The artisan district sat in deep shadow between the second and third ring road. It was packed with vendors hawking their wares both from their shops and the stalls lining the streets. All the scents mingled to what I could only call ‘humanity’.

  I walked in front of Eryn, clearing a path as more than ever people tended to step out of my way after my breakthrough. The extra head or so of height added to my previous above average left me looking down at most.

  "I've never seen it this busy," she said, squeezing my hand, and I looked back.

  Nabeeh, walking behind her, nodded in agreement, her colorful headscarf making her stand out even in the crowd.

  "It's positively vibrant. Reminds me of home!"

  "More people than monsters," Knut observed from the back, the throng I’d opened closing behind him.

  A nearby vendor overheard and leaned across his table of carved wooden cups and bowls.

  "Aye, no attacks on Sentinel Station for three days now. Good for trade, bad for prices." He gestured broadly at the market. "No monster parts flowing in means fewer mind gems circulating. Now every bastard's undercutting each other to make sales."

  “Supply and demand," Nabeeh said with a knowing nod. "Basic economics."

  The vendor spat to the side.

  "Call it what you want, my lady. I call it a pain in my arse."

  "Let's start with beds," Eryn suggested, standing on her tiptoes and pointing me towards a carpenter's stall. Behind him, on a loosely fenced-in plot, stood various pieces of furniture, and among them, bed frames.

  The carpenter, a burly man with sawdust in his beard, grinned. “Two beds, eh?”

  “Four,” Eryn said, glaring at him.

  “Everyone needs their own? Lovely,” the man said, seeing his potential revenue double.

  Knut nudged me with his elbow, a mischievous glint in his eye.

  "Maybe lovebirds only one bed, eh? Save gold?"

  I smiled at him, and looked at Eryn who glared at Knut.

  "You know what? I think I will get a double bed," I said, surprising everyone. "Not for now, but... for a possible future."

  Eryn's face softened, and she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

  After picking out the bed frames and arranging their delivery, a double for my room and singles for the others, we moved on to furnishing the common areas at another furniture carpenter.

  "We need a proper dining table," Nabeeh insisted, pointing to an ornate piece with carved legs. "Something that makes a statement."

  "Too fancy," Eryn countered, indicating a simpler, round table. "This one's more practical and seats more people."

  "But it lacks elegance!" Nabeeh protested.

  “We’re not nobles, and our home is not a palace,” I said.

  Knut, meanwhile, wandered over to the plainest, most utilitarian table in the entire place. It was a rectangular slab of wood on four legs which had seen about as much sandpaper as Benedict had guts.

  "Sturdy," he declared, pounding the top with his fist. "Last forever."

  “That, is the ugliest thing I've ever seen," Nabeeh said, before turning to the owner, and added, “No offence,” making Eryn snort with laughter.

  As the women continued debating tables, Roq spoke up in my mind.

  "I have only three demands."

  “Oh? Only three demands, is it? And what exactly might they be?”

  "First, I need a column for my pillow so I have a good place to rest.”

  “But you got the mantle?”

  “Which brings me to my second. We should start mounting heads of each monster type we defeat. We need a trophy room, and until we have a castle or keep or mansion, our current common room will have to do. It is not fair to the world that we keep our awesomeness completely to ourselves. The least we should do is celebrate it in our own home. And besides, our common room is several times larger than most. There’s enough space.”

  I liked the idea of looking up and seeing the decapitated heads of our enemies. Though I doubted the women would be equally enthusiastic. I discreetly pulled Knut aside.

  "What do you think about mounting monster trophies on the wall behind the fireplace?"

  Knut's eyes lit up.

  "Excellent idea! Show strength, tell stories." He glanced at the women, still debating table choices. “But pretty girls? Make trouble.”

  I grinned. "I might just have a plan." We headed over to Eryn and Nabeeh and I cleared my throat. "I have a proposal to speed things up. Why don't you two handle the decoration of the common room and the kitchen, while Knut and I take full responsibility for the fireplace and the wall behind it? We'll do the training yard together another time."

  The women exchanged a look before nodding eagerly.

  "Deal!" they said in unison, immediately turning back to their table discussion with renewed vigor.

  Knut and I exchanged a conspiratorial grin.

  “Clever. I am sure this will not come back to bite you in any way.”

  “I’ll just blame you.”

  “You would, wouldn’t you…”

  “What’s the point of having a talking hammer if I can’t use it as a scape goat?”

  “Education? Intellectually stimulating conversations? Spike and flame advice?”

  Our next stop was a stall overflowing with cooking implements. The copper pots were clean and polished enough to see myself in. Iron skillets hung from hooks, and there were ceramic vessels of every shape and size.

  Nabeeh immediately gravitated toward an elaborate set of copper cookware.

  "These are perfect," she declared, running her fingers along the polished rim of a saucepan. "In Azbara, the finest chefs use copper. It distributes heat evenly."

