An Affordance

The next morning he woke first. The rain had let up at some point in the night, but the clouds persisted. He had no doubt that before long the rain would resume if the clouds did not part. He could accomplish some things in town while it was raining, but he could not begin to build a workshop. They would also require some stone if he was to construct the foundation for the workshop as he had planned. He took the opportunity to clean up from the previous night's excess. He stored the shorts away with his laundry, making a note to wash them in the stream soon.

Rokas was dressed and had washed himself in the water basin by the time Oona had been woken by his movement. Her position by this time was much less exposed, perhaps owing to the heat of the stove having lessoned as the night went on. When she sat up only one leg her shoulders were left outside the shelter of the blanket, which she held carefully to her chest.

She glanced around the cabin as though considering something unseen before turning her attention to the smith. "Can you pour me a glass of water from the pitcher? My mouth feels like I snored the entire night. Egh!"

She opened her mouth, baring the extensive teeth which the smith had noticed before, but also extending her lengthy tongue. It was somewhere between a yawn and an effort to clear the taste of stale air from her mouth. He handed her the glass which she drank quickly. She smacked her lips.

"You did snore a great deal. I considered throwing a pillow at you, but thought better of it for fear of you keeping it."

"Or making you wrestle me for it." She suggested.

"It would end poorly for me, I am certain."

She handed him the glass back. Between the two of them they had something like four glasses, three bowls, four plates, and one set of dining utensils each. Just another element of the closeness of these accommodations. They were almost sharing glasses directly with one another, though Rokas made a point of wiping the rim of the glass with a rag before he stowed it away on the shelf.

"I don't think I'll have anything for you to do today." The smith said. "If the rain is anything like yesterday there's no sense in us getting soaked again."

"It wasn't so bad, but I won't turn down an opportunity to be useless." She said as she stretched in her seated position, extending her long legs forward to flex them free of the sloth of the night. In the motion the claws on her toes extended their points outwards. Even her tail stood on end. It was a very thorough stretch.

The smith exited the cabin and began the trip to town. Sure enough the road was muddy, but for the most part he was able to avoid getting too mired in the damp by walking on the grassier land to the sides of the path. He was grateful he had not skimped on the boots he purchased before leaving the city. Despite the rain last night about the only part of him that had remained dry was his feet.

He was pointedly avoiding thinking too much about his lack of self control the previous night. Rokas had a tendency towards self-reproach, but even he had to admit he had denied himself too long in the month, or perhaps it was months, leading up to the prior night. He was only a man. He was not certain how he could ever find the privacy now to find such a respite again. He could expect some privacy when he visited the stream to bathe, but the cold water would make for a poor location for anything but cleanliness.

His first stop was the general store, he needed to replenish their store of food that would keep. Oona pulled her weight, but she ate far more than he did. It was a worthwhile trade-off, but not one which he had planned for from the onset.

As he entered the store he noticed the man in the green cap and jacket from the Courier office happened to be there as well. The man took note of his entry and approached the smith.

"Ah, I remember you from that blasted Courier Guild office. My name is Fionn, Alchemist. You are the new smith are you not?" The man named Fionn said to Rokas, extending his hand.

The smith took his hand and shook it, nodding.

"I have been meaning to ask you. I imagine they gave you the same run-around as I received, unless I am mistaken?"

Rokas nodded, "I kept it short, but they were as useless to me it seems. We were able to take care of matters on our own though."

"You have an assistant?" Fionn asked.

"Yes, she is called Oona."

"Oh! The woman with the Wolf Pact. I have seen her around town but unless she has had too much to drink at the inn she tended to keep to herself."

"That sounds very in character for her, yes."

"I wonder why I have never seen her in a normal human form though. I suppose she prefers her divine gift to looking like everyone else." The man in green mused aloud.

"What do you mean?" Rokas asked in confusion.

