Closed (Sultros Blades) A Sharp Blade and a Sharper Wit (Hadyn)

[Orion Michaels]

29th Day of Spring, 513 AV
14th Bell

"Eeeeaaah!" Orion let out a yell as he swung viciously overhead, his blade flashing down at Dinah. Another day of training, and for once, he was permitted to use not only a weapon, but a live weapon. Both he and Dinah were fullyy armored. Dinah, to protect herself from Orion's wild strikes, and Orion, to protect him from himself. He was more dangerous to himself than he was to anyone else, that was easily seen.

"Keep your shield up Orion! Unless you want to die in combat?"

He gritted his teeth, forcing his left arm to rise and defend his torso. Dinah rewarded him by delivering a crushing blow to the shield, sending him stumbling back and crashing to the ground. Orion was getting quite frustrated, but he knew what she was doing. Every time that he messed up form, she had some negative reinforcement for him.

"Get up. Your enemy is upon you. Are you just going to lay there?"

She had to be harsh on him. He was a full grown man, and she had no intention of having him as a squire for along period of time. There wasn't the time to take it slow. The sooner he could figure it out, the sooner he could be a knight, and the sooner she could...

Dinah saw Orion's attack at the last minute, lost in her own world for long enough that her squire had regained himself and resumed his assault. A wide arcing swing from Orion gave the much more skilled knight a chance to defend. Her own blade lashed out at his, striking it and sending Orion's weapon sliding across the ground. Orion stood their, shield in hand, a shocked look on his face. "I was so close..."

"That you were, Orion. We'll certainly work on that grip of yours. For now, good job. We're done training for a few bells. Go, get some food. And also," she said, pausing as he walked over to retrieve his sword. "I couldn't help but notice how poor of condition this thing is in. Have you been caring for it properly."

"Uh......."

"As I thought. Take it and get it sharpened. We've been over how important it is."

She was right. Orion nodded, then bowed his head slightly before turning and leaving the training grounds while sheathing his sword. He knew the just the place to go. Better yet, he knew just who to go and see. It had been a handful of days since their encounter. He'd not reached out to her, and she'd neither done the same. It was as they discussed, and he was okay with that. Still, being in good with a hopefully talented smith could never hurt.

After making his way across the city to the Sultros Blades, Orion stepped into the facility and looked around. For as long as he'd lived in Syliras, he actually never been to the locale. A good friend of his had once worked here, but he'd gotten word that the man had just up and left the city, with not a word of where he was going. Perhaps they'd worked together? It was hard to believe Tourmal had never mentioned her.

"Excuse me," he said as he took a few steps in. The sounds of hammers at work filled the locale, with weapon makers of all types hard at work. "I'm looking for one Miss Hadyn Skellig. I have a blade which is in need of sharpening."

[Hadyn Skellig]

The first to hear a new customer was Yorick, a tall burly blond with a thick beard. He looked up from where he sat wiping a broadsword with a rag, the thin material sliding deftly across the iron with a tenderness seemingly foreign for one with such large fingers. Standing, the smith turned to face the Knight squarely, sizing him up before addressing. He quite towered over Orion but offered him a loose grin and a nod of the head to put him at ease.

"Moment," he rumbled by way of acknowledgement. Setting both sword and rag down, Yorick crossed the floor in three lumbering steps, pushing a door up and tilting his head in. He whistled and jerked his head in the direction of Orion. "Man t'see you, Haddie."

Stepping back into the shop, the blond nodded to the Knight with another haphazard smile, a glint of mischief in his hazel eyes.

"She'll be out," he stated before returning to the table and collecting his items. He bid the man farewell with cant of his head before following the sound of hammers into the adjacent forge. No sooner had the door shut than the other door into which he'd fetched the woman did the blacksmith herself appear.

She stepped into the room with a nonchalance indicating no anticipation of the man calling upon her. Hadyn figured it was a patron come to pick up a piece or a new customer with a commission. She joined Orion in the room, wiping her hands on a towel, soot staining the normally creamy skin. Though a majority of her hair was up in a chignon, the humidity and action of her work caused several strands to escape, framing her face and neck. She was dressed in attire similar to that of their first meeting, though the vest was covered with a leather apron. Her flesh had a sheen of perspiration, evidence of the labor she'd quit in the other room. She proceeded through the door to meet whomever Yorick disturbed her for. The woman stopped in her tracks, the welcoming smile frozen on her face as she made eye contact with the Knight.

Well this was unexpected.

