The Ties That Bind [Alija]

by **Alija** on February 8th, 2016, 9:52 pm

He was scared. Terrified even. What had happened on that short trip out, to make him like this? He took her hands, large, calloused hands that warmed her fingers, leaning closer until their noses almost touched. He whispered, staring at her. She felt herself look away, awkward in the position they were in. Awkward at how close they were, despite how close they were as friends.

He spoke of a scene, with men dead and monks attacked. He gave a name, the VonCurracas, but it meant nothing to the woman who called Zeltiva her home.Then he explained, a powerful family. Issues with another name that slipped her mind. Then she remembered. Julius was Ashenburrow. When he had mentioned it then, the name had meant nothing - she knew of his wealth only from sight.

But no, she stared to piece it together. The need for weapons - weapons from a small smithy, one with no standing and background. So the Ashenburrows could settle a dispute with the other family. She felt lied, cheated and betrayed by a man she didn't know. How could he bring her into this without informing her of the targets of her weapons?

But then again, she had been commissioned to make weapons. What more did she expect? She almost tried to convince herself that making them wasn't a crime, that no blame fell on her and she was separate to this all. Ha! Monks were involved, so she would definitely be involved.

Thegans trembled, taking her chin in his hand, asking her if she signed the weapons, no, pleading. Alija caught her breath, realising this was her way out. It all came out with a large sigh, heavy, tired. She had. She marked everything she made, the same two trianges.It was simple and basic, but it worked. A triangle inside an inverted one. Looking back on it, she distinctly remembered making her mark, hitting the chisel hard. When she had done it, she hadn't even noticed it, the movement so natural. But now that action could condemn her.

Alija stepped back, breaking away from Thegans. "I can't.. I don't..." She stopped heavy in though. Her chest rose and fell like the steady movements of the tide going in and out, but she felt like the raging sea, the opposite of calm and beautiful. Dangerous. Except she wasn't the danger; she was indanger.

Unless...
"Were the weapons certainly found? I mean, maybe they ran away with them. Why leave it at the scene? They can't pin it on me, can they?" Her breath was hurried and almost wasted, as she knew that her hope would not be long lived. Still, she had to try.

by **Azmere** on February 14th, 2016, 9:25 pm

Theagans knew from her sigh then leaned forward and kissed her knuckle. His lips wrapped over the thinly-covered bone with a bit of force. Theagans squeezed her hand and then let her slip away. Tears welled up in his eyes. The man had always loved Alija and it didn’t matter if it was one of those times where she was like a sister, or his best friend or if he was imagining something more. He wasn’t sure what to call her but the most appropriate word which came to his mind was important. He turned while she thought out loud and he felt shame for his fear. He should’ve handled it better because now she was scared. There’s no reason he couldn’t have been calm and had a rational discussion with her about it. Fool. Theagans moved around the counter and towards her. He was within reach to just glance his fingertips across the skin of her arm when a stiff knock beat three times against the front door.

He turned around so fast that he made a complete three sixty in place that he was standing right next to Alija. He didn’t speak but mouthed words and started to shove her towards the stairs. His eyes were calm and warm. She would see the confidence he felt when he removed the label to how he viewed the two of them. Theagans was in full blown protector mode. He would not let her speak to argue and would not move away. She was going up the stairs and he was going to close the door behind her. He wasn’t asking her or telling but ordering her upstairs. Another set of knocks came at the door. This time it was with enough force to make the slide bolt rattle and clang. Theagans pushed her back against the doorjam and mouthed “Go now.” Then he turned and swung the door closed for her to shut behind her. While maintaining a long glance where he locked his eyes into hers, he answered the knocking in his normal voice as if nothing was wrong.

“Be right there.”

Theagans walked casually to the door and released the lever that was holding the bolt in place. He slid it back with a clink then opened the big wooden door. He curled his big frame around the edge of the door blocking most of the opening. He expected to see a patrol of monks with an official ready to crucify them on site. He was pleasantly disappointed and opened the door a bit wider. Theagans slapped on his signature grin and extended his hand in greeting.

“Good day, friend. What can I do ya for this fine day?” Theagans had a way with people and thought this fellow wasn’t a typical customer, the relief of not seeing the lawmen put Alija’s friend in a terribly good mood.

