Taken aback by Kete's sudden departure and not eager to rush to... whatever was going to happen to the scum who earned his ire, I took my time putting the tools back in their proper places. The draught horse shuffled around, clearly less comfortable since Kete rushed off. I tried to offer some gentle reassurances and soothing pets, but I'm not sure it helped much. At least I didn't get kicked in the ribs.

  The soldier in the stables made his way over as I decided it was about time to leave and the difference was plain to see. After offering some sort of treat from a pouch on his belt he began combing out the matted hair from the suddenly steady animal. The horse even gave a little snort as if to say 'this is how it's supposed to be done'.

  I departed with a few pleasantries, which quickly became muffled curses as I made my way through the storm once more. I hadn't felt like I'd dried out at all before I stepped outside, yet the driving rain soaked straight through my clothes, introducing me to new levels of drenched.

  Unfortunately, as I rushed towards the guild, buffeted by gusts like waves, I was stopped at the exit to the military section of the outpost. The guards wanted an answer to why Kete had rushed through. If their swearing was any indication, they didn't much like my answer.

  Shouting to be heard over the wind the soldier in charge replied, "Alright, tell Kete not to make a habit of it. Also try not to let him kill the moron, however much he deserves it."

  I offered a quick bow, that between a gust of wind and my shivering was embarrassingly shaky. It might have been more polite not to bow at all. Then the world felt heavier. It was just for an instant, but I was almost driven to my knees. The air in my lungs like a steel weight. But as suddenly as it began, it ceased.

  The lead soldier swore, even as his companions were regaining their bearings, "Now someone's gone and pissed off the guildmaster."

  Giving another hasty bow I set off before I got held up in the rain any longer. As unsettling as... whatever that was had been, I shouldn't need to worry if it was caused by the guildmaster. None of the guards tried to stop me but overheard some fragments of concerned chatter between gusts of wind.

  "...if the Great Lady requires..."

  "...don’t call her that here!"

  "...commander will increase the state of readiness..."

  The voices trailed off quickly, though whether that was because someone cut the chatter or simple distance I didn't know. Nor did I care as I rushed towards the guild.

  Rounding a corner at pace, I had to swerve to avoid crashing into someone. My foot squelched into a deep puddle, and there was an icy rush as my clog filled with muddy water. The adventurer - if the mace at his side was any indication - was even worse off, stumbling to one knee. Yet it seemed he’d already taken a tumble as he was covered in mud. He shot me a furious look as he quickly found his feet.

  "Watch where you're going, bloody runt."

  Before I could decide how to respond he was already gone, heading away from the guild. I wasn't sure what his problem was, seemed like he wasn't having a great day, but I wasn't about to chase him through the storm to correct his rudeness. Besides, I didn't like my odds if things turned violent. Sure, Kete or the guildmaster might come save me, but I doubt they'd be too impressed.

  Soon the entrance to the guild was in sight. I’d normally describe the large wooden doors as imposing or intimidating but in the overcast light of the storm they appeared incredibly inviting, a firm bastion against wind and rain. Turning the handle had the door wrenched from my grip by the wind, flinging it open with a bang! Before I could even process what happened, strong arms grabbed me and pulled me in, slamming the door behind me. In retrospect, those pulling the door were significantly more fervent, I was simply in the way. So, I found heat returning to my body as I was pulled into a crowd of oddly quiet adventurers.

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  Rubbing my hands together and blowing into them as feeling began to return as pins and needles, I thanked them and apologised for the draft but they waved it off. Now that my wits were returning to me, I looked around the main hall and the atmosphere was almost morose. Everyone was standing around waiting for something to happen, yet no one wanted to draw attention. Even the group who pulled me in shuffled quietly away from me as all the eyes in the room turned back to their respective parties after my noisy entrance.

  Did Kete kill that guy? Or was this just a result of whatever the guildmaster did?

