Lori repeated the test, just to confirm it had worked as intended. That included pressing down on the amalgamating bead with her finger to deform it. After that, she used the rest of the Iridescence in the jar as normal, forming beads of various sizes. It was at that point Lori realized that she could prepare the bindings in advance inside her demesne and imbue them completely before taking them out and amalgamating them to the colors.

Stupid. She should have done that sooner! It would have increased the number of beads she could make, even with small shards of Iridescence to work with! Well, she knew it now, so she could start doing it that way tomorrow…

By the time they returned to her Dungeon, Binder Shanalorre's message was ready and one of the militia who had accompanied her was waiting to be taken back to River's Fork. Lori had to imbue the sled's bindings again, and even dropped some beads into the new receptacles on top of the tubes, just in case it wasn't enough.

"Well, get going," she told Rian as she pushed the wooden stoppers back into place.

"How much longer are these warming stones you gave us going to last?" Rian asked.

Lori rolled her eyes. "Yes, they'll last until you get back. Get going already." Lori started imbuing the warming stones, which were running a bit low on imbuement…

Once Rian was on his way, Lori barricaded herself back in her room once more, putting the bowl with the ingot on the bottom on her table and dropping the beads she'd made into the receptacles for them, sorting them by size as she imbued the warming stones Rian, Riz and Riz's friend were wearing, up until the point they left her demesne.

When that was finished, Lori could finally spare her attention to considering the results of her experiment. Rian's impromptu test had revealed surprising information, one she'd have to test later. Still, it was nice to know how it could be possible to add denomination markings to her beads. More importantly, however, her test of forming beads through a conductive metal meant that with the right mold and sufficient Iridescence, she could greatly scale up bead production. So far the most time consuming aspect had been how each binding that amalgamated with the colors needed to be made and imbued individually, given she'd need to be outside of her demesne and she only had so many hands. If she could imbue through metal, however…

Lori pictured it, a grid-shaped mold where each square had a bit of Iridescence and a binding, and the bottom of the mold was made of metal that she could conduct magic through. Even if she had to activate each binding individually, if she could imbue it while the bead was forming instead of beforehand, she'd be able to save time on the preparations for the beads. And… actually, if she was imbuing the bindings through conduits, then she didn't actually have to be the one to imbue it, right? After all, she had beads now…

For a moment, she allowed her mind to wander, imagining herself creating a binding that she imbued greatly to create an extremely large bead, then connecting that bead to the metal contact point of the mold, so that all she'd need to do was start the amalgamating process and the forming beads would initially draw imbuement from the large bead until she could take over the imbuing directly. Or she could draw a wire from her core all the way to the edge and use that instead…

It was a silly fancy. They didn't have anywhere near enough metal for a wire that long. Well, something to work towards in ten years or so…

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Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to talk to Rian about their findings over dinner because of the presence of their guest and her militia. Even if it was very unlikely that Shanalorre would understand what they were talking about and be able to replicate their findings, simply revealing such information to another Dungeon Binder would be foolish in the extreme.

However, since they couldn't talk about sensitive matters, that meant Lori was free to focus on playing chatrang with Mikon!

She nodded to Shanalorre, already sitting at the bench—thankfully this time it looked like the people who had come with her had finally recognized the pattern of events and hadn't tried to sit on her bench as well—as Lori put down the board and the box with the pieces and started laying them down. Across the table, Rian was speaking with the interloper. From the sound of it, he was inquiring about their accommodations and if they needed anything more. Lori tuned it out. Nothing she cared about.

"Good evening, Binder Lolilyuri," Shanalorre said.

Lori blinked, turning to look at the other Binder. "Good evening, Binder Shanalorre. Is something the matter?"

"Everything is well, for now. My compliments, Binder Lolilyuri. You have a wonderful demesne and an extensive Dungeon. I must admit to a degree of envy."

Ah… well, Lori could find some time to listen to compliments. "Thank you for saying so, Binder Shanalorre."

"All this construction must have taken some time."

"I have been working since we established the Dungeon's core," Lori admitted as the other three joined them, Riz immediately putting her head down on the table and settled in for a quick nap as Mikon awkwardly found herself sitting between Rian and the interloper as they talked. "And it's still not finished. Several parts are very lacking."

"Lacking? I cannot see how, though is probably my ignorance talking."

