While Greg was filing down a stubborn piece of iron, Marina walked into the workshop with a determined look that immediately made him nervous. She didn't have her usual basket of market goods with her or her adventuring gear on, but she had a small travel bag and what looked like official papers in her hand instead.
"No," Greg said before she could say anything.
Marina said, "You don't even know what I'm about to say," but she was smiling.
"No is the answer to whatever it is. I still have a lot of work to do."
Marina looked around the workshop on purpose. Bork was happily hammering away with his new headphones on and humming along to the music. Felix was showing Elwen a card game from his world, and Seraphine was writing down how they were interacting. Lylia was preparing lunch in her corner, while Mira was tidying up items that didn't require attention.
Marina said, "Everyone here can handle things for a few days."
"You, on the other hand, look like you haven't slept well in weeks."
Greg said, "I sleep fine."
"On a cot in the corner of a workshop that's always full of people," Marina said in response. "That's not sleeping! That's just shutting your eyes and staying alert for the next problem."
Greg didn't have much to say against that. Since the workshop became the Brotherhood of Peace's unofficial headquarters, he hadn't had a moment of real peace because there was always someone working, trying something new, or making a small mess that needed his attention.
"What are you suggesting?" Greg asked carefully.
Marina held the papers up. "The Crimson Falcons are going on a short trip to the Crystal Coast."
"The trip takes about three days, two days at the site, and three days back."
"The job is easy because we just need to guide some merchants, clear out some monsters, and maybe gather some rare materials. Nothing dangerous, nothing hard."
"And you want me to go with you because...?"
"Because you need a break," Marina said without anything more. "You always keep whining about anything and wanted a break, and then here you are."
"You've been working nonstop since you got to Ferndale because everyone in this workshop cares about you, even if they don't say it directly."
"I'm worried about you."
Greg was surprised by the last part. Marina had always been the one who watched and made comments from the sidelines with her dry sense of humor, but now there was real worry in her eyes, and it made Greg's chest feel tight.
Greg pointed at the workshop and said, "I don't know if I can just leave."
"What if something goes wrong? What if someone needs something to be made? What if the kingdom sends even more troops?"
"Then Felix will accidentally figure it out because he's so lucky, or Bork will throw another hammer, or Lylia will scare them with her cooking tools," Marina said. "Greg, they can do fine without you for three days. The real question is if you can go three days without them."
Greg looked at his workbench, which was covered in half-finished projects, and at the constant activity that had become his daily life. When was the last time he really left Ferndale? When was the last time he did something that had nothing to do with forging or dealing with their problems?
Marina said, "The Crystal Coast is beautiful this time of year," and her voice got softer. "Calm, clear water and white sand. The kind of place where you can really hear yourself think."
Greg said, "That sounds too impressive to be true."
"That's because it IS nice. No commissions, no legendary items, and no making living things out of kitchen tools by accident."
"Just a simple trip with people who know how to fight if they have to."
Greg was about to say something else when Lylia came up to him. "You can go if you want, Greg. This is probably your chance to get the break you want the most."
Greg groaned, "Not you too."
"Marina is right, though. You've been running yourself into the ground," Lylia said, and the way she said it stressed that this wasn't up for debate. "We can run the workshop for a week. Mira will keep things in order, Seraphine will answer any official questions, and I'll make sure no one sets anything on fire."
"I can set things on fire on purpose if that will make you feel better about leaving!" Felix called from the other side of the room.
"Please don't," Greg and Lylia said at the same time.
Bork took off his headphones long enough to say, "You gave me a chance to be what I always wanted to be, Master Greg. We want to give you a break."
Seraphine even looked up from her notes. "From a purely analytical perspective, being under a lot of stress for a long time without enough time to recover can make your brain work less well and make you more likely to make mistakes."
"It would be good for your long-term productivity if you took a break for a while."
"She says you need a break before you break down," Marina said.
Greg looked at all of them, the people who had somehow become his family even though he had tried hard to keep his distance. They were all looking at him with different levels of worry and support.
"Okay," Greg said in the end. "But just for a week. And if something goes wrong, no matter what, someone will let you know right away."
