My Hands Are Tied

Abby and Katie both screamed and punched the air in excitement as soon as the merchants left. The demand for board games was high after selling out in the first city they hit on their way out of the mountains.

Al, who was in the middle of feeding Aza some pureed carrots, found it amusing. "I guess you're getting your piano after all. You better get to work on those engraving plates. They'll be back in three weeks."

That sobered them instantly. Abby hastily bid everyone goodbye as she rushed out to the printing office.

Tahvo was at his training session with two other office workers so she had to start making the plates with Janna's help. It was a bit more difficult with less people, especially since most of the remaining workers were in the middle of coloring illustrations.

"We need more people," she muttered under her breath, fervently wishing that this village was larger or that some of the younger children could grow up faster and join the workforce.