Forging steel and trust (Shawn)

[Wayfarer]

Opening his eyes, Aran got to his feet and stretched. He'd been meditating for quite sometime as he laid back on Fayth, thinking on number of different issues. He liked to take time with problems where he could, though he rarely came to permanent conclusions. Permanent conclusions made it harder to think on one's feet, but if one didn't accept anything completely, then it was easier to change one's mind when they had to. Of course, the price of that was a lack of complete certainty, but Aran made do with complete certainty in himself if nothing else.

 

But, as he began walking towards the armoury, he had made a decision about something. He needed a weapon, one which would be useful for him to use before falling back to his short blades for close work. He was a far enough short with the bow and that gave him range, but he was after something for melee yet still possessed reach. Larger weapons such as pikes and halberds were a possibility, but they weren't flexible enough as they were too large. Aran wasn't exactly the biggest person to begin with either, which was why he was after reach. He was sure that there would be plenty of opponents that he would rather dispatch from a distance to save himself trouble.

 

That and long daggers, while useful in the press, weren't so good against cavalry. Or trollocs for that matter, though Aran had little intention of being sent north. Still, it was a possibility he could no longer ignore, not only because of his duties in protecting Aes Sedai but he was also acutely aware of the fact that his captain loved sending him on extended holidays. A tour in the Borderlands was not something Aran wanted, but he didn't want to be useless if it occured either. While long daggers were all well and good with people, Aran didn't think they would be the best choice when it came to Trollocs that towered around nine foot.

 

Entering the armoury to find a few trainees busy with keeping the weapons in perfect condition, Aran continued on until he found himself in the smithy. There were three smiths at work at that time, but one in particular caught Aran's attention. He had come to know Shawn a little on a few occasions, though while they were in the same company he couldn't ever recall really getting to know him. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to change that. Wandering over to Shawn, Aran waved at the man as he looked up and gestured for them to go outside so they could talk without the noise of the smithy forcing them to shout.

 

Shawn seemed to understand but he also pointed with his hammer to the piece he was beating into shape. He needed time to finish up. Nodding, Aran used his thumb to indicate the outside and made his way out. It was a relief to be out of the smithy, out of the armoury and out in the air. The forge was a hot place to work, but the cool air outside helped banish the feeling. Out here, they could talk about the idea that had come to Aran.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard.

[Asfaloth]

Shawn loved to be in the smithy. He enjoyed the sounds, the feel of it, the general excitement when he and the other masters were working alongside the journeyman and apprentices. Light, he even valued the smell of the smithy, that strange combination of metal, smoke, and sweat. Working here at the forge gave him a sense of purpose and accomplishment. He knew his weapons training and the time he spent on the wall were important but he never felt the same sense of accomplishment as when he could hold a weapon in his hand that he had shaped out of a solid peice of metal, to know that he had created something worthwhile.

 

At the moment he was working on an axe head that would be fitted onto one of the myriad handles they had lying in wait. This particular axe head was being fashioned for a very demanding Tower Guard that had given Shawn very detailed specifications when he'd asked him to make it. The general all purpose blades were easier, it was true, but Shawn found the custom work to be where his true talent lay. He enjoyed such work and since earning his Master title and proving his expertise he had been called on by many Tower Guards and Warders when they felt they needed or wanted a special weapon and were willing to pay extra for it.

 

Never one to waste an oppurunity Shawn was using this to teach one of the apprentices a few lessons. Since it was a custom job that would go to a very demanding patron Shawn couldn't let the apprentice do any of the actual work but he was sure to always stand in a position to allow the boy to have a good view of the anvil and to communicate aloud what he was doing and why every step of the way. Since coming to the Warder's Yard six or so years ago Shawn had discovered that he truly enjoyed teaching, both with weapons and here in the smithy, and he was especially gifted in doing so.

 

Looking up to see that his student was still watching closely Shawn caught something out of place over the boy's shoulder. What was Aran doing here? before he could guess at the reason his fellow Guard waved at him and pointed outside. Shawn pointed the hammer back at the axe head to indicate he still had work to finish but also nodded. Aran seemed to take his meeting and went out the back door to wait for him. Shawn beat a few more strokes into the axe head and stuck it beneath the coals on the side of the fire. That would keep it hot enough not to set but since it was toward the edge of the flame instead of the center it wouldn't melt either.

 

Hanging his apron on a peg by the door he walked out to see what Aran wanted. It was a relief to leave the heat of the smith and enjoy a nice cool breeze. The air felt good on his chest as teh sweat began to cool and he only now realized that he'd been in the heat of the forge all day. Aran was leaning against the side of the building waiting for him and Shawn couldn't quite keep from laughing as he thought of the time he'd found him tied up in a closet in nothing but his smallclothes. That he'd been put there by Shawn's mentee, Kalush, and two other women added much to the humor of the situation.

