After saying goodnight to Eilaen, she nimbly climbed the stairs, two at a time despite her friend’s pleas to be careful, visions of her new project running through her head. Though there was plenty of work to be done, Kaida knew that every moment of it would be worth it. Sleep came easily, her visions continuing in her dreams, even well after she’d fallen asleep.

Four

Two days later, Kaida found herself in front of the bakery once again. She could feel the smile on her face growing wider thanks to the frost left by the cold wind blowing across her face. The wind was blowing so fiercely it was throwing leftover snow into the air as it whipped around her. She took a deep breath in, closing her eyes. The crisp air caused her lungs to ache, but as she stood there with stars shining in her eyes, she saw her vision come to life. 

Looking through the window, she could picture her fellow townsfolk as they sat circled around the tables. She could hear them laughing as they drank their hot cocoa and munched on their choice of cookies or flakey pastries. She could already smell the rich aroma of chocolate, nutmeg, and peppermint mocha as fresh cookies and cakes baked in the ovens, the kitchen door swinging open causing the scents in the air to stir around. The clattering of mugs and teacups as they were placed on saucers was so loud in her mind that she swore it was actually occurring inside the building she stood in front of. 

The distant sound of heavy footsteps crunching through the snow pulled Kaida out of her head. Blinking rapidly, she looked over to see a dwarf moving towards her. Abruptly, he came to a stop in front of her, shoving his thick hands into his pockets and furrowing his brows. “Are you Kaida or are you Eilaen?” his gruff voice asked, his words rough and gravely. 

She looked up at him. He wasn’t much taller than she was, just enough to where for her to have to tilt her face up, and he smelled of wood shavings, iron, and coal. His face was barely visible, save for two patches on each side where his thick, bushy, reddish-brown beard didn’t meet his lower lashes. His nose was wide, but not long. His eyes were the loveliest shade of yellow-green Kaida had ever seen and the thick brows that sat directly above them matched his beard. There was something peculiar about this dwarf that drew her in. He made her feel safe, which was a strange thought since she’d never met him before. Though his body language suggested he was a no-nonsense kind of dwarf, she had a gut feeling that she could trust him.

“Oh! Hullo. I’m Kaida. Pleased to meet ya. And you are…?” Kaida cheerily replied, her voice trailing off at the end of her greeting. 

“Name’s Elkhean. Heard ya was lookin’ for someone to do some work around a new bakery,” he replied, his tone a touch softer, his body relaxing a smidge.

“Why yes! I am. I was just coming in for the day. I have some deliveries that are supposed to be making an appearance today, and I wanted to make sure they didn’t sit on the wet ground for too long.” Kaida smiled at the dwarf as she reached into her pocket for the keys Eilaen had given her. 

Kaida slid the key into the lock and twisted it until she heard the soft click of the mechanism inside unlocking. The door took two shoves to open, the frame now swollen from the moisture in the air. 

“Need to fix that,” Elkhean stated as he walked through the doorway, jotting it down in a small notebook he pulled from his pocket. 

As the two of them entered the bakery, Kaida nervously watched as he looked around, seeming to inspect every inch of the bakery, writing notes with each observation. He stepped around the room slowly, trying not to miss a single spot in the entire lobby. After he seemed satisfied, he looked back at Kaida. “Kitchen’s through this door?” he asked before walking through it, not bothering to wait for her confirmation. 

Kaida walked through the door a few steps behind him, stopping when she heard him whistle. She winced at the realization that this remodel was going to be a lot more costly than she initially realized. She carefully stepped further into the kitchen, taking care not to distract him or draw any unnecessary attention to herself. She watched as he shuffled, squatted, stretched, and leaned. She listened as he made noises that ranged from “hms” and “mhms” to grunts of disapproval and clucks of his tongue. After what seemed like forever, she finally found the nerve to stand next to him where he was planted in the middle of the room. 

“So, erm. Mr. Elkhean, sir. What’s the, uh, problem?” Kaida’s words came out timidly. She could tell by the way he refused to meet her eyes that the news was going to be painful and she knew it would be better if it was given to her straight rather than him skirting around the problematic areas to spare her feelings. 

