21st Winter 515
The order from yesterday remained scrunched in her pocket until Thegans finally reminded her about it, asking if she had seen it. Thanking him, the blacksmith pulled it out, smoothing it out on the kitchen table. "Two pans," it read, "And one large cooking pot."
Not a hard task at all, apart from one thing - to make the pans, she needed sheet metal, and there was none large enough to be found in her store. The thinnest was still much thicker than required, meaning that she had to make the metal thin herself - a day, at least, of back breaking work just to make some pots and pans.
Rals had told her how to do this, so long ago she barely remembered. Take two iron plates, it was, placing the metal in between and pounding hard with a sledge hammer. Thankfully, she did have these plates, and placed them in her forge with the metal in between. There was a sledge hammer too, coming with the forge, and Alija pushed herself to lift it. She could hoist it up fairly easily now, feeling her muscles tense a little with the weight, but soon enough, it would hurt.
Thegans stood beside her with a smile on her face, not even waiting for her to start before mocking her. "That looks heavy, now doesn't it?" he teased, resting against one wall to watch her, "I'm glad I don't have to do that!"
Alija shot him a cold stare, before yanking the hammer back over her shoulder and letting it fall down, using the strength of the earth rather than her own. That would be better used fighting against the forces that pulled it down, yanking the heavy hammer back up. Muscles strained at every move, feeling the burn down her back and in her arms.
Every hit sounded through the forge, the ringing of metal loud and annoying, but not as annoying as Thegans' smug smile as he stared at her as she worked. He got off without a single piece of work, fully surviving of Alija's own. Not that she wanted him to work for her, but he insisted that she paid him the full price for his efforts. Which meant more than she could spend. Considering that it was cheaper just to pay his living expenses, and get the occasional odd job done from him, she left it like that.
Her father, on the other hand, had offered to help free of charge. That, however, couldn't be done because he could easily be seen by the public. Instead, he was stuck up in the house, avoiding windows and going stir crazy, all because of his sister-in-law. She felt sorry for him, she really did. Instead, he was stuck trying to cope with it all, writing and sketching away in his bedroom, things he would never let anyone see.
Apart from occasionally showing Thegans, which truly annoyed her. After all, she was his daughter. Surely she got some sort of involvement too?
The order from yesterday remained scrunched in her pocket until Thegans finally reminded her about it, asking if she had seen it. Thanking him, the blacksmith pulled it out, smoothing it out on the kitchen table. "Two pans," it read, "And one large cooking pot."
Not a hard task at all, apart from one thing - to make the pans, she needed sheet metal, and there was none large enough to be found in her store. The thinnest was still much thicker than required, meaning that she had to make the metal thin herself - a day, at least, of back breaking work just to make some pots and pans.
Rals had told her how to do this, so long ago she barely remembered. Take two iron plates, it was, placing the metal in between and pounding hard with a sledge hammer. Thankfully, she did have these plates, and placed them in her forge with the metal in between. There was a sledge hammer too, coming with the forge, and Alija pushed herself to lift it. She could hoist it up fairly easily now, feeling her muscles tense a little with the weight, but soon enough, it would hurt.
Thegans stood beside her with a smile on her face, not even waiting for her to start before mocking her. "That looks heavy, now doesn't it?" he teased, resting against one wall to watch her, "I'm glad I don't have to do that!"
Alija shot him a cold stare, before yanking the hammer back over her shoulder and letting it fall down, using the strength of the earth rather than her own. That would be better used fighting against the forces that pulled it down, yanking the heavy hammer back up. Muscles strained at every move, feeling the burn down her back and in her arms.
Every hit sounded through the forge, the ringing of metal loud and annoying, but not as annoying as Thegans' smug smile as he stared at her as she worked. He got off without a single piece of work, fully surviving of Alija's own. Not that she wanted him to work for her, but he insisted that she paid him the full price for his efforts. Which meant more than she could spend. Considering that it was cheaper just to pay his living expenses, and get the occasional odd job done from him, she left it like that.
Her father, on the other hand, had offered to help free of charge. That, however, couldn't be done because he could easily be seen by the public. Instead, he was stuck up in the house, avoiding windows and going stir crazy, all because of his sister-in-law. She felt sorry for him, she really did. Instead, he was stuck trying to cope with it all, writing and sketching away in his bedroom, things he would never let anyone see.
Apart from occasionally showing Thegans, which truly annoyed her. After all, she was his daughter. Surely she got some sort of involvement too?
