Open Chronicles The Dragon's Den

[Dorin Stonekin]

Dorin saw the other sister approach, and he nodded to her placed his book and his dagger back into his pack and moved himself from the chair climbing down it carefully. When he got to the ground the tongs in his belt clicked together as he stretched. He looked to the door of the forge.

"Stonekin, Dorin Stonekin" He switched the cigar in his mouth to the other side grabbing the cigar again with his teeth chewing it sucking on the juices.

He made his way to the forge door and waited. He noticed the craftsmanship of the masonry and the carpentry. This place could not have been cheap to build. He hoped at the very least they gave the same attention to the forge.

He rested his hand on his hammer and grabbed the door holding it open with the door for them when he noticed the gentleman sitting in the back of the room.

Elra Mistfall Tanith Mistfall

 

[Elra Mistfall]

Elra followed Dorin over to the door, pausing to glance back at Tanith, who stayed behind to tend to her guests in the teahouse. She looked ahead and pushed open the door to the blacksmith, stepping aside to allow Dorin in. "I hope everything's to your liking. If anything is missing, do let us know. We can afford to purchase it."

The door led into the store portion of the blacksmith. The floors and walls alike were made of solid rock and filled with racks of weapons and pieces of armor. The shelves near the front of the store were fully stocked, mostly consisting of cheaper, lower-quality items. The further into the shop one went, the better quality the products became. But there were only a few of those on display.

Elra led Dorin over to the counter, which consisted of a smooth slab of stone. "Currently, we only have a blacksmith apprentice working here. Most of the higher quality goods that are on display now are things my sister and I have collected over the years."

Dorin Stonekin Mikelle Fallowbridge

 

[Tyrenlil Swiftwind]

As Tanith finished with the Dwarven fellow he's smiled waving to her.

"Good morning Tanith, you look more stunning by the second" He offered her a wink and a sly grin.

He reached his arms up high stretching out with a satisfied grunt.

"Elra told me that inn goers recive a complimentary breakfast?" He said inquisitivly

"What's in the menu?" He smiled

Tanith Mistfall

 

[TheScarletDastard]

"Funny you should ask!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, a great tray crashed down onto Tyrenlil's table, laden with the trappings of a full breakfast. A young man in an apron stood before the elf, having positioned himself directly in front of Tanith, blocking her from view. With a strained smile, the boy began removing items from the tray to set before Swiftwind, naming them as he did so.

"One bowl of berries and chopped fruit from the local market, one plate of eggs and potatoes with spiced peppers and two kinds of cheese, (that's hot, careful,) with biscuits on the side, and brewed fresh this morning," he added, producing a cup and saucer, "Dark Obanese breakfast tea, full-bodied and rich." Raising a steaming teapot, he poured the cup slowly and deliberately, his pained grin still twitching on his face. "My name's Dez, I'm in the kitchen and I take care of things around here. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to call."

The cup filled, he put his tray away, then brandished a pair of small silver jugs as if they were daggers. "Cream, or sugar?"

 

[Tanith Mistfall]

Tanith glanced over when she heard Tyrenlil speak and was about to reply when she was interrupted by the arrival of the Den's newest employee. Part-time, for the moment, his name was Dez. She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.

She wondered if his timing was intentional, could be, he sorta struck her as the protective sort. She folded her hands behind her and peered around Dez. "Our newest hire, it seems he has things well in hand!" She giggled again.

Tyrenlil Swiftwind Mikelle Fallowbridge TheScarletDastard

 

[Dorin Stonekin]

Dorin took stock of the items in the shop and nodded, there was indeed need of a proper Smith in this establishment. He reached one of the racks eyeing a long sword made by the apprentice. He took it in his right hand and placed his left hand behind the blade. He stared at it for a while, he noticed some cracks in the steel that the apprentice whomever they were tried their best to grind out on the whetstone. The blade was unbalanced there was not enough heft in the tang and pommel to offset the weight of the blade, it was also heavier on one edge then the other due to the excessive grinding to try to remove the crack.

Dorin placed the sword on the counter and grabbed a hammer from his belt. The hammer itself overshadowed the blade by miles. The steel of the hammer was without blemish the head had ornate designs on it, on one side of the head was star and the other side of the hammer had an anvil. He raised the hammer and smashed it on the blade, the blade broke into three clean pieces. He huffed and grunted shaking his head.

He looked to Elra, his expression changed a bit finally, however this time he had an added look of annoyance. He chewed on his cigar for a moment before speaking.

"The Forge?"

He crossed his arms grinding his teeth crushing the end of the cigar in his mouth.

Elra Mistfall Mikelle Fallowbridge TheScarletDastard Tyrenlil Swiftwind

 

[Elra Mistfall]

Elra watched while Dorin examined one of the blades. She grimaced when she saw the crack on it. Amelia tried, but she didn't have the experience required to fashion high-quality weapons. She raised an eyebrow when Dorin took out his hammer and was about to ask him what he was doing when he brought it down on the sword, breaking it.

She scratched the back of her head. "Ah, yes, the forge. Right this way." She walked around the counter and up to the door behind, pausing and glancing back at Dorin. "That was the work of our apprentice, you'll likely meet her inside." She shoved open the door and led Dorin inside.

