Looking for Work (Open)

[Riley]

Riley smiled and laughed, "As long as it's fine with the owners. I won't step on anyone's toes." He gave this round to her, he'd be able to get her back later. Or so he thought at least, he was going to be training her after all. This was going to be interesting, he'd never traveled with someone he actually liked before. Well, not since he'd been taken in by the mercenaries. He was looking forward to this, more than he thought he would. After a few seconds of consideration, he shook her hand. "Deal." He whistled loudly, "Hang out here for a few moments."

Riley nodded, smiling as she poked his forehead. "Maybe you can. I can teach you if you develop the skill, it's actually easier than people think." Though he wouldn't go into that here, not when he didn't know who was listening. Not everyone needed to know the secrets he knew about using his mind. Aside from that, he knew she had other things she wanted to do. And he apparently had a meal to cook, or meals as she put it. He was glad he could cook well enough to make himself happy. Hopefully his cooking skills were enough to keep these people happy.

A few moments later, Riley's horse trotted up to them. "This is Claudia." He said smiling and scratching the horse's head lightly. He worked his way around to the saddles, pulling out his bracers. He smiled and walked to Ana, holding them out. "Use these if you can." Riley held them out to her, insisting she take them. "At least you have something to practice with if nothing else."

[Mali]

She figured that he wouldn’t be cooped up inside the forge or the house the entire day that they were here so there couldn’t be any stepping on toes. However, she didn’t mention this to him. “I’m sure it should be fine.” As he took her hand, she gave him a firm shake before turning to remove the spare key from the door behind her. It was hidden quite well. She pushed a hidden button which revealed the hidden key. She knew that even if someone were watching, her wings would obstruct their view of where everything was.

“Okay!” was that too enthusiastic a reply? She couldn’t wait to try the mind stuff. It always fascinated her, being able to do things with your mind. She’d never tried it before and wouldn’t know how to do it on her own. However, with Riley helping her try, it shouldn’t be too hard to do. If she didn’t have the talent for it, at least she would know how to block her mind from others.

Hearing the loud whistle, Anaria refrained from covering her ears. Moments later a beauty of a horse trotted over. With a simple call, she was surprised other horses didn’t appear either. She wondered if Claudia knew Riley’s voice and could tell the difference between him and someone else whistling. Walking up slowly, allowing Claudia to get used to her first, Ana moved to pet her mane. “She’s beautiful.” Ana was still petting Claudia when Riley addressed her holding the bracers he currently had.

“Thank you, these should come in handy. C’mon, let’s go into the forge before it gets any later. She didn’t know where Claudia would stay for the night but didn’t worry about it. Riley knew what he’d do, and she wasn’t sure if the forge had a hitch post or not, but he’d figure something out for sure. Opening the door to the work area, she revealed a large work area with a stove, fireplace and other workstations. Weapons lined the walls as well as shelving with various parts and metals sources. In the back was a spare room where more shelving was against the wall, the queen size cot set up behind the door.

“So, I shall get to work drafting out my design before getting down to business. If you want to take the bed,” she made a hand gesture to show him to the back where the spare bed was set up.

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[Riley]

Riley patted Claudia on the leg, "Claudia, go back to the stable. I will come and get you in the morning." He told the animal in the ancient language, the horse pushed her head into his chest for a moment, then turned and went back to the stables. He followed Ana into the forge, taking everything in and offering a quieter whistle. He knew people that would consider this heaven. He would love to be able to walk through here and pick out what he wanted, but he knew that wouldn't be fair to Ana's friends. Or to his conscious. He did have one after all. Pesky thing got in the way every now and then, or that's what the baser parts of his mind said anyway.

Riley nodded, looking around the forge again. "I just might at that." He crossed to the bed slowly, taking his time as he walked. He opened his mind, stretching it out enough to fill the room. He tried to stay out of Ana's mind, though could still catch the stray thought here and there. He'd have to teach her how to defend her mind first, if for no other reason then so he didn't accidentally find out something she didn't want him to know.He removed his sword belt, setting it by the bed, setting his boots and tunic next to them. He almost reached for his dagger and smoke bomb, but decided against it. Ana would wake him if something happened. Or he would sense it first.

Riley looked up at Ana again, offering her a smile. "Thanks Ana, all this means a lot." He admitted, sitting straight for a few more seconds. He laid down on the bed, stretching out and sighing. "Don't worry about noise. I can sleep through a dragon roaring ten feet from me." It was a true story too, he had over slept a few times when he was in training with the Riders. It took more than a dragon roaring by him to wake him up he found out. He slowly closed his eyes, relaxing as best he could as he drifted off to sleep.

