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FORGE NEAR THE NORTHERN GATE - AFTERNOON
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Ragnarr was already beset with a few orders, mostly piping which was a new thing for him. but now it... he worked on what he needed most, a new axe, one for both war and peace. The sounds of hammer blows sounded in the hot afternoon sun.
Ragnarr lifted the piece of steel to get a closer look, his eyes weren't what they used to be. swearing copper pipe was a flex of his mental skills but hammering steel was mental and physical. cycling between heat and anvil kept him focused on the task and not the people watching the large man.
Ragnarr took a break hammering to let the steel raise in temperature more slowly so he could take a break.
Ragnarr after his break he returns no trousers and boots, instead a wrap of cloth around his waist. The sun was taking longer than he thought to get acclimated too, but he still had work to do. a large jug of water placed in the shade beside him as he continues to hammer now folding the two pieces over leaving a void at the head for his harder steel.
Cavro has been hanging around in the milling crowd for almost the entire duration of the smith's work, watching with keen interest, almost studying Ragnarr's techniques from a distance. The badger even opts to take a seat on a nearby railing, eating the sandwich he had bought as he observed the wolf's work. He had left his own smithing gear behind at the Oldhammer, but a keen nose might pick up the prevalent scent of brimstone on his fur.
Ragnarr slotted the head of the axe filling it first with flux before began to sandwich the softer steel around the harder. he began setting his forge weld as if having done this hundred of times before. he stopped when it was heating, a customer came buy picking up a few bent coils he had shaped. He thanked them for their business and gave them a nod of respect before turning back to his work his eyes scanning the badger stopping for a few moments before moving back to the anvil wiping it down.
Cavro finishes the last bite of his sandwich, pausing briefly before hopping down and approaching Ragnarr, not hiding the fact that he's looking about at the forge setup. "Good afternoon, forgemaster! And and and welcome to Respite."
Ragnarr smiles turning to the man giving him the once over. "thank you for the warm welcome, but i am no master. just good enough to make a good living." he obviously doesnt give himself the credit he deserves. he notices him looking at the set up, it wasn't conventional, it was very much more ritualistic / primal set up.
Cavro nods, smiling at Ragnarr. "I I understand, but you certainly have a talent. This is a a a very nostalgic smithy, indeed. not much to to to be said against the old ways, of course."
Ragnarr: "Where I'm from, all we have are the old ways. But when soldiers with guns came along we adapted or we were erased." He says a bit sadly as he waves him in closer to get a better look if he wished. "but the metal selection of this city is quite impressive."
Cavro nods, feeling the wolf's emotion as he steps further into the smithy, peeking into the inside of the forge. "It's gotten better, for sure. We we we used to get very little variety, but as the population has grown..." He closes his eyes, basking in the heat emanating from inside the forge. "Oh, that's much better than outside."
Ragnarr: "Better than up north." he laughed a bit watching him. "you have your own forge?" he asks getting a distinct scent from the man that wasn't like the one he worked at. "please make yourself at home." he says happily.
Cavro nods, pulling himself away from the warmth. "I I do, sort of. My master still owns it, but I ran it alone for a couple years before taking on a a a helper. I got behind after taking on a large project.. He glances around, still admiring the equipment around him. "The Oldhammer is a little different from... Ah, I I didn't look at the name of your smithy before coming in!"
Ragnarr: "Name hasn't come to be yet to be honest. my kind is big on deed names, sur names and titles are granted." he says adjusting the cloth around his waist. "but so far all ive done is copper sweating, basic tool repair, and lots of rivets... how can a town use so many rivets?"
Cavro chuckles, nodding knowingly. "I I wish you had been here a week or so ago, I could have sent the order for two-thousand nails over to you. I don't hate the the the little things, they're as necessary as any other product, but it came at the worst possible time!"