  “Are you a good chef?” I asked.

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  “No. We had the best chef though,” she said, smiling. “Made the most wonderful camel stew.”

  Knut scoffed, picking up a heavy cast iron pot.

  "One pot. Cook everything in one go. Simple."

  "That's barbaric," Nabeeh protested. "How would you make a proper sauce in that monstrosity?"

  "Sauce?" Knut looked genuinely confused. "Food is food."

  Eryn sided with Nabeeh, shaking her head.

  “We already agreed you’d let us choose. And I can imagine the meals we could prepare with proper equipment. Ma has several recipes I’d love to try.”

  "We need at least three different sized pots," Nabeeh insisted, "Plus a skillet, a griddle, and proper knives."

  "And a pie tin," I added, thinking of Roq's constant demands for pie.

  "Yes!" Eryn agreed enthusiastically. "For berry pies in summer and meat pies in winter."

  "Waste of gold," Knut grumbled, but he was outnumbered.

  As we continued on our way through the market, Eryn and Nabeeh disappeared into a seamstress shop, their heads close together in animated conversation.

  "Women and clothes," Knut observed with a knowing nod. "Takes forever."

  "Let's look at storage chests in the meantime," I said, and we spent the next forty-five minutes examining various chests and trunks, debating the merits of different woods and lock mechanisms. Unsurprisingly, Knut favored functionality over form, while I found myself drawn to a chest with the drawing of the Twisted Titan on its lid. All Roq wanted was to test them all for strength, hammer versus chest, as he kept saying.

  When we finally spotted the women emerging from the seamstress shop, I had a sudden idea.

  "Knut, would you distract them for a few minutes? I need to do something."

  The big man grinned.

  "Ah, secret mission.” He stroked his beard and wiggled his eyebrows. "Will talk of northern storage methods. Very interesting. Buy time."

  As Knut lumbered over to intercept the women, I slipped into the seamstress shop behind them. The interior was cool and smelled of clean fabric and lavender. A middle-aged woman with pins stuck in her collar looked up from her work.

  "Can I help you, young man?"

  "The blonde beauty who was just in here, would you have her measurements?"

  The seamstress smiled knowingly. "Ah, the pretty one with green eyes? Yes, she ordered some clothes. Do you know her?”

  “She’s my girlfriend,” I said, smiling. “I wanted to get her something nice."

  "A wise man," she said approvingly, and set aside her work. "What did you have in mind?"

  My eyes were drawn to a stunning gown displayed on a mannequin, made of deep blue fabric that puffed out, and was covered in silver embroidery.

  “That’s pretty. How much for something similar?” I asked, pointing.

  The seamstress followed my gaze. "That? Ten gold pieces."

  I nearly choked. "Ten gold? That's an entire mind gem!"

  She shrugged, unapologetic.

  "Fine silk from across the sea, hand embroidery, multiple layers. Quality costs." The seamstress raised an eyebrow at me. "Isn’t she worth it?"

  "She's worth every coin," I said, "But she'd also kill me if I spent that much on a gown for her." I glanced around desperately and pointed to a simpler but still gorgeous dress hanging nearby. "What about that one?"

  “Ten silver," the seamstress replied. “The one hanging there is good quality wool with a linen trim. Practical but pretty."

  "I'll take it," I said with relief. I peeked out the window to make sure Eryn wasn't nearby. "Which color would suit her best?"

  "Blood red! No, bone white! No, no, no, go with bone marrow yellow! I love that. It’s so delicious.”

  “Not a snowball’s chance in the forge.”

  The seamstress tapped her chin thoughtfully.

  "With her blonde hair and green eyes, burgundy would be gorgeous. I do have a lovely piece with silk trim that would complement her coloring beautifully."

  "Burgundy?" I said, confused. "What's—" I started to ask, then waved my hand dismissively. "Never mind. If you think it will look good on her, I trust your judgment."

  I quickly counted out the coins, handed them over, and hurried out of the shop just as I saw the others approaching, Knut barely managing to hold their attention. I spun around and pretended to be examining the nearest stall’s wares, feigning intense interest in its goods, while looking at the three of them.

  "Shopping for something special?" Nabeeh teased as they joined me. As she winked suggestively, I realised I was staring at a display of silver and gold rings.

  I felt my face heat up.

  "What? No! I was just—I mean—"

  Eryn slapped Nabeeh lightly on the arm.

  "Behave," she scolded, but she smiled happily at me.

  “What use is jewellery in combat?”

  “What did you get?” I said, trying to change the topic and ignore my hammer.

  “The chest you stared at,” Eryn said, taking my arm. “And a bunch of other stuff. You’ll see when we get home.”

  “Looking forward to it,” I said, kissing the top of her head.

  "You forgot my third demand," Roq reminded me as we started heading back.

  “Oh, what is it?"

  "I want to buy Pa a new dissecting knife as an apology for you clumsily destroying his good one."