[Mali]

Ana loved walking into a forge. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t her own forge; a forge was always the same to her. It made her excited and anxious; she couldn’t sit still when she was inside a forge. She shared secrets of the trade and learned new ones at the same time. This is where she felt most comfortable. So she could understand Riley’s reaction to walking into the full portion of a forge for the first time. There was two parts to a typical forge. There was an area for customers with some weapons on display as well as a window that showed customers part of the second area, which was the work area, where the blacksmith kept their entire inventory and much more than what the customer could see. This was probably his first time seeing the actual forge.

She smiled as he crossed over to the bed. Anaria then walked over to the drafting table, placing the bracers down, she started to sketch and doodle, scribbling messy writing as she did both. Most wouldn’t be able to read it, but it was thought process, they didn’t need to be able to read it as long as they were happy with the finished product. Turning to look at him, she returned his smile, beaming this time. “You’re welcome,” She watched him lie down before she remembered what she needed to look for.

Crossing over to the shelving she started to read the labels looking for a special type of spring; a magically enhanced spring. She knew that they had some, as she did back at her forge. They were custom ordered springs that were magically enhanced to never get weaker. A regular spring grew weaker over time and use, however, these had properties to stop that from happening so the spring would be good forever.

She giggled, pulling open the drawer. “I don’t think I’ll be that loud, although thanks for letting me know, now I don’t need to worry about being too loud.” She felt comfortable around Riley. It was a nice feeling, having a friend. Other than patrons, she didn’t have many friends since they could never do things together when she was in her wheeled chair. She thought about the wheeled chair and smiled fondly. That had been a lot of fun with her father, designed and modifying the chair. Then there was her elevator versus his rails on the stairs. She missed those days. She should write her mother one of these days and find out what’s been going on at Knught forge as well as to inform her as to what she’d been doing recently.

There is was! Ana pulled out the right sized enhanced spring that she could find in the drawer and moved back over to the drafting table. Placing the screw into her pocket, she began to draft the actual blueprints. Pulling out her measurements from Riley’s hand, she set to work. She stoked the fire, heated some metal and then started to shape the hot substance into the various shapes and with various notches and pieces that would make her design work.

Hours later, she had the mechanism down pat. The blade would move in and out based on a ratcheting pulley system. He would use a pull ring on his middle finger that was attached to fishing wire. A bolt soldered to the wire would catch on a tooth along a wheel. The teeth were 180 degrees apart to allow full in and out motions of the blade. During the 180-degree spin, a pin on the pulley system pushes the blade forward or backward depending on the blades state, locking it in place. An anti backspin latch holds the pulley while the spring retracts the fishing wire. The wire slides over the ramp portion of the tooth when the bolt clicks into position on flat face of the tooth, resisting the system from allowing the blade to move from its locked position.

The end result looked pretty decent so far. All she would have to do now is attach it to the bracers and make sure it was comfortable for Riley to use. The only thing she forgot to measure was the circumference of his middle finger, so she had no idea if the ring would fit. She could always change that in the afternoon though. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Ana noted how early in the morning it was. She had finished the most part of her work and could go to bed knowing that the bracers would be finished easily later in the day.

Walking over to the bed, Ana noted how it was a queen-sized cot. Crawling onto the bed, Ana curled up into her sleeping position, wings folding against her back—still visible—as she slept on her side, her wings facing Riley. Ana dozed off, feeling content that the difficult portion of her work was done. Thinking about it as she drifted off, she noted how she would pay for the spring in the morning. Those were hard to come by after all, so it was only right.

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[Riley]

Riley slept through the night quietly for once, his only dreams being influenced by Ana. It was something new for him to dream about building something, rather than destroying something. He even slept well through the night, which was a first for him in many years. He awoke not long after Ana had crawled in bed, long enough for her to be sound asleep. He had moved closer to her after she crawled in, but not much. He automatically withdrew his hand from her back, sitting up in the bed. Riley swung his feet off the bed and stretched, closing his mind off and pushing thoughts out of his head. He got up and made a quick breakfast for everyone, bringing two plates back for him and Ana.

Riley looked around the forge, admiring the craftsmanship, these definitely were the work of a master. That explained why he came here above the other smiths in the city. However, he found the best piece of work sitting on a table, and it was still incomplete. He picked up the half finished hidden blade and examined it carefully. It was better than the rest of the work in the forge, his eyes slid over the blade marveling at it. He extended it, testing the sharpness of it, before returning it to it's resting place. This was truly one amazing piece of work, the Gods had smiled on him when he met Ana for sure. He would have to do his best when teaching her to thank her for this, she definitely deserved everything he could give her.

With that thought in mind, Riley went to his belongings by the bed, being careful not to wake Ana, he drew his sword and removed his shirt. Backing away to an opening, he started to practice. Riley started easy, however each movement quickly became more difficult than the last. His mind was open, scanning everything, as it always was when he fought. He sensed a bug behind him, and spun, slicing it in half. He spun again, using his foot to kick a rat aside, leaving it alive to scamper off. After half an hour, he was covered in sweat and out of breath, he still kept practicing however, not paying attention to Ana. He was careful to keep his mind out of hers, not wanting to invade her privacy.

