The heat of the forges kept a light sheen of sweat formed as Ocieros toiled his way through yet another day. The ground outside wasn't the most fertile, yet most of the streetwalkers seemed to be. It provided him with a way to support the two young ones, seeing as how Joed spent all of the coin he'd earn drinking away his sorrows. The sting of the hammer's strikes rang through his hand as a new blade formed on the anvil before him. The blacksmith was more than eager to take him in after he'd come back from his second war. "You have to be pretty damn familiar with the ways of steel to make it back from war," the grizzled old man would laugh.<br/><br/>Speaking of the bear of a man, a callused hand tugged on his shoulder. "You've been working hard this week, go ahead and head to those sisters of yours. Here, a gift from me." The small bag of coins wasn't much. But it was enough to buy some bagged roast from the markets, a change away from the poor food they usually had to scrape together. Times had been hard on them ever since the pyre. People looked at them the wrong way. Treated them like heretics, or lame. Other than fighting for the glory of the church or arming them when at peace, there wasn't very many a soul that'd take his work for coin.<br/><br/>Carmine was outside with her pail and washboard when Ocieros came home. "What's that you've got Ocieros, you're supposed to be out working, not hunting." The shrill pitches of her voice were probably why she hadn't been married off yet. She had Joed's best features, but was about as hospitable as a badger. Tossing the roast towards her, he sat down, taking off his leathers and chucking them into her wash pile. "A gift from the blacksmith. I think he must be going blind or something Carmine, I think he's getting an eye for you." His jest was light hearted, they both knew the blacksmith was a loyal man, yet Carmine took offense to it still. "By the way, where is Neris? I was supposed to train with her today," he grunted, getting back up to make his way inside.