
Xanadu Weyr - Smith Forge
Loud, dim, and hot is the large area set up for the Smith's forge area. It's been roughly divided into separate areas, the large common one holding the main forge lodged against the western wall, with bellows at the ready and a chimney rushing high to open in the ceiling outside. This is the area that the apprentices are taught in and are able to use, the nearby wall clasps a vast and unspecialized collection of tools, while the built-in shelves of another wall host jars of nails, crates of wood and metal scraps, spools of wire, sacks of sand, and heavy bins of Cromcoal, all decorated with a fine coating of grime and sawdust.
To the other side are the separate forges for the Journeyman's use, each one kept clean and neat, even when in the midst of a project. Behind and to the back lies the more private forges reserved for the few Masters that stay here.
There is a door to one side that leads into a hallway and to the dorms and rooms of the smiths that call Xanadu home.
Karona is pacing the room, muttering to herself. "…commission… …love… …sensuous… …marks…" she's mumbling, over and over. Occasionally, she glances back to a sheaf of papers set on a chair, utterly ignoring the wooden crate leaking sand onto the chair two chairs over. "…love?" she murmurs, wrinkling her nose up. "Bah!" she snorts, and moves over to pick up her papers. It's then that the box starts making /noises/. Tap. Tap tap. Tap tap tap tap. Karona jumps. The tapping continues. "Er, hello?" Karona asks, peering around. "Where's that sound coming from?"
Donakan doesn't spend too much time coming down to the forges. The truth is that he needs to get replacements made of some of his metal items. The vintner comes into the forge with a look of annoyance upon his face. The pack in his arms is destroyed. Looks like a dragon sat on them. Which isn't too far from the truth. The clothes that he is wearing are in pristine condition. He pokes his head into the forge and he calls. "Hello?" He stops in the entrance to wait to see who is around.
Karona jumps again when Donakan calls, but there's a relieved exhale when she can put a face to that sound. "Ah, yes, come in, please." She furrows her brow slightly. "Uh. Let me try that again… May I help you?" she asks, as she steps back from the door, inviting Donakan to enter. That crate she doesn't seem to see is still tapping away, making her a tiny bit jumpy. "Er…" she eyes the pack in Donakan's arms. "…repair work?" she guesses.
"Greetings from the Vintner craft." He is in a fairly good mood, or at least he is smiling. The truth about his mood are hidden behind the smiling 'mask'. "Yes please. I um had an incident. I was visiting a bar at another Weyr. The strap on the pack broke and it fell off the dragon and then a dragon may have accidentally sat upon it." He opens up the remains and pulls out a metal shaker that is cracked and dented and a fire fan that is bent completely. He does however hear the tapping and he blinks and looks around. "Someone at another door?"
Karona frowns slightly at the damaged items, snorting at Donakan's explanation. "Dragons. A wonder they don't squish their own riders." she says, with a quick glance around to check there were no riders in earshot, albeit belatedly. "…er. Right. These shouldn't be too much trouble to mend, bit of heat, some reshaping, easy. But, ah, if you want them to look good as new, I should suggest another smith." she says, looking a little sheepish. At her age, with presumably turns in the craft, she has to refer /mending/? The tapping continues, and Karona glances back towards the hallway that leads to the smith quarters, but there's no-one there. "…maybe the wind…" she murmurs, but the sound of splintering wood is added now, followed by spilling sand, and then the almost hollow sound of an egg rolling across the floor. Karona /stares/ at the blue egg, backing away. "Oh no, I fed the /last/ one!" she declares, getting /out/ of the way.
Tattered Blue Pages Egg |
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A series of blue squares are painted on the surface of this egg, travelling up and down with precise regularity, in a band all the way around the shell. On either side, the egg is coloured the off-white of old paper, with smudgy marks and strange dark lines, like creases. |
Donakan just laughs. "It wasn't really the dragons fault. He was just a little bit erm, is ditzy a good way to describe a dragon? And it is the leather crafters fault for making faulty straps." He ponders. "I don't need anything pretty right now. I am all about functionability over anything else. As long as the fire fan works and my shaker mixes drinks then I am content." And the egg is eyed for a long time. The blue shell is admired. "Does that happen a lot? Because it's so warm in here. That they lay eggs in random locations?" He isn't sure what to make of the egg, so he stares wide eyed at it.
Karona tips her head, and reaches a hand out for the shaker and the fan. "I can fix those right up for you, then. I, ah, mainly make runner shoes lately. Those don't need to be pretty either." she shrugs slightly. "Runner shoes bring in the marks pretty decently, at least. Always needed." Even in a Weyr. It's small talk, though, to distract from her retreat. "Did you bring anything to eat? That thing's going to be ravenous." she says, jerking her head at the firelizard egg.
There's a faintly audible high pitched whirring noise as the Tattered Blue Pages Egg begins to wobble, building in pitch and pace as cracks appear. Bright white is visible where egg falls away, until finally, there's nothing left, nothing but a tightly curled ball of white. There's a low hiss, and a flash of gold, followed quickly by the rise of a bronze head, as the Unearthing the Future Bronze Hatchling uncoils.