The person on the other side of the door seemed a bit off. His body seemed to absorb light but it may have just been the smoke rolling around his head and dancing underneath the brim of his large black hat. The man held the appearance of a drifter at first but a second glance showed the large stature and the stance of a man who knows how to handle a situation when everything goes wrong. The cigar burned slowly then the cherry flashed a brilliant red glow for a moment while the air was being drawn through. A tick passed and then another before the aromatic haze spewed from the man’s mouth and nostrils. Theagans waved his hand to dismiss the smoke rolling up in his face. It was then when he first saw the face of the man. He was human (looking) with tough skin like a sailor or farmer and a big square jaw. One eye was covered by a black eyepatch and the other was a brown so dark that it seemed to be all black at first.

“I’seems we have business to discuss, lad.” His voice was quiet but had a low rumbling that seemed to come from his chest but didn’t do any favors trying to make the man seem more personable.

O-,” Theagans cleared his throat when his voice tried t crack. “Oh? What’s that, my good man?” Theagans squared himself in the doorframe. The stern look of a skilled man replaced the joyous expression of relief that had previously been in place.

“That’s for me and the blacksmith to discuss.” The man tried to move past Theagans but was met with resistance. He grinned around the big cigar which was coming apart and leaving little, saliva-soaked fragments of tobacco on the man’s lips and gums. He reached up with a big hand and withdrew the stinking thing then proceeded to poke Theagans in the chest with the same hand. “Now go fetch her for me, boy or I’ll make you into a little pile of ribbons and find her myself.” The dark eye didn’t seem to have any doubt that his words would be an accurate prediction should things go sour. “I’m here to offer business. It’s an offer from me master.” Theagans was reluctant but the last part didn’t sound threatening and the tone of the man’s voice seemed to ring of truth. Theagans nodded and let the fellow inside then peered up and down the street before closing the door and locking it with the bar once more.

Theagans made several long strides past the visitor and turned to face him from beside the desk. “Listen closely, you will not approach and you will not be rude or I’ll tear your arms off and beat you with them, so help me.” Theagans wasn’t sure why the threat was necessary. He just felt it was needed to let this scary man know that he wasn’t the only one capable of inflicting damage and pain. Theagans went into the room where all of the scrap was kept which was adjacent to the entryway. He grabbed an iron rod and slid it up his sleeve then tucked a dagger into his belt on each side as well as one in his boot. Theagans moved back into the main room and over to the door which lead upstairs. He opened it and was not sure if he would see Alija standing there listening or if she had gone upstairs entirely. He just prayed that she would trust him on allowing this man into her father’s shop; her shop. Something told Theagans that if he wanted to protect Alija from everything that had happened, this man had a way to help.

by **Alija** on February 15th, 2016, 6:05 pm

He was crying. He kissed her hand lightly, Alija staring awkwardly away. She still took his hand, however, squeezing tight. She was glad that he was here with her. Then a knock startled both. Thegans shoved her towards the stairs, Alija stumbling towards them. He told her to leave, with confidence and authority, ready to confront whoever had arrived.

Alija did as he said, hiding just behind the door and peering through the keyhole, trying to see what she could without being seen herself. If you didn't know she was there, you wouldn't know she was there. That was the point. However, it meant that she could see basically nothing. Alija knew just what to do to counter that.

She let her eyes focus, djed swirling to push through the wall and find the auras behind it. There were many small, insignificant ones - and then there were two large ones. The first was Thegans - she knew it instantly. His aura had been drilled into her mind, for as friends for that long, she had to know it. She kept it in her attention, but put the most focus on the other figure. It was a single person. Thankfully. She let out a sigh of relief, listening Thegans speaking to him in a friendly voice. Obviously, he wasn't too threatening either.

There was the faint smell of smoke drifting towards her, yet she couldn't tell whether it was real, or just the aura that the man had. Everything about him seemed dark and smoky - literal smoke to fire, like how she often described auras. It was rare, however, to find one so strikingly similar.

When he spoke, it was a deep growling voice, bringing her attention a little from the auras. He had business, Alija almost instantly reaching for the handle to open the door. She stopped herself just in time, watching Thegans' aura moved to block him and take the request instead. The auras started moving inside, around each other. Thegans seemed to lock the door and go to where she assumed the counter was, the smoke man moved to the middle of the shop. More movement - Thegans went into the backroom, then approached her.

