Closed Everything's Better with Leather (Garran)

[Nikomas]

The Seventh Day of the Spring Season, Five Hundred and Thirteen Years After the Valterrian

[Nikomas]

As Nikomas entered Laria's Furs he was pleased to see the place nearly brimming over with business. It meant two things to the young man. The first being, that if he were to procure a position with the shop, the flow of mizas promised to be steady. The other being, he could certainly use the current situation to his advantage as he made a plea for employment. Clearly, the shop owner, Mistress Laria Skyglow, needed a good deal more help than that which was provided by the single set of hands her son offered. Nikomas watched, waited, and listened as she called for him now. If the leatherworker's research was correct, a young man would soon emerge from the backroom, which contained the shop's crafting space. "Arvas, please, come out here and take this poor man's measurements," she nearly begged in the sweetest, most controlled voice she could muster as she assisted a group of lovely young ladies and, what appeared to be, their mother with an assortment of fur capes. "He's been very patient with us, but I have a feeling his kindness will flutter away on the wind, within the next few moments, if we fail to attend to him this instant." Sure enough, from a doorway at the rear of the shop, came a tall, somewhat thin, yet pleasant-looking young man with a set of tools in one hand and a neatly-trimmed wedge of fur in the other. He appeared lost in his thoughts as he approached the large counter that dominated the center of the room. His eyes met those of his mother's as he placed the items down and then proceeded to snatch up a measuring tape from some unseen cubby behind the counter. Within several chimes, he had the details they would need to craft a pair of leather riding pants for the ever-so-patient man. Nikomas continued to observe - while he pretended to shop for a pair of boots - as the two performed something akin to a carefully choreographed dance among the throng of patrons. As the mother would finish with one patron or group of patrons, the son would pick up where she left off, closing the sale and sending them on their way as efficiently as he could. This went on for nearly an entire bell, before the steady stream of customers finally became a bit more manageable. It was at this point that Nikomas thought he should approach the owner. Why not strike at the first opportunity? However, just as he was making his way across the shop's open display space, a young man, roughly the same age in appearance as Laria's son, approached first. He had the look of a seasoned horseman about him, someone who either rode, raised, or did both for a living. The young Vantha truly hoped that he was correct in assuming this, because if the man standing before him was looking for work as well, Nikomas wouldn't stand a chance against him. Someone with several more seasons of experience would certainly win out.

[Garran Frostfawn]

The warmth of the sun’s rays caressed Garran’s face as he walked with a fast gait towards the furrier’s shop. This early in the season, Syna’s gift was still only a teasing taste of what was to come – a harbinger of lengthening days, a final cessation to the snowfall, and the return of their goddess to her frozen city of the far north. For Garran, it heralded more specifically an exciting and much anticipated time of the year – which brought with it the new arrivals in the Frostfawn stables. Experiencing new life being brought into the world, spindly legged foals that were the result of careful thought and planning over the course of years, more than made up for the sleepless nights of watching and waiting with the broodmares. But at this moment, Garran paid little heed to sun or Spring or foals yet to come. He was a man on a mission and he walked along with a purpose – there was a reason he had the nickname “Rush” – and mentally he was already leaping ahead to the tasks of the day that lay beyond this visit to Laria’s shop. He was in hopes the visit wouldn’t prove futile. But if such was the case, he’d simply have to keep looking. Surely there was someone in Avanthal that could mend a broken bit of harness without undue delay. Reaching the three storied wooden building that housed the Skyglow’s fur shop, Garran stepped inside, his vision momentarily obscured with the transition from bright sunlight to moderately dim interior. It was warm as well, and he might have removed his coat, but – he hoped this wasn’t going to take that long. Having knocked the snow from his boots at the doorway, and possibly a bit of extraneous barn detritus, he looked about as his eyes adjusted, and was pleased that there were not too many other customers loitering about. That should make his mission go a fair bit faster, he thought, stepping further in and striding to the service counter. Behind this stood a young Vantha, son of the proprietor, and Garran greeted him with an easy grin. “Arvas, good to see you. How’s it going?” He was already pulling the pack he had slung on his back around and sliding it off his shoulder, letting it plop down on the wooden counter. “Is your mom about? I have a job I need done and I’m a bit pressed for time. It needed doing yesterday, you might say, except I didn’t know about it yesterday.” He chuckled and began to pull a broad length of leather from the sack. Taking one end between his thumb and fingers he displayed the three short lengths, two of which ended in buckles. The third was clearly torn or ripped and where there should have probably been a buckle, there was nothing. “I went to harness up one of the sleigh horses this morning and found this. Whoever last used it must have forgotten to tell anyone it needed fixing. And I’m going to need it this afternoon. You think your mom can get someone on it? I know you stay busy.” He looked about at the few customers who were still in the shop. “Looks like you have a bit of a lull, though.” Garran slid his hand in his pocket and pulled out a shiny bit of brass – the replacement for the missing buckle. “I’m no craftsman, but it shouldn’t take so very long, should it?” he asked, optimistically.

