What matters in this world

Ember giggled when Citadel all but shouted out in excitement at the prospect of getting to see the forge and armory, quickly finishing her drink in one long swallow. He appeared sheepish at his expletive outburst, but Em found it endearing. She was a rogue at heart, so hearing the pup swear out of excitement just made her like her young cousin all the more. "C'mon, follow me and act casual," she instructed Cit as she set the empty goblet on the nearby table before beginning to leisurely maneuver around the edge of the room.

Em played it cool, giving passing greetings to any wolves they passed while she led Citadel around the hall until they'd made it to the opposite side of the room by the hall that led to the forge. After making sure no one was paying attention to them, Ember ducked down the hall and led Citadel away from the commotion of the reception to the closed door at the end of the hall. Ember lifted the latch and pushed the door open to allow them to slip inside the quiet forge. The only light came from the dim glow of the forge, its embers still smoldering, waiting to be brought back to life. Weapons of all sorts hung from the walls, from swords of all shapes and sizes to daggers and axes. Unfinished blades and billets of fresh Carpathian steel sat on the workbenches waiting to be used.

"Ta-da! Welcome to the Hearthstone forge, home of Carpathian steel!" Ember declared, waving her paws around the spacious forge. She knew all the dangerous stuff would be hanging out of reach from the pup or locked up in the armory, so she wasn't worried about letting him wander around and check things out to his heart's content.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"