Chương 134: Chapter 24: Iron and Mana -Part II

The armorer, Thalia's shop is closer to the eastern market than I expect, tucked between a leatherworker and a merchant selling tools for farmers and craftsmen. From the outside, there is little to distinguish it from the other buildings along the street. A broad wooden sign hangs above the entrance, its lettering worn from years of weather, while a few pieces of finished armor sit behind the front window.

There is no elaborate display and no attempt to make the place look more prestigious than it is, which seems fitting for someone Darran has trusted with his equipment for years. Gale draws a few curious looks as we approach, but I pay them little attention. I have become accustomed to people staring at him since his transformation, although it is still strange seeing the reactions now that he is considerably larger than he was only a short while ago. Gale himself seems unconcerned by the attention.

He walks beside us with his head held slightly higher than before, occasionally turning toward a sound or movement in the market, and although his stride is still not entirely natural, there is already a noticeable improvement from when we left the Guild. Darran pushes open the door, and the familiar smell of worked leather, oil and heated metal reaches me immediately.

The interior is larger than the building suggests from the street, with racks of armor lining the walls and several workbenches occupying the rear half of the shop. Pieces in various stages of completion hang from hooks or rest on wooden stands, and I notice several different styles of chest protection arranged according to weight and purpose.

There are simple leather pieces intended for travelers and low-ranked adventurers, reinforced armor for those who expect to spend more time fighting than travelling, and heavier sets designed to withstand the sort of punishment that would turn lighter protection into little more than scrap. The sound of metal being worked comes from somewhere behind the main room, followed by a woman's voice calling something that I cannot quite make out.

"Darran?" A moment later, a woman steps through the doorway at the back of the shop, wiping her hands with a dark cloth. She is perhaps a little older than I expected, though there is nothing soft about the way she carries herself. Her dark hair is tied back to keep it away from her face, and the sleeves of her work shirt are rolled above her elbows.

There is a faint smear of soot along one cheek, and her hands carry the marks of someone who spends more time working with metal and leather than worrying about keeping either off herself. Her eyes settle on Darran first, then move toward me before stopping on Gale. She stares.

"That wasn't the size of the beast you mentioned last time." Darran smiles.

"No, it wasn't." I step forward and offer her my hand.

"Kaelen." She looks at my hand for a moment before taking it, her grip firm and calloused from years of working with metal.

"Thalia." Her gaze shifts back to Gale, and I gesture toward him.

"And this is Gale." At the sound of his name, Gale's ears twitch and he turns his head toward her. Thalia studies him for another moment before giving a small nod.

"Gale," she repeats.

"I'd say he's changed quite a bit since I last heard about him."

"He has," I say.

"Today, in fact." Thalia's eyebrows rise slightly.

"Today?" I nod.

"It's been an eventful day." Thalia's gaze remains fixed on Gale as she walks closer, though she stops several steps away rather than reaching for him immediately. Her expression is not fearful. If anything, she looks like someone who has just been handed an interesting problem and is already considering how to solve it.

"Then whatever you're planning to make for him, don't make it permanent."

"That was already the advice I was given," I say.

"Good." Thalia crouches slightly, studying Gale's legs and paws without touching him. Gale watches her with equal interest, his ears shifting as she moves around him.

"He's still adjusting," she says after a moment.

"Look at the way he's standing. His weight distribution hasn't settled yet. If he's only just entered adolescence, he'll probably change again before he reaches maturity, so anything you make for him now should have room for that." Darran gestures toward me.

"That's one reason we're here. Kaelen needs equipment, and we wanted your opinion on what would make sense for Gale as well." Thalia straightens.

"What does he do?"

"Wind and Lightning," I answer. Her attention sharpens slightly. Darran adds, "Wind is his primary affinity. Lightning is secondary."

"And he can use the Lightning already?"

"Barely." Thalia's eyes move toward Gale's forepaws.

"Then I wouldn't put anything metal around his limbs." I look at her.

"Because of the Lightning?"

"Because you don't know enough about it yet." She gestures toward his claws.

"Metal isn't automatically dangerous, but you have no idea how much current he can produce, how naturally he can direct it, or whether his control will develop faster than his understanding of it. If you're going to train him, don't introduce unnecessary variables. Let him learn how the mana moves through his body before you start putting metal between his skin and the energy." Darran nods.

"That's what I was thinking." Thalia gives him a knowing look.

"Of course you were." I glance between the two of them.

"How long have you known each other?"

"Long enough," Darran says.

"Too long," Thalia replies at almost exactly the same time. I smile despite myself, and Thalia catches the expression before turning her attention back toward me.

"Now," she says, "let's see what you've been wearing." I step forward. The inspection is considerably less pleasant than her assessment of Gale. Thalia moves around me with the practiced efficiency of someone who has done this countless times, checking the condition of my chest protection, running her fingers along the edges of the leather, testing the straps and fastenings, and examining the places where the material has been reinforced over time.

