Battle Mage: Forging New Steel (Tales of Alus Book 9) (14 page)

The imperfections, created from blending the metal and carbon of the charcoal as well as the extra metals added for the properties needed to make a sword both strong and flexible, were noticeable and much the way he expected; but not every intended quality was where he expected. Using his magic, the mage began to move the metals within the steel towards where they were meant to be. Those that strengthened the outer edge were shifted as if the blade remained liquid to his interference. The inner core’s ability to take a blow and not break was added also using his magic to look for the precise blend of qualities from the inside to the outside.

Even from tip to base, the properties had to move to compensate for the lack of skill of the first time metal worker.

The intended piece of wood to be used for a hilt was attached and the mage continued to work the two together. Pins which held the hilt in place were added and Sebastian made blade, hilt and pins part of the magic being introduced to become one. The metal could remain insulated from the user of the sword otherwise. Magic would work best if a battle mage’s touch on the hilt could extend his commands directly to the blade.

Ashleen’s strength was being drawn on as Sebastian moved to shaping the weapon. Her attention rested within the spells they used to monitor the steel which the girl extended through him to watch as his magic began to manipulate the shape of the weapon. From out of the rough form of a blade, the sword began to take shape as if it had been worked, filed and even polished by a set of smiths. The lines of the double edged weapon took shape quickly under the attention of his mind and their combined magic.

He could hear unsteady breathing in his ear as the girl struggled to maintain the connection. As the final details of adding power to the blade to create the channels moved towards their conclusion, so it would hold the magic of its wielder; Ashleen could see that the battle mage was a master of manipulating the metal already. It was an innate talent and feel for the metal that made him able to do something new and unique. Even if it worked as planned, the wizard knew that she would have to work to gain what he had the instinct to do.

Her legs began to shake and Ashleen was unsure how much longer she could let the mage scavenge her power for the task.

“Hurry, Bas, or I’m going to have to let go,” the girl whispered. She had heard of the energy needed to make the first Hollow Sword while on the island, but even knowing that Ashleen was surprised by how much power it truly took to make just one blade.

He heard her voice, but the task was nearly done. They would be exhausted, but he was pretty sure that it would be a success.

Chapter 8- Revelations

Ivol let out a low whistle of appreciation as he laid his eyes on the newly formed sword as Ashleen nearly stumbled backwards to get to her stool. Sebastian looked away from the new Hollow Sword to make sure the girl was alright. Her eyes met his and she smiled tiredly even as she reached for the covered food in arm’s reach on the table.

Looking at the blade a moment, the mage extended his arm to the side along the table testing the balance of the sword. He had meant it to be able to be usable with either one hand or two and thought that the weight was about right. As he moved the blade, the light from the doorway caught the metal making it gleam with the shine of a polished blade though it had come from unfinished steel only half an hour ago. Though it reflected the light from outside, Sebastian could also notice the faint glimmer of his magic thanks to the runes running along the blade.

“I would ask how you did that, if I didn’t already realize that you used magic,” the older man said with a chuckle and shake of his head. “You worked forged steel after it had cooled and it moved like it was alive. It was raw in form and now it looks like a master sword smith had been working to have it formed and polished.”

A crunch as Ashleen bit into a fresh prapple drew his attention back to the young woman sitting behind him now. Catching his glance, she tossed him a near clone of the one held in her opposite hand.

Sebastian bit into the prapple enjoying the juice as the bite released the nourishing liquid as he crunched down with his molars. He could tell how much energy he had used up in that relatively short time of work, but they had accomplished dozens of hours of work in roughly half an hour’s time. His eyes told him he had created something of great beauty with his magic, but if it worked properly the sword would also be an object of incredible power.

He looked at Ashleen again and could tell that she was used up for now. While he felt less worn out than the poor wilder looked, Sebastian had to admit that he needed to replenish his energy and rest for awhile as well. It was a shorter day than planned, but it wasn’t wise to overdo it when it came to magic. Magic was one’s life energy and draining it beyond their reserves of strength could actually kill a wizard or mage.

After letting Ivol and Aric look at the newly formed sword, Sebastian stood to remove his apron and said, “I think we may as well head inside and eat in the tavern.”

Ashleen looked up from some crackers holding cheese that she was currently eating and appeared confused. “I thought you would want to start something new. Isn’t that why we have this food?”

Chuckling at the girl, Sebastian was impressed that she made her words sound true. They both knew that the magic they had just performed was too draining to risk doing more, still he answered as if he didn’t think she was kidding, “The food was here in case we couldn’t drag ourselves out of the forge. We can take all this with us; but if you’d like something a bit more substantial, or even a warm meal, then we need to get off our stools and head inside.”

The girl finished her cracker in a big bite before fumbling with the ties behind her back. “The idea of anything else warm at the moment does not sound good at all thank you. I could probably eat an orchard of prapples though after all the work you just put me through for that sword.”

While Aric exchanged looks with his father wondering how they could be so exhausted when the two magic users had barely moved from their places for half an hour, Sebastian wiped off his chest and back with a towel kept there for that purpose. He looked at Ashleen who glistened in the light of the door and forge. The girl had removed her apron and her bare skin had a sheen of perspiration almost as bad as his.

He threw a second towel to Ashleen and said, “You might need this before going inside.”

Ashleen sat back onto the stool looking tired, but rubbed her chest and shoulders before wiping the moisture from her stomach. Seeing how exhausted she looked as the wilder unenthusiastically worked with the towel, Bas took the towel from her hands causing her blue eyes to look at him questioningly. He wiped down her back and shoulders working around the cloth of her top before the mage ran the cloth along each arm.

Sighing at the feel of the cloth and the attention she was getting, Ashleen said, “That does feel better, but what makes it even better is that I didn’t have to do it.”

