[Alcarillo]

Cainenyo was at his forge again, striking a long piece of iron into a sword blade. His hammer strokes rang out into the street, and the heat of his forge was felt by bystanders as they passed the shop. Cainenyo was creating a sword for an officer in the army, the last thin layer of defense between Sauron and the city.

Much had happened in the last two years. Celebdur was killed by orcs on his way to the mountains; Cainenyo had attended his funeral; and Arenwino was now without work. These days he roamed the streets with his friends, who were mostly soldiers. Cainenyo just hoped that Arenwino would not follow suit and risk life and limb.

But there were also joys. A new daughter was born in Cainenyo's house, named Nessime. She spent most of her time in her protective mother's arms. Cainenyo sometimes wished that Nessime was born in less troublesome times, however.

Cainenyo's pockets were fuller, also. The price of good iron had increased significantly, and with the extra demand for arms and armor, Cainenyo was soon very wealthy. But money did not ease his worries, the thoughts in the back of his mind still told him that Ost-in-Edhil was doomed. He only reassured himself by knowing that his swords would be slaughtering orcs once in the hands of able soldiers.

Alassante, too, no longer disregarded war as gossip after Celebdur was killed. She was frightened, but she did not express her worries openly. She put on a straight face as she walked about the city, and gazed towards the ground when soldiers passed her way. Cainenyo guessed that she felt a bit shameful of her lack of foresight, and although he was never a great judge of people's emotions, he was near enough to the truth. Alassante spent most of her time with the new baby, which eased her mind a little.

Arenwino seemed especially hard hit by Celebdur's death. For days afterwards he would still head to the forge as usual, only to find that it was now owned by a goldsmith from across town, who had more or less weaseled his way into Celebdur's will. Arenwino now roamed the city with his friends, looking for work and adventure. Since some of his friends joined the ranks of the soldiers and guards of Ost-in-Edhil, the prospect of becoming a warrior was looking more and more favorable, and the opportunity to become an independent silversmith had not yet arrived. He would march down the street with his chums, dressed in the finest armor money can buy, and swinging long shining blades in the air, if only his love for silver and the memory of Celebdur were cast from his mind.

And so Cainenyo continued his work. The rhythmic hammer-falls created a peaceful music in his mind, and work was now often an escape from his troubles. The warm glow of the coals was comforting, too. And so Cainenyo continued shaping the iron into a sword, and shoved his worries to the furthest corners of his mind. He would save them for tomorrow.