[Nikomas]

Oh! He's here for a repair. Thank the maker, Nikomas inwardly rejoiced as he took a step closer and waited for the perfect moment to step in. It was coming. He could feel it. "This is the quietest it's been all day," Arvas informed the patron with a lopsided smile as he ran a hand through his already messy mop of hair. "We have at least a dozen orders lined up before we would even be able to look at your repair. I'm sorry, Garran, but it's probably not going to get fixed until sometime late tomorrow. If even then." Just then, Laria, looking rather harried, returned from the backroom and swiftly made her way toward the counter where her son was still standing. "Garran, how are you?" she haphazardly inquired as she began to sort through the slips of parchment that contained the numerous orders she and her son had acquired in the last bell. "Please, forgive me, but...I...I can't seem to find...Arvas, have you seen the order for the three fur capes? I have to start work on that today or it will never be finished in time for the poor girl's union ceremony." "It was here earlier," her son replied as he too began to sift through the papers. "I know it was, but it's not here now. Oh, and, you need to get working on this order," she insisted as she thrust a slip of paper at him, "for the riding pants. We made that poor man wait far too long." "But...I need to get back to work on the order I was doing this morning," he replied as he picked up his tools, along with the wedge of fur, which he had abandoned on the counter earlier. "How has it come to this?" Laria suddenly exclaimed in a voice that rang with both frustration and exhaustion as she leaned against the counter. "I'm sorry, Garran. Did you need something?" she casually inquired as she began to rub her throbbing temples. "If I overheard correctly, he has a quick repair," Nikomas chimed in as he approached the three of them. "Forgive my intrusion, but I couldn't help not notice that the two of you are swamped," he continued as he motioned to the stack of order slips. "It would by my pleasure to lend you my skills, Mistress Laria, and, in time, perhaps you would be willing to consider me for more than that. There are numerous outdoor events occurring this season, which means your business will continue to be strong. Now may be the perfect time to bring on an extra set of hands...not that I'm saying you haven't already noticed that yourself...but...well..." "And you are?" Arvas inquired as he stepped out from behind the counter and approached the young Vantha. "Nikomas, son of Borys and Vanmria Frostfawn." "Ha!" Laria snapped, rather unexpectedly, as she whirled around to face him. "Why...why would I want you to help me?" she demanded as she too took a step closer. "You are the offspring of my greatest competitors. I would be mad to allow you access to my shop!" "But...I...that's why...I...I just thought," Nikomas sputtered as he began to back away. "Please leave," Arvas insisted as he advanced, pointing toward the shop's front door.

[Garran Frostfawn]

