Celeste didn’t have that great of sleep. It was unsurprising, seeing what she had learned the day before. And questions about what happened to people she knew wouldn't leave her alone. So when Rusty got up, so did she. It was a little before sunrise, but she didn’t feel like just lying there.

"Oh, you’re up already." He noted as he put some dough he had left rising the night before in the oven. "I thought that after everything, you might want to rest."

"Couldn't sleep. I had a lot to think about."

He nodded in understanding. "Well since you're up, do you think you could help me carry a couple of things out to the smithy? It's nothing heavy, but I don't want to make multiple trips." He pointed to a hammer and some other tool nearby. "They just don't fit in the tool kit I have."

Yes, they were a bit heavy, but she managed to carry it out to the small building next to the forge. There were a couple of blades off to the side, but there were mainly tools like rakes and hoes. She supposed it made sense. The camps would probably have their own blacksmiths, though she had to wonder what business he did with them.

“Don’t suppose you have any experience working in a forge,” Rusty noted as he grabbed one of the blades. It had a large chip in it. “I could use an extra hand and apprentices are in short supplies these days. But I’m not sure you’d be able to haul all the necessary things.”

“You’re probably right. To work in a smithy, you have to have some muscles. I’m afraid I don’t have that.” She did know enough to start putting some charcoal into the forge. “I worked in a jewelry store before...well, you know, so I can mount gemstones, cut them, or do engravings. Madame Bustier said that I had a steady hand, so I was good at all the delicate work.”

“Afraid I don’t do jewelry much except when people want me to melt it down to make something else. I do get detailing requests though, but I’m not good with it. My hands are too dwarf to be of any use.” He removed a small red crystal from his pocket and struck it against the stone of the forge. A small flame came from the crystal and hit the wood, setting it on fire. Rusty closed the small door and went to the bellows. He started pumping. “So, did Madame Bustier do any smithing?”

“Not that I recall. She was in business with a smith who’d make the basic things for her and get a cut whenever she sold it. She did all the things like setting the stones, working with the stones, detailing, things like that.” Madame Bustier said that the smith was a cousin of hers, but it turned out he was only distantly related to her. According to her, most people were her cousins. “I take it you didn’t know her.”

“No, since I don’t do jewelry. But maybe I knew the smith. Do you know his name?”

“No. She just always referred to him as her Smith. I wonder if he survived.” She wasn’t very optimistic about the Madame’s chances, mostly because she wouldn’t let anyone push her around and wasn’t afraid to say what was on her mind. Hopefully, if she was killed, it was a quick death where she didn’t have to suffer much.

Once Rusty had pumped the bellows and gotten the fire hot enough, he put the chipped blade into the forge to begin the process of softening the metal. She had watched the smith Madame Bustier used a few times, so she knew how things worked on a basic level.

“Do you do more work with the Renewers or the Revivers?”

“Well, the Renewers’ main fort is closer to here than the Revivers’, but I think it’s equal. I don’t keep up with it that much, to be honest. I do job for individuals, not whole camps.” He drew the blade out after a while and started banging it with the hammer to get it into the proper shape. “It’s a bit mercenary, I know, but I wouldn’t feel right in either camp. Since I grew up with the dwarves in the Badlands, I don’t exactly fit in with large groups of humans.” He paused in his smithing. “You should probably go back to the cabin and see if Kyn’s up. If he’s not, then go and wake him up. I’m not letting him board for free either. And please bring back some bread if it’s ready.”

Celeste nodded and headed back to the cabin. There was some smoke coming from the chimney, which she assumed that meant Kyn had started a fire. But as she approached the back of the cabin, she heard voices. One of them was Kyn’s, but there was also another one. She opened the back door just a crack to listen a bit better.

“I’m no thief!” She heard Kyn insist. “As I told you earlier, Rusty is kindly letting me stay here for a couple of nights. He’s out in the smithy if you…”

“Enough of your lies, stork. Rusty doesn’t board anyone.” Celeste heard a slam and Kyn whimper a bit. “I’ve never known an elf to be a thief, but there’s a first time for everything. You certainly aren’t a customer. Elven weapons have to be smithed with a special technique, something that the elves keep to themselves along with how to craft air crystals.”

“I don’t know anything about those! I practice medicine.”

A muffled sound followed his statement, something she could barely hear. Kyn fell silent and without thinking, she slammed the back door open. Fortunately, Kyn was still conscious and not bleeding out or otherwise injured, but he did have a sword pointing at his throat. It was in poor condition with a crack that would no doubt become a chip if not taken care of. There were splotches of rusty color on it, but she knew that it was no rust. Someone hadn’t cleaned the blade of their sword after a fight.

She could remember Derrick cleaning his and he always made sure to assure her that they had simply been sparring to the first blood that day. Usually, that was the truth. Sometimes though, she had wondered.

“So, you have an accomplice?” He asked as he held the tip of the sword closer to Kyn. “And a human one at that. Now things are starting to make a bit more sense. You must be one of those elves that don’t live with the ones in the trees. Your type of elves are always wildcards.”