She moves on to my bracers, then my belt, and finally the pouches and equipment hanging from it. She does not say anything at first, which somehow makes the examination worse. Eventually she stops behind me.

"How long have you had this?"

"Some of it? A while."

"That isn't an answer." I shrug, and Darran laughs quietly. Thalia looks at one of the straps again.

"You've repaired this yourself."

"A few times." She lifts the strap between two fingers.

"This isn't a repair." I look at her.

"This is an argument with the leather, and the leather is winning." Darran laughs openly now, and I give him a flat look before turning back to Thalia.

"Is it really that bad?" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"No." Thalia gives me a look that clearly states she isn't done yet.

"It's worse." I sigh. Thalia's mouth twitches with amusement before she continues her inspection. She asks me to turn, raise my arms, take out Nemain along with the scabbard, crouch and move through several basic positions. I follow her instructions, and with every movement she watches how the various pieces shift around my body rather than simply checking whether they still fit. When I finish, she folds her arms and studies me for another few seconds.

"You don't need heavy armor."

"I wasn't planning on wearing it."

"Good. It would slow you down." She points toward my chest.

"What you need is better protection without sacrificing flexibility. Reinforced leather would work for you, with light plates in the areas most likely to take a glancing strike. Your shoulders need more protection than they have now, but whatever I put there needs to move with you. You're using your body too much to justify wearing something rigid."

"That sounds expensive."

"It probably will be." Darran looks far too pleased with himself but I ignore him. Thalia turns toward one of the racks and pulls down a chest piece.

"Something like this would be closer to what I'd recommend." I take it from her and examine it. The armor is lighter than I expected. The leather is thick without being stiff, and several overlapping sections have been stitched together so the material can move with the wearer rather than fighting against every movement. There is nothing ornamental about it, and I appreciate that immediately.

"What about this?"

"Good for movement. Not enough protection for a serious fight."

"I don't intend to stand there and take hits."

"Then it should be enough to keep a bad hit from becoming a crippling one." Darran nods.

"That's what you need." I look at him.

"You're enjoying this."

"A little." Thalia turns her attention toward my forearms.

"Those should be replaced as well." She takes hold of one of my bracers and examines the worn leather around the inside.

"Better reinforcement here, but keep the wrists free. If you're channeling mana through your arms, you don't want anything restricting that movement. You should be able to rotate your wrists and move your hands naturally." I glance down at the bracers, "That makes sense."

"And your boots." I look at her. Thalia points downward.

"Those are worn enough that I wouldn't trust them on wet stone." I look down at my boots. She is right again.

"I've managed."

"You've managed because you've been lucky." Darran folds his arms.

"That's what I've been telling him." I look between them.

"You've both become very annoying." Thalia smiles.

"Occupational hazard." She moves toward another rack and pulls down a pair of boots with reinforced soles and lighter construction around the ankle.

"These would suit you better. More grip, better ankle support, and they won't interfere with your movement." I take them and examine the soles before nodding. The longer I spend listening to her, the more obvious the weaknesses in my current equipment become. I have spent so long treating equipment as something secondary that I never stopped considering how much it affects the way I fight. Most of what I carry has been chosen because it was available, affordable, or simply survived whatever happened to come before.

I adapted to it because adapting was easier than replacing it. But adapting around a weakness does not make the weakness disappear. Thalia eventually turns her attention toward my belt, and the expression on her face changes.

"This is the bigger problem." I look down.

"You've got too much weight on the same side," she says.

"Your swords, pouches, supplies, everything is pulling in the same direction. You compensate for it without thinking, but every time you change direction, everything shifts together." Darran nods.

"Especially if he's moving quickly."

"And if he's fighting alongside Gale," Thalia adds, "that becomes more important." I look toward Gale. He has been sitting quietly throughout the inspection, watching us with an expression that suggests he has patiently endured enough discussion about equipment and would now like everyone to stop talking about him. His ears flick when Thalia mentions his name, but otherwise he remains perfectly still. Thalia notices.

"You're planning to fight together?"

"Yes, eventually."

"Then fix the belt." She begins explaining how she would redistribute the weight, shifting some of the pouches toward my back and changing several attachment points so that the load remains balanced while I move. She recommends adding a secondary sheath for my second blade as well, positioning it somewhere I can reach without interfering with Nemain. I hesitate when she mentions the sword. Thalia notices immediately, "That stays exactly where it is." I look at her. She glances toward Nemain's scabbard.

"Whatever you've got there, I don't want to interfere with it. If the scabbard is already working with the weapon, leave it alone. I'll build everything else around it."

"That was my intention."

"Good." She moves on without asking any questions. Darran looks toward the back of the shop.

"What about a ranged weapon?" Thalia follows his gaze toward a rack of bows.

"You use a bow?"

"No."

"Crossbow?"

"No." She looks back at me.

"Then you're going to have to learn something new." I look at Darran. He gives me an innocent expression.

