"Wind?"

I faintly heard the call out of the corner of one ear, but continued working on smoothing out the edge of yet another dagger, too busy to think of anything but work, and annoyed by the fact. Damn and blast that elf—

"Wind!"

I snapped upright, clumsily dropping all my things to the table. With an annoyed curse I rescued them before the table could do more than begin turning a darker shade from the heat, and set the hot metal aside where it wouldn't cause damage.

Leaf was watching me in utter and unconcealed amusement, one brow lifted with the corner of his mouth, giving him a crooked look that wasn't averted any by the way he lounged in the door. "Hi," he murmured laconically.

"Hi," I snapped, scowling at him. "You got me into one hell of a mess, Leaf."

"How's that?" he asked, the brow hiking as he straightened, beginning to frown.

"Look at all those orders! I'll be living by this fire for the next three months, if not longer—and that only if no more of your hall buddies decide they want something 'similar' to what I sent up for you!"

His frown left, the slight concern in his eyes fading as his grin grew. "So…?"

I rolled my eyes with a growl and returned to finish sharpening the one set I had completed. "It's your fault," I grumbled.

He laughed softly and shook his head. "Only you, Wind," he teased, "would be upset about getting business."

"That's basically what Haradan said," I admitted, relenting enough to smile slightly.

Leaf chuckled and glanced at the order slips on the door. "You may be getting a few more… but the rest are pretty loyal to the hall smith."

"Thank the Valar for small miracles. What'd you do—show everyone you met your new toys?"

"Sort of," he agreed with a grin, lounging against the wall. "We had a tournament—you may have heard…" he paused and looked at me.

I nodded shortly. "I doubt any smith hasn't." In fact, those with their designs in use usually made a point of going.

He nodded in agreement and glanced at the blade I was working on. "I improved drastically in one area—and everyone could see why. They asked where I got my blades. What was I to do? Lie?"

I heaved an irritated sigh, but my heart wasn't in it. "Utter truth?"

"Entirely," he agreed with a grin, his eyes sparkling as he saw I was pleased by his tale. "I came to thank you… and warn you that you might be getting some orders… I'm apparently too late."

"No kidding?" I muttered sarcastically. I wrapped the finished set and tossed them to him, giving him the name.

"Glorified delivery elf," he sighed without irritation, tucking them under his arm after examining the blades. "You know, I could use a—"

"Save it. Give me a couple months to get caught up, first."

He laughed lightly and gallantly inclined his head. "As you wish," he agreed. "How long does it take to make arrowheads?"

"Arrowheads?" I asked blankly.

"Yeah. You know, the metal things that go at the front of the arrows?"

I blinked at him. Then I went to a shelf, took down a mold and poured some liquid metal into it, before lowering the entire thing into some waiting water by an old, rusting chain and hook kept around solely for that purpose. When it had cooled sufficiently I pulled it out, took my chisel and hammer and opened the mold, pulling two dozen tips out. They were still warm, so it was a very simple thing to smooth them out. I dropped the finished handful onto the table in front of him.

Leaf grinned and gathered them up, tossing the coins required down in their place. "Thanks. Torrei isn't any better with these than the daggers."

I let out a groan. "Arrowheads too? Is there anything he does make well?"

"Not in the matter of weapons. Mithril armor he is quite good at, and fair at shields—the more ornate the more he enjoys the order—but his specialty are the baubles the ladies order from him, and he enjoys even the crafting of fastenings for the clothing of those willing to buy his ornate craft."

"It's just become a habit to get metal things from him?"

"It has been," Leaf agreed with a crooked grin. "In the past," he finished, holding up his new arrowheads with a promising look in his continuing smile.

I rolled my eyes as he left, and got down my other molds, quickly making several dozen tips of all kinds, just in case. I left them standing in buckets as I went back to my flet for the night, thanking Taradriel for the supper I knew she had left in my flet as I passed her flet on the way home.

By the time I arrived at work in the morning, the arrowheads were half gone, and Haradan was almost beside himself with excitement. I doubt he'd have been as enthusiastic if he'd been on my side of the fire. Still, it was somewhat thrilling, even if the cause was nothing more than arrowheads, since we rarely got much business, and never any from the halls. I made a gross of tips before returning to the twin daggers I was working on, only half noticing as elf after elf came in, my pile of arrowheads dropping down much too low.