“I’m no thief and neither is he.” She replied, being careful not to step in any further. Derrick’s words came to mind. Never provoke someone with a drawn weapon, especially if they think they’re in danger. “Rusty can vouch for us if you let me go get him?”

“And risk you running off too? I think not. If you want your friend to be spared, you’ll return what you’ve stolen and we’ll wait for Rusty to come back. Since this is his place, he decides what happens.”

Hopefully, Rusty would figure out that something was up when she didn’t come back after a while. But it was clear that the man didn’t want her to leave for the moment.

“As you can see, I don’t have anything on me.” Celeste raised her arms as a sign of surrender. “No weapons and no bags. So I can’t return the things I stole because I never stole them in the first place. And do you think a thief would light a fire in the place they were robbing?”

Maybe the events of the civil war and then the Reviver/Renewer conflict had driven away everyone’s common sense. She couldn’t blame the man for being suspicious, but there was no need to draw his weapon when they hadn’t threatened him. He looked like he was trying to rob Kyn. He had armor, but it was very scuffed and wasn’t a full set like he had only managed to take the torso piece. His hair was everywhere and he had a hardness to his face, the hardness of someone who lived a rough life.

“I don’t know how a thief thinks and I don’t care to know!” He pushed the point of the blade further into Kyn’s neck, drawing a bit of blood. “If he lets me, I’ll take you two into Renewer custody, show you what we do with thieves.”

“Without a trial?” Kyn asked, despite the blood that was trickling down his neck.

“There doesn’t need to be a trial when someone’s caught red-handed. A year’s worth of hard labor will teach you not to take what’s yours. Though to be honest, neither of you look like you can last that long. Oh well, I think we’ll think of something back at the camp.”

There was another muffled sound, though this one came from the front door. Everyone looked up to see another man standing there. He was in as equally shabby armor, though he wore a cloak that looked to be in fair condition. He had drawn his sword, though his was in better condition.

“Let them go, Renewer.” The new person growled. “Even if they are thieves, you don’t have any right to menace them like that.”

The Renewer dropped Kyn and whirled around to point it at the other man. “Oh, and how would you punish them, Renewer? Give them a feast and then send them on their way so they can go rob someone else of their hard-earned goods?”

“I certainly wouldn’t be drawing blood without just cause.” The two men began circling each other in the cabin. “Though your presence here is just cause enough to me.”

“Same here. I know Rusty has a rule against killing, but I can run you through and get rid of the body without him ever knowing, especially since those two are around to help.”

“I’m not going to bury anyone!” Kyn insisted as he held his hand against the wound on his neck. “Celeste certainly isn’t either!”

Celeste nodded in agreement. The situation had certainly escalated for a misunderstanding. Maybe now would be a good time to go and get Rusty…

She nearly jumped when someone put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her out of the way. It was Rusty and he had a large war hammer in his grasp. So he had noticed that something was wrong. He turned the handle in his grip.

“Now what is going on here?” He asked. “You know my rules about fighting. If you want to kill each other, you’re welcome to do it off my property. But not here. And what’s this I heard about a thief?”

The Renewer pointed to them with his free hand. Rusty looked at Kyn and shook his head. But she did notice his eyes narrow at the sight of the blood droplet that had made it past this hand.

“These two are my guests, not thieves. Do you think I normally leave my cabin unlocked when I go to the forge? Besides, everyone knows I have nothing worth stealing. Now get out, both of you. I don’t work with people who break my rules.”

“I was merely passing by and thought you might have something to sell.” The Reviver stated, but he didn’t put his sword up. He wasn’t going to sheath his weapon with his enemy around. “I will leave when he does, not before.”

“We don’t stab people in the back, Reviver. That’s your department.” The Renewer shot back. “But Rusty, I need your expertise! I’ll pay double for you to fix this sword.”

Rusty took one look at the sword and shook his head. “You’re better off getting a new sword. You ought to treat them better.”

For a moment, Celeste was sure that the Renewer would attack the blacksmith, but he just scoffed and headed out the door.

“See if I ever come here again! And Reviver, you walk at least five paces to my side at all times!”

The two continued their argument, which eventually faded. Rusty shut the front door and put down his war hammer.

“Are you hurt badly, Kyn?”

The elf shook his head. “No. He merely pricked me with his blade. Though it’s hard to believe he mistook me for a thief.”

“Well, they think because I don’t board anyone for the camps that I don't’ board anyone at all.” He went to a drawer and pulled out some bandages. He tossed it to Kyn. “Here, you should cover that up for a while until it scabs. No use in getting an infection. So other than that wound, are you both all right?”

“He didn’t hurt me at all,” Celeste assured him as she moved out of Kyn’s way. “Though Kyn did say my name…”

“I suspect I’ll get people asking me about what happened here from the camps.” Rusty wiped his brow. “I think it’ll be best if you two come with me to the tavern tomorrow. I don’t want you alone if someone comes around.”

Celeste nodded. No, she didn’t like the idea of going to a tavern, but it would give her a better idea of what was going on beyond the unexpected guests. Hopefully, those two were just outliers.