[Self Training] An Absent Master

[Rhuryc]

2nd Day of Summer, 510 AV

"When you're not busy be working on your own set of tools. Until you have 'em, you won't get damn well anywhere."

Rhuryc stared at the monstrous hunk of iron. How was he supposed to turn that into an anvil? Maybe if he possessed no-less than super human ability the process would be simple! Of course, this was all a test. No one man could even pretend to shape that much iron at once. So it was that Rhuryc began his machinations within the drawing board of his own mind. If he was to create an anvil, and he very well was, he would need something else. A design, perhaps.

Armed with a book, some scrap parchment, and a handy ink pen stolen from one of the forge masters, Rhuryc set himself to work. His artistry was something to be desired, but he hardly proficient enough to work out exact details. He started with the simple bits, the form and shape of the finished products along with the application of the horn, step, dual holes, and the face of the beast itself. The young apprentice began various scribblings, marking notes and unnecessary intricacies as he worked. The horn, he imagined, could just be welded onto the rest of the product once it was finished - a daunting task, but one of which he needed more practice with anyway. The rest of the work would be simple. Heat the metal, cut the metal, shape the metal, and don't screw up. Less than half an hour had passed before the motions of the pen had ceased and Rhuryc was had himself a design, if an imperfect one.

And thus, with both a fire and wrought iron, the young man began his assault - for that appeared to be the best term for the occasion. A surprisingly easily effort hafted the hulk of metal onto the edge of the forge itself, with one end of the would-be anvil engulfed in what was a receding flame. Having only just drawn the air out, Rhuryc was on top of his proceedings. He waited, staring at the mass as it began to take on red glow. As to not be completely idle, the apprenticed produced some thick wire he found among the scrap and began prodding the metal on occasion, withdrawing it after some exposure to observe the color of the end. Red was quick to turn orange and once the wire yielded a decent mesh between both the latter and yellow, Rhuryc donned the thick, leather bound gloves of his trade and hoisted the block away from the forge, setting it down on one of the larger anvils provided for him.

It occurred to Rhuryc, while he fetched his chisel and a punch, that he had neglected to actually measure before he began. Fantastic. Nevertheless, he put such things from his mind as he approached the molten iron and began to shape what was to become the top of his anvil. In truth, he enjoyed cutting iron, the work of the chisel somewhat satisfying as it broke off pieces and began to make something out of a formless hunk. Quick to finish the simple details of the side, he moved onto the face, that of which required nothing more than several well placed hammer strikes.

[Rhuryc]

While he left the anvil to cool Rhuryc moved on toward the second staple of his trade. The hammer. While wood work was outside of his expertise, the head would be easy enough. He hoped.

Armed now with tongs and yet another block of iron the apprentice was prone to make further use of his fire. He stuck the metal inside the hearth and went about the usual practice of his wire prod, hovering over the flame until the mass was a suitable mesh between yellow and orange. Easier than the last project, Rhuryc moved his focus to the top of the forge's anvil and brandished his hammer. The long, drawn-out process of upsetting began with a few, precise strikes, the tell-tale sparks brushing past his face without regard for his well being. Or mood. For every two times he hit the side he switched his pattern and struck the top once, keeping the mass in the shape he desired. Rhuryc had spent most of his apprenticeship dealing with similar projects so the time passed reliantly fast.

The punching process was one of his favorites. If only because it was so easy. He realized, too late of course, that he should have done that first. The metal had already cooled to a point where, in order to make the job fast, he would have to reheat, but that lead to a whole slue of additional problems. With a grumble and a sigh, Rhuryc just grabbed one of the nearby punches and flipped the head over, working as fast as he could to pierce a hole into the center.

Rhuryc grunted as he felt flesh sheer. Sure, the metal was cooler, but only in regards to metal working. Not human contact. In his haste he had brushed the side of his hand against the heated iron. In a flailing movement, Rhuryc crossed the the length of the smithy and shoved his hand into the barrel of water there, his teeth clenching as he attempted to keep himself from screaming. Some days were just terrible.

[Rhuryc]

Why had he not been wearing his gloves? Stupid. Rhuryc sighed as he slipped the fingerless leather over his hands. He grimaced at the pain that shot up from the burn - a cold remainder of a foolish mistake. Nevertheless he was determined to finish what he could for that day, lacking any orders or any need from his master. Perhaps one of the other apprentices, a promising one, had drawn attention in some well-done craft far beyond his talent. That was the usual event, anyway, Rhuryc believed that he was in the wrong line of work.

Despite such machinations the young smith set back to work. Already finished with his time at the forge, he removed a long, iron bar from the fires with the gentle grasp of his tongs and set the heated metal on the smithy's anvil. Armed with hammer in hand, his good hand, he slammed the flat end onto the substance and went about the process of drawing in good humor. He paid special attention to the edges, hitting them twice as he flattened the sides to make way for a sharper form. A blade, perhaps. Rhuryc mused at the possibility of constructing something useful, an object not meant for the mundane existence of daily life. The constant clang of the hammer made it easy to think, his body involved in a steady sway of motion provided by the rhythmic clangs. Someday, maybe, he might actually graduate to a realm of usefulness. Albeit, at this rate, it was more likely he would just make horseshoes. Forever.