Unearthing the Future Bronze Hatchling |
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The bulk of this bronze firelizard's body is, well, bulk. Despite his bulk, though, he manages to put a bit of 'slink' in his every move. As a hatchling, his body is starkly white, from the neck down. It almost seems as though he's clad in some kind of armour or bulky gear, the paleness seems so out of place. Over time, the blinding white yellows with age, like the page of an old book, leaving his body bronze, but very very pale. His head is comparatively dainty, attached to a slender neck which feeds into those wide shoulders. His head is a rich molten bronze, with a cascade of gold running from the top of his head and down his neck, stray tendrils falling to either side of his head. |
The Vintner looks at Karona and nods his head. "Great great, I just need them to function. I will put an order in for new ones with the journeyman who crafted them last time. But you know how it goes. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I will take what I can get." He ponders that. "Um, yeah, maybe." He starts to dig through his destroyed pack and he pulls out some clothes and squished scrolls and one of them is completely soiled. "Oh, I have this meat roll. It was squished by a brown dragon butt. But…" He unfolds the wrapping on the squished snack and he says. "It seems edible."
The little bronze raises his nose to sniff practically the /second/ Donakan opens that wrapping. Well, hello there, delicious. That's some nice food you're holding. The firelizard picks himself up, and moves towards the vintner, so smoothly, you'd never know he was just hatched if he wasn't so small and covered in egg goop. Karona shoots Donakan a smile, and a nod, "Feed him." she advises, taking the items to be repaired and moving over towards one of the journeymen's forges. She's just going to leave him there? Both of them? Apparently.
Donakan has stood at more dragon hatchings then some people have seen in their lives. So he has seen his share of stumbling hatchlings. He is a bit surprised by the little firelizards movements. He is so busy staring in awe that he nearly forgets the food he is holding. Thank goodness for Karona and her reminders. He mumbles. "Oh yeah. Food." He breaks apart the meat roll and he offers it to the little guy. "It's Eastern Wherry. Hopefully it's good, I didn't get to try it. Was saving it for after my shift. Hope it doesn't taste like brown dragon backside."
The bronze really does not waste any time, he knows exactly what he wants, and he walks up perfectly confidently to get it. The meatroll is tasted, and he tilts his ehad thoughtfully, then makes a quiet crooning noise, and takes a bite more. He sits back on his haunches, and considers Donakan a long moment, then gently headbutts the meat-offering hand. Apparently it's satisfactory, as he wants more. Karona is still back at the forge, working on that mending, there's the occasional tink-tink-tink of tools against metal as she works.
Donakan chuckles at the headbutt. "Okay okay." He feeds the hatchling all of the food and looks down at him with adoreation. "Aren't you a handsome fellow." He lifts a hand up to scritch the bronze on the head while the bond is made. "I am afraid that is my entire meat roll. I don't think I have anything left for you to eat. I don't think the squished fruit is going to be a meal choice you would like. I'll have to get you something on the way back."
There's a hissing as hot metal meets water, and then some more quiet hammering sounds from back at the forge, then finally Karona returns with the metal shaker and the fire fan. The latter is perfectly straight, straight is easy, but the shaker has a metal 'scar' where it was mended, faint, but visible. The smith's return is hesitant, until she sees Donakan feeding the firelizard. She exhales in relief, and makes good pace back. "Ah, here, I mended these. They should hold up well enough, but you really should get that properly repaired soon." she says, nodding at the shaker.
Donakan laughs softly as the bronze doesn't seem satiated enough by the meat roll and he says, "Aww, Sweetie. We'll get you some more food soon." He scoops up the little guy and says, "You really are bottomless stomachs." He then looks at Karona as she comes over. "Yeah, I will send for a new one to be made. It's a shame, it worked very well. Too bad. Thanks so much. What do I owe you for the repair job?"
Karona eyes the firelizard, and shakes her head. "You fed that for me, that'll do as payment. I've already /got/ three." she says, with a shrug. "Wasn't much work, just a quick fix. I'm actually being paid quite a nice sum to work on a most frustrating commission, but the marks are good." she shrugs again, tilting her head curiously at the little bronze. "Interesting looking though, all… white. Weird."
Donakan nods his head at Karona. "Yeah, he's absolutely lovely. The coloration. You are right, never really seen anything like that on a male. He's absolutely spectacular." He smiles at Karona. "Okay, well if you are ever in the Tavern. Your drinks are on me." He smiles and gather his stuff up with one hand and he holds the unusual colored firelizard in the other arm. "Alright, guess it would be good if I ran and dropped this all off and got him some more to eat. Thanks again. I will send some more paying work your way. I have the ear of a lot of people at the bar."
Karona shoots Donakan a thin-lipped smile, and nods politely. "Ah, yes, I'll do that. If I'm ever in there." she says, tone friendlier than her expression. Karona hasn't ever been seen in the tavern, has she? Not likely. "Right… more work." she says, then brightens, "More marks! Yeah, you do that. Thanks!" she says, moving back to that pile of papers to poke at her commission. The papers? All blank.