Offering My Wares

[Uruz Teiwaz]

My patron had more or less vanished but that was fine with me. I had paid him back his investment and then some. The forge was pretty much mine now free and clear and my business was doing rather well. I had the mundane requests for weapons, requests for weapons of better quality, and requests for what could only be described as rather unique toys for the bed chambers. On top of that I did the occasional more mundane blacksmith work but at the end of the day I was a weapons smith first.

With my orders filled I had made a few items and then set up a small shop outside the forge. To that end I was sitting in a chair keeping an eye on things while whittling and reducing a block of wood to shavings. Most of the urchins left me alone at this point and to offer a reminder of that my huge ax was leaned against the wall next to me.

[Quinn du Paras]

One of my swords had developed a nick in the blade and so I had set out to see about having it repaired. After talking to several people, I heard of a Skaldic with a good reputation and went to search him out in Night’s Doorstep.

I had to chuckle to myself when I found him. There was no doubt I was in the right place. I left my swords in their crossed sheaths on my back and looked at the wares on display first. The quality seemed good, but I wanted to make sure before I entrusted my sword to this man.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

A fellow appeared and began looking at my wares. He had two crossed swords on his back. Now that was an arrangement I never understood. One on the back made sense to me but with two I figured you were likely to remove your own head when drawing. But then I chided myself mentally. After being run out of Skaldia going to vike was no longer my business.

I dipped my head in his direction in acknowledgment then left him to look. I was not a hovering type vendor. My swords and daggers tended to be large for D'Angeline tastes, but I had made a few more slender blades. It was not that I could not pull it off it was just not my style. Same with the metal on the blades. I preferred dark to shiny for many reasons, but D'Angelines preferred opposite so I had made some shines ones as well.

[Quinn du Paras]

I returned the nod of acknowledgement before continuing to look at the items he’d made. They were different than most I’d seen here in the City and I liked that. I’d no use for the thin dueling blades that seemed to be of fashion here. My swords were shorter than the standard longblades and thicker, though balanced so well that their weight was no impediment to the style I favored of using both at once.

A dagger with a blade of dark metal caught my eye and I picked it up, testing its weight and balance. It was very well crafted, immediately feeling like an extension of my hand instead of an addition.

“This is very nice,” I said, looking up at the smith.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

When the fellow spoke I grunted which was the gesture I used most often if one might call it a gesture. “Thanks” I dipped my head in his direction “I made it more as a secondary weapon to a sword. Heavier so when you have blades locked with an opponent you can draw it with your off hand and punch through armor if need be.” What I was describing was a dirty trick as most ‘gentlemen’ would view things. The thing was though that I had yet to come up with a gentlemanly way to kill someone.

[Quinn du Paras]

I switched the blade to my off hand and simulated the move he’d described. The weapon was perfectly created for such an endeavor.

“Ah yes, this would be just the thing,” I said with a grin. “But only if one fights with a single sword.” I set the dagger back on the table. “Should I have a free hand then I am most certainly in dire straits.” I chuckled and made a vague gesture to the two swords across my back.

I looked up from the table and at him. “Your creations are nice; have you any examples of repairs?”

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I rolled my massive shoulders “Well I never used two but I always figured one would be better with a dagger and a sword that way you would have one for in close.” At his question I hefted my large double bitted ax from where it rested against the wall and held it up so he could see both blades “I have used this for years for everything from splitting skulls to falling trees to chopping chicken heads. It’s been honed a time or two hundred.” With that I sunk the ax into a solid block of hardwood handle pointed toward the fellow “look er over all you like.”

[Quinn du Paras]

I knew it would be silly to try and remove the axe from the wood, so instead I knelt beside it. My eyes moved over the edges, noting how seemlessly the repairs had been made. Reaching out, I ran my fingers over the blade, checking for any signs of waviness or thining spots, and found none.

