The Student Becomes the Master [Sivan]

[Torin Kilvin]

23rd Glade, 123

Torin hadn't spent time, as an apprentice, imagining having his own, it has seemed too far away, even after he'd come to the city. Timon was technically an apprentice, he conceded in his mind as he pulled on his cloak and prepared to head out to the forge. But Torin hadn't been teaching him his own trade, or, rather, he'd taught him only enough to ensure the lad could do his job as salesman and bookkeeper. When, of late, he had imagined having a real apprentice he'd thought of the boys that had worked alongside him under his second master; boisterous, braggadocios types who tried to foist their work off on others whenever possible and longed for their free days.

Bastion, who would be his first real apprentice, would be arriving within the hour to begin his first day training as a blacksmith and runesmith both. The lad was quiet and a little afraid of magic, at least any kind that was obviously visible, but his interest, bordering on obsession, was obvious any time he was allowed to sit and watch Torin work. He was, in fact, quite like Torin had been at his age, and this, more than anything, soothed the runesmith's worries over his ability to be a good teacher.

Bastion already had the advantage of Semblance to help guide him. Unfortunately this worried his new master a little, made him wonder if his way of teaching would be too close to how he had learned and therefore not take the rune's effect into account. The carefully memorized lessons of Torin's first master would have to be adjusted. The use of aura glass would still have to be part of the lesson plans, the Eclipse had shown that one could not always rely on even something etched into the very soul of a person.

Stepping out into the cold was much less of a shock with the cloak of comfort around his shoulders but he left the hood down, wanting the refreshing chill against his face. Sivan was already seating in the forge, working on a set of gloves Torin has finished the day before for an order. Having an alchemist on hand had significantly increased the orders he was able to fill, the substance being applied to the gloves would decay eventually but it would allow him to add heat resistance to the leather without ruining it in the process.

Walking over he gave his lover a nervous smile, shifting a little even though both the elf and the space added comfort to his mood just by being.

"Good morning. Thank you for helping with those, you didn't have to be here this early for it. I won't get to them till late afternoon at least." Waiting till the Elf had finished with the first of the pair he stepped closer, gently tugging Sivan up to standing.

"Do you think I'll be a good teacher?" There was nothing coy about the question, only nerves seeking for reassurance.

[Sivan]

Sivan had finished with the glove's coat of alchemical primer, but he hadn't had a chance to look it over to his exacting standards. As such, he yelped in gentle protest as he tried to settle it just so, not wanting the work to go to waste. But Torin pulled him up and the question made his arms come up to embrace him. They were both of them awkward, finding solace in each other (and their friendship with Destyn, who was, if anything, the strangest of the lot).

"You will be an excellent teacher," he promised. "He is a boy who has suffered too much for his few years, just as you did. Remember that you have that in common, but also that he isn't you, and focus on sharing your love of the work with him." It was, in the end, what wisdom he had garnered from his late master and then Master Jacun. The latter had taught him the alchemy he was currently performing; the former had taught him the animation he intended to do later.

"I am going to be about. I need to cast some clockwork pieces for a project, so... you won't be alone."

The elf smiled, kissed the dear, silly human, and then gave him a final squeeze before sitting back down to ensure that the entirety of the glove had received an even coat. The work they did was demanding, and mistakes were costly.

They had already spoken at length about how it might be different to teach someone already skilled at Semblance. The Rune had been a prerequisite for his own apprenticeship, but Torin had come to it later. Aura glass wasn't quite as good, but he had learned how to use it when his Semblance wouldn't suffice. Now, though, it was rare to find aura glass as keen as his own augmented magical senses. He shared that with Torin, and with little Bastion's mentor in the arcanum.

"What time does he arrive?" he asked, his eyes back on his work.

[Torin Kilvin]

Torin only noticed the elf's protest after he'd spoken, and by then they were hugging, which helped. Closing his eyes he pressed his face into the warm, comforting scent of his lover, turning enough to nuzzle lightly into his neck before slowly pulling away. The first lesson he wanted Bastion to learn from him was not the proper way to seduce a lovely hybrid elf.

"Thank you," He said when they were face to face again, "And thank you for being here, I know you probably would be anyway but somehow its harder to be anxious with a friendly face nearby."

It was pleasant to know that Sivan would be, not only on the property but also down in the blacksmithy. The kiss didn't hurt his confidence either.

