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Lin	A hunt for Lin's smithy in the East Quarter of Great Forks is hardly difficult. So few buildings have thick smoke pouring from a chimney or are built entirely from non-flammable materials! It's located on a street corner and has a wide open entrance so that a great deal of supplies can be hauled in via pack animal. The external's nothing special at all. Mundane and drab. No effort spent on advertising.... but the hammering of hammer on etal-and-anvil is clean and pure, like a music of its own. Few hammer arms result in sounds like that while folding steel! The design of the place is quite smart. The floor is quite open with a few different work benches and tool racks spread seemingly haphazardly across it, and a great brick forge blazing in the middle - driven by a set of monstrous bellows. At the moment, Lin's hammering away at what looks like...spears? Not quite spears. Fence posts, maybe? But with a shape similar to spears. Fine, silvery poles of a smooth, luxurious twisted design ending in sharp points. It's a wonder something so fine can COME from mere hammering but that's what happens as she draws out the glowing metal and beats it into shape. Finished product lines the walls. All sorts of tools - farming implements. Cookware. Knives. Boxes and boxes of nails. horseshoes. Most of it gleams as though finely polished, and not one item - except for the nails - is undecorated. Each shovel, each knife, and each pot has different engravings or embossings. Simple geometric shapes for the most part. Patterns pleasing to the eye. Though some have the symbols of various local gods, and others depict one or more of the Five Elements in iconography. A curious few even show off the sun, moon, and stars in different arrangements... There aren't any weapons though, even though the blades of the knives gleam with wicked sharpness!
Mountain Thrower	Needless to say it's not hard to find the smithy then, although the massive man wasn't here looking for it, per se. Instead, the colossal bruiser known as Mountain Thrower, was heading in the directio of the Great Forks Arena, armed with massive smashfists and wearing little but the shorn remains of leggings and a great coat tied about his waist, leaving his implausibly muscled upper body exposed..like some sort of first age construct that has decided to struct its stuff. The rumble and mind numbing sight of his physique and size is enough to draw a small crowd as he passes through the streets. The group likely following him in hopes of making some change on whatever the brute decides to do in the arena walls. Curiousity abounding on just what those tree trunk dwarfing arms or the massive formations of his pectoral masses are capable of doing when stressed and strained. Not exactly the perfect pictuer of a 'Night Caste' eh? But there he goes, steps shaking the earth and onlookers 'growing' in number. He doesn't seem to notice, or mind, or care, however..and his steps slow as he takes note of the smithy. The crowd pauses as well, keeping their distance from the giant and having enough sense to do that much though the don't wander to far for fear of losing sight of him. He takes a quick note of them at this point and then turns and starts to approach the front entrance of the smithy..all twelve or so feet of him casting a shadow over the entire front entrance as he draws nigh. "GIRL." he booms, voice rumbling the walls. "I know you're here."
Lin	The whole building is shaking?! Or is it?! Well it sure feels like it. Lin halts her work with a start, standing straight and glancing left and right as if... wondering if maybe she did something wrong? Soon enough her attention's drawn to the gargantuan THING that's darkening her doorstep - quite literally, not figuratively, she hopes. This involves craning her head back to look up while she tucks her hammer away on her outfit. Her lips curl and she hisses through her teeth. And TROMP TROMP TROMPS towards the entrance! "Aaaaaaalright, just WHO thinks that's a proper greet--...ing..." A few seconds pass. She blinks as the march comes to a halt. And her eyes widen a bit with recognition. "H-hey... it's... you...?!"
Mountain Thrower	The behemoth of a man gives Lin a grin that's not unlike a Siaka grinning at a pair of lost fish, "H'lo." he rumbles while folding his huge arms and peering at her. He says nothing for a few extra seconds, letting the uncomfortable silence build before he shakes his head and unfolds his arms, waving his hands dismissively, "Right, right, right. You wanna be all secretive now, don'tcha. Don't wanna find nothin' more out about what happened and what-not back at that weird dinner we were at, right right." He gestures at her shop and rumbles, "Just wanna do yer trade and nothin' else, amiright? You've already fergotten all about what happened. Business as usual."
Lin	At the mention of weird dinner, Lin does glance left and right a bit worriedly... but most of her attention's focused on the giant before her. In fact, this accusation has her folding her arms. "That ain't it. That place we were at might've well's-been Hell's half-acre." She glances up, making sure the ceiling's high enough. Well, it is. ... Barely. "Too dangerous to stick around. Dunno who's got my back. I'm an artisan, not a warrior! Whaddya expect?" She does beckon him in though, clearly preferring to talk further away from the entrance.
Mountain Thrower	"You aint neither." accuses the colossus, placing a hand on his waist, "No more then I'm just big boned." He ducks his head and slumps his massive body forward into the entrance. The clue seems enough to the entourage who grumble and begin to slowly disperse though undoubtly some rumors will circulate depending on how long he remains.. "Doubt it was Hell. You think we'd have walked out so easily? No, no. Didn' leave Creation, far as I could tell." Mountain Thrower looks around, eyeing the place and then whistling, "Why aren't you closer to the Arena, girl? You could be making a fortune. You need a manager."