"Deal," Marina said, her smile getting bigger. "We're leaving tomorrow morning, so pack light, wear comfortable clothes, and maybe leave the hammer here."
"I always have my hammer," Greg said in protest.
"Then bring a small one," Marina said, agreeing. "Don't forget that this is supposed to be relaxing."
...
Greg thought the next morning would take longer. He lay awake on his cot for most of the night, listening to the familiar sounds of the workshop and wondering if he was making a huge mistake. But when Marina and her party members showed up at dawn, he was actually looking forward to the trip.
The Crimson Falcons was a small but effective group. There was also Kael, a tall human ranger with sharp eyes and a friendly smile, Denna, a dwarf fighter who was almost twice Bork's size and carried an axe that looked like it could split mountains, and lastly Ryn, an elf mage who always seemed to be having fun.
"You're the famous peaceful blacksmith," Kael said, holding out his hand. "Marina talks about you all the time."
"I don't," Marina said, but her ears were a little red.
"She really does," Denna said with a smile. "Greg this, Greg that, you should see what Greg made. It's exhausting."
Marina said in a flat voice, "I'm going to hit both of you."
Ryn just smiled. "It's wonderful to finally meet you in person. More than once, your frying pan saved our lives."
"Glad it's working out," Greg said, still trying to figure out why Marina had talked about him to her party members.
After that small introduction, Greg didn't expect the goodbyes at the workshop to be so emotional. Lylia gave him a lunch that could probably feed an army and told him to be careful.
Elwen gave him a small drawing of the workshop as a reminder of home. Felix made him promise to tell him stories of adventure, and Bork just shook his hand and smiled.
Seraphine gave him a small bag of herbs. "For stress relief, make tea out of them before bed.
Mira even cried, but Greg wasn't sure how a spirit could make real tears. "Don't forget about us, Master-forger-darling!"
Greg said, "I'm going to be gone for a week, not forever, please don't raise any red flags with that word," but he was still moved.
...
The trip to the Crystal Coast was surprisingly enjoyable. The Crimson Falcons were used to traveling and knew how to keep a steady pace. They took breaks when they needed to, set up camp in beautiful places, and got along well because they had worked together for a long time.
Marina walked next to Greg for most of the trip, pointing out intriguing places and telling him stories about her travels. Greg was able to relax in a way he hadn't been able to in months because there were no commissions to worry about, no system notifications that needed his attention, and no chaos waiting for him around every corner.
"You're smiling," Marina said on the second day of their trip.
"Am I?" Greg was surprised when he touched his face. "I guess I am."
Marina said, "It looks good on you, you should do it more often."
"It's difficult to smile when I'm always worried about what SSS-rank disaster I'm going to make next."
Marina said, "That's why you need breaks like this, to remind you that you're not just the famous blacksmith that everyone thinks you are. Sometimes you can just be Greg."
They got to the Crystal Coast on the third night, and Greg had to agree that the name was right. The water was so clear that it reflected the setting sun in shades of gold and pink, with the air smelling like salt and something floral he couldn't put his finger on, and the white sand beaches went on for miles.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Marina said as they watched the sun set.
"Yes," Greg said. "It really is."
They set up camp on the beach that night. The merchants were helping set up their tents further down the shore. The Crimson Falcons built a fire and told stories, and Greg couldn't help but laugh at Kael's awful jokes and Denna's over-the-top stories about their adventures.
But most of the time, he was watching Marina. He had always known she was smart and observant, but here, away from Ferndale and all the noise, she seemed more at ease. He had never seen her so lighthearted before. She laughed more easily, smiled more easily, and seemed lighter.
"Are you enjoying the view?" Ryn asked in a low voice, appearing next to Greg with a knowing smile.
"The ocean is nice," Greg said, intentionally misunderstanding the comment.
"Of course," Ryn said. "The ocean, eh?That's definitely what you were looking at."
Greg didn't say anything, but he didn't look away from Marina when she laughed at something Denna said. This trip might be harder than he thought it would be. But Greg didn't mind the trouble as much as he probably should have, even though the fire crackled and the waves gently crashed against the shore.
He felt truly at peace for the first time in months. And maybe, just maybe, that was worth whatever came next.