Garran’s optimistic smile fell with Arvas’ disappointing words. But like a rabbit hopping back from its hole out into the sun, it reappeared almost magically as the boy’s mother came out from the back of the shop. “Laria, how are you? You’re looking well,” he began, perhaps hoping that the woman might be better swayed to his needs than her son had been. If so, her distracted air soon shot down such hope as swiftly and surely as a arrow. Though she returned his greeting, that was about all that seemed likely to be forthcoming, as she rummaged about for an order slip and gave orders to her son, who balked and protested that he already had much on his plate. Garran made a little funny face, with lips scrunched together in vexation – both at being ignored and at coming up empty handed in his quest for getting his harness repaired. Finally, Laria turned her fragmented attention back to the horse trainer. But before he could reply, his mouth already open to do so, a third party, to his side, spoke up and answered for him, in a manner of speaking. Garran turned to look at the interloper, with his brow already pulled down, ready to demand this other one wait his turn, for he assumed it was yet another customer. However, it seemed the young man - for such he was, Garran saw, looking him up and down – was more interested in finding employment at the shop, and using Garran’s need for to serve his own purpose. Well – that was slick. He had launched into a little spiel about how and why his services could be of use to Laria and now Garran was really frowning. He wouldn’t mind if the guy would put his needle where his mouth was – assuming that he really had any skill at leatherwork – but all this talk was getting Garran no closer to a mended girth strap. It occurred to Garran that actually, he thought he knew this younger man – he looked very familiar. And when Arvas asked the fellow his name, and Nikomas replied, Garran’s eyes widened a bit. Zivan’s little brother?! Hmm…and of course a Frostfawn, so they even shared a last name, though that meant little enough. How many Frostfawns were there? He gave the younger Vantha a closer scrutiny – it had been more than a few years since he had knowingly seen or been around Nikomas, though he did remember him, if only slightly. But Garran and Ziv went way back – oh, yes, there were some tales to tell about the things they had gotten up to as boys. Garran was just about to interrupt this employment pitch and 1) make himself known to Nikomas and 2) try to get this conversation back on track – specifically the ‘let’s fix my broken harness’ track – when his eyes widened the more. It would seem Ziv’s parents’ names were not unknown to the Skyglows either – and apparently there was some not so good blood between them. Nikomas seemed taken aback too, and Garan’s gaze went from Nikomas to Laria to Arvas and then back to Nicomas, wondering what the fuss was all about and wishing someone would get down to telling him how and when he could get his damned harness fixed. On second thought, Garran realized that this blunt rejection of a member of his own Hold didn’t exactly sit so well with him. Sure, there might be upwards of a thousand Frostfawns, but surely they still should have one another’s backs, right? He threw an intervening hand between Arvas and the unnerved looking Nikomas and said, “That doesn’t seem called for now, Arvas.” His eyes, bleeding to orangey-gold, went to the woman. “Laria? Don’t you want to at least see what the boy has to offer?” Garran looked around at the shop and nodded in a pointed fashion at the various heaps of work waiting to be done on the counter. “Looks like youcould use a hand, or risk losing your customers – to the competition.” He gave her another slight nod. “Is that what you want?” With a bit of a devilish glint in his eyes, Garran put out a hand to Nikomas’ shoulder, staying his backward steps. He held the broken piece of harness up, and offered magnanimously, “Here. Let him show you what he can do.” His gaze going to Nikomas, he asked, “You can stitch this up in no time, right Niko?”

[Nikomas]

One chime he was being asked to leave the shop and the very next his career - as well as his rather naïve arse - was being rescued by the patron in need of a repair. At this point, Nikomas' head was spinning, but he had it in him to deal with the confusion and push forward. This was his time to shine. This was his moment to make a difference. This was his chance to... Shyke! My tools, he inwardly lamented as he stepped forward, allowing the supportive man's hand to slip from his shoulder. Okay. Here goes nothing. "I...I can do the repair," the young Vantha began to respond in a somewhat hesitant voice as his hands begin to clam up, "as long as I'm allowed to use the tools of the shop, for I have left mine at home, seeing that there are far too many of them to carry about...plus, it would've been somewhat bold of me to assume that I would be needing them so soon. No?" Meeting the cold, hard gaze of Laria, Nikomas did his best to stand his ground without appearing too forward. This was not how he had pictured this happening and this certainly wasn't how he wanted to start things off with his future employer. However, he had the support of this stranger, which was more than he would've ever received from any of his blood relatives. Although, if the situation suited his personal needs, Ziv would've probably said...some...thing... Wait a chime! I...I know this guy! Turning to face the rugged horseman, his name came rolling out of the aurora itself, "Garran Frostfawn, thank you for believing in me." Maybe this is fate! Maybe I was meant to be here! What were the odds that he would be here now with me? This is awesome! "Fine!" Laria snapped as she motioned for Nikomas to come with her. "Touch nothing, unless told to," she instructed as they approached the door to the workspace in the rear of the shop. "Wait!" she snapped once more, bringing her hand up in a halting gesture. "We shall do this out here, where I can keep an eye on you." "Yes, ma'am," Nikomas replied in a far more confident voice. "Don't you ma'am me, young man. I know your kind. I'm not entirely convinced that this is even remotely a good idea, but I like your newfound friend, Garran, and I trust his judgment. So if he sees something in you that I am currently blind to, I'm willing to give this a half-hearted attempt. But know this, one step the wrong way and you're out on the street faster than a jackrabbit on fire. Got it?" "Got it." "Good. Now, Arvas," she called to her son, "fetch us some tools and materials. I want this repair completed within the bell. Does everyone understand me? A bell and nothing more. It's doable." Shrugging out of his heavy leather coat, Nikomas approached the counter and tossed it down. He then proceeded to roll up his sleeves as he slid a stool out with the tip of his boot. It was time to show these folks what he was made of. He was here to make the Frostfawns proud. Don't petch this up, he prematurely scolded himself as Arvas returned with the necessary tools. You have just one shot and one bell to make magic happen. It's time to step up your game, Niko! Right here, right now!

