Chapter 36: Presents

Week Two, Thirday, Afternoon

Youre positive it is prepared? I dont assume the lads and lasses have sufficient coaching to be sincere. This work is so shoddy, I would not let it see the sunshine of day. Gragon grumbled as we walked via the mainstreet market in direction of our vacation spot.

I turned over the small window body in my palms a number of occasions, and manipulated the hinges time and again. I do not know what youre speaking about. That is strong craftsmanship.

Bah, people. No requirements.

It is practical, and itll final quite a lot of winters. Proper?

Gragon grumbled below his breath once more, however finally he capitulated. True lad. True.

Then its market prepared. We simply must drum up some enterprise. You stated youd assist me with that. But when it is too troublesome for you, youre welcome to go have a pint on me, whereas I do the leg work.

He checked out me as if I had slapped him. And abandon a buddy in want? Not to mention the product of the exhausting work of my very own college students to somebody who wasnt there in its crafting? Nay, I would be much more of a blasphemer then I’m letting folks pay good coin for shoddy work like this.

I grinned. Thanks. Heres the guildhouse now. I’ll go in and get a vendor’s license. ONce I’ve it in hand, then effectively go to all of the glass smiths within the metropolis if we’ve to however effectively discover somebody to promote our work on consignment.

Glass blowers, thats what theyre known as boy. Callem smiths and also you’re as more likely to get punched as you might be to make a sale.

Famous. Be proper again.

Twenty minutes later, and 5 gold cash lacking from my already alarmingly gentle coin pouch, and we had our sellers license. The entrance desk clerk needed to poke and prod at our design to ensure we werent making an attempt to swindle anybody. However after she inspected it and made positive it was truly usable, she signed off on the license.

Simply dont anticipate others to truly need your product. This isnt an endorsement from the guild. Simply permission so that you can try to discover somebody to purchase your stuff. Understood? I had nodded and signed the paperwork. The girl was remarkably intimidating. Good, now go.

I put my hand on Gragons shoulder and smiled. Let’s get to work!

***

There are seventy three glass blowers on this metropolis. Youd assume one of many blasted bastards would see sense! Night time had fallen, and whereas a lot of the retailers available in the market had closed up and gone residence, we hadnt seen any success in securing a contract.

Look. Theres one left. I stated, pointing down the road to an outdated damaged down constructing that regarded prefer it was extra warehouse than precise store entrance. My ft are killing me. Let’s go in, see if theyre , then go residence. Possibly I can get a metropolis contract or one thing if I’ve my mother pull some strings. However I would hate to try this. . .

Aye, by no means seems good having to get assist from household like that. Erodes a mans dignity.

Properly, I used to be extra involved in regards to the corruption implications, however positive. Standing by yourself two ft is necessary too I suppose. Come on, let’s go.

The store door was easy, however constructed to final. Virtually industrial in its high quality which was my first clue that one thing was totally different about this one then the others. All the opposite retailers had been craftsmens retailers. Designed by and for artists who offered glass home windows, plates, cups, and nearly anything you may consider to anybody with sufficient coin.

That often meant profitable retailers, or greater on the category hierarchy. Which meant their doorways, home windows, partitions, and in all places the hoity toity wealthy people can be, needed to have a sure high quality to it.

Contained in the store was precisely as I anticipated. Cabinets of straightforward glass fixtures, glassware that was designed to final slightly than look good had been in all places, together with issues I hadnt seen elsewhere. n0ve(l)bi(n.)co/m

Spyglasss hung like trophies on the wall shows. The glass show circumstances held monocles every rigorously labeled with what it might be used for, and most of them concerned enhancing sight for distance, or up shut.

Precise glasses crammed one wall, together with what I assumed was a small testing heart with letters of assorted sizes for the glass maker to check the power of somebody’s sight.

That is an adventurers store, I stated as I picked up one of many smaller spy glasses and examined it up shut.

Sure it’s, and who’re all of you?

It didnt take lengthy for Gragon to offer the lanky store keeper our little gross sales pitch, but it surely took longer for him to look at the fixture.

Properly as you’ll be able to see, my store already has completely workable glass in its home windows. Nonetheless . . . I like the way it opens and closes. Thatd make summer time much less stifling, and permit a pleasant little breeze into the store once I’m blowing glass within the again. It will get extremely popular even in winter. How a lot would you like for them?

Silver penny every at this measurement. One measurement up, Gragon confirmed the small field body that confirmed demonstrated the totally different sizes we might produce. And its two silver pennys. We are able to additionally embody a mix of colours within the glass flowers for a further silver penny. And there’s a rainbow one weve been engaged on that we plan on promoting for a gold a pane! Nevertheless it’s nonetheless in prototype. Havent labored out all of the kinks in that one but.

I see. The store preserve put a monocle to his eye and examined our work even nearer. Theyre not very sturdy. Thats a part of the issue I see with it.

Quiet you grouchy dwarf. Right here. I threw the tunic at his face and he grabbed it earlier than it hit him. It has your clan image on the again, and uh . . . effectively, mine on the entrance.

You may have a seal?

Yeah, Technically im excessive the Aristocracy. Of the uh . . . Duckal home.

The Duke? Tanya virtually wheezed the phrases out, because the final went up into pitches I am positive solely canine might hear.