His detour had confused her. If she had been paying more attention, perhaps she could have focused on what he was doing, but no. Instead, she had kept the eye on the smoke man that Thegans couldn't. Still, unmoving. His aura was smoky and misted, she couldn't tell much. Only that darkness clung to him, but what sort? And why?

Alija shook her head, forcing herself to stop looking. She had her hand on the handle ready to leave when Thegans opened the door, a little shocked at that. She moved past him, taking in the appearance of the man for the first time. The smell of smoke was obvious, a cigar burning in his mouth. She couldn't see his face for all the smoke but didn't want to. Instead, she smiled, moving to the counter with professionalism. So many strange things were happening. So many strange customers. She tried to get on with business like normal, but it was hard.

"You wanted me? Apologies for... that. Recently we've had a few problems." She tried to smile again, but it came out too forced. "And what may I do for you?"

by **Azmere** on February 21st, 2016, 3:26 am

Theagans moved around beside Alija but only to visually place a hand over her own where the stranger could see it. This was an obvious move to draw attention. Theagans watched Alija carefully but held a pleasant expression. His other hand gently slipped a dagger under the counter. The man moved back and made no further attempts to disrupt the transaction but he did keep a cold, unwavering glare planted on the mysterious and slightly unsettling man.

“No need for ‘pologies, Miss. S’alright.” He took a huge drag from the cigar. It was a slow intake that seemed to reveal itself in tiny slivers of paper being burned closed and closer to the filthy digits that surrounded the bad habit. As he exhaled, smoke seemed to pour from every crack in his weathered skin. “I come on behalf o’ me master.” The man reached into his coat to retrieve something. Theagans started to reach for his daggers but was not very stealthy about it because he was addressed immediately. It was odd considering the brim of the man’s hat and all the smoke seemed to completely obscure his face. “Easy, boy-o. It’s just a list.” He produced his hands with a simple piece of parchment tied up with a dainty ribbon of blackish red. He extended the letter out towards Alija.

When she took it, the man would simply lean on his elbow in a lazy posture against the counter. There was nothing hard about this task. He simply hung out in the blacksmith shop like he was about to take a nap. His assignment was to observe a reaction and then respond accordingly. The reaction would come from the letter of course.

It read.

I would like to place an order from your establishment. I am a very wealthy man and my associate will pay you 10 laats today if you accept.

Item List:

6 – Clubs; smooth, black 16” long with several grooves for a handle. Weight should be distributed to favor the striking end with a one pound lead pour.

6 – Hatchets; 12” hardwood handle. The head should be made of high quality steel with no impurities in the form of a simple wedge, flared edge at each end of the tip to give a slightly wider cutting edge.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to our arrangement.

~Ermond VanCurracas

by **Alija** on February 26th, 2016, 5:45 pm

His smoking was disgusting, filling the room with a pungent smell that seemed to never leave. When he reached in his coat, Thegans moved to grab a dagger, but Alija rested her hand against him, warning him not to. Still, the man noticed his movement, producing a list tied with a ribbon of blood. It was too dainty to fit the man with the smoke around his head.

She took it carefully, trying to open it in a professional manner. The list rolled out, a simple request. Well, it would have been a simple request.

While Alija tried to hide expressions, a look of shock, fear and nervousness overcame her as she scanned down it. After that initial expression, she returned to the serious, businesslike façade. As she read through it, she found that weirdly enough, the first thing she noticed was the money. Julius had paid more than that. But that wasn't relevant. What was was the order, identical to the one Julius had asked for.

Not that she would let him know. Folding the list neatly, but out of sight of Thegans in case he did anymore to give her away, she gave a polite smile. Maybe the man would notice her shaking hands that placed the list under the counter, but they were only in sight for a second. She couldn't show anything.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," she smiled, trying to sound genuine, "I am a blacksmith, not a weaponsmith. I have little skill in the profession - on the other hand, if the order was thousand spades or work of art, I could create that for you. I apologise, but I am not the person for you."

Once she had started speaking, it was easier, as she started addressing all those who came to her for weapons. "Perhaps I could recommend the weaponsmith Joseph, whose shop is much smaller than his talents, I can assure you. It is the small store with the red flowers - it's purpose can often be missed."

