Chapter 34: Priceless to Some, Worthless to Others

The group spent the next few hours looking for, and killing, another stone skinned salamander.

The fight went much better this time. Alex had learned from their previous fight. This time he did not attack the creatures skull, it's most defended spot, and instead seriously wounded it's neck with his first blow.

Scoring a decisive blow, the group kept their distance and whittled the beast down from a distance.

The wound in it's neck meant it couldn't use it's molten attacks. Eventually, Red, Eveline, Penny, and Sylph were able to finish it off from a distance.

After skinning the creature, they made it back to the blacksmith by eleven at night.

Dirty, covered in mud and blood, they entered the forge.

"Smith Gavannon, we have completed the job." Alex said, as a weak smile found it's way onto his face.

"That is good." The smith replied indifferently. "Place it all down there." He pointed to the work table.

"When can we come to pick up the armor?" Eveline asked. Her skittish voice was barely audible over the noise of the forge.

"The equipment you have asked for is there." The smith walked to a large pile of equipment in the corner of the room. "Alex, gave me your general sizes before you left. These will need some slight adjustments, but they will fit well after."

Gavannon handed out the equipment to everyone. "Sir Smith. If I may ask a question?" Tom asked, meekly. Everyone other than Alex was effected by the prestige of Gavannon. They knew the smith's mentality, but they couldn't completely talk normally while in front of the man.

"Of course." Gavannon's tone was becoming curt and slightly irritated. The formal tones seemed to be irritating him.

"He just wants to know why, if you had the equipment already made, you needed us to source materials for them." Red finished for Tom. Red seemed to be more used to this type of situation for some reason. He was able to talk semi-normally.

The look on Gavannon's face seemed to scream that this was a stupid question, but he still answered the question. "Those armors were made to be sold. You are not buying them. You are trading for them. As such, you needed to trade me materials worth their cost." Gavannon walked over to the pile of pelts and skins and placed his hand atop it.

"Honestly, you have given us an amazing deal." Alex still had his tired smile. "Thank you for your help."

Gavannon could see the appreciation clearly in his body language, but Alex's eyes and tone communicated utter remorse.

"I have some news to deliver as well..." Alex began.

A fear had been growing in Alex ever since they finished off the second salamander. With every step the anxiety he felt grew. He knew that the best thing to do was to come clean and let the smith know what happened.

"The book you gave me. It was taken from me." Alex looked up at the smith, but the smith was no longer facing him. He had turned away and began to continue his work at the forge. This terrified Alex. Didn't he treat Mason just like this when he came?

"I swear I had no choice. I tried my best to keep it from them. They threatened to kill every one. I...." A chuckle broke off his train of thought.

It was coming from the Gavannon.

The smith was laughing at them. Alex was stunned. There was only one thought in his terrified mind, 'shit.'

"Why are you so stressed out?" Gavannon said as he faced the group from his position at the forge. He had one had on a pair of tongs that was sticking out of the forge, the other held his hammer as he sat behind the anvil. If not for his easy tone and body language, Alex would have been even more scared right now.

"I... I... I don't understand. You are not mad?"

"No, I don't really care at all about that book. If you would like, I can write you another, but I expect you have already memorized all of it." As the smith said this he leaned in his seat slightly. "All of you have, if professor Keller is right." The smile grew as the smith noticed the confusion growing in all of their eyes.

"Come now. Do you think professors don't talk? Especially the enchanting and smithing professors. We knew immediately that you were sharing information."

A deep and joyous laugh broke out from behind Alex.

It was Red.

He couldn't help it. The absurdity that people like Keller and Gavannon couldn't tell that they had been sharing information with each other. The realization of his own stupidity, he couldn't help but laugh.

"I am truly sorry. All of us are. We did not mean to look down on any of the professors here. Especially, you and professor Keller." Red said with a slight bow.

Gavannon simply nodded. The creases in the corners of his eyes showed he was still smiling, even though it was buried in his beard now.

"But, I don't understand. We lost that book. Even if it was no longer needed by us, it was still knowledge that was composed of your own insights and secrets. Why don't you care?" Eveline's voice was much louder now. Her confidence had finally come back to her after she became comfortable with the smith.

"Miss, am I an enchanter?" Gavannon asked a chuckle evident in his voice.

"NNNNo, you are not." She slowly replied drawing the no out as she processed the question.

"That is correct. I am a smith. The things I have taught you all through that book is not about smithing, as such, it has nothing to do with my skills as a smith." Gavannon pulled a blade of glowing metal from the forge, using the tongs.

"Those were simply pieces of knowledge I have gained in my pursuit of my craft. How could I be a great smith, if I had no understanding of how my craft could be used or enhanced by the application of another's craft." He said as he began to shape the blade using his large hammer.

Everyone took a moment to think through the smiths statement.

It was true, not one piece of information in the book had been about smithing.

After a few more moments of hammering, the smith placed the blade back into the forge.

"Come, lets try on and adjust that armor." Gavannon said as he once again stood from behind the anvil.

After a few minutes of donning and adjusting their armor. Everyone was very happy with their new armor. They knew that once this armor was properly enchanted it would be extremely helpful in the upcoming competition.

"Alright then." Gavannon said as he sat back down behind the anvil. "From here it is up to you all. Good luck in the competition. As far as that incident about the book." The smiths face finally showed some signs of anger. "I think it is about time you told me what happened in detail."

Alex and the others told the whole story of what had happened. They left nothing out and embellished nothing.

Gavannon said nothing the entire time. The look of anger never left his face.

"Good.... Good.... These people. They certainly have some guts don't they." The smith turned away from them and began looking for something on his person. Eventually, he turned back toward the forge, with a large key in his hand.

He stood in front of the large forge with the key in hand. Seemingly contemplating something.

After a moment, the smith began to reach out over the coals, but stopped himself. Almost as an after thought, he waved away the group.

They quickly nodded their assent and left.

On their way to Alex's house they traded theories about what the smith was doing, and what the key was for.