Chapter Six: Mitto In Quo Faber Ferrarius

Thursday, the 31st of October, 1889.

Ten minutes later, the trio entered the Sea-King Repairs Shop, a surprisingly clean blacksmith straddled between Baron's Court station and Talgarth Road. A melodious voice with a thick Greek accent called out to them when the doorbell clanged.

"I'll be with you in just a moment."

After a number of footsteps, a tall, younger man strode out in a red apron, white smock and blue jeans. His welding goggles were affixed onto his forehead underneath a beret as blue as his eyes, which promptly went wide in recognition.

"Ah, Pyrrha! What brings you here today, huh?"

"Gentlemen," Pyrrha said to Jaune and Ren, "this is Neptune Vasilias, the blacksmith I've always gone to for repairs and modifications. Neptune, meet my butler, Lie Ren, and my friend, Inspector Jaune Arc."

Neptune took off his smithing gloves, leaned over the counter and shook hands with the pair.

"Pleased to meet you, gentlemen."

"Likewise," replied Jaune pleasantly.

"An honour," intoned Ren calmly.

"As for why we came here," Pyrrha explained, "we'd like you to examine a shield for us – and hopefully, remove whatever's inside it."

"Sounds reasonable," Neptune replied. "Let's have a look at it."

Pyrrha reached behind her back and retrieved the Eye of Ra.

Taking it from her, Neptune examined it thoroughly and efficiently, noting the quality of the metal used and so on. He then held up a Dust magnet to it, which promptly tugged hard towards the centre of the shield. Putting both of these down, Neptune returned to his customers.

"Well, as I can see," Neptune explained, "the bronze shield contains a piece of Dust. However, I can't remove it without cutting the shield open – and this shield is so ancient, I'm not sure I have the ability to avoid causing terrible structural damage if I try doing it alone."


Pyrrha looked shocked at this development.

"You mean … you mean we can't fix this?"

"Hold your horses, Pyrrha," Neptune assured. "I've got a huntress who comes here often for me to help her make grenade parts. The thing is, she's a trained metallurgist; with her skills on hand, we could do it. She lives down the road, too, so getting her help will be easy."

Pyrrha promptly brightened up at this.

"Very well, Neptune. Please call her in."

"Anything for my favourite Amazonian queen!", Neptune joked as Pyrrha giggled.

As he walked off towards his phone, Jaune leaned towards Pyrrha and whispered grimly. "Is it just me, or is your blacksmith too flirtatious for his own good?" Pyrrha smiled slyly at him.

"Yes, but do you see a ring on my hand? He's not one for marrying into the upper-class, or their attitudes."

"Well, neither are you by all accou-" Ren began, before Pyrrha put her hand over his mouth. Her gaze was uncharacteristically steely, and her voice dripped with muted venom.

"Only within my walls, Mr. Lie."

Ren hesitated, then nodded his head.

"Apologies, milady."

Jaune, to his credit, had hidden the resultant smirk behind his gloved hand.

At that moment, Neptune returned to the front counter.

"She'll be here in a jiffy. Now the thing with this woman is –"

"Top of the morning, squires!"

"– she's a tad eccentric."


All heads turned towards the doorway. Standing there was a short Irishwoman in a garishly pink dress with white riding boots. The dress itself ended around the knee-line, more befitting a circus sharpshooter than a member of high society. A slightly lengthy cap of ginger hair poked out from underneath her white fedora, with oceanic eyes and a wide smile defining her cherubic face. Lastly, a leather belt with many pouches and tools hanging off of it was lashed around her waist. Hanging over her left hip was what looked like a mini-sledgehammer with an oversized hammerhead.

"What's cracking, Neptune?", the newcomer said first, before regarding the odd trio looking at her. "Oh, where are my manners?! I'm Nora Valkyrie, huntress and metallurgist."

Pyrrha shook her hand first.

"Dr. Pyrrha Nikos, archaeologist."

Nora promptly went wide-eyed in amazement.

"THE Dr. Nikos? I'm honoured to meet someone as awesome and inspiring as you!"

Indicating her companions, Pyrrha took it upon herself to make introductions. "Nora, this is Inspector Jaune Arc of Scotland Yard, and my butler, Lie Ren."

Nora curtsied respectfully.

"Charmed as always, gentlemen."

Ren, for all his travelling and work around London, had never heard an Irish voice before; consequently, he found that this woman's voice enraptured him.

"Now that we're all acquainted," Neptune began, "shall we get to work?"

Nora snapped to attention. "You got it! Let's take some kodaks of the shield first, then see about breaking the shield open!"


As Nora walked around the counter, Neptune pulled out his kodak-maker and meticulously documented the Eye of Ra's vessel for the next fifteen minutes.