Ragnarr: "That\s how the big orders usually come." he laughs a bit, then looks up to the dark lights. "you have any idea who I talk to about getting power and water here?" he asks curiously
Cavro looks up toward the lights. "Ah, the power is is is actually the large project. The town generator failed, I I had the honor of forging the temporary one that's being assembled now. The water to some parts of Respite is is is run by pumps powered by the generator, unfortunately. Other parts are gravity fed, I believe." He shrugs, turning back to Ragnarr. "I've just been bringing buckets from home."
Ragnarr: "That's what I've been doing too, then I start seeing new neighbors struggling so i end up making extra trips." He turned to look to him. "You forged a new one?" he asks obviously impressed.
Cavro nods, shrugging. "Mostly casting, actually, nothing terrible. I I got to practice my clay molding, which was fun, but took almost all of my time, hence the helper." He chuckles, blushing lightly. "I I actually got so excited after the last mold was ready that I worked straight through the night pouring molten steel. One of my crucibles even shattered and spilled."
Ragnarr: "Yeah, I learned crucible steel in the past few years, but ive only been able to make a few pucks out of it." He chuckles seeing how excited he was talking about his work. "clay casting is always hard, there is a black clay up north that some tribes actually made mace heads out of for war
Cavro blinks. "Clay weapons? I I would like to something like that, sounds interesting. I do regret being so so so careless. Wasted thirty pounds of iron and still haven't found a a a new crucible that can hold that much."
Ragnarr laughs looking a bit surprised. "thirty pound crucible?" he asks never conceiving anything that large before. "maybe when i head back up north i will bring you back some."
Cavro shakes his head. "That's al al alright, I wouldn't ask you for any favors. You aren't going to to to be staying in Respite, though?"
Ragnarr: "Oh wouldn't be a bother. Yeah, i plan on staying here but traveling for good raw materials here and there cures the restlessness." he says with a smirk. "plus you meet all sorts of interesting men, and women."
Cavro chuckles, nodding as he steps towards the entrance again, realizing the amount of time he's already spent checking out the competition. "That's true. Your adventure to to to Respite has let me meet you, for example. Feel free to come by the Oldhammer if you you you need anything, whether it's help or materials. It's in in in the South part of town, before the South Gate."
Ragnarr: "I appreciate the kindness, what ever i can do to return the kindness please dont hesitate to ask." he says with a smile and deep nod of his head. "how eude of me. I am Ragnarr Longtooth." he offers a hand to him.
Cavro ah's, taking the offered hand with a firm shake. "Terribly sorry, I forgot my manners as well! Cavro Honeydew, glad to to to meet you, Ragnarr! I I should return to the Oldhammer, though. I get the feeling I left the bellows on when I went for lunch..."
Ragnarr: "best get home then, see you soon." he waves to the man and goes back towards his work.
Cavro nods, grinning at Ragnarr. "Yes, good day, forgemaster!" He turns and trots out of the smithy, heading for home and hoping that he didn't just waste an hour's worth of coke for a sandwich.
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NESSETH'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON
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Vix lounges on Nesseth's couch, idly counting the stitches in the cushions. She seems distracted.
Nesseth steps out of the kitchen, carting a small plate of fresh-baked cookies with the intent to snack on them while reading a book. He pauses and shakes his head with a smile when he sees a familiar feline lounging on the sofa, though. "Could have sworn I locked the front door... Oh, well, good to see you, Vix."
Vix purrs as Nesseth notices her. "Seems you managed to avoid sitting on me today, Ness~"
Nesseth laughs a bit as he walks over to the sofa and sets the plate down, now aware he's probably going to have to share his cookies. He picks one up and offers it to Vix as he takes a seat. "Well, kind of hard to flop over when I've got my hands full with cookies. You got lucky, today."
Vix giggles and sits up, taking a fresh cookie off the plate. "I knew I smelled something good, so I had to sneak in~"
Nesseth chuckles and gives Vix a light scritch behind her ears. "I should have figured you wouldn't be far off if snacks are nearby." He smiles again as he takes a nibble out of his cookie, "Still, you okay? You looked a little distracted when I came in."
