It didn’t take Jasper too long to find the blacksmith. The stone building had a plume of thick smoke rising from its chimney like a signal flare. The gremlin started toward the store with a grin, but his smile faded with every step he took.

Jasper stopped several feet from the blacksmith, cold sweat practically pouring down his back. He gritted his teeth and glanced furtively around. The area was almost entirely deserted. The thought that it was strange for a smithy to be so quiet struck Jasper too late.

Light footsteps echoed out from a darkened alleyway just beside the forge. Jasper turned toward it slowly, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his hands. A tall, striking woman with long raven black hair emerged from within the darkness.

Her skin was a flawless porcelain white that had no place existing in a world that had a sun. Two stunning purple eyes burned into Jasper’s soul, and she gave him a warm smile. Jasper took one look at her near perfect appearance and his ears drooped.

“No.”

“Yes,” the woman replied in a singsong voice. She laughed at the despondent look on Jasper’s face.

“No,” he tried again, almost hopefully.

“Still yes,” the woman said, letting out a small laugh.

“Avril. What do you want from me?” Jasper asked.

“I’m honored you remember me so well,” the tall woman responded without a hint of irony. “It’s a pleasure to be so loved.”

“I could wipe a chimney chute with your conscience and somehow make the chimney dirtier,” Jasper said. “Now answer the question.”

Avril laughed again and raised her hand as if to pat Jasper on the head. She stopped just before her hand touched him and gave him a meaningful look.

“This disguise is weak,” she said. “A light breeze would blow it away.”

“No side tracking, Avril,” Jasper said, showing her his teeth. “The question.”

“You just take the fun out of everything,” Avril said with an exaggerated sigh. “I’ve decided to tag along with you. Things were getting awful boring at my place, so I was hoping you could spice them up.”

Jasper’s mouth opened to respond, but he slowly let it shut. The gremlin let out a defeated sigh and turned around with his shoulders slumped.

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” He asked despondently.

“Not in the slightest,” Avril said, smirking. “But I did bring you a present.”

Jasper glanced back at her. The tall woman pulled a dagger from her belt and presented it to the gremlin. He took it reluctantly, sliding it into his own sheathe. The weapon fit perfectly, and Jasper grunted.

“I don’t suppose this is your own dagger?”

Avril looked affronted.

“Of course not.”

“Had to check,” Jasper muttered. “You better not be lying. I don’t want that… thing anywhere near me.”

“I leave the lying to you, Jasper,” Avril said with a dangerous smile. Jasper glared at the woman and she shrugged in response.

“I’m going by Julian right now,” Jasper said with a sigh.

“Jill for short, isn’t it? I know. I just figured I’d address my old friend with his real name after so many years apart. Now, why don’t you introduce me to your new friend? I’m eager to meet her.”

After a short walk back through the city, the two returned to the caravan. The gremlin hopped up onto the edge of Linna’s wagon and pulled out his new weapon, examining the blade carefully.

“There’s nothing wrong with the knife,” Avril told Jasper as she looked toward the city. “And our friends are about to return.”

Jasper reluctantly returned the knife to its sheathe and followed Avril’s gaze. Ethan and Linna were making their way back to the caravan. There was a large cloth wrapped package in Linna’s hands and a smile on her face.

“Ethan seems to be getting along with Linna well,” Avril said.

Jasper gave the tall woman a sideways glance. She looked back at him innocently, causing the gremlin to grit his teeth in annoyance.

“At least ask her what her name is before you start using it,” he said, sighing.

Avril ignored him, waving in Ethan and Linna’s direction. Ethan’s eyebrows raised, but he inclined his head in greeting. Linna kept the confusion from her face as she returned Avril’s greeting.

“Avril. What brings you here?” Ethan asked when he got closer to the wagon.

The tall woman shrugged, gesturing in Jasper’s general direction.

“Oh, you know. I was wandering around the town and saw my old friend. He invited me along, and I just couldn’t resist.”

It was clear that Jasper looked anything but pleased to have Avril along, but Linna didn’t voice her observations.

“I see. I’m Linna,” she said, slowly offering Avril her hand. The taller woman accepted it daintily.

“A pleasure. I’m Avril. Are you up to anything interesting?” Avril asked.

“I was just about to spar with Jackson,” Linna said, glancing down at the package in her hands. “I just need to get changed first.”

“Don’t let me stop you then,” Avril said, her eyebrow quirking slightly upwards as she stepped to the side and waved Linna on theatrically. Jasper hopped down to get out of the way and Linna climbed up into her wagon.

Avril and Ethan watched each other silently once Linna was out of sight. Then Avril shook her head and put a hand on the swordsman’s shoulders.

“I never thought I’d see the day you picked a student,” Avril said.

“Somehow I doubt anything is much of a surprise to you, much less this,” Ethan said, giving Avril a knowing look.

“Stop taking the fun out of it,” Avril said, shaking her head with a small smile.

The swordsman drew one of his swords and walked around in a circle, tracing a line through the dirt with the tip of the weapon. When he was done, he wiped the dirt off his weapon and returned it to its sheathe.