Chapter Fifty-six

Chapter Fifty-six

When they got back to the base they were making, Kay saw the group of dwarves setting up a few tents off to the side of the buildings.

He turned and looked back at Eleniah, “I still don’t feel like I’m ready for something like this.”

“You don’t have to be ready, and you don’t have to do anything. But being ready or not doesn’t mean you can’t, or you shouldn’t.”

He nodded his understanding, then made the rest of the walk in. He waved at a couple of dwarves who noticed him. They nodded or waved back, and one of them turned over his shoulder and called something out in a harsh language. Kay assumed it was whatever their language was that wasn’t Sha’ken.

Ahthia, the dwarf who called herself something of a healer, walked over with a plate in her hands. “Here,” She said, holding out to him, “We made a meal with some of our supplies as a small thanks.”

“Thank you, it looks good.” He paused as he looked at the full plate of delicious-looking food. “Can you afford to give us food like this?”

“Yeah. We’ve got a good amount left, and Rhia says she can plant some fast-growing crops and get us a stable food supply once she has a place to make fields. We didn’t lose any vital supplies in the explosion, just most of our powder.” She pointed at the open doorway of the “kitchen” building Darten had formed. “Come sit over here.” She led them over and sat against the wall.

Kay joined her, sitting on the other side of the doorway. “You got pretty lucky if all you lost was your gunpowder.”

Ahthia snorted and shook her head. “Not luck, planning. We kept the powder cart well back from our other supplies, whether we were moving or stopped, just in case. Those powder idiots insist that it’ll be a useful commodity, but they need to fix it going off all the time if they want to use it for anything.”

“’ Random detonation issue’?” Kay stared down at her, a look of confusion and surprise on his face, “Gunpowder randomly detonates here?”

She waggled her hand. “Random isn’t really the right word, but it’s easier than saying that there’s too much stuff in the world that’ll set it off. It’s basically random since you don’t know when you’re going to run into something. Too much magic? Boom. Someone uses the wrong magic close enough? Boom. Monsters with fire or lightning abilities show up? Boom again. A tier five with a skill that puts out heat from their body walks too close...?”

“Boom?” Kay finished.

“Exactly. There are too many variables that could ignite the stuff, which is the main reason the Clan’s leadership gave to stop using it. Not that they were wrong, but they chose to just completely give up on it instead of looking for solutions.”

“Why?”

She sighed. “It’s all wrapped up in the culture of the Clans. The same reason this lot left.” She gestured at the rest of the dwarves with her head. “Things move slowly there. Really slow. You know how old I am?”

Kay shook his head. I was terrible at this with human women who don’t have mana infusing their bodies, making them live longer. “I have no idea.”

“I’m almost eighty. I got to tier three a little more than a year ago.” She grinned at the shock on his face. “Slow, right? Not for the Weathered Clans. Most people don’t get to tier three before their hundredth birthday.”

“Why? That seems... I don’t have the cultural understanding of how fast someone should level their skills and tier up, but that seems risky. And inefficient.”

Ahthia narrowed her eyes as she watched Kay’s back. “He’s interesting. I gave away a lot more than I got, but what I got is definitely... interesting.” She looked up at Eleniah looming over her. “You’re doing good work building up his confidence.”

“Oh?”

“It’s pretty easy to see that he isn’t used to making decisions that affect others at all, even if it’s indirectly. He doesn’t know what to do, partially because he knows that any decision he makes has the possibility of hurting or disappointing someone.” Ahthia pushed herself to her feet. “At the same time, he has enough self-confidence to know it’s his decision. He isn’t asking anyone else what to do. So, good job.”

“Thank you.” Eleniah leaned against the wall and joined the dwarf in watching Kay as he cleaned up his plate and helped one of the dwarves do the dishes.

“So, he’s going to lead whatever place we make if it happens.”

Eleniah glanced down at her with an eyebrow raised.

Ahthia chuckled. “You aren’t that good at hiding what you’re thinking. I spent decades verbally sparring with Clan Elders that didn’t want me figuring out their secrets. You don’t have half their skill.”

Eleniah chuckled too. “Good to know. And yes. If we make something here, he’ll be in charge.”

“Why?”

Eleniah just laughed again.

Ahthia grunted. “Alright then. What’s your deal?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t try and be coy now. Why are you following him around? What’s your deal?”

Eleniah stared at Kay, talking with the dwarf woman scrubbing dishes next to him. A smile grew on her face. “I used to be lonely. Now I have a real friend. My ‘deal’ is making sure he’s in the best place he can get to, whether that’s literally or in terms of his power.”

Ahthia turned her head up to look at Eleniah. “That’s...” She grunted, “You’re a good friend, then.”

“I’m certainly trying to be. If we do end up starting a place, I could be a good friend to you too.” Eleniah pushed off the wall and started walking away. Behind her, she heard Ahthia mutter, not quietly enough to escape Eleniah’s tier five hearing.

“I wonder what a place made by the two of you would look like...”

Eleniah smiled. Another piece in place. Her gaze drifted back to her student and friend, and her smile grew fonder. Just because I’ll accept whatever decisions you make doesn’t mean I don’t have my preferences. I won’t push you though, I’ll just make sure that things are in place to make whatever you decide easier. Making something is a lot harder than walking off, so I’ll do my best to drum up some support in case that’s what you decide.