Yup. Im his adopted grandson. Talking of which, right here. I tossed her her personal new tunic. They had been a darkish blue and inexperienced. Vibrant sufficient to be seen if worn out within the open, however darkish sufficient to not stand out an excessive amount of in the event you had been making an attempt to cover. The inexperienced and blue blended properly with darkish environments. So long as you werent standing out in the course of a room, it didnt improve your visibility an excessive amount of.

Thanks, she inspected the entrance the place my seal was. It was a easy circle, with a black ax on one half, and the duke’s silver tower on the opposite. Nothing overly fancy, but it surely acquired the job finished. The again of hers I had left clean, so she might select one thing when later she had a thoughts to.

Youre welcome. However this isnt all of it. Everybody on the crew will get one together with me. I reached in and pulled mine on as effectively. It had the identical image on the back and front. We simply must put on these when had been at formal features whereas on campus to indicate youre a part of my retinue. I’ve extra coming for the opposite drudges too, however theirs simply present my seal on the shoulders, not on the entrance. I confirmed them the totally different designs.

I tossed the primary merchandise below the tunics to Gragon. It was a scroll that had dozens of designs on it. Thats a rubbing from a set of ruins alongside the southern coast. I acquired a replica of it from the library whereas engaged on my concept class. Thought it is likely to be helpful since I do know a few of your clans have been misplaced.

To the south? Hmmm. That is an outdated script, so I am unable to learn it effectively. Sick ship it to my elders. Thanks.

Youre welcome. Id be a crappy buddy and employer if I noticed one thing like that and didnt not less than seize a replica of it for you. I grabbed the following factor and tossed it on the desk in entrance of Tanya. Thats for you. As are this, and this. I positioned the opposite three gadgets on prime of the primary one.

She picked up the crossbow first. It was small, gentle, and constructed with sturdy supplies. It is meant for use one handed. The second merchandise has a belt connected, that you should use to brace it towards to reload it. She smirked at me, and positioned it down.

And people, I pointed on the second object as she picked it up and rolled the leather-based material out exposing all of the lock selecting tools rolled up in a leather-based material meant to be tied round her waist or connected to her utility belt that she already owned. Are me, investing in you. If youre going to do a superb job on our crew, youll want the instruments to do it with. And these, I pulled the garments out for her to take a more in-depth take a look at. Are meant as a thanks for every little thing youve finished for us up until now.

It was a pleasant set of garments, finely made, and meant for on a regular basis use round city. They had been all objective, sturdy, and had solely slightly little bit of coloration and magnificence added to them on my request.

These uh . . . thanks however. I dont assume I’ll be sporting this a lot.

Actually? Why?

She gave me a glance that appeared to say are you silly?

Im sorry I am not getting it.

She sighed and checked out Gragon for assist.

Aye lass, hes dense. However hes additionally proper. Tanya scoffed however motioned for him to elucidate as she rolled her eyes. She doesnt need to put on the garments as a result of they make her appear like a lass.

Precisely! Im round lethal males all day. I dont want them leering at me. Simply paints one other goal on my again, one I cant win. Particularly not right here.

And that’s the place youre fallacious. Gragon lower in. Youre not on the streets anymore. This place is secure, the individuals are not rampant lawbreakers. You may have the identify, fame, and extra importantly energy of a excessive noble backing you up right here. Nobody of their proper thoughts would mess with you. They may stare, they could say issues thatll make you need to break their tooth in. However they would not dare contact you. In addition to theres another excuse way more necessary than any of that.

He went quiet and waited for her to take the bait. She rolled her eyes prefer it was an olympic stage sport, and took it. And what’s that?

As a result of youre terrified of it. Thats why. Tanyas face went pink, and I couldnt inform if it was from anger, embarrassment, or frustration. Maybe a mixture of all three. No ones going to pressure you to put on it, lass. However, you need to contemplate sporting some garments that make you’re feeling like youre in your proper pores and skin. In the future you would possibly need to appeal to the attention of a lad for one, but additionally in the event you let the concern the trauma you lived via has created inside your coronary heart management your conduct? Youll be letting those that did you fallacious up to now, or might have finished you fallacious, win.

She folded her arms virtually petulantly.

Simply contemplate it, like Gragon stated nobody goes to pressure you. I slid the garments into the pile with the opposite items. Simply give it some thought. Hold the garments and perhaps when youre feeling prefer it, you’ll be able to attempt it.

She thanked me, grabbed her stuff and made a hasty retreat to her room. She jogs my memory of when Lillia went via her teen insecurities about her physique. That was a thorny path we needed to navigate.

Do you assume I overstepped?

Aye you probably did lad. I deflated barely. However dont really feel unhealthy. Something in that path can be overstepping proper now. And that was a kindness you probably did her. She doesnt really feel secure proper now, by her personal phrases. When shes feeling a bit higher, perhaps when somebody pisses her off sooner or later and challenges her delight, shell give it a attempt.

I sighed. Maybe. Alright effectively, I dont assume I can examine any extra immediately. Im going to go discover an empty cultivating room. You need to be a part of?

Nah, I will stick with me work. See about fixing the abysmal job no matter tailor you employed did on me clans signal.