Gwin shuts the door behind us as we enter the main storage room. The three adventurer’s pouches are sitting on a shelf next to a recently acquired crate overflowing with about a hundred different shapes of dildoes. I figure out which bag belongs to Meri and then dump the contents out on a nearby table.

“Oh, not bad. Ah see ya stole some more practical shite from th’ Pimp, too.” Gwin is quick to scoop up all of the jewels that were hidden in the magic bag. She holds a large diamond up to her eye and licks her lips. “This is some fancy stuff, Lad. Ya gonna be sellin’ it fer the Guild?”

“I’m afraid those diamonds are going towards a much more traditional purpose,” Shaking my head, the Dwarf sets down the jewel and crosses her arms.

“An’ that would be?” She asks, despite already having her finger on the answer.

“Like most diamonds tend to be, they’re for a special woman.”

“That so?” She cracks a crass smile, leaning over the table. My eyes are immediately drawn to Gwin’s impressive cleavage that now spills out of her low-cut white tank top, but she quickly focuses my attention on her cocky glare. “Y’know, Lad. I ain’t got much reason to help ya score any new pussy. Not when things tween you an’ me are kinda... up in th’ air.” A fraction of her confidence is lost, her gaze flickers as she looks to the side.

“Gwin?” Removing my glasses, I kneel to one foot so that I can adequately look her in the eyes. “I don’t want this to sound weird or anything, but this girl is leaving in the morning. I only have one last chance to convince her to stay. Not just for me, but for the Guild. I want her to work here, just like I want you to work here, too.”

“W-Wait.” Gwin blushes and steps back. “Ye want me to like, actually fuckin’ live here an’ work an’ shite? Not like I ain’t thought about strikin’ it out on mah own, but...”

“Lots of Guilds have on-site Blacksmiths. You saw how much damage Sam and Meri’s armor took, didn’t you? Repairing it after every dangerous quest would get absurdly expensive if we don’t have someone around to do it for us.”

“...Ya don’t got th’ kinda gold fer that, Lad. Ya’d need a fully stocked forge, raw materials, an’...”

“Actually... By the sound of things, I might have enough gold to build a forge very soon. Maybe in the backyard, if you’d like that.”

Gwin looks at me with such adoration and glee that I’m taken aback. I didn’t know she could look so... sweet, innocent, and wholesome. “Fuck me mum straigh’ up her tight, neglected, cunt. Ye really ain’t fuckin’ with me are ya, Lad?”

“Not at all, Gwin. This has been on my mind for a while.”

“Ah ain’t even a real smith, though...” She sighs, looking away from me with a deep-set frown on her face. “Ah’m self-taught, an’...”

“You can learn while you’re working for me. I’ll buy you books, pay for lessons, anything you want as long as you agree to make this Guild your home.” I let a bit of my desperation shine through, and I grab Gwin by her thick, gloved hands.

Gwinlinn Shatterbrew squeezes my hands, her piercing Dwarven eyes staring straight into mine. Her cheeks continue to flare with redness until a conflicted reality settles in. She takes a step back and shakes her head, taking away her hands from mine. “No, no, no... shit’s all fuckin’ weird, here Lad. Do ya know what yer even askin’?”

“Enlighten me.”

“Ya know, my family is a buncha shits. There’s only one way they’d let me fuck off without raisin’ a stink over it.” She crosses her arms and taps her feet, waiting for me to put it together myself. Inevitably, Gwin gets tired of the ordeal and stomps her foot, saying, “Marriage, ya damn fuckin’ dumbarse!”

Smiling with smug satisfaction, I pat her on her shoulder. “I’m aware. I just wanted to see how adorable you’d look when you said it yourself.”

“FUCK OFF, ARSE FER BRAINS!” As expected, I get punched in the chest for that. It hurts deep, but it was also very worth it to see her face shine ruby red with blush. “Ah only gave ya a single fuckin handy, Lad! Fuck’re you on about askin’ me to... to do THAT with ya!”

“I was planning on talking with you about this soon, actually. You just kind of put me on the spot, Gwin, because...”

