[h2]Rui, Near Lein[/h2]

"How must you address him...?" the girl repeated, going over the phrase a few times in her own tongue, then working through the name. Eventually, the look of faint concentration left her face, and she replied--as the two entered the smithy--"Lady of Storms would be the most appropriate address that you would be permitted to use."

Despite Lein's best attempts, the smith's rhythm only wavered for a single swing, before picking up as if there had been no interruption at all, even though the stocky figure glanced sideways to make sure that nothing was being surreptitiously pocketed. His current work appeared to be nothing special, the blank slowly taking shape into a proper sword, yet without any of the runework or intricacies that could potentially be included even at this early stage.

"If ye gave me some idea when that would be, lad, then [i]maybe[/i] I could give an answer," the dwarf grumbled, words punctuated by the ring of the hammer, "Ye cannae act like I hae no work."

If Rui had any response to the sudden revelation she had been using the wrong language, there was nothing on her face.

"A companion? I never expected ye to bring someone else."

[@PigeonOfAstora]