Star Dust (A Paladin Adventure)

Training montage

A/n: big thanks to my readers! You help me stay motivated. I love the comments (hi, Martha!); I feel like I'm getting your insights which are so helpful. This chapter is in the way of being a reward for the latest carnage.

First things first. I went to a fabric store and bought a sewing machine, a Viking that had embroidery functions as well as a gazillion regular stitches. I signed up for a course to learn how to use it; it was a lot more sophisticated than the one I'd had in high school. I decided to get my hand back in the game with a baby quilt for Sif and bought a how-to book along with an easy pattern, the fabric, batting, and thread. And pins. And hand-sewing needles. And fabric shears, large ones and little ones for snipping threads and getting into tight corners. And a rotary cutter, mat, and ruler. Extra bobbins. My word. I'd forgotten how much stuff there was for sewing. The prices for the machines were mind-blowing. That night I read the quilting book and the machine manual and thought that I could handle a straight seam.

Over the next couple of days, I cut out the fabric for the quilt top and started to piece the design together. It was simple, but the colorful printed fabric--I was using greens, yellows, and white-- made it look more complex that it really was. Then I sewed the back together and assembled the layers with a water-soluble adhesive spray, snapping the center of the quilt into a hoop. I'd decided to do the quilting by hand; it was a small quilt and I needed to relearn hand-stitching. I was just going to quilt the seams, what the book referred to as "in the ditch" so it shouldn't take too long or be too hard. I remembered how much I liked to sew. The house I was buying had two spare rooms; I thought I might make one as a sewing studio. I liked quilting, and it would be nice to have a dedicated space to work on my costume.

I waited in Foggy's office for him to return. With a smile, he presented me with the keys and the deed to the property. I immediately went over and stood in the empty house. Motes of dust sparkled in the light shafting through the windows. It was quiet and felt welcoming. I pulled out a measuring tape and went to work.

First up was a trip to the home improvement store, where I bought new kitchen appliances, stuff to strip off some rather dreadful wallpaper, and paint in light blues, greens, and lavenders, with a pale pink for my bedroom and white trim and ceilings. I left the dogs at the hotel and arranged for more frequent walking; I didn't want to have to get paint out of their fur. For once, I didn't rush, taking a couple of days to finish and watch the installation of the new washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher. It looked really nice, I thought, then went shopping for furniture. Everything except the little table I'd left with the Colorado house. I just did the basics; a bed and dresser for my bedroom, a sectional, coffee table, stand for a tv, bookshelves, desk and chair for the computer, an upholstered chair, a dinette set, a cabinet for the sewing machine and a chair for that. Then the soft furnishings; sheets, blankets, pillows, towels for kitchen and bath, rugs. The blinds that had come with the house were nice and neutral and would do fine for now. Things for the kitchen including dishes and pots and pans. A TV. I was pleased when I got back from the stores, the taxi driver helping me in with all the bags and earning herself a really good tip. The moving company was on its way, having also retrieved my car. I had a detached garage and it would be useful to have a car from time to time despite the excellence of the public transportation system.

I made a tour of the fencing to make sure that it was in good condition, and none of the boards needed replacing. I didn't want to have to chase the Scotties around the neighborhood; Daf would be more likely to stay at home. Then I finally checked out of the hotel and brought my dogs home. A previous owner had had a dog; there was a doggy door in the back. They were delighted, and all three of them charged in and out until they were exhausted. I had a security company come out and provide a system for the house, including lights outside. I joined a gym with challenging rock climbing walls in addition to the usual cardio and weight equipment, and signed up for beginning parkour lessons. I spent a few days in the neglected flower garden, having finally learned to appreciate biology. The dogs came out with me, and we met a few neighbors, older people who had retired, a couple stay-at-home parents.