A/N: I had to research ancient sword-forging for this chapter!
prisoner24601 – Thanks for reviewing! I took the numbers in the rhyme to mean the order in which each Charter was made (King first, Abhorsen second, and so on). The identities of each Bright Shiner were inspired by the scene in Abhorsen where Orannis is bound again; I thought Saraneth was most appropriate for the Abhorsen bloodline. Also remember that Kibeth was not in fact one of the Five. She and Astarael were the two Bright Shiners who left some remnant of themselves behind after making the Charter. I agree that the rhyme is quite cryptic, and can be interpreted many ways!
The King Quenched Me
Five people gathered in the Wallmaker's house after breakfast the next morning. Besides Ghidreth and her assistant, there was the King, the Clayr, and Lord Abhorsen. Berillan thought that a more illustrious gathering had never taken place, although the surroundings were humble.
Ghidreth buckled a heavy belt over her leather vest, and tied back her long wavy hair with a kerchief. Felio, the young Wallmaker, was also present to assist her.
"How many swords have you made in your life?" Abhorsen asked nervously, obviously worried about how experienced this woman was. Berillan smiled to himself; the Wallmaker was easily the most talented blacksmith in the Kingdom and Ancelstierre combined.
The Wallmaker smiled at the young man's question. "I have made ten times as many blades as you have years", she said. She pointed a long finger at the wall of weapons, and King Berillan turned to admire a pair of gleaming shortswords. Charter blades, he could see. "I completed those but two days ago", Ghidreth told the young Lord. "Don't worry, Abhorsen. Your weapon will be incomparable."
Felio, the young Wallmaker, set down a long bundle on the workbench. Ghidreth opened the cloth to reveal several billets of unworked metal. With an experienced hand she sorted through them, finally choosing four strips of wrought iron and four strips of steel. "Your sword will be pattern-wielded", she explained as she separated the pieces of metal. "That means using more than one type of metal. Much more difficult to make, but your blade will be the stronger for it."
The Wallmaker placed two strips of iron and two strips of steel in alternating layers as Felio lit the forge with a casually-cast Charter mark. With the young man at the bellows, Ghidreth placed the coals expertly with a pair of tongs, so as to have the right amount of heat. With a bit of magic, and sooner than King Berillan had thought possible, the fire was roaring with such intensity that the onlookers had to back away. Lady Clayr and Lord Abhorsen looked especially ghostly, faces lit by the wavering orange light.
They watched silently as the layers of metal were softened in the searing heat. When Ghidreth judged the colour to be right, she removed the metal from the forge and stretched the molten bar out to length. Before the metal cooled, Ghidreth and Felio cast a swift series of Charter marks for strength, which swam through the bar like tiny golden fish.
The bar was placed in the fires again, and once soft, Ghidreth removed it from the heat. She skilfully twisted it, much like the cinnamon twists Berillan had been so fond of as a child. The Wallmaker held out her scarred and calloused palm, and Felio handed her a massive iron hammer. Raising the tool high, the Wallmaker struck the twist of metal with practiced motions, the harsh sound ringing throughout the room.
Berillan had always known that this woman was a lot stronger than she looked, but the shocked expression on young Abhorsen's face was simply priceless.
Ghidreth beat away, slowly moulding a square bar. Between each strike, either she or Felio cast a different Charter Mark, several of which Berillan had never seen before in his life. Those he did recognize were marks for accuracy, power, lightness, and precision. The marks soaked into the beaten metal, gliding over the surface in a shimmering cloud.
Once the bar was finally beaten into shape, the two Wallmakers paused to sip some water. "This is going to be a very long day", Ghidreth remarked wryly. "I may have to work all through the night, as well."
The two Wallmakers returned to work, repeated the entire process with the remaining four strips of metal: they placed the iron and steel in alternating layers, drew it out to length, and twisted it. This time, Ghidreth twisted the metal in the opposite direction before hammering it into an identical square bar. Berillan tried to pay close attention when Ghidreth and Felio cast their Charter marks, but he still had trouble recognizing most of them.
"Have you ever seen magic like this?" Tirelle whispered to him as they watched.
The King shook his curly head. "No, I have not. Amazing, isn't it?"
Several hours had already passed, and yet the work was far from over. Ghidreth had made the entire process look so simple, but Berillan knew that long years of experience were involved in knowing precisely what temperature to heat the metal to, how fast to heat it, and how exactly to hammer it into the appropriate shape. And that wasn't even counting the numerous Charter spells that had been performed. Watching Wallmakers at work made even being a King look easy.