  I was momentarily taken aback by Roq's consideration for someone else.

  "That's... surprisingly thoughtful of you."

  "I can't have my blacksmith dealing with subpar materials," Roq replied haughtily. "It's purely practical. He could end up harming my goods, robbing me of the chance to forge something spectacular!”

  "I need to get Pa a new dissecting knife," I said, halting the group. “I… kind of owe him one from, well… Let’s just say he deserves a new one.”

  "That's a wonderful idea," Eryn said warmly. "How much do you think it will be?"

  “We should get the best available," I replied, running a hand through my hair. “So probably around a mind gem's worth."

  Knut nodded.

  "Good investment. Better tools, better crafting. We all benefit."

  "Agreed," Eryn said. "Pa deserves it."

  "Couldn't he just forge himself a new one?" Nabeeh asked.

  "He could," I said, "But it takes time away from his other work. His current knife works, it's just not as good. He doesn’t seem to find quite the same joy in dissecting as he used to. This is to try and give him back that, but it’s also a gift of the time it would take him to make one. Besides, a good dissecting knife is something I should be able to find outside of Steel and Scale. Actually, I think I know just the place."

  * * *

  That evening, Eryn and I sat at the new round wooden table in the common room. Large enough to host for eight people, the dark wooden surface featured a circle carved in the middle to represent the rift, with three concentric lines around it symbolizing First, Second, and Third Steel. We perched on wooden stools topped with colorful cushions, enjoying spicy meat skewers, butter-fried vegetables, and beer brought back from the Timberline. Knut was out with Doctor Ridley, and Nabeeh had joined Nina, Alex, and the others.

  “So, when did you first realize you liked me?" Eryn asked, ripping a piece off the wooden skewer, a drop of fat running down her chin.

  I smiled, taking a sip of my ale.

  "The first time I saw you in the street. You were coming out of Victor's shop."

  "When was that?" she asked, surprised with my reply.

  "Not long after you moved to Dawnwatch."

  "How do you know I just moved here then?”

  I grinned sheepishly.

  "I asked around about you."

  Eryn laughed, her voice a delight.

  "So you were interested that early? Is a pretty face all it takes to catch your attention?"

  "It wasn't just that," I protested. “The way you carried yourself, the way you walked—"

  "Oh, so my butt, is that it?" she teased.

  I threw up my hands in fake frustration.

  “Hey, if you don't want to know, just say so.”

  She reached across the table to swat at my hand.

  "I'm teasing. Please, continue. But I will have you know that my butt is mighty fine, thank you very much."

  "I--yeah, I agree with that statement. Just for…research,” I said with a wink, and she chuckled. “That's when I became interested," I said more seriously. "I didn't know if it would turn into something more of course, but I always knew I wasn't interested in being just a friend."

  “You don’t think men and women can be friends?" she asked, her head tilted.

  "Sure, of course they can. But when you're as attracted to someone as I am to you, it wouldn't be a fair friendship to either of us."

  She nodded, understanding.

  “Then you’re one lucky man,” she said, looking at me over her long lashes.

  “What about you?” I asked.

  "I mean, you were always attractive. Your chest and your, well, anyway…” She waved a hand. “The moment I realized I was truly interested was when I saw you play-fighting with Karl."

  “She’s lying. I’m pretty sure it was when she saw you smash a Scuttler with me in one blow," Roq interrupted from his place in a metal bowl, half-covered in rhubarb pie. "That's when she knew she’d found a proper mate. Seeing you wield my superior strength and combat prowess. Saving her life was only a bonus."

  I groaned, and Eryn forced me to relay Roq’s comment, making her burst out in laughter.

  "That's not true at all," she said, waving her skewer around. "I already knew you were a solid scavenger from the stories I'd heard, but when I saw how you interacted with the kids, I knew you had a kind heart, too." Her expression softened. "You can look quite intimidating, you know? With your ridiculous shoulders and serious face. But when you played with Karl, the smile that graced your face? It melted my heart. I knew I was in trouble right then and there."

  "So all I had to do was smile?"

  "Not quite," she said, rolling her eyes. "You know, I was a bit lost when I came to Dawnwatch. Scavenging earned me just enough to survive and still keep leveling up. And my goal since the day my parents, you know…” she waved a hand, “Has been to become a healer. But seeing you with Karl, that image… it made me believe maybe there was more to life here than just scraping by until I could become a healer." She beamed a smile at me. “I was right. Now I have both."

  I reached across the table.

  "We're lucky, aren't we?"

  "Very lucky," she agreed, squeezing my hand.

  "Who needs luck?" Roq declared. "We'll forge our own luck! Starting with tomorrow's forging!"

  I smiled, looking around our newly furnished common room. The walls were still bare, but soon they would be decorated with memories of our adventures together. I couldn’t wait to see the girls’ faces when they saw the trophies!