(Untitled)

[ostro_goth]

Teja is in the forge, folding steel and pondering the ups and owns of the universe, and fate.

More precisely, will that eunuch ever come back to be fought?

The forge door is open, though, for business as for the merely curious.

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[ostro_goth]

Teja beats the piece of layered steel until it's twice the length it was; then he takes a hatchet to it, hacks it almost through in the middle, sprinkles borax on it, folds it over, pushes it back into the forge to heat up again, and takes a deep draught from a large clay jar of cold water he keeps by the anvil.

"Greetings!" he says to the young woman watching him.

[ostro_goth]

"I'm folding steel to eventually make blades from," Teja says. "It is a technique that I learned since I came here; folded steel is more flexible and stronger at the same time, and holds a sharper edge much better."

[markedcard]

Merlin has noted the note in bar, but he's just going to hang back for a few minutes and watch the master at work.

[ostro_goth]

And yes, Teja takes his time hammering his billet; then he turns it 90 degrees, gives it a sharp rap with an edge of the hammer to make sure it won't delaminate, then hacks it in half with a hatchet, sprinkles with borax, folds over, and returns to the forge.

He takes a deep draught from his large clay jug of water, and then gives Merlin a little smile.

Teja looks less kingly now, in leather forge clothes and a large leather apron, instead of black armour and his Tyrian purple cloak, which hang from a peg by the door.

[markedcard]

That's alright. Merlin doesn't look kingly at all, and won't until he suffers through canon at a date far into the future. He is fairly knowledgable in the creation of arms and weaponry, though, and is able to appreciate talent.

"Saw the note. Thought I'd drop by and pay a king's ransom for my new weapon."

He's not kidding either - there's a pouch dangling from his fingers. It's small but looks very full.

[ostro_goth]

Teja takes Merlin's new sword from where it had been leaning in a corner and offers it to its new owner, sheath and all, in an almost ceremonious gesture of great solemnity.

[princeinexile]

There is a prince in the door, rapping the edge. "Teja," he greets. "Do you mind if I do some work in the next few days?"

He is, shall we say, behind on Christmas. Goddamn time and culture differences.

[ostro_goth]

"Greetings, Zuko!" Teja says. "And no, it was your forge first. I could cede it for while you need it, or we could try working here both at the same time?"

[princeinexile]

"Might get a little crowded," Zuko says, but nods with a grin. He can share. No really! He can try, at least. That's something, right? "But if you would let me, we could try."

[ostro_goth]

"We can," Teja says. "And I will not be offended it it doesn't work out, either."

He will only fold steel, at first, so nothing critical will be lost if he needs to cede ground.

[docscurlock]

Doc hears the sounds of someone working in the forge while he's out in the stables and it reminds him of not the horse shoes, as his horse is still not here, but of the question he had about knives.

So he dusts the hay bits off his coat and walks the distance from building to building, and leans in the doorway to watch and wait for a pause, as to not interrupt the folding of the steel.

[ostro_goth]

When Teja returns his hammered, fluxed and folded billet to the forge the next time, he turns and acknowledges the presence of his visitor.

"Greetings!" he says; and then he takes another deep draught from his large clay jug full of cold water. The forge is hot, and smith-work is thirsty work.

[docscurlock]

"Howdy," Doc tips his head in greeting, his not wearing a hat but the mannerism is the same.

"Impressive work," he continues after Teja has put the jug down. He smiles a little. "Reminds me of some of the blacksmiths we've got back home, but they don't make swords."

[ostro_goth]

"I make all that can be made from metal and was known to my time; and a few things that weren't, which I learned about in this place."