118. Blind smith

"Darling!" Marianne's voice rang as icy as the icicles that ring from the trees on the tops of frozen mountains in the harsh winter when the wind blows them. "Are you more blind than you were, that you don't recognize my works?" The tailoress asked the young blacksmith with her hands on her hips.

"How could I not recognize your work, my life?" The blacksmith turned to Marianne. "But you must realize that I'm going out into the street now and every fourth spoiled brat is wearing your clothes, how am I supposed to know who you're on good terms with and who you're not?" The young man folded his arms in front of him.

"As you said, they are Easterners, if they weren't on good terms with me, where do you think they would have gotten clothes from?" Marianne insisted.

"They came with Vietryk, who knows where this two-faced figure gets his people from." He muttered under his breath, then blew a big breath. "So you are friends of my wife?" The blacksmith asked, turning to the Athamanas, who were now almost all staring with open mouths at the couple standing in front of them on the other side of the counter.

"His wife?" Citar blurted out.

"I didn't even know you had a husband, Marianne!" Rahul also spoke at the same moment.

"Yes, my wife. Is there something wrong with that?" The blacksmith straightened himself and raised his chin high, whereupon Citar swallowed hard and started shaking his head, completely forgetting that the blacksmith was blind.

"None of you asked in the village. I didn't thought it important to mention." The woman shrugged. "And yes, he is my husband, even though he looks younger than me." The tailoress waved a hand. "He has a few years to his credit either way." The woman smiled faintly at her husband.

"You are still as sparkling a personality as you were two hundred years ago when I met you." The blacksmith nodded to Marianne.

"Two hundred years ago?" Achilleus gasped in confusion.

"Yes, two hundred years ago. We are both guild leaders, it is not at all strange that we live longer than the average." Matthias, the blacksmith, waved a hand.

"I am also older than I look." Professor Biaskoncy, standing with folded arms, noted indifferently.

"Compared to us, you are still just a child." The couple said at the same time, with the harmony that can only be achieved by living together for a long time.

"So, love of my life, how do you know the team?" The young blacksmith asked.

"From home. The divinely blessed child, is Rahul. He is my current greatest muse. And the rest are his friends from beyond Karrabata." Marianne was enthusiastic, which made the young-looking blacksmith turn to the team in surprise and look straight at Rahul.

"Interesting." He muttered under his breath, then turned back to his wife. "I guess you heard the news..." He starts, and Marianne looked at him in confusion.

"What news was I supposed to hear?" She asked with serious eyes, looking at the Athamanas and Professor Biaskoncy, waiting for someone to satisfy her curiosity.

"We will represent Foating Air Barracks in the Barracks Cup." Rahul finally gave the answer, making Marianne start clapping and a proud smile on her face, like parents when their child speaks for the first time.

"This is wonderful! More than wonderful! It's been a long time since anyone from the border region competed in the cup. The people at home will be so proud of you boys!" The woman was excited and perhaps, if there had been no witnesses, she would have even done a dance of joy. "I am unspeakably proud of you children." She wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"Thank you, Marianne!" Rahul grinned broadly and straightened. "Returning to the reason we are here." The boy continued. "We came for clothes to the competition. Professor Biaskoncy brought one for Suk and you know how it is, if one of us goes, everyone goes." The hegin explained the incident.

"Ah, so you came to my dear husband for armor!" The woman grinned, and the flame of an idea immediately lit up in her eyes.

"I don't like your energies, Marie!" The blacksmith grimaced. "Why do I feel like you want to make me do something that I really don't want to do?" He shook his head.

"Come on Matthias, you won't have that much to do with them." The woman started.

"That's seven sets, Marianne! Seven sets! I can't do that much in such a short time." The blacksmith grumbled, before she stepped next to her husband and put her arm around him.

"Well... Matthias, please." The woman smiled lovingly at the young man.

"No, Marianne. It's impossible for me to do it alone." The blacksmith shook his head.

"And what do you say if I offer that we do it together?" The woman asked, running her finger along her husband's chest. "You haven't been forging with me for so long." The lady whispered.

"We have guests, my life." The blacksmith closed his eyes, but put his arm around the woman's waist. "You've already figured something out for everyone, haven't you?"

"You know me too well." The tailoress pressed a quick kiss to the guild leader's cheek, causing the Athamanas to turn away from them.

"So be it." The blacksmith gave in and stepped away from his wife. "Line up babies! I'm taking measurements!" He looked at the group, then at the turned to the teacher. "As soon as I have taken their measurements, I will make the repairs on your apprentice's armor so he can try it on. As always, if something doesn't fit, let me know so I can fix it." The young-looking guild leader explained.

"You oblige me, Matthias." Professor Biaskoncy nodded towards the gentleman.

"I recommend it!" The blacksmith laughed. "Come on, Easterners, I don't have all day!" That was enough for the Athamanas to immediately line up and let the craftsman get the information needed for the armor.

"They are in good shape, aren't they?" Marianne giggled when her husband finished taking the measurements.

"Like warriors." He shrugged. "Sweetheart, would you get off the anvil?" The blacksmith picked up the clothes from the table and stepped in front of Marianne who was sitting on the anvil.

"A thousand apologies, guild leader." The woman jumped down from the anvil and stood next to the team. The blacksmith spread the cloth on the anvil and reached for the hammer next to the furnace, wordlessly straightening the cloth with careful movements and a small knocking sound, which he handed over to the teacher after it was finished.

"It's ready. Try it, if there's anything wrong you can tell me when we take the others to school." He nodded. "Now you'd better leave. My wife and I have a lot to do. If all goes well, three days and you'll get the armor." With that, the guild leader turned his back and walked to the forge.

"See you later, boys. The gods be with you, leader Biaskoncy." Marianne greeted the team and when the guests left, the couple stood together in front of the forge. "If you had told me who you were asking for my plan for, they wouldn't have surprised you." The woman shook her head.

"I didn't mean to upset you, you were grumpy to begin with." The blacksmith sighed.

"I love you." Marianne said in a kind voice.

"I love you too." Matthias smiled.

"We haven't worked together in a long time." The woman picked up a metal bar.

"The result is always better when we work together. The assassin's apprentice set turned out much better than the average one." The man said seriously.

"We're too good together." Marianne chuckled.

"There's no such thing." The blacksmith laughed too, before the workshop was filled with soul magic and the sound of metal clanking as the two craftsmen began their latest masterpieces.