The drive to the forge would take over thirty minutes, and Nicole was thankful that Grace had her music playlist going. She recognized the song right off as one of Grace’s favorites, though she couldn’t claim the same. That hadn’t stopped her from listening to it over and over just so she could feel closer with her girlfriend.

  What that meant was that Nicole knew the lyrics, and began to sing along with them. Badly. Worse, she was also dancing as best she could in the car seat, making the biggest fool of herself that she could. Grace might have been in a bad mood after Anita showed up at the apartment bright and early with the delivery of Nicole’s new armor, but she was getting through to her if the small smile blooming was any indication.

  Even after the song was over and the next started, Nicole kept going despite not knowing any of the lyrics. If it would help cheer up her girlfriend, she was going to do it. Besides, acting silly was surprisingly fun when you weren’t around people that might judge you. She could see why Kayla gave zero fucks what others thought of her.

  It was fun.

  Freeing was another word that came to mind. Nicole was always so closed off before she met Grace, before her life was changed forever by a power so far beyond all of them. She was a Ranger, one of the few chosen to carry the torch and lead the way. Grace was the same, though she hadn’t heard the same voice. That didn’t do anything to change that she was still a Ranger. Just because it was all in the name of some grand experiment being run by the invading Sylan didn’t diminish the truth of it.

  She knew some of her girlfriend’s story, how her religious family had tried to force her to marry an older man because he deserved a ‘pure’ wife despite the age gap. Never mind that the man himself was anything but pure. Nicole hoped she never met any of them, because she would show them the wrath that a pissed off woman with the strength of a demi-god could bring to bear.

  Another two songs passed, and Grace was now openly smiling, moving slightly with the music as she did and tapping the steering wheel with the music. She might not have been able to get Grace singing with her, but by the time they arrived at their destination, Grace was laughing as Nicole continued to dance even after getting out of the car to get the gate.

  She was having fun, something that was unfortunately still rather new to her. It made her wonder what Maraline might say if she could see her finally living life, no longer looking forward to her death. The intrusive thoughts still came at times, but she was getting better at dealing with them. Having people she cared for certainly helped.

  “You are ridiculous,” Grace said, shaking her head with a wide grin as she undid the lock and pushed the swinging thing open.

  “You love it,” Nicole countered, still dancing like a fool even as Grace pulled through and moved to lock the gate behind them.

  Grace muttered something under her breath, far too quiet for Nicole to hear, but she had a feeling it was endearing. The smile still hadn’t left Grace’s face, even as she hopped back in so they could traverse the lengthy driveway. Nicole wasn’t sure who the property belonged to, probably the people who made the blades sold at the faire, but Grace was wholly comfortable driving through the tree lined gravel trail.

  The path was covered in dead leaves, most of the trees stripped bare in the face of the coming winter season. Cold weather warfare was not something Nicole was looking forward to, but it was something she would need to confront regardless. That thought sobered her as the dancing stilled and Nicole shut her eyes and took a breath.

  Putting the car in park, Nicole hopped out, as she finally took in the place that Grace had wanted her to see. The smell hit her first, sparking a coughing fit even as Grace laughed, taking in a deep breath of her own. How she could stomach doing so with such a foul smell was beyond Nicole’s ability to understand. Off in the distance was a relatively large farmhouse, complete with a southern style wrap around porch that seemed to be completely at odds with what she was used to seeing in the area.

  A classic red barn stood just a bit away from the home, complete with horses that stood inside a fenced off area, which explained the nauseating smell. That was where the rustic simplicity ended as she turned her attention to the massive steel building that loomed over the property. The doors were shut, but Nicole somehow knew this was the forge that she was about to get a tour of.

  “Where are yer manners?”

  Nicole spun, her hand dropping to her side as she took hold of her blade, tucked away behind the jacket she wore, but Grace’s hand caught her arm before she could draw it. Her girlfriend just shook her head as she smiled.

  “Good to see you up, old man.”

