The Blacksmith's Apprentice(Closed, work)

Adrian hammered away at a simple knife his master had asked him to work on for one of their clients. He was in the front of the shop, working. The front was open, letting anyone and everyone see what was going on. He wasn't in the forge in back, because Jyabil and Sodina were working on something, though he had no idea what. He glanced up, several people ducking out of sight. Probably more of them there to see his face. Since he'd arrived he kept his face hidden behind his mask, taking it off only to wash his face, or sleep. And even then most people had trouble getting a look. The children believed he'd been hideously deformed under it. Others believed he was so handsome that if he walked around without it on that people would fall in love with him just by looking at him. Others still distrusted him because he hid his face, believing that he was an outlaw. But Jyabil and Sodina had taken him at his word and welcomed him into their home as Jyabil's apprentice.

He just smiled and went back to hammering the knife into shape, working the edge back into place. Taking a cup of water he doused the hot metal before he wiped it off. Taking a file he began working the blade between the crossed metal pieces, designed to help sharpen the blade. The scissored metal files worked wonders, and helped him get his normal work done faster. But when he was working with the Devil's Teardrop, however, he took great care and used time tested methods.

(268/250)

Working the blade over with a rag he worked it into a polish before he began running it across a whetstone. He smirked as the metal scraped against the stone. The scraping sound was strange but it was something to help him drown out the other things around him. He frowned as he looked up, several children entering the shop. He blinked when he saw them but continued to work, smiling as he looked back to what he was doing.

"Something I can help you with, children?" he asked as he worked.

"Tell us stories again!" one of them said.

"I can't tell stories now, I have work I have to do." he responded.

They moaned in protest and he smirked, wiping the blade with a rag once again, before he looked at them.

"Alright I'll tell you this. Come back a little later. I should be finished with my work in a few hours. I'll tell you stories then." he said.

They nodded and left, giggling. The children of this village never seemed to tire of the endless tales he knew of. But then again he never tired of telling them. Checking the knife he ran it over a strip of paper and frowned at the slice. He then went back to working it against the whetstone. before he ran it between the scissored files a few times. He repeated the process time and again, working on that particular knife until it was finished. He then moved to the next.

(519/500)

Adrian set the knife aside after it was polished and slid a simple leather sheath over it to keep it from harming anything. Moving to the next item in the things his master had given him he set the old rusty sword on the raised opening of the furnace that his master had designed himself. He then moved, putting several heavy blocks on it to press it against the opening before he moved to throw another block of coke into the furnace. The orange lines began to form in the block as he threw a few pieces of wood into it to help the fire continue before he closed the hatch. The sword would heat up after time, and when it was hot enough he would remove the blocks from their place and move the rusty thing to the anvil. He hammered lightly at it working to crack the layer of rust or loosen it before he doused the weapon. Taking a file he began to work over the metal, scraping up the rust he'd loosened. He repeated the process several times until the rust was gone before he began to hammer it back into shape. When he was done he took the scabbard and frowned. The leather scabbard was useless as it would retain water, it had give to it. He moved to a small pile of wool and began to work it into the scabbard, before sheathing the sword in it. The wool would prevent the blade from rusting, and it would help hold it in place, making it just a bit harder for the weapon to be lost.

(790/750)

"Oi! Ashram! Come in here please! I need you to go out and get a few things." Jyabil called from the 'Spirit Forge.'

Ashram finished the last few touches on the sword before he left, going to his master and host. He bowed to them in respect as he came to stand before them. The two of them stood side by side, Jyabil's arm around him before he nodded at the boy.

"Ashram you're doing well around here. And after the day's work you'll be taking on more responsibilities. You'll be learning from me directly how to create things that even the most powerful of people would desire, just as many have done through time. I will teach you the secrets, not only of forging a powerful sword, but how to bring the spirits into perfect harmony within that weapon to make it more powerful than anything else in existence." Jyabil said.

"But you wouldn't call me in here just to tell me this." he said, his eyes narrowing.

"Nope. For now you're still just someone that works here. So go pick up these things." Jyabil said bluntly handing Adrian a list.

Adrian fell face first on the ground, growling as he got back up his shoulders hunched. He snatched the list from Jyabil and walked away, sulking silently on the inside. But he stopped when he felt Sodina's hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be mad, Ashram. He likes you, he just has a strange way of showing it. Now finish your chores and you'll have plenty of time to go play." she said, grinning.

(1,055/1000)

Taking the list Adrian sighed lightly and shook his head. He grumbled something and walked away, heading out to gather the items his master needed. The list was more of a shopping list than things he needed to pick up from around the villagers. He shook his head and walked from the shop, heading out to gather the things his master, and the lady of the house, needed. He moved through the marketplace, his mask drawing a lot of attention. He gathered things from vendors most happy to sell to him. Jyabil was well respected around this village, and as he was the smith's apprentice he was accepted. But others among the villagers didn't trust him, and with good reason. It didn't matter if he was sent by Jyabil or Sodina. Said villagers disrespected him any time they had the opportunity. They raised their prices for him, after all they wanted the money he had. They just didn't want him around. But Adrian let it go. There were few even in a village so well off, that could come close to his skill. He could take on groups of people but it wasn't up to him to fight them.

Having gathered the things on his list he carried them back. He growled lightly as he went, not happy about what happened. Jyabil wasn't funny but it's not like he could hold it against the blacksmith. What good was an apprentice that didn't run errands? But Adrian was staying for free so he did need to find a way to pull his own weight.

(1,318/1,250)