I had just finished the rough work on three additional wax mold sets of Dwarven Copper rings, and I was very pleased. Marrying the rediscovered elven technique with dwarven copper, while certainly scandalous if my kin heard of it, nevertheless sped our efforts along nicely. It needed a bit more buffing and polishing than the traditional dwarven method, but I left that for Olvar, my new Dwarven forge apprentice. She was absolutely thrilled to work with Dwarven Copper, even if it was only to remove burrs, buff it smooth, and polish it to a bright red-copper luster. And while she didn’t yet know the secrets of Dwarven Copper, she was thrilled to help me at the forge.

  But I think that she was even more proud to be my sister. Because we shared a birth year, we shared the same family name. Young dwarves mature at about half the rate of humans, although I think a lot of parents might argue just how mature human kids get. But at twenty-one, she was similar in maturity and intellect to an eleven or twelve-year-old human. However, she was very bright and skilled. Emotionally, she was still very young, but her mind and skills were closer to an adult human twice her age. I understood what the Dwarven masters meant about her.

  Daria, my human apprentice, had been working with other forge workers while I was gone, and I had asked her personally if she would continue to handle my pure copper Single Use Spell rings because she was an “old” hand at it. I also had a sit-down with the two of them and asked them to work together, but to respect the dwarven traditions around Dwarven Copper and human traditions in jewelry making and other specialities of the lower level.

  I swore to keep Dwarven Copper forging secret and intended to keep my word. But Olvar would be taught its secrets one day, but that would be some time from now.

  Cynthia was another human apprentice, but she focused less on forge work and more on finished gem and jewelry work. If Daria and Olvar were makers, she was a refiner. She had excellent dexterity and was adept at small and intricate work, even if she still lacked the skill that time and experience would bring her.

  Three apprentices, all young girls, were a bit much for me to handle, but the others in the lower-level labs, or L3 as the teams began to call it, kept an eye on them, and the apprentices were learning more at the hands of many journeyman and masters than they ever would have from just me alone.

  I had also spent time arranging my stones and gemstones as well as filling them with casting points. It was a tedious process to drink potions and then exchange casting points, but the reserve was extraordinarily large and worth every minute of effort. I still needed to learn some good offensive and defensive spells to warrant such a reserve of power, but I now had the casting points to be a real threat to my enemies.

  If I could locate spells of power other than those in SUS rings.

  After washing up in one of our side sinks and thanking all three of the apprentices for their hard work, I was on my way up the spiral stairs to the main floor when Bella called.

  The team has pulled together a summary meeting for you since you missed the previous four meetings due to your out-of-town vacation. I sensed a building good humor in her today. She might be happy I was back.

  Of course, I am happy you are back. You dolt. She thought to me.

  You know, some of my thoughts are my own, and you don’t have to respond to all of them. I said.

  I sensed an undertone of laughter. I do know. And I don’t respond to every thought in your head. Just the ones worthy of response. And, she added, a few that are simply worthy of my response.

  I sighed. Thank you, Bella.

  You are welcome, Gwydion.

  They were indeed all waiting for me in the Map Room, my once-named Showing Room Three that never really materialized as such.

  With a significant look at me, Red said out loud. “All present, Patron. The floor is yours.”

  “Of course, the floor is his; he owns the shoppe,” Adric remarked.

  The others moaned, but even their response had become part of the opening ritual.

  “Okay,” I began, “Let’s get our sixty-second updates. Let’s start with the jokester.” I turned to Adric, “What progress has been made in archery since I was gone, or have you and Red been working on your standup routine?”

  He ignored my wisecrack and the laughter from teammates and launched into his report. One by one, we went through each of their minute reports, which had really gotten down to about twenty seconds each. They were really getting good at summarizing progress, which left the rest of the time for new business or damage control.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Each team had made significant progress while I was gone. It was the best twenty-four hours we have had to date. I said, “Maybe I should leave more often, you seem to get more work done when I am not around to distract you.” They all laughed.

  Bella whispered in my mind, They worked extra hard with longer shifts to show you they could get things done even when you were not here. It was an attempt to earn even more trust from you.

  That’s crazy. I do trust them! I said to her in a strong, albeit mental, voice.

  Then praise them some more later and don’t let on that you know they broke rules to work longer hours. She urged.

  I looked over the written report, which gave in writing what each team leader reported verbally. Occasionally, there were differences, but the hard copy Red prepared for me was nearly always spot on.

  “These numbers really are fantastic.” I slapped myself on the forehead and turned to our newest member. “I forgot to introduce Captain Copperblade, our newest recruit.”

  He nodded.

  Adriana laughed. “We all introduced ourselves twenty minutes ago, waiting for you to finish whatever you were playing with at the forge.”

  I looked shocked and offended. “Captain, I may have to ask you to take this upstart journeyman to our lower-level holding cells.”

