Hearthglen

by Daniel Schinhofen

“I’ll keep you in mind,” Sean replied.

  “Guess we’ll head home after this mug is gone,” Sean told Ryann. “You’re taking the day tomorrow, right?”

  “Yes, Sean. I’ll be taking my day off tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be home most of the day working with Ida, so it’ll be fine.”

  “I’ve been meaning to ask,” Sam said, “how often have you been called on to protect Sean?”

  “Once, but it wasn’t much of a fight,” Ryann said. “He hired me with the thought that once he starts making waves, he’ll have need of me.”

  “You’ll be watching over my daughter as well?”

  “Everyone under his employ,” Ryann nodded. “All of his Bonded have some training in self-defense. I’m learning more every day.”

  “Ida will be joining those sessions,” Sean said. “If she’s going to be near us, she’ll be best served to learn.”

  “Seems like you are going to do your best for her,” Sam smiled. “That eases my mind some, but not as much as it could be.” Getting to her feet, Sam sighed, “The day comes early. Goodnight to you both. Sean, your entire family is welcome to our home when we gather.”

  “My deepest thanks for welcoming them, Sam.”

  Ryann drained her mug and waited for Sean to finish his. “I have a question, Sean, if it’s not too personal?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “You haven’t even looked at the maid seriously, have you?”

  Sean looked to the barmaid, who was at another table. “Seriously for what? Sex? I have Myna and Fiona, and I’m not the wandering type.”

  “You’ll only be with your Life Bonded?” Ryann asked, watching his face.

  “They’re all I need,” Sean said, a smile forming as he thought about how accepting of loving them both he was now.

  “I see. Thank you,” Ryann said, standing up.

  Pushing the empty mug away, Sean stood up as well. “Why do you ask?”

  “It means I won’t have to worry about you sneaking off for a quick tumble,” Ryann said, looking back at the maid, who was coming their way.

  “All done for the night, sir?”

  “Yes. Thank you again for the exemplary service.”

  “I hope to see you again. Have a good night,” the maid said, her smile warmer than merely professional.

  Nodding, Sean headed for the door, Ryann trailing him. Where the hell was she a year ago? Sean questioned internally. Oh right, on this world... Not that it matters, I have two loving women already.

  “Excuse me,” a deep voice called out to Sean as he passed the Shaper’s table.

  Pausing, Sean looked at the finely dressed Dwarf, sitting with other equally well-dressed men and women. “May I help you?”

  “I believe you are the new Shaper, Sean MacDougal. Am I correct?”

  “That is indeed my name. Who might you be?”

  “I’m Fredrick Gertihs, Goldsmith and Shaper. Would you care to join us?”

  “You’re related to Jackson Gertihs?”

  “My brother. Please sit, let me introduce you to the other Shapers.”

  “Ah, I’m flattered, but as a man just starting out, I would feel out of place with the rest of you,” Sean said, trying to politely decline the offer.

  “Nonsense,” a sharp-nosed woman smiled. “We’ve heard of your Talent already. I, for one, think you will be fine. Please sit, even if only for a little while.”

  “Very well,” Sean said. “Ryann, relax for a bit.” Pulling out the only chair at the table, next to the woman, Sean sat.

  Ryann went to a nearby table and took a seat, her eyes focused on Sean and those near him. A few of the crafters glanced her way briefly, but dismissed her almost as quickly.

  “Who is the woman with you? A servant?” Fredrick asked.

  “One of my Bonded,” Sean replied simply.

  “I’ve heard that you registered a patent on a new hair clip style,” another man at the table said, cutting into the conversation. “Do you think there will be a market for a novelty item like that?”

  Eye twitching at the slimy tone, Sean tried to keep a polite smile on his face. Pulling out a copper clip, he set it before the woman beside him. “Miss... I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name…”

  “Eva Silvertouch,” the woman smirked.

  “Miss Silvertouch, would you think this— once I refine it a bit more— would be an item worth buying?” Sean did his best to not laugh at her surname, but it did make his smile a bit more real.

  Examining the hair clip, Eva’s eye twitched once or twice as she took her time with it. “If you refined it a little, and made it out of silver or gold, I would expect that a number of ladies would be eager for them. Lady Sharpeye herself would probably order a dozen or more.”

  Everyone at the table stared at Eva with varying degrees of shock on their faces. Sean smiled as he took the clip back. “It seems there will be a market for them after all.”

  “Why have you been sitting with the smiths then, if that’s true?” another person asked in a sharp tone. “You’ll drag our reputation down doing things like that.”

  Smile fading, Sean stood up abruptly. “I see. I wouldn’t wish to cause you distress… If you’ll excuse me.” Ryann caught up with him as he stalked away, and together, they left the inn.

  “Damn it, Carver, I wished to talk to him,” Sean overhead Gertihs snap at the previous man, just before the door cut off further conversation.

  “Sean?” Ryann asked. “Are you okay?”