  “So, this is the girl that had you obsessing for nearly a year,” the gruff man said, walking along with a heavy limp. He was wearing a heavy set of coveralls, with a head of mostly gray hair and a thick beard. Nicole couldn’t tell at a glance that the leg was artificial, but after Grace’s comments the previous night it was rather obvious watching how he walked. “She certainly looks strong. You’ve got some muscle on you, Nicole.”

  Nicole shrugged. “I’m stronger than I look.”

  He raised a bushy eyebrow. “Now that would be something to see. Name’s Chuck, if ye were curious. Anyway, Grace, you wanted to get back to smithing on the weekends as I understood?”

  “Yes sir,” Grace said. “I didn’t want to pressure you while you recovered, but—”

  “Oh knock that shite off,” Chuck said dismissively. “Just because one of those bastards took my leg doesn’t mean it was your fault. You didn’t turn into that shiny Ranger until after I was mauled.”

  “Oi,” Nicole snapped. “Why would you just blurt something like that? What if I hadn’t known?”

  The man snorted. “Like you didn’t what with the way you two were practically eye fucking over there. Plus, I recognized your knives on the news footage last night. Anyone who watched Grace obsess over getting them right would.”

  Said girlfriend looked away, her face flushed a bright red.

  Nicole let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, whatever. I shouldn’t be surprised how flimsy my identity is after that bastard broke my morph two months ago.”

  “You bring the blades?” Chuck asked. She nodded in answer. “Good, then we can look them over and give them a proper sharpening. Everything here is built to a high standard, but fighting those mechanical bastards is a bit different than chopping bottles in a backyard.”

  Nicole looked away, resigned. If nothing else it would be nice to get confirmation that her blades were holding up to the stress of fighting things that usually only Rangers would face in combat. She reached behind her, under the long coat, and withdrew the blades that she now carried with her everywhere out of necessity.

  The car held the case, a fresh delivery from Sinclair Industries, that contained her new set of armor. It looked about the same as her prior set, but Anita promised that it would hold up a bit better to actual combat than the prior model. She wasn’t being supplied with the off the shelf components, but high end experimental models. Rebecca offered to tell her how much each cost, but Nicole didn’t want to know what she really owed those in the shadows.

  “They look better than expected,” Chuck said, eyes tracing over the blade as he examined them in the light of the sun. “A few chips but nothing that looks too compromising. I’ll give everything a look over while you two have fun.”

  Nicole nodded, not quite sure what to say as he walked away with the weapons she relied upon to defend herself and others. Ever since she had gotten out of the hospital those blades hadn’t left her side. She never went anywhere without the capacity to defend herself. Hell, the armor was always in Grace’s car if they left the dorm, ready for the moment the Sylan arrived. That Nicole was already wearing it when Maraline crashed the party was simply luck.

  It was a form of dealing with her trauma, Nicole could recognize that much even if she hadn’t returned to therapy. Her next appointment was in a week, in which she would have to discuss the most recent attack, which would mean finally telling her therapist that she was a Ranger.

  To say she wasn’t looking forward to that conversation would be an understatement.

  “Come on,” Grace said, once again picking up on the spiral as it set in, “I want to show you the forge, it’s cool as hell.”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Nicole chuckled, happy for the distraction. “I’ve only ever seen them in movies, so I’m curious what this one will be like.”

  “Oh, you’re in for a treat then, modern forges are nothing like the old school stuff, though we do have one of those out back, but Chuck won’t let me mess with it unsupervised.”

  Grace led her over to the looming steel building set away from the house, where the old man was retreating towards. The entry was a basic door set into the side, and Grace unlocked it with a key from her clip and threw it open.

  “Welcome to Chuck’s Funhouse as I like to call it.”

  Nicole busted out laughing, shaking her head as she stepped inside only to suck in a breath as she took it all in. When most thought of a blacksmith, they thought of the traditional medieval styling. What she saw was instead all sorts of heavy industrial presses, hydraulic systems, and a behemoth of an oven that was currently sitting cold.

  “Hell of a place,” Nicole said, looking around.