“...Ya really need the diamond work done tonight, ye?”

“Yeah... You live here in town, Gwin. I can see you, and we can talk about our future whenever we want. But for her, If I don’t do this now, then... I won’t see her again for who knows how long.”

After a moment of silence, the curvy Dwarf opens up her pouch and pulls out several large strips of leather, some assorted metal bits, some Chroma Crystals, and some tools. “...What am ah makin’ for ya, Lad?”

“A diamond collar, standard size for an adult Catfolk woman. She wears a bell at her ”

“Shit, really? Shoulda just said so, shit won’t even take five minutes,” She chuckles to herself, scooping up all the diamonds that came from Meri’s bag. Gwin’s hands start moving in that particular Dwarven way where it’s hard for the eye to follow along, but they almost certainly know what they’re doing.

True to her word, within a minute, she’s somehow already crafted a beautiful blue collar. Every few inches, Gwin has studded it with perfectly shaped diamonds. To call it resplendent wouldn’t be enough. No, this is a masterwork fit for the neck of a Catfolk Queen.

Eventually, I’m going to have her make ones for Peri and Cherry, too, but I don’t have enough rubies or sapphires to fit their respective color themes. Hopefully they won’t be too jealous of Snow when they see her collar.

Gwin dangles the completed work out in front of my nose like it were a treat and I was a dog. I try to take it in my hand, but the crafty Dwarf pulls it just out of reach. “Ah ain’t doin’ this fer free, Lad. You an’ me still got some shite to settle.”

“Gwin, please. I’ll do anything.” I look at her, pleading as I gaze at that beautiful collar.

She gets a kick out of hearing that. “Ah’ll let ya off with a kiss fer-” I don’t even let her finish. I grab Gwin by her hips, hoist her up into the air and pull the small woman to my lips. She struggles immensely as I take my first kiss from this rough, crass, yet beautiful Dwarven female. Although her body is rigid and plentiful with muscle, her lips are soft and inviting. Her tongue, while shy, finds its way into my mouth not long after we begin.

The kiss ends much sooner than I wanted it to as Gwin pulls away, red-faced and mad. “Th’ fuck ya think yer doing?! There wasn’t an ounce of romance in a kiss like that, ya fuckin’ shite fer brains! Y-Ya were just kissin’ me so ya could go and seduce some other chick, and... and!!” As she wiggles in my grasp, I find that she doesn’t actually want to escape it. Gwin is much stronger than me. She could get out of my embrace if she tried a bit harder.

“I was only giving you what you asked for,” I remind her in a playful tone.

“Y-Ye, but... ye jumped right into it, an’...”

I smile at the Dwarf and lean in. “This one’s all for you, then, Gwin. Close your eyes.”

She stares at me, biting her lower lip amid mumbling Dwarven curse words. Eventually, she closes her eyes, and the two of us melt into our second kiss. I flirt with the taste of fire on her tongue, taking in her distinct, Dwarven scent as our mouths entwine.

After this moment of sentimental intimacy draws to a close, Gwin pulls away, satisfied. “...Alrigh’, Lad. Guess that’ll do.”

“Are you sure? I definitely understand if you need some more convincing.” My playfulness has trouble keeping itself in check.

“Easy, boyo. Ya got somewhere ta be in case ya forgot.” Gwin doesn’t seem averse to the idea, judging by her cheeky grin.

“Shit,” I blink and blush. “I sort of did forget.”

Gwin is happy to hear that. “Well, ah’m glad ah ain’t the only one who liked it...” She says as she hops out of my arms and holds out Snow’s collar. As I reach out for it, she swipes it away a second time. “One other thing, Lad. Ah’d like it if we could take th’ next step together sometime, y’know?”

“Oh boy, looking forward to my next handy,” I give her a cheeky grin as I swipe the collar when her guard is done.

Gwin blushes and laughs, “Not that. I’m talkin’ bout th’ real deal, shitehead.”

“I know. We’ll figure it out soon. I promise.”

“Good on ya, now git.” The curvy Dwarf punches my shin with a big old grin, sending me on my way to deliver this beautiful collar to its rightful owner.