Ridley was standing outside the smithy when Arwin stepped out onto the street. His arms were crossed and he was tapping a finger against the corner of his lips in thought, but Arwin was far more concerned with the building before him.
The smithy was beautiful. Stone walls, plain but well built, rose in stark contrast to the old, wrecked buildings surrounding them. Ridley had installed several glass windows at the front to give passersby a way to see inside.
He’d even put in a wide wooden door with a shiny brass handle.
Okay, I think most buildings have doors. It’s a nice door, though.
“Ah. Arwin. You have good timing,” Ridley said as he approached, glancing over at him before returning his gaze to the building. “What do you think?”
“For the time being, yes. I structured it so it could grow,” Ridley said, gesturing vaguely toward the building. “In either direction, mind you. Going down is just as viable as up. I finished last night, but I wanted to see how everything looked in the morning before I declared it complete.”
Ridley pulled the door open and gestured for Arwin to look inside. He didn’t have to ask twice. Arwin stepped into a quaint waiting room. A stone counter ran along the back, in front of another door that presumably led into the workspace.
Ridley had installed metal hooks along the wall and several stone shelves to display armor with, and there was a small swinging door at the edge of the counter. Arwin mutely walked over to it and stepped behind the counter.