The Ranger Commander surprised me with a visit. He only had ten minutes, but said it would be faster than trying to arrange something for late tonight.

  We spoke as I gave him a tour of the lower level. He had wanted to see the production for himself and removed a protection amulet he wore that made him undetectable at Bella’s insistence.

  I explained the ideas that Red had offered about the balloon scout and the harassment attacks on the goblin army.

  “We have been doing ambush attacks,” He admitted, “but they have not had any real impact. This idea, however, could prove very useful. I know the spell, and we can do something with this that will create some serious trouble. I think I might even be able to gain a half day, maybe more if we keep it up night and day.”

  He was excited about the change in tactics because we all would like to take the war to the goblins early.

  “It could be very dangerous for the druid or ranger,” I said.

  “True, but that is par for the course. They are already out there. This is a way for them to mostly remain hidden, but menace the goblins terribly. I plan to start tonight. Goblins are afraid of bats. If we got enough of them, it could scatter and exhaust the goblins, costing them their entire morning.”

  It was the fastest tour of the lower level I ever gave. True to his word, ten minutes was all he had, and he departed with a strong handshake and asked that I pass along my regards to Red. He promised a druid or ranger journeyman in the next day or so if one could be spared.”

  I watched him head off up the winding stairs at a jog.

  Gwydion, Isaac, is here to see you as promised. I am sending him up to your chambers. Bella said.

  Great, thanks. I replied and made my way up to my chambers from the lower level.

  Isaac, Majordomo of The Tower, sat comfortably in the same spot a notable dwarf had sat not long ago at the short table by my private chamber's entrance. The memory pulled at me.

  “I think I would like to visit my kin in the Copper Mountains,” I said as I sat down across from him.

  He sipped at his tea that Bella had provided. He appeared relaxed and casual, but I knew his calm hid a deep anticipation as we both awaited delivery of a special commission he had requested.

  “Oh?” He responded. “Feeling nostalgic for your old stomping grounds?”

  “You know I have never been there,” I replied. “But I thought that I might be able to persuade them to help us defend the city.”

  “They have not responded to the Duke’s message, and he is one of their best customers. What makes you think they will respond to you? If you are young by human terms, you are certainly young by dwarven terms, who live twice the average age of most humans and sometimes even a bit older than mages. I even tried to get them to respond to me as representative of The Tower and despite my advanced years and not inconsiderable prestige, I never even got an acknowledgement from them.”

  I thought about that question as it had been in my mind for some time as well. “I don’t know. Call it a feeling. I feel drawn there, and since the only reason that I can think of involves the defense of our city, that must be it. Right?”

  He took another sip and remarked carefully. “Unless you feel like you need to have some closure with your master, Sundance.”

  We spoke as equals, but in truth, Isaac was more than a century older than me and a master of multiple mage guilds. He had a lot more experience and was a reliable confidant.

  “I don’t know. Do you think so?” I asked.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Only you can answer that. I just put it out there for consideration.” He set the nearly empty teacup down. “Do you think that the dwarves will greet you warmly?”

  I smirked. “I suspect there will indeed be some heat on my arrival. As to whether it is gracious and welcoming, I tend to think not.”

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  “I tend to agree.” He said, mirroring my words. “What about the elves?” He asked.

  “What about the elves?” I asked with a smile, mirroring his own words.

  “The young can be very frustrating.” He said.

  “The old can be very frustrating, too,” I added.

  He sighed. “You are elfkin as well as dwarfkin. The Duke has not made much progress with the elves, either. They have been more polite about it, but not very forthcoming. They even departed with no embassy remaining.”

  “I think I have a little leverage with the dwarves, and I know their culture far better than the elves. True, I speak Elvin and Ancient Elvin nearly as well as Dwarven and Ancient Dwarven, but with the elves, it is more book learning.”

  “Well, for what it's worth, I have more experience with the elves. They are highly logical and disdain emotion and lack of self-control in others, especially the younger races. And despite some bias about them, they are not emotionless. They just prefer logic to passion. You were raised by a father who understands that culture well, and a mother who worked among elves. You have more in common than you may realize.

  “The dwarves, on the other hand, as you well know, can be very passionate. Both races can be obstinate in their own ways, but understanding those ways helps to bridge misunderstandings and opens dialogue. The dwarves focus on honor and-”

  There was a knock at the door. Isaac sat up straighter and then forced himself to relax.

  “It’s good to see that even a man of your clearly advanced years and not inconsiderable prestige can still get excited about a little gift.”