“Well, Ms. Kaida. There’s good news an’ bad news. What would ya like first?” Elkhean asked. 

Kaida winced. “The... The bad news, I guess?” Uncertainty filled her words, and it was obvious he noticed.

“Okay. Well, Ms. Kaida, I’m not in the business o’ sugar coatin’ the bad news. This place? It’s a disaster. It’s a wreck. I don’t know how long it was left empty, but time has done quite a bit o’ damage to it. Repairs ain’t gonna be easy or cheap. In fact, you’re lookin’ at two, maybe three months o’ work here.” He waited for a few moments for Kaida to process the news before continuing. “Good news is, I can do it all for ya. Floors, walls, counters, cabinets, paintin’, plumbin’. Ev’ry bit o’ it. Can even build a chimney and fireplace in the front for ya should ya want it.”

Shocked wasn’t even the word Kaida would have used to describe how she felt. “All… All of it? You can do all of it?” The words barely made their way off of her tongue.

“Yes’m. All o’ it. Well, me and my crew o’ dwarves. S’long as ya don’t mind me bringin’ in helpers. They’re included in the cost, not added in as extras,” the dwarf replied, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. 

“Okay.” Kaida took a deep breath, slowly exhaled it before smiling. She turned to look at him. “Mr. Elkhean, would you like to come for dinner so that you can meet my business partner slash best friend? We can eat and discuss costs and other matters over some hot food rather than standing in this freezing building.”

He took a moment to consider her offer. As he did, the small patches of skin that were visible twitched at the edges of his mouth turned up in a small smile under his thick beard. The corners of his eyes crinkled as his mouth stretched out further into the first real smile Kaida had seen from him all afternoon. “Ms. Kaida, I’d love to be joinin’ ya for dinner.”

Kaida gave him her address, as well as directions, and told him that she’d meet him at the front gate when he arrived. He smiled at her again and, taking her hand into his, assured her that her bakery would be in good hands. Before leaving the kitchen, he looked around briefly one last time, promising that he would bring a detailed list of materials needed, as well as ideas of how to maximize the space within the kitchen itself. The two walked outside of the bakery, stopping long enough for Kaida to lock the door and pocket the key before they stepped off the sidewalk and parted ways.

Five

Kaida was on cloud nine when she arrived back at the farm a short while later. After walking Sorrel into the stable and taking care of her after their trip to and from town, she rushed back into the house and called for Eilaen.

“So, Ellie. What are we having for dinner?” Kaida said, pulling a small chunk of her lip between her teeth.

“I, uh... I don’t know? I haven’t thought about it. I actually didn’t realize that it was close to time to cook until you came barrelling through the door. Why?” Eilaen asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

“I may or may not have invited someone to dinner. Tonight. Like tonight kind of tonight. A dwarf, actually. Well, more than a dwarf. He’s our contractor. I think? Or maybe our possible contractor? I don’t know. Either way, he’s coming for dinner so that the three of us can discuss everything as far as costs and materials and whatnot. So, what do you think is going to be for dinner?” Kaida knew that her nervousness was causing her to ramble, but she was struggling to stop talking. 

Eilaen laughed. “Well, it’s cold out. I noticed a thin layer of snow when I was chasing Tillard back into the barn. That dreadful pig is going to freeze to death if he doesn’t stay in the barn with all the other animals in this weather. I suppose it would be best to make a big pot of soup. Potato or vegetable?” she said, offering Kaida the choice between their two favorites. 

Kaida suggested vegetable soup, hoping that Elkhean would like it. Come to think of it, she thought to herself, I don’t know much about dwarven eating habits. While Eilaen prepared and cooked the soup, Kaida sifted through her cookbook to find a recipe for dessert, stopping when she found one for peppermint mocha chocolate chip cookies. “Hmm”, she mumbled softly. “Never made this one before.” 