[Mali]

Ana slept soundly that night. She was dreaming of building items and taking things apart. Usually she would dream about work but there were some times that she didn’t have her normal type of dreams. Ana didn’t stir as Riley moved closer. However, she did stir the slightest as his hand was placed on her wings. The plastic-like material of her wings shifted slightly as she sighed in her sleep. Must have been itchy or something.

She felt a shift in the bed but didn’t wake up; she was too tired to see if Riley had gotten up. She slept for maybe two hours before she woke up. She could hear heavy breather and turned on the bed so she was laying on her side but facing the sound. She watched as Riley worked out, topless, covered in sweat. What exactly was he doing? He wasn’t even sparring with a partner. She watched for a little longer before she noticed the food on the table. It must be cold by now as there wasn’t steam coming off it any more. Looking at the clock, she noted that it was close to eight in the morning. She’d only slept two hours and would need more later.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, sitting up and stretching wide. Her wings shuffled before shooting out. They quivered as she stretched before settling in a slightly drooped position. She was groggy but would get out of bed for now. Feeling it was best not to interrupt his training or practise session; Ana moved over to the table, sitting down, she poked the food to find that it was, in fact, cold. Oh well, didn’t matter if it was cold or not, food was food after all. Her friends would be up already, getting ready to open shop for the day. They would have risen with the sun, just as Ana had gone to bed.

Picking up a knife and fork, Ana covered a yawn with the back of her hand before she started to eat. She continued to watch Riley with half asleep eyes before she swallowed and motioned to ask him what he was doing. “Food? It’s cold now,” She smiled to him, still eating her cold breakfast. Like she said before, she didn’t care if it was cold, she was just letting Riley know that his would be cold as well.

Ana waited to see if Riley would finish his work out and come eat before she took another bite. It was good, even if cold. “Still good though. You’re a good cook. Is that also part of your all trades?” she giggled

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[Riley]

Riley lopped off the head of an imagined foe, kicking the legs out from another, and stabbing him through the heart. Imaginary foes all had the same things in common, they were brilliant defenders, amazing attackers, but always failed in the end. There truly was no substituted for a real opponent, especially if that opponent was stronger than you. Riley always thought that it was best to fight someone better than you, you don't learn if your opponent was weaker, or of equal strength, as you. He blocked an imaginary slash, then spun, bringing his own sword down in a powerful strike. He landed, panting as he heard Ana speak. He hadn't even noticed her moving and as she started eating, he stood straight, panting and smiling at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Riley crossed to where his things were, sheathing his sword, and using his tunic to wipe away his sweat. Pulling his shirt on, he turned and walked over to the table, joining Ana. "I'm glad you like it." He laughed with her, shaking his head. "Well, not really. When I was with the mercenaries, none of them could cook, so I learned how to cook half way decent." Riley didn't actually think he could cook all that well, he wasn't a gourmet chef, at least not as far as he was concerned. He started eating slowly himself, it wasn't bad but it did need to be warmed up.

Riley picked up both plates, and went to the forge, setting the plates in front of it for them. "Wait until you see some of my trades Ana, you'll " He was tempted to use magic, he was about to eat and replace his energy after all. However, he didn't know how Ana would take it, especially not after what happened to her with her wings. He wasn't about to try anything that could scare her off, he wasn't sure if magic would do that or not. "Fair warning, don't surprise me while I'm sleeping. Smoke bombs will be used." Maybe he shouldn't have warned her about that, it would have been funny. For him at least. He grabbed the now warm food, and returned it to the table, sitting down and starting to eat again. "Hope you like it warm."

[Mali]

Ana didn’t understand why he put his shirt back on. If he was that sweaty then shouldn’t he keep it off to stay warm or something? Ana sat up a little straighter before shaking her head. What was she thinking? Why would she want something like that to happen? What had she even been thinking about to cause such a thought? It was a good thing he wasn’t in her mind. Then she realised something, she had no way of knowing whether he was in her mind or not. Blushing, she hoped that he hadn’t heard that.

Looking over at Riley again, she shook her head. “It’s okay, the food was ready so might as well eat it before it gets bad even when heated,” she giggled, listening to what he had to say about his cooking. She learned how to cook from her mother although she wasn’t the best at it. She seemed to excel at mechanics much more than she did cooking. Which is odd since it’s assumed that all females are good cooks. But then again, how did you explain her friend and her husband? The forge owners couldn’t cook at all and depended on a friend to do it every day. They got a discount at one of the local inns.

Ana was about to take another bite when her plate was taken from her. Pouting, she wanted her food back, she was about to get up and follow him, eating off her plate a she would have done so, but decided to stay seated. He would bring her breakfast back, she knew it. Ana perked up at the mention of seeing his trades but wondered why he stopped mid sentence. What was he going to say? She’d what?