"Oh, we are still very much lacking. The third level has barely been prepared for proper farming due to a lack of resources and time, and we always need more food and food storage. And unlike your own demesne, we are dependent on random dragon scales for metal, which is unwise to rely upon." They'd been lucky the first few times, but given all the possible alchemical substances, it was only a matter of time before something deadly dropped on top of them. At least it was unlikely to be blightstone. So far, there has been no historical record of a blightstone dragon scale, and Lori hoped that trend continued.

"Ah. If that is the case, have you considered renewing our mining agreement when spring arrives?" Shanalorre said, and Lori immediately focused on her, the two men opposite hesitating in their conversation. "While it will not be for some time, as I am here I thought I should take the opportunity to discuss it with you."

Lori glanced mournfully at her game board. On the one hand, she could understand the other Dungeon Binder's reasoning. On the other hand… "Given such an extensive subject, could it not wait until tomorrow morning?"

"Tomorrow would suffice," Shanalorre said. "You've doubtlessly been working hard all day, and I would not interfere with your rightful rest. Will after breakfast tomorrow do?"

"I suppose," Lori said. "I will have you informed when I am available, as I have duties in the morning I cannot put off. Is that the only matter you wish to discuss?" The unspoken hope was that it was. The unstated expectation was it would only be the start.

Expectations triumphed over hope. "Unfortunately not. In addition to the matter of renewing our mining agreement, there is also the matter of my demesne's Dungeon."

Lori blinked. "I thought your demesne didn't have one?"

"Yes. That is, in fact, the matter. We need a Dungeon, one that can act as a proper protection in the event of any future dragons, and an emergency store for our supplies. I would like to inquire as to your price for assisting us in rectifying this lack."

"Given your summary, it is hardly in my interests to—"

"I am willing," Shanalorre interrupted, "to make an opening bid of healing for all in your demesne for the rest of my natural life, as well as afterwards should I become able to extend it. That will include my coming here in winter, or any other time, to assist in childbirths and severe injuries where the patient cannot be safely brought to my demesne for treatment."

Lori stilled. Everyone on the other side of the table turned to stare.

"Is it in your interests now, Binder Lolilyuri?"

"Well… you have my attention, at least," Lori admitted. "Shall we discuss this tomorrow?"

Shanalorre nodded. "Unless my patients' health turns, my schedule tomorrow should be clear. I look forward to continuing to discuss this and other matters with you, Binder Lolilyuri."

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Lori had not been able to play chatrang over dinner. Indeed, everyone but Shanalorre—and Riz since she'd been napping for it—had seemed preoccupied after the announcement. When they had finished eating, Shanalorre had risen and left sedately after a polite "Good night, Binder Lolilyuri," her lord walking next to her slightly bent over and whispering furiously.

Since, unlike Shanalorre, Lori didn't have an office, she had followed Rian to his house for a quick discussion.

"There is something very wrong with that little girl," Rian muttered as Mikon cheerfully placed four sets of bed rolls on his bed and readied four blankets atop it. Umu was hastily removing the clothes that had been hung to dry in front of the fireplace, and Riz was absent, having gone to take a bath.

"Binder Shanalorre seems like a perfectly reasonable and rational person to me," Lori said as she sat on the only chair next to the stone table

"Yes, that's what I mean about there being something very wrong with her. Children are many things, but reasonable and rational aren't usually on the list. She actually reminds me of someone I used to know, and we never let her go off alone without her cousin to mother her. "

"You make Binder Shanalorre sound addled," Lori said. "How does someone acting reasonable and rational disturb you?"

"When it's because they're clearly acting like you."

Lori rolled her eyes. Now Rian was just being wrong-headed and silly. "Now you're just being wrong-headed and silly," she said. "What do you think of her offer?"

"I think we're going to need to semi-permanently station someone in River's Fork to let us keep our own records of how much ore is being extracted from the mine, and come up with some sort of standardized way of measuring the ore so we have something to record," Rian said. "And that you should agree to her offer for the construction of a Dungeon, or something Dungeon-like, anyway. The offer is just too good to turn down, especially when so many people heard her make it. Though I bet Yllian it trying to talk her into changing her mind, or at least narrowing the terms."

"So you think we should accept?" Lori said.

Rin shrugged as Mikon started laying out the pillows. "This opportunity won't last forever. Once the Golden Sweetwood Company starts sending more supplies and people, they won't need us to work the mines or help them build a Dungeon anymore. I suggest we take it while we can. Even if we're not using it now, we'll need that metal. Once our food production is sufficiently secured that we have a surplus of vigas, we'll need that metal to make pipes, cooking implements and fittings for things to refine that surplus into a more high-value product."

