A New Day

[Eyvind Loevess]

I awoke from a restless sleep to a dark room. I was only lost for a brief moment when I remembered my evening with Uruz and Odette. I smiled to myself, life would soon be back to the way it should be. I would be at his side and help him through whatever life would bring him.

I got up with this thought and made my way blindly too the bath. Thankfully it had a hand pump so that I did not have to try to figure out where to get water. It was an older one, so chances are the water would give anyone fool enough to drink it a run for their life. Or maybe the runs of their life.

I slowly filled the tub and got in. It wasn't the most pleasant of baths. For one thing it could use a few pans of hot water, but it still made me feel better and more alive. I soaked as well as I could and then got out, shivering, and dressed.

I then made my way out of the little room and into the forge. Today would be better than the previous weeks in which I did random odd jobs and searched, of that I was certain.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

The next morning I arrived just after sunup and found Eyvind already up and dressed. “Mornin” I grunted to him as I moved to the bellows and forge “you look a might better today.” I then set to stoking up the coals and working the bellows. In between I selected several lengths of metal rod as well as tongs and hammers.

Without further pleasantries as was often my way I launched into a description of the subject at hand “Back in our homeland we had some good ideas for blades using twisted weld, but unfortunately the tools we had at hand were poor.” I motioned about “Even the scant things I have been able to assemble here are much better than anything we could find at home. Indeed our weapons have as often as not been inferior to those of our enemies and our success at arms simply has proven the fact that it is more the hand that wields a blade. But I hope with these good tools and my know how that had in the past lacked the tools we can forge something well and truly wondrous.”

[Eyvind Loevess]

I watched and listened as Uruz gave life to the shop. I then followed his example in collecting needed supplies and tools. It had been some time since I did anything in the way of blacksmithing, but I had no fear I would remember as I started to work. One couldn't do much cold steel so I set about heating it to the proper temperature.

"It will be nice if we can use our own technology and these tools to make some high quality weapons. Do you have any jobs set up are or you simply making items to show and sell?"

[Uruz Teiwaz]

“Right now just for show and hopefully sell. These first are most important as they should establish are benchmark with potential client.” I left stoking the fire and working the bellows to Eyvind as I took several length of metal in tongs and placed them in the fire to heat while I selected the proper hammers and other tongs. “We went to twist these lengths and then hammer them together. Thus making blades crafted seamlessly from many pieces of metal. It should be good for strength and sharpness, but the issue we always had back home was our tools did not allow us to make good joints. I am hoping with the better tools available here we can improve those joints and thus improve the product.”

[Eyvind Loevess]

I moved into the simple task of making everything stayed hot as Uruz started to pound the metal together.

"There is only one way to find out," I said. "I have no doubts that we will be able to turn out some good pieces. I am hoping, though, that we can show something that will make even their finest soldiers turn their heads. It has been a while since I have tried to smelt anything and I am not sure if I still have any skill."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I grunted in response and spent a moment with several lengths clamped and twisting the heated metal making threads along the full length. I then fitted the threads of several pieces together and folded them back on themselves before looking them over with a critical eye and sticking them back in the coals to heat. “That is my hope as well. I am reckoning this technique with proper tools will produce sharper, stronger blades that hold an edge longer.”
With that I extracted the re-heated metal and began banging the pieces together on the anvil. I paused often to eye the pieces and make sure they were melding together properly. The hammer rang smartly on steel as I labored and I was pleased with the progress so far. I stuck the metal back into heat at least “That seems to be shaping well but we got a ways to go before we see what the end looks like.”

[Eyvind Loevess]

I watched Uruz work, remembering all that I had learned while still in Skaldi. I was not an expert at blacksmithing by any means, but I wasn't completely useless either.

Things were stable and I could do other things if need be. "Do you want me to assist you with anything else?" I asked.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I grunted between hammer strikes “Keep the fire stoked and hot and keep plenty of stock within my reach.” Finishing with the weld I was on I dropped the work into a tank to quench creating a loud hiss of steam. I then captures two more lengths of iron rod and began repeating the process. It was time consuming but would make a superior composite blade when all was said and done.

[Eyvind Loevess]

I did as Uruz requested, it was easy work that was also hard. I sweated plenty but did not complain. I had work, I was able to assist Uruz as before, all was as it should be.

As he took the iron I replaced it, keeping plenty at hand. I found that I enjoyed watching him work, though I could not put a finger on why. I did not show it though, acting as a hired hand should.

After some time I said, "your welds look strong, I think you have a good plan. The soldiers here will soon be beating each other up to be able to purchase one of your swords."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

While continuing the process with successive pieces of steel I grunted an affirmative answer to Eyvind “They do, we never had the materials on hand at home to be able to pay this much attention o detail thus quality suffered.” Once I had many lengths welded together I began re-heating each and joining it with a partner. In this slow process I began welding all the lengths into one piece in slow and methodical steps.

[Eyvind Loevess]

I watched and let Uruz concentrate on building the swords. I made sure the fires stayed hot so that he would not have to stop if he did not want too. I paid enough attention so that if he wanted some help in the future I would have an idea of how the technique worked.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

Once I had all the pieces welded together into one continuous length I dropped it into the trough to quench. I then stretched my sore muscles "Maybe being sent here was not all bad as it put other resources at our disposal."

[Eyvind Loevess]

I nodded as I looked around. "They do have it well here." I thought of the well to do Skaldi woman we meet when we first arrived. "Maybe we will be able to make our living well here and even if our enemies don't ever see it, it will still be a something of a laugh in their face."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I stretched a bit more “Perhaps, but I prefer not to dwell on the wrongs that are in the past. The future is in front of us should we choose to make the most of it. Which is what I in fact plan to do Old One Eye has no room for those who sit around and moan about their fate.”

