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Which I like, a lot.
One curious girl comes up to me and touches my hand. She steps back when I turn to look at her, and then, to my surprise, shifts into a wolf pup. My instinct to bend down and pet her is strong, but I resist, not knowing if that’s allowed here or not. I look over at Lady Scarlet, and her expression is one of intrigue. She must find me interesting too.
The wolf pup drops back with the other kids, and I laugh, my gaze moving to Lady Scarlet. “I don’t think I’ll ever not be shocked when someone shifts. I knew shifters existed, but you all were more myths than real beings in my mind.”
“When you put it like that, I suppose it does sound kind of strange,” Lady Scarlet says, smirking. Then she shifts right in front of me.
I gasp, then a shocked giggle becomes a full fit of laughter. We’re making our way further into town, Lady Scarlet in wolf form, when a familiar smell wafts my way, and I see that we’ve come upon the shifters’ forge. My heart squeezes, and I increase my pace to reach the shop. Beside me, Lady Scarlet has to trot to keep up.
Deciding to explain without giving away too much detail, even if she can’t answer, I say, “I enjoy Metal Magic, so the forge has a special place in my heart.”
She shifts back into herself as quickly as she’d shifted into a wolf in the first place. Which is still weird, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. Hopefully. “Let’s check it out then.”
Huh, I guess they can understand me in wolf form.
I cautiously enter the shop, excitement already brimming inside of me. The heat hits me first, and then the smell of coal. I smile, seeing the blacksmith near the fire, poking the coals with a poker.
This feels like home in a good way.
When he glances back at me, his eyes widen. I guess being a strange woman, or being with Lady Scarlet, means he already knows who I am. “M-ma’am, I mean, Princess, how can I help you?” the blacksmith stutters, followed by a little bow. He seems nervous, though I don’t understand why.
Maybe because I’m a ‘killer witch’? Oh, right.
My gaze moves over him. He looks to be about the same age I am. He’s like a young Baldemar, with dark hair, dark eyes, and huge arms. He’s covered in a layer of coal and dirt, meaning he’s already been hard at work for hours even though it’s still early.
My heart hurts a little. Seeing this man, I miss Baldemar even more. From my limited experience, Blacksmiths seem to have a look about them.
Forcing aside those sad thoughts, I put on a smile. “Hi! I’m Princess Tara. And you are?” I hold out my hand to shake his.
He looks at his dirty, ruddy hands and wipes one on his apron before sticking it out to shake mine. I shake his hand heartily, not caring about the dirt. “I’m Rivet Smith, M–Princess”
“It’s nice to meet you, Rivet.” My gaze sweeps over the room. “This is a nice forge you have here.”
His cheeks heat, obvious even through the soot, and he looks at the ground. “Thank you, Princess.”
I move around it, touching a shield on the wall, running my finger over a sword. The whispers of the metal are there, light and not overwhelming, unlike the way it’d been in the Deadly Passage. These weapons haven’t experienced war yet, and haven’t bonded with a master either.
“How long have you been a blacksmith, Rivet?” I ask, as I continue to explore the room.
Rivet’s energy changes, and he smiles. “Since I could hold a hammer. My dad was a blacksmith, and his dad before him. It’s in our blood. We got molten metal in our veins, it seems.” He runs his hands through his black hair, probably getting more dirt in it, but there’s no reason not to; he’ll be covered in coal, head to toe, by the end of the day.
Smiling, I kneel down and look at his fire. He’s in the middle of making a sword. Perfect. And his forge is twice the size of the one back home in Baldemar’s shop, if not more. He must be busy with his work. I bet he could benefit from some help. “Generations of blacksmiths. Music to my ears. Back where I used to live, I was basically the apprentice to the blacksmith, Baldemar. I miss it, and I miss him terribly.” I look around his area, catching Lady Scarlet staring at me with more confusion.
I try to think if anything I’m saying might lead to her learning how bad I am at magic, but see nothing wrong with what I’ve said up to now. I need to be cautious, but this conversation is fine. There’s no reason I can’t be a badass witch who's also good with metal.
“I’m sorry to hear that you’re missing your… old blacksmith, my lady,” he says, seeming unsure about how to answer.
He doesn’t need to worry about what he says or how he says it, not with me. Something I’d love for him to learn sooner rather than later.
I point to the sword in the fire. “Do you think I could help you with that sword you’re working on?”
Rivet’s expression bounces between happy and nervous, but Lady Scarlet looks at me like I just shifted.
Giving them both what I hope is a reassuring smile, I say, “You’ll see. Just trust me, okay?”
She shrugs. “Sure.” But I think she has no idea how metal and I connect.
She’ll see soon enough, though.