Rhuryc stared at the half-flattened bar. What was he supposed to do next? Punching! Yes. Duh. Hopeless. A sigh and a grumble later, Rhuryc reached over and grabbed a chisel. The shriek of metal on metal threatened to destroy his ears but he was quick to dismiss it, focused as he was on actually finishing some of the smaller detailed work without screwing it up. His hammer was already amateur at best - he would have to do it again - so he could at least get his first chisel right. Maybe. With his trusty tongs still in hand, Rhuryc shifted the now-flat bar to the horn of the anvil and began to shape, cutting off excess iron and narrowing the front to a chisel-worthy exterior. He gave the edge a slight curve, mimicking the very tool he held in his hands.

The process seemed simple at that point. After the head he moved farther down the base, detailing a small grip of which he could use to hold the item, perhaps one more comfortable than his current craft. Once he was finished, Rhuryc moved the still-heated iron out of the way, setting it near the other items he had 'completed'. Still so much to do.

[Rhuryc]

He needed a rake. And a poker. A rake poker. Wasn't that what he used to stir the fire? A quick look to the forge confirmed his suspicious and, with his new task in mind, Rhuryc ventured began his search. His never-ending supply of iron was a gift. Making use of it, he produced a caliper rule and started sorting through the various bits and pieces, content when his scour ended in the retrieval of a suitably thick blank. A large, somewhat long rod. He would have to bend the metal on both ends, one to form an eye and the other for some kind of push, the task was not so daunting. He hoped.

"Avast ye rod!" Rhuryc spoke aloud to himself. Maybe the heat was getting to him. "Prepare ta' be... burned. Yar." He imagined the iron screaming as he stuck it into the fire, trusty tongs in hand. A break would be a good idea. Despite his wavering mental status, Rhuryc did his best to pay attention, albeit he could feel his eyes watering from the strain of remaining sane. The constant, never-yielding work of the trade as so dull that his skull threatened to break in two. Perhaps he would be able to fit it back together! Bone work, now there was a satisfying trade. No long clanging, no sweltering fire, no burns or smashed fingers. No melting iron. Wait, melting Iron?

Rhuryc, most accurately, flailed. He watched as the white-hot metal began to melt, the half-liquefied metal oozing into the bottom of the forge. In a panic he reached into the forge with his righteous tongs and grasped the remains of the metal bar, swearing and almost crying at the loss of what seemed to be the perfect specimen. Within moments the half-melted bar was withdrawn from the fires and hurled to the floor where Rhuryc stared at the mass. He could have cried. Not only did he make his worst mistake since starting but he would have to clean that up before anyone saw it. No doubt, his master would see his shenanigans and forever remove him from his services.

He grumbled and replaced the now smoldering tongs back in their rightful holding. Caliper in hand, be began the search for the next rod.

[Rhuryc]

Finally, some work he could do without screwing up.

His peril noticed by one of the more competent smiths of the forge, Rhuryc was whisked away at the absence of his master. The heavy-set, elder smith was slow to speak and rarely uttered words that weren't related to the job - something that the young man could appreciate. In the need of a striker, Rhuryc provided ample muscle and some youth in what was apparently the construction of some large, unfamiliar object. A frame for some furniture, perhaps? Whatever it was Rhuryc did not seem to care. Instead, over-sized hammer in head, he sat at the front of a larger anvil than he was accustom to and waited, patiently, while the smith gave him the occasion instruction.

The process was simple. Armed with his own set of tongs, the older smith held his product on the flat of the anvil and would strike a section with a smaller hammer, where as then Rhuryc would bring the full-force of his own mallet down to bear, sending a foray of sparks into the air. The work was rewarding. He felt productive, for once, and the way in which his temporary master worked was revealing. He wasted little time, making use of the heated iron before it cooled, working the entirety of the object in order to form a basic shape, something Rhuryc often failed to do before his metal was no longer workable. This way detail could be added by a cold chisel and he did not have to worry about wasting material. As good as an epiphany as any, Rhuryc found the whole instruction processes so much better than being left to his own shenanigans.

Clink. Clang. Clink. Strike.

Rhuryc slowly lifted the hammer into the air, waited, then brought it down, his entire body involved in the assault. His legs tensed before the strike and his torso twisted with it, his arm swung, even his fingers flexed before and during, all involved in a very simple motion. No burns. No mistakes, just a simple, repetitive motion that required no thought. At all. None. Wait. Too late.

A second epiphany struck the apprentice's mind. Perhaps his master did have some kind of rhyme behind his reason. Despite his never yielding mishaps and mistakes, this work - while easy - in no way taught him how to think. Sure, this smith's process was effective, efficient, but it was his own. As with the tools he had crafted, perhaps there was something in the way they were crafted. Shoddy, misshapen. Surprisingly, Rhuryc missed his rejective anvil and hammer. Clink. Clink Clink. Rhuryc shook his head and brought the hammer down, his eyes almost glazed over from his reverie. He resumed his monotonous process and attempted to look focused, but he could not wait until he was released.

[Leviathan]

Thread Award! Rhuryc Exp +1 Drawing, +3 Blacksmith, +1 Observation Lore Learning by Trial and Error Additional Comments Hey again. Nice thread. If you have any questions or comments about my grading or anything feel free to PM me and we will work out any problems or overlooked details.