  “I hate self-important assholes,” Sean sighed, taking a deep breath. “Let’s go home. I’m sure they’ll ask me back tomorrow and apologize for the idiot. It seems I’ve stirred their curiosity, so they won’t let me go that easily.”

  “The woman was eyeing you a lot,” Ryann added as they started walking.

  “She’s one of them,” Sean shrugged. “I don’t want anything to do with her, outside of maybe taking her coin.”

  “You are so different,” Ryann murmured softly.

  Chapter Seven

  Sean woke to familiar lips kissing him softly. He pulled her down and held her close. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Sean smiled when he let Myna go. “Morning, silly kitty. How are you?”

  “Good. Thank you for last night,” Myna said, smoothing her clothes. “We’re about to head out. There’s breakfast in the kitchen for you. Ryann has already gone out, so you’ll only have Ida here.”

  “Got it,” Sean replied, getting out of bed. “Where is she currently?”

  “In the smithy. Joseph’s metal was delivered an hour ago. I believe she is cataloging and putting it away.”

  “Okay. You two have a lot to do today, so go ahead. I’ll grab breakfast, then start in training Ida. I didn’t give her any extra energy yesterday, so that might put her out of commission early. I remember from Ryann to make it the barest trickle to start with. I’ll be doing the same for the others when they show up over the next tenday.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine, but make sure she’s sitting when you do, just in case,” Myna replied, kissing his cheek and heading for the door.

  “I will,” Sean called after her as he began to dress.

  While he fumbled with his clothes, Sean thought about Myna’s welcome last night. She had been as timid and subservient as the first time they had been together. The strange duality of her nature made Sean smile; the timid lap cat or the fierce beast, depending on which was needed at the time. When they had finished and were cuddling, Fiona finally joined them. Sean felt a little bad, but Fiona brushed his feelings aside and let him know that he would have them separately and together for a very long time. Neither of them begrudged their alone time with him.

  Should still see about giving Fiona some special attention, too, Sean reminded himself as he left the master bedroom. Maybe see about inventing the spring mattress while I’m at it... the stuffed mattress just doesn’t feel the same.

  In the kitchen, he discovered some frumenty that had
been left in a pot on the stove. Demolishing breakfast hungrily, Sean headed out to find Ida. Just like Myna had told him, she was in the smithy, putting the metals away by type and shape.

  “Morning, Ida. Sorry for the late start,” Sean said, leaning against the wall. “I’d help, but first you’d need to teach me what goes where.”

  Ida stopped moving the metal rods and stood upright as she turned to him. “Morning, MacDougal. I’ll be happy to teach you.”

  “Call me Sean, please.”

  “If that is your way, Sean. I know you’re different; no other crafter lets their apprentice talk to them so familiarly.”

  “Yeah, I’m different, alright. Okay, walk me through how to do this. We’re going to be getting more in over the next tenday.”

  Ida explained which metals went where, based on how often they were used. The copper, bronze, and brass were sorted in short order, with Sean able to easily lift the heavier rods into place.

  “There we go,” Sean grinned, looking at the metal and thinking of all he could do with it.

  “You lift those rods as if they weigh nothing,” Ida commented from where she leaned against a wall, trying to catch her breath.

  “I know I don’t look as imposing as your father... or your mother, for that matter,” Sean chuckled, “but I can still do my part. While I have you as an apprentice, I’d like it if you could teach me some smithing, even while I teach you Shaping. Is that okay?”

  Ida’s cheeks pinked a little. “It isn’t every day that a Shaper asks to be taught smithing, and surely not so humbly.”

  “You’ll get used to my peculiarities in time, I hope.”

  “We’ll need to get some coal before I can do so.”

  “I’ll get some in. First, why don’t we start by seeing how much energy you have to use before I start giving you any?” Sean pulled out a bar of copper. “Let’s head inside, though. There’s no reason to be out here longer than necessary,” Sean suggested after seeing Ida rub her hands against the winter chill.

  Going to the shop’s sitting room, Sean pulled two chairs over to be side by side in front of the table. Taking one, he motioned Ida into the second. “Okay, we’ll start easy. Focus on the bar and see if you can feel the metal. Put your hand on top of it, and try to resonate with it.”

  Taking the seat beside Sean, Ida focused on the bar. Placing a hand gently onto the surface of the metal, her eyes locked onto it and her breathing evened out as she sat there. After a few minutes, she shook her head. “I can’t feel anything.”

  “Okay, leave your hand there,” Sean said. He leaned forward and placed his hand over hers, his fingers spreading out to cover her hand and touch the bar. “Now close your eyes and just feel. It might be a vibration, it might be warmth, but you should start to feel something.”

  Ida closed her eyes obediently and waited, her soul yearning for what she had wanted for so long and now was within her grasp. A moment later, Ida felt a comforting warmth spreading across the back of her hand and a dim hum resonating under her palm.

  “I feel it, Sean…! The metal is vibrating and your hand feels warm.”

  “Okay, just feel it. This is what Shaping is like. Welcome the sensation; it’s going to be a friend of yours for a long time.”

