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“You’ve outdone yourself again, haven’t you?” Grimble said, eyeing the wagon’s contents. He inspected one of the polished ceremonial axes, his fingers brushing over the intricate carvings. “These will more than do the job,” he muttered in awe. “More than do it.”

Elias, of course, couldn’t care less about the ceremony. He was already hopping around, eyeing the dwarven inventions scattered throughout the square, barely able to contain himself. I was about to tell him to calm down when Grimble turned toward him.

“Ah, little master Elias, is it?” Grimble grinned. “Ever been to a Tinkerer's Faire?”

“No, sir!” Elias puffed up his chest. “But I’m ready to see everything!”

Grimble let out a booming laugh. “Lad, I’ll make sure ye see it all! But first, you’ll be needin' a bit of steady feet if you’re planning to explore everything without gettin’ lost in the crowd.” He pulled a small, gleaming device from his pocket—what looked like a mechanical compass with a tiny silver bird perched on top.

Elias’s eyes widened. “What’s that?”

“This here’s a Finder. She points ye to wherever yer heart wants to go.” He winked, then held it out to Elias. “Why don’t ye tell her what you seek, lad?”

Elias reached out cautiously, fingers brushing the gleaming device with reverence. Then he screwed up his face in concentration and whispered, “I want to see the enchanted sulfur.”

The tiny bird spun around, its beak shifting until it pointed directly toward one corner of the sprawling Faire. Elias gasped in delight. “It worked!”

“So it did!” Grimble crowed, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Now off with ye!” He caught my eye and added with a wink, “But not too far, alright?”

I smiled, though my instincts already wanted to chase after him, to keep him within arm’s reach. “Stay close where I can see you!” I called after him, waving as he followed the bird’s beak, weaving through the gathering crowd.

“He'll be impossible to settle down after this,” I said with a mock glare toward Grimble.

“That's the beauty of it, lass,” he said with a shrug. “Let the boy run wild. It's the best way to learn.”

Vorgath, having busied himself with the rest of the axes in the back of the wagon, finally approached, casting a subtle but sharp glance toward Elias's retreating form before shifting his focus to Grimble.

“Is the ceremony still this afternoon?” Vorgath asked, his deep voice cutting through Grimble's jovial chatter.

“Aye, right before sundown,” Grimble confirmed, rubbing his hands together. “Come find me before the ceremony starts. There’s plenty to explore in the meantime!” With that, he trundled off through the growing throng of festival-goers.

And suddenly, in a crowd of hundreds of people, I was alone again with Vorgath.

He cleared his throat, scanning the crowd. “We should... explore,” he said gruffly. “Make sure Elias doesn't get into any trouble.”

I nodded, grateful for the excuse to move. “Yes, of course.”

We set off, weaving between excited festival-goers and elaborate displays, but I was aware of Vorgath's presence beside me the whole time. His massive form seemed to part the crowd effortlessly, creating a path for us both.

“Look,” Vorgath said, pulling me from my thoughts. He nodded toward a nearby stall where a female dwarf was working intently, her skilled hands weaving intricate patterns into what looked like gleaming metal fabric.

I stepped closer, mesmerized by the artisan's deft movements. “It's beautiful,” I breathed, watching as she threaded impossibly thin strands of silver and gold together.

“Mithral weaving,” Vorgath explained, his voice low and close to my ear. “Stronger than steel, lighter than silk. Used for armor, mostly.”

The dwarf looked up, a smile crinkling her eyes. “Aye, that it is,” she said. “But it's not just for battle, mind you. Watch this.”

She held up a completed piece of the fabric, no larger than a handkerchief. With a murmured word, the metal threads began to shimmer and shift, forming intricate patterns that danced across the surface like living art.

“Oh!” I gasped, delighted.

The dwarf nodded, clearly pleased by my reaction. “Woven with enchantments as well as metal. Here, feel it.”

She held out the fabric, and I reached for it hesitantly. As my fingers brushed the surface, I was struck by its impossible softness. It felt like touching a cloud, yet I could sense the strength beneath.

“Beautiful and functional,” I commented.

Vorgath caught my eye, reaching past me to rub the fabric between his fingers. “Are you getting ideas?”