lingering longer than needed, and then turned, weaving around a few uneven spots on the floor before reaching the door. Shael pulled it closed with a loud thud.
Jessa released his hand and hurried to the door, locking it quietly behind Shael. She turned to Rsiran, a worried look on her face.
“What is it?”
“Probably nothing.”
It was the same thing he had said in the warehouse. “But it might be something?”
“Just… I got a strange feeling when he was asking you to make that,” she said, motioning to the paper still folded on the table.
“He said Brusus sent him here.”
Jessa frowned as she bit her lip and leaned toward her flower. As she inhaled, her nose crinkled slightly. “Fine. But maybe we show Haern. Learn what he might See.”
“Jessa—”
She threw up her hands. “Fine. I’m just being paranoid. But you can’t say it’s not earned.”
Rsiran smiled, looking to the door. Shael might not be from Elaeavn, but he knew enough people in the city to get things. He’d gotten the forge and knew about the lorcith.
“Shael is a friend,” Rsiran said. Wasn’t he? Shael worked with Firell, and Brusus trusted him completely, probably why Brusus sent him to Rsiran.
Rsiran glanced back down to the rolled up schematics on the table. The least he could do for Shael was study the plan and see if he could understand anything from it. But not now. First, he needed to clear his head, and to do that, he needed to work the forge.
As he picked up a lump of lorcith, he wondered what it would compel him to make this time.
Chapter 6
J essa returned late that afternoon with a loaf of dried bread and strips of jerky. Rsiran barely heard her as she entered, only aware because, at his insistence, she carried one of his lorcith knives.
“What have you been doing?” he asked between bites of bread. Until she’s brought food, he hadn’t realized how hungry he’d been. Now his stomach heaved uncomfortably as he ate. Other than lukewarm water, he hadn’t had anything in his stomach since the night before.
She shrugged. Sometime while she was gone she had found a new flower. It had pale blue petals with streaks of yellow down each one. She leaned toward it and sniffed slowly, her eyes fluttering closed as she did.
“Went looking for Brusus and Haern. Stopped at the market. Came back here.”
Rsiran frowned. “That can’t be all you’ve done.” She had been gone for the entire morning.
She shook her head. “Told you I’d be watching.”
Then he understood. She had been keeping an eye on the smithy. “You think someone would watch this place during the daytime?”
She shook her head. “No. I just wanted to get a sense of where they might watch from so that I can see later.”
“Anything you notice?”
She sighed. “Nothing. And I couldn’t find Brusus or Haern. And what have you been doing?” she asked, looking at the cool forge.
“I can’t tell what this is supposed to do.” Rsiran pointed toward the Shael’s paper on the table. One of his knives stabbed into each corner, holding it open. Studying the plans had not helped him determine what the machine did or even how the pieces went together. As far as he could tell, the plans didn’t even really tell him how to make each piece, just a general description. Most were lorcith, though. That must be the reason that Shael brought it to him.
“It looks something like your forge.”
He hadn’t made the connection before, but nodded. “A little. But what forge is made from this much metal? And what forge would be this small?” He shook his head and laughed. “Shael should just tell me what it does. That might make it easier for me to make.”
She shrugged and took a bite of jerky. “You can ask him next time we see him.”
He looked up from the table. “I’ve never seen plans like this, Jessa. I wasn’t lying when I told Shael that I’m not certain I can even make this.”
Part of the plan made sense to him. There were a few
Jessa released his hand and hurried to the door, locking it quietly behind Shael. She turned to Rsiran, a worried look on her face.
“What is it?”
“Probably nothing.”
It was the same thing he had said in the warehouse. “But it might be something?”
“Just… I got a strange feeling when he was asking you to make that,” she said, motioning to the paper still folded on the table.
“He said Brusus sent him here.”
Jessa frowned as she bit her lip and leaned toward her flower. As she inhaled, her nose crinkled slightly. “Fine. But maybe we show Haern. Learn what he might See.”
“Jessa—”
She threw up her hands. “Fine. I’m just being paranoid. But you can’t say it’s not earned.”
Rsiran smiled, looking to the door. Shael might not be from Elaeavn, but he knew enough people in the city to get things. He’d gotten the forge and knew about the lorcith.
“Shael is a friend,” Rsiran said. Wasn’t he? Shael worked with Firell, and Brusus trusted him completely, probably why Brusus sent him to Rsiran.
Rsiran glanced back down to the rolled up schematics on the table. The least he could do for Shael was study the plan and see if he could understand anything from it. But not now. First, he needed to clear his head, and to do that, he needed to work the forge.
As he picked up a lump of lorcith, he wondered what it would compel him to make this time.
Chapter 6
J essa returned late that afternoon with a loaf of dried bread and strips of jerky. Rsiran barely heard her as she entered, only aware because, at his insistence, she carried one of his lorcith knives.
“What have you been doing?” he asked between bites of bread. Until she’s brought food, he hadn’t realized how hungry he’d been. Now his stomach heaved uncomfortably as he ate. Other than lukewarm water, he hadn’t had anything in his stomach since the night before.
She shrugged. Sometime while she was gone she had found a new flower. It had pale blue petals with streaks of yellow down each one. She leaned toward it and sniffed slowly, her eyes fluttering closed as she did.
“Went looking for Brusus and Haern. Stopped at the market. Came back here.”
Rsiran frowned. “That can’t be all you’ve done.” She had been gone for the entire morning.
She shook her head. “Told you I’d be watching.”
Then he understood. She had been keeping an eye on the smithy. “You think someone would watch this place during the daytime?”
She shook her head. “No. I just wanted to get a sense of where they might watch from so that I can see later.”
“Anything you notice?”
She sighed. “Nothing. And I couldn’t find Brusus or Haern. And what have you been doing?” she asked, looking at the cool forge.
“I can’t tell what this is supposed to do.” Rsiran pointed toward the Shael’s paper on the table. One of his knives stabbed into each corner, holding it open. Studying the plans had not helped him determine what the machine did or even how the pieces went together. As far as he could tell, the plans didn’t even really tell him how to make each piece, just a general description. Most were lorcith, though. That must be the reason that Shael brought it to him.
“It looks something like your forge.”
He hadn’t made the connection before, but nodded. “A little. But what forge is made from this much metal? And what forge would be this small?” He shook his head and laughed. “Shael should just tell me what it does. That might make it easier for me to make.”
She shrugged and took a bite of jerky. “You can ask him next time we see him.”
He looked up from the table. “I’ve never seen plans like this, Jessa. I wasn’t lying when I told Shael that I’m not certain I can even make this.”
Part of the plan made sense to him. There were a few
Similar Books