Hadyn recovered quickly with a grin and walked to the table Yorick vacated, setting the dirtied rag on its surface. Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned her behind against the table, regarding him levelly. She hardly imagined Orion would seek her out here. After all, the Knights had their own smiths to take care of all manner of weaponry and armor. It was rare to see one of his station in this forge and even rarer for him to come looking for her. Memories ignited at the sight of him, and she couldn't help but undress him in her minds eyes, making her smile all the more devious.

"How is it, Ser Michaels, you find me the same way you left me - sweatin' like swine and in need of soft bed?" Her brown eyes watched him with amusement, the expression on her face somewhere between coy and pleased.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion nodded in thanks to the smith and his help. He was a rather burly looking fellow. That look in his eye was almost a one of knowing, and it forced a wry smirk on Orion's lips. Perhaps there was a little talk around the forge of one's exploits. Perhaps one Orion Michaels had come up in conversation. Did men oft come looking for Hadyn? Perhaps there was an ass-chewing that came for men who didn't heed her warning about not coming calling?

When Hadyn came out and gave him that smile, he knew it wasn't so. He would call her expression..pleasantly surprised. She was dirty, covered in sweat, but otherwise scarcely different looking from when they'd met earlier in the season. Still a looker, she was. Memories stirred of a heated encounter against a cold stone floor, and he met her grin with one of his own. He quickly allowed a gasp to escape his lips as his countenance fell. "Oh Shyke, I've forgotten the flowers and gifts..." He paused for a moment to allow her to react before he regarded her comment. "It would seem so. I didn't realize you all did that back there. Seems like a dangerous game to play in the forge," he said, his voice taking on a suggestive tone as those crystal blue eyes again danced with the amusement they held in the tavern looking across at her.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not here calling. I've actually got a blade in need of working," he said while pulling a rather sad blade out of his sheath. "They hardly give us the highest of quality to begin with, and in my haste to improve myself, I've neglected to care for it. I'm fully aware of your ability to deal with a blade, so I figured some return business was deserved" He paused again before letting out a soft laugh and shaking his head.

"Good to see you again, Hadyn."

[Hadyn Skellig]

Hadyn let out a laugh, though it was subdued. Last thing she needed was the other smiths to come in and find fodder to badger her with. She'd never live it down. Not that she was ashamed of Orion. In fact, he was one of the finest looking men she'd bedded in recent memory. But with the male smiths it'd be relentless, their teasing. Ever the charmer it seemed Orion had a knack for words sober as well. All the better.

"The flowers go in the fire and the gifts go out the window," she remarked with a smirk. Though if he were to come bearing such items, she'd be forced to gently remind him of her rule and otherwise attempt to disengage from him. Fortunately Orion was cognizant of their agreement and clearly willing to uphold it. "An' dangerous games can be the best games, I might add."

Her attention immediately moved from the Knight to his sword, observing it carefully as he presented it. Closing the distance between them, she received the weapon, inspecting it with an assessing eye. While she would normally enjoy the closeness of their bodies after their initial meeting her interest was entirely for the weapon. It was balanced and made with enough care that it wouldn't break on first contact. But gods was it worn down. She glanced at him with raised eyebrows.

"If you take care of your women the way you take care of your sword, I'm lucky I didn't receive a gift." Returning her gaze to the weapon, she hefted it in her hands. "Plannin' to furiously saw your enemy's head off with this dull blade?"

There was mirth in her brown eyes as she looked at him. Still as handsome in the daylight, which was a good sign. Taking a step back when she realized she was still lingering in his personal space, Hadyn looked at the sword again, biting her bottom lip before speaking.

"I'll have 'er sharpened and cleaned in no time." The woman smiled at the Knight, realizing how truly glad she was to see him again.

[Orion Michaels]

"It would certainly brighten up the place to have a little something about here, but you needn't worry, none of them will come from me." Gifts were the start of a slippery slope of expectations, and while she'd made it quite clear that she didn't desire them at all, it wasn't a game he was willing to play. "I don't disagree, but those are the sort which are most likely to burn you, too. Maybe that's what makes them so tempting."

Hadyn looked at the sword, and Orion was almost embarrassed by the way she reacted. He'd more than neglected his weapon, and perhaps that wasn't the way to endear himself most to a woman who's job was the creation and treatment of blades. He turned away slightly to hide a slight tinge to his cheeks. He should have expected to get called out like that, and the way she went about it, well, she sounded like his patron knight. With the exception of her accent, of course. "Ahaha...Let's just say I got focused in my training and might have had a little...oversight." Piercing blue eyes turned their gaze from his weapon, back to the smith as he forced a half sheepish grin out.

