Trials of a Smith by Brian McGoldrick

Author:Brian McGoldrick [McGoldrick, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-08-22T04:00:00+00:00

Entering The Underworld

Green Mountain City, Toraigh

Fourth Month 15, 10 RC

When we reach the gates of Green Mountain City, while it is daytime, the sun still has not cleared the mountain to the east. For nearly a tenth of the day Green Mountain City lies in the shadow of the mountain to the east, and for over a fifth of the day, the southern spur of Green mountain casts its shadow over the city. I never noticed the natives paying much attention to the situation, but some of the players from Earth would seem to get disconcerted by it. After growing up in the slums of Yukon City, where you were lucky to see the sun for fifteen minutes a day, I never thought twice about it, but it makes me wonder what kind of lives the players led to be so affected by a little shadow.

The guards at the gate do not stop us from entering the city, but as they watch us pass, there is a decided level of hostility in their eyes, which was not there when we left the city. I could be wrong, but I get the impression that underneath that hostility is fear. They learned what we Outworlders and the QCP are, and they are afraid. Whether their fear is of the players, the QCP, or both, I have no way of knowing.

Finn's smithy is close to the north gate, and we head straight for it. Even with the early hour, as we near the smithy, the sound of Finn's hammer striking steel reaches our ears. No matter the time of day or night, I have never one found Finn doing anything but forging. When he forges tools and utensils, they match one another so perfectly that if I had not seen him forging them, I would think they were the products of automated factories. On a weekly basis, the factors from several large mercantile houses bring him supplies and exchange gold for his finished products. His work has probably been spread across the entirety of the two southern peninsulas of Toraigh.

After dismissing our Dark Steeds, we enter the smithy, and after glancing at us, Finn continues to hammer the plowshare and moldboard combination on his anvil. Once he is finished that plow will be a tool that can be used for a century or more, and some merchant factor will pay an exorbitant sum for it. Other than when he was showing me the particulars of forging techniques, I have yet to see Finn craft a single weapon or piece of armor.

"The two of you appear a bit troubled." Finn generally ignores Serena. According to him, she has no hope of becoming a Maker, and other than selling his work and buying materials, he has no interest in interacting with humans. From the way he had said it, I think if she was not a human, he might have found her of some interest. While he is generally cold towards the human merchants he

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