Tipping her head to the side, Ana wondered what he was referring to. “It’s a queen sized bed. Nothing wrong with two friends sharing a bed, right? But if that means I might see one of your smoke bombs, I think I might try some other time,” Ana giggled. She wanted to see the craftsmanship of the smoke bombs. Although it may not be a fun experience for her, it would be worth it to see the make and such.

As he brought her food back to her, warm, she smiled to him. Taking a bite with her ever-present fork in her hand, she made a ‘mmm’ing sound. “Even better now. Although it wasn’t that bad before,” she continued to eat, watching him to see what he’d do. Now that his food was warm, he would sit down, right? Glancing over at the bracers, she wondered if Riley had seen them yet or not.

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[Riley]

Riley laughed, "Still, I'm sure you wouldn't want to have smoke in your face like that. It's unpleasant let me tell you." He laughed for a few seconds, sitting down and grabbing his fork again. "Next time, you cook." He offered, starting to slowly eat, she was right, it was better now that it was warm. Next time he'd have to leave it by the forge to keep warm. Though he'd hope she'd actually be awake when he was cooking next time, maybe he could find out what she liked to eat that way. "So Ana, what do we have on the agenda today? And, do you have any idea where we should look?" Riley cast his mind over a few of his contacts, figuring out which would be best to visit for her.

Riley thought about it for a few more seconds, then thought he should let her know, just so she wasn't surprised in case something happened. "I've got something to show you, I'm not strong at this, so don't be too impressed... Or worried." Riley pointed at the candle on the table, glad it was not lit at the moment. "Brisingr!" A silver spark shot from his finger, lighting the candle, the fire turning to a normal color. He felt the drain on his energy at once, he doubted he could do that again. He proceeded to start to eat faster, trying to get the lost energy back. "Just thought it was something I should warn you about, all things considered.." He hoped she wouldn't hate him for this. He wasn't sure how she felt about magic, not after what happened to her.

Riley quickly finished his food, glad to have gained back some of his energy at least, it wouldn't take him long to regain the rest. He looked up from his plate at Ana, worried that she would hate him. "I'm really weak, I can't do much at all. A few small spells, but nothing more." He thought about the spells he could cast, noting that the number of spells useful in a fight was very small. He made a mental note to once again try and increase his ability to use magic, though he was unsure as to how he could do that. The Riders had told him his chances were slim, if he had any at all that is.

[Mali]

Thinking about it, Anaria shook her head. He was right, she wouldn’t want spoke in her face. “Well, if you find one missing at some point, I’m probably taking it apart,” she giggled sliding her fork between her lips. She felt so carefree around him, why was that? Nodding her head, she swallowed another bite before speaking. “Can’t guarantee that it’ll be any better.”

Finishing her food, Ana sat there examining her fork. She noted the small chip near the handle. She began to imagine how she could use the fork in her designs before Riley brought her out of her musings. Thinking about it, she liked how he asked her what they’d be doing today instead of setting the plans himself. Her father would always set their plans himself, of course he would listen to Ana’s requests, but it mostly consisted of his base plan with some of her ideas added in. That’s just the way he was when it came to planning. Good thing she hadn’t assumed that of all men. “Well, I have to make sure that the bracers are comfortable and that the ring will fit you, since I don’t know your ring size,” she blushed slightly at this. Why was she blushing at something like that?

Clearing her throat, she continued on. “As for contacts, I have no idea who I would even start to talk to about finding this guy. All I know is that he would stand out in a crowd, that’s about it.” And it was all that she could provide. The only thing she knew about him was what she’d seen and how he looked. She wondered if that would be enough to help track this man down. Then she was brought out of her carefree and cozy feelings when she remembered that their travelling together was in the form of payment. He would help her in thanks for the bracers and she would travel with him as a form of payment for the self-defence lessons. Soon enough, they wouldn’t be travelling together any more. That would really suck when it came time to part, seeing as she already considered him a close friend.

Curious as to what he had to show her that she shouldn’t be impressed or worried about, Ana watched as he said the foreign word and then the candle lit up. She jumped a bit, not expecting the silver spark to jump from his finger to cling to the wick and set on fire. It was pretty though, the fire staying a beautiful silver colour for a few more moments before turning to the golden yellow hue of a regular flame. She smiled up at Riley before a confused look passed over her face. All things considering . . . what? Oh! Now she got it, he was referring to her wings. At this she giggled playfully. “Riley, I use magic too you know. The spring in your bracers is magically enhanced to never weaken. It’s natural that magic be a part of my life,” That reminded her, she had to pay for the spring.

Placing her hand atop his, she gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, I won’t hate you just because of that. Sometimes I think my wings are beautiful until they get caught on something—she giggled—Either way, you’re going to help me try to track him down, so why would your being able to use some magic bother me?” She blushed again before taking her hand away. Smiling up at him, she stood from her chair and walked over to the bracers. Bringing them back, she placed the device on the table. “Middle fingers please,” She giggled again. She seemed to be giggling quite frequently.

