Clastic Glow

by Rocinante

Quench

Journeyman: (1) One who has fully served an apprenticeship in a trade or craft and is a qualified worker in another's employ. (2) Middle English, from journey journey, a day's labor + man

The wooden frame for the Apple’s plow had come in that morning. It was good workmanship. Swage was continually impressed at the talent that laid hidden in the little town. Now he took to assembling the contraption. He had made all the parts over the past few days, working smaller projects in between the stages of the large project. It was easy work from here out. He even thought about letting Scootaloo do it.

Since their meeting, Scootaloo had made a habit of hanging out around the foundry when she didn’t have anywhere better to be, while Applebloom seemed to avoid the place. Which both confused and disappointed Swage. She took to the craft so well. He had hoped he had found his apprentice; which he was starting to need badly. The past weeks had afforded him little time for his research. The town seemed to have a never ending backlog of work for him.

He had no illusions that Scootaloo would have a cutie mark in smithing of any kind, but he put her to work when she hung around nonetheless. Normally paying her by bringing dinner back to the shop. He found she did well with monotonous tasks. He had even let her have the job of punching the holes in the feathers for his wing. She ruined a few during the learning curve, it was worth it to him though. She would happily punch holes and chat, allowing him to do more productive work that paid the bills. They had also become something of hopeful flying-buddies. Swage telling stories of the things he used to do and the lessons he had learned, while she talked about all the things she planned on doing once airborne.

“Uhh, I need to pick up an order” A sandy feminine voice called out from the far side of the workshop.

Rainbow Dash stood at the counter. She had a pickup-ticked in hoof.

Swage let out a nervous chuckle walking over to look at the ticket. He had met her at the party, but only in passing. “Are you picking up for somepony else?” he asked. More to fill the silence, already knowing the answer.

“Yea, I’m here for the Apple’s new plow”

Swage checked the ticket out of habit, it was the receipt for the plow. “Give me a second. I was just finishing that up” Swage gave every bolt one last torque before hefting the plow to the counter.

Dash pulled a letter from under her wing and laid it on the table. “He said he still owed you the credits with Applejack.” She nudged at the heavy plow and scowled. “Now how the hay am I getting this back to his place?”

A little crooked grin crept out on Swage’s face. “Hay Scoots! Get the cart and help Ms. Dash take this home. I’ll have a hot pie waiting for you when you get back.”

Scootaloo took a moment to digest what had just happened. A slow nod was followed by a frantic scramble out of site. Faster than expected, she came around the building with the cart in tow. It was a small cart, but is still looked ridiculous being pulled by the filly.

With the plow loaded, the smithy watched the two start the trek to the Apple farm. It would take a good hour before she was back. He knew he would be hearing about whatever conversation she and Dash had for the next week, if not longer. But now, it was dinner time. “I hope Granny Smith made her dumplings for the cart today” he said aloud. Hanging his “back in 5” sign on the door.

- - -

Scootaloo hummed as she pranced back towards the shop with the empty cart in tow, it drummed loudly across the wooden bridge leading back to the market. The silence of the wheels hitting the dirt road was quickly pierced by an urgent “Pssst” calling from the shadow of a nearby building.

She froze as a chesnut unicorn approached her from the shadow. He continually looked back towards the marker with apprehension. Her instinct was to run from the stallion, but a plaintive look in his eyes made pause and see if he needed help. “Who are you and what do you want?” she asked defensively.

The unicorn seemed to realize his own awkwardness. He relaxed with a nervous chuckle. “O’ sorry, I’m Quench. Are you Swage’s apprentice?”

Scootaloo tilted her head at the question. “No, I just hang around the shop.”

Quench looked surprised at the answer “Idle hooves, make for Discord’s servants.” He said as almost a question

Scootaloo giggled, “Yea, he says that a lot. Then gives me busy work.” She paused for a moment. “How’d you know that?”

A hearty laugh rolled out of the unicorn “We spent a lot of years with the same Earth Pony.” The smile fled from his face as he looked again towards the market.. “So, is he staying busy? How’s his new wing coming along?” His whole body projected a deep concern for the smithy.