"Well, those who are given a Pact can resume their normal appearance any time they wish. Many do so when they do not want to stand out. It really isn't so unusual I haven't seen her like that, how would I know for sure, after all?"

Rokas was not a man who was well-versed in esoteric knowledge or religion. He accepted that magic existed, or that forces which the layperson would dub such could be exerted through means that were obscure to him. He had witnessed demonstrations of these sorts of forces before, usually in the form of shows held for the public. Such demonstrations could certainly be faked, but a hybridized human walking down the street and behaving as though nothing was out of the ordinary was a different matter. It was a lacking in him that he was not curious towards these things, but instead focused on things which he could take the measure of and hold in his hands.

Clearly his ignorance of this aspect of the Pacts was a result of this narrow focus. He felt a little silly in the moment- having something revealed like this was always a shock that caused one to question their own competence. He was reminded of times in which he had only read a word having not heard it spoken and then attempted to use that word in conversation having mistaken its origin, and thereby, pronunciation.

"I honestly had no idea that was something they could do." He admitted, having thought of no way to smooth over his previous confusion.

"You are a craftsman, not a priest or magician. Unless you had witnessed it yourself or were broadly read, why would you know? I concern myself with such things somewhat and so know more than most." The alchemist had opted to be at least a little humble in this moment for which Rokas was grateful.

The smith could only shrug. He could speculate as to why Oona had never taken on the guise of a human, but it seemed needless to do so. He was not certain it was something he should ask her about or not.

"Alchemist you say? What sort of work do you do here in Hearth?" He asked the man, attempting to change the subject.

"Besides making spirits? Little else, but I do also produce some medicines for various common aliments. I know of an excellent poultice for burns should you find yourself in need some time. Provided I have the needed ingredients, that is." He said with a tone of disdain.

"Are these interruptions of shipments commonplace here?"

"I've lived here three years now and this is the first that it has been like this. I too have taken a contract to do my work here and even the stipend has not come in a month or more. I appeal to the Mayor and nothing comes of it. It is hard to serve these people's needs without the materials of my trade."

Rokas nodded, he was happy he had at no point taken it as granted that more money would come to him than he had set off with. He could easily of fallen into a situation where he no longer had the means to begin work if he had made the assumption that more funds would come in a timely fashion.

"I had been concerned of that on setting out. We had to see to transporting lumber on our own.

"It is worse than that even," Fionn said. "For grain and the like Hearth depends entirely on import and it has been just as long since food arrived from outside. There is no lack of game in the woods nor fish in the streams and rivers, but there are some goods that just are not to be had locally. Our trade with the outside world has almost entirely ceased and it isn't just us."

"Is it another war or some other conflict?" Rokas wondered aloud. The last thing he wanted to see in his life was another open war with The West, but it was ever of concern.

"There is no open conflict so far as anyone here knows. It is very troubling though. The Mayor has sense enough, at least, that we will be putting away additional food away for the winter rather than rely on imports as much as we have in the past. Provisions may be made for additional land being cleared for farming, but the temple would insist on involvement." He made a dismissive wave, "By the time that's settled it might be too late for planting."

"You seem to have a good grasp of what is going on about town." Rokas said.

"I concern myself with a lot of what is going on around here. As a member of the City Council I need to remain on top of things. A man of your trade could probably secure a seat as well in time. Have you any interest in local politics?"

The Alchemist struck Rokas as at least a little bit of a busybody, but he seemed also to be well-intended, intelligent, and, importantly, well informed. Those factors mitigated his desire to poke into the business of others somewhat in the judgment of the smith. It could be good to establish a report.

"Certainly not right away," He said. "But I wouldn't rule it out once I am better established. Right now I count myself as lucky not have to rent a room in the inn, but there is a lot that remains undone."

"If there is anything I can do to be of assistance, let me know." Fionn said, graciously.

