Dalarn heaved a sigh as he studied the misshapen piece of metal that was supposed to be an adjustment knob. It was no use. He was simply not a good enough smith to create some of the parts for his telescope, and with the smith who had been helping him away studying, it looked as if he was going to have to find another metal worker.

He picked up a copy of the plans and made his way to the workshops. In the first he came to a young woman was hard at work on some project or other. Knowing not to disturb a smith at work, Dalarn sat down to wait.

Ariala hadn't noticed the man come in, but as she put all her concentration into the piece of decorative edging she was working on, she became aware of an audience. Ok, so that's not so bad, she told herself. You've got a fan. You can live with that. That was her first mistake. She should have asked him to go. She hated people watching her work.

Then she made her second mistake. She looked at him. Ooh, handsome, she thought before she could help it.

The hot metal slipped under the clamp and sent sparks flying all over the workbench. Ari swore, stepping back and nursing her singed left hand. She could smell burnt hair and made a face at the stench. "Look what you made me do," she said, addressing the man.

Dalarn nearly jumped out of his skin. Feeling guilty for having disturbed her, he got to his feet. "Are you hurt? You should put that hand in cold water. I'm very sorry..."

Ariala chuckled at his reaction, but put the hand in the bucket of cold water she used for cooling hot metal as she worked with it. "I'll be fine. Just a little singed is all." She paused, looking the man over. He may have been attractive, but she couldn't remember seeing him around before. "I'm sorry, but are you supposed to be here?"

"Er... possibly," said Dalarn sheepishly. "I'm a astronomer." He waved the plans to add credibility to his story. "I was looking for a metal worker to do some work on a project. Do you know anyone who has the time?"

Wiping her hands on the protective apron she wore when metal-working, Ariala considered this thoughtfully. She almost recommended a fellow smith who was showing some real talent in working with the sharp angles and knobs and knockers that the astronomer would need, but stopped herself. "Well," she said slowly after a moment. "I've almost finished here. Just a few more minutes and I'm done for the day. What exactly were you looking for?"

"It's mostly fiddly work - the focusing knobs and the mounts for the lenses. They're the most difficult - they have to be exactly the right size or the telescope won't fit together properly," Dalarn explained, handing over the plans. "I don't suppose you'd have too many problems, but I was never the best metalworker and my lack of practice is starting to show."

Ariala looked over the plans with a practised eye, making little 'hmm' sounds and nodding approvingly of the occasional very well-designed part. Not that the whole thing wasn't well-done, though. It really did look quite impressive. Not being a astronomer, however, she wasn't entirely sure how it would work once fitted together. The main part was that by the looks of things, she could manage the parts the astronomer needed without difficulty. Finishing her perusal, Ari looked up with a smile and a little nod. "Consider it done. I'm Ariala by the way," she added as an after-thought.

"Dalarn. And my thanks for your help. Keep the plans - I've got copies." He smiled. "And you can be one of the first to look through it, if you like. As long as it works, that is. It might not."

The metal worker smiled her thanks and rolled the hide up into a neat scroll. "That's very kind of you to offer. When do you need the parts by?"

"I'd like to complete the telescope as soon as I can, but there's no rush. It's not exactly a high-priority project," Dalarn admitted ruefully. "Don't let it get in the way of any of your own work. If you let me know when you're working on it, I could come down and help out. Although I might be more of a hindrance considering how rusty my
metalwork is."

"No problem," Ariala said with a nod and a smile. "I'd never give up an opportunity to spend time with a handsome smith," she added with a grin and a mischievous little wink. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, then? If you can make it early enough maybe we can go out and get something to eat before work."

"Early? Um... sure..." Dalarn was caught off guard by the compliment. He hadn't thought about what women might think of him for a long time. Recovering himself, he managed a mock-fierce expression. "Be warned though, I'm not a morning person. I'll probably be as grumpy as a queen guarding her clutch."

Ari grinned. "I've never met a queen before. I'm sure it'll be a very educational experience." With another wink, she picked up her work, and walked out of the room without a backwards glance. Smiling to herself.

Dalarn felt a little self-conscious wandering near the small houses occupied by the metal workers of the area this late in the evening. He was prepared to put up with the knowing looks, however. It was the perfect night for stargazing - clear and cool - and he'd completed his telescope the day before.

He found the right door and knocked, hoping Ariala wasn't already asleep.

