Candidate Karribel

Stats

The sound of the hammer echoed against the walls as Karribel hammered the heated slab of metal into the shape it was destined to be. So far the blade was blunt, not yet sharpened to a fine edge as it would be when it was a completed sword. Setting his hammer down Karribel grabbed the tongs in his freehand and took hold of the still unrecognizable blade before releasing the vise and returning the metal to the fire.

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"Hey, Kar, lookin' good," Higlo said, entering the room carrying what looked to be a dead wherry. "Almost done?" "Neh..." Karribel mumbled, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a thick forearm. "Takin' so shardin' long, I told 'em it'd take a while longer to work with this metal. Yet, they still want it done two days from now. I'll be lucky if I have it even half done by then! Wonder how they broke the shardin' thing, anyway."
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"Original smith probably used bad metal or somethin', and it broke when they got in a fight. Not all smiths are as can pick metal as good as you can, Karribel," Higlo commented as he moved across the room so as not to accidently set his kill alight. Karribel walked in the opposite direction then picked up two pieces of metal which looked as though they had once been one. "I do believe you're right, Higlo."
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Higlo laughed, making his way to the door. "Told ya," he said with a grin before slapping the larger man on the back. "Don't work yourself to death trying to fix that brawler's sword, Karribel. It's not worth whatever he's paying you." With that, Higlo left the room. Karribel sighed, picking up his tongs again and removing the blade from the fire to place it back in the vise. Then raising his hammer he resumed beating the metal into shape.
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Karribel worked late into the night until his hammer became heavy and his head started to ache, but the blade was showing significant improvement. It was now half done, despite what he had said earlier. He could rest now. Karribel put out the fire in the hearth and placed the half-finished blade in a bucket of cool water. He returned his tools to their racks then yawned and trudged out of the forge towards his bed chamber.
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The next morning when Karribel set to work after eating, he had only one day left and the blade still wasn't done! Relentlessly he worked, until the blade continued to take shape, but it wasn't quite good enough yet. He'd have to work on it again the next day.
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By the end of the third day the blade was more or less completed, but still duller than a wherry's wits. Karribel set to work sharpening it, it was tiring work to get the blade to a fine edge that the owner of the original sword would be proud of. Karribel worked into the night, sharpening the blade then fitting it into the hilt securely.
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The grey fingers of dawn had just started to light the sky when Karribel's work was at a finishing point, the sword looked excellent--but then again, after all that hard work why wouldn't it? He wanted to give it a finishing once-over before the owner came to claim it, but first he needed to rest... He sat down in the corner, leaning back with a heavy sigh. Just a few minutes to rest his eyes...
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Karribel awoke midafternoon to someone shaking him awake. "Stop it!" he grumbled. "I worked all night, I need to sleep! Just another candlemark, then I can look over the sword before the owner comes to claim it..." "Ah, but I'm already here! And the sword seems to be in excellent repair! Well done, your reputation precedes you well!" a male voice replied to Karribel.
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Karribel jerked awake, staring at the bluerider D'run with his nearly black eyes as wide as saucers. "Shards! I-I mean, I'm sorry!" Karribel yelped, leaping to his feet. "I had no idea it was you, really!" D'run grinned,"Don't worry about it. I know you're tired, you evidently worked hard on this sword, and you deserve good payment!" The bluerider handed Karribel a money pouch, evidently quite full.
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"Thank you, sir!" Karribel said in astonishment. "I've never gotten paid this much before, this is amazing!" D'run's grin grew even bigger, "Even my blue Okserth's quite amazed at your achievements... Though might I say, not just with your talent as a smith!"
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Karribel just stared blankly, causing the bluerider to laugh. "You're a devoted worker, Karribel! Okserth thinks you'd make an excellent candidate for green Alinth's clutch, boys only!" D'run said, slapping the dark-skinned young man on the back. Yet, he again only received a blank stare. "What!? Didn't I tell you!? I'm a Searchrider for Ryslen Weyr, and you've been Searched! You'll stand for a dragon--that is, if you want to..." Karribel grinned, "Of course I'll stand! Who wouldn't want a dragon?"
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Karribel...now K'bel, has Impressed!
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