Firebrand by Mary Walz

Author:Mary Walz [Walz, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction & Literature, Action Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy
ISBN: 9781989898888
Publisher: RCN Media
Published: 2022-04-19T04:00:00+00:00

The next several days were busy. Lachlann first had Kip work with the ashlarite, then with the steel, heating and hammering the bars of both metals into the various shapes that were needed. The steel pieces were to be wrapped around the ashlarite, Lachlann explained, so the limb would have a strong outer shell and a magical core. On the fourth day, Willem made fire, as promised, and Lachlann walked me through my part of the process. The work was exhausting, and by the end of my day forging, I was sweaty and sore and had a newfound appreciation for Lachlann’s work.

The following day Kirilee and Trina joined us, and Kirilee held Trina’s hands in her own while Lachlann talked them through the process so that Trina could partake in the making of the limb. At the end of the day, he smiled and said that he was fairly certain he was ready to pick up the hammer on his own again—which was good, as the next part required precision.

The day after that, Lachlann told me that he’d need me to make a flame that was cooler than the ones we’d been working with. I focused on keeping the flame’s temperature steady while he held various pieces in the flame for a few minutes, then pulled them out and moved them to the oil. It was slowly becoming easier to hold my fire at certain temperatures for long periods of time, I realized at the end of the day. Lachlann informed me that evening that my part of the job was finished, but that I was welcome to stay and watch the final parts of the process. Intrigued, I stuck around and watched Lachlann and Kip polish the pieces of the arm, using coarse rock and then sandpaper to take them from a rough texture to a smooth, shiny silver colour. Then they fitted the joints together, piecing together the arm, hand, and fingers, and lastly, Lachlann brought out his leather-working tools to fashion the socket that would connect the artificial limb to his body. Willem packed the inside of the socket with cotton and fabric, leaving bare a small disc of ashlarite in the centre that he explained would serve as the “nerve” of the arm—the connection point between Lachlann and the prosthesis. Then he cast a spell over the socket area that would prevent chafing and keep Lachlann comfortable.

Finally, Lachlann stood back, admiring his work, and announced that it was ready to try on. Kip went to fetch the others and returned soon with Kirilee, Trina, and Claudi in tow.

Claudi’s face lit up when she saw the limb. Kirilee walked over to inspect it and began asking Willem about the magical aspects of it. Trina asked to hold it before it was fitted onto Lachlann. He passed it to her, and her eyes widened as she took it. “It’s heavy.”

“It should be about the weight of the part of the arm Lachlann lost,” Willem explained. “I weighed the

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