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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4576403" data-attributes="member: 3285">Purity and Corruption: Part 4 – A SmithKham returned to the others with a self-satisfied smirk. “Jurbe will go to the meeting.”Sebastian clapped Kham’s back in surprise.  “How in the world did you manage that?”The val shrugged.  “Sometimes you have to earn peoples’ trust.”“And you know all about that,” said Ilmarė flatly.“Who’s next on the list?” Sebastian asked Beldin before another argument broke out.Beldin scanned the list. “The third name on the list is Angven Des. Hmm, there’s a Master Smith in Nishanpur named Harmon Des.  If I remember correctly, Angven is his niece.”“You know her?” asked Sebastian.Beldin stroked his beard.  “I know of her.  Angven’s been working at her uncle’s forge, Harmon’s Harnessing.”“Well since you’re a dwarf,” Kham said to Beldin, stating the obvious. “You handle this one.”“Now wait a minute,” began Beldin, “just because we’re of the same race—““Oh come on, you’re a natural charmer,” rapped a knuckle on Beldin’s helmet.  “It’s a woman, right?  Say something nice about her eyes when you meet her.”Beldin grumbled something under his breath.The clang of metal on metal was loud and steady as they approached Harmon’s Harnessing. The temperature became significantly hotter as they approached the forge. Suddenly, a huge shape, one of the Red Fist’s Melatorn Devils, launched itself upward off the roof with a boom of wing beats.Kham flinched.  “Althares!  I hate those things!”After a moment, a scarred and dour dwarf trundled down a stairway from the roof. He glared at Beldin suspiciously.“Yeah?” he growled. “Whadda you want?”“We’re looking for Angven Des,” said Beldin. “Is she here?”“Whadda I look like, her scribe? ANGVEN!” the old dwarf shouted over the forge noise, causing several apprentices to cringe.  He retreated into the shop, still grumbling.After another shout, the workers shifted and a female dwarf of indeterminate age came towards them. She wore a minimum of clothing, but otherwise was little discomfited by the heat. Soot clung to her like a second skin. She carried a blacksmith’s hammer in one hand. “Yeah?” said Agven. “Whadda you want?”“That’s amazing,” Kham whispered to Sebastian.  “Is she a ventriloquist’s dummy?  She sounds just like her uncle.”Sebastian shushed him. “Are you Angven Des?” asked Beldin. “We have a message for you.”  He handed her the letter. “Yeah, sure, fine.” Angven opened the message and read it quickly. “Oh, no. They can kiss my—“ CLANG! A sudden loud boom from the forge drowned out the rest of Angven’s ill-tempered response.She crumpled up the note and threw it into the forge-fire behind her, where it was incinerated instantly.A voice from behind bellowed, “Don’t you DARE throw trash into that fire! You know better! You’ll ruin the temper!”“Yeah, yeah. I know, you old—“ CLANG! “Anyway. I gotta get back to work.” Angven gave Beldin a sour look and turned to leave.“Wait!” shouted Beldin. “Why won’t you come to see Caius and Baecinia?”Angven turned back to Beldin with a look of anger on her face. She punctuated her words with periodic hammer blows on a nearby anvil. “This doesn’t have anything to do with me other than really—“ CLANG! “—ing up my life. I am not going to go—“ CLANG! “—ing off the Erdukeen just because some human—“ CLANG! “has a score to settle. I have to trek back up that mountain every so often, and I don’t feel like having to—“ CLANG! “—ing dodge attacks while doing so! I’d like to be able to go home without risking my—“ CLANG! “—ing hide! Now go jump off a cliff and leave me alone!”Sebastian blinked in surprise. “I expected better from a dwarf,” he muttered.Angven turned away, muttering.“I myself am an apprentice to Elabac, the legendary smith of Solanos Mor,” said Beldin. “I’m sure you’d find a welcome forge there, should you require supplies.”Angven turned back, appraising Beldin. “Oh really?”Kham shoved Beldin on the shoulder. “Especially a Nol Dappan with such attractive eyes,” added Beldin.  A bright white smile split Angven’s face.  “Hmmm.” She appraised Beldin up and down. “Okay, I’ll go.  But I have to finish my shift at the bellows of the forge. A job’s a job, you know.”Angven turned away again, disappearing into the heat.  “I feel a little dirty,” Beldin said glumly.Kham patted Beldin on the back. “Welcome to my world, dwarf.”</blockquote>

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