"Casting is one of the easier things to do. I'd like to teach Bastion how to properly build and stoke the forge first thing, that's why it's all swept out. We'll have it hot enough for you to do your melting in an hour or so." He would show the boy how to set and sent the fire many times before expecting him to do it himself, but there was always something that felt important about the first time.

Leaning back against one of the strong beams that held up the second floor to watch Sivan working on the gloves he added,

"Tonight, after we close up, if you have the time, I was wondering if we could go over the schematic for making the seeds?"

'Seeds' was a very mundane way to refer to the project he'd brought up to the elf some months before. It had taken a long time to get access to the runeforging schematics required, and Torin had spent a little while studying them on his own to be sure he understood what would be required of him. What would be required of Sivan, the alchemy portion, he couldn't make heads nor tails of, but if his friend could manage it, he felt confident that he could handle the rest.

"Timon took one of the Lanterns to fetch him over since Aurin is busy. They shouldn't be long now." The streets were kept mostly safe by the various guard organizations of the city but it felt safer to have the Illumite safety protecting a child.

"Oh, that reminds me," Reaching into the pocket of his coat he pulled out a neatly written and annotated note, "Timon made this for you, the details of what sold this week, as well as some information on the sales trends for your most popular concoctions. How often someone has come asking for something that was sold out, that sort of thing."

Handing the note over the smith was pleased that the locals who needed alchemical assistance were coming to know that Sivan's work was among the best. It probably helped that his shop had already had an excellent reputation, and in that he was happy to be able to provide something.

[Sivan]

"Oh, all right. You can show him how to prepare the forge and then... do you think my pieces will be too complicated to cast with him involved? I can wait until there is a lull in your schedule." He passed over his schematics, accepting the notes from Timon to examine. "Oh, yes. We can talk about the seeds over supper, mayhaps? I just restocked your pantry with honey. It's slow going with only the flowers in my garden, but the bees are producing. Perhaps Timon will glaze that ham in the larder with it or something... mm..."

But then he was trying to train his eyes to the notes. There were quite a few things he made sure they had a steady supply of because they had a steady demand. Other things he created upon request only, but he certainly drew some attention from Jacun's shop. At least for things that weren't so complex he couldn't commit to attempting them just yet. Failures would be financially disastrous.

The elf cast a quicksilver smile at his friend, then took a seat out of the way so he wouldn't keep Torin from anything he needed to do before Bastion arrived. He was glad Torin was ensuring the lad's safety, but of course he wasn't surprised.

"I can... I can see to some of these things while you start with Bastion if you want. If you want me out of the way. I don't know how comfortable he will be with both of us here. Or if you do want me here, I can gather my notes and go over them so they are fresh in my mind when we talk about the seeds later."

Blue eyes jumped up to gauge Torin's response. Often, they worked separately. Sometimes, they had to ensure their schedules would align so they could be be efficient about their separate work, and in tune for the work they did together. The seeds would require both of them.

[Torin Kilvin]

Torin shook his head,

"He needs to watch everything. I won't tell him not to watch any of the work I do, being familiar with everything before you are expected to do any of it helps. I'll teach him each skill individually but seeing them several times before that is best, I think."

The end of the last sentence rose a little, seeking confirmation of the idea, but just a little. Torin knew his forges and all the work that could be done in them, knew them better than he did his first language. If he settled himself down he could see that he was capable of teaching all the skills required to be a master at either of his main crafts, he just had to break it down into lessons, into days, rather than letting the idea of all of it overwhelm him.

Despite the earliness of the house, talk of a honey-glazed ham was enough to set Torin's stomach forgetting that his breakfast was still filling it.

"Yes, please stay, if Timon doesn't get around to the ham we can go to a tavern, just us." It was something they'd used to do more often, but both were better settled than they'd been as apprentices, and eating out was less of a necessity if they wanted to spend time together.

"I heard my name," Came a call from inside the shop, "we'll be out in a minute."

Timon and his new fellow apprentice had arrived and were probably removing a layer of outer garments. That, or else Timon was giving Bastion some sort of speech about how best to deal with Torin.

"You can stay, if you don't mind waiting for the fire to heat as we build it. If you've other things that you can better use your time on, I think I'll be alright." His smile was more self-assured than it had been. "I did want to ask if that temporary heat-proofing works on people? Like, if I put it on my hands, could I touch hot metal or fire?"