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[Riley]

Riley smiled, offering her a slightly laugh. "You want to examine one of my smoke bombs?" He asked, tempted to get up and grab it, though he decided to stay where he was for the moment. He was still a little tired, or that's what he told himself at least. He pushed his plate aside, leaning on the table and smiling again. He enjoyed Ana's company, if he had his way when they had finished their payment, they'd still be traveling together. He almost shook his head, where did that thought come from? Not that he didn't want to keep traveling with her, he did, he just wasn't sure where it came from. He started to blush, then turned his head away for a second, faking a sneeze.

Riley nodded, "I looked at them, definitely the work of a master." He said, glancing over at the bracers for a second. "It's an interesting mechanism, I like it. Simple, easy to use, and seems to be highly effective. Much better than my idea." He leaned over the table again, nodding and thinking. "In that case, I know a man in Carvala that can help us greatly." He just hoped that the man still didn't want him dead, that would put a damper on their meeting. And possibly on finding Ana's 'miracle worker.' "If you don't mind, not now but later, I'll need to examine the memories of your meetings with the man. Just so I know what to look for."

Riley smiled in relief when she said his being able to use magic didn't bother her, now he felt safe for attempting to extend his knowledge. "Thanks Ana." He said softly, squeezing her hand back. "You're wings are beautiful." He paused here, adding in the ancient language. "Just like you." He gently reached out with his mind, pushing the meaning behind his words to her mind. Though he tried to do it in a way that she wouldn't suspect him. "Of course." He said, holding his hands out to her when she asked for them, possibly a little too eagerly.

[Mali]

Ana nodded her head. “Maybe, sometime later though, when you aren’t looking. Heck, I may even be sneaky enough to set one off on you,” she giggled. She watched him lean on the table, watching her and felt her face flush. Watching him, she could have sworn that she saw him blush before he sneezed. Why was he blushing? What could he have been thinking about to make him blush?

She was still thinking about what could have made him blush before sneezing when he mentioned to bracers. She couldn’t help the wide grin that came when he complimented her. “if they were made by my father, they would be much better, but it’s the best I can do,” She listened to him further, blushing again, this time she laughed nervously. “You’re making me blush, thank you,” she smiled to him.

Carvala? She’d never been to Carvala before. This would be fun. At the mention of having to examine her memories, Ana felt a little nervous. Would it hurt? He said that he used his mind as a weapon, so did that mean that it would hurt if he examined her memories? She looked a little nervous, shifting in her seat as she bit her lip. This meant that he would see that she was a cripple. She didn’t know how comfortable she was with him finding out that way. “You’ll see it in my memories, but it’s better if I tell you. I was born paralysed from the waist down. That’s why I went to see that man, to get my legs to work,” she turned her head away from his gaze. It wasn’t the easiest thing to talk about. Her wings lowered into a slumped state as she gained the courage to talk in a happier tone about the situation. “So you’ll see me in a wheeled chair, when you look at my memories.”

Ana never realised how self-conscious she was about her wings until she was in front of someone she liked. Wait! What? She meant liked as a friend, right? As in her only real friend so far, yea, that had to be what she’d been meaning.

At the reassurance of his use of magic, Ana’s wings fluttered as he called them beautiful. She blushed again, looking down at the table bashfully. Upon feeling something touching her mind, she looked up at Riley with her head tilted to the side in a questioning way. As soon as she received the message in a way that she would understand it, her face blazed red and she laughed nervously again. “Thank you Riley,” Looking down at the table, Ana subconsciously pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. She’d never been called beautiful before. Her wings, yes, but not herself.

Smiling at him, she moved her chair closer to his so she could hold the bracers under his wrists while slipping the ring over his fingers. It fit! Yes, so she’d guessed correct, unless they were too loose on him, which she could easily fix. As she placed straps to hold the bracer’s in place, she also strapped the top leather piece on the other side of his wrists. “There, how do they feel? Of course, I plan to attach them properly together, but for now, how do they feel?”

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[Riley]

Riley grinned, he doubted she could actually set one off on him. Not until she'd had some training at least. Though that didn't mean he couldn't have some fun, he would simply have to booby trap the pouch he kept the smoke bombs in. That would be fun, at least for him. "You are more than welcome to try, though you might have to distract me to do it." Wait, what did he just say? What did he mean by that? Why was he thinking things like this now? What was she thinking about all this? He knew he could find out, but he also wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, it was possible he was reading too much into things. He'd play it by ear for now, get as close to her as he could until he made his move. Wait, why was he thinking this?

Riley nodded at her, offering her a small smile. "I understand Ana." He put his hand over hers this time, squeezing it tightly. "It's ok. And by the look on your face, no it won't hurt. My mind is more a tool than a weapon, I'll be gentle I promise. And I won't look deeper into your mind, you have my word of honor." He squeezed her hand again, hoping he had made her feel even a little bit better. He knew this could be scary, he remembered his first lessons with magic, and with his mind. He also knew what it could be like trying to find someone, though his were for different reasons. He was glad she didn't have to go through it alone, she had him after all.

