Kaarthen spoke for them as they laid on the bed around him. Only Metacari seemed unaffected but she carried the mood of the others, and let them have... space.“That woman was a terror for the girls.” Kaarthen started. “You did well by taking her in. You did even better letting them finish her. Seeing her broken body robbed of its bewitching illusion, and bled out was more healing than actually finishing her. It had shown them the fragility of the creatures that held so much sway over them. . I’d assumed that just Tami, Alan and I were going to Monical’s. Seems I was mistaken. The three of us did get a booth together. Everyone else sat together when our server pulled a couple of tables together. Dad made sure that they knew I was buying. Damned sunglasses money!Tami was quizzing me about what was going on in my life, while Alan wanted to know all about Star Wars. The subject of baseball came up, and I mentioned that we played Wesleyan next Saturday, which led to a discussion about. Missed her laughter and her squeals of pleasure when she came. Missed her. Ached for her.The statuette ended up on the pillow next to him that night when he drifted off to sleep. Somehow, it felt like it belonged there. And he had such vivid dreams. He was making love to Brenda. She was stretched full length on top of him, and he relished the feel of her 260 pounds enveloping him in her yielding, fleshy warmth, grinding him deeply into the mattress. (Damn, that was a sensation none of his later. .. I mean, Lydia has told us some of what’s going on, but I’m just a smith. Where do I belong in this?”“With me, of course. You’re already a part of my family, do you not feel it in your heart? Are you not already forging weapons for the Imperial Army? Did you not just hear Elise? And think about this. Who else would I trust to forge new weapons or armor for me? Eorland Gray-mane works steel on the Skyforge. You will work with dragon bone and dragon scale, something I doubt he has the knowledge.