As the dough for the bread bowls sat on the side of the island for their first rise cycle, Kaida began to summon over the ingredients she needed for the cookie dough. She was excited to find that she had just enough peppermint shavings for two dozen cookies and pointed them over to the side as she sifted through her stash of chocolate chips and substituted the milk chocolate chips for dark chocolate chips, craving the richness that they would bring. To her right, she lined up eggs, butter, and a vial of vanilla extract. In front of her, she drifted over a large bowl where she combined white sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda. When all of these items were blended together, she whisked in the chocolate chips and peppermint shavings. She then smoothly slid the bowl to the top right edge of the island before moving to collect her wet ingredients.

Slowly, she folded in the egg before blending the vanilla extract into the ingredients in front of her. Once the butter had softened, Kaida whisked it in until it was sufficiently incorporated into the mixture. She switched gears for a moment, turning back to the bread dough for dinner. After she punched it, she dumped the bowl onto a floured portion of the island and began to knead it before shaping it into the rounded shape she needed. After she had started the process to let it rise a second time, she whipped back around to where the cookie dough rested. Kaida then scooped it into identical dollops, dropping the little balls on the metal sheets sitting on the countertop in front of her. With a flick of her wrist, she opened the oven and slipped the sheets into the opened wood stove for baking. 

It didn’t take long before the deliciously crisp aroma of the cookies began to drift out of the stove, mixing pleasantly with the scents coming from Eilaen’s soup. Needing something to do with her hands while she waited for the cookies to finish and for her to be able to put the bread bowls into the oven, Kaida filled the kettle and settled it on the hot stove. 

Soon, the kettle whistled and she grabbed her teacup, pouring the steaming water over the tea leaves. The blend she had chosen was a lavender and lemon blend that she’d created on a whim. The lavender was soothing and mixed well with the twang that the lemon contributed. It made her feel bright, awake, and focused. 

As she waited for it to cool, she wandered into the den to straighten up the couch and chair cushions, stroking the fire to ensure it would stay warm enough for their guest. She wracked her brain for any information she’d absorbed over the years, but quickly realized she didn’t know much about dwarves. Most of the knowledge she’d obtained involved the professions they typically worked in, which mostly included heavy work such as blacksmithing, mining, construction, and geode sifting. 

Other than that, she knew they typically didn’t care for elves, they didn’t really have much in the way of magic, they could hold their own when given copious amounts of mead or ale, and they really hated their lack of stature being used against them. She also thought she’d heard at one time that they preferred a meat and potatoes type of meal but wasn’t sure if that was true or not. You couldn’t always trust the Galbassi Gossip Network to get their facts correct in most situations. 

She glanced at the small table she and Eilaen had recently bought for the den to work on plans for the bakery and realized it would be the perfect place to keep up with her lists, as well as the invoices and receipts for the renovations. Something in her told her that Elkhean would be the perfect dwarf for the job, especially since he was the only being to bother to show up and assess their property’s current situation. She also appreciated how he had also asked to discuss everything pertaining to materials and costs instead of turning around and bolting straight out the door after seeing the project at hand. No, Kaida told herself. There wasn’t anyone else for this job. It’s him. I don’t know what makes me so sure, but Elkhean is the only being I want to make this dream turn into reality. 

She sat in her favorite chair and sipped her tea, the aroma of the bread baking beginning to drift into the den almost immediately after her bum connected with the seat. With a wave of her hand, she pulled the bread bowls out and, with Eilaen’s loud, frantic guidance, gently eased the tray onto the island. Her magic was growing by leaps and bounds these days, and the new things that she could do had begun to appear almost daily. She’d just finished her cup of tea when a noise from outside caught her attention. Peeking through the den’s window, she saw Elkhean approaching the gate.

“Ellie! I’ll be back in a moment! Our new friend is here and I promised to meet him at the gate!” Kaida shouted, slipping her feet into her boots and draping her thick cloak around her shoulders.

She opened the door, immediately being greeted by a frosty gust of air and her nose instantly felt cold as ice. Closing the door behind her, she walked the short trek down the path and to the gate. As she reached her side of the gate, Elkaen had reached his. She smiled at him and waved vigorously, unlatching it so he could step through. Quickly, she ushered him to the door, but not before wondering how he wasn’t frozen to death without thicker clothing and more layers. 