  There were dozens of blades in various states of completion, including at least a hundred that were actually complete. The Renfaire was probably when they sold the bulk of their stock, and it was canceled after the first day. All because the Sylan attacked. She found a particularly impressive leaf blade, Gaelic engravings covering the broadside of the blade. It reminded her of a fantasy sword in many ways and she almost expected it to glow if the machines were around.

  “That one was made by Chuck,” Grace said, holding out a hand. Nicole passed it to her girlfriend who held it with reverence. “The man who was supposed to pick it up was killed in the attack. He died right in front of me, just seconds before the power came to me.”

  The way Grace’s face scrunched up sent a spike of pain through Nicole’s very being. “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “That’s the thing,” Grace said, her hands shaking, “I didn’t fight. I was frozen with fear as he was killed and the power came all the same. Hearing that you fought back even without the power, that you rushed in without the fear of death? Knowing that you were actually worthy while I was just a random chance?”

  Nicole didn’t hesitate to pull her girlfriend into a tight hug, uncaring of anything else.

  “You’ve proven yourself since then,” Nicole said softly. “You took charge when others thought it a game, you put the people first. You’re absolutely worthy of being a Ranger, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” Nicole hesitated, taking a deep breath. “And it wasn’t a lack of fear, it was more seeking death. I was planning to go home and end my life that evening.”

  The sharp intake of breath was almost expected, the choked sob and crushing hug less so, but she really should have known.

  “I obviously didn’t,” Nicole continued. “It took time for me to find reasons to keep going, to give living a try, but I did.” She then leaned forward and kissed Grace on the forehead. “You were one of many.”

  “Me?” Grace whispered, her lip quivering. “I’m just a coward given power…”

  “And I was a suicidal girl given a second chance at life,” Nicole countered. “You’ve shown you have the heart of a hero, you’ve stepped up, just like I decided to fight for my own future. One I hope to share with you.”

  Tears fell down Grace’s cheeks, Nicole’s thumb wiped them away in a tender gesture. They were both messes, with their own demons haunting them, but Nicole knew that if she could find a reason to keep going, then Grace could forge some confidence in herself.

  Whatever forces in play selected Rangers obviously knew she was worthy in her heart, it was just a matter of making sure Grace learned to see it for herself. If Nicole’s sad excuse for a life had value, then Grace’s must have been worth all the gold in the world.

  Steel met steel as Grace drove the hammer down, the glowing metal sparking with the impact. Her muscles flexed with each swing of the hammer, rippled with every impact. The sight was mesmerizing, and Nicole had to make sure her jaw wasn’t slack or dripping drool onto the floor.

  She had power, and her name wasn’t merely window dressing, not with how smooth all her strikes were. Grace was no stranger to the hammer and anvil, and the smile that played at her lips showed that she enjoyed what she was doing. The steel was putty beneath her hammer, molding to her will.

  The metal slowly shaped into a blade, being heated and hammered in a methodical way that left Nicole mesmerized. She could watch her girlfriend work for hours, completely engrossed in the way her arms flexed with each swing and impact. Elements bent to her will, forged into something new.

  Steam rose from the quenching trough, the oil sparking momentarily with flames as bubbles rose from the bath. Grace pulled it out after a moment, inspecting the cooled steel and nodded, dipping it back in for a few more moments.

  “Blade didn’t bend or crack,” she said with a nod. “It should be good to move on to be polished up and given a proper handle.”

  Nicole nodded, following along to where she stowed the in-progress weapon on a rack. “There really isn’t much profit in this, is there?”

  “Not as much as people think,” Grace said with a shrug. “We aren’t starting from raw ore, which helps. Using modern steel saves us weeks of work, and we can order to spec.”

  “Which allows you to sell for prices people can afford,” Nicole reasoned.

  Grace waved her hand back and forth. “Somewhat. Yours cost so much because you paid extra for the Damascus effect. That takes a hell of a lot of work, and is way too damn easy to fuck up. If even one blade was off, I would have needed to start over.”