  Ida’s smile grew as she felt the warmth start to spread up her arm. Tears began forming as she finally felt the Talent she had long wished to know. The feeling began to spread faster, filling her chest and permeating her entire being. The tears fell when she felt a spark deep inside her stir for the first time.

  “Ida? Are you okay?” Sean asked, seeing her tears.

  “I’ve never felt better, Sean. The warmth... it fills me. It makes me want to sing, to let the world know the joy I feel. Thank you… thank you so much…!”

  “Shh, calm down, Ida. This is just the first step. It’s a very important step, but just the first on a long road,” Sean said soothingly. “Just let the feeling suffuse you.”

  Ida’s smile was wide while her tears continued to fall. All her hopes and dreams were being realized today; she finally knew true joy and Sean had given her this. She had gambled on him being true, and now that she knew she was right, he was the key to this happiness. The warmth in her chest deepened and her cheeks became flushed as that thought took root in her mind.

  Sean watched her face shift through a number of emotions. Slowly tapering his energy away from hers, he watched her closely, leaving his hand in place to see if she felt the difference.

  The warmth above her hand seemed to fade ever so slowly away, leaving just hers behind. “It changed,” Ida said, as the energy from Sean faded entirely away.

  “Did it all change?”

  “No. The warmth over me is gone, that’s the only change.”

  “Do you feel the hum still?”

  “Yes, but it’s dimmer,” Ida replied. “Did you stop leading me?”

  “What you feel is all you; I’m not even touching you,” Sean said, holding up his hand. “You are the one with the Talent, and you’re using it right now.”

  The tears fell faster as her heart swelled. “Opa, can you see me now?” Her words were a bare whisper, but Sean heard them clearly.

  “Ida, I want you to grip the bar a little more firmly, as if the metal were frozen butter. I want you to try to gently indent the surface of it with your fingers.”

  Breath coming a little faster, Ida’s face scrunched up as she focused, the warmth starting to slowly leech from her. “Sean, it’s fading,” she said.

  “Stop, let go of the warmth,” Sean said gently, but firmly.

  The warmth vanished, gone as if it had never been there, and Ida shivered, afraid it was gone for good. “It’s gone,” Ida whispered.

  “Look at the copper, Ida. Look at what you did, all on your own.”

  Blinking the sadness from her eyes, Ida looked at the copper bar under her hand. Her fingers were a half inch into the metal, which had indented much like butter would. Breath catching, her eyes widened as she stared at it.

  “I did it?”

  “Yes, that was all you. The drain you felt was your energy being used to make it possible,” Sean explained. “If you use too much at once, you’ll faint, which is why I had you stop.”

  “Then... I can do it again?” Ida asked, her bright eyes locking onto Sean’s.

  “You need to recoup your energy first. That’s why most Shapers only do so much during a given day. Pull your fingers out and look at it.”

  Ida felt a momentary pang of fear that her hand might have gotten stuck, but her fingers came away easily. Picking up the cold bar, she could see the small whorls and lines from her fingertips visible on the metal. She spent a few minutes examining it from all angles.

  “When can I try again?” Ida asked.

  “It’ll be a little bit,” Sean said. “How fast energy is regained is something I haven’t figured out yet. But, since you’re my apprentice, we can cheat a little. I’m going to give you some of my energy. What you did there was entirely your own, with no influence from me, besides showing you the path.”

  Nodding quickly, Ida set the bar back on the table. “What do I need to do?”

  “Nothing,” Sean replied. “The last time I did this, the person passed out because I accidentally gave them too much. Just sit back in your chair and relax. It might be a little painful or the opposite, but if it gets to be too much, let me know right away. Okay?”

  “Yes,” Ida said, sitting back in her chair and waiting expectantly.

  Taking a deep breath, Sean reached out to Ida through the Bond. Pulling up Mage Sight, he let the barest trickle of energy go from him to her. Sean watched the line of his energy leave his chest and go into Ida’s left wrist. Her grey energy enveloped the incoming energy and merged with it, slowly making it hers.

  That is a little cool and entirely weird, Sean thought.

  Sean dropped Mage Sight when Ida let out a small gasp. Eyelids fluttering, Ida’s head leaned back as her lips parte
d. Sean let go of the energy he was giving her, feeling a little uncomfortable that she seemed to be experiencing pleasure from his actions.

  “Ida, you okay?”

  “Hmm? Yes, I feel warm and lovely,” Ida murmured. “I didn’t think…”

  Please, dear gods, let her be of age... otherwise, I’m a sick fuck that should be shot, Sean prayed.

  “I’m going to grab us something to drink,” Sean said, promptly leaving the room. As he walked away, Sean tried to decide how to go about finding out Ida’s age. Okay, just calm down. You can ask Sam tonight, circumspectly... it’ll be okay. You’re not a pervert. I mean, I could just ask Ida, but… yeah that would be embarrassing for both of us. I’ll just wait… unless...