Riley smiled as she blushed and looked down, he gently raised her head again. "Of course, and I mean it." If she knew anything about the Ancient Language, then she would know he meant it. One couldn't lie in the Ancient Language, though one could work around the truth if needed. He however, had meant every word. He smiled again as she fit the bracers on him, flexing his hands and looking at them. "Feels great so far." Riley moved his hands away from Ana, he didn't want to hurt her. He then extended the blades, moving his hands experimentally, then retracted them. "They're perfect!" He reached over and took one of her hands in both of his, squeezing her hand and smiling at her.

[Mali]

Distracting him would be easy. She just had to figure out how to get into the smoke bomb location, activate the smoke bomb without him noticing and then finding an appropriate time to set it off. Maybe when they went to sleep would be the best. She knew that he could sense things with his mind, but as long as she thought about things other than the smoke bombs, he shouldn’t pick it up, right. Did he even pick up things from her mind anyways? “Shouldn’t be too hard to distract you,” she giggled. Of course, Ana didn’t notice any intentions that may lay in what he’d said. She only thought that he meant that he was so aware of everything that without some training first, she would never be able to set one off on him unless he was distracted.

It wasn’t that she was bitter about his simple response to what she’d told him, it was more that she couldn’t believe he would accept what she’d told him about herself so easily. She thought that he would question it more before accepting that she was born crippled. However, she was glad that he had accepted what she’d told him. Being born paralysed from the waist down, some would say that it was intended for her to never walk and that she was defying her fate by doing so. She was glad that Riley wasn’t like that. Nodding her head, she felt that she could trust him. He said it wouldn’t hurt and she was glad about that. She wondered how it would feel for someone to purposely be watching her memories. Even if it didn’t hurt, there had to be some kind of feeling. “Okay,” she smiled to him. Maybe it would just feel awkward knowing that he was watching. She squeezed his hand back, letting him know that she was reassured.

Upon feeling his hand lifting her face, Ana’s wings quivered, her eyes looking away still before darting over to look at him for a brief second before glancing down at the table. She wore a gentle smile as he said that he meant it. Nodding her head again, she glanced up quickly one last time before she got up and headed for the bracers. She was beyond embarrassed now.

She watched as he experimented with the bracers. Her heart beat faster and louder in her ears as her wings perked up in anticipation. She always felt like this when someone who requested custom ordered items was testing them out. She held her breath, letting it out in a sigh as he said that they were perfect. She was relieved. So all she would have to do now is attach some form of elastic to the leather and the bracers to keep them attached and in place. She should have some on her, she liked to carry that sort of thing in case anything snapped or broke in holding her weapons. “Good, glad you like them. I used a magically enhanced spring so it will never weaken, in comparison to regular springs,” Ana knew her stuff when it came to mechanics and device mechanisms. She looked up at him, grinning wide. “Would you like me to explain how it works? Or are you fine with just knowing that it works?” she giggled again. Some people didn’t want to hear the mechanics behind their weapons, they’d rather know that it works and leave it at that. Maybe it would distract from their being able to use them?

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[Riley]

Riley shrugged, "I might be able to surprise you." He winked at her, smiling. Wait, did he just wink? He never winked. What was going on with him? Not that he was complaining, he enjoyed Ana's company. He just wasn't sure where all of this was coming from, or he wouldn't admit it to himself just yet at least. Riley pulled the bracers off carefully, setting them on the table and pushing them toward her. Though he didn't take his hands off of them yet, he wasn't entirely sure why he didn't. Just that he wanted to leave them there, so that she would maybe.. He pulled his mind out, focusing it on talking instead of fantasizing. "They're amazing, just like their craftswoman."

Riley thought about it for a second, then decided to see if he was right. "The string pulls something, I assume there's a locking mechanism? And that's what extends and retracts the blade, right?" He asked, hoping he had it somewhat right. "Please do explain, I would love to learn more." And to hear her talk about something she loved, but Riley wouldn't admit that just yet. He remembered the fear from when he fought the larger than normal wolf, and felt similar butterflies. Though none of the terror involved. Instead it was nerves, though he thought he might prefer fighting the huge wolf again.

Riley stood and moved closer to her, finally taking his hands off of the bracers. He reached over and touched Ana's shoulder, squeezing it. "You really are a master Ana, one of the best smiths I've ever seen." He said honestly, meaning every word he said. He then nodded at his sword belt, "Smoke bombs are in that belt, one of the pouches." A plan formed in his mind, a plan that made him glad that Ana couldn't read his mind like he could read hers. Not that he was reading hers, he wouldn't do something like that unless he needed to, or he had permission... Though he could think of a few more times he would do it.

