Drabble: Shadow
Author's Note: prompt from spn_30snapshots table 1, Elemental.
***
John had known of the blacksmith's dark, smokey density before his parents had shooed him out the door to Master Wayland's. He supposed he should have known of the blacksmith's heat therefore because where there is smoke there generally is fire. However, he could not have possibly known of the heat that sandwiched him on two angles. One front of heat coming from being charged with keeping the fires, which was an all day chore even when Master Wayland tutored him in metal manipulations. The second front of heat coming from Master Wayland himself, who was a demanding and difficult taskmaster despite being no older than John by a decade.
Today Master Wayland was especially fiery. He found fault with everything, and when he wasn't finding faults he was burning John's back with his gaze and sniffing derisively. Indeed, Master Wayland sniffled now as a plume of smoke and ash flew from the fire John was currently tending with an additional lump of coal.
"You we-uuh..." Master Wayland paused and John completed Master Wayland's sentence in his head.
"Yes, Master Wayland," John said, "I will be more careful next time."
Master Wayland's body flew forward like a hammer. "Eih-uh-AEH'ESSSHoo!"
"Bless you, Master Wayland."
"Th-tha-aah-nk you...H-EEH'ASHHHoo! H'EASSHhoo!" Master Wayland coughed into his fist.
"Bless you again, Master Wayland," John said, taking a look over his shoulder at the man behind him.
Master Wayland had greeted John that morning with a pair of sneezes. The man had accused John of keeping the fires too smokey and the building not bright enough so that the change in light tickled his nose. John didn't know how a blacksmith could be a well lit place when the very name suggested darkness, and Master Wayland himself enjoyed the contrast between glowing metal and the sooty air of his blacksmith for best work on his craft.
The resulting flash from a hammer on metal and anvil illuminated a rouge around the peak of Master Wayland's nose and pinched skin around Master Wayland's eyes. The extra heat from Master Wayland today stopped burning John quite so much.
***
John had known of the blacksmith's dark, smokey density before his parents had shooed him out the door to Master Wayland's. He supposed he should have known of the blacksmith's heat therefore because where there is smoke there generally is fire. However, he could not have possibly known of the heat that sandwiched him on two angles. One front of heat coming from being charged with keeping the fires, which was an all day chore even when Master Wayland tutored him in metal manipulations. The second front of heat coming from Master Wayland himself, who was a demanding and difficult taskmaster despite being no older than John by a decade.
Today Master Wayland was especially fiery. He found fault with everything, and when he wasn't finding faults he was burning John's back with his gaze and sniffing derisively. Indeed, Master Wayland sniffled now as a plume of smoke and ash flew from the fire John was currently tending with an additional lump of coal.
"You we-uuh..." Master Wayland paused and John completed Master Wayland's sentence in his head.
"Yes, Master Wayland," John said, "I will be more careful next time."
Master Wayland's body flew forward like a hammer. "Eih-uh-AEH'ESSSHoo!"
"Bless you, Master Wayland."
"Th-tha-aah-nk you...H-EEH'ASHHHoo! H'EASSHhoo!" Master Wayland coughed into his fist.
"Bless you again, Master Wayland," John said, taking a look over his shoulder at the man behind him.
Master Wayland had greeted John that morning with a pair of sneezes. The man had accused John of keeping the fires too smokey and the building not bright enough so that the change in light tickled his nose. John didn't know how a blacksmith could be a well lit place when the very name suggested darkness, and Master Wayland himself enjoyed the contrast between glowing metal and the sooty air of his blacksmith for best work on his craft.
The resulting flash from a hammer on metal and anvil illuminated a rouge around the peak of Master Wayland's nose and pinched skin around Master Wayland's eyes. The extra heat from Master Wayland today stopped burning John quite so much.