A Sturdy Staff

I climbed down from the bed and marched over to the wooden desk. A guardian needs equipment to defend against lurking shadows, so I scouted the tabletop for raw materials. Near an open notebook, I discovered a fallen wooden pencil with a clean graphite tip and a discarded metal binder clip. With a firm grip, I clamped the clip onto the pencil's blunt end, tightening it to form a weighted crossguard. Testing its balance, I swung the newly forged quarterstaff through the air. It held firm. My first weapon is ready, and the perimeter remains secure.