  He snuck a sideways look at the journeyman elementalist without turning away from me. “I could try, Patron.” He said hesitantly.

  And the room erupted into laughter. Biff slapped him on the back, which barely nudged him. Biff’s slap would have knocked me into the table and left a bruise. I know from experience.

  Biff said, “I like him. He actually beat me in arm wrestling. Me! And he sized up our defenses pretty quickly.”

  “Very good.” And looking at the captain, I said, “Now see, aren’t you glad you didn’t run me through with that spear?”

  And the room went silent.

  Without missing a beat, he said, “The day is still young, Patron.”

  And the room erupted again.

  I made a face and said, “We do not need more comic relief in this group.” Pointing at Adric and Captain Hufnar, I said, “You two stay away from each other.”

  There was more laughter, and then we got down to new business.

  Red started us off as usual. “We will have alternating ranger or druid journeymen attending meetings as they are able. Our request to have them join was confirmed by the Ranger Commander. We also got a written note that a marine officer will join our first daily meetings at the request of the Patron, who,” Red said, looking at me, “didn’t tell anyone else about it.”

  I just raised my hands. “I’ll take full responsibility for the oversight. It was Red’s fault.”

  There were some more good-natured chuckles, but I continued, “The Marine Commander suggested that we have a veteran soldier present to advise us on weapons and defense ideas. This was before our Dwarven alliance and requests for ranger support. The officer will be welcomed and hopefully add a little formal military combat experience in our meeting.”

  I turned to Hufnar. “I’ll expect you to continue to offer ideas and suggestions along with the ranger or druid member.”

  Captain Hufnar nodded but said nothing. His body language suggested that he did not take any of our words as an insult to his honor.

  Adriana picked up the discussion. “The top issue for approval is not defensive per se, but we need your signature to move ahead on a location for Ears Academy.”

  I stood up a little straighter. “You found somewhere.”

  Steven answered. “Yes indeed. It is perfect.”

  Biff chortled. “I’m not sure ‘perfect’ is the best word to describe it.”

  Steven shrugged. “It needs some repairs, for sure. But it is a huge abandoned stone warehouse.”

  Biff added, “Not exactly abandoned, either.”

  “Biff!” Wilma chastised him. He grew silent and actually blushed.

  “Right. There are some families in it now, but we have plans.” Steven turned to Red, “Give him the short version.”

  Red nodded. “We found a place.”

  I shook my head. “Maybe not quite that short of a version, huh?”

  He smiled and said, “Biff, Steven, and Adriana found it. Simon had suggested the area, and it was pretty near perfect. The building is very, very old. That is why it was stone down in the lower city when nearly everything else is a wooden powderkeg. In fact, the warehouse and every building around it are also made of stone. All of which we are acquiring. Our plan is this: we rotate improvements starting in the warehouse to maximize space and to allow a large livable space for residents in the short term. Then we work on each building in turn. The upper levels will be refurbished for families to live in. They are all otherwise homeless. The lower level will get turned into shops for the goods made in the Academy, and eventually, the people living upstairs in each building will also work the shops below them.”

  “Where is it?” I asked.

  Red answered. “It is right across the 7th Boro Bridge.”

  I tried to visualize it. I had been down that way a few years ago. It was on the other side of the river from the university.

  “Rough area,” I said. “Wasn’t there some trouble there a few years back?”

  Bido said, “My master was involved with solving the mysteries around the cult’s activities.”

  Adriana Added. “Yes, and there were some fires, and the wooden structures all around these stone buildings were destroyed and never rebuilt. There was some cult working in the area, and it left a bad taste in people’s mouths. The stone buildings are supposed to be haunted.”

  I turned to Grolin, the journeyman sorcerer who was usually pretty quiet in these meetings. Seeing my look, he said, “There is no evidence of any supernatural activity. They had me stop by and check it out.”

  “At midnight!” Biff said with enthusiasm and waggling his eyebrows up and down.

  Grolin mirrored my sigh. “Yes, indeed. At midnight, because that is when the spirits come out.”

  Biff looked smug and crossed his arms.

  Grolin rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

  “Well, thank you, Biff and Grolin.” I turned to Red. “What’s the cost?”

  Red actually glanced over at Daniel, the chief bookkeeper. He now had three books to keep for me. He had color-coded them. Yellow for my personal accounts. Black for the city Special Services accounts. And Red for the Ears Academy books. Ears had been a redhead, and Daniel thought it was fitting.

  “The Ears Academy Trust can purchase the land for one gold piece so long as, within one year’s time, the entire purchased city block consisting of a large warehouse and eight surrounding commercial tenant buildings meets city codes for safety and commerce regulations.”

  “Well, “ I said, “Did you check the books to see if we can afford to buy it?”

  The others chuckled.

  I was touched that they had found a way to make this vision a reality. They were as motivated to make this work as I was.

  Things were looking up.