"Rian, I know where booze comes from, and I'm not having it in my demesne."

Rian shrugged. "If you ban it, they'll make it anyway. And if it's banned, you can't tax it, which is just lost revenue for you once we have taxes again. Besides, once distilled enough, it has its uses, like antiseptic for wounds and cleaning surgical tools. More importantly, we need the healing she's offering. It will let people operate with more peace of mind, knowing they have a Deadspeaker willing to heal them if they get injured, and not just until the end of the year."

"I dislike being dependent on another demesne for such an important matter," Lori said as Mikon started helping Umu roll up and put away the laundry.

"Well, that's your own fault, since you wouldn't let me recruit any wizards when I was in Covehold," Rian said bluntly. "Honestly, do you have any idea how easy it would have been? The standard of living in Covehold is expensive enough that I could have gotten us any number of reasonably educated wizards just with the offer of a rent-free residence and warm baths. It would not have been that hard to find a Deadspeaker who was willing to work and had no ambitions of having a demesne of their own. Or any other sort of wizard, for that matter."

Lori flinched, then glared at Rian for making her flinch. "They'd have been a threat to my safety," she said. "What sort of wizard would come to this continent if they didn't have ambitions of being a Dungeon Binder?"

"The kind who came because they wanted to be with their family and keep them safe in a possibly dangerous place?" Rian said. "The kind who just needed an ocean between them and any troubles they were leaving behind? The kind who understands the economics of having a seller's market due to high demand and low supply?" He shook his head. "Well, you've made your decision, and now we have to make the most of it. Though I should point out that there is no possible way Shanalorre is the sort of wizard you're afraid of."

"Of course she isn't," Lori said. "She's not actually a wizard, just a savant."

"True, but not the point I was making. She didn't come to this continent because she had ambitions of being a Dungeon Binder, she came here with her parents," Rian pointed out. "Remember, her uncle had to maneuver her into somehow taking control of their Dungeon's core." Rian frowned for a moment. "Actually, is it still a Dungeon's core if by her own admission they don't actually have a Dungeon? Shouldn't it be a demesne's core instead?"

"A Dungeon's core is a Dungeon's core, Rian," Lori said. "It doesn't matter if it's inside a proper defensible Dungeon complex or in a wooden box, it's a Dungeon's core. Still, I suppose you have a point about Shanalorre…" Not that she would relax her guard around the other Dungeon Binder. That would be foolish. "But it's still a terrible idea to be so dependent on another demesne for something so important. History is rife with such examples, followed by market collapses and war when the other demesne used their position to betray the one depending on them."

"I'm willing to bet those happened after a Dungeon Binder was replaced," Rian said. "Probably violently. Established governments, as a rule, prefer stability, and market collapse and war aren't exactly stable."

All right, Lori had to give him that. "I still don't like it."

"Then add some sort of escape clause," Rian said. "One that lets you back out of the agreements at any time. We're the ones with the really fast boats and are the ones who will actually be providing transport. They can't exactly force us to come to them if we don't want to. Remember, healing was just her opening bid. That means we can negotiate for more."

"Such as what?" Lori asked.

"Well, off the top of my head, don't they have more kinds of fruit trees than we do? That will greatly help vary our diet and will be good for morale."

Lori blinked, tilting her head thoughtfully.

The door opened and Riz came in, her towel wrapped around her head and her coat held closed with one hand, bucket in the other. She saw Lori and froze. "G-great Binder? W-what are you doing here?" For some reason, the northerner turned to glare at Mikon, who looked amused for some reason.

"Speaking to my lord," Lori said. "Don't worry, I won't be staying. You can progress to your group fornication once I leave."

Umu suddenly straightened where she was putting clothes on shelves, Mikon grinned widely, and Rian's hand slapped into his face.

"That's not what we do!" Riz protested.

Lori raised an eyebrow, giving Rian a sideways look. "Ah. Rian, do you want me to tell you the advice my mothers gave me about what to do in be—"

"Is there any other business we need to talk about, your Bindership?" Rian interrupted loudly.

Lori chuckled. "No, I suppose we're done for now. I'll see myself off." She headed towards the door, a red-faced Riz stepping out of her way. Truthfully, she'd forgotten most of her mothers' advice, besides remembering they sounded disgusting and unenjoyable, but if Rian really needed it she could perhaps force out one or two…

The door closed firmly behind her, and Lori headed back to her room, thoughts centering on the possible discussion tomorrow and remembering how delicious the fruits from River's Fork had been…