He paid no mind to her invading his space, as there were few who could bother him by doing so. He was a welcoming person when it came to that, especially to a lovely lady who'd caused him no problems. "I'll just wait around and try and make things more awkward for you, then? I'm sure if I chatted with any of these other smiths, you'd never hear the end of it."

[Hadyn Skellig]

The blacksmith glanced at him in time to catch the timorous grin and warming of his cheeks. It was her job to evaluate weapons and she hardly expected to maintain customers without being honest. The sword needed some care. But she did offer him a sympathetic smile as she lowered the weapon, her brown eyes catching his.

"Ah well. I've seen worse, I'll admit."

Looking at the weapon once more she made a few more observations on how best to treat it before returning her gaze to handsome Knight-to-be. Hadyn rolled her eyes in response to his final comment, a smile on her pink lips.

"If you're to wait the last thing I need is for you to catch the ear of those halfwits," she indicated to the adjacent room with a toss of her head. The sound of the other smiths' hammers clinked heavily in their labor, though their voices could also be heard chatting. "I suppose I'll be needin' to keep an eye on you, Orion Michaels. Come on, then."

Sword in hand the woman crossed the floor to open the entrance to the forge, heat meeting them as she held the door for him. The warmth of the room made it near impossible not to sweat and the light from the wide fire illuminated every detail. Moving to the wall opposite the furnace, the woman gathered her materials at a work bench, bidding him sit on the nearby stool.

Before she began, Hadyn wiped the blade carefully to remove dust and particles, her expression one of placid concentration. Once finished she flashed the squire a grin before setting the blade to the whetstone. She ran the sword against the stone at shallow angle, each stroke precise and rhythmic. Her attention remained on the task, tresses of dark hair falling into her face as her hands worked deftly. Her skin was quickly dampened with perspiration as she continued the careful art. With each brush against the whetstone the blade glinted in the firelight.

Pausing after several chimes, the woman regarded the weapon, brown eyes taking each detail into consideration. For all her salacious behavior in the tavern Hadyn was first and foremost devoted to her craft, holding herself to strict standards when it came to weapon making. And she was quite honored that Orion would bring his blade to her shop considering he had more than enough opportunity to have it repaired by the Knights. Retuning for the final touches, the brunette finally cast her eyes to the man.

"She'll be just like new shortly," she commented with a smile, her hands moving the sword against the stone. "I do appreciate you stoppin' by, Orion." Though her expression was nonchalant her tone displayed bare honesty. It was good of him to give her business. Her gratitude was not that of a lovestruck girl winning the handsome Knight but a dedicated laborer being recognized for her work.

[Orion Michaels]

"Not much worse though, right?" He forced himself to laugh so he wouldn't wallow in pity in front of Miss Skellig. All he really needed was another hint that he wasn't really cut out for the rigors of knighthood. He had to learn to fight, he had to ride, learn history, and maintain all his equipment on top of it. Sometimes it made being a doctor seem like a cakewalk.

In reply to her statement Orion clicked his tongue a few times, a grin returning to his features. "Don't pretend like you don't just want a little eye candy whilst you work. Whatever excuse you have to make up, well, it's fine with me, but you can be honest with me." His blue eyes returned to their usual vibrancy as he was able settle back into his safe zone: Humor. "I'd be honored to accompany you."

Orion had never worked a job that could even relate to what Hadyn must deal with. He could imagine they'd give her a hard time, but would it really be that bad of a thing? Oh no, he's so handsome!

The squire watched silently as Hadyn set to work, masterfully, at least to an untrained eye, working at returning the edge to his blade. Hands that once danced over his body were instead holding his weapon at a perfect angle, sparks flying as steel met stone. Orion found himself somewhat entranced, rhythmic movements showing a woman who knew what she was doing, one unintimdated by her fellow male smiths, that was for sure.

He looked up to her when she spoke, nodding in appreciation of her words. "Wonderful. It's good to hear. I thought it was beyond fixing, but not with the city's greatest weapon smith on the job. I prefer to do business with those I know. Sure, the knights have their own smithy's, but, well, they aren't one Miss Hadyn Skellig. Take that for what you will."

[Hadyn Skellig]

"You sure know how to stroke an ego," she replied with a laugh, pulling the blade from the whetstone. She didn't need to test the sharpness to confirm the job was finished. But she wasn't done with the weapon quite yet. Sitting near him on an adjacent bench, she set the sword down before selecting a grey rag, wetting it in a bowl of water then smoothing it against a bar of hard soap. Hadyn reached for the hilt, carefully running the rag across the well worn surface. While this wasn't a complimentary service after sharpening she wasn't above adding an extra touch for Orion.

