Beyond the basics of blacksmithing, the skill to do detailed repairs was rare. This ensured the prices remained high for many years after auto-drivers took to the roads.
— Padid Has-Glorian, Early Years of the Auto-Drivers
An hour later, Linsan and Brook walked hand-in-hand from the public house and across the road. Their relationship felt like the repairs she had done on her bow. Their talk had become a spline in the broken relationship, but the glue had still not set to make it strong enough to survive the battles ahead.
“Where is Calibo?” asked Brook.
“He had to go home. He has a small garden and obligations there. Apparently he lives south of that creepy tree but always takes the long way around.”
Brook's grip tightened. “He isn't with those men, is he?”
“No, not in the slightest. There are laws that prevent them from owning lands and the people in Little Rock used them to chased most of Miska's and Calibo's families off their land.”
Linsan had grown up being taught about those laws, but there was something different about seeing it written about on the page and seeing the consequences of those laws in action.
Brook's grip loosened.
“Today, he's putting up a big sign near the hole that says 'Little Rocks's Flaming Asshole.'”
Brook clamped her lips tightly together but it wasn't enough to mask the snort of laughter.
It was a lie, Calibo had only brought a stack of planks to cover the hole, but Linsan craved to see Brook relax. She continued, “Really big words, I saw the sign before he left.”
“Good, I hope it gets infected.”
Linsan laughed and gave Brook's hand a little squeeze.
Brook squeezed back.
As they reached the front of the smithy, they could hear Miska working inside. The steady beat of her fist against the metal was almost a metronome as the ground shuddered and puffs of wind blew the dust across the door.
At the door but before they could look inside, Brook hesitated. “Is… is she doing a good job?”
“I think so. I don't really understand cars but those metal pieces seem a lot… straighter than before. At least, they aren't twisted like a braid or folded in half.”
“Do you think we can leave tonight?”
The beats continued. Linsan found herself nodding her head to it, trying out various songs against it but it was much slower than her usual fare. She thought for a moment and then shrugged. “Maybe? I don't know. She's going to know the answer more than me.”
Brook took a deep breath. She wore her blue dress out of the pub and Linsan had watched her put on makeup. It reminded Linsan of her mother when she always made sure she was dolled up before walking out the door.
A feeling of being homesick rose up again.
Trembling in Linsan's grip, Brook took a step into the smithy entrance. Then gasped in surprise.
Linsan peered inside.
Miska stood against the anvil, with one foot on the stand under the anvil. She had a piece of the fender braced against her bare thigh as she held it with one hand. With her other, she raised her fist into the air and brought it down powerfully. The impact sounded like a hammer strike and the metal shook violently from the impact. A blast of warm air blew past Linsan bringing the smell of scorched metal and wood.
Brook leaned over. “Is she…?”
Miska slammed her hand down again, flattening the metal against her thigh. Sweat dripped down her brow as she adjusted it and hammered it again. The side of her fist smashed against the hot metal, sending off sparks in all directions.
Linsan wondered if Miska had some resistance from heat since she had heated metal directly against her skin but wasn't reacting to it.
Still beating the metal, Miska shifted slightly. Her muscular legs tightened as she lifted the metal slightly as she continued to swing her hand down, smashing into the metal with the same metronome of a beat.
Linsan shook her head in amusement; Miska was clearly posing. “Fixing your buggy with her bare hands and against her thigh? Yes.”
Miska groaned and released the metal. Standing up, she ran her gloved hand across the side of her face. Sweat sluiced off the leather and splashed down to soak her shirt. She looked at the two of them and then jumped. “I didn't hear you come in.”
“Y-You were pounding,” Brook said in her quiet voice. Her eyes flickered up and down.
Setting the fender down on the anvil, Miska took a step closer. “That mean you came to return my small clothes? That was my favorite one and you've been hording it for days.”
Brook's eyes widened. She stammered and shook her head. A blush colored her cheeks.
Miska took a step closer, a sly smile on her face. “You aren't wearing it, are you?”
The blush grew even redder. “N-No! I would never!”
With a raised eyebrow, Miska's gaze dipped down and held there, not a once over but more of an appraising look that went on a beat too long.
Brook's face was cherry red as she turned away, pulling her hand free from Linsan's as she did.
Miska's smile turned into a smirk. She gave Linsan a questioning glance, as if she was asking for permission.
Linsan thought for a moment. Miska was being cruder than she was the night before, but it was also clear that Brook was responding favorably judging from the blushes and sly glances herself. She wondered if Brook overhearing them the night before had given her some courage to explore her desires. At the same time, she thought Miska was being too aggressive.
She shrugged but then gestured for Miska to calm down.
Miska winked and returned her attention back to Brook. Her gaze was long and appreciative. “How about you return it when I finish your buggy, Princess?”
Brook whimpered. She glanced at Linsan and a guilty look crossed her face. She reached out and grabbed Linsan's hand and held it tightly. Her grip was slightly moist and shaking.
Linsan leaned into her. “Relax, she isn't going to bite.”
Brook's eyes widened. “Lin!” she whispered. “Not you too.”
Linsan fought from smiling.
“I thought you didn't like girls.”
“But, she likes girls. And you know that, since you were listening last night.” Linsan couldn't help her smile as she whispered back.
Brook stared at her, mouth agape.
Neither said anything for a while.
Brook closed her mouth and then sighed.
Miska cleared her throat. “What do you want, Princess?”
“How bad is my car?” Brook said, slowly turning back to Miska.
Miska shook her head and rolled her eyes. She turned and pointed to the car as she spoke. “It looks the frame had been snapped here and here. The front is trashed, but the engine looks in pretty good shape. I'm thinking if I can most of this front repaired and pulled off, I'll have a better idea about midnight but it's still at least another day.”
Brook's spine stiffened. “I was… hoping you'd have it done. it's been… days.”
“Sorry, Princess, but the damage is pretty severe. But I'll get your pretty ass back on the road as fast as I can.”
Brook opened her mouth but Linsan knew nothing helpful was going to come out. She squeezed Brook's hand tightly for a moment. When her friend looked over, Linsan shook her head.
Brook closed her mouth with a snap.
“Let's let Miska do what repairs she can. We have other things we need to do.”
A flush colored Brook's cheeks and a smile quirked the corner of her lips.
Linsan grinned. “I was thinking we need more practice, check on my repairs, and figure out how we're going to defeat Til, May, and Gab.”
Brook's smile dropped instantly.
As much as Linsan wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep for the rest of the day, they had a duty before them. She took a deep breath. “We have to plan better. Til used our song against us the second time, which means we have to come up with an entire suite to work with. And that means learning new songs. And then practice them if we're going to have a chance to defeat them.”
For a moment, Brook resisted. Then her shoulders slumped. “Very well. What do you need?”
“Probably to change since we need to go back in the field. That is a pretty dress and its going to get dirty.”
Brook glared at her for a moment. She turned to give Miska a hard look and then spun on her heels. Her hand pulled from Linsan's as she strode away.
“Hey, Princess,” called out Miska. “If you need something you can get dirty in, you can borrow mine!”
Brook's foot hesitated just a moment too long and she stumbled. Then, cheeks burning brightly, she rushed back toward the pub.
Linsan smiled to herself and strolled after.