[Mali]

Ana giggled as he said that he might surprise her. Surprise her how? Catching his wink, she stopped giggling and stared at him like a deer caught in the headlights. She’d never been winked at before.

She noted how he kept calling her amazing and beautiful. If he didn’t stop, she might get the wrong impression. Unless that was the impression that he wanted her to get? Or maybe she was getting the wrong impression and he was just impressed with her craftsmanship and quality of her work. She needed to stop thinking things too deeply. That was probably what he meant by the compliments and Ana would have to remember that. That way, she wouldn’t get the wrong impression from his kind words and think the wrong thing. “Thank you,”

She gave him a quizzical look as he tried to guess what it was that exactly happened when the blade retracted and extended out into position. “Fishing wire, not string, but you’re close. A bolt fastened to the wire travels along a rotating wheel with two ramped teeth both 180 degrees apart. The bolt locks on the opposite side of the tooth keeping the blade in place. And when you flick your wrists, a pin releases the blade, following the movement of the ramp and the teeth into either a retracted or extended position.” she spoke with a light in her eye and with enthusiasm. She enjoyed the mechanical side to things some times. She felt relieved in a way. As if she were back in her forge talking with her father, about what recent device she had concocted and put together.

Blushing again, she nodded her head, noting the gentle squeeze to her shoulder. Looking over to the bag, she quirked an eyebrow to him, wondering what it was that he had planned. Standing slowly, she walked over to the bag and searched through the few pouches until she found the smoke bombs. Taking one out, she walked over to the bed and sat down, fiddling with the object. She wouldn’t go near Riley though, she knew he had some kind of plan and she didn’t know if she would like to find out what it was.

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[Riley]

Riley smiled at her, "Of course, I speak the truth." He nodded and listened intently, taking in everything she told him about the blade. He would have to keep it all in mind as he used it. It was something that fascinated him, and it helped that a very attractive woman was explaining it to him. Wait, did he just think that? It wasn't that he didn't think it was true, the Gods knew he thought she was attractive, it was just a thought came to him so natural. "Fascinating.. So I should be able to extend or retract it by just moving my finger as needed.." Riley considered it carefully, looking at several different ways he could use it. These would definitely become some of his most used weapons, or tools as he thought they would better be defined.

Riley sat back in his chair, considering traveling with Ana, was she really be alright with what he did for a living? There was the occasional job that he ended up leaving a trail of bodies behind him. He tried to avoid them, but it happened. Even he screwed up on occasion. When he came back to her covered in blood, what would she think then? He didn't want her to be afraid of him, but he needed to work, and this was all he knew. He doubted he could easily make a living in many other ways. Then again, he did have the offer of a job back in Ilirea... Maybe he would accept that and the three of them could travel together? That would be something to consider. He still had a couple of weeks before he had to go back to Ilirea to meet with Laemiri.

Riley looked up as Ana moved to his sword belt, looking until she found his smoke bombs. He'd have to make a mental note to replace the one he was about to use. He took a few breaths, knowing that this would take some energy from him. "Thrysta." The moment the magic left him, the smoke bomb in Ana's hand crumbled and smoke started filling her half of the room. He opened his mind and closed his eyes, seeing the light from her life force through the smoke. He stood from where he was and moved to her, entering the smoke. What was he going to do now? He was simply acting, not thinking about what he was doing. "Hi.." He said, pulling her up and into his arms. "H-Hi there.." He whispered, leaning in to kiss her.

[Mali]

Ana nodded her head eagerly. She was grinning from cheek to cheek as she spoke about the blades. “Yes and the best part is you can’t activate the device by flicking downwards, you have to flick your wrist up so you can’t catch your hand on the blade,” she sighed contentedly. She was like a kid at Christmas right now and she hadn’t even received anything, she gave it. However, sometimes that was the best time to be enthusiastic was giving gifts. Although it wasn’t a gift, there was payment involved with the bracers it still felt nice.

Ana fiddled with the smoke bomb, checking for hidden crevices or buttons to activate the bomb. She wanted to know how he activated the bomb, whether he had to throw it after pushing something or if it was a timed-release button of some sort. She got her answer though when Riley said another word that she didn’t quite understand and the bomb set off. He activated it with magic? That was no fun for her.

Using the back of her hand to cover her mouth, Ana coughed a bit before she felt herself being lifted from the bed. Still not able to see through the smoke bomb, Ana felt herself collide with another body, which she assumed to be Riley. They were awfully close together. As he said ‘hi’, she blushed again. She was blushing in front of him far too much today. She would have to try to control her blushing.

What she didn’t expect was what he did after repeating his ‘hi’. She felt his warm lips against hers. She didn’t know exactly what he was doing but she had a vague idea as her mind started to haze over. He was kissing her. Her mind paused for a moment longer, still thinking the simple thought that he was kissing her until she realised what that meant. It meant he was kissing her! She didn’t exactly push him away, more like pulled her lips away to stare at his chest, blushing like wild fire.