“Good evening, Elkhean! Did you find us okay?” she asked nervously. The effect he had on her was slightly unnerving. It was a sensation she wasn’t used to feeling. She’d never been so nervous around anyone in her entire life. 

He grunted a noise that she took to mean yes and motioned for him to follow her into the house. The moment the door was shut behind her, the warmth that filled the entryway began to envelop her, thawing her nose out. With a shudder, she slid her cloak and boots off, placing them against the wall in their designated places. 

“Through here. Follow me,” she told him as she steered him towards the den. Once they reached the den, she stopped and turned back to him. “You’re more than welcome to sit here in the den, or you can follow me into the kitchen and meet Eilaen. It’s up to you.” She gave him her best smile and turned to walk into the kitchen, hearing his heavy footsteps trail behind her. Once in the kitchen, she beckoned him into the room rather than the doorway he stopped at. “Elkhean, this is Eilaen. She’s my best friend, soul sister, and business partner.” She turned to Eilaen. “Ellie, this is Elkhean, our new contractor. At least, I think he is. He certainly seemed as if he was confident in his ability to complete every single one of the jobs we’ll need done to open the bakery.”

She could feel her cheeks turning as red as the thick tomato paste Eilaen used in the vegetable soup. As Eilaen and Elkhean acquainted themselves with one another, Kaida turned her focus to the bread bowls and sliced into them, hollowing them out to hold their soup. When finished, she gently slid them onto plates and poured soup into the center of each one. After clapping her hands together to dust the crumbs off, she turned back to Elkhean and Eilaen and smiled. “Dinner is ready!” she exclaimed, grabbing three large, wooden cups and carrying them to the table.

She came out of their stockroom carrying two pitchers of mead, and Eilaen grabbed hers and Kaida’s plates. Elkhaen picked up his own and followed the halflings into the dining room. After they were all seated comfortably, they began to eat. The room was almost too silent, the atmosphere thick with a strange mixture of awkwardness and anticipation, the tension waiting on someone to speak first and break it. It made Kaida’s skin crawl, and she could feel her mind trying to spiral with the thoughts being held captive for too long. She had never done well in silent rooms for this very reason.

Determined to be the one to break through the thickness, she looked towards the dwarf who, if possible, looked just as uncomfortable as she felt. “Thank you so much for joining us tonight, Elkhean! I wasn’t sure what dwarves preferred food wise, so I hope this is okay?” she asked, uncertainty twisting through her.

“Yes. This is good. My compliments to the chef. I’m assumin’ that’s you, Eilaen?” Elkhean replied, looking up at Eilaen for the first time since sitting at the table. 

“Yes! Thank you! But if you think the soup was good, wait until you try Kaida’s cookies! They smell wonderful and taste even better than they smell,” Eilaen replied, beaming at Kaida.

“Speaking of, I’ll be back in a moment!” Kaida lept from her seat and made her way into the kitchen, returning to the dining room in just a few moments. “Here. Try these! I made a new-to-me recipe, and you will not believe how amazing they are until you eat one.” She offered cookies to Eilaen and Elkhean before grabbing one for herself.

Elkhean finished his and then asked for another before eating the second just as quickly as he ate the first. By the time the girls had each finished two cookies, their new dwarven companion had devoured a dozen of the cookies on his own. Eilaen’s eyes looked at the platter and then back to Elkhean in surprise, while Kaida did her best to suppress a surprised giggle. When finished, he wiped the crumbs from his mouth before draining his mug in one large gulp. 

Wiping the beads of mead off of his mustache and shaking the remaining cookie crumbs from his beard, he looked at Kaida. “Ms. Kaida. That was the best little dessert I have ever eaten in my life.” He looked at the almost empty platter that sat on the table. “I’m sorry for eatin’ most o’ what you made. I don’t think I ever ate anythin’ that tasted like that,” he sheepishly grinned as he apologized.