Lin	THAT comment gets Lin to freeze! At first flashes of regret linger across her face, but then... her eyes narrow. "Sure, sure, and be the center of attention. Found I'm suspicious enough as it is..." She grinds her teeth, though the frustration probably ain't at Mountain Thrower. "Find it hard to believe ye'd stroll all this way just to criticize me, big guy... you're just as troubled by that stint as I am, I bet?"
Mountain Thrower	"Don't you get it? We're going to be the center of attention. That guy he was warning us, right? Anyway, I found out from that one guy..Lion or something..that the Dragonblood House that was being talked about was Cynis..I think. So do what you will with that." Mountain Thrower shrugs, "I said I was coming this way. I'm here. I'm going to make some money in the Arena. I'm about building up a cache for some personal goals.." He rubs his jaw and then grins slightly again as he looks at Lin, "No criticism intended. Don't you wanna leave your mark on the world? War sells."
Lin	"Ehmgh...." War sells, huh? Lin presses her lips together thinly, pondering on that one. "Maybe if it's a war everyone can be proud of. Like kicking this Mask of Winters guy's face in." She answers a bit airily, as if not really so sure if she wants to stick with those guns or not. "I mean yeah... I wanna crank this up! Boy do I wanna! But... on the other hand, if I start making 'n selling weapons just 'cuz I can... bwurgh. Would rather use these gifts for something that ain't bloodshed. We've got plenty of THAT going on." She begins grinding her teeth again,. It's quite clear she's facing an internal struggle over this subject!
Mountain Thrower	"Well why's it gotta be just for an army? What about the fighters in the arena's? Or folk who just are headin' out there killin' critters or fightin' undead or just explorin' and need a good weapon?" There is a pause and then the brute snorts, "Bah. What am I giving -you- advice fer? In one ear and out the other and no good to me or pay off happening on my end. You do what you want. You want to run a little shop here in Great Forks forever, fine. Me? I'm making a name for myself and making sure the right folk know who I am.." He quiets and then leans forward and says more quietly, "Not like you can hide, anyway. At least one person has shown he knows how to find out what you are and find you. Whose to say others won't?"
Lin	Nnnnnngh! Lin's grimace is getting fierce at the increased pressure. "gggggghhhhugh.... alright, alright, ye've made yer point..." Grouch grouch, this redhead! Seems she really is one of those sorts who hates it when people get in her face at things. On the other hand, she's not so volatile that she's screaming at Mountain Thrower! "... Thing is, I wasn't kidding earlier. I ain't like you. Said it earlier. I'm an artisan. Not a fighter. .. but both of us could be in trouble if things are as we heard... "
Mountain Thrower	"State yer meaning more plain girl." says Mountain Thrower, distracted from looking over one of the wares. "What d'you mean that you're 'not like me'? What's it got to do with bein' a fighter or an artisan? Also..heh..I may be big but don't go judgin' a book by its cover, eh? More to me then just my muscles, luv. So just assumin' I'm a fighter is a quick way t'missing out on some good things..."
Lin	"Hy-ugh--" That insinuation has Lin backing up a step and puffing out her cheeks in a MOST odd way. She splutters... and waves a hand as if to ward an odor off. "Y-yeah yea, go flirt with someone yer own size... but I meant... might be best if we teamed up."
Mountain Thrower	"Hah, keep yerself under control. I like my women a little bigger..or at least able to get to the first check point, if y'know what I mean." Mountain Thrower grins rudely but then grows more serious at her offer. He rubs his jaw and then shrugs, "Alright, fine. Team up and do what exactly? You thinking about expanding beyond this shop and doing something more? I thought you were bent on playing it safe and conservative>"
Lin	"You really don't get it, do ya? When resources change, options change. Drawing a lot of attention ain't a good idea when I'm ALONE. Might be able to get away with it if someone has my back. And that goes for you too. You gotta be flexible and adapt as you go! Don't you know the secret behind making a good blade?"
Mountain Thrower	"Hmm.." Mountain Thrower does pause and seem to reconsider things as he hears her. He purses his lips and then shrugs, heaving his massive shoulders and stepping for the outside of the workshop with huge footfalls. "No, I get it. More then y'think. Come to the Arena at some point. You wanna show you me you want to adapt? Let's make some money.." he grins a little bit at her and then ducks his head and is back out in the streets. He rolls his shoulders, deliberately flexin his monstrous torso, bunching up his gigantic pectorals and causing the sinew on his arms to creak and strain almost as if he's inflating himself. The masculine preening does the job. Onlookers who had scattered are soon drawn back in by the goliath as he starts to make his way towards the arena with full intention on manipulating the gambling around his matches by these mortals to earn some additional finances.