Nodding, I rose again and looked at the man. "I've a blade that needs repairing, would you look at it?" I asked.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

He did not pull the ax but I did not comment as he knelt. D’Angelines are not made of as sturdy a stock as Skaldians. I grunted “of course” then turned and headed into the forge reckoning he would follow. I grabbed my leather apron off a peg on the well and put it on. My tools were well organized and the banked fire of the forge was warm making the small room rather inviting.

[Quinn du Paras]

He was a man of few words it seemed, but that didnot bother me. He was a man of skill in his trade, that was what mattered.

Following him into his shop, I pulled my left-handed blade from its sheath and with a twist of my wrist presented it to him hilt first.

"The knick came from a bit of hardwood," I told him. "it must have been weakened already.'

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I took the hilt of the offered blade and tugged up a stool with my foot and settled my bulk upon it. I then reached over with my other hand and turned up the wicks on a pair of lanterns to increase the light over my work space. I studied the blade and the nick for a while noting that it was a thinner blade like these folk tended to prefer. The problem with the nick that was more or less superficial was not the steel but who ever had honed the blade. They had put too fine an edge on it. This was not an implement for shaving but for cleaving. You could put a good edge on it without leaving it weak. Odin it would even shave then but it would be tougher.

I laid the blade on my bench and grabbed a large and coarse wet stone. I spit on the gritty stone and rubbed it in with my thumb while looking at my customer “The problem is the fool who sharpened it.” I gave a gruff smile “I apologize if you are the fool. They put too fine an edge on it. More like a razor or paring knife that type an edge is not suitable for a weapon or even hunting knife it just aint tough enough to take the abuse.” I turned back and settled in taking up the blade by a grip on the back of it. I then set about laying it on the stone to work out the nick. The task would be to first smooth it then put a proper edge on the dam thing.

[Quinn du Paras]

I chuckled as I watched him. "This time the fool was not me. A fellow in Tiberium was the last to sharpen these blades. Most of the time I use another set. These were a gift from my father. They are a little lighter than I prefer, and not enough curve to the blade."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I grunted my response. Fancy dam D’Angelines and their multiple sets of blades I often wondered just how pretentious they could get. But it was not my concern at present. I got the nick out easy enough then set to altering the edge to one that was more rugged and proper for a weapon. “This might take me a bit he honed the angle way too keen. Would have been fine for a razor or filet knife but not worth a dam for a sword.”

[Quinn du Paras]

My smile faded a bit and my brow creased at his grunted response and then his words.

"As I mentioned, these are not my true blades, so their edge was not meant for battle. If you think a thicker edge would prevent further damage then I will leave them both with you for honing," I said.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

“Alright” I said as I set the blade down and looked up at him. “Lemme give you a quick lesson though that might save your life some day.” I stood up and rummaged around “there are differing blades for differing services as about everyone knows.” Finding what I wanted I turned and faced him. I then held up what was indeed a filet knife with a fine and very sharp blade “the natural inclination of most men, me included when I was a younger man is to have a blade that is scary sharp so sharp it will cut you if you look at it wrong.”

I handed him the knife hilt first so he could see what I meant. “The rub is that to get something that sharp you have to really grind down the edge removing more and more metal. The result is something that is really sharp but the edge is thin so it gets dull fast and is easy to damage.” Next I held up a dagger “now this dagger is fro harder use. Most would call it a hunting knife. Something that you would keep on your belt to use for a variety of tasks and because of that you do not want a thin edge on it since it will get chipped and you need it to stay sharp a while.” I offered him the knife “so you work on the very edge and you can indeed get it sharp enough to shave a few hairs, but leave the rest of the edge thick enough that it has some staying power.” I smiled a bit behind my beard “if you find yourself in a scrap or on the run that little bit of knowledge can save you. Most trying to gut you do not wait for you to sharpen up and it is a might irritating when you whack someone and their head stays attached.” I rolled my shoulders “that little bit of knowledge helped save my ass when I was run out of Skaldia.”

[Quinn du Paras]

I held my tongue as he talked about the blades, teliing me things I already knew, it was a talent that I had developed at University. He did rather sound like one of my teachers.

