Harsh snores from her tentmates and shuffling of feet outside woke Kyra up. She stretched, yawning and cursing another restless night. It was still dark out as she got up and washed herself as best she could before heading towards the blacksmith. her stomach grumbling and eyes bleary. Trudging through the camp, Kyra finally reached the door of the stone building. She pushed it open, only to find the blacksmith already hard at work. She watched him for a moment, taking in his tall stature and burly arms from years of work. He had quite a few scars along his forearms that looked as if they went up further, but were covered by a decent and untattered shirt.
"Quit starin' and go fetch some water." He nodded in the direction of a wooden bucket in the corner.
"What kind of stuff do I do as your apprentice?" She asked, picking up the bucket.
"Whatever I tell you to do, whenever I tell you to." He replied curtly. Kyra's mouth pulled into a dissatisfied curl as she sighed and left the hut.
'whatever I tell you to do, whenever I tell you to.' she quietly mocked in a whiney voice. Oh well, she thought, how bad could it really be? She'd, hopefully, get to learn about different ores or new ways of making money, and maybe she'd get to return to the mines at some point- once he realized she had no talent in work as an errand girl. She realized she didn't even know his name, not that she cared all that much- She'd be out of there too soon for it to matter.
Or so she thought.
Kyra spent the next few weeks working under Fen, she'd come to learn his name was, doing all sorts of various errands and menial tasks. She'd fetch water every morning and afternoon, sweep up the shop, cart crates of ores from the mine, deliver finished tools, bring lunch for Fen; any and all tasks that would keep him from his work. On the bright side, she had learned that as an apprentice she earned three coppers a day. If she kept on and became a blacksmith, she'd earn four a day plus extra for special jobs. It was less than what she had the potential to earn in the mines, she thought, but the work was more skilled and less grueling, and she found herself actually enjoying it.
One morning she was sweeping up when Fen- who had hardly said a word to her besides do this, do that- called her over to the forge.
"Bring me that piece of rhodial," he nodded to a small chest by the shelves of ores, "be careful with it."
Kyra was strangely excited, and nervous, as this was the first time she would actually hold a piece of ore. She worried something similar to the qi stone would happen again- maybe she would absorb it's energy and an angry Fen would call the guards on her. She opened the chest and there lay the exact piece of rhodial that she had uncovered and was stolen from her. She took in gorgeous silver luster for a moment before carefully picking it up.
Her head was immediately filled with information. Rhodial is difficult to work with, and has a high melting point, but the result is strong and balanced. It also doesn't corrode, making it ideal for weapons used in an army that would be travelling, or for outdoor tools. It's slightly uncommon and it's price point makes it unobtainable to peasants, but it's popular amongst merchants and mercenaries. It's too heavy to be appropriate for jewelry but noble ladies often use it for small dress weights.
"I hope you're not thinking of stealing that." Fen's voice brought her back to reality, and she realized she had been staring at the rhodial in her hand for a few minutes, eyes wide with shock. Where did that information come from? It was as if the ore itself had been telling her about it, but she felt it as an innate knowledge that had been unlocked. Streams of information still floated around her head. She brought the ore to Fen- who was giving her a strange look, but she didn't mind, she was too preoccupied looking around the room. There must have been five or six different ores lining the shelves, and she walked over to them, reaching out.
"Don't touch anything else," Fen said, still looking at her, "Or you might lose a hand."
Fen had never threatened Kyra before, so she decided not to push it. She nodded and went back to sweeping, excited with the new possibility. She needed to get her hands on more information, literally, and all she could think about was how to do so without Fen noticing. He was always in the shop, and apparently had eyes on the back of his head with how he was able to keep a lookout for her.
'He has to sleep sometime' she thought to herself, eyes gleaming. And she was going to be here when he did.