[Garran Frostfawn]

Garran thought Niko’s readiness to throw himself right into the work should have been counted as a mark in his favor, and the tool issue was understandable. There was only one tool that a man would never be without. The rest, well, Garran could see that it would be cumbersome and impractical to pack about everything a man might need, especially for a job like this. Leatherworking was a sedentary pass time and one generally done at a table or bench. So Niko’s suggestion and request for the use of the shop’s tools, for this moment, all made sense to him. He only hoped that Laria would see it that way too. Garran deployed his eyes, giving the woman a look that suggested his was totally sympathetic to the would be employee and would look upon it very kindly if she gave the boy a chance. He even went as far to put his two coppers in with, “That sounds reasonable – I’ll get my harness fixed and you’ll have your fee that much quicker if we do it this way, Laria.” She gave the trainer a hard look in return, but she wasn’t saying no – not yet. Garran would have kept that subtly beguiling look on the woman, if it hadn’t been for Nikomas suddenly coming out with his name, and a thanks. Garran was quite surprised that the boy remembered him. Their acquaintance had only been in passing, and only in relation to Garran’s friendship with Niko’s oldest brother. But he was pleasantly surprised – it was always gratifying to meet someone after some passage of time and they recalled who he was. Far better than those who looked blank, or even cold, when he re-introduced himself and could see that they didn’t have the foggiest notion who he was. Garran turned his smile to Niko and gave him a wink. A little padding wouldn’t hurt, here, Garran figured, so he replied, “I’ve seen your work. I know I’ll be satisfied with the repair.” Ok, so it was a bit of a lie, but Laria wasn’t to know this, and if he could just get his damned strap fixed, he could live with the microscopic ping of guilt for prevaricating in order to do so. Laria hesitated one moment longer, but finally relented and gestured for Niko to follow her, then commanded that he wait in the front of the store. Garran, seeing his goal coming closer with each passing second, smiled easily and when Laria made reference to their friendship, he thought pragmatically that, yes, she should acknowledge that he did bring a lot of the White Elk business to her and she should be a bit thankful for that. Still, he was pleased that she felt his opinion was worth something, for he thought that way himself, most of the time. Garran was a fairly self-assured type of man and could even lean towards arrogance occasionally, though usually only in the realm of horses. For that was a subject he knew well, and other fields and concerns that lay outside of his expertise he was generally willing to concede points to those who were more in the know than he was. He did smirk a bit at the way Laria was laying down the law to Niko, but the young Vantha took it all in stride and was polite, so another point to him, Garran thought, and hoped, for the boy’s sake. He didn’t really know Niko but it was always a good thing to see young people advance and grow and become productive members of the Hold. Laria’s final words made Garran heave an inward sigh of relief, and he turned his smile back on Niko and and gave him an encouraging nod, something like, Ah, now were getting somewhere. His harness would be fixed in a chime – that was entirely reasonable and would suit his needs well. “I agree,” he said, turning his gaze back to Laria. “It’s not a complicated matter, and I’m sure Niko here will have it well in hand as soon as he gets working on it.” He hesitated and pondered a moment, reviewing his list of things to do in his head. He thought he would just have time to get one or maybe even two more things accomplished, while Nikomas worked on the repair. Besides, having him hovering about might only distract the boy or make him nervous. “I’ll be on my way, I think, and get a few more errands done, and be back within the chime.” He stepped over to give Niko an encouraging slap on the arm, and a more quiet, “Do yourself proud, right?” and a friendly smile. With that, he began to walk towards the door. Laria still looked a bit sour, but she gave Garran a tight smile and said, “You owe me for this Garran Frostfawn.” Turning and walking backwards a few steps, Garran now smiled devilishly and spread his hands wide as if in recognition of her assertion. “Of course, and I will repay you fully, one of these days. And you’ll get a bonus.” He extended his hand towards Niko. “Him!” With another chuckle, he turned back around and stepped out of the shop.