After the kodak taking was complete, the metal workers set to work. Nora quickly noticed a slight square in the middle of the shield.

"I've found the compartment, Neptune; it's located between the two grips are located. Now, how will we get it out?"

Neptune frowned, having had no luck with twisting the grip as a release mechanism. Suddenly, he spotted two small latches were located at diametrically opposite ends of the shield's underside, both lining up with the grip. In perfect sync, Neptune and Nora removed the latches. The two latches detached two oval-like shapes at either end of the shield, and it removed the centre strip from between the grips.

A square container of gold fell from a cavity in the centre. Opening it carefully, the five of them beheld a perfect crystal of ebony Dust; arguably the rarest Dust type in living history. Only one other example was ever found – in a distant mine in the Tibetan mountains – but any who'd gone near it never returned.

"So this is the Eye?", Jaune breathed incredulously.

"A crystal of ebony Dust!", Pyrrha exclaimed. "My word. What the hell would they want with this?"

Ren contemplated for a moment, before whispering in his employer's ear. "Well," he said uncertainly, "one of the things you-know-who used to preach was that the Eye of Ra would summon a dragon-god of destruction. Not that I believe that for a second, mind you, but it's best to avoid the risk of these idiots actually trying to summon it."

"Where can we store this thing, by the way?", Nora asked quickly.

"Well, I've got crucibles which are designed for storing Dust," Neptune responded; "would that suffice?"

"Yes it would," Jaune affirmed, "but I'd need to store it in a vault at Scotland Yard."

Neptune nodded slowly.

"Well, I'd be willing to sell off a spare, if it's anything. That'll be four pounds, if you please."

Much to Pyrrha's surprise, Nora handed out the cash.

"Here, I'll cover for them."

"My thanks, Nora," said Pyrrha gratefully.


"So Neptune," Ren enquired, "what shall be done with the shield? It's too valuable to sell off for scrap."

"Indeed," Pyrrha agreed, "even though it's not useful in it's state."

"Why not reforge it with some new bronze and a touch of Dust?"

As one, four heads turned to Jaune with some surprise.

"Well, it would be the best idea. Even if we can't completely restore the shield to what it should be, it could still be used if it was brought up to date."

Neptune nodded sagely. "That's an excellent point. I've got enough bronze in stock to make it work. The question is, who would use it?"

This time, it was Pyrrha's turn to stun her friends.

"I could make use of it. After all, if we retain the cut-off sections on the edges, I'd have an extra line of defence when using my weapon in both rifle-form and sword-form. Also, I wasn't bad at discus throwing as a teenager, so having a sharpened edge lined with cobalt Dust would be useful."

As Neptune was drawing up Pyrrha's requests, Nora came up with a timely suggestion.

"We could also coat it with golden Dust to make it a bit easier to throw, by the way. Bronze shields aren't known for lightness at all."

"Good thinking, Nora," Neptune affirmed, finally settling on the price. "That'll be ten for the reforging, and twenty for the two Dust charges I'll need to use."

"Agreed; here you go, Neptune."


Pyrrha handed over a fifty pound note, as Jaune began to ask the last question on his mind.

"How long do you reckon this will take?"

Neptune looked up. "I'd say two hours at most. I have Pyrrha's house number with me, so you could always repair there if needed."

Jaune and Pyrrha exchanged glances, then nodded at each other.

"Very well, we'll head there," Pyrrha affirmed. "Nora, would you care to join us for lunch?"

Nora looked indecisive at the idea, glancing at Neptune as she gave voice to her thoughts.

"Well, unless Nep here doesn't need any help …?"

Neptune smiled reassuringly. "I'll be alright, Nora. I'll only need your precision Dust injector for the sharpened edge."

Nora nodded, fishing it out from behind her hammer.

"Here you go, Nep!", she cheerily said as she handed it over. Turning towards the other three, she nodded at Pyrrha.

"I'll be happy to join you three for lunch!"

"Great!", Pyrrha said kindly as Jaune and Ren left the room.

"I'll see you at say, quarter-past two?"

"Suits me fine, Pyrrha," Neptune replied. "I'll have it done for you by then, I promise. See you then!"


At that moment, Neo was finishing up with the decoration orders that Pyrrha had given her earlier. After processing the last one with the suppliers, Neo relaxed and grabbed her umbrella. Finally, she realised as she stood up and left; I can cut my losses and get out of here; I sure hope Emerald's hiding within the country. Unfortunately for her, fate had other plans.

The minute she walked out through the staff entrance, she was spear-tackled to the ground by Qrow. She might have been under five feet in height, but Qrow wasn't taking any chances with the Grimm.