  That was a sobering thought, but then again, Nicole had spent almost all of her savings on those blades. She didn’t intend to survive to see next month, so she saw no issue with dropping the money. She paid for it in the following weeks, but she was doing better now that she was employed with the fire department. That wasn’t even counting the stipend that Sinclair Industries was providing her for her assistance with their research.

  “Was that a commission?” Nicole asked, gesturing at the still warm blade.

  “No, just another blade for the convention trail,” Grace said, looking over another length of unworked metal. “I’ve only worked on three custom jobs, one of which was my own axe.”

  “The second being my daggers,” Nicole said, wishing she had them with her. “What was the third?”

  Grace paused for a moment, considering her words. “It was for a movie, which hasn’t released a trailer yet so I’m still under NDA.”

  “Not even a hint?” Nicole teased.

  “Sorry,” Grace said. “As much as I would love to gush about it, your project was far more interesting and time consuming. Hell, normally we just use the hydraulic hammer for this stuff, but I felt like putting my new strength to the test. These blades will probably carry a slight premium for it.”

  “Especially if you could advertise that they were hand forged by a Ranger,” Nicole said with a chuckle. “I can see it now, rich dumbfucks lining up to buy Ranger forged steel.”

  “Please don’t give Chuck the idea,” Grace grumbled as she shoved a new strip of metal into the forge. “He would totally do it.”

  “Like hell I would, girly,” Chuck shouted.

  Nicole nearly jumped out of her skin, but sighed in relief when she hadn’t reached for the blades that were no longer there. Grace crossed her arms, smudges of soot flexing alongside her muscular arms. Nicole resolved right then to record a video as Grace worked on the next blade, for research purposes only, of course.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Chuck snapped. “I didn’t take you in as an apprentice just to sell you out. Yer Granpap would claw his way from the earth and flay me if I did.”

  Grace sighed. “Damn right he would. I swear he was the only reason they didn’t try to pawn me off sooner.”

  “Probably,” Chuck agreed, and suddenly Nicole wondered if she should be listening to this conversation. “That man was always fiercely protective of his girls, especially his darling granddaughters. One of the last things he ever asked of me was to watch out for ya, and I had no idea that phone call would lead to taking in a scared girl like that.”

  A sniffle tore free from Grace and Nicole moved to pull her into a hug, but Chuck somehow beat her to it despite the bad leg. Now she felt all kinds of awkward, because this moment had no place for her in it.

  “I just wish I could have brought Sarah with me,” Grace whispered.

  Chuck patted her on the back. “I know. We’ll find a way to get her, but it has to be on the up and up.”

  “Does it though?” Grace asked, tears streaking down her face. “She’s only fifteen, and knowing our bastard of a father, he’s probably pulling some shit as we speak.”

  “Hey,” Chuck said softly. “I know you can’t reach out to her, but I still check in on her every now and then.”

  “I know,” Grace said with a sigh. “I still worry.”

  His meaty hand slapped her on the back, with more force than Nicole would have been comfortable with, but Grace didn’t even flinch. He smiled softly, then turned to leave when his eyes locked with Nicole’s own. They stared at one another for a moment, and he seemed to realize that the moment hadn’t been as private as he assumed.

  “Forget I was here?” Nicole asked.

  “Seems so, lass,” he said, chucking mirthlessly. “Take good care of Gracie, otherwise I’ll have to see if my steel can end a Ranger.”

  “If it ever came to that I would welcome it,” Nicole answered, her words full of conviction.

  Chuck seemed to deflate, as if the weight of the world pressed down upon him as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “What is with this world and sending children to war?”

  He wandered off before Nicole could answer, leaving her and Grace to themselves. She considered asking more about Sarah, but didn’t want to pry too deep. Grace would open up in time, and Nicole would be there for her no matter what came. Instead, she settled back in even as Grace pulled the glowing piece of metal from the furnace and set it on the anvil, ready to bring the hammer down and shape it into something new. Nicole was happy to just sit and watch, to see her girlfriend in her element.

  There was no place she would rather be.

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