Alija hoped that directing this strange man away from her, from a purely business perspective, would get him off her back. Then, realising she could have put Joseph in the line of fire, added, "Although he's been out of business for this season. Maybe from the store's confusion with business." She forced another smile, trying to get him to leave.

by **Azmere** on March 9th, 2016, 9:52 pm

The man continued to puff away on his stogey, the fingers of smoke curling around his hat and face as it trying to remove one from the other but only serving to hold them as one. From behind the wisps and tendrils, the lone eye watched carefully as the note was read. The initial reaction was the thing that mattered. He had his answer and given the cool way the girl deflected, the observer wondered if she wouldn’t have a future in politics. After all, those bastards lie, cheat, steal, kill and worse but they know how to smile while performing their sin. That was really the only different between them and normal folk. To avoid getting distracted by his musings, the man removed the cigar and put it out on the palm of his hand slowly smothering and crushing the embers until the last few bits fell to the floor. If one cared to look close enough, they would note his hand held a strong resemblance to a signet marker pressed into wax. The reasoning behind such behavior is probably best left unsaid.

After the woman had explained some things about a weaponsmith, the men stepped forward keeping his eye on the big fella who lingered behind Alija. The messenger took the envelope back and was nodding to himself as he stashed he letter and half burned cigar into his jacket pocket.

“My apologies for the confusion. Things aren’t always as they seem, are they?” He smiled a terrible grin and turned as if to leave then stopped and took a step back towards the smith. Theagans moved in a bit placing himself within arm’s reach of the man. “Easy lad, just handling a different kind of business.” He drew out a small piece of parchment that was folded into eight equal rectangles. “Me master wants a studier base for his carriage. The drawings are in there.” He extended the note for them to take and headed towards the door.

Schematics :

He pressed his hand to the wood as more scars became apparent and paused. He tilted his head down and to the side looking back to the pair without actually doing so. “You needn’t worry about the raw supplies, lass nor about your fee. Me master has taken care to send everything you need. It’ll be here by sundown.” He dropped a bag of coins on the floor and then the man was gone. It was the strangest way to do business but with the ease at which everything transpired, one could infer he’d done this before.

Theagans moved quickly to the door and bolted it shut then stooped to retrieve the purse. He bounced it in his hands for a moment and then swiveled from his crouch and tossed it to Alija. “You’re going to be rich…” When Alija finally opened the bag, she would find forty Laats. Something in the way the unpleasant man behaved indicated this was only a retainer. The real fortune was waiting on the completion of a very large project.

+ + + + + + + +

Later that day, a knock would come at the door and Alija would find a doe-eyed boy with several other servant types each pulling a rickshaw of iron, wood and various other items. This was everything she would need to forge and assemble the order. No one spoke and most avoided eye contact. Once Theagans and Alija unloaded everything with the help of provided hands, the servants and carts would be leave in the same manner as their arrival.

by **Alija** on March 23rd, 2016, 4:26 pm

reference :

He gave her another piece of paper, after taking the last back. Alija was more careful about opening this one, keeping a straight face even before she began. Slowly, she unfolded it, but, just as he had said, it was simply a design for a carriage base. It was complex, more complex than anything she had made, or so she felt. The strange man dropped bag of coins and told her everything she would need was to be delivered at sunset. Strange. Something dodgy was going on here, but she couldn't tell what.

When he had gone, she took the coins, counting through them. Forty laats, as a deposit. What price did he plan to pay for the real thing? Alija didn't know what was happening. But she would continue with the matter of simply acting like a smith - she would complete the order and accept the money, no questions, no investigations. While it was hard, fighting a good part of her body to keep her curiosity in check, she knew that meddling in this business was too dangerous. She didn't want to be dragged into anything.

Once she had everything she needed, Alija began. She had talked this over with both her father and Thegans, and decided a good way to do it. First, the axle. It would take a long rod a little longer than four feet, so she began with a good sized chunk, working at it to draw it out into a longer version. This part was easy, but even something about making the axle seemed challenging. Alija wiped her brow, spinning the rod over to work on the other side. She had to hammer the metal thinner as well as longer, with a nice thickness all the way round. The best way she knew how to do that was spin the axle, drawing it from all sides.

