Luna had been in Donladur for a full week and had recovered enough that she was now able to be taught how to forge a blade, which would be her profession until there was a chance she could get Celestia, Twilight and the rest of them out of the dungeons of canterlot. She was eager to learn and Shade actually began instructing her during the last three days of the previous week, she had listened carefully and already knew how to handle a forge with relatively good efficiency. Now she just needed to learn how to shape metal and temper it properly, as well as experience.
So Luna followed Shade down a large chamber with furnaces almost as big as the throne room of canterlot spread for miles in every direction. Luna was already sweating up a storm and she hadn’t even started working yet. Shade approached a stallion slightly bigger than he was who was waiting by an unoccupied forgespace. Luna could already hear the heavy ring of hammers striking hot metal.
“Hello Shade,” The stallion said, “and this is the mare you said you wished to teach if I am not mistaken.”
“Ye are right forgemaster, this mare wishes to learn the craft of a bladesmith and you said that I may teach her.”
“I did,” the forgemaster said, “I would however like to see how much she already knows. I want to make sure that I know what to expect from her and that I wont be disappointed.”
“I dont think you will be,” Shade said.
“What is your name?” The forgemaster asked her.
“Luna,” she told him.
“Well Luna, light the furnace and lets see what you know.”
Luna lit the fire in the furnace and did a decent job of keeping it at the right temperature. The forgemaster nodded impressed, perhaps she wouldn’t be in training as long as he had first thought. Luna tended to the furnace for a few more minutes and made sure there was a sufficient fuel supply then turned to the forgemaster to gauge his reaction.
“Go on.” He said.
“That is all I know how to do so far sir.” Luna told him.
“Well there is no harm in that. As long as you can learn. Take the rod of metal from the stack next to the anvil and heat it in the furnace. When it glows red take it to the anvil and flatten it into a blade and tang, me and Shade will guide you as needed.”
Luna found the stack of six steel rods and took one. It was about two inches in diameter which would make it three inches wide and three fourths of an inch thick if formed properly. She stuck it into the fire of the furnace with enough of the rod sticking out at her that she could grab it with her hoof without burning herself, because it would be difficult to strike the rod hard enough for it to count while gripping it with tongs. While she waited for the metal to heat up she grabbed the heaviest of the hammers for the rough shaping of the blade, she would use the two smaller hammers when more fine shaping was done.
Luna waited for the rod to heat up enough to begin shaping it into a blade. When the rod glowed red she pulled it from the furnace and placed the hot end on the anvil and began to strike the metal. She hammered away at it until it was three fourths inches thick and then she began to form the tip, she made the tip rounded into a point to make more of a hacking weapon than a stabbing one but to make stabbing still effective. She put the rod back in the fire as it was to cool for any effective shaping to be done then switched out the large hammer for the medium one.
Luna pulled out the new blade then bagan to strike it at two different angles to make the angle of the blade. The sword would be double edged so she made an very acute peak on each edge and a very obtuse peak on each side to make an acceptable blade shape. Then she put the rod back in the furnace and grabbed the small hammer to smooth over the surface of the blade.
She waited a few seconds then pulled the rod out and began lightly striking the surface and smoothing it over, refining the surface of the blade. The forgemaster observed the newest bladesmith impressed by her skill. All in all she made a few mistakes, but that was to be expected. But he had expected her to make more mistakes than she had.
Luna then took the tongs and grabbed the now cool base of the blade and stuck the other end in the fire and seized the large hammer. She would start working on the tang. When the back of the rod was hot enough she pulled it out and began hammering it into shape. She flattened the back end and thinned it out to an inch and a half wide but three fourths of an inch thick. When the tang was finished Luna thrust the now made sword into the fire and held it there watching the tip for the right hardening color.
When she saw the color on the tip she yanked the sword from the furnace and thrust it into the barrel of water. It entered with a satisfying hiss and steam rose from the barrel. Luna pulled the now glistening blade from the water and set it gently on the anvil so that the forgemaster and Shade could inspect it.
Shade approached the sword first and looked it over carefully. There were a few subtle dents in the blade from the hammer but that was nothing to worry much about. It looked strong and well made.
Luna felt dread grip her as Shade looked over her blade with a critical eye. He looked at her and smiled.
“You impress me Luna,” He said, “You made a couple mistakes but most in your position make three times as many. The sword is well made and looks durable. You did well.”