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Two students climbed the slight incline from the Water Gardens and followed the paved path right up onto the main street of Moliné. One of the first major buildings that came into sight was a traditional blacksmith shop. It was obviously in use, as smoke and steam wafted from the chimney and open entryways. Gerald felt for a moment like he was visiting one of those historical reenactment villages. It wasn't often you saw an artisan like this still in business; science and mass production had pushed out art and craft across the globe. Moliné's blacksmith, however, seemed to have plenty of business, if the collection of horseshoes, tools, and metal parts visible through the windows was any indication. His father's commercial empire was built on metal hardware and accessories, so Gerald felt an amount of fascination as he and Verdi approached. It was a glimpse into a past where his family's fortune couldn't, wouldn't, have existed. Glancing up, he spotted a hand-burned sign: The Worn Sword.

So, this was the place Verdi had wanted to visit. The boy wouldn't have stopped with her with him otherwise. It seemed he would get a chance to look inside today after all. He glanced at the green-haired girl, but she still seemed lost in thought. Not certain she had even noticed the shop, he murmured, "Ah," in an attempt to get her attention.

A neutral shrug was Verdi's only answer. Gerald didn't feel like explaining his father's company and its relation to metalworking. He did notice that, for the moment, her odd mental fog had lifted. so he made a show of watching the blacksmith, who was pouring some sort of mold at the moment. If he at least appeared engaged, perhaps she would remain in the present moment as well.

He wondered why she had wanted to stop here, of all places. His first guess would have been horses, but her question about swords showed that she was thinking about swords. He wondered if she fenced. Did Grove Academy have a fencing team? He thought he might have read something about it when his father had tossed him the recruitment flyer months ago.

The blacksmith finished his pouring and set down his tools with a clatter. He had been concentrating on his task, but now that he could spare the attention, he greeted his youthful audience with a nod. "Good morning!" Eying them briefly, he asked, "From the Academy, are you?"

Gerald remained silent and turned his head slightly to look at Verdi, hoping to indicate that she should answer the question. Engaging with reality was good.

She's talking to invisible people again, Gerald thought at her outburst, although she was very quick to cover it. A lot of practice on that count, perhaps? The watching blacksmith may have caught the strange tone in her exclamation, but luckily, he was distracted by her question. As the brawny man explained that he was forming a mold for a part to fix a broken shop clamp, Gerald kept a close eye on Verdi. She seemed to be trying honestly to listen to the blacksmith's answer, but the quiet youth once more got the sense that there was something going on somewhere else in her mind.

The girl obviously had issues. Maybe she was schizophrenic? If so, he should really make sure he didn't become associated too closely with her. Occasionally conversing with a crazy person out of pity was one thing; being the crazy person's close friend was something else entirely. Gerald had never met anyone who 'heard voices' before. It was incredible how she could be so focused and normal one minute, and the next, she was screaming at something no one else could see.

The blacksmith had continued on, chatting to Verdi about the different things he often worked on in his shop. He did work on swords sometimes, it seemed. Gerald half-listened, trying to keep tabs on everything at once. Out on the street, pedestrian traffic was increasing as midday drew nearer.

((Ah, Gerald, always trying to find the logical explanation... he's going to go crazy by the end of his first week at the Academy. xd ))

Well, that had been quicker than he expected. Gerald thanked the blacksmith and nodded to him before following Verdi out onto the street. He hadn't caught the man's name, but there would be plenty of time to get to know the town merchants. That was assuming, of course, the academy let students travel to Moliné regularly once classes started. Miss Souris's answer about passes had been a bit vague.

A short distance from the shop, Verdi had stopped and was waiting for Gerald to catch up. She seemed impatient to be on their way and was scanning the street intently. If she needed school supplies, she was probably trying to find an appropriate place to start. He gave her a questioning look, then motioned with his chin down the main street, farther into town.

((If you want to move on to a different thread, feel free. I'll follow. ^_^; ))

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