The walk back was rather uneventful. Some adventurers and miners were heading to the east of the city while merchants and workers were preparing business for the mid-day rush of housekeepers and innkeepers coming to buy supplies.
Once she was finally back at the inn, the first thing she noticed was how deserted it was. Aside from Lucina keeping company with an otherwise lonely Rionara, there was no one else in the main hall.
"I'm back."
The knight spoke up once she stepped inside the establishment which prompted Rionara to perk up with a smile.
"Welcome back, Pris."
Priscilla walked closer to the two and glanced at her lap with an inquisitive raised eyebrow.
"What are you doing?"
"Oh, Miss Lucina is teaching me how to read."
The receptionist had a warm smile on her face.
"I'm not doing much, I'm just reading the story itself."
"Yup, but at least now I know what these words mean."
Rionara replied. Priscilla held her own chin as she nodded, seemingly appreciating the gesture.
"Well now…" Lucina closed the red colored cover book and left it on the table as she stood up. "I need to buy some groceries for the week. I'll be heading off."
"Thank you for taking care of Rionara." Priscilla bowed slightly. "Oh, don't forget your book."
"Ah, I was planning to leave it to you two."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I've read it plenty of times." She traced her fingers across the cover with a tinge of nostalgia showing across her face. "I even have its entire story memorized. Besides, it would be more helpful for someone learning how to read than leaving it to gather dust back in my room."
Priscilla nodded and bowed once again.
"Thank you very much."
Rionara quickly stood up and did the same.
"Thank you, Lucina."
"You two are very welcome."
She turned around and gave a small wave as she left the inn. Now with only the two young women left in the main hall—Priscilla pulled the coin sack she had acquired from the bounty and placed it on the table.
Rionara glanced curiously at the sound of clinking metal.
"Are those coins?"
"Yes, for capturing the man that attacked me."
The knight sat down and started to count them. Seeing how it was a lot of coins, Rionara stepped closer and asked.
"Can I help?"
Although a bit surprised, Priscilla smiled and answered with a nod.
"Sure."
After splitting the sack's content in half, they both started to tally the reward. The idle chatter from outside and the quiet sound of work coming from the kitchen made Rionara feel strangely at home. Not that she had another place she could call it one. At least, not that she remembered.
But just sticking to Priscilla's side and doing whatever needed to be done felt warm. She was content with that life.
"Twenty four… twenty five…" The young woman glanced at the knight as she finished her stack. "I counted twenty five."
"So fifty silver coins in total." Priscilla held her chin for a while—lost in thought. "Rio, is there anything you'd want?"
"Huh? No, not really, why do you ask?"
"Well…" She untied her own coin pouch and pocketed the twenty five silver coins she had counted and then placed the other half back in the sack that it originally came from. "Here, this is yours."
"Huh? N-no I couldn't possibly…"
"Think of it as a responsibility of your own." She placed the coin sack on the table in front of her. "My father did the same for me when I was a teenager. Spend it or save it, the choice is up to you."
Her blue eyes eventually stopped at the sack of coins in front of her.
Never once in her life she had been given something. To her it was either acquiring from charity or stealing. Neither of which brought any pride to her heart which made her clench her hands in front of her body.
There was something about being given responsibility for an aspect of her life for the first time. It filled her heart with joy and wonder but also a genuine sensation of pride.
She turned to the knight with a pensive and uncertain expression as she asked quietly.
"C-could we… could we pay Geralt a visit…?"
Priscilla flashed a quiet smile as she nodded.
"Yes, we can."
With quiet shuffling of chairs and coins, the two of them exited the inn. Priscilla had a relaxed posture with her left arm resting on the bell guard of her sheathed rapier while Rionara walked closely on her right side—she carried the sack of coins with both hands that could barely cover it entirely.
The streets were mostly quiet, by now only a few housekeepers were around doing their groceries and most of the adventurers already were off to their duties either in the region or inside the dungeon.
The way to the blacksmith shop was thankfully unmemorable, but at the same time it worried Priscilla that she did not see a single guard patrolling while they were walking. In front of the shop, Rionara looked up at the door that had a wooden sign written 'closed' hanging from it, but she didn't know what it meant.
"Pris, there's something on the door."
"Here it's written that it's closed."
Upon hearing those words, the knight immediately noticed her shoulders slump from disappointment.
"Closed…?"
"Well… today is the Day of Radiance, so it makes sense to be closed."
"What is that?"
"It's a day for resting." Despite saying those words, Priscilla reached for the door knob and gave it a turn. "But some people still work even during it."
"Really?"
"Yes and I believe our friend Geralt is one of those people."
Upon noticing it wasn't locked, she opened the door. A familiar bell rang from inside the shop. After Priscilla stepped to the side, Rionara followed closely behind her.
