I closed the glass case over the ornate sword made from shining silver and burnished iron encrusted with a number of precious gems, this was my latest creation from my forgery which I was putting up for general sale in the shop which stood next to my forgery connected by a small pathway leading out from the back of the shop. As I looked in pride at my work and locked the glass cabinet with a small brass key which I quickly placed back into my inventory, I heard the door behind me open and the bell placed above the door ring out. I turn to see Andrew walking through the door in a simple dark blue shirt and jeans, no armour or weapons present, unlike me who walked around with a sheathed dagger on my belt at all times.
He walks up beside me and looks in awe at the blade which I had just locked away. "Always like just coming in and looking at the weapons and such that you make." He says shortly making me think of the numerous times I had seen him come into the shop with seemingly no other reason but to look around. At his words I laugh a bit and then walk over to and behind the counter where I pick up a closed bottle of whiskey, open it with a bottle opener and take a short swig from it. "You drink?" Andrew says a little surprised.
"Why not, I only drink a bottle or two a week so it's not as if I even get drunk from it. And I don't usually drink at work but after making that sword I needed one." I say indifferently as in my opinion in this world all the age restrictions from the real world no longer applied in any way. I take another swig from the glass bottle and place it back under the counter. "So hows things going as we haven't spoken for like a week now?" I ask Andrew out of interest.
"Not much really, Aurora has started going back to the front lines a couple of days ago, so I guess that's one good thing. Apart from that it's just back to life as it was, nothing too special or mad. But what about you? How has these two weeks with Sky been? As you've not shared a house with someone since way back in the starter floors with me." He answers plainly and continued to ask the question without hesitation.
"Yer it's been fine with her at my house, makes things much easier with two people and it means I can have some company without the need to go out somewhere. But she is a bit of a neat freak when it comes to some things, so for once my house isn't a complete mess of paperwork, maps and random metal files scattered around the floor, but I suppose that's a good thing that the house is finally getting tidied. She's also said that she's going to come and do some things down at the forge, so that should be interesting to see what happens with that. But yer it's been nice." I say each sentence after a bit of thought of the two weeks that Sky had started living in my house, within a day the house had been cleaned and things were stored in a tidy and ordered way and during this week both of us had started to redecorate the house which killed a lot of time but was worth the time.
"Now what do you actually want?"I asked Andrew seeing that he was thinking over something and looking a bit awkward while his hands never stayed still. "Come on now I've known you for however many years now, I know when you're not saying something." I continue trying to persuade him to come out with whatever was on his mind.
He looked up at me in the eyes and said quietly. "I need you to make me a ring."
I gave him a long hard look as I registered what he had just said and what it possibly implied, so I slowly answered. "How many do you need and when for?"
"Two golden band rings and one very ornate ring. And as for timing, whenever you can do them for, I don't particularity mind" He replied slowly no longer looking at me, but at some of my swords as his face started turning red.
"I should be able to get them done within the month." I say after quickly thinking of how long it may take me to get three rings completed, not very long if I work at it without too many distractions. "Bit of a surprise if this is what I think it is." I say as I pick my bottle back up from the counter and take a longer swig from it, letting the alcohol burn down my throat.
"How is it a surprise, you were implying it two weeks ago. Anyway I would like you to be the best man at the wedding if all goes to plan." He says more bravely this time but almost waiting for his request to be shot down in flames. At this my hand stopped the bottle just from my lips and a wave of shock goes through me, Andrew proposing was expected but this wasn't.
I placed the bottle heavily back onto the wooden counter and said with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure you want me as best man for this?"
"Well if you'd rather not, it's okay." Andrew said quickly worried that he had gone too far in asking this of me.
"No, I'll do it, it would be an honour. And if your going for the full works of a ceremony how are you going to do it?" I ask him, not knowing how things worked in the virtual world when it came down to ceremonies and events such as this.
"This is why I wanted you as best man, so that you could help out." He replied with a smile. "Just don't tell anyone about any of this unless I say so, as I don't know how she will react to it and if everyone knows about it it's likely going to be found out by her somehow which will ruin everything." He continued seriously, worried at the prospect of this becoming common knowledge before he was ready for it to be so.
"Well If there's anything I can do to help, I will do the best that I can to make sure this goes as smoothly as it can. And don't worry about the rings, I'll start the draw ups today so you can see my ideas for them later." I say with sincerity knowing how important this is for my friend.
"Thanks, well I had better get going as me and Aurora are going out for the afternoon and evening. Cya later then." He says back to his normal self before turning and leaving the shop without another word. I take another swig from my bottle and walked over to a large metal filing drawer where I take out a wad of paper and a couple of pencils. I then move into the shop's back room, sit down at a wooden table lit by a shaded lamp and got down to work for designing the wedding rings.