"You're late," she says, her amber eyes narrowing.
I snap my gaze up to her face. "I—sorry. I got held up."
"Held up," she repeats, her tone flat. "We agreed one hour. It's been almost two."
"I know, I just—"
"I don't care about excuses," she interrupts. "What I care about is whether you can actually do the job I'm paying you for. And if you're going to show up late on day one, that doesn't bode well."
"I'm here now," I say.
"Barely," she says. She pushes off the doorframe and walks toward me. "Listen. You want money for a weapon. I need someone to haul ore. But if you can't follow basic instructions, I'll find someone else. There are plenty of desperate idiots in this town."
The threat is clear. And effective.
"I can do the job," I say quickly. "I won't be late again."
"You better not be," she says. "And you better do a good job carrying that stuff for me, or I'm cutting your pay."
"That's not fair," I protest. "You didn't say anything about cutting pay for—"
"I can find anyone else for this job," she says, cutting me off. Her expression is serious. "You want this or not?"
Shit.
She's right. I need this. I need the money. I can't afford to lose this opportunity because I'm arguing about terms.
"...Okay," I say hesitantly. "Fine. I'll do a good job."
"Good," she says with a satisfied nod. Then she turns and walks toward the side of the forge. "Come on. We're wasting daylight."
I follow her around the building to a small yard in the back. There's a wooden cart there—two wheels, a long handle for pulling, and a flatbed for carrying cargo. It's empty now, but clearly well-used.
She gestures at it. "This is yours. You're hauling."
I look at the cart. It doesn't seem that heavy empty, but I have a feeling it's going to be a different story once it's loaded with rocks and metal.
I grab the handle and test the weight. It rolls easily enough on the cobblestones.
"Where are we going?" I ask.
"The mine," she says, already walking toward the edge of town. "About twenty minutes from here. We'll gather what we need and come back before dark."
I follow her, pulling the cart behind me.
The walk to the mine takes us out of Millhaven proper and into the surrounding countryside.
The cobblestone streets give way to packed dirt roads. Buildings become sparse, then disappear entirely, replaced by open fields and scattered trees.
Renna walks ahead of me with confident strides, not looking back to see if I'm keeping up. The tool belt sways with her hips as she walks. I try not to stare.
I fail.
We pass a few other travelers on the road—a farmer with a wagon full of hay, a group of what look like adventurers heading toward town, a woman leading a goat.
They all nod or wave at Renna.
She nods back but doesn't stop to chat.
The landscape is beautiful in a rustic way.
Rolling hills covered in grass, wildflowers dotting the fields, the afternoon sun casting everything in warm golden light. In the distance, I can see mountains, their peaks capped with snow.
It's peaceful. Almost makes me forget that this world is actively trying to kill me.
Almost.
After about twenty minutes of walking, Renna turns off the main road onto a smaller path that leads up a hill.
The path is rougher here, more rocks and roots. The cart bounces and rattles behind me.
And then I see it.
The mine.
It's built into the side of the hill—a large opening framed with wooden supports, leading into darkness.
There's a small structure outside the entrance, maybe a storage shed, and piles of discarded rock scattered around the area.
The mine looks old. The wooden supports are weathered and gray. Some of the rock piles are overgrown with moss and weeds.
"This is it," Renna says, stopping at the entrance. "We'll be working in the upper tunnels. Nothing too deep. Just surface ore and loose deposits."
She pulls a lantern from her tool belt—I didn't even notice she had it—and lights it with a match. The flame catches, casting warm light across her face.
"Stay close," she says. "Don't wander off. And watch your head."
She steps into the mine entrance and disappears into the darkness.
I follow, pulling the cart behind me.
The inside of the mine is cooler than outside, the temperature dropping noticeably as we move away from the entrance.
The tunnel is maybe eight feet tall and ten feet wide, the walls rough-hewn rock. Wooden support beams are spaced every few feet, holding up the ceiling.
The air smells like earth and stone and something metallic.
Water drips somewhere in the darkness ahead.
Our footsteps echo off the walls.
Renna's lantern is the only source of light, creating a small bubble of visibility around us.
Beyond that... darkness.