"That's enough. Neo Politana, you are under arrest for the murders of Dr. Arthur Watts and Tyrian Callows. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say will be given in evidence."

Neo scowled angrily as Qrow cuffed and bundled her into a waiting Black Maria, taking her umbrella with him as he hopped out front and joined the groom.

After dropping off Jaune's things at his rooms in Soho, the quartet arrived at Pyrrha's townhouse at twelve-thirty. Ren duly went to the kitchen to prepare the sandwiches, while Pyrrha and Jaune got to know their newest friend.

"So Nora," Jaune began, "what's your story?"

Nora lit up like a fireworks display as she spoke.

"Well, I was born and raised on a farm a few miles west of Galway Bay."

Pyrrha's eyes lit up in nostalgia. "Galway Bay? I've visited that place before; my mother was born there!"

"That's cool!", Nora responded happily. "Anyhow, my uncle took me on as a metallurgist when I hit the age of sixteen. After five years of learning, I moved here and became a huntress."

"So, how come you became a huntress?", Jaune asked curiously.

"Well, I'm pretty handy with a sledgehammer," Nora started, "which is expected when you grow up repairing fences and stonework. So when I finished my studies three years ago, I decided to move to London to gain more worldly experience, and to learn more about the smithing side of things. Indeed, I worked for Neptune for almost a year as his full-time assistant. Then one night, I was walking back home from the nearby bar when I got accosted by a thief. One hefty swing later, and he was nursing two broken legs."

Jaune blanched in pained nostalgia at this. "You're the one who maimed "Puss" Perry in 1887?"

"Oh, that was his name? Anyhow, there was a bounty on him, and I was rewarded handsomely for my trouble. Since then, I never really looked back. I still do some part-time work with Neptune, so I'm always covered with regards to income."

"Well, that's fortunate," Pyrrha said kindly.

"But enough about me," Nora started; "I'd like to know why that shield needed to be broken. That looked far too important to be dealt with so flippantly."


And as Ren delivered a stack of silverside and salad sandwiches with a pot of Irish breakfast, Pyrrha and Jaune took turns regaling their new friend with the story of the Eye of Ra, and how it's retrieval sparked two murders and the disbandment of the Creatures of Grimm. By the end of it all, Nora was equally enraptured and spooked at what she'd called "a conveyor belt of trauma".

The parlour phone rang at that point, and Pyrrha picked it up as Ren carried the dishes out.

"Hello, Dr. Nikos speaking … Good work, Inspector; I'll let him know about it … Yes, we can, and we will. Talk to you soon."

Placing the receiver in its cradle, Pyrrha turned to Jaune.

"Qrow Branwen just called. He's arrested Neo and will need to help interrogate her. He'd also like the Eye stored as soon as possible; Vault 4 has been secured for that purpose."

Jaune nodded, standing up to fetch his jacket.

"Very well, I'll take my leave and head off to Scotland Yard."

Ren stepped forward at this point, handing a piece of A5 paper over to Jaune.

"These addresses are the places where the remaining members of the Grimm are hiding out. Arresting the bunch of them would be a prudent move at this point."

"Good thinking, Ren," Jaune said encouragingly, "I'll be sure to get that set up with Inspector Branwen."

As Jaune left and peeled off towards the next tube to Westminster with the Eye of Ra, Pyrrha and Nora walked casually down to Hammersmith. As they entered Sea-King Repairs, Neptune walked to the counter and held up the newly-reforged shield. Pyrrha and Nora were amazed into silence at his craftsmanship, as always.

"Here she is, ladies. I've called her Akoúo̱, as a counterpart to Miló. As you can see, it's a dipylon-styled shield. I've gone and added everything you could ask for. There's just one thing, though."

"What is it?"

Neptune's expression had shifted to one of worry. "Throwing the shield causes the grips to detach easily. They can slot back on easily enough, and a simple bash doesn't have any bad effects on its stability. I just wish I knew how to fix the problem quickly."

Pyrrha's eyes duly lit up in inspiration. "I've got an idea …"


Half an hour and five pounds later, Pyrrha had incorporated her whip into the design. The handle was built into the grip, whilst the tail was welded into the interior of the shield. The whip itself was elastic already, and now functioned as a leash for Akoúo̱.

The minute they arrived home, the phone rang. Pyrrha darted into the parlour and grabbed the receiver.

"Hello, Dr. Nikos speaking."

"Hello Pyrrha, it's Jaune. Has the shield been reforged?"

"Yes, it's just been finished!"

"Good to hear. I'd like you to know that we're set to hunt down the remaining Grimm. Neo's threatened reprisals for her arrest, so I'd feel much better if you were to go on holiday until it's finished."

