OOM: Taking Sameth to Gotland again

[ostro_goth]

Teja is in the forge, gathering a few things he is meaning to take to Gotland and show to Aligern -- for Adalgoth had told him that he would come to see them, soon.

It would, of course, be cheating history -- but then, Teja would gladly give his people any reasonable help he may.

No fire-arms, of course.

And then, of course, in the end, all his aid might result in could just as well be the development of the famous Ulberht swords that Teja has read about...

Comments

[gotland_npc]

"I hope so," Wachis says. "In the meanwhile, broken bucket, nagging wife."

He picks the things up.

[makesthings]

"It shouldn't take long to fix. If I can help let me so you and Teja can talk more."

[gotland_npc]

"The king and his cousin will probably stop talking when it gets too dark to see," Wachis shrugs. "I'd be glad to have the help of Teja's apprentice, at that. Thing is, can we fix the ring, or need we make a new one?"

"I would heat the forge, in any case," Teja says, from where he is talking to Aligern.

"I shall get wood and charcoal," Adalgoth offers. He's been sitting with Count on his lap, quite content to be near Teja and say nothing for a while.

[makesthings]

Sam picks up the ring and gives it a good look,

"Its probably best to make a new one if it gets a lot of use."

[gotland_npc]

"It's one of a pair Liuta uses on a yoke for fetching water, so yes," Wachis says.

Teja and Aligern have started stoking the fire, to get it hot enough to work the steel Teja brought.

[makesthings]

Sam's glad that they chose to bring a few tools with them, he wouldn't feel comfortable using another man's.

He quickly sets up what he needs, picking up the bucket and preparing it as he can, doing a quick Charter spell to strengthen a place where another ring looks weak.

[gotland_npc]

Teja quietly hand them a strip of metal from a corner. "That should make a ring for a barrel or ewer," he says, not even looking at Wachis as he hands over the metal; he knows that the man will take it.

And he does.

A little girl slips into the door to watch, and Count hops off the bench by the forge-fire, and goes to greet her.

[makesthings]

This is comfortable and soon the bucket is being fixed and Sam traces Charter Marks into the metal to make it stronger as he works.

[gotland_npc]

"That is shiny," the little girl says.

She's young enough to not dismiss the Charter Marks as optical illusions, like Wachis, Adalgoth and Aligern probably do.

[makesthings]

He looks up at her voice as the Marks slip into the metal and smiles as the Mark on his forehead glows gold,

"It is and hot, don't get too close."

[gotland_npc]

She is hugging a remarkably patient Count in her arms, and nods earnestly.

"There's sparkle on your face too!"

"Do not get too close to men working fiery craft!" Wachis warns.

"Yes, dad," the little girl says.

[makesthings]

"There is, its connected to the work I'm doing,"

That was the last spell he needed to do and the rings are stronger and tighter around the bucket so he sets it down,

"Do you like being in the forge?"

[gotland_npc]

"Oh yes!" the little girl says. "It's warm and shiny and they make nice things. Is that the bucket Rauthgundis broke?"

[makesthings]

"It is but it should be all fixed now. I always liked being in the forge too, there's always something happening and if the smith's nice, you can learn how to make things."

[gotland_npc]

"I can't make things from iron," the girl says. "I'm just a girl, dummy!"

Wachis looks up.

"Don't call the king's apprentice a dummy, Hilde, or you'll have to go back inside," he says.

[makesthings]

Sam frowns and looks at her,

"You'd have to find someone to teach you if you wanted to learn. What do you want to do when you're bigger?"

[gotland_npc]

"My dad won't let me call you what you are!" Hilde grins. "I'm a girl! I'll marry and have kids and keep house. Girls do that!"

Pause.

"He's a dummy," she whispers into Count's fur.

[makesthings]

Now Sam laughs,

"I was only asking because my mother helps to defend our kingdom so I don't see why you couldn't be a smith if you wanted to."

[ostro_goth]

That gets everybody's attention, oddly.

"She can't," Wachis just says.

"Your friend," Aligern says to Teja, archly, "seems to have very odd ideas about what men and women are, and can do."

Teja pulls the bellows, and answers, "He is from a very different world."

Aligern pushes the billet into the fire with long tongs.

"Quite obviously," he says.

Adalgoth, feeding charcoal to the fire, gives an almost worried look at Sameth.

[makesthings]

Aligern's tone makes Sam turn and stop talking and look uncomfortable, he's pretty sure that he's being insulted somehow.

The problem is he's not sure what's being insinuated against him so he focuses on his work again and turns red.

[gotland_npc]

"I won't be a smith!" little Hilde says, worried that she's the reason the grown-ups are suddenly so bristly.

She hugs Count closely.

"Dad, want me go help mum?" she then asks, not wanting to get pitched out outright.

[makesthings]

Sam looks down in the fire and ends up saying so quietly that maybe only Hilde can hear him,

"I won't be one either, its not my duty."

[gotland_npc]

Hilde heard him, and comes closer.

"But you're the king's apprentice, and a boy!" she whispers.

[makesthings]

He looks at her and tries to smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes as he whispers back,

"Of course, you don't need to worry about other places. For now I work in the forge."

[gotland_npc]

"What's your duty?" she whispers back.