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Character || Dyakida
Stage || Master Blacksmith
Crafting || Dagger
Crafting Stat || 40+7
Difficulty || 7
Roll Needed || 15-100
Rolled ||21
Outcome || Success
Experience earned ||

5.25+20= 26 exp

Difficulty || 7
Durability || 9

When Votzhem told her that his son was following the path of the bandit, Dyakida was understandably stunned. The child of the storied bandit hunter, a bandit? That had to be the pinnacle of irony.

Then again, his wife and cousin (such a strange concept) were bandits or at least marauders, and his daughter was... well, Dyakida had heard 'huntress' but a girl with such coldness in her voice may well be a bandit, too. It was all very ironic.

So, when he asked her to make a dagger as a gift for his son, she was understandably taken aback. She might have refused on the grounds of not knowing how deep a burrow she would be getting into, but Votzhem was a friend and he had provided some very fine-quality wood and crystal that he had acquired for her, and had guarded her on more than one occasion. The materials were more than the dagger itself would be worth, and after such a generous offer she could not refuse him. If he wanted to support his son's path in life, that was his business and, she decided, she would help him.

Was that what one did with children? Support them no matter what? It sounded right, but was it really? Surely parenting was more than simply patting their back and giving them sharp objects (or blunt objects, or projectile weapons, or whatever) when they found their place in life. Surely, the parent should shape their child and inspire them to follow in their footsteps. Which, so far, none of Votzhem's children had done - to her knowledge, none of them – not even his second daughter – were walking the path of Aisha.

If I have a child... she stopped that thought before it could continue. It was very unlikely that Aisha would ever grant her a child (Even if she might have someone to plead with now, even if the blooms were healthy now, even if the world was changing...) and she knew she had no right to voice an opinion about parenting. She knew nothing about it, after all. She had no idea what it was like. Still, she thought it was strange.

Either way, though, the dagger would be made. Daggers – didn't dagger-users (aside from herself) use multiples? Spares? Daggers were, comparatively, simple to make. Multiples should not be a problem, even with crystal. Or would metal be better? She used metal with care because of its rarity and the difficulties of working with it when blind, but it might be the best thing to use in this case.

It would be fine. She had assistants, after all to help her work the metal. And to, also, pick out colors. Blues and blacks, perhaps, in a nod to Votzhem's colors? Or creen? She'd heard that he looked very Ice-like save for his markings, eyes, and sheer size. It would be symbolic... Though, she had heard that his children resembled their leaf mother more? In what way, she hadn't asked. It was fairly irrelevant. Green. she decided, They must have green in there. Along with the blue and black – a nod to all of Arronthain's heritages? She'd have to ask her assistants for confirmation, and to help her select the proper colored crystals and wood.

---

The handles were easily done, once the materials were picked out. The blades were being forged and Dyakida had no part in the forging, aside from checking their weight. Checking their shape and sharpness would, unfortunately, have to wait until they were cool enough for her to work with. What she wouldn't do to be working with crystal right now, or stone – her favored hard materials. Her earthling contacts had, however, assured her that metal would be best in this case. It was rare, but between Votzhem and her other trading contacts, it wasn't hard to get what she needed.

Speaking of, Votzhem had offered to bring her more materials. His son had, as well. Far be it for her to charge a son of Aisha any more than a sister, but his son... well, he was not born of their great mother. He was her...nephew? And that meant that he owed her. So, when the offer came, she did not refuse it like she might have if it had been just Votzhem at the table.

There would be four daggers in all, weighted for throwing. Someone would help with that, since Dyakida was not going to trust herself with ranged weapons. For now, though, she was crafting the handles. They were dark wood, good quality Jauhar heartwood to be sure, but not her best or rarest wood. She had dried them herself, and their own resin had been carefully treated in order to preserve their rich texture. And color. The handles were easy to hold from both the center and the end, and the pommel was decorated with a crystal – two blue-black crystals and two green crystals, both from Zenan caravans who assured her of their quality. These she had carved herself into facets – there was something comforting about something vaguely sharp and hard at the other end. Their glitter would be dull but visible – the light would catch them and they would be found easily. A necessity, she guessed, for throwing daggers. They added weight to the hilt, so that the dagger would fly the way it needed to, and they were carefully set in their sockets.

The wood itself was unadorned. She'd been tempted to put in a small carving, but had decided that the texture would be more for her own hands than anything. Anything else on the handles would have to wait for the blades, however...

---

Finally, they were finished. Blades had been added and sharpened, the weight had been checked and rechecked, and a small, discreet tassel (light green thread) had been added to each one for easier ease in both finding and attaching to a belt. She'd had someone try them out in the target range nearby, and they had given them their full approval.

She bundled them up together and marked them with the textured tag that would help her find them later. They were good work, if she did say so herself (which she did) but the question still remained – why?

Why was Votzhem doing this for his son? Why didn't he, instead, push him down a different path? She knew so many Sisters who had been forced to be warriors even against their will. But, in the end, wasn't that for the best? They never had to flounder with what to do with their lives, never had to question it. Their lives were set from the moment that they had bloomed, and the only real choice was what weapon and path they would take within it. The way of the blacksmith was permissible these days, but it was still... underutilized... by the young. Wasn't that for the best?

Hmm. Dyakida frowned, thoughtful, But then, he chose his path, didn't he?

In the snowy mountains of Zena, he had chosen his path and had crossed over many lands to pursue it. He had never been forced, had never had fate choose for him. His mothers had let him go. And so, it seemed, he was letting his son, his daughters... all of his children... do the same. But was that right?

If I ever have children... She grumbled at the thought that wouldn't go away. It would never be, but maybe...

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to talk to him about it someday? To better understand, at the very least, what had gone wrong all those years ago with Yitzah...

Well, he would be coming around to pick up the daggers. That would be a prime time to do just that...