[Nikomas]

Initially, Niko wasn't sure how he felt about Garran leaving. He sort of liked having him around for support. However, as he glanced up to see the critical look on not only Laria's face, but also her son's, he quickly reasoned that the man's departure was probably for the best. If this went wrong, horribly wrong, he was only going to embarrass himself before two individuals, not a third, nor someone from his Hold, which was very important to the young Vantha. Far more important than if he had had a family member standing here with him. Okay, Niko, let's do this. Wiping his damp hands on his pants, he took a seat, and began to assess the situation with a critical eye. Overall, the harness was in pretty good shape, there was just one portion that had taken a beating. Regretfully, the buckle-less strap looked like it had been chewed through. It was far from a clean break. This was going to take both time and effort, but it appeared that he only had control over one of those two things. "One bell," Laria reminded him. "Nothing more," she added as if reading his mind. Taking a deep breath, Niko reached for a pair of shears with one hand and the tattered strap with the other. Snipping away at the frayed pieces, he had a semi-smooth, workable end within a handful of chimes. Tossing the heavy clippers down, he snatched up a file and gave the end a quick rub. "I need a wedge of pinkie-thick leather," he informed Arvas as he reached for the other end of the strap that still had the buckle attached to it. Tugging on the stem, he worked the buckle out of the hole and then proceeded to give the frayed end attached to the heavy metal clasp the same treatment as its companion. Several snips and one or two brisk filings later, both ends were ready to be reunited. "I'm also going to need double-bundled thread," Niko now told Arvas as he returned with the wedge. "About six hands worth," he instructed as he held up one of his and ran a finger across the back of it from side to side. Taking the two ends, along with the piece of reinforcement leather, the crafter lined them up and began to make marks with the end of the needle supplied to him. It wasn't as sharp as the one he had at home, but it would have to do. Chime was miza, and there wasn't a single one to spare to get it up to snuff. "Okay. I need one more thing," he informed Arvas who was now hovering over him, having brought the thread that he requested. "What's that?" his potential co-worker eagerly asked. "Please, take two steps to the right," Niko instructed the Vantha, "because you're blocking my light." "Oh. Sure. Sorry." At this point, Laria let slip a giggle - as she observed from her workspace, just a few feet away - which, as far as Niko was concerned, was a very good sign. If he could win her over, he would be as golden as a freshly minted miza. The thought of achieving this with such little effort on his part made him sit up just a little taller as he began to thread the needle. "Don't get cocky," she suddenly snapped as a far more serious look settled into place upon her face. "Yes, ma'am." "Don't 'ma'am' me either. It makes me feel old," she insisted as she approached the table. "Mistress Skyglow has a nice ring to it or...perhaps...Boss. That is, if you continue to play your cards right." "Yes, Mistress," Niko beamed as he forced the end of the needle through the layers of leather. "Be mindful of your knots," she instructed. "There is nothing worse than unsightly knots." "Yes, Mistress," Niko continued to acknowledge her as she hovered over him. "There's no need to yes me to death either. Focus on the job at hand. If your attention is drawn away too often, you'll run the risk of uneven or sloppy stitches." At this point, the young Vantha simply nodded a reply as he did exactly as he was told. Her interest in his work, as well as the instruction she was providing were both good signs. Somewhere in the last half-bell he had won her over. He could feel it. Finish this up, Niko. You only have about twenty chimes to go.

[Garran Frostfawn]