She hadn't meant to be asleep. Hunched over her desk, designs for a new piece she was to start constructing tomorrow crumpled underneath her head. The sharp rap on the door sent them flying, however, and, sleepy-eyed and groggy, she rose to the door with a mutter.

The man she saw on tugging at the door-handle which constantly stuck seemed familiar. She stared blankly until her sleep-fogged mind put a name and a situation to the face. "Dalarn," she exclaimed, surprised.

"I've woken you up," he said apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry. Only it's a clear night and I'm going to try out my telescope for the first time. I thought you might want to see."

Ariala immediately brightened. "I'd love to! And don't worry about sleep - I never get enough anyway, don't see why tonight should change," she added with a grin. "Just let me grab a coat and then lead the way."

Dalarn had set up his telescope a little way away from the main viewing room of the observatory, so he had just enough light to see what he was doing. He peered through and twiddled the adjustment knobs a fraction, then stood aside and held out a hand to present it. "All yours, my lady. I've turned it towards the moon."

It certainly looked impressive. Ariala noted the various pieces she'd made for the telescope with pride before leaning forward and attempting to look through the eyepiece. Well, what she thought was the eyepiece anyway. "I don't see anything," she remarked with more than a little confusion.

"Well, it would help if you looked through the right hole," Dalarn pointed out, trying to restrain himself from bursting out laughing and almost succeeding. "That one's where the telescope's bolted to the tripod. This one here is the eyepiece."

"Oh. Of course." Ariala mumbled something under her breath about contraptions and their uses, but managed not to be too obvious about it. She leaned in closer and looked at the small eyepiece - alright, so it did look a little more like somewhere your eye should be - head askew. Here goes nothing, she thought to herself and put her right eye against the piece, squinching the left one shut when it was obvious it could only distract from the amazing sights she saw through the contraption.

Dalarn had mentioned that it was pointed towards the moon, but Ariala accepted this with more than a little dubiousness. This crater-filled multi-shaded surface couldn't possibly be the moon they saw every night in the sky. It was bright and circular and smooth-surfaced.

The metal worker pulled away from the telescope and looked at Dalarn, eyebrow raised. "Are you sure this is the moon? It looks more like a picture of someone's lint-filled pocket to me."

"It's the moon all right, or I'm not worth my rank." Dalarn waved a hand in front of the lens. "See my hand - I didn't paint a moon-shape on the inside, although I might have been tempted if it turned out not to work." He gazed up at the sky. "People say it's more beautiful when it looks so perfect, like a tiny silver disc, but I don't know. The craters make you realise that what you're seeing is another world. I think that's rather astounding."

Ariala nodded slowly, pulling away and taking a breath. "Wow. That really describes it well, huh? It's incredible." She looked at Dalarn, cocking her head. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Looking at the stars? Since I was a little boy. I used to pester my father to name the constellations for me until I was old enough to remember them myself. Then we both made the journey to the observatory and I became an apprentice. It was a wonderful time then..." He shook his head and bent to peer through the telescope again, turning it slightly to focus on a group of stars. "What about you? Did you always want to be a smith?"

"As far back as I remember," Ari replied, her eyes following Dalarn's fingers. "I was always good with my hands, even when I was too little to make anything useful, I'd come up with these amazing contraptions of bits and pieces just randomly stuck together. But," she added with a laugh, "They never came apart! Last time I went home my parents still had their favourite 'junk-a-la-Ariala' on display!"

>Dalarn chuckled. "Early talent showing through. But truly, your skill and commitment to my little project has been marvellous. I doubt you'll ever need a astronomer's services," he said with a wry grin, "but if you ever want a favour I'll be willing to help out. I think I can remember enough from my apprentice days to be trusted to hand you tools while you work."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," the smith smiled softly. "And I enjoyed working on it. It's a little different than a lot of the silly trinkets and fancies that I get commissioned to do more often than not. Useful always was more my style. If you ever need my help again, don't hesitate to ask," she added.

"I'm getting ideas already," the astronomer admitted, looking thoughtfully at his creation. He laughed. "Don't get me started - you'll have a job for life if you're not careful."

Ariala laughed, warming to the astronomer. "Well, all you need is to ask." Her mirth dissipated and she looked a little sad. "I should really be getting back. "I have an early start tomorrow and all. Thanks for letting me see... that," she added, not quite sure if she'd grasped the idea of the whole telescope thing. She turned to go before Dalarn could say something funny and make her hang around any longer. "I hope I see you around some time," she said with a smile as she started to leave.

"I'm sure you will," he replied, surprised and somewhat hopeful. "Good night!"