And it seemed to work. She was left with a fairly well shaped rod, which she went over once more, this time trying to smooth out the dents formed. Once she had shaped the metal enough, Alija took a file and started to smooth it even more precisely. It had to turn smoothly, so a good shape was essential.

With the axle done to a satisfying quality, she moved to the spokes. That was a more simple matter of hammering out metal to be the same length and width as the other pieces. Measuring it up with the diagram, Alija drew out more metal, hammering with consistent and evenly spaced blows. Once it had been drawn out a little more, she widened the ends like on the diagram, using the edge of the hammer to speed up the process.

She had to make twelve of them, for just one wheel too. The process was long and repetitive but the smith worked quickly through it, able to judge the sizes without checking towards the end of it. The hammer was heavy in her hand but landed well, drawing out the metal quickly and efficiently.

by **Alija** on March 30th, 2016, 8:33 pm

The wheel arches were next. Alija drew these out, fire blazing behind her as she manipulated the metal to form the right shape. The cores were quick and easy to make, a mix of drawing and shrinking to get the right shape. With the fire casting strange shapes in the room and the odd red glow of metal, it seemed like she was in a strange cave of both darkness and light.

Alija smiled, realising her imagination had gone a bit too far. It was her forge and while it held treasures, it was a place of work, a place she knew well. A place she spent almost too much time in. Next season, she promised herself, not knowing exactly how empty a promise that was. Next season, she would hire a smith to help her, she would spend more time out, enjoying herself. Learning, meeting people, letting herself explore this city.

But next season was an age away, and a million things could happen until then. This carriage would happen before then. It had to, but it wouldn't it she didn't work. Finishing off all the pieces of the wheel, she began the welding. This was much easier to shape than other things she had made, pulling the spokes out to be more pointed at the faces that were to join with the wheel.

She heated them to a good temperature to clean them, then forced everything together, having Thegans help with handling the many tongs necessary. Once they had been placed together, she hammered them, securing the weld tightly. She knew that by now, with her skill, it would most definitely be able to withstand the weight of a carriage. Of course, now she had to make the rest - the more complex part.

Taking care to work through the instructions exactly, Alija worked on making the pieces to be screwed together as the diagram showed. Most were simply drawing out metal with simple hammer blows, although some were more complex. The more complex part was making a spring. This was more metalsmithing, but it held aspects of blacksmithing, so she didn't find it too challenging. First, she lengthened a piece of rod stock, making it longer. Then, taking a larger rod with a hole in the base, she fed the metal through. As it emerged the other side of the hole, she heated it to a cherry red, using brute force to hammer it around the rod. She continued this process for a while, waiting to heat each piece and pull it around. Eventually, a spring formed and Alija used a chisel to cut the bottom off, separating it.

With the spring done, she began punching, cutting holes for where the pieces would join. She called Thegans down, demonstrating to him how to do it. "First heat the metal," she said, doing it as she did, "Place it over the punching hole -that's the round one, and hold the punch over it. Hammer down sharply and remember to flip it over occasionally, to make sure the metal punches evenly." She smiled, passing the tools over to Thegans. He could do this- it was simple and easy, and Alija wanted a rest. Watching him a little while, correcting him when he messed up, Alija finally left him, satisfied. Each and every hole had been marked out with a chalk cross. Hopefully he wouldn't mess up something that simple!

by **Alija** on March 30th, 2016, 9:09 pm

Alija returned from a good rest, pulling her hair up and tying it in a loose bun. She took a moment to inspect Thegans' work, fairly satisfied with the results. Of course, it wasn't the best, some showing clear signs of sloppy, novice work, but the majority was good. Now, to make screws and she could begin to assemble all the pieces.

Cutting a piece of rod to size, she began to heat it, getting it to a good colour. Alija smiled, realising how easily and naturally this all came. She didn't even have to think about the colour - all it took was a glance and she could know if it was right or if she needed to heat it some more. However, it was rarely the latter - experience made her practiced - she knew how long to leave it in the fire for. Once one end had been heated, she held it against the anvil hot side up. Hammering down, she let it thicken and spread. Alija left it to heat as she found the swage block, securing it in the hardy hole. She fed the cold end into a suitably sized whole then hammered down again, making the upset end flatten out. Finally, she squared it off, hammering from the side then filing.