"You don't need to become a marksman," Thalia says, clearly amused by the exchange, "but having something you can use when closing the distance isn't practical is useful. A short bow would probably suit you better than a heavy one. You're already relying on movement, so you don't want something that anchors you in place."

"I have my magic."

"And what happens when your magic isn't the best answer?" I have no immediate response. Darran looks far too pleased with himself. Thalia continues before I can object.

"You don't have to decide today. Think about it." My hand settles against Nemain's scabbard. Thalia notices the movement but does not press the matter.

"I'll consider it," I say.

"That is enough." She begins writing down the measurements and the equipment we have discussed, occasionally asking Darran about materials or making a note beside one of the pieces she intends to replace. The equipment she showed wasn't for sale, so she'll make new ones for me. When she finally finishes, she turns the paper around and gives me an estimate. I stare at the number. Darran looks at me.

"You're going to complain."

"That is an unreasonable amount of money."

"You just spent the last hour agreeing with her."

"I didn't agree with the price." Thalia laughs from behind the workbench.

"You'd be surprised how often those two things are confused." I look over the list again. None of it is extravagant. There is no ornamental metalwork, no expensive enchantment and nothing designed to make me look like a noble's champion. It is simply good equipment, properly fitted and built around the way I actually fight, which is probably why the price bothers me as much as it does. Eighteen silver crowns. I have enough money with me to pay it, but not so much that I can pretend the expense is insignificant.

After the rewards from the Rask, the bandits and the Veyrakh contract, I have twenty-six silver crowns and eight copper pieces left in my purse. Paying Thalia will leave me with eight silver crowns and eight copper pieces, which is more than enough for ordinary expenses, but considerably less comfortable than I was this morning.

I have no good excuse to reject it, and I know that if I continue taking more dangerous contracts while relying on equipment that is already showing its age, eventually the cost of replacing it will be considerably higher than the number sitting in front of me.

"Fine," I say.

"Do it." Thalia nods and sets the paper aside.

"I'll need you back for a fitting once the first pieces are ready." I nod, "And Gale?" I look toward him. Thalia gestures toward the measuring cord she used earlier.

"I'd keep him with something simple for now. A sturdy collar, perhaps, but nothing restrictive. If you're going to take him through the city, you'll want some way of keeping him close when necessary. For combat, I'd leave him unarmoured until you understand the Lightning better."

"That was my plan."

"Good." Gale gets to his feet when I approach him, and I place a hand against his neck, feeling the thicker mane beneath my fingers. He leans slightly into the touch, and I can still feel the faint warmth of mana moving beneath his fur.

"We'll leave the armor for later." His ears twitch, and Darran steps closer.

"I'll work with him." I look at Darran.

"You're serious?"

"Yes." I glance toward Thalia, then back at Gale. The idea of leaving him with Darran no longer bothers me as much as it did when we first discussed it. Darran already knows Gale, understands his strengths, and has enough experience to recognize the difference between useful growth and reckless strength. More importantly, Gale seems perfectly comfortable around him.

"Then we'll do that," I say. Darran smiles.

"Good." Thalia gathers the measurements and begins putting the equipment order together while I settle the initial payment. When I finally step back toward the door, I glance once more at Gale. He is standing beside Darran now, watching Thalia work with mild curiosity, and for a moment the sight feels strangely reassuring. There is no need for me to keep him beside me every moment simply because he has changed.

He has people around him who understand him, and Darran is more than capable of helping him adjust to the strength he has gained. I open the door and step outside. The market noise returns around me immediately, but I barely notice it. My mind is already sorting through everything Thalia and Darran have said, from the changes to my armor and belt to the possibility of carrying a ranged weapon. It is strange to think that I have gone this long without properly considering any of it.

I have always thought of equipment as something that either works or does not, yet there is a difference between equipment that keeps me alive and equipment that allows me to fight at my full ability. Darran steps out beside me, leaving Gale inside with Thalia for another moment while she finishes discussing the collar.

"He'll be fine with me," he says.

"I know he'll be."

"You don't sound convinced."

"No, I am. I really am." Darran studies me for a moment before glancing back through the open doorway.

"Then why do you keep looking at him?" I follow his gaze. Gale has just stepped outside, and he pauses in the middle of the market to look toward a bird perched on the roof of the building opposite us. His ears angle forward, his body lowering slightly as instinct takes over, and for a moment I can see how much more capable he might become now that his body has caught up with the creature he was always trying to be.

"Because he's changed," I say. Darran follows my gaze.

"Yes," he says quietly.

"He has." Gale looks back at us, and after a moment he turns and begins walking toward the road leading out of the market. Darran falls into step behind him while I follow, and this time there is something different in the way the Hollowmane moves. His stride is no longer the uncertain movement of a creature learning what his body has become. It is still new, still imperfect, but there is purpose behind it now. I watch him for another moment before we continue toward the Grove, this time with Darran.