For a dwarf, Haru was nymph-pretty. Which, given his mother was a nymph, made sense. However, Haru was also pretty for a nymph, which was surprising, given that his father was a dwarf.

He's dwarf-strong, though, and got the affinity for working metals. His parents were too fae for him to handle iron, but anything else from human metals to the blackest Unseelie metals that had to be quenched in blood or they'd shatter and kill their wielder, he could work. He did work all of them, even the black star-metal the selkie prince brought him.

Three days after the selkie prince took the black sword, the far doracha showed up at his door.

Haru did not ask his name, and mercifully, the far doracha did not speak it.

"You worked iron," the far doracha said, nostrils flaring as he took in the scent of the forge. "Meteoric iron."

Haru canted his head, remembered the spatters of black star-metal he had gathered up and hidden away. Dwarves did not belong to either court, but the working of iron was a serious thing for all courts.

"It was star-metal," he said simply. "It didn't burn me as iron does."

"It will burn now," the far doracha said darkly, picking up one of Haru's hammers. He hefted it, testing the swing.

In another Unseelie creature, Haru might have feared for his life. Not from a far doracha. He only needed to speak Haru's name to kill him.

"It might," Haru said. "It didn't burn the selkie prince."

The far doracha nodded and drew out a piece of black star-metal from his fine coat. "I have orders to make a compass. I will use your forge and equipment."

Haru thought of the selkie prince and his fierce grin as he held the black blade. He thought of the powers of the Unseelie Court, the way it would take something much more human than any of them to actually use the blade.

"All right," he said, turning away. "I'll make some iced tea for you to have after."

The far doracha smiled, then turned his attention to the forging.