\u201cYou know, they\u2019re sparring up on the hill,\u201d Thordin rumbled as he set down a pair of water buckets near the washbasin by the fire.\u00a0 Thom glanced up from the sketchbook braced against his knee, one brow arched slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019ve been told,\u201d he said, staring at the fifth sketch of a cradle he\u2019d drawn since coming home from saving Phelan from his own stupidity.\u00a0 There was something about it that still wasn\u2019t quite right and he growled softly, eyes narrowing before he looked back up at Thordin.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not going to go up there and have a look at what that\u2019s all about?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom shrugged, closing his sketchbook and tucking his pencil over his ear.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u00a0 It\u2019s just Jay and Matt working on Matt\u2019s blade skills.\u00a0 After we left him behind I\u2019m sure that he needs to blow off some steam.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thordin crossed his arms.\u00a0 \u201cWho told you all about it already?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarin.\u00a0 She was surprised you weren\u2019t up there partaking in the violence-making yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thordin snorted.\u00a0 \u201cAs skilled as I am with a blade, I prefer axes and the techniques that J.T. is working on with Matt aren\u2019t necessarily techniques fighting against me would reinforce.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the more reason for you to get up there,\u201d Thom observed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re not going to be fighting people using the same techniques as us all the time, are we?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of people here would prefer not to face another fight at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom closed his eyes and sighed softly.\u00a0 \u201cWe know that\u2019s probably not something that we\u2019ll have in the immediate future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe not.\u201d\u00a0 Thordin shrugged slightly. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m not interested in going back out in the cold right now.\u00a0 Your wife gave me a lovely book that I think I\u2019m going to settle in with for a little while if you don\u2019t mind sharing the fire.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot at all.\u00a0 I\u2019m just working on some sketches.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI spied a surprise for Marin,\u201d Thordin said.\u00a0 \u201cWhy are you working on it down here instead of up at the forge like you usually would be?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom shook his head again.\u00a0 \u201cBecause there\u2019s not enough light up at the forge and Matt\u2019s been irritable lately because he\u2019s having trouble melting down some of the scrap.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been trying to stay out of his way until he figures it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHuh,\u201d Thordin said, glancing toward the entrance to the non-communal areas, the rows of sheds knit together with plywood and insulation, roofing and rafters.\u00a0 \u201cHe should ask Phelan for his thoughts on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s leaving Phelan alone to rest on threat of pain induced by Jac,\u201d Thom said, flipping his sketchbook to a fresh page.\u00a0 \u201cI give it another few days before she lets him start being closer to normal again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thordin smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean meddling and making everyone crazy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom\u2019s smile matched his.\u00a0 \u201cSomething like that, anyway.\u00a0 Go get your book.\u00a0 I won\u2019t mind company if you don\u2019t mind curses.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I minded those, I\u2019d have been in big trouble back when.\u201d\u00a0 Thordin\u2019s wry smile grew into a grin.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom nodded absently, returning his attention to the blank page.\u00a0 He smoothed a hand over the sheet and exhaled.<\/p>\n
He needed to get this right before he headed up for any sort of fun.\u00a0 He\u2019d made that unspoken promise to Marin, even though the cradle was going to be a surprise.<\/p>\n
Of course, if this one goes badly, I might need to work out some aggression.<\/i><\/p>\n
He smiled to himself and nodded slightly, then put graphite to paper again, settling in to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cYou know, they\u2019re sparring up on the hill,\u201d Thordin rumbled as he set down a pair of water buckets near the washbasin by the fire.\u00a0 Thom glanced up from the sketchbook braced against his knee, one brow arched slightly. \u201cSo … Continue reading