Casting brown eyes his way, the woman appeared in relative contemplation. Though she didn't have a mind for leading men on or withholding information for the fun of it, she couldn't quite decide how (or if) she was to broach the topic of Shiress. One side told her to let their problems be theirs. It was none of her business. But she also found his conduct curious. Was it so offensive of the girl to simply thank him? Obviously she hadn't heard his side of the story and she felt a sense of loyalty to the young barmaid. But Hadyn decided it was not her place to remark upon it. Unless he brought it up - which was unlikely.

Pausing to brush those loose strands of hair behind her ear, she regarded him fully. He really was a fine looking man. Gregarious and sure footed he probably had hordes of women after him. No surprise. But beneath the libertine bravado she detected an earnest (if not slightly endearing) nature. Something almost boyish about his glances and occasional tenderness. Though it wasn't her place to assess the squire, Hadyn suspected he was sentimental at heart. Orion didn't have the brutishness or disrespect for women common among the Lotharios of the city - and she was well acquainted with that type of man. She suspected his reaction to Shiress' appreciation was indicative of painful, buried memories of someone else.

Not that she didn't have her own metaphoric skeletons.

Realizing she was staring, Hadyn redirected her attention to the sword, whose hilt looked practically new. Smiling at her work, she glanced at the man, all trace of observation gone from her visage.

"Well I'd say she's ready for another parlay."

[Orion Michaels]

"We can call it part of my charm. I wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea," he said, winking slyly at the smith whilst she worked. He'd never seen a smith at work in all his years, and this was all just to care for a blade, not even forge one from searing flames. By the time the brunette woman was done, his weapon would actually look the part of a knight's, not some ragged, worn down thing not fit for use in combat. He'd leared quickly that while the knights will indeed keep their own equipped, the squires wouldn't find themselves given anything of quality to use. Maybe it's because most of them were little more than children. Or maybe giving a good blade to someone just as likely to lop of their own head as they are their foe's just isn't a good idea.

Orion fell silent as the woman worked, smiling softly as her gaze fell on him during her labors. Most interesting woman he'd met all season, that was easy to claim. Two souls who both held their own secrets and their own pains, at least, those were his assumptions. He'd not once met a woman who put the same stipulations on things which he did, and that was endearing on it's own.

"No, no, you're quite fine. No need to look away, I'm full aware of my rugged handsomeness. You're far from the first to get lost in these eyes," he reacted quickly to her staring, never missing an opportunity to tease. It wasn't too much longer before she finished up his blade, though, and for that he was more than thankful. It'd hardly taken any time, and he would be able to actually grab a bite to eat before he returned to Dinah for training.

"Very grateful, Miss Skellig. Looks like she's brand new. What do I owe you for the work?"

[Hadyn Skellig]

Her face lit with a smile as he assured it was quite alright to stare like a lovestruck fool. She should've expected such a response from a man such as him. She liked his wit, more over she liked his ability to turn a situation to put another at ease. That was certainly the trait of a doctor, not a Knight.

Standing, the woman held the sword with the care of a mother, returning it to him, hilt first, her hands holding the weapon deftly to avoid the blade. She took a moment to consider his question, biting her bottom lip in thought. Though the thought had crossed her mind to do the work for free on account of their late night romp, Hadyn knew she could never do pro bono work just for a little sex. Hardly within her character. Besides, it might give him the wrong idea.

"A silver will do it," she replied. Yes, it was two silvers to sharpen a blade and clean the hilt, but it took considerably less time than usual and he was standing right there, she didn't see the harm in dropping the price. Besides, she had a question of her own. "You... you don't know of any Knights making a trip to the Mithryn Outpost soon, do you?"

She paused, looking at him with a small smile, averting her eyes. She knew how unsure she appeared before him and it annoyed her. But she had to swallow her pride if she wanted this task done. Hadyn Skellig was no traveler and she was certainly no highway-woman. This journey to the outpost was a thorn in her side and it had to be done by the end of the season. As much as she wished to someday see the rest of Syliras - gods, the rest of Mizahar - she was a homebody. Again she chewed on her bottom lip, turning her gaze back to him.

"I need to deliver a commission and, well, I'm not particularly well versed in, em, travel. Or anything of that sort."

Way to look like an idiot, Haddie. But she managed to own her lack of knowledge with a grin as she followed up with: "I'd be willing to pay, o' course."