Rokas's primary concern had not changed from building the workshop and he told the alchemist as much. Fionn offered to introduce Rokas to a carpenter in town who might be able to speed things along with the construction. The arrangement sounded to the smith's liking. While he considered he would be able to build a simple covered structure on his own, it might be preferable to hire people skilled in the trade to do it if they might be available. There would be additional expense, but if he got his business going faster it could be a justifiable cost.

Eventually the two of them parted and Rokas was able to return to the business he had come into the store to do in the first place. Caelan, the clerk at the store, had been pointedly not interrupting the conversation between the alchemist and the smith, but once they parted he concluded the inventory which he had been pretending to conduct. There would not be much fresh food to be had from local growers so early in spring and Caelan confirmed that he had been having troubles with his own shipments. His stocks did not seem obviously depleted, but he attributed that to having over-stocked in items which would not perish over the winter. The people of Hearth were as independent as one would expect of a people living on the edge of civilization and accordingly had largely seen to their own provisions.

Once the season had gone on for a while there would be market days in town where fresh produce and local goods would be available, but that required days that were warmer than these. Rokas purchased a good deal more food than he had picked up initially. He hoped that this would suffice to cover Oona's appetite, but he was not entirely certain. He had maybe two months of funds remaining at this rate minus what he had anticipated spending to complete the project that was rebuilding the workshop.

As he left the store he glanced over at the nearby temple. The stone building seemed empty at the moment and he wondered if the priestess was inside. His thoughts returned to what the alchemist had said minutes before. Why had Oona never taken any other form around him if she could just revert to a normal human on call? At no point in their interactions had he got the impression that she felt it was at all an option. In fact, much about the stories she told him only made sense if she had no other option than to appear as she usually did. The priestess was likely to be the most informed person in town on matters like Oona's Pact, but he stopped short of going inside to find her.

With the help of Fionn's carpenter the workshop took less than a week to be constructed. Rokas had communicated to the carpenter his plan to initially operate out of an open-air construction and to later add walls and the result was not much different than what the smith had imagined himself. In the end, Oona and Rokas needed to haul stone and more wood for the project, but the weather had cleared and these trips were much less trouble than the first.

The resulting space was larger than what the smith knew he would need initially, but provided room to grow and for additional storage. The structure was set upon a stone foundation, essentially a platform upon which the wooden framework would rest and hold the roof. There were several main vertical beams supporting the lofty roof. The slope of the wooden shingles was more severe than that which would be found around Comfort, an accommodation that would prevent heavy snow from collapsing it in winter. Most of the workshop was ten feet tall, but down the middle of the roof it vaulted almost twice that height. The structure had two chimneys, one for the forge and another for a more conventional fireplace. In winter the forge would warm a workshop quite extensively on its own, but there would still be days in which Rokas may be busy in tasks which themselves did not require the forge. Off some distance from all this they had also erected a small furnace, a tapering blocky shape nearly as tall as a man.

It had been too long since Rokas had worked metal and he was not certain how out of practice he would be when he again picked up a hammer. He walked the space of his workshop, imagining what he would make and could not help but smile. It had been a long time since he had allowed himself to take a breath.

The trees around the small clearing in which the workshop and cabin rested were finally adorned with green leaves. The spring air was growing progressively more full of the sounds of life. The singing of birds and the susurration of insects could now be heard throughout the forest. It was evening now and the air was refreshingly cool.

It was with some ceremony that Oona hefted the anvil to what would be its final home, resting atop a stone platform in the center of the shop. Rokas had been particular about the height, he wanted to be certain it would be comfortable to work with. There were barrels for oil and for water. In a corner were provisions for ore and coal to be piled in three sided stalls. A long workbench sat to one side that still smelled of the fresh timber from which it had been recently hewn. In time there were additions that could be made to this arrangement, but that was not needed to begin.

Rokas sat upon the stairs that lead up to the stone platform of the workshop. Oona leaned against a nearby beam and was looking at the smith. This might be the first time since they had met that he seemed relaxed.