Timon and Bastion appeared; the elder of the two looking the perfect shop-boy, apron and all, the younger the very model of terrified blacksmith's apprentice in his leather gear. An unexpected sense of pride swelled in Torin as he watched them cross the small yard. If someone were to observe the group it would be easy to see each of their roles, and, for some reason, that felt like an achievement.

[Sivan]

Sivan smiled and nodded. Torin was the master here, and while Sivan hoped to someday be as good as he was in his own, that would take more time and patience. Thankfully, that meant he wouldn't even have to think about apprentices for a long time yet, though he didn't doubt Rivin might want to learn a thing or two about alchemy at some point, if only to better understand how it was and wasn't like chemistry. But even though Rivin was his student, he was already of equal power. It felt more like giving him some remedial lessons that he somehow managed to skip, not a true apprenticeship.

In any case, Sivan would do what work he needed to do around them, and otherwise gauge the situation. If they needed his presence, he would stay; if he was making Bastion more nervous, he would go.

"We might have to take Bastion to supper, though," he suggested softly. "So he knows that while he learns from you and works for you, you will also be taking care of him. At least... I felt that way with my Master. Cared for. Important."

But then Timon was pulling the terrified child into the forge with him and Sivan smiled to them.

"Good morrow, Timon. I like your haircut. Very smart. Hello, Bastion."

He sensed a flicker of curiosity from the lad when he sensed the alchemical composition he had applied to the gloves. Oh, Torin had asked a question.

"Ah, you should be able to use it on your hands, but I would be careful. It prevents damage but I don't know that your nerves would know that... Oh, and Timon, I'll have looked over your notes by the end of the day if not by luncheon. Thank you."

[Torin Kilvin]

Timon beamed and have Sivan a nod of appreciation that had elements of the courtly bows he'd learned from the Leukos twins about it.

"I thank you, Master Sunrunner." He said, formally, and then broke into a grin so sunny it bordered on impish, " Now if only we can convince Torin to get one before he catches his on fire and burns the place down."

With a wink for Bastion, he darted away back towards the shop as though he expected either of the older men to try and swat at him for his cheek. Neither would, of course. Aurin might have, but was more likely to cuss him out, either of which presented its own rewards.

A little frown formed between Torin's eyebrows as he seemed to consider his hair, tied back into a tail with a scrap of leather.

When Sivan explained, Torin listened and then explained the properties and his own previous question to Bastion. The boy in turn listened to both of them with his normal solemn expression.

Timon had stopped his flight at the entrance to the shop and waved in acknowledgment of his notes being acknowledged before slipping inside.

Torin, reminding himself not to squat down to be on the short boy's level, instead kept a step away so they could speak comfortably as he addressed his student.

"I know you're mostly interested in the Runeforge, and we'll be in there later today, but I need to know that you have at least the basics of blacksmithing down so when you begin working on your own projects you can do them from start to finish. The magic fits betting, for me, into things I've made with my own hands. Maybe it won't be the same for you but I'd hate to get to that point and find out without you being able."

The boy nodded, eyes locked on Torin. Because the lad didn't nod, or speak, it took Semblance to know that he was sucking in every word with utter attention. The Runesmith was beginning to suspect that Semblance was going to be a big part of their lessons whether they were currently working with magic or not. Clearing his throat he gave Bastion a gentle smile, choosing to feel the comradery of having once been a very similar boy and student both, rather than the discomfort at his silence.

"Right then, first things first, I'll show you how to tend and care for the forge, how to stoke a keep a fire, and how to tell when it is at different temperatures. Sivan has some casting to do today, so, once I show you, we'll have to keep the temperature steady for at least an hour."

The smith and his apprentice moved deeper into the workspace and the morning began to fall away under the steady stream of instruction and careful, determined obedience.

[Sivan]

Sivan just smiled. He liked Torin's long hair, and thought about brushing it and then braiding it in the elaborate way of his mother's people. It would suit him if he didn't want to cut it short, but Sivan would merely offer and let him decide. Once Bastion was firmly under Torin's spell, Sivan remained in their periphery. First, he went over Timon's notes, not wanting to make a liar of himself. It was a quick read, and he would re-read later when his mind had been given a chance to absorb it and mull it over.

