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Note to my readers: Thank you to everybody that has given my writing your valuable time. At this point in the story I've done my best to open up Sinika's many sides for you all to have a chance to relate, but there's so much more to come. I should establish that I would sincerely appreciate honest and unrestrained criticism of every aspect of my writing, as this story is actually practice in writing for me. So if you've taken the time to get this far, I would appreciate nothing more than you taking a minute or so to type out anything that would open my eyes to a fresh perspective of my own writing. I have plans for this story, which is slowly evolving it from an adventure story into a mix of adventure, romance, and tragedy. There is much angst to come which will go hand in hand with the counterbalance of touchingly uplifting tones. Again, I am deeply grateful to everyone that has at least read up to this chapter, whether it has resulted in a follow, favorite, review, or just a casual passing skim. Well I've taken enough of your time. Now on with Sinika's life.
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Yu-Yian was a more than capable apprentice in spite of the complex techniques Sinika had to pass down, especially since many of her measures were based on resonance and radiant heat, neither of which were perceptible to Yu-Yian's markedly visual approach to smithing. But bonesmithing was so hard because of how little visual cues helped. Slowly, Yu-Yian learned to feel the vibration differences between the different stages of preparation for bone blades and shafts. He burnt and ignited more valuable bones than he would readily forgive himself for, but Sinika assured him over and over again that she had gone through far more than he would even have access to for years. It wasn't the consolation Yu-Yian needed to overcome his shame, but it at least gave him the strength to go on in spite of the many failings. By the time Yu-Yian had gotten quite used to smithing using bird wyvern bones, Sinika had become quite popular as a huntress. Under her belt was already half a dozen drome take downs ranging from velocidromes to bulldromes. It had been a relief to Noran as his distasteful job of rubbing elbows with guild upperclass and spreading rumors. It had been good for the blacksmithing business as well, even though Yu-Yian did most of the actual smithing himself. Her name still implied quality, and slowly but surely Yu-Yian had learned to deliver just that.
"So... how is the Iodrome vest coming?" Sinika asked as she walked into her forge, having heard the hammer of Yu-Yian beginning work so bright and early on that particular day. She was proud of his passion. It was rare that he waited much past sunrise to get started. Sinika came to truly appreciate the welcome sound of bone and metal being worked in the morning under Yu's hammer. She breathed in the hot air of the forge with a tinge of smoke mingling in it. It was as invigorating to her as the freshest breeze after a dewy morning.
"Finished that last night," he beamed proudly, stopping his hammering. She frowned as he stopped, but at the same time appreciated him letting his work suffer a setback on her behalf. He'd no doubt have to completely reheat what he was working on just to finish it up, which could take him up to half an hour more. "Working on the gauntlets now. I never would have guessed that ioprey hide could be put directly into the embers without bursting into flames. Using molten gravios hide to saturate the leathery hide of an iodrome? Where did you learn that anyways?" he asked. Sinika chuckled, always pleased with the depth of his curiosity.
"Family secret. It only works on iodrome hide, though. If you tried the same technique on say... Wroggi hide, you'd just get a bunch of burnt and brittle flakes." Suddenly, an expected sound came up to the front of her forge, and she nodded her head in its direction. Yu-Yian followed her motion and saw a wagon parked out front, towed by a brutish aptenoth. "I think you'll find this delivery much to your liking." she said. Yu-Yian pulled his thick leather apron off and tossed it across a treated stump chair nearby and walked up to the waiting wagon. A felyne, busily working at the knots holding down a bulging tarp, paused and gave a bow to the smith's apprentice.
"Greetings, young master! I hope I'm not too early with this. Sinika said you were an early riser," the felyne mewled. Pulling aside the tarp, Yu-Yian's heart doubled its pace, and he fairly squealed in unbridled excitement.
"You finally got your Royal Ludroth hunt!" he exclaimed. The stacks of spongey mane, tough waterproofed hide, and heavy bones was a bountiful feast for the creativity of the young smith's apprentice. "And sheesh! So much undamaged hide! Did you scare it to death or something? There isn't a nick in this mane at all!" he exclaimed, his voice quite a few decibels louder than it should have been for this early in the morning.
"It was another swift kill. That bulldrome tusk lance you made a few days ago did the job magnificently. I'll admit, it still took a few dozen jabs to get at its spine, and I ruined some invaluable chest plates in the process, but it is what it is," Sinika said, her lip curling up into a half-smile. She felt a sudden rush of footsteps, and suddenly without warning, she felt Yu-Yian's arms circle her shoulders in a hug. Her face grew hot with a blush, and she stood there awkwardly with her arms pinched at her sides for what felt like an eternity before Yu-Yian let her go. It was just a hug. Friendly and excited. But boy had it gotten her flustered. She hoped Yu-Yian was not looking at her as she futilely attempted to suppress her blush, and much to her relief, she heard him again over the pounding of her heart as he began to unload the wagon for the felyne deliveryman. Shaking her head in an attempt to break herself out of her unexpected rush of emotions, she joined him in unloading the cart. Soon, the two of them were brainstorming ways to utilize the Ludroth parts to make an elemental switchaxe. Sinika found herself overly excited with every new idea the young apprentice threw out. She may have been a prodigy in bonesmithing techniques, but Yu-Yian was an artist. His designs were brilliant. Before she knew it, the sun was high overhead baking the air outside of the forge. Excusing herself as Yu-Yian went back to working on the iodrome gauntlets, she headed towards the marketplace to find her herbalist friend from her first job. Their idea for the switchaxe would need a power vial that Rogishenn's expertise made him her first stop for this issue. She was going to give her apprentice something to be truly proud of.