“You know, they’re sparring up on the hill,” Thordin rumbled as he set down a pair of water buckets near the washbasin by the fire. Thom glanced up from the sketchbook braced against his knee, one brow arched slightly.
“So I’ve been told,” he said, staring at the fifth sketch of a cradle he’d drawn since coming home from saving Phelan from his own stupidity. There was something about it that still wasn’t quite right and he growled softly, eyes narrowing before he looked back up at Thordin. “What about it?”
“You’re not going to go up there and have a look at what that’s all about?”
Thom shrugged, closing his sketchbook and tucking his pencil over his ear. “Why? It’s just Jay and Matt working on Matt’s blade skills. After we left him behind I’m sure that he needs to blow off some steam.”
Thordin crossed his arms. “Who told you all about it already?”
“Marin. She was surprised you weren’t up there partaking in the violence-making yet.”
Thordin snorted. “As skilled as I am with a blade, I prefer axes and the techniques that J.T. is working on with Matt aren’t necessarily techniques fighting against me would reinforce.”
“All the more reason for you to get up there,” Thom observed. “We’re not going to be fighting people using the same techniques as us all the time, are we?”
“I think there’s a lot of people here would prefer not to face another fight at all.”
Thom closed his eyes and sighed softly. “We know that’s probably not something that we’ll have in the immediate future.”
“Maybe not.” Thordin shrugged slightly. “I’m not interested in going back out in the cold right now. Your wife gave me a lovely book that I think I’m going to settle in with for a little while if you don’t mind sharing the fire.”
He shook his head. “Not at all. I’m just working on some sketches.”
“I spied a surprise for Marin,” Thordin said. “Why are you working on it down here instead of up at the forge like you usually would be?”
Thom shook his head again. “Because there’s not enough light up at the forge and Matt’s been irritable lately because he’s having trouble melting down some of the scrap. I’ve been trying to stay out of his way until he figures it out.”
“Huh,” Thordin said, glancing toward the entrance to the non-communal areas, the rows of sheds knit together with plywood and insulation, roofing and rafters. “He should ask Phelan for his thoughts on that.”
“He’s leaving Phelan alone to rest on threat of pain induced by Jac,” Thom said, flipping his sketchbook to a fresh page. “I give it another few days before she lets him start being closer to normal again.”
Thordin smiled wryly. “You mean meddling and making everyone crazy?”
Thom’s smile matched his. “Something like that, anyway. Go get your book. I won’t mind company if you don’t mind curses.”
“If I minded those, I’d have been in big trouble back when.” Thordin’s wry smile grew into a grin. “I’ll be back.”
Thom nodded absently, returning his attention to the blank page. He smoothed a hand over the sheet and exhaled.
He needed to get this right before he headed up for any sort of fun. He’d made that unspoken promise to Marin, even though the cradle was going to be a surprise.
Of course, if this one goes badly, I might need to work out some aggression.
He smiled to himself and nodded slightly, then put graphite to paper again, settling in to work.
Thanks for another update. Seems they got a quiet time right now. That’s probably needed after the latest results of Phelan’s travels.