Fate Weaver's convergence

V2 C91

"Heya Uncle Cal! Thanks for the river-crawler!"

I greeted Callum as best I could, nearly lifting him off his feet with a hug. I was just a head shorter than him and Mother both at this point, so I damn near could have lifted him over me.

"Haha, hey killer! woah easy...'

Callum paused mid laugh.

"It's not as bad from next to you but I can smell it on you from here. You need a bath."

I dropped Callum at those words.

"H-hey! No one said anything about that all day!"

Dick, I just came back from the field! That's an accomplishment for three days!

"Haha, I'm messing with you. But now that you fessed up, after dinner head down and clean yourself up."

I rolled my eyes.

I'm not looking forward to it...

"Sure-sure, 'dad'. Dinners ready, c'mon."

I waved for him to join myself and Hatsumi.

"I'm moving! I'm moving!"

Callum seemed in higher spirits as of late. Ever since our party started going out on hunts, he's seemed that way. Initially I chalked it up to some simple event, but through time it turned out to be the family environment. It was something he'd missed, and with Lorn and Avery taking me on he had all the more opportunity.

"Your seat is by the window, Cal."

Hatsumi let out a sing-song tone, setting the plates as Callum followed behind me.

"Thanks again for making dinner by the way. My quota has been getting higher and higher."

Quota? This is the first time I'm hearing anything about a quota.

"Uncle Cal, I thought you worked on commission. Right?"

Callum paused at my question, his eyes shooting to Hatsumi. She, in turn, froze just as she was placing a plate in front of my seat. The silence was long but it was expected; they were thinking over their wording.

"Ah, well. The city has been commissioning all of the blacksmiths based out of the forges."

Mother continued her pace, turning heel to fetch her and Callum's plates.

"She's smart, we don't have to step around that."

Mother spoke flatly as she turned around. "Remember what Stan said? She was ten and she already figured the city was building a militia."

Cla-clink

cla-clink

Two more plates made it to the table, their weight dropping to its surface.

"Arrow heads, spearheads, nails, horse shoes, axe blades. If it's fast, cheap, or easy to use, they order it."

Callum stretched, his back popping a handful of times. He and Hatsumi were approaching their mid thirties at this point, and the hard work they put themselves through shows from time to time in that way. Even more so when Callum rarely relaxes fully outside of his forge or temporary relapses into drinking.

I nodded, prodding my food already with my fork. Indecisive of which portion of the course I'd begin with.

"As long as they don't work you to the bone."

Mother said in an exasperated tone, slumping in her chair. Exhausted from her own work.

"It's not often we get to eat as a family."