"Can't ya read the damn sign? We're-" Geralt's annoyed voice came from the back of the shop until he stepped behind the counter and saw both women standing by the closed door. "Oh, ye shoulda warned me ye needed smithin' services Lass." He leaned his right arm on the counter. "What can ol' Geralt do fer ye?"
"Not for me, Geralt." Priscilla gently tapped behind Rionara's back and pushed her forward. "She's your customer this time."
"Eh?"
Rionara shyly stepped forward. It wasn't the first time she stepped foot inside that shop and yet it felt different. Before she just wore rags and was there for the warmth the forge would provide her. But now she was holding a sack of coins to make her first ever purchase.
"I-I… I…"
"Calm down youn' un'. Ol' Geralt ain't goin' anywhere." He put both hands on the counter and gently leaned forward. "Watcha lookin fer?"
Rionara stopped and took one very deep breath, pulling enough air to puff her chest before letting it all out with a long sigh. As her fingers dug into the sack of coins, she placed it on top of the counter and started to speak, albeit with hesitation still present in her tone.
"I… I want a weapon like Priscilla's. What can I get with twenty five silvers?"
Upon hearing it the knight flinched.
"Wait, like my rapier?"
Geralt scratched the underside of his chin and tilted his head slightly.
"Those sort o' blades ain't really my specialty, young un'. But if ye want to train swordplay, I might 'ave sumthin' else ye might like." He reached for one of the barrels on the side of the counter and pulled a black colored leather sheath from it. "A rogue fellow paid me to smith one o' these, but he never returned from dungeon delvin'. I can sell these fer five silver fer ye."
Although clearly excited before, they both could see a slight disappointment in Rionara's face as her eyes drooped a bit, prompting Priscilla to step in.
"Maybe, instead of an actual blade, why don't you train with a wooden replica instead? Even back in the Academy we would use wooden swords to train to avoid injuring ourselves."
Interest instantly sparked back in her eyes as she turned to the knight.
"Really?"
"Yes. A good swordswoman is one that has her limbs intact during training after all."
While Rionara's enthusiasm brought joy to Priscilla's heart, it also left her wondering what it was that the young woman was seeing in her to make her want a similar weapon.
"T-then…" Rionara looked around the shop but didn't see any wooden weapons. "Do you happen to have one, Sir Geralt?"
"Hmm… I don't craft wooden weapons but I can do sumthin' fer lil' missy if ye give me a day."
"Thank you!" Her excitement was clear in her voice as she smiled warmly. "Ah, do you have chainmail?"
"Chainmail? Fer ye?"
"Mhm."
"Not fer yer size but ol' Geralt can snippet some bits an' pieces together fer ye as well."
"How much would that cost?"
"'Bout ten silver pieces. 'Em links are a bit tricky to work with."
Rionara took one step back and reached for her chin as she became lost in thought. Her eyes glanced around the room and noticed how there were many weapons and armor of varying sizes laying around which prompted her to ask.
"Sir Geralt… do you make custom tools?"
"Tools? What kind?"
"A one handed flint and steel for example."
"Flint an' steel? Ye can buy those in the guild."
"No, no, I want a one handed flint and steel. One that I can strike with one hand."
"Eh… like sum kind of tongs?" He pulled a smithing pair of tongs from behind the counter. "But ye want a flint an' steel on each side?"
"Yes! That."
Priscilla found the request strange and felt like she needed to step forward and ask.
"Rio, why a one handed flint and steel?"
"Ah… I… I want to show you something but I need that tool for it."
"Show me?"
"Yes, it's about magic."
"You can just tell me."
"I…" Rionara averted her gaze as she started to fiddle with her hands. "I wanted to show you instead, if possible."
The knight closed her eyes for a brief moment and unconsciously smiled. After opening them, she kneeled to meet Rionara's height and placed one hand softly on her shoulder.
"Alright. I'll wait for it."
A smile started to curl on the young woman's face as she nodded.
"Mhm."
On the other side of the counter, Geralt placed the tongs back behind the counter and leaned forward to ask Rionara.
"Aight, young un'. One wooden blade, chainmail and ye flint an' steel, izzat all?"
"Yes, that's all I need."
"That'll be twelve silvers."
"Twelve?" Priscilla asked in a confused tone. "Are you not charging too little?"
"Nay, nay. Two silvers fer the flint an' steel is fair enough."
"No, but what about the practice sword?"
"Oh that? It's on the house."
Priscilla knew better than to judge someone like him for his rough exterior, but choosing not to charge for a service just made Geralt stand in more than a better light in her eyes. That statement made Rionara smile and bow politely shortly afterwards.
"Thank you so much, Mister Geralt!"