  Well, I wasn't getting answers by standing around here. I forged my way towards Sarala, one for the few pairs of eyes that hadn't left me. I winced as I left a dripping trail along the floor but there was already plenty pooling from others’ excursions and it was designed for worse. Wordlessly she threw me a towel as I approached. Just the act of rubbing the dragon’s share of the water off my face and beard made me feel like a new dwarf. Before I could ask anything, she gestured for me to follow her into the back and I noted the recipe scroll I'd left earlier cluched in one of her hands. I wouldn’t dare handle it until I'd dried off.

  "So, what happened?" I asked without preamble as soon as we were out of sight, careful to keep my voice down. Most people here seemed to prefer directness, and while Sarala certainly valued manners and propriety, I was wagering she wouldn't see my urgency as disrespect in this instance. "Kete ran off after mentioning something about Taffy being kicked and then I felt the guildmaster do something, but otherwise I'm in the dark."

  She nodded, "The guildmaster intervened before Kete could break the perpetrator's legs. He was only a probationary member of the guild so she determined that a more fitting punishment would be to revoke his membership." She took a deep breath as if steeling herself for the next part, I knew it couldn't be that simple. "Unfortunately, this all occurred in the main hall and there was some outcry at the judgement, many feeling it too harsh for what they regarded as a minor crime. This in turn prompted those who felt Kete was justified to begin arguing. The matter was likely to turn into a brawl before the guildmaster flexed her cultivation. As you might imagine, that silenced everyone. The guildmaster gave a short warning about how the guild was no place for casual cruelty and disrespect for guild staff or their bonded companions was disrespecting the guild."

  "And people haven't quite recovered from the shock yet I take it?"

  "I'd give it a few more minutes and we'll be back to the usual chatter. Most of them are new, so they haven't felt something like that before."

  "It was certainly disconcerting. I can't imagine trying to fight in that."

  "You get used to it. Class quality and having a combat class help, though there are a few other factors. It's almost never directly utilised except against large groups of much weaker foes. Killing intent is somewhat similar and more commonly utilised, though I'm not sure if it has any direct connection. The guildmaster could tell you more, but I'd save that question for another day."

  “Yeah, doesn’t seem like the time. Today already feels like it’s been simultaneously busy and unproductive. I keep trying to start on those qi pills and end up distracted by something.”

  She smiled, “Some days do feel like that. Did you manage to get the horse shod before Kete ran off? Or do you have to venture into that downpour again?”

  I chuckled, “We managed to just about get it finished thankfully. That really would have been awful. What happened to the guy who got his membership revoked? He up with the guildmaster? Also, pardon my ignorance, is it that big a deal? I expected more fuss from Kete tryin’ to break the guy’s legs than him being booted out.”

  There was a pause and I could see her choosing her words carefully. Internally I cursed my frankness. Yet, I was curious for Sarala’s take on proceedings. Between her general experience and work on the front counter, Sarala seemed to have a knack for seeing not just how things actually were, but how they were perceived.

  “Kete removed the individual in question from the building after his membership token was revoked. As to their foolish reaction, there are some factors you should consider. Tempers were high from waiting out the storm - not that it excuses such a shameful display. Kete was regarded as punishing someone who hurt his dog, while the guildmaster was rendering judgment between guildmates on guild grounds. The two are held to different standards. Finally, almost none of those adventurers have experienced a bond binding, and most of those who have are bonded to their weapons or armour. No one who understands what it's like would view the guildmaster’s judgement as anything other than merciful.” Her gaze was direct and intense, almost a challenge. “But yes, revoking membership is a big deal. Give it some thought and I’m sure you’ll realise why”

  Murmuring started to pick up from the main hall.

  "Anyway, I had best return to my post." She raised the recipe, "Shall I return this to your workshop first? I believe Eimer saved you some lunch."

  Magic-Smithing is updating again! Its a fantastic action/crafting story that was certainly an influence on me producing my own cosier crafting tale. Secondly, if you like cosy crafting on RR You've probably come across , a brilliant story with a focus on alchemy and town building. Well, its author has just started a new cosy story about managing a druid grove which I'm really enjoying so far. It's called if you want to check it out.

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