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Happy watched until she could no longer make out Selase in the sky and she sighed a little as she turned to look at the others. She pointed at Sir Cabe and Toby, "Tell me that one of you at least gave him the talk before today."

Sir Cabe looked at her, "The talk?"

Happy closed her eyes as she shook her head, "Yea, the talk, about sex."

Sir Cabe blushed that he didn't realize that was what she had meant but shook his head no as did Toby.

"I can't believe you bozos didn't talk with him last night," Happy yelled at them.

"Hey, I didn't know he was getting married today or I could have." Toby grew irritated.

Sylvester looked at her, "Why didn't you ask me?"

Happy smiled, "Sly, what practical experience do you have with sex?"

"Hey, I'll have you know I have done extensive research on the subject. When I find the right one, she will be well pleased with my research." Sylvester told her.

Happy held out her hand to Toby with a grin on her face. Toby scowled and reached into his bag and pulled out ten gold sovereigns and handed them to her. Happy smiled, "Thanks, I'm going to use them to make new rings for O'Brien." She handed Toby the shovel.

He looked at her a little weird, "What's this for?"

Happy sighed, "It's for digging holes in the ground. I need some clay, dig a hole and get me some. The clay shouldn't be down more than about two feet. I need about one pound of it."

"You want me to dig?" Toby asked.

Happy looked at him like he was crazy, "Why do you think I gave you the shovel?"

Toby walked back behind the tents and began digging.

Happy walked over to the packs and begin digging through them until she got an earthen pot out and set it next to the packs. She pulled out a brazier and a small bag of charcoal. She carried them over and set them up by the campfire before filling it with the charcoal. She walked back over and dug back into the pack and found her small smelting pot and tongs. She carried them and the earth pot over to the campfire. She walked into her tent and opened the small backpack she had inside and pulled her leather gloves and a small leather pouch out and walked back out and not seeing Toby she walked around back of the tents.

She stared at him still digging, "Haven't you gotten to the clay yet?"

Toby gave her a dirty look, "Hey, if you want to dig for it be my guest."

Happy shook her head and walked back to the campfire and using several pieces of wood from the fire she stuffed them down under the charcoal in several places. She pulled the small sack she wore around her neck out and reached inside and took out five gold sovereigns out and dropped them into the smelting pot.

As she sat the pot into the charcoal Sir Cabe looked over from where he was enjoying a cup of coffee with Allie, "What are you doing?"

Happy looked up, "Making wedding rings for O'Brien and Paige. Could have done it yesterday if I had known they were going to get married today and that the rings he bought had been pieces of crap."

Sir Cabe nodded, "I would have told you had I known. I didn't think you'd want me to wake you up at midnight when they decided."

Happy smiled, "You made the right call not to wake me."

Sir Cabe laughed.

Toby walked around with about a pound of clay on the shovel, "I hope this is enough."

Happy nodded as she grabbed the earthen pot and scrapped the clay into it. "Thanks, you can fill in the hole you dug now," Happy told him as she packed the clay down into the pot. Ralph stepped over to watch.

Toby grumbled as he walked back around the tents.

Once the clay was packed down she pulled out both of Lord Walter's rings and pressed them down into the clay. Ralph watched as she worked with gentleness to remove them once she'd pressed them in far enough. Happy opened the leather pouch and pulled out a wooden handle with a small metal blade one end and something that looked like a scoop on the other.

Ralph frowned, "What is that?"

Happy looked up, "It's a sculpting tool used to work with clay. The blade allows you to trim away part of the clay and the other allows you to scoop it out."

Happy carefully trimmed around the outer edge of the molds increasing the thickness of the rings by a sixteenth of an inch. As she finished she grabbed her leather gloves and put them on. She picked up the tongs and checked the contents of the smelting pot. The coins were nearly melted.