Vix nods as she munches on her cookie. "Yeah, I uh...I'm looking for something. Can't find it."
Nesseth tilts his head. "Looking for something? You think you might have forgotten it around my house, then?"
Vix hums and looks around, then hugs Nesseth. "Nah, I found what I'm looking for here already~"
Nesseth oofs as Vix moves in for a hug, then he chuckles and wraps an arm around her and hugs her in turn. "Well, congrats on the easy hunt, then. Your reward is cookies!"
Vix smiles and takes another cookie. "Mmm~...but also...someone asked me to find something for them, so...I was wondering if you might have any leads~?"
Nesseth lightly runs his hand through the soft fur on the back of Vix's neck as he continues to munch on his cookie. "Something someone wants you to help them find? What might that something be?"
Vix pulls out a scrap of paper and passes it to Nesseth. It has a sketch of an orb that seems to be decorated with gems. "Some kinda weird artifact. The description was...kinda like this."
Nesseth shakes the paper open and holds it up to examine. "...Some kind of encrusted orb...? Hmm..." He frowns a little as he examines it, tilting his head a little, "Can't say I've seen anything like that before... Did they say what it was for?"
Vix bites her lip in a moment of consideration. "Something...ah, something magical. They weren't specific, but it's supposed to be hard to use."
Nesseth turns the paper a bit to the side, as though a different angle might give him a new perspective. It doesn't, unfortunately. "Magical, hm? Not a lot of magical folks that I know of around Respite, honestly... There's that Yak, Yengrisk, but they're... like an apprentice or something, I think. There's also a Skunk lady that... I think might be a mage? We could try asking them for any leads."
Vix slouches into the cushions a bit. "All I know is that someone in town has it..."
Nesseth gives Vix another warm hug as she slumps against the cushions. "Well, that's something, at least. If your client's sure it's still in town, then it'd be pretty easy to identify for anyone with knowledge, right?"
Vix scratches her chin. "There was a pretty big reward...I kinda wonder if this whole thing is fishy, but..."
Nesseth raises an eyebrow. "But?"
Vix stares at her half-eaten cookie. "It's none of my business, right?"
Nesseth shrugs a bit. "Well... if you've got concerns, you're welcome to tell me about it, you know. And if you think those concerns are big enough, remember, I'm something of a town guard."
Vix shivers at the memory of her creepy client. "Ah...I'll have to think about it."
Nesseth frowns a little when he feels Vix shivering a bit. "Hey... it's okay. You weren't threatened or anything, were you?"
Vix shakes her head. "Nah, the client was just a bit...odd."
Nesseth hums a bit, only partially convinced. "Well... if you're sure. Again, if you're concerned, you can always talk to me or one of the other guards, like Louma, Brunilda or Damina."
Vix leans over and hugs Nesseth. "Let's forget about the orb for now. What are you making for dinner?"
Nesseth chuckles and eases up for the time being as he returns the hug. "I was thinking of frying up a steak or two from the meat I got during my last hunt. You want one?"
Vix drools a bit. "You had me at 'steak'"
Nesseth grins in amusement at Vix's expression. "Right, guess that's another steak on the skillet, then. The usual condiments on the side, I take it? I might need to restock tomorrow, since I'm gonna cook one for Plume, too."
Vix: You know how I like it cooked~
Nesseth nods and gives Vix another soft squeeze around her shoulders. "You got it. Guess I'd better get started if I'm making a bunch of steaks."
Vix purrs and begins to relax again.
Nesseth gives Vix's shoulder another light rub, then sidles out from beside her. He gets up with a stretch, then heads back into the kitchen to start cooking up some steaks for himself, Vix and Plume. The plate of cookies, meanwhile, remains on the table, at the mercy of any pilfering feline nearby.