He was also very nearly broke.

He turned towards Oona and said, "What do you think of the place?"

"I think I'm interested to see you do some work for a change." She replied, grinning.

He waved at her dismissively. "Wait and see, I just need some ore and we are in business. That is to say a functioning smithy, not just a couple of people in a cabin pretending."

"Is that what you were doing in the cabin? Pretending?"

"Not a lot else was getting done in any case."

She nodded. "You are able to work and that puts you at peace. I think most people tend to relax more when they aren't working. Not the other way around."

"I feared not being able to get a start more than anything. Now it would be hard to stop me from getting to work. I'll dig the ore myself if I must." He pointed at the pile of burnt wreckage that was the previous workshop. "We can burn all of that for charcoal so I don't even need to rely on the blasted Couriers for coal."

"When life gives you the burnt wreckage of a workshop, make charcoal." She quipped.

"Something like that." He could not help but laugh a little.

Oona had turned her head to look back towards town and was now tracing the progress of a man coming their direction. Rokas followed her gaze and also began to watch. The man was in what appeared to be a fine vest with a white shirt. On his hip was a short sword of a style Rokas recognized as being popular among the well-to-do in Comfort. Oona seemed to have a similar appraisal of the man as she almost immediately crossed her arms.

"Do you know this man?" Rokas asked quietly before the stranger was in earshot.

"No idea who he is." She replied.

As the man grew near enough the two of them waved to him and offered a greeting. He met them in kind, a seemingly friendly smile on his face. "Rokas the smith and Oona, Pact-holder I presume?" The man asked.

"You got me right, but she's kinda easy to pick out isn't she?" The smith said.

The man's smile did not reach his eyes as he nodded in the approximation of good humor. "Yes yes, very good. I have been bidden to offer you an invitation to a dinner tomorrow night at the mayor's estate." The man in the vest held out an envelope complete with red seal which Rokas accepted. "Your assistant may attend if it pleases her, the company of one of the blessed would be welcome, but Mayor Gyula has business that concerns the town which he would like to discuss with the esteemed Master Smith."

Rokas took a moment to examine the envelope and seal. The seal presented the image of a hearth with a fire burning within. The local government had opted for a very direct image to represent themselves, but it did make the smith wonder what it would look like had a place like Comfort or Prosperity taken that same direction for their iconography. Comfort being a depiction of a particularly well-appointed bed was not without appeal. Around the band of the seal it read, "The Office of the Council of Hearth."

The smith wondered if he had committed an error in etiquette in having not gone to The Council's office upon his arrival. He thanked the messenger and the man departed from them. Rokas opened the letter and read it. It was a simple invitation asking them to attend a special dinner the next night with a description of how to get to the estate and a time. Despite the lack of notice, it was friendly in its content and held none of the threat in its words that being invited emphatically by the local government could hold.

"What's it say?" Oona asked.

The smith held the letter out to her until he remembered that she could not read. He briefly summarized it to her.

"Do you want to join me?" He asked.

"It's not often I get invited to such a fancy occasion. I suppose I could come along."

"There will be free food at least." He added.

"I was already convinced."

"It sounds like it was an occasion that was already planned and they just added me to the agenda." He sighed and pocketed the envelope. "We can both take tomorrow off. No sense in getting all sweaty if we are expected to make a good impression."

"Are you sure you are well?" Oona asked with mock concern.

"I can send you looking for fallen trees to drag back here for charcoal if you'd prefer."

"That's more the spirit. Though relaxed Rokas isn't so bad, we need to get you drunk or something."

"Or something." He muttered, standing from his perch.

The mayoral estate of Hearth was large only by the standards of the town in which it was situated. It was built primarily of stone and had a floor plan that followed and "L" shape for the most part. It had a single double-door entrance at the front and eight windows arrayed in a symmetrical pattern distributed across its two main floors. The shudders of these windows were now open and from most of them there was cast a golden light.