"The difference between a failed requisition and a successful mission is knowing how to improvise."
***
Lyra moved through the chamber. Examined the tools with the eye of someone who understood their purpose. She lifted a hammer. Tested its weight. Set it down carefully. Her fingers traced the wear patterns on the handle, reading the history written in wood and iron.
"The academy's records don't mention this," she said. "I've read the histories they assign to first-year students. House Onyx is described as 'traditionally focused on defensive magic and protective wards.' Nothing about smithing. Nothing about any of this."
