(Closed to Jethro and is part of an on-going series. Continued from the events of: ~Wanted~ thank you very much!!!)

We repaired the shop...

The forge provided a spark of light...a hope in an otherwise run down part of Ettermire.

People came seeking work, that was the main thing that counted.

With the events happening all around Alerar herself...people were scared and needed to better protect themselves.

Weapons were always in demand as were armor and other gear.

It was a chance for me to practice The Shinto arts in peace and relative quiet...

...Or so I thought.

The totem still bothered me, even a couple of months later. I didn't understand many of the Pagan ways. I had to learn more...the symbols that The Totem used...Drune was part of a cult. That's why he was wanted. That was the main reason I went after him... Humphrey looked down at the axe he'd won in the battle against Drune and his followers. He was deep in thought that day, reflecting upon the past few weeks. He'd recalled the vision he'd seen when he came in contact with the fell energy that erupted from The Totem. Humphrey shook his head. The vision of the older version of himself had been granted by the spirits. That's what he considered to be the truth...but there was always more to the story.

Humphrey was sitting down near the forge...he liked to work.

With the influx of workers, there came a Master Dwarf named Hankru.

Humphrey and Hankru had become fast friends, and oft worked together in the forge.

Humphrey taught the other workers The Shinto Arts and found pleasure in teaching the arts of his people.

The people of Alerar were eager students. Humphrey respected their ways because they let him practice his own techniques in relative peace. And so, the fledgling forge prospered. Humphrey sat down after a full day of work and listened to the beating of the forge itself. There was a certain synergy there, hammer and anvil working in nearly perfect tandem with each other. Humphrey had his eyes closed as he sat on a well constructed chair. He felt the heat against his fur, sweat trickling down every part of his body.

He liked working.

There was a certain sense of freedom and well being that came from a hard day's work of manual labor.

Knowing that your creations were going to help someone who needed help.

I have to remember that I am still a guest here. Not everybody will like me...I don't have to care about that. The world shuns Alerar as much as some would shun me and my people, my kind. Humphrey wiped sweat off his brow. His eyes were closed as he leaned back against his chair, it was against one of the walls in the building. Humphrey never thought he would become a blacksmith for an entirely different Nation other than Corone herself. I miss my people. I miss home...but Akashima is always in the heart. Humphrey felt someone staring at him, standing directly before him.

He opened his eyes and looked at the female Elf looking at him. "Ah Sellah, how can I help you?" Humphrey asked of the apprentice worker.

"Master Humphrey...I saw a look of concentration on you and felt compelled to ask about it. Were you thinking of home...?" Sellah asked.

"I...oft think of home." Humphrey smiled. "But I had other matters on my mind as well."

Sellah looked at Humphrey then looked at the forge for a moment. "I would like to speak to you in private a little later. There is a matter that I wanted to tell you about."

"We can speak now." Humphrey said calmly, having a huge trust and faith in his acolytes and apprentices.

"This is a personal matter. Later today I'd like to speak with you about it. When you are off shift, I will talk to you. In the mean time, I have some work to get back to." Sellah bowed and walked off towards another portion of the forge.

Humphrey nodded and carefully stood up. He also went to get back to work.

Break is over... He thought to himself and prepared to purify more ore and ingots for Master Hankru.

Using his own Chi for The Shinto Arts consumed a lot of power and was a tiring process. Humphrey did not mind though...he liked to work.