The interior of the forge was made with a darker kind of stone. The tools and equipment, at present, were kept neatly organized and in good condition. Everything a blacksmith could be found inside. But the crowning piece was the Dragon's Head, a forge made in the shape of a dragon's mouth.

Off to the right, Amelia Rowe was hard at work on another longsword, likely trying to improve over her last one. She paused when she noticed them enter. "Oh, morning, Miss Mistfall! And you too sir!"

Dorin Stonekin TheScarletDastard Mikelle Fallowbridge

 

[Tyrenlil Swiftwind]

Tyr forced his own smile as he was interrupted from his conversation with Tanith. He reached into his vest and pulled out a handkerchief and set it on his lap.

"Pleasure to meet you Dez"

He took the tea and placed it under his nose taking in a whiff of it and then took a sip setting it down. Nodding to the boy.

"Neither will be necessary, thank you"

He quickly finished the food before him and then used his handkerchief to clean the sides of his mouth before standing.

Making his way to Tanith he smiled at her "I enjoyed our dance, perhaps we can do it again some time, preferably where we won't be interrupted by patrons" He offered her a wink

Tanith Mistfall TheScarletDastard Mikelle Fallowbridge Dorin Stonekin

 

[TheScarletDastard]

Letting a tray full of dishes clatter into a washbasin, Dez thought to himself he needed to stop thumping trays around; he was bound to break something eventually. Of course, he was being foolish. There was no reason to be terse. The elf might've been a shmarmy git and a shameless flirt, but apart from prancing about half-naked like a damn Orcish shaman, he hadn't done anything wrong.

Now, if he was half the thief Dez suspected him to be, then mayhaps a fair bit of wrong was going on outside the tavern. But at the end of the day, that didn't matter by half. Plunging a trencher into foaming water, the boy sighed. Long as he minded his manners here, Swiftwind was a valued customer. An eccentric and obnoxious customer. But then again, that was an apt description of just about every louse in Alliria.

Alone in the kitchen, Dez looked about to make sure no one was coming in. He could hear Tyrenlil's voice from the other room; probably accosting Tanith, now that her valiant protector in an apron was missing. Rolling his eyes, Dez began on the washing up, singing softly under his breath.

"Timekeeper, Timekeeper, slow down this river,
Hold back its course as I fight my way to her.
Time is a thief, and he stole her,
He stole her from me."

 

[Tanith Mistfall]

Tanith resumed her usual duties while Tyrenlil ate and Dez busied himself in the kitchen again. Humming random verses of various tunes she'd heard throughout her life. If sang aloud the lyrics would be quite nonsensical. She stopped at the counter to grab another teapot when Tyrenlil approached.

She returned the smile but not the wink. "Mm, I guess we'll have to see. I'm a busy woman after all." She giggled, starting to walk away from the counter, twirling once as she went. "Also last night's minstrel was just visiting, we don't usually have music at the Den. We haven't hired anyone."

She paused when she heard muffled singing coming from the kitchen. She glanced over and hummed. "Do you hear that too?"

Tyrenlil Swiftwind TheScarletDastard Mikelle Fallowbridge

 

[Dorin Stonekin]

As Dorin entered the forge his eyes widened a bit taking in the the forge.
It was the first time through the interaction he didn't seem annoyed.

He walked to the anvil, it was wide massive he ran his hand over its surface.
As the apprentice worked he watched her heat the metal and sent a nod in her direction.

He turned and looked up to Elra.

"Modifications will need to be made, but it will do." He crossed his arm again chewing his cigar.

"Eighty five percent" He said bluntly "For my craftsmanship ship my labor my expertise and for training the apprentice, eighty five percent of the profits of the Blacksmith, and a room."

He locked eyes with Elra his familiar unammused look on his face as he crossed his arms.

Elra Mistfall Tanith Mistfall TheScarletDastard Mikelle Fallowbridge Tyrenlil Swiftwind

 

[Elra Mistfall]

Elra smiled faintly when she saw Dorin's expression. She glanced at Amelia, who smiled awkwardly and returned the nod before resuming her craft. She wasn't sure about the dwarf's ability to actually teach the girl, but he was clearly an experienced smith.

Her smile dropped into a frown at Dorin's comment. She folded her hands in front of her and breathed in sharply. "I'm afraid that's not possible, as Amelia herself already earns twenty percent of the blacksmith's profits. I don't do this for the money, but if I agreed to your terms, the blacksmith would be operating at a loss. Which is hardly sustainable."

She narrowed her eyes. "Here's my counter offer. You'll get the room, and will be allowed to use all the Den's services, free of charge. You'll also receive forty percent of the blacksmith's profits, plus an additional set fee for training Amelia. Finally, you'll be given an extra ten percent of the profits on any craft you make, or, in the case of a commission, an extra twenty percent. Do we have a deal?"

Dorin Stonekin TheScarletDastard Mikelle Fallowbridge

 

[Tyrenlil Swiftwind]

Tyr indeed did hear the singing from rhe kitchen his Elven ears were keen. He walked with Tanith and as they made their way towards the kitchen he pressed the door open for her. There was Dez with a voice like an angel singing a sad song about lost love.

