At work (OTA, tag Will Stanton)

[annatar_s]

Annatar had several projects that he was working on. The spray of orchids was almost finished and back in his rooms, though he had an extra set of flowers here to look at as he worked on the mosaic grip of the knife for Guy--the technique was very similar. The blade itself was done and waiting to have runes etched on it, a phonetic rendering of the

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[young_oldone]

Will had put the eagle statuette into a simple box and taken it to the forge. He shifted along the way more into the Old One side of his nature. Such seemed more appropriate when interacting with the ancient Elf. It was still Will, of course. The two sides of his particular coin were not entirely separate.

He arrived at the forge at saw that Annatar was indeed at his work area. Will approached and nodded. "Good morning."

[annatar_s]

He had heard someone approaching and felt out, the slightly known quality of Will's power told him who it was and he turned from his sorting of gems.

"Good morning. From your appearance I am thinking that you have something to show me?" That it would be good enough he did not doubt. Will had both power and desire to learn. If only they were in Middle-earth!

Pardon. I'm apparently having e-mail problems.

[young_oldone]

"Yes, I've settled on a particular design, hopefully satisfactorily so." Will opened the box, taking out the statuette and offering it.

[ooc: No worries. *g* The statuette is of an eagle coming to land on a branch, which forms the pedestal. There are no stones in the work, but the detail of the feathers, claws, etc, is very fine.]

[annatar_s]

He paid close attention when the box was opened, his eyes going immediately to the statuette. Every detail was scrutinized, each feather and claw, and the tiny predator's eyes.

"That is more than I expected," he admitted. "Did you decide, or did it just happen?"

[young_oldone]

"A combination of the two, I suppose." Will admitted. "I was experimenting with an animal transformation spell. By the time I'd sorted that out, the eagle shape had caught my interest."

He looked at the piece. "The material is still difficult to manipulate, but with time and effort, it can be done."

[annatar_s]

"An animal transformation spell? To transform an object, a person or an animal itself?" And he knew the difficulties of working with mithril well enough.

"It can be. I would not generally expect you to use it, as it is likely not a material of your world. As a test of your skill I could not find a better metal, and your work cannot be faulted. Most your age could not work gold so well." The piece was impressive in every way. "Is this what you would prefer to do?"

To make objects and statues instead of jewels in the usual sense.

[young_oldone]

"The intended use of the spell is to transform myself into an animal represented by a particular article I would be holding. In this case, an eagle feather." Will said. "I reasoned that the magical properties of the mithril might allow the spell to effect it as well. What I ended up with was an animated eagle." He smiled. "Hardly the desired effect."

"Most of my work involved a combination of metals and jewels. In this case, I didn't have anything suitable for this piece, and it seemed too large to work as a pendant or other such piece. I suppose I would prefer to work mainly with jewelry. I did fashion a simple coin to request recently, though of course that would have been very easy but for the material. In this case, a heavy metal from my own world called rhodium.

[annatar_s]

The piece had originally been animated, which was an interesting thought. Did Will truly shape it or did the eagle feather itself help give the metal its form? Did it matter?

"There was no need for you to have used all of the metal, but as I did not say that, I suppose it makes sense that you would find a piece using the entire amount." Accustomed to jewelry was good, and the coin would be considered a carving, as this was, unless it was minted as a regular coin, which Annatar doubted.

"It is mainly jewels that I make, though other objects as well." He nodded toward the table on which an orchid made of mother of pearl and fine wire was set. Tiny peridots enhanced the flower, which looked almost exactly like a true blossom, only slightly thicker. It would become a brooch, or the basis for a brooch. The grip for the knife was only beginning to take shape and was surrounded by many tiny gems of various colours.

[young_oldone]

Will looked at the pieces, interested in particular in the flower. "Very lovely. Do you typically work based on a specific request, or from your own inspiration?"

He glanced at the eagle again. "I can return it to an ingot form easily enough, if you wish to recover the metal."

[annatar_s]

"I do both, though often I am given an idea with the details left up to me. It is not exactly a collaboration between the recipient and me, but enough. Only rarely have people been unsatisfied." He indicated the dagger. "Blades are not my greatest skill, but it is a Gift, and the mortal who receives it would likely find no better in his own world."

True, and he had more skill in weapons-making than he let on.

"If there were someone available, I would work only on the hilt for it, as that is where the design lies."

He gave Will an odd look.

"Return it to ingot form? I intend to keep it--exactly as it is."

[young_oldone]

"I've made a few letter openers, but of course those didn't even have real edges." Will said. "A gift, you say? A friend of yours, I take it?"

He was mildly surprised at Annatar's response about the mithril. "Ah, as you will. I had assumed that you would wish to recover the metal, as it is so rare."

[annatar_s]

"I am the Lord of Gifts--and so I give." It was that simple. Though he would not necessarily have offered a gift to Guy on his own, as Vaisey's man it was correct to do so. And Vaisey should have told him that he had retainers in the village.

"It is very rare, though apprentices are rarer. Not every century even would I take one." Teaching was something else, but a true apprentice... he'd had few. Celebrimbor had been the last. "Is that not what you sought, to be my apprentice?"

[young_oldone]

It wasn't an answer that Will understood, except in perhaps that it was an indicator that Annatar was simply following his nature. Will suspected there was a lot hidden there, but then such a long-lived person would of course have his secrets.

As to the question of wanting to become the Elf's apprentice, that was easy enough for Will to answer. "Yes, that was my goal."

[annatar_s]

"A goal you have achieved. I would know what it is you wish to learn, as it is obvious you have some skill already. I would know what you know and we can make a course from there."

A way to go, a direction. To work more with gems or carving or casting or any other method desired...

Feel free to off-camera the telling, as I myself know very, very little about jewelrymaking.

[young_oldone]

Will nodded. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts, then told Annatar what he had learned in his father's shop - the various nonmagical techniques for working precious metals and stones.

Then he went on to discuss what he had learned to do with his own magic - enhancing stones, shaping metal, and so on.

"I suppose I'm most interested in gem crafting." Will said, after finishing. "Also in the enchantment of pieces. That's an area of magic largely unknown to me."

[ooc: no argument there, my knowledge is minimal]

[annatar_s]

Annatar nodded, pleased with what he heard.

"The crafting of gems and enchantment of pieces share an element of concentration. See those two objects?" He indicated the orchid and the not-quite-finished blade with its completely unready grip. "The flower has almost no magic in its making, and neither does the blade itself. But if you study the blade carefully--more so when it is finished--you should feel an enchantment from it."

He was allowing Will the chance to look now.

"I plan to etch the blade with the recipient's name and will be concentrating when I work on the mosaic of gems--they will be blended smooth much like the orchid's work." Concentrating on the magic and the making at the same time took great effort, especially when the making was physical. "Do you want me to tell you what I am doing to that piece? You might not be able to tell yet, though you might. When it is finished, definitely."

He's making it for Sir Guy alone. It will enhance his grace and skill when he uses it in battle (this is likely to show already), it