Scootaloo fidgeted in her yoke for a moment. She didn’t feel threatened anymore, but the whole situation still struck her a strange. “He says that he had a big breakthrough with the wing, but he hasn't got to work on it. As for work” she let out a nervous giggle. “If nopony walked into his shop for three months, he’d still be working on what he has now.” A shadow crossed the fillies face and she dug at the dirt with a hoof. “He’ll never have time to work on... the wing.”

Quench’s ears perked up as he spoke “Well now. Master quench has more work than he can handle. Lets go give him a hand shall we?” Turning towards the market he gestured for Scootaloo to follow him.

She watched the stallion as they crossed the market together. His initial energy faded quickly, apprehension now played across his face. As they neared the shop he stopped, she thought he was about to run the other way for a moment, before he fixed himself with a look of convixion and continued.

Scootaloo darted around back to put up the cart, leaving Quench standing just a few meters from the front door. With the cart in its place she let herself in through the back door, that let into the little kitchen. Just as promised there was a hot pie waiting for her on the table. Several half empty containers around it attested to Swage having already eaten his fill. She was just reaching for a plate of her own when the bell on the door announced a customer.

Instead of the usual friendly banter she heard Swages voice echo with anger “GET OUT OF MY SHOP !”

Running around the corner she looked into the shop to see what was happening. She found Swage standing stiff behind his tools, visibly suppressing the urge to throw something, and the unicorn just a inside the door with his ears and neck held low, in sad submission.

A long awkward moment held before Quench broke the silence, still looking at the floor. “Swage, please, let me help you.”

The Master smithy was quivering with anger. “No, I think you did enough last time you helped me.”

The unicorn seemed to get his resolv back as he approached the smithy. “”Let me help out.”

“No.” was the only response he got.

“Fine, be that way.” Quench said before pulling himself into a formal posture and looking the Master smithy in the eye “Master Hammer, do you have a days work unfinished?”

Swage’s eyes popped wide before turning into daggers. “Yes I do.” he hissed through his teeth

“I am a Journeyman of the guild and seek a honest days work.” The unicorn’s words had a ritual cadence to them.

The cadence was returned by the pegasus. “Then a days pay for a days labor brother” The last word rolled off his tongue like a curse.

The unicorn held like a statue, while defeat played across Swage. The room lay silent for a moment till it was broken by the Master smith. “I open at seven. I expect my forge hot and my tools clean. Let yourself in. Till then Journeyman... GET OUT OF MY SHOP !”

The unicorn gave a formal nod and a “Yes Master” before leaving quietly but quickly.

Swage feigned to start back at his work. Picking a hammer up as if to see what the thing was, he looked at it and the forge a moment before putting it back and dousing the fire. There was some food left and he was going to have a second pass at it. As he turned the corner to the kitchen he found the little filly looking up at him. “What just happened?” she asked, worry clear in her eyes.

“He invoked the right of the Journeyman. I can not deny him work if I have more than I can do myself.” he paused a moment, the answer looked to have sparked more questions than it answered. “Guild laws” he answered before she asked. “And please, lets leave it at that for tonight.” He walked past the filly into the kitchen “You want some pie?”

Comments

[V-Pony]

Jeez, guess he's still sore at Quench for what happened...
Is that Journeyman's cadence something historical or did you invent it for this story, cuz that's a neat concept

[Sirius_Face]

Story Title: Clastic Glow

Author: Rocinante

Discussion started by Sirius Face: So I've read up to chapter 5 before I needed a break, but felt I read enough to give say something insightful about this piece. It's good work, certainly good writing. The OC is handled very well, coming off as believable and with a voice of his own. His accident happened very fast, a little too fast for the reader to get a sense of what really happened to him, or maybe it's just me. I read that passage over three times and still wasn't sure what happened. But that could be a detail that is just beyond me - this story has a lot of detail in it. It comes off as very intelligent writing, and the premise is something that I find to be both creative and interesting. There's some minor grammar issues that pop up like a smudge on glass, but overall the chapters have been very good. The pacing is smooth too, maybe a bit rushed in chapter five but that isn't by much. I like that as I read this I feel like I'm learning something, and you do shed some light on other things like the way magic works for ponies, which I find very well done. This story has been enjoyable and is a good example of smart writing. I'll be interested to see where this goes.