Ralph watched with rapt attention as Happy tilted the pot back and forth trying to get the rest of the coins to hurry and melt. Finally the coins had completely melted and she began the process so she could pour the molten metal into the two ring impressions she created. "See Ralph, this is the beauty of metal. While it takes a while to learn to work with, it is well worth it. Because nothing else we have that when we grow tired of or disgusted with, can we simply melt it down and turn it into something else so easily." Happy tossed several more coins into the pot and sat it back into the charcoal.

Ralph nodded at Happy, "Would Lord Walter allow me to learn how to do what you do?"

Happy smiled, "He'd let you learn whatever it is you want to learn. But while you could learn some of what I do while becoming a Paladin, you would never be able to reach my skill level. Being a Paladin is extremely taxing. There are so many restrictions and responsibilities in it. To become a blacksmith you'd have to give up any other idea of being something else. While I can wield a sword I could never wield one like O'Brien or Sir Cabe or even your Mom."

Ralph nodded, "I think I understand."

Happy got several files and buffing clothes out of the pouch she'd gotten the sculpting tool from. After about a half hour she called Ralph back over and gently lifted the smaller ring out of the clay and wiped it down. Happy let him examine the ring before she began to clean it. After that she used the different files to finish shaping the ring and then used the different rough clothes to remove the blemishes and began buffing the ring until it was perfectly smooth and shining like the sun in the light.

She let Ralph examine it while she checked the mold it came out of. She nodded as she lifted the smelting pot back out of the brazier and pour the molten metal into the first mold. She then extracted the larger ring out and began cleaning, shaping, buffing and polishing it. After they were both finished she set them aside and turned to Ralph.

"Okay, step on over here," She told him. "Since we don't need the mold any further we don't have to be delicate about extracting this ring. So go ahead and remove it."

Ralph nodded and pulled it out and she smiled as she sat the pot down and handed him the cleaning rag. Happy walked Ralph through every step showing him how to do every bit of the work to transform the ring from its raw state to a finished ring. While he worked she dumped the charcoal into the campfire and began cleaning up everything so it could be stowed back away.

By lunch he'd finally finished and Happy smiled, "Not bad Ralph." She examined it closely, "You've got a raw talent for this kind of work squirt." Ralph smiled.

He walked over and showed it Sir Cabe and Sir Cabe took the ring and nodded, "Happy's right, we might need to talk to the Lord and see what he thinks about allowing you to study under Happy or a jeweler. If that's what you want."

"I've always wanted to be a Paladin, I never realized this kind of work was available. But all the stories my Mom would tell in the inns had always made me fancy it. Would he be disappointed in me?" Ralph was a little worried about that.

Sir Cabe kind of laughed, "The only thing he would be disappointed in would be if there was something else you would rather do but didn't speak up."

Ralph smiled, "Do you think he will be back for supper tonight since it doesn't look like they are coming for lunch?"

Sir Cabe looked to Allie, "Uh, well, you see Ralph, they most likely won't be back until in the morning."

Ralph frowned, "Mom's never been gone from me that long before. Does it have something to do with that sex thing Happy asked if you talked with him about?"

Sir Cabe nearly choked as he spewed coffee out of his mouth and nose. Toby rolled over on the ground and laughed.

Allie smiled as she put her hand on Cabe's arm, "That's very astute of you Ralph. As the Lord of Scorpion Keep and the lands under his control, Lord Walter has been a fairly lonely person. Everyone has always been his subjects. Your Mom is the first person that wasn't under his authority that interested him. He saw her as an equal so his relationship with her could be different than it could be with say Happy."

Ralph looked puzzled, "So he loves my Mom because she isn't one of his subjects?"

Allie shook her head, "No, as a white witch I can feel things concerning life in ways that normal people can't even begin to guess. He loves your Mom with every fiber of his being. Just like he loves you as his son now, her not being his subject just made it easier for his love to blossom for her."

Happy called over, "Hey Ralph, you want to watch me engrave these rings?"

Ralph looked at Sir Cabe, "May I be excused?"

Sir Cabe nodded quickly as he looked at Allie as Ralph ran over to Happy, "Thank you."

Allie laughed gently as she nodded.