"So it wasn't poor weapon-making that got you run out of Skaldia?" I asked wryly.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I turned back to servicing his blade as I answered “Nah, was a blood feud. Those are common enough where I come from. See we do not have all the resources you do here. So when it comes to stealing or letting buzzards pick your bones you steal.” I shrugged “That breeds hard feelings that last generation. I woke one night with my hall on fire around me and had to run for it. A lot of my people stand till the bitter end, but I like to think I have enough brains to save my own hide when I can see all is lost.”

[Quinn du Paras]

I was surprised at how open this man was, I had thought he would be more closed mouthed about himself and his past.

“It’s reassuring to know I am trusting my blades to someone with more brains than bravado,” I said, drawing my other sword as well. “I’d like a better edge on this one as well.”

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I motioned for him to set the other one down as I was still working on the first "That one should not take me as long as this. As for the rest the Crow Gutter teaches that false modesty is a sin." I raised his other sword that I had been working on and sighted down the blade toward the light "I come from a harsh land with harsh gods and most of us tend to be open books."

[Quinn du Paras]

"Crow Gutter?" I asked as I set the second blade down where he could reach it but it wouldn't be in his way.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

“Odin” I replied as I reached for a finer grit stone then used it to dress a final edge on the blade. “The supreme god by the way we reckon things. His companions are crows though he also has a violent streak. It is said he sacrificed one of his eyes for knowledge thus another one of his names ‘Old One Eye’.” I tested the edge and grunted to myself then set that blade aside and picked up the other one. Looking it over I could tell it did not need much work so I picked up a medium grit stone.

[Quinn du Paras]

"Is it common for your gods to have so many names?" I asked, my interest peaked at the scent of fresh knowledge.

I took a seat on the edge of a crate as I watched him work.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

“It depends really” I responded as I continued to touch up the un-damaged blade. “Odin has many because well he is the chief. Though he is not a kind and benevolent god, the gist of it is the giants will one day attack his hall so he must bring great warriors into the fold to help defend Valhalla.” I looked up and smirked “the only way one gets into the fold is by dying even if Odin has to make sure you die because he needs you. Such quirks tend to get one called many names.”

I sat the sword down and picked up some light oil and splashed a few drops on the stone working it in with my fingers before picking the blade back up and going back to work. “There are others with many names though as well. Thor the god of thunder is also called Ponar for example depending on who you speak with. Or another example might be Fenrir the wolf who stalks the gods. On occasion you will simply hear him called the Gray Wolf as everyone knows who that is. For example Odin was asked why he betrayed a great warrior and thus caused his death and his response was ‘The Gray Wolf watches the hall of the gods’.” I shrugged it was kind of unusual for a snobby D’Angeline to ask about my heritage so I was more than happy to answer.

[Quinn du Paras]

"Do your people feels close to the gods?" I asked. I had come here hoping to find a good fix for my blades, but this was turnign into something much better. I'd never had the chance to speak with someone from his land who was so willing to tell me about their gods and customs. There was only so much one could really get from books and scrolls when it came to people.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I considered "Yes and no. Yes in that we are well aware of them and their affect on our lives. No in that we do not turn to them for help or answers to problems. It is our opinion that generally life is not fair and that one should not count on the gods to bail them out. One either deals with the problem themselves or they perish or suffer."

[Quinn du Paras]

"Do your people worship openly or is it more a personal endeavour?" I asked, taking care of his answers so I could stop if it seemed I was pushing him.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

“Depends on the situation really if there is something big on the horizon then it is more openly. Other than that it is a personal matter. As I said we do not turn to our gods to solve all of our problems as seems to be the norm in many other places.”

[Quinn du Paras]

I nodded slowly, taking in what he had said.

“What is your people’s overriding view of d’Angeline gods?” I asked.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I sat down his sword and smirked "weak. We are still working on how your people keep beating us in wars. Having said that since I have been run out of the country I reckon I am now on the other side though I doubt I can pass for D'Angeline in any lighting."

[Quinn du Paras]

“No, I don’t think anyone would mistake you for one of my countrymen,” I agreed, laughing. I looked at the swords. “Are they ready?”