[Eyvind Loevess]

I nodded, Uruz was right. It would do no good to dwell on the past. At times though, that was easier for me to say than to do. I would try my best though, if anything I wasn't going to bore him with my meanderings.

"That is true," I said. I then added, "we should at least learn from it. Though from what I have seen so far you have done quite well for yourself here. So, it would be of little value to you to look back on it."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I grunted and got us both a ladle of water before sitting down “Not sure I have learned much nor do I really care to. I simply deal with matters as they are handed to me. That is what being a grown man is all about not crying like some little brat that has messed themselves.”

[Eyvind Loevess]

I shrugged as I took the drink from Uruz. "I wasn't going to suggest crying about anything, don't worry about that." I sat down, taking a short break. Dwelling on the past was not my intention so I switched the subject. "How long have you known Odette?"

[Uruz Teiwaz]

“A short time really” I shrugged “she is D’Angeline. Big on pleasures of the flesh and service, those are of course redeeming characteristics. There is a reason D’Angeline slaves are valued in our homeland. Just now that we live among them the advantages of such relationships may be had in a more straight forward manner.”

[Eyvind Loevess]

"I had not really thought on it too much, but you are right." I tried to picture a d'Angeline woman who would want to hang out with the likes of me. I have been told that I was attractive enough, so looks would probably not be an issue. However I was not one to really chase girls and I found a lot of them quite annoying. Odette, however, was very kind and I could not call her annoying in the least.

I then thought of the Balm adept, the one who looked at me like a woman would. It was quite strange to think of, but in this country it was considered normal for a male to like another male. I told myself it was a disgusting trait, but i could not really make myself feel it.

I shrugged and then added. "A bed mate might be nice, espcially one who really knew what she was doing, but right now I don't really feel like putting in the work to find one. I am happy where I am and without the extra nagging and other things that woman often bring." Without much of a hesitation I added, "Odette though seems to be a good woman."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I picked up the twist of steel from the quenching tank and then grasped it with tongs and set it in the coals to heat once more. “Well, Odette is soft like most women of her race. I doubt her or many of them would last long in Skaldia.” I looked back at him “But having said that we were just talking about taking advantage of what our new surroundings have to offer. And around here there really is not much work involved in doing just that.”

[Eyvind Loevess]

I nodded in agreement. "That is very true. They make it too easy. It seems almost a miricle that they are still here and doing so well."

I set about to making sure everything was hot and doing well. A small amount of coal and a few billows later all was well. So, I sat back to considering my situation. I then said, a bit as an aside, "maybe after I gain more color I'll set about to seeing what the local flavor is like."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I began shaping the steel into a form more closely resembling a blade. Between strokes I spoke “Honestly one thing I have learned is that there is more steel in these people than one might reckon. I suspect that is why they have never been conquered, you do not realize that until it is too late. Then toss in the fact when you have things everyone else wants you are going to learn to fight real fast.”

[Eyvind Loevess]

I nodded in agreement. Terre d'Ange was the envy of many. I am sure their history showed plenty of cases were someone tried to make them share. "That is true. All of heir beautiy and finery would make one think they were a soft race." I did not know enough about them to really say either way. Our people had obviously failed at getting to them in the past. Their new methods of peaceful trade suited both sides much better.

"I guess only the future will tell how well they can protect their land. They seem to be doing quite well, so I suspect that they will not disappear during our time. Though I would not argue that they are the ultimate race or country. Everyone has a weakness, it is only time before someone discovers theirs."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I grunted as I continued to work and then shrugged. “Such things tend to have a cycle to them. They are much the same with countries as they are with people. Someone will be top dog for a while and then they age and loose the edge and someone younger and hungrier comes along and displaces them. Right now it is Terr D’Ange’s time. Sometime in the future a younger nation will displace them. The only real differences is countries figure time I bit longer than flesh and blood men do.”

[Eyvind Loevess]

It wsa a bit strange to think of countries like that, but it was true. The world moved on, even when people did not. "I wonder how old the world is," I said off handedly. "I bet there were people farther back than our history knows."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I glanced at Eyvind as if he had grown a second head. Why such questions made their way into his mind I could not say. It was more than passing odd and he had always been that way but over the years I had just gotten used to it. I at last responded "Well I reckon Old One Eye knows but I am not in a hurry to meet him and ask if it is all the same to you."

[Eyvind Loevess]

I noticed Uruz's look, but was not overly worried by it. If he wanted to be rid of me he would have years ago. I was less open around other people, but it was easy to be comfortable in his presence. I had been his loyal friend for a long time and planned to be so for a long time to come.

"Do not worry," I told him with a wane smile, "I am not in a hurry to meet him either. I just let my mind wonder too much sometimes."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I shook my head vigorously and went back to work "I suppose you do but what causes such turns of thought is honestly beyond my understanding. Maybe you were dropped on your head as a child." It was half jest and half wondering as I simply could not grasp how his mind worked.

[Eyvind Loevess]

I chuckled and said, "purhaps you are right." I then gave him a wink as if we shared some sort of secret and said, "it would explain a lot."

I stood up and stretched. I had been sitting by the bellows, which made me hot and sleepy. As soon as I stretched my stomach grumbled and I put a hand over it in automatic response. It only reminded me how much weight I had lost. I probably have the belly of a girl, I thought unhappily to myself.

Looking over at Uruz I asked, "when is lunch time?"

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I did not answer immediately and finished up what I was doing before dropping the piece in for quenching. I then began taking off my leather apron "We can eat now if you like. I have some water as well as jerky and hard tack. We should probably then let things rest for the rest of the day so as not to rush matters."