirror we can talk to each other through by linking to my own copy of this object. If my judgement of your mana vessel is correct, it will take about half your reserves to do this. Use it to contact me if you ever are in need of anything."

*The object is a small dark gemstone of some sort with intricate runic carvings. The carvings are filled with silver, and the whole thing is encased in a drop of bubble-free glass tinted a faint blue. The craftsmanship alone... This is not a cheap item.*

*Marcus will hold the Scrystone out until either Albright takes it, or until he tires of waiting for the Elf to take his gift and instead just reaches over to deposit it in whatever pocket, pouch, bag or satchel is available... Then he will give Albright a salute before parting with the words:* "A shame we must part so soon, I would have liked to become friends and discuss magic theory with you; but such is life. May your journey be safe, and may you find success wherever the winds of fate lead you."
** **

*Marcus will then return, the wind from his wings stirring up a cloud of dust as he lands outside the doors and strides back in casually. He's only been gone maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, and of course the common room is even more packed than before with patrons eagerly devouring their morning meals... Marcus sighs again, expecting he will be waiting some time for a hot meal, heading for what seems like the only available seat as he scans the room in search of that other elf... Whatever his name was. He didn't seem like the type one wants to leave... Unsatisfied shall we say? Binding contracts, enchanting powers and a trickster attitude... Marcus shudders at the thought of what the enchanter could probably do to him if angered...*
Kimberly
Kel stood there for a bit, before taking a seat. Elves were such a theatrical lot. Whatever had been going on with that one and his goat~ Kel was glad not to be a part of it. Though he was still quite upset about the boot. 
Saying something to himself quietly about "Designer" And "Not merely enough to cover a mending". He would have to attempt to enchant it back to a normal... Unchewed state.


 After some time, more folks gathered in the tavern due to the tantalizing smells that started sneaking their way out from that kitchen. The plate piled high with potatoes, eggs and bacon at Keladans table was looking quite good as steam rolled off it. Usually the elf would prefer a light breakfast of fruit and a pastry... Though he slid the food across to himself even though he wouldn't be able to eat it all. Figuring that elf wouldn't be returning. 
It was quite good~ and improved the enchanters mood a fair amount..
Tracey
_Kiros rested the night away, leaning against the side of his cart. As the sun rose, he woke and went inside the smithy. His gaze sweeps the area before nodding. He waves a hello to Bruwilyn and the master smith and heads over to his work area. He starts prepping the area for work, getting his tools sorted and fuel in a place of easy access. He starts the forge near him and waits for it to come to heat. He places the bullion into the hottest part of the coals and waits._
Xavier
*Marcus is about to take a seat when he spots the other elf sitting nearby eating a breakfast of potatoes, eggs and bacon... Which piques Marcus' interest. Most elves that Marcus has had the chance to meet have a tendency to avoid meats. He sighs, and wanders over to take a seat opposite the elf.*

"My name is Marcus. Sorry about the late introduction, and for this morning. Albright has been... Struggling with a wound to the soul. I would like to set things right in his place, as I am somewhat responsible for his struggles and poor mood. Are the coins I provided sufficient to pay for repair or replacement?"

*He waves to the barmaid as he speaks to the elf, giving her an apologetic look and shrugging. Marcus will need a new plate of food thanks to his impromptu chase after Albright...*
Kimberly
With a raised pink eyebrow, Kel gestured towards the plate. Which still steamed and was still too piled on with food, despite the fact Kel had ate his fill. The elf sat back, and the seastone at his ear dangled. He ignored the bit about if the coin was enough. 

"I'm finished if you'd like to have this, it would be a waste~ er.."

 *The enchanter flicked out a hand gracefully and snatched up a piece of bacon.*

"Whatever are you looking at me like that for? •I was unlearned of my ignorance~ I prefer pastries but, meat is good." 

"Now... Well to be frank I find it quite hard to believe you put a demon in that elve's goat and drove him to madness?"
Xavier
*Marcus chuckles, and gratefully takes the offered plate of leftovers. The sooner he finishes breakfast, the sooner he can get back to the forge with Kiros after all.*

"It's nothing like that, no demons involved. Albright... He's just a craftsman at heart. We may have pressured him a bit to help forgemaster Kiros and I reform my broken sword. He considered my sword a precious work of art, and was devastated by our choice to make a new sword from its pieces rather than weld the pieces together and keep the art relatively intact. It made him wax philisophical about the creations of true craftsmen that pour their hearts into their work being like children to the craftsmen; and he began questioning if it was worth it to him to continue being a smith if his work would eventually be cast aside and melted down."

*Marcus military nature shows in how he is able to eat the food quickly between sentences. By the time he is done talking there's only a few bites left on the plate, which he promptly snaps up. He waves down the barmaid to request a light drink to finish the meal with, juice if available, tea if not, and quirks an eyebrow at the pink haired elf who still hasn't introduced himself...*

"Would you like a drink as well? I'll pay for it."