While the meat was cooking, and shutting off the other distractions, Aldous was dutifully working on crafting his blade. Lucky for him, in addition to the metals and paint we had received from Tao, Aldous also had a few scraps of peach wood left over. He whittled and sanded the wood down to thin pieces, comparing the hilt to his own hand for measuring. The wood, of course, was for comfort. The pleasant smell it gave off was a bonus. He feared splinters out of its next wielder, though had no lacquer on hand to properly finish it off. Aldous pouted at this, though finished off the sword.

The pommel was constructed entirely out of metal. It and the tang were threaded, using the tang first to create a mold. Aldous put on the cup-like, metal hand guard, the wooden handle, and finally screwed on the pommel. Standing away from the other three as well as the wolf, Aldous gave the sword a few swings to test that everything was put together well enough. Next, he tested the scabbard, making sure the blade fit in just right. He smiled, looking at his finished product, proud that he could do so much with so little time and resources.

"There" he sighed contently.

As he did, it seemed Tao had already begun setting the table. It was crude, though Aldous was in far too good a mood to complain. "Not exactly the friends I would have asked for, but I'm sure they will grow to be fine young men after their time here and with me." Aldous told himself. For the first time since he began the process, Aldous took off his thick, leather work gloves then wiped the sweat off his face. He was getting fairly hungry. The gloves were left to air out, as far from the wolf's reach as possible. A handkerchief wiped down Aldous's sweaty hands. Next, he reached for his wallet, taking out proper currency for Tao.

"I don't suppose you've a place for us to properly wash our hands, do you? And may I ask your selection of beverages first before asking for a cold glass of water?"

[hr]

1. Finished the pommel
2. Tested the sword