 

"Aran, my good man, what can I do for you today? Please don't tell me Kalush or another of my trainees has been giving you trouble again."

[Wayfarer]

"No more than the usual." Smiling at the man, he wondered if Shawn was unaware of his encounter with Maev. Probably a good thing for Maev, and Kalush was always a constant issue because he still had her mother's swords. Her own doing, but then everyone tended to be their own worst enemy. "I actually came to talk to you about having a weapon made. I need something that will give me a bit of reach, and I was thinking of a lance. Steel one with a narrow haft."

 

"Well, I can certainly make you any weapon you desire. Custom work like that is actually my specialty. Why don't you tell me more about what you intend it to be used against so I can be sure of the specifications. We'll also need to discuss specific appearance, but we can get to that later."

 

Grinning, Aran shrugged. "People that need killing would be a good start. Look, when faced with a few opponents sometimes its better to pick a couple off before getting in close with the knives. I'm thinking a lance about eight feet long, in Tarabon they use nine or ten footers but they're a bit taller as well. It can't be too thick though or otherwise the weight of it will slow me down too much. The other thing is a metal haft so I'm not constantly replacing wooden ones and it won't break on me at the worst moment, bend a bit perhaps but not snap."

 

"Hmm...alright, that makes sense." Shawn laughed, this was going to be fun. "I have actually been theorizing about a new way to heat and shape the metal so that it's extra strong, yet thin enough to be flexible. This'd give me a great excuse to experiment. So, assuming I get the metal to behave, you want an eight foot long metal pole with a lance tip attached right? You want anything fancy design wise? Any special color suit your fancy, or would you be content with the base color of the steel?"

 

Now that sounded promising, Aran had been prepared to deal with a bit of weight to use the weapon, but if Shawn could shave off more to make it easier to use without weakening the weapon then all the better. "Base colour will be fine. Two things though. If possible, I want the entire thing to be one piece as opposed to attaching the tip separately. The other thing is that I'd like absolutely no markings on it whatsoever. I know this is a lot to ask, because I also mean no mark of your own upon the weapon as well. But its an old habit of mine, if you would indulge it?"

 

Hmm...well, the first request was easy enough but the second...it went against both policy and tradition. Besides, this would truly be a beautiful weapon if it turned out how he planned. "Alrighty, base color it is. Your first request is acceptable. It will take a little more work but I actually think it's a good idea if you're to avoid later hassles--you certainly wouldn't want it breaking off when there's not another smith nearby to fix it. So, despite the extra work I have no problem doing that. Now, your second request..." Shawn leaned back against a tree as he thought it over. "To leave off my symbol is to keep me from earning any future business from admirers of the weapon-of which I'm sure there will be several. So, what's it worth to you?"

 

"Well, to be fair the people who are most likely to appreciate your handiwork are going to be people who won't be in a position to do business with you afterward." Smiling, Aran couldn't help but prod slightly. "And let us keep in mind, this weapon would be an experiment. I'm taking my life in my own hands using a weapon forged in a way which isn't yet tried and true. But, I wouldn't want your twenty children to starve so let us say... Two extra golden crowns ontop of commission, Andoran weight."

 

Shawn laughed aloud as Aran gave just the response he was expecting. "Aye, you're right it is an experiment, and your enemies would certainly not be coming to me after you were done with them. Tell you what, you agree to proudly spread my name to any friendly admirers there might be and I'll agree to do the work for the price you've set."

 

Aran laughed. "I would have thought my spreading your name went without saying. Well, let us seal the deal." Pushing off the wall as the man did the tree, Aran clapsed his hand and shook it. Some smiths refused to do any work without leaving their mark, so as expensive as it was to pay in Andoran weight it was worth it. A weapon that had a mark was a weapon that could be traced and if he lost it anywhere, it would be because he'd had to do a runner and he most certainly didn't want anyone he'd run from to then be able to find him. Releasing the man's hand, Aran grinned. "So, how long do you think it will take?"

 

Shawn pushed off the wall and shook Aran's hand to seal the deal. "One last thing. It goes against all tradition, and even some unwritten laws between smiths for me to do this without leaving my mark so make sure that you don't drop my name to another smith. As to time? I have some experiments to see to before I start any real work on the peice as I need to make sure that it will respond the way I believe it will. Check back with me in two weeks and I should have it ready."