“Um,” She sounded shy and a little nervous about what had just happened. She’d never been kissed before, that meant Riley just took her first kiss. Well, she wouldn’t say took since she hadn’t been that opposed to it while it was happening. She practically had a mental fit over what had just happened. Sighing, she placed her forehead against his chest, taking in a deep breath she looked up at him. He probably wouldn’t feel so confident about her response and she would need to explain herself.

“That, um, was my first,” Hopefully he would understand what she meant when she said ‘first’. A small smile came to her lips as she looked down and to the side slightly. Her wings fluttered above Riley’s hand around her waist. They drooped downward, feeling faint, and rested against his skin. They would have tucked into her back if Riley’s hand weren’t there. Riley’s hand was around her waist! Her blush darkened—if that was possible—as she looked down between them, her forehead hot as it rested against his chest again. This was a little embarrassing. And yet, she was almost tempted to kiss him again.

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[Riley]

Riley smiled as the smoke left the room, letting them see each other again, looking down at her as she blushed. He didn't know what made him do it, but he was definitely glad that he did it. Especially after she said it was her first kiss, did that mean there would be more? That's what it sounded like to him. "By first, I'm hoping you mean there will be more." He said softly, a burst of energy coursing through him, easily compensating for the loss of energy with both of his spells used that morning. Riley smiled again, moving one of his hands from her waist and lifting her head up by her chin gently. Still smiling softly, he leaned down and kissed her gently again. "Many more?" He added, a twinkle appearing in his azure blue eyes.

Riley slowly pulled away from her, not that he wanted too, despite the surge of energy he had replacing what he lost, his limbs still felt weary. He sat down on the bed, sighing contentedly, his hand quickly finding hers. He rested his other hand on his knee and looked up at her, leaning on his other hand and turning to face Ana better. Riley squeezed her hand, eager to be up and moving, eager to get to know Ana better. For many reasons, not just because they seemed to be starting a relationship. Though that did help in his wanting to get to know her better. "Come on, I want to steal you and get true alone time." He began with a grin, squeezing her hand. "Let's do what we need and get moving."

Riley stood, still not letting go of her hand, not particularly wanting to just yet. However, he knew they couldn't stay here forever, or even all day for that matter. They were occupying someones workplace after all, he didn't want to keep someone from making a living. He was having a hard enough time making a living for himself. He pushed those thoughts from his mind, banishing them completely for the moment. Riley finally and reluctantly let go of Ana's hand, pulling on his sword belt, and slipping his tunic through his belt. He couldn't wait until they found a river he could bathe in, he blushed lightly as the thought of Ana bathing crossed his mind. He logged that thought away, trying not to be distracted by it.

[Mali]

It was almost as if he had quirked an eyebrow and smirked to her by his return question. She gulped at the question, hiding her face in his chest as he asked. She was embarrassed and that’s when she started to stutter. She also stuttered and mumbled when she was nervous so maybe she was a little nervous right now as well. However, she didn’t want to stutter in front of him or else she might look bad. She didn’t know what he would think of her. Whether she was weak or something wasn’t one thing Ana wanted Riley to think of her.

Taking a deep breath, her face was lifted and she tried to repress her blush a bit more. She wanted to answer him easily and tell him that she’d like that, but it came out in a messed up jumble. “Um, I . . . I, that would, I mean, um,” this time when her face went red it was because she embarrassed herself instead of him being the cause this time. She didn’t even make sense or answer what he had to say. She felt his lips press to hers and she leaned forward into the kiss, unsure what she should be doing or what she could do during a kiss. She just pressed her lips to his and hoped that she was doing it right.

Why did she have to be such a technical person? Why couldn’t things just come naturally for her? But then again, if they did, then she wouldn’t have wings right now. She felt Riley move away from her and sit on the bed. Thinking that she did something wrong, Ana started to panic. Maybe it was because she hadn’t answered his question properly. You didn’t just start kissing someone new to the entire thing then push away after she stumbles an awkward reply. It gave her doubt in confidence. However, she may just be over thinking things again. She tended to do that. “I would, um, like that,”

Biting her lip, she was staring at the ground, even though he still had her hand. She nodded her head, repressing the urge to ask if she did something wrong. He was probably still a little groggy, she was. “Okay, well, I have to attach the bracers and thank my friends for having us over and then we should be able to leave.” Ana left as he was changing, having forgotten that he had been shirtless this whole time. How could she forget something like that?

After speaking to her friends and paying for the spring, she came back to Riley and smiled to see what he was doing. Turning to the work bench, she quickly set to work. She would have to sew the attachments to the leather later, seeing as she could do that while they were on the road. Ana quickly attached what needed to be done before turning around to face Riley. She blushed faintly at the memory of their lips touching before she shook her head. “So, um, ready to go? I can sew the last parts on the road . . .” ana laughed a little nervously.

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