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Chapter Twelve
Smithy and Blade
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Serenity descended the staircase that evening after she had washed up for dinner to find Connor and Daniel talking in the parlor.
"…Where one was located?" Connor was saying as Serenity appeared in the doorway.
"I see you two have met," she said, her eyes passing from Daniel to Connor and then back again. Daniel had assumed his usual arrogant pose leaning against the wall by the window, his fingers shoved into his pockets, his pipe dipping lazily from his mouth. Smoke curled around his face but failed to hide the smirk that crossed his face as Serenity entered.
"Yes indeedy," he said mockingly.
"I was just inquiring about where the smithy was located," said Connor, picking up a sheathed sword from its resting place on one of the armchairs. He drew out the blade and tilted it away from Serenity towards the light. "The blade's chipped right here," he said, resting the calloused tip of his thumb against the pointy edges of the dent. Serenity craned her neck around to get a better look at the chip.
"You've come to the right place, then," she said as he re-sheathed the sword and hung it on his belt. "Will Turner is no less than an expert on crafting swords, and I'm sure he could fix yours up quicker than you would expect."
"Perfect," said Connor happily. "Where is it?"
"It's just down the street, there," said Serenity, pointing out the window. "I'll go with you if you'd like, it'd make me very happy if you and Will were to become friends. You're very alike in some ways."
"Really?" said Connor. A shadow passed across his eyes for a moment, but then disappeared like a ghost. "What did you say his last name was?"
"Turner," Serenity repeated.
"Ah," said Connor, nodding and bouncing the sheath in his hand. "We should go down after dinner."
"That's a good idea," said Serenity, "as dinner is right now." She gestured towards the dining room, where the clinking of china against china blended in with the soft mill of several conversations going on at once. Daniel followed Connor into the dining room and Serenity ate in the kitchen as usual. When she had finished she found Connor waiting patiently in the parlor for her, his jacket slung over his elbow and his hat tilted on his head. He grinned brightly as he saw her and she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm as they walked down the street to where Will's workshop was located.
There was no light coming from the windows of the workshop, but Serenity knew that Will often got so caught up in his work that he didn't notice the dimness and continued his crafting in pitch darkness. She eased open the wooden door and knocked the back of her hand against it a few times. "Will?" she called. A banging noise sounded from the back right corner of the workshop and Will appeared in the light cast from the doorway.
"Serenity!" he said, kissing her hand in greeting as she pulled Connor forward and into the cluttered room.
"Will, this is Connor," she said, "Connor, this is William Turner, finest honest swordsman and crafter of swords that you'll find in the whole of the Caribbean," she continued jokingly. Will smiled brightly as his eyes passed from her face to the face of her companion. He stuck out his hand in greeting as Serenity slipped her own hand from Connor's arm.
"A pleasure to meet you, sir," said Will. "What could I assist you with?" Connor brought out his sword as Serenity went about the workshop lighting the lanterns that were hung on the wall. The damaged blade glinted in the new light.
"It's dented in some places," he said, showing Will the sword in the same way he had shown Serenity. Will took the sword from him and held it up to the light, squinting at it as if he was a doctor trying to diagnose a sickness.
"Hmm," he hummed quietly to himself. He ran the blunt sides of the blade along his palms as if to feel the illness and he then set it on his table and looked at it some more. Serenity returned the little box of matches to his worktable as she finished lighting the room and leaned over him as he glared at the sword, resting her chin lightly on his shoulder. This rather welcome distraction was, however, not helping Will's thinking process as he struggled to decide whether he could fix the damages or whether the sword would need an entire new blade.
"I can fix this, but it might take a while," he decided.
"Alright then," said Connor, stepping expectantly towards the door. "I'll just leave the sword with ye and we can settle a price when it's done."
Will nodded. "Goodbye, Mr.…"
"Mr. O'Malley," said Connor.
"Goodbye, Mr. O'Malley."
Serenity turned to follow Connor out the door but Will reached out and brushed a hand against her shoulder. She turned back towards him, her hair fanning out behind her and swinging back to place below her shoulders, the red accents in her hair highlighted by the candlelight. "Goodbye, Serenity," Will said quietly, several panicked thoughts scurrying through his head to be silenced by a single one:
Just kiss her, you scurvy cur.
Serenity's eyes widened just a little as he leaned down towards her, his eyes closing slowly. The confused look on her face did not even register in his jumbled mind as his lips met hers, lingered there for a split second, and then pulled away.
"Goodbye, Will," she whispered, drawing her soft hand out of his- he hadn't even realized that he had taken her hand- and followed Mr. O'Malley out the door. She glanced back at him standing in the center of the room, in the halo of light cast from the lanterns that she had lit, and then she closed the door with a soft click that echoed through the workshop and followed Will even into his dreams.
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Connor was standing at the bottom of the steps outside the blacksmith's shop, one hand in his pocket. Serenity flew down the steps towards him and automatically slid her hand back into his arm as they began walking back towards the inn. She hadn't realized that she had only been in the shop for an extra ten seconds, an imperceptible amount of time, an amount of time that Connor had not even noticed. He went on and on about how he was happy that someone trustworthy was going to take care of his sword while Serenity walked in a state of shock beside him, and continued in that vein up the stairs and into her room, where she bid Connor goodnight and absentmindedly dressed herself in a nightgown and pulled a brush through her hair until she reached a snag. She didn't even bother to untangle her curls or brush the rest of her hair and simply curled into a fetal position on top of her blankets, her candle burned to the wick and the hangings drew securely around her.
Why did he kiss me? What about Elizabeth? What am I going to do now? I'm never going to be able to face him again! We were alone without a chaperone and he kissed me! Why did he kiss me? I love him so much. Did Connor see? Oh my, what if Connor saw? I'm going to have to stay here on top of my blankets in the dark for the rest of my life! I wonder if Will expects me to marry him now? Oh dear I can't think anymore, I'm just going to have to go to sleep…
Needless to say, Serenity did not sleep a wink that night.
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Haha you can all stop bothering me for that kiss now…more will be explained in the next chapter so check back J