Her giggle ended as she took another cracker with cheese and put it in her mouth.

She stood and took the towel back and wiped her legs a moment. Already the girl looked stronger thanks to the food and slight rest from using magic. Tossing the towel onto the table, Ashleen started out the door heading towards the inn.

“Don’t you want to get into your dress?” Sebastian asked already wearing his shirt and noting the sweat trying to build beneath the cloth.

“I would just get it wet,” the wilder replied continuing to walk even as Sebastian quickly gathered the tray of food and covered it to bring it back into the Black Smith Inn. Appearing unconcerned, she added, “Besides it isn’t like we are walking back to the Two Circles. This can barely be considered walking in public. I think I can risk being dressed for a forge for the length of a meal or we can stay here and eat if you would rather?”

Turning to look at him already following, Sebastian shrugged sending her on her way to the nearest door for the inn.

Ashleen’s entrance was noted by Ivol’s wife, the innkeeper, with wide eyes. Her other two boys and daughter were sitting at a table nearest the kitchen eating their lunch, but only two other small groups were occupying any tables. Everyone’s eyes noted the pretty blonde’s entry and stared even as Hilda Alamore stood up to rush over to the girl.

“Dear girl, have you no suitable clothes? You are too pretty to go around showing off so much flesh. You will get a reputation,” Hilda replied worriedly. Her two sons looked more appreciative than worried over their mother’s concern, though their sister who was likely close to the wilder’s age appeared equally disapproving.

“I have been in that forge all morning,” Ashleen replied unconcerned navigating around the middle aged inn keeper. “I am so hot that I am unsure if there is any moisture left inside of me.”

The wilder’s nose wrinkled and she complained aiming a thumb at the men following her, “And I was sweating like a boy.”

Despite herself, Hilda had to laugh at the girl’s displeasure. “Still, this top shouldn’t be seen by a man not your husband. Even those shorts verge on scandalous.”

Ashleen sat on a wood chair and said, “When I was younger and the weather got like this, we would go down to the local lake and all go skinny dipping. Perhaps Kardor has a different view of what is scandalous?”

Hilda shook her head as the other men took places around the table. Aric’s eyes couldn’t help straying to the beautiful girl’s exposed skin that was normally concealed by most women in Hala verifying his mother’s concerns; but Ashleen appeared oblivious or simply uncaring about being seen.

“When you are a child, that might be overlooked, but you are a beautiful, young woman now. You need to present yourself as a woman remembering that men will see you unfavorably if you do not,” Hilda continued to try and force her view on the girl with the shake of her finger.

Sebastian had placed the tray of food on the table between them staying out of the discussion. While he agreed with Hilda that Ashleen was revealing more than normally seen in Southwall, at least the wilder was covering up the places judged inappropriate to see in public. Still the tavern wasn’t very busy at least or a public street where more people would see her.

Ashleen took another prapple in hand and replied without mercy, “I am too tired and hungry to argue. The quicker I get to eat, the faster that I can get the energy to go change.”

Receiving a frown, Hilda immediately took their orders for food while her husband looked at her apologetically. Aric never seemed to notice until Ashleen caught his eyes with hers causing him to blush and look away.

“You could go a little easy on her. She is running the inn and it could be considered a public place,” Sebastian encouraged quietly.

Ivol crossed his arms watching the two magic users continuing to put food in their mouths as they waited for even more food to be brought from the kitchen. In response to both, he stated, “Don’t worry about Hilda. As long as you are mostly covered, she won’t get too upset; but I don’t think that you should risk walking the streets like that when you return to your inn. Some of the guards might haul you in for indecent exposure.”

Sebastian leaned back eating his third prapple and mused on part of Ivol’s point, “The king put us up in that place. Perhaps we need to reserve a room here for Ashleen, if not for both of us.”

His words made those at the table look up in surprise. Mangling his intent, the mage clarified, “I mean a room for each of us, if I am not required to check in with the mage corps building. Since I can assume that the Two Circles Inn costs more than here, though I am not the one paying that bill; I can see no reason to put up with their prices when the Black Smith Inn served us very well during the tournament.”

“You pay for the atmosphere and the extra gimmicks that the Two Circles can provide thanks to their backing by certain wizards’ guilds,” Ivol nodded taking one of a dark red fruit called the chered. They hadn’t been charged for the food per say as it was rolled into the fee they had worked out for working in the workshop. It was also a fruit that was a little tarter than his taste preferred. Ashleen did like them and had eaten a couple already, but the girl didn’t complain over the loss as Ivol continued, “Admittedly I have seen the Two Circles and it is impressive, but I think Hilda has made the Black Smith Inn something that can rival it in our own way.”

Ashleen sighed and said, “I will miss having my own personal tub with hot and cold running water.”

Sitting up straighter, Aric proclaimed, “We have hot and cold running water also. The entire inner city does thanks to the wizards of Hala from before the Cataclysm. The current wizards merely maintain the pipes, pumps and filters of the original system.

“We don’t have bathrooms in every room, but you can lock them for privacy,” the boy finished as if he hoped that the pretty girl wouldn’t look for a different inn to use.

While the blonde shrugged drawing Aric’s eyes to her tanned shoulders with the movement, it was Sebastian who answered, “A room at the Black Smith will be fine, even for her majesty’s sudden picky taste.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance, but the return of Hilda and her daughter with the first tray of their food distracted the girl.

True to their word, Ashleen and Sebastian finished their food quickly. In fact, their hosts looked rather surprised at the speed and amount that the two consumed to replace their used up magic; but with his hand on the base of her back to lead his apprentice, the mage directed her back to the workshop before Ivol and his son were half finished with less food.