As if thinking along the same lines, Abhorsen muttered, "Glad I'm not a Wallmaker. I'd take a Stilken any day."
They stopped for lunch, and Abhorsen examined the two square bars. As he turned them over in his pale hands, King Berillan was surprised to see that the Charter marks responded to the necromancer's touch. Ghidreth noticed as well, and told the young man, "They feel the power of the Charter in you."
Berillan glanced quickly at Tirelle. The King sighed when he saw the scowl twisting his Seer's pretty face. Not for the first time he wished that one of the Bright Shiners would just hurry up and give the Clayr some power, if only to resolve this childish resentment. It was like trying to reconcile two extremely competitive children.
After lunch, the Wallmaker welded the two bars together, before welding another strip of steel down the sides and across the tip. Berillan knew this would give the weapon its cutting edge. Further Charter marks of sharpness and slashing were cast. They were left with a long bar of magic-infused steel that had yet to be worked into a swordblade.
Felio worked the bellows again, and as they waited for the bar to soften, Ghidreth approached Abhorsen. "I need some of your blood", she explained calmly, drawing a dagger from her belt. The young man gaped at her for a moment before coming to his senses, and obligingly cut open his palm.
Ghidreth soaked up the crimson liquid in a cloth. When Felio placed the red-hot bar on the anvil, she squeezed out three drops, which sizzled as they fell onto the scorching metal. The Wallmaker took up her hammer once more to beat the bar into what they could eventually recognize as a blade.
After the shape had been moulded to Ghidreth's satisfaction, a groove was fullered down the centre of the blade by the two Wallmakers.
"Is that the blood gutter?" Abhorsen asked, unable to keep quiet any longer.
"Yes", Ghidreth answered. "A common misconception. Its true purpose is to strengthen and lighten the blade." The young Lord looked abashed at not knowing this, and King Berillan gave him a reassuring smile.
They watched as Ghidreth carefully filed away the hammer marks, and then shielded their eyes as she polished the blade further on a grindstone, sending orange sparks in every direction. Beside the King, Tirelle let out a soft gasp.
"What is it?" Berillan asked in an undertone.
"Orange sparks", the Seer explained. "From my vision."
The King placed his hand on her shoulder. "It must be strange", he remarked, "Seeing things for the second time.
Tirelle gave a wan smile. "You have no idea."
"Now", said the Wallmaker loudly, causing them all to jump, "All that remains – besides the final sharpening – is for the blade to be hardened and tempered. Your Majesty, if you please."
King Berillan stepped forward, unsure of what he would be asked to do, and watched Felio heat the blade to a cherry red. Ghidreth indicated a barrel of brine that stood innocuously by the forge. "Quench the sword", she whispered to him.
The King accepted the proffered tongs, and plunged the scarlet blade into the water. Steam hissed and crackled, billowing up from the barrel in white clouds that obscured everything. Berillan's face was scorched by the heat, but he resolutely held the sword under the brine until the steam had cleared away, leaving a burning smell in its wake. But this wasn't the corrupted reek of Free Magic; it was cleaner, somehow.
As Ghidreth placed the weapon carefully on a rack to cool, the door opened and the evening meal was brought in by a young Wallmaker. She looked positively terrified by all of the powerful people in the room, and her hands shook as she set down the tray. The trowel on her vest was embroidered in white thread, and Berillan guessed that this symbolized the lowest level of Wallmakers. When their frightened server had left, King Berillan asked Felio about it.
"A white trowel is for the Apprentices", the young Wallmaker confirmed. "When they are done their apprenticeship, their vest is embroidered with a yellow trowel. This signifies the rank of Craftsman. Silver trowels indicate Masters, and of course, the Wallmaker has a gold trowel."
The blade had completely cooled by the time they were finished eating. Ghidreth polished the blade carefully. "The handle must be bound", the Wallmaker explained to them as she worked. "I need to set the pommel stone, and also make the scabbard. It will take all night, but you three may go to bed."
Berillan suddenly realised that he was extremely tired, which was rather surprising since he had done nothing but quench the blade. He did not know how for long they had watched the forging of Abhorsen's sword, but it was certainly late. Ghidreth had performed in a day what would take most blacksmiths weeks.
Stifling a yawn, the King held the door open for a drowsy-looking Tirelle. But Lord Abhorsen remained in his seat by the workbench. "I'll stay", he said firmly.
A/N: The pair of shortswords on the wall are Touchstone's weapons, by the way!