"Quite so," she said, moving to join him on the walk. "I think a sword crafted by you and perhaps with my aid will be something beyond wonderful. If one puts their will and hope into a project..."

She trailed off with a hum, her dark brown hair catching the breeze as she smiled at the hard word ahead. Merlan had rebuilt cars for fun, hammered and shaped, so she was pretty sure she could keep up with Merlin. The blessing of the fast learner, the sharp memory, and hands that felt comfortable with difficult work.

"Well, anything could happen with magic," Merlan said quietly. "That's it as its best - chaos."