I looked up as a grim faced elf entered the shop. Haradan was out, so I had been left—with some protest on my account—to tend the shop on my own. "Yes?"

He blinked at me, seemed to size me up through the thick leather protective gear and the smears of soot and ash that were a perpetual part of my attire. "You created a set of daggers and sent them to the palace?"

"I did," I agreed with a frown. Were they that bad? I'd thought they were fairly good… in fact, though not well versed in that particular weapon, I had imagined them to be some of my finest work… not really surprising, since Leaf did have a way of pushing people to discover their limits and then to break them. But if this stony elf was here to denounce my work—

"I would like to order a set."

I blinked. "What?"

He shifted slightly. "You do take orders, don't you?"

"Uh… of course," I shook myself slightly. "You want to order a pair of daggers?"

"The double daggers, yes. You sent a set up—"

"I'm aware of that," I agreed softly. "You want them to be like those?"

He flushed slightly. "Similar," he hedged. "Not exactly, though."

"Uh…Of course," I agreed, still somewhat off balance. "Would you give me your name so I know who to send them to?"

He did, then stiffly muttered something about payment and escaped the uncomfortable prospect of talking to a normal being.

How long I sat at the counter blinking in utter shock, I don't know. It was the first time someone had asked specifically for me to create something, entirely independent of Haradan's influence. Well, first time other than Leaf, and he didn't really count, since he had likely been just seeing if I could do it. Or, rather, if he could get me to do it.

My somewhat astounded musings were interrupted as two more elves, both with degrees of unyielding stoniness about them, entered the shop, looked hard at me, and then ordered themselves each a set of twin daggers.

By the end of the day, I had more work than I could finish in a month lined up. All for the daggers, all 'similar' to that which I'd sent up to the halls for Leaf. Haradan looked at the order slips tacked to the door, and let out a low whistle.

"Busy day," he murmured.

I glared at him. "Thanks to that no good Leaf!"

"Who?" he asked in some confusion.

I smiled slightly, and shook my head. "An old friend. He came by and ordered a set of the double daggers the guard uses, and I've been swamped with orders since he got his."

"Then you must have done well," Haradan stated, looking at me in some reproach. "Should you fault him for approving of your work in such a way?"

"No," I sighed, "but he just set me up with work for a long while."

Haradan laughed softly and was about to say something else, when the door let in another group with that same wooden look to their features. "Ah! How may I help the King's guards today?" he asked, clasping his hands together in welcome and delight.

They shifted into the room, and looked about with a bit of confusion. "Is this the smith shop that is creating twin daggers for the halls?"

"Starting today," I grumbled, heading back into the workshop to get going on new designs.

"Forgive him, forgive him. Long, trying day of tending the shop while orders mount—letting me see my great-grandchildren, bless him. Now, how many orders will this be?"

I rolled my eyes and hid my grin. I didn't mind the work, really. It was minding the counter that I loathed. Haradan did it with all the charm and grace an old master at the art exuded at all times, letting me get away from the wooden elves and back to the much more yielding metal I was used to.