The elf looked up, sensing how the man and the boy's auras were subtly entangling. Teacher and student were meshing well even if Torin felt awkward. With a smile, he looked down at his notebook and began to make further notes. He had artificing projects he wanted to complete by the end of Searing and he knew he had to get started soon because this wasn't a full time artificery. With the eclipse lingering, he was thinking to create some automatons who could protect people, perhaps patrol the neighborhood dealing with any shadowspawn. He only hoped it didn't take him too long to solve several challenges in the design and execution. But even if he wasn't successful, he knew it would be work that led to the eventual resuscitation of IX.

IX would have been a boon these dark days. He missed his friend.

But he didn't allow himself time to daydream; that wouldn't solve the problems at hand.

He scribbled. He did mathematical figures. He scored alchemical notation and scrivened enchantments. These would be complex workings, but he was confident that he could succeed.

Eventually, he blinked owlishly and looked up to see if he was on. Casting some gears was simple enough, but of course they would do it slowly so Bastion could grok what was going on.

[Torin Kilvin]

Time seemed to move by under him, but each moment was taken up in careful instruction. Bastion seemed to take to the lessons as though he were absorbing them rather than listening to them, and, considering his magic abilities, he might be doing just that. Torin began to worry less about saying the wrong thing and concentrated on visualizing what was needed while trying to impart the knowledge from his mind to the boy's as much as speaking it. Opening his aura to another Sembler's inspection was not an easy thing for him, but he had been practicing with Sivan and Aurin when he could and had found those experiences quite pleasant.

When he was sure that Bastion at least understood what was needed, it was time to let him begin testing his knowledge against practical application. They built up the forge together and, eventually, he called to his partner, business and otherwise.

"Sivan? We're ready, I think. We can do it for you, if you wish, but I know you like to have a hand in creating all the parts of your work." The elf had learned glassblowing to be better able to work his alchemy, it made sense he would learn a little of metalwork to better understand his constructs.

The work took a few hours, during which Bastion began to get a feel for how much to work the bellows to keep a steady temperature, not something needed for melting, down and casting of this kind, but good practice and the boy took it seriously, which pleased Torin. While the two older men poured and checked the molds Torin said,

"I was thinking, it might be nice to have some golems in the valley, to help the farmers and drive off any predators that come down hungry from the mountains."

The unseasonable weather was not only affecting the bellies of people; animals that survived on plants were starving and dying out, leaving animals that lived on prey lean and bold in their search for new sources of survival. Strong, mental constructs could drive them away without harming them, and any assistance carrying water to the growing plants, and later, harvesting, would be welcome in a place where one couldn't simply hire on extra hands during harvest season. The smith was seriously considering buying all the produce the farmer families in his little valley were able to grow and distributing it to the poor in the city. If the weather lasted till Ash harvests many in the city would be eating their animals and anything else they could get their hands on.

[Sivan]

Open to the ebb and flow of aether as they all worked in each other's vicinity, Sivan just looked up when Torin called, unsurprised and already knowing what he was going to say. He smiled, and it encompassed Bastion, as well, though when their eyes met, the lad looked away. The elf didn't take it personally. He spread out his notes and beckoned them over.

Between Torin, Bastion, and Sivan, they cast the clockwork pieces he needed for his next little project and the day wore on.

"You must have read my mind," he said. "Or perhaps I mentioned it in my sleep..." He chuckled a little, always liking it when he awoke long enough to hear Torin say something from the Land of Nod. The valley seems relatively free of predators, and the walls are steep. But animals do get down there, so it wouldn't hurt to have menial automata who could also protect the more delicate settlers if they are surprised. If we haven't exhausted our illumite supply, they might even defend against shadowspawn. And while I don't know when the weather will clear, we ought to keep working on those seed designs. In case the first true thaw doesn't last long, it would be nice to have them ready. I can sweet-talk them into rooting quickly, but if the thaw doesn't last, they will survive better if their roots run deep."

Bastion's stomach growled louder than he had ever spoken in Sivan's presence.

"Ahh," he said carefully, turning to look at the lad. "Bastion, would you mind running to the shop and asking Timon to close up long enough for luncheon? I'm famished."

The boy nodded and disappeared almost before Sivan could say, "It looks like we are at a point where we can pause."

Aurin's pet coven was still too skinny, and this was coming from an elf.