narrow path through the treacherous mountains of steel. The three of us followed as far as we dared. The kin was the only one who could see her over the maze of debris, so I had to settle with watching the kin watch her. All the while I cursed my shortness.
After a moment and some shuffling sounds, Kewyn returned with one arm-length metal piece and handed it to the kin.
“We need three more of these. Start looking,” was all she said before she worked through the stacks of larger sheets.
Levent glanced at the sheet of metal, looking it over on all sides. Finished, he handed it to me and walked down the pathway Kewyn had used. Tucking his cloak in to keep it from snagging on something, he disappeared behind the stacks.
I turned to the half-blood then, holding up the piece.
“Shall we?”
He nodded, and we silently worked our way around the safe perimeter of the cleared area, peering into and carefully lifting our way through piles, but not eagerly digging into them. We managed to find one similar-looking piece by the time we made it around to where we started.
“Well, that’s two of four,” I muttered. “Half is not going to cut it.”
“Glass half-full, m’lady,” Rio scolded, smiling lightly.
I wiggled a finger at him. “Ah, but you’d still like another half, wouldn’t you?”
“Well you didn’t get very far,” Kewyn growled from behind the half-blood, glaring at him in particular.
“We found one,” I offered, pointing to the second piece in Rio’s hands. She glanced at it for less than a second, completely ignoring the half-blood’s cheeky grin.
“Alright. Find me two more,” she said before turning to me. “Help me look over here, will you?”
“Err,” I said as Kewyn walked off.
Rio looked slightly disappointed as we left, giving me a pitiful wave. I wondered if leaving the half-blood to his own devices was a bad idea, but I decided just to keep going. Hopefully Rio could keep himself occupied without destroying anything.
“Wait up,” I called to her.
My journey through the threatening metal forest was much slower going than the blonde’s. She stopped finally at a crossroad in the narrow paths and turned to