They all sat around the campfire as the sun was low on the horizon when they heard a shriek and they looked up and saw Selase coming down out of the sky. Her feet touched the dirt and she ran into the camp. Ralph leaped up and ran over and stopped when he didn't see his Mom or Lord Walter and he frowned.

Selase kind of chirped and nuzzled into him gently. He slowly reached up and stroked her beak and Selase closed her eyes and shuddered. Ralph smiled a little. "Well it's about time. I was beginning to think they must have gone to a town and had dinner there." Allie told them as she got up. She looked at Sylvester, "If I fill this pot with stew, have you got a spell that would seal it so it doesn't spill out all over Selase or the ground while she takes it to them? I'd hate to have to carry it there and disturb them."

Sylvester shook his head, "Nothing that would form a seal, sorry."

Allie nodded, "Well there is no help for it then." She walked over and climbed up on Selase and pulled out a scarf and blindfolded herself. "Cabe, bring me the stew, two bowls and spoons," She told him.

"One moment," Cabe told her. He walked over and got a sack and put the bowls, spoons and two cups in it. Then he walked over and wrapped it around her belt. "That's the empty things, I'm going to get the coffee pot as well." Allie nodded with a smile. Cabe walked over and got the stew and coffee pots and brought them over and sat one on each leg so she could hold onto each one with each hand as well as the reins. He looked at Selase, "Okay Selase, take it easy, give Allie a safe trip so she doesn't fall or spill anything on you okay?"

Selase squawked and nuzzled Ralph before she turned to face the west and slowly picked up speed before she extended her wings and flew up into the air. Selase brought Allie back about an hour later. As Selase touched down she ran on up into the camp. Allie waited for Cabe to step up and take the four bags of food stuff she was carrying before she climbed off.

Cabe hugged her tightly, "How were they?"

Allie smiled, "Well I couldn't see them, but they sounded happy. A bit shocked when they first saw me I'd imagine. But they understood and they said thank you for the coffee."

Cabe laughed as he looked at the two sacks, "What's this?"

Allie laughed, "Our Lord granted me a request, I went to Aaron Springs before coming back. I picked up a lot of fresh vegetables to supplement our stores with."

Cabe nodded, "Do I need to reimburse you?"

Allie shook her head as they walked over to the food stores, "Our Lord gave me more than enough coin to cover it."

They resumed the first watch after putting the food away. Ralph felt strangely out of sorts. He'd grown so close to Lord Walter that his presence was missed almost as much as his Mother's. Sir Cabe had granted him permission to sleep by the campfire rather than inside the tent.

Ralph felt someone lift him up and hold him in their strong arms and then felt him passed to another person, whose softness and fragrance he recognized immediately. His eyes snapped open and saw his Mom was holding him. "Mom," he exclaimed and threw his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly.

"I'd say the lad missed you," Walter told her as he gently rubbed his back.

Paige smiled with tears in her eyes.

Ralph looked around and saw everyone was already packing things up as Allie fixed breakfast for everyone. Ralph saw Selase waiting not far from the camp. Ralph smiled and kissed Paige's cheek, "Can I say goodbye to Selase before she leaves?"

Paige nodded and lowered him and he ran over and hugged Selase. Paige stepped up and hugged Walter, "While I am glad to be back, I really miss our privacy."

Walter nodded, "As do I. If it wasn't for Wheeler's Ridge I would say we'd return to our little spot."

Paige looked up at him and grinned.

Toby walked by and noticed Walter's shirt was missing every button from sternum down. He stopped and looked at Lord Walter, "My Lord, what on ever could have happened to the buttons on your shirt? Was it defective too?"

Paige blushed as Walter looked at him, "Would you like a few nights in a row of the mid watch?"

Toby's eyes opened wide and shook his head as he began taking down the tent he shared with Sylvester.


Hope everyone is doing well in self-quarantine! The wife and I are doing okay. A little scary since they are saying a lot of hospitals are having ventilator shortages. I hope yesterday's chapter wasn't too much. I worried with posting it or not. To the Adventure! -Tim