Realising she could get Thegans to do a lot of the work, she called him, demonstrating this too. "You can use the swage. All you do is put the bolt into this hole," she pointed at it, "This one here, then hammer sharply down, straight down, a few times, to make it flatten out. When using the swage, just make sure you don't hammer down too much. If you do, you'll need to... actually, just tell me. And be careful - we don't want it happening at all. Then hammer from the side, like so, to make it square. Got it?"

Thegans nodded, "What happens if you've upset it too much?"

"That won't happen." He looked at her with an amused expression. "But if it does, just let me know." He smiled, not satisfied. "Okay, fine. You need to draw the metal out a bit. Just place it on the anvil face and hit it, like this," she showed him, "Drawing out a little to be the correct length. Okay?"

"Okay," he smiled, finally, taking a hammer, "I'm waiting!"

They worked together well, Alija upsetting the bolts and passing them to Thegans who would make the head while she moved to heat the next rod and cut it, upsetting the pieces in a nice flow. They worked for a long time, losing track of the amount they had made. It didn't matter though, because if they made too many, they could be sold or stored for another time. If they made too few, they could always make more.

She left Thegans to finish off the few she had left, moving to make a die. Taking a steel rod the same diameter, she filed in the threads, then a few lengthways notches. Case-hardening the tool, she cut the threads into a steel plate, making the die. This was used to cut the threads on the bolts, working through each one in turn.

by **Alija** on March 30th, 2016, 9:18 pm

Lastly came the nuts. She called Thegans over, showing him how she planned to do them. Taking a flat iron bar of the desired thickness, she marked it off into square. Nicking each square with a cold chisel, she explained it to him, trying to make it as clear as possible. "Then we use this, called a centre punch, the mark the centre." She heated the bar, punching the first hole. "Just like before - except make them neater!" she teased, then taking a hot cutter. "Heat it again, then use the hot cutter, placed in the hardy hole." She cut a square off, holding it in the vice a threading it with the die like before. "Got it?"

He nodded, "Which part do I do?" She thought about it, debating the possibilities. She had to plan something so he had the easiest work, and so both could work at the same time with their resources.

"How about the hot cutter? All you have to do is follow the marked lines, okay?"

He nodded, and they got to work. Alija did everything else, using a cold chisel and the die and the centre punch. Somehow, however, Thegans worked at the same pace she did, even falling behind. Of course, Alija had experience, while he had to work slowly to make sure it was to a decent standard.

Finally, they were all done. Alija smiled, gathering all the pieces. "Let's put this thing together!" Bringing out the schematics, they worked through it, working out which piece was which and where it went. Occasionally, Thegans would point out that she had held it upside down, causing them to unscrew a few bolts and redo sections. Eventually, however, she managed.

Stepping back, she took a moment to marvel in her hard work. This was beautiful. It was complex and well made and would do such a good job. For a moment, she forgot the strange happenings surrounding this and just looked upon her creation with pride.

"Thegans, put it in the store. I'm going to clean up." She disappeared upstairs, heating up water for the bath. Once it was full, she took a moment to submerge herself in it, then scrubbed away the dirt. The coal slowly peeled away leaving skin that had paled a little with the long time inside. Then she took some scented soap, freshening herself up.

Done, she brushed her teeth and hair, this time leaving it loose. She adorned a smart silk shirt and long cotton skirt. Taking a deep look in the mirror, she became satisfied with her appearance. She wanted to get to the bottom of this, so planned to make a personal visit to Ermond VanCurracas himself. "Thegans! Get ready to pull thay carriage base!"

She moved downstairs, finding Kial. "I'm going to lock both doors. Don't let anyone in - just stay here and keep my dad company, okay? He's got some cards, so get him to teach you Blush, okay? Just stay safe," she smiled, kissing him on the forehead lightly, then hugging him tightly. She didn't know why she was being so cautious. Maybe because she was getting involved in something much bigger than herself. But she was already involved. It was only her duty to sort it out.

Locking the door as she had said, Alija took the dagger she had barely ever used, hiding it just in case. It was near enough useless, but the cold metal refreshed her, just a little. "Thegans, you know where we can find Ermond VanCurracas?"

He nodded, leading her through the streets of Nyka. As they walked, Alija felt her heart tighten. What if this was the wrong decision? But she didn't let herself back out. She was too curious about what there was to find out.
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Closed The Ties That Bind [Alija]