Garran put his time to good use, as was his custom, and he had time to spare when he was done with his other two errands. But having nothing else to do other than returning to the stables – and that would be pointless without the mended harness – he made his way back to Laria’s shop, wondering how Niko was getting on. For no other reason than that the younger Vantha had caught his attention now, Garran mused when might have been the actual last time he had seen Nikomas. He had been good friends with Niko’s older brother Ziv throughout much of his own adolescence and older teen years. And Garran quite easily could recall how many problems the youngest of the three brothers had always caused for the family. Ziv typically had nothing good to say about Niko, and unfortunately for Ziv, their parents seemed very willing to leave the raising of the young hellraiser to his two older brothers. They in turn tried to ditch the youngest as much as they possibly could, so Garran hadn’t actually experienced Nikomas except for indirectly, through the tales Ziv relayed. And those had been pretty abysimal. From time to time, Garran could recall having spent some short amount of time in the younger boy’s presence. They lived in the same Hold so it went without saying that was a given – every Frostfawn was bound to meet every other one at some point in time during their lives. The only impression he could call to mind now, though, as far as what Niko was really like – as in what Garran himself had seen of the boy – was that of a youngster with a smoldering, angry look and a huge chip on his shoulder – sullen or biting in turn. Garran seemed to recall that, at that time, he’d tried to make it a point to avoid the boy, based largely on his brother’s depiction of how much un-fun he was to be around. As he pulled open the door to the fur shop, Garran juxtaposed this wavering image from the past against what he had seen – albeit briefly – today. The two did not comport well, but neither was a very complete picture of either boy or man, he realized. Garran was not to the type of man to let others dictate his opinions. Moreover, he was the type of man to believe that people could change, grow, mature, backslide, wither, or bloom – all depending on a myriad factors in their lives. What he had seen of Nikomas, today, lead him to believe the younger Vantha was hard working, a self-starter with initiative, and fairly self-confident – it took balls to walk in to your parents’ biggest commercial rival and ask for a job. That in itself was also an interesting point of consideration – why was Nikomas asking Laria to employ him when his own family were so heavily into the fur trade? Garran suspected he knew the answer to that – and it was tied to that image of the boy that was pinned to his memory. Still, Garran would take a man as he presented himself and reserve any type of opinion until he knew him better. Until then, he was always willing to give someone the benefit of a doubt. Walking up to the spot where Niko had been planted, he watched silently as the young man’s fingers moved nimbly over the leather in his hands. Garran was no leather working expert, but it looked to him as if the guy knew what he was doing. Upon his entry into her shop, Laria had looked up and followed Garran's approach, and she shot him a further look now that said quite clearly, Don’t interfere! Garran shot her a smile, and said only, “Don’t worry. I’m only a bystander here. I don’t know enough to coach him. I’m sure he is doing an excellent job.” When she turned away again, he caught Niko’s eye briefly and gave him an encouraging wink.

[Nikomas]

Nikomas was just finishing up as the front door opened. Glancing over, he saw his...er, Laria's customer, Garran strutting in. He smiled a little to himself, thinking that the man's timing couldn't have been better. Just a quick test and the repair would be complete. Tugging on the harness, it appeared that the repair was going to hold rather nicely. The gear would have to be replaced at some point, but it would certainly last another season or two, which, he hoped, was what Garran was looking for. There was no way to repair it for longer than that. Once broken, a harnesses days were usually numbered. "Okay, I...I think we're just about good to go!" he announced as he grabbed for a rag and a jar of leather polish that sat at the end of the table he was working on. "Alright, no need to give him the full treatment," Laria interjected as she stepped in and snatched up the rag and then the harness. "He's paying for a repair, nothing more. Speaking of which, let's settle the bill," she added as she motioned for Garran to join her at her desk. Okay. I guess that went well, Niko thought as he watched the two of them inspect his work. Grabbing up his coat, he slid it back on and proceeded to...uh...dawdle around the front end of the shop. He wasn't really sure what to do next. He hoped Laria would want to speak with him once she was finished with Garran, but, well, he guessed she could take her sweet time before giving him any sort of feedback or, better yet, a job offer. Come on. Let's do this. You know I'm good, he told himself. Regardless of what happened, he was proud of what he did here today. He took ownership of his own fate, stepped up to the challenge, and provided good results. He was a solid hire. As solid as the ice flows in the harbor. She just had to bring him on. She just had to. "You did good, kid," Arvas noted as he approached the young Vantha. "She's probably going to take a night to sleep on her decision," he informed Nikomas with a nod of his head toward his mother. "So you should probably just come back tomorrow." "Oh...okay," he replied as he did his best to remain upbeat on the outside, while he inwardly felt dismayed over not receiving a quicker response. "Then...I guess I'll...I'll see you tomorrow, he added as he made his way for the front door. "Please, uh, tell her I said it would be an honor to work here," he concluded as he stepped outside. "Will do," was all the young Vantha heard as he closed the door behind him.