Tyr turned to Tanith and smiled "It appears you have a bard employed already"

Tyr turned and went to the stage grabbing a lute and he walked back to the kitchen and he called out to Dez "You can sing, but can you play?"

With that he held the lute out to the boy, he already knew he was proficient with a blade by the way he presented himself earlier but could he sing and play, that was the mark of a true minstrel.

Tanith Mistfall TheScarletDastard

 

[TheScarletDastard]

Well, this was a disaster.

A towel still clutched in his hands, the dishwasher stood in the kitchen doorway and looked warily at the proffered instrument. He'd always meant to tell the Mistfalls he could play.... eventually. But of course, his proclivity for singing absentmindedly had gotten him into trouble again. Eventually had just become right the feck now.

Taking the offered lute from Tyrenlil, he gave the elf a careful nod. Whether this was genuine interest in Dez's ability, or just putting him on the spot to pay him back for the passive-aggressive way he'd served breakfast, the boy couldn't tell. But there wasn't much else to do now. There was a pretty redhead watching. Didn't matter if she was your boss or 116 years older than you- there was a strict minstrel code for what to do when a pretty redhead was watching. Show off like crazy.

Hopping up to sit on a dining room table, Dez plucked out a mournful line and sang of a fallen legend.

"How do you run from a fire
That smolders in your soul?
How do you fix what's broken,
If the pieces have been sold?
Do you feel fear within your heart?
Do you feel courage, in spite of the dark?
A crowning triumph? A dreaded shame?
What do you feel when I say his name?
When I say Sparhawk?"

 

[Tanith Mistfall]

Tanith clasped her hands in front of her and cooed. Dez could sing too? What an amazing stroke of luck! Narmaka herself must've smiled on her. "Maybe we have," she said in response to Tyrenlil. She raised an eyebrow when he grabbed a lute from the stage. Oh, she knew what he had in mind.

Well, what better way to see if their dishwasher really had musical talent. If he did, well, she could solve two staffing shortages. She cooed when she saw the wary look on the human's face. "Don't be shy. You have the voice of an angel!"

She closed her eyes and smiled as she listened to Dez's song. Aww, and it's such a sad one too. She clapped when the minstrel finished his song. "Oh, so you can play the lute too?"

Tyrenlil Swiftwind TheScarletDastard Mikelle Fallowbridge

 

[Dorin Stonekin]

Dorin narrowed his eyes, he was quiet for a while his arms remained crossed and he chewed the end of his cigar shifting it back and forth between his mouth for a while.

He turned to look at the forge and the anvil, he took it all in. He watched as the apprentice worked with the same fervor and passion he had done in his youth. The same passion he still held.

Very few things compared to working a cold lump of metal into something else entirely, be it a sword, a shield, a suit of armor fit for a king, or a simple horseshoe.

As the glow of the forge illuminated his features he offered a rare expression, the dwarf had a small half smile on his face for a brief fleeting moment. He turned on his heel, a habit from his days in the Dwarven Marine company.

He reached out his right hand offering it to Elra.

"You got yourself a Smith"

Elra Mistfall TheScarletDastard Tyrenlil Swiftwind Mikelle Fallowbridge

 

[Elra Mistfall]

Elra's frown lifted when the dwarf agreed to her terms. She took his hand and shook it. "Welcome to the Dragon's Den. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." She drew back her hand after a moment. This Dorin fellow didn't seem like a bad sort, although she'd only just met him. She hoped things would go well with him.

Amelia continued to hammer away at her blade, stopping to examine her work with a confused expression. She turned it over a couple of times, before resuming her work.

Elra glanced at her, then back to Dorin. She put on a smile. "If you'd like, you can begin tonight or tomorrow. Whatever you prefer."

Tyrenlil Swiftwind TheScarletDastard Mikelle Fallowbridge

 

[Tyrenlil Swiftwind]

Tyr grinned at the boy, he had a feeling the boy was a minstrel, he had met many over the course of his life, they typically traveled with caravans and theater troops. Most were pick pockets and thieves, the minstrel life did not always pay the bills so to speak. Very rarely did a minstrel reach the level of fame to support a lavish lifestyle. He knew a thing or two about needing to steal to survive. He also knew them to be cocky and arrogant, that was something he could respect. His grin turned to a sly smile.

As Dez preformed his tune Tyr listened to him intently, perhaps the boy did have what it took to serenade Kings and Queens. He tapped his foot to the rhythm. It had brought his back to his days working with a traveling carnival, this is where he learned acrobatics. He tried to make an honest living but he would have worked the remainder of his life and never be half as wealthy as he was, which still paled in comparison to how wealthy his family once was.

He reached into his pocket and tossed a gold coin to the boy, one of the likes that he had placed on the counter the night before. He smiled and turned to Tanith.

"Looks like you have a minstrel after all, I am looking forward to our next dance"

Tyr offered Tanith a wink.

"If you will both excuse me, I have some matters to attend to outside of the den"


With that he made his way towards the front door of the Teahouse and pushed out into the street to take care of a few things.