  He stared hard at me. “Okay, I may have deserved the ribbing, as it came across as patronizing and prideful. And what you made for me is not a little gift. It is remarkable. Or, at least I hope it will be.” He said with raised eyebrows.

  I got up and walked to the door.

  My self-appointed forge apprentice, nine-year-old Daria, was holding a silk-wrapped package with a wide smile on her face.

  She’s eleven, Gwydion. Not nine. Bella said.

  She’s a kid. I responded.

  So are you. She remarked back.

  “Thank you, Daria,” I said as I took the package.

  She bowed formally and replied, “Of course, Patron.” And then she skipped away, humming to herself happily.

  I came in and set the wrapped package on the table before me.

  I looked up at Isaac. “Any advice about how I should interact with the dwarves?” I asked.

  He stared at me. “Are you serious?” He looked down at the package and then up at me.

  By the time he looked back at me, I was grinning widely. “I really would like to know, but I was just teasing.”

  I carefully unwrapped the cloth, revealing a magical Dwarven Copper circlet meant to be worn around the head. It was designed in the same fashion as the one I was currently wearing, but instead of the five sockets in mine, this one had fifteen sockets. Circlets differed from torques. Circlets were commonly worn around the head like nobility, while torques, also a symbol of nobility, tended to be worn around the neck, arm, or waist.

  This circlet was designed similarly to the one Isaac described that the Archmage possessed, although the Archmage’s version had twenty-one sockets. The red copper hue was light and thin. It was one inch wide in an even band around the head when worn and was rounded at the top and bottom. It was basically a magical ring that fit around a person’s head.

  “I like that you spaced the fifteen sockets evenly around the circlet.” He observed. “I would have been just as happy with them in the back in your own design, but I think it is more pleasing and balanced like this.”

  I guessed that the alchemist and summoner in him liked the symmetry, and I was glad I leaned in that direction rather than making it more like my own using grandfather’s advice.

  After a few moments, Isaac reached into his robes and pulled out a small burlap sack.

  I raised my eyebrows. “That seems out of place.”

  He sighed. “It is a long story and was given as a practical joke. But it is handy.” He admitted.

  He reached his hand into the sack and then kept going until his entire arm was in it. He withdrew it slowly, holding the brass handle of a wooden chest that had a simple latch. “I apologize that it took me a couple of days to get this to you, but you know what it has been like around here, and I decided to give them all to you at once rather than one at a time.”

  He set the box down before me.

  I opened it and found a dozen Dwarven Copper circlets, smaller and thinner than the one I made for him. Ten were destined for the journeymen, and two were set aside as extras for later use if needed. These circlets were designed in the dwarven manner, with the thinnest part around the forehead and the thickest part that has magical gems, worn around the back of the head, usually under a hood. The dwarves believed that their power should be hidden and not flaunted, and so the magical powers of the gems were kept out of sight. According to the dwarves, allies would already know, and enemies must not be forewarned.

  Isaac had created a base enchantment on each of these using the archmage’s created spell, Stealth. Stealth was a kind of combination of an invisibility and a silence spell. He had said that it would be usable once per day and that it allowed some flexibility that simpler versions of the other spells did not.

  “Can you explain again, briefly, how these work?” I asked. The circlets looked identical to when I sent them to him.

  “Of course. The base enchantment of Stealth that I applied will give them a once-per-day combination of invisibility and silent movement for up to four hours. The normal limitations apply with the enchantment. You cannot attack or cast spells while its effect is being used, with one important exception: you can cast movement spells while under its influence or run at your full speed without canceling the spell effects. You can cast fly, sprint, climb, jump, levitate, etc. Or you could use a magical item that does the same. It is designed to get you out of trouble silently and fast. Other spells will cancel the effect, and while you can also run under its effect, if you attempt to attack or defend yourself while moving, the spell effect will terminate prematurely.”

  “I deeply appreciate these, and I am sure they will also wish to extend their thanks,” I said.

  He waved it off. “The price for your gift to me was worth it. I easily got the better end of the deal. If they have gratitude to share, let it be with you. You accepted their gifts as commission for your work.”

  It was my turn to wave it off. “Still, when they choose their socketed magic, it will be an excellent magical item for their defense.”

  “So they will choose their gems?” He asked.

  “Stones or gems, yes.” I corrected him. “I will ask them to think through what they think would serve them best, and then they will need to choose. I will pull out of the stones or gems the necessary powers.”

  He shook his head. “I am still getting over your ability to work with stones on top of gems. I may want to tap into that as well once you figure more of it out. I had planned to use fifteen gemstones which, by a happy coincidence, I happen to have brought with me.”

  I laughed. “Hand them over and tell me what you want.”