Page 94 of Forged in Fading

“I didn’t get an invite?”

Boden. Alvara stiffened.

Rav smirked. “Another fight with a squirrel?”

“That wasn’t a fight. It was…a slight disagreement about whose tree I was sleeping under in my bear form. And no, it wasn’t Lars this time.”

Alvara inhaled slowly through her nose to cool the fire in her gut and turned to find Boden clutching a crimson-soaked towel around his hand. “What in Dalviri’s name did you do?”

He hid his injury behind his back. “It’s not important. I needed to speak with you.”

“Let me see.” She held out her hands, and he sighed, placing his bloody mess in her grasp. Alvara unwrapped the cloth and examined the cut. Deep but clean. He would likely need a healer. “Come on, let’s go find Heila. Rav, anytime you need me, let me know.”

Rav twirled his branch in the air. “Watch out for squirrels.”

A rock thrown by Boden’s magic knocked the branch out of Rav’s hand, and a strong wind shoved Boden so hard he stumbled, cursing.

Alvara tugged on a strand of her magic and dumped a handful of snow on Rav as she walked side by side with Boden, narrowly avoiding a stick bouncing off her head. “Kitchen accident?”

“I may have gotten too aggressive with the potatoes. I doubt I’ll be allowed back.”

She slowed to tighten his makeshift bandage, tying the material in a knot to keep it in place.

Boden flexed his fingers. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you apologizing to me or the potatoes?”

“I overstepped. I don’t know Pyry well, if at all, and I had no reason to act that way. But I hate seeing how he treats you, Alvara. I’ve been treated as less than by more people than I’d like to count, and I can’t stand watching anyone do the same to you.”

“Thank you.” Alvara tapped his bandaged hand. “Though I’m beginning to think you injured yourself for some extra pity.” They had stopped at the door of the healer’s house. “You were right. Pyry didn’t treat me well, but he’s making an effort. And he’s all I have left of home. I’m the reason he’s even stuck here in the first place, and I couldn’t live with myself if I just threw him to the wolves. Or bears,” she added under her breath.

“Are you two…”

“Burn me to ashes if that ever happens. He just finally decided to apologize about three years too late, that’s all. He’s lucky I didn’t freeze his mouth shut.”

An exclamation in the human tongue rang out, and Heila bustled over to Boden, mumbling to herself as she inspected the wound. He tucked a coin into her pocket even as she tried to swat his hand away.

Boden had apologized, which was more than Pyry had ever done until recently. And it had taken him how many years?

She felt foolish for stretching out her hand to someone so many times when he had all but slapped it away. But Boden…he was different. Blindingly so at times.

Alvara liked it.

Chapter Thirty-Three

The throaty yell of an animal, that damn beast, burst through the air as Alvara and Boden approached the forge the next morning. The creature hurtled toward them and lunged, and she fought the urge to brandish her dagger. But the slice of claws she expected didn’t come. Instead, the thing kept its grip on her and dragged its rough tongue up the side of her face.

A sharp clap echoed through the air, and the weight of the creature disappeared, leaving Alvara sticky with its saliva. “I hate that thing,” she muttered.

“Dogs are a little strange at first, but they do grow on you,” Boden said, even going so far as to run a hand over the creature’s head.

Dog. That’s what the beast was. Alvara kept one eye trained on the animal, who had curled up in the corner of the shop, as she spoke to the smith while they awaited Pyry. “Your work is very impressive. I was a weaponsmith in the elven kingdoms, and I noticed a few methods my…friend and I could teach you to elevate your weapons even further. If you would be interested.”

Alvara did her best to craft her words in a way that would hopefully not offend the man too much, but she would have to wait while Boden translated to see the outcome. The blacksmith’s eyes narrowed as Boden’s guttural words sunk in, and her stomach twisted. What if he said no? He speared her with a gaze as sharp as the best of Jalomir’s work and grumbled a few clipped words.

“He says to show him and his daughter. She helps with his work.”

Daughter?