The war may have ended two centuries ago, but it's aftermath could still be felt by humanity. Stark reminders were everywhere in the world. Ruined cities and structures dotted the landscape. Tracts of land remained polluted and unsuitable for farming, contaminated by something that was beyond current human understanding. Then there were the battlefields.
Fields and forests often acted as hidden graveyards. A farmer might find the hulking remains of some wheeled vehicle half-buried under sod. A forester or hunter may find a family of wolves that had taken residence under the wing of some aircraft that had fallen to the earth long ago.
Many of the more wellknown battlefields had been stripped bare of anything useful, but there still remained some hidden gems scattered around the land, just waiting for the right individual to unearth them.
Metal, especially pre-war alloys were precious indeed. Many mines had been stripped clean during the war, their ores smelted down and used in armored vehicles and weapons. Humanity wasn't producing that much in way of new materials during its slow return from its darkest times. Subsistence was the lifestyle of many.
Enterprising individuals sought out these forgotten combat zones, plucking the rusted, twisted metal from the earth and selling it on the markets. Ever since the metalmancers came to be, these relics of the old world became more and more valuable.
Terry was one of these individuals. He traveled the roads, talking to the locals, and trying to suss out any would be treasure troves. From time to time, he would hit paydirt, and would then salvage any useful materials he might find.
"Will this be enough?" Terry asked pulling a tarp from a wagon. "I have three more carts just like this if you need more."
While the mucky roads of spring made it difficult to travel the with laden carts, it certainly wasn't impossible. It just required a lot of patience and willingness to spend the time digging out the cartwheels if they got stuck. Spring was a productive time for Terry, as the melting snow would often reveal new treasure troves as it melted away.
Mand looked over the carts and examined the materials. "Yes," she said. "This will do."
Val stood wide-eyed, she had never seen so much metal in one place before.
"Mand! " said Val excitedly picking through the bits of scrap that lined the carts. "Just think of the constructs we could create will all this!"
Mand crossed her arms and chided her sister, "It isn't OURS Val. I'm sure Terry will want all this back after he crosses the river."
Terry looked at the metal, and then looked and the girls and thought for a moment. "I think the metal will have to stay here for now, " he said. "It might take weeks for one of the local councils to get in into their head to do a proper repair with stone and lumber. In the meantime, people will want to cross this river. I don't intend to deny them that."
It was very late in the day by the time they unloaded the carts. The metal had to be separated by size and type so Mand could determine the best place to use each type of material. The local crowd on the near side of the river pitched in what they could, contributing extra bits of metal including everything from small spoons to jewelry. The crowd on the far side of the river looked onward, shouting encouragement as they labored on.
Finally, the carts were unloaded and Mand stood before the large gap that separated the two sides of the bridge. The crowd hushed as she lifted her hands. All Mand could hear was the rushing waters of the river below.
The metal, which lay in the pile next to her, began to glow and shift. The stronger metals flowed underneath the structure, wrapping around the existing pillars and forming beams that jut outwards and upwards in various angles to provide support for the newly forming walkway.
Mand was beginning to feel the strain of the metalmancy starting to wear on her. Her breath quickened and she felt her knees beginning to buckle. She saw blackness began to creep into her vision.
Just as she thought she would pass out, Mand felt a presence next to her. Val, seeing her sister in distress, had come alongside and held on to her arm to steady her. Val whispered words of encouragement, steeling Mand's resolve to continue on and finish the work.
The remaining material glowed and stretched out over the gap. It wasn't a completely solid structure. Mand had created a meshwork, which allowed her to make the most of the metal she had access to. By the time she was done, the large pile of valuable material had dwindled significantly.
She lowered her hands and the newly formed walkway ceased glowing. The crowd, who had been looking on in wonderment began to cheer. Mand was barely aware of the praise, knees finally giving out. Her sister gently lowered her to the ground.
Terry and Portham approached, both looking somewhat distressed by the sight of the girl who now lay on the ground.
"Will she be ok?" asked Portham, looking down from his horse.
Val nodded, "She will be fine, big projects just take a lot out of her. "
Mand started to sit up, making a motion with her hands to indicate that she wanted something to drink. Terry sent one of his men for a canteen. The aide returned shortly and Mand gulped the water, trying to wash away the dryness from the inside of her mouth.
The group watched as the crowd approached the bridge tentatively. It was one thing to watch the creation of the span, but to trust a structure put together by the gifts of a young girl was another thing all together.
"Do you guarantee your work girl?" Portham asked.
Mand stood and brushed off some errant pieces of grass that had stuck to her clothes. "With my life."
Mand, still a little unsteady, motioned for her sister to take her arm. The two approached the edge of the span. The crowd stood silent once again.
Val looked down at the swiftly flowing waters below before looking up to her sister, "Ready to show what you can do?"
Mand nodded. She took a deep breath and placed a single step onto the structure. The two plodded along, the ever watchful crowd looking to the girls and then back to Mand's creation. Nothing buckled or bent.
The girls were at the halfway point now. They were now close enough to make out details on the faces of the crowd on the other side. The onlookers made motions of encouragement for them to continue forward. Mand put a hand on her sister's arm, letting her know that she no longer needed the support. Mand turned around and faced Portham.
She jumped up and down on the structure several times. The motion made a *clang* *clang* clang* ring from the metal. The crowd gasped, fearing the structure would give way at any moment... and then they laughed. The walkway didn't budge.
"The weight of two small girls is one thing," said Portham to Terry. "Will it hold a fully laden horse? A carriage?"
"There's only one way to find out," said Terry mounting his own horse. The merchant approached the span and the crowd parted. Mand and Val watched the merchant from the center of the bridge.
Terry's horse seemed unsure of what to make of the walkway. The mare could see the water through the gridwork and stopped at the edge, snorting and looking back to her rider with an expression of "Do you really want to go through with this?"
Terry spurred the animal on. It put a hoof on the span, then another and another. Terry soon joined Mand and Val in the center of the bridge. The crowd cheered once again.
Satisfied that the repairs to the bridge were safe, people on both sides of the river began to cross. They streamed pass Mand, Val and Terry who remained at the center. Many shook the girl's hands and wished them thanks. Several stopped and made the sisters offers of employment. Mand politely turned many of the offers down (at least the ones that would require staying in one place for any length of time), citing that they had a schedule to keep.
Portham stopped next to them and reached into his jacket and pulled out a pouch, tossing it to Mand. "I think you will find this satisfactory," he said. Mand and Val thanked him. Portham then continued on, crossing the span with his two bodyguards.
It was dark when the last of the crowd departed. The only people remaining were those under the employ of Terry.
Mand extended her arm to Terry, the money pouch from Portham in her hand.
"It's your metal, I'm sure you'll want to be compensated for its use," Mand said.
Terry smiled and waved his hand away, "It's nothing. I'll leave a few men to watch the metal to be sure that some other enterprising individual doesn't decide to make off with it. I still have to find a buyer, so I'm not really out anything. Can I call on you in a couple of weeks for the dismantling?"
Mand shook her head, "We won't be in town very long, just long enough to visit some old friends."
Terry nodded, "Quite alright then. Can I at least offer you a ride?"