"Well, if you insist. What time should I return?"

"Sunday would be best, I think."

"Very well. Is that all?"

"Actually, I'd like to hand you my home phone number."

"Hang on, I'll get some paper."


Leaning away from the receiver, Pyrrha called out to her butler.

"Ren? Could you retrieve a pencil and Jaune's business card?"

"Sure thing; I'll be a minute."

As Ren trotted upstairs, Pyrrha decided to talk further.

"By the way Jaune, how come you want me to have your number?"

"Well, ah," Jaune started uncertainly, "I - I didn't want to stop talking to you once the case was finished, that's all. I value your company quite highly, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha blushed at that; ever since she'd met him, Pyrrha had grown to enjoy his gentle, compassionate company as well. The fact that she had subconsciously developed feelings for him also helped.

"Why, thanks Jaune. I dare say I've come to do the same for you, really."

As Ren returned with the implements, Pyrrha cradled the receiver in her left shoulder as her left hand picked up the pencil.

"Okay Jaune, I'm ready to jot down your number. What is it?"

As Pyrrha began to write on the back of Jaune's card, Nora sidled up to Ren, leaned into his ear and whispered, "When do you think they'll book their June wedding?"

Ren remained stoic, in deference to his employer, but nonetheless indulged the Irish huntress with an answer.

"As soon as they realise their feelings," he whispered drily.

Nora smirked and resisted the urge to start laughing as Pyrrha hung up her phone.


As they sat down, Nora's smirk vanished; she noticed that Pyrrha looked incredibly sullen. "Is there something wrong, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha looked up. "Well, not exactly. It's just that Jaune recommended the idea of getting away for a few days while the Grimm situation blows over."

Ren nodded sagely. "That's a reasonable suggestion; taking a holiday on the coast would be an idea. I'd be happy to look after the place with Coco while you're off, for the record."

"Ren's got a good point," Nora added. "It would be a perfect opportunity for you to recover from this macabre business."

"That might be true, Nora," Pyrrha conceded, "but there's so much to do at the museum, what with Dr. Watts dead and Neo arrested, I'm not sure Exham would be keen to allow me the privilege of taking time off."

"I can help you there," Nora offered. "I've been hired to go to northern Scotland tomorrow to retrieve some stolen Viking artifacts; they're being guarded by a gang of thieves. If you went along with me to help complete the job and took kodaks of the artifacts for the museum, I'm sure they'd allow it heartily!"

Pyrrha nodded, a warm smile forming on her features. "My thanks, Nora. I'll clear it with my superiors and head out with you whenever you're ready."

The Irishwoman smiled eagerly at her. "Glad to hear it! I'll be catching a flight from Croydon at 9 tomorrow morning, and should arrive at Inverness around 2 that afternoon. I won't be due to return until Sunday, and just in time for the solar eclipse on Tuesday."

Rising out of her seat, she handed Pyrrha her card.

"Anyway, I'd better be going, Pyrrha. I'm due to assemble some more grenades for the expedition, and Neptune's bringing me dinner tonight. Anyway, thanks for the lunch; I'll see you later!"

"Indeed," Pyrrha replied warmly, "I'm looking forward to the trip."

As Nora was shown out by Ren, Pyrrha rang up Exham Museum and let them know about her plans. Fortuitously, they agreed to her request, and she spent the night cleaning her weapons and packing for her next adventure.

That same evening, the albino woman arrived in the French port town of Calais. Having holed up in a cheap hotel room, she was furious with her luck at this point. Due to the storms along the French coastline, the ferries over to England had shut up shop until the following Tuesday afternoon, when the storms were supposed to clear.

The traitor had better be thankful for this reprieve, she ruminated angrily, because I'll be glad to bring her to her knees once I cross over.


A/N: I'm back!

First thing's first, the title translates to "Send In The Blacksmith", and the song for this chapter is "Strange Little Girl" by The Stranglers. Not because Nora ends up like the character in that song, but because their origins are pretty similar.

Second, this chapter and the one following it have proven to be extremely challenging to come up with - mainly due to me finding Nora's character surprisingly tough to write. Hence why I took a week's break to figure that out. The rest of the chapters are getting there.

Thirdly, I managed to get over a thousand views so far, and at least 20 followers. I'd like to say thanks to all of you for giving some love to the story, and especially to the AU's creator, DezoPenguin, for his reviews.

Fourth, I'd like to clarify that incorporating the whip into Akoúo̱ allows Pyrrha to make the shield return to her hand like her Semblance did in canon.

And last, who else enjoys the idea of Irish Nora?

Anyhow, I'm not sure how frequently the next chapters will come, but I'll try to match the speed I set in the first spell. See you next time!