 

"Done." Nodding, Aran turned and walked away so he could let Shawn get back to his work. It was a fair enough point about smiths, most felt that one should leave their mark on what they did. But there were always those who were willing to do it for different reasons. He could still remember a time when the smiths of the forge here were required to do it to fulfill a promise or two, at least until the guild had secured smiths of its own that could create just as fine work. But, those days were done with and certainly before Shawn's time. A time when Aran had been new to the Yards and Alex had still been about. An odd thing to recall, Aran didn't reminisce all too often about that anymore, and he put it aside in favour of checking up on his students.

 

 

Aran and Anwashawn

Tower Guards

[Asfaloth]

Despite having an idea of how to make his experiment work it still took a week and a half before he found success. He'd spoken to the other two Master blacksmiths and they'd agreed that it was possible in theory. The problem had been finding just the right proportion of ingredients to get the desired results. But this was even more important than just making a weapon for a fellow Guard, this was something he'd been dreaming of for a long time. He just hadn't found enough time or motivation to struggle through the experimenting it had taken to get it right. But now that he'd promised Aran his new blade in two weeks time he had pushed himself harder than he ever had, spending all his spare time in the forge.

 

But he'd finally done it. Masters Thewen and Farrell had helped him test it and they were all very pleased with the results. The metal alloy was stronger than the steel they usually worked with yet still lighter and a lot more flexible. It would do perfectly. Now all he had to do was build the spear Aran had requested.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aran was coming by this morning to pick up his spear and Shawn still hadn't finished it. Not that he hadn't been working but the problem had been finishing. He'd made the mold and poured the alloy two days ago. He'd already smoothed out the rough edges and refined the design. All that was left now was to shape the handle and then give it a final quenching. The problem had been that as soon as he did that he would be expected to imprint his mark upon it, something he'd promised Aran not to do.

 

Thus he'd had to wait until the other two Masters and all of the Journeyman and Apprentices were gone before he could get in to do it. He worked slowly and methodically, hoping to find an oppurtunity to finish before Aran arrived to receive it. Soon he had his chance, a trainee came in to ask him something and he whispered a request. The trainee simply gave him a strange look and Shawn turned it into a command with a glare. Nodding, the trainee turned and ran out of the room.

 

Ten minutes later he had what he was waiting for as he heard a loud commotion outside. It was loud enough to be heard above all the noise of the forges and drew the attention of all in the armory. Shawn feigned running with them as they ran from the room, but let them pass and fell to the rear. As soon as the last apprentice was gone Shawn finished his work and quenched the spear in fire and water to complete the weapon.

 

He took it outside with him and hid it beneath a cover as he waited for Aran to come and pick it up.

[Wayfarer]

The mornings didn't usually agree with Aran. In fact, Aran would go so far as to say that mornings could be argumentative, intractable and troublesome. Today was different though, today the morning was a gentle mistress and more to the point, one Aran was actually looking forward to meeting. It was approaching two weeks now and from what he knew, Shawn was just about done with the weapon. He'd been keen to try out his Tarabon instruction with the weapon, though the weight would make a huge difference and it wouldn't have the same flexibility of a wooden pole, but it was adaptable. At least he hoped so, he would have to wait and see with that.

 

Making his way to the smithy, he was surprised to see a crowd making their way inside but before he could follow them in someone called to him from the right. Shawn, and in his hands and wrapped in a burlap was the thing he had been waiting for. He just hoped that Shawn's experiments had born fruit, if that were the case then this could turn out to be a particularly fine weapon. He didn't even have to ask as Shawn lifted away the burlap and offered him the weapon. Taking the weapon in his left hand, Aran balanced it on his palm before taking the end of it in his right and assuming a basic stance. It was a little heavier than the normal spear, but not enough that it would impede him and it would add some force to his blows.

 

Thrusting a couple of times, he also found the weight wasn't overly distributed over at the tip. He could still pull his blows when he had to, or feint if he wished to. He could adapt well enough, in fact he really wanted to give it a go right now and Shawn was standing right there after all. He wasn't quite a blademaster yet, but he'd easily be able to hold his own. Smiling, Aran set the butt of the haft on the ground as he clapped Shawn on the shoulder. "This is fine work, very fine work. I was wondering if you'd help me test it out, see how it holds up? If you're up for a bit of a break from the forge with a spar?"

 

Taking an empty leather pouch from his side, Aran took a few steps back so the tip was towards him and began to fasten the pouch over the top as he continued. "Three touch victory. Oh, and I have your money in my room. I figured it might not be a good idea to bring it all here, will drop it by your room later if you don't mind."

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard