A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"…Opportunity, is it?" Daniel said slowly, his hand falling to play with the hairs of his thick and recently greying beard, as he often did by habit. "I suppose we shall see."

"Take a seat there, and we'll find out," Greeves said.

"I'd apologize to the Sers in advance," Daniel said, slapping his knees as he lowered himself into his chair. "I only know the bare minimum of noble courtesies. I'd not thought that I would be dealing with anyone other than the merchant today."

"You need not mind us," Oliver said. "We are only here merely to observe."

Though that was what Oliver said, Daniel found himself feeling quite the opposite impression. Even if they were only there to observe, it was impossible not to mind them, with how intensely they seemed to be intent on carrying their observation out. He wondered if they were even aware of how deeply the looks that they gave him were digging.

He coughed uncomfortably into his hand. "Well, we'll get on with it then, Greeves. You called me here for a reason, eh? Some work that you'd have me do, is it? Well, I've already told you, I'm unlikely to be able to accept. I can't take on much extra work 'cos of the restrictions with my contract with the Guild.

Not unless I put that work onto another smith, but then it couldn't very well be called my work, could it?"

"Extra work indeed, you have the right of it," Greeves said. "What is it that they're making you craft these days in that contract of yours?"

"I'm an armorsmith, Greeves," Daniel said, unable to hide his irritation. "What the hell do you think I'd be crafting?"

Greeves laughed at the man's impatient remark. "True enough. I meant the nature of the armour that you're forging. You used to make some of the finest suits and shields that I'd ever seen. Do you still work your hammer with that aim in mind, I wonder, or have you drifted?"

"Ah, so that's it," Daniel said, finally understanding. "The Ser Patrick here wants a new suit of armour commissioned. Surprising. I would have thought, from the look of him, he'd prefer to fight like. Chain mail and gauntlets is what I had him pegged as. But he wants to try a proper plate, does he?"

"…I'd try it," Oliver offered, though indeed he didn't think that he held a particular interest for plated armour either. A chestplate was enough at times, but rarely did he wish to go any further than it, for the restriction of his movements that further armament was likely to lead to.

However, he had the sense to realize that this was a ploy from Greeves to take up the man's interest, and he did what he could to play along with it.

"There's a myth, among you young knights, where you reckon that plated armour is unwieldy and limiting," the armorsmith said, as if reading Oliver's mind. "If you tried the work of a proper smith, you'd find that to be far from the case. And the weight people complain about, but if you're a strong soldier, you'd hardly notice it. I'd say again to try it, that's your best bet."

"You say that, Daniel, but didn't you say that you weren't taking on any more work?" Greeves said.

"Well, it's been a while since I've done the work of a noble. And it's his first suit of armour. I'd consider it. It's always a privilege to see a man converted from light armament to proper plate. It's a misunderstanding that keeps them a way – an' the correcting of that misunderstanding will see me with work for a while, 'cos they'll keep coming back."

"Is it the infantry that you're making armour for at the moment then?" Oliver asked, continuing Greeves' line of questioning. The merchant shot him a warning look, as if to remind Oliver of his promise to remain out of the meeting. But Oliver shrugged his reassurance. He didn't think he was about to stray too far off the planned path.

"Aye, it is, Ser," Daniel said. "The Guild agreed to a handsome contract, and we're having to work to fulfil it. The more skilled we are, the more we're expected to make – they hardly seem to care about quality. Do they think I'm so pressed for coin that I need to throw away my pride and work like a dog? I've enough from this profession already to call myself content."

He folded his burly arms in front of his chest, and nodded his irritation to himself. "Still, it'll all be done soon enough," he said. "With the campaign over, and the troops coming home."

"Oh, I wouldn't imagine it would be done," Oliver said. "There's much work to be done in the next three years of peace."

"True enough," Greeves agreed, using the opportunity to once more take control of the flow of conversation himself. "All the captured cities will need supplying with men, and new armies will be needed to be raised for the final push. There should be more soldiers needed in the years to come, not fewer."

"…That doesn't mean that I'll be forced into another contract, though," Daniel said. He didn't seem particularly confident about that fact. His words seemed more to convince himself than anyone else.

"Do you think the Guild would pass up the lucrative opportunity of making that kind of coin?" Greeves said. "Give it up. You're locked in for the next few years, at least."

"Is this all just to get me to make armour for your Lord?" Daniel said, frowning his disgust. "You didn't need to go for the hard sell. I'd already said that I'd make him a set, once I find a bit of time from these recent orders. I ain't the fastest worker, but even I'll get through them soon enough, I think."

"Aye, that's what I was getting at," Greeves grinned. "But you've got that contract with the Guild in the way. It's really putting a dampener on things, old friend."