it’s an unusually warm day for winter, although the sun is still weak as it bears down on Spider’s dark pelt and glances off their new leather corset. picking carefully through clumps of snow, they settle at the edge of the Col and unsheathe their dagger from its hilt, then produce the whetstone Bas had given them all those months ago. they’ve been practicing proper weapon-care since then, made evident by the gleaming point of their dagger as they drag it carefully over the stone. Doomsday sits on their shoulder, while their other companion, Lady Snakeskin, dozes from where she’s wrapped around their free arm.

"Speech"

She had much to do and about as much experience as an awkward first-year apprentice at blacksmithing. But she knew the basics. She had 20 shawl pins to make and someone wasn't following her directions when they were restocking the storeroom! Why did she have to come up with all these ideas?

She was busting her ass to get back to the workshop with a cart of coal when she spied Spider sharpening their knife.

"Spi! Want to learn some blacksmithing? I can teach you a few basics!" She said with a smile and her tail wagging back and forth. If she taught them some of the basics while she crafted a pin maybe they could make a bunch of things for the whole Armada! Between them and Bronze they might get a few good armorers and weaponsmiths! If it panned out anyway. She also loved spending time with the young heir, they were funny and she usually had a lot of fun with them.


"Speech"

Spider lifts their head at the friendly voice, beaming as their gaze settles on Ignita’s pale face. the little slave has certainly carved a place for herself in the pack, working diligently alongside Bas on a vast array of improvements. “hiya, Ig!” they call out, setting the blade aside. they’re glad to see Ignita has healed from her injuries, though they can’t help but examine her for any hints of lingering pain. of course, they’re quickly distracted by her exciting offer. blacksmithing? one of the coolest things known to all of wolf-kind?

“ooo, yes please!”

Spider gets quickly to their feet, packing away the whetstone and sheathing the dagger to their leg. “here, let me help with that.” they sidle up to Ignita and attempt to take half of the cart’s weight. sure, Ig can probably do it herself - in fact, she’s bigger than Spider - but the little slave already does so much for the pack that Spider wants to help her out when they can. “so, where do we start, professor?”

"Speech"

Ignita beams at Spider and notices their fancy new gear.
"Aren't you dashing!" She commented with a warm smile as they offered to take up some of the cart's weight. She was grateful for the help, it was rubbing a spot on her shoulder painfully.

They called her professor! The title sent her into a fit of giggles as the skin under her pale fur blushed a warm pink while she nodded toward the smithy. "This way!" She told them between breaths.

They neared the forge where she had left the embers of the last fire going. She motioned to them to leave the cart beside the forge and added a few cords of wood to get the fire going again.

"Okay! Not all blacksmithing work needs the forge. There's some crafting we can do without the fire, I just like to keep it warm so I can work." She walked over to a shelf full of various tools and supplies and grabbed a spool of thick wire. It had little let on it.

"But you're in luck! I guess we'll be learning how to make copper wire today!" She put down the spool then grabbed the molds for metal rods and placed it near the forge.

"Okay first thing, We'll make some copper rods. This is called a mold. We'll be pouring superheated copper from the crucible," she pointed at a sturdy pot close to the fire, "Into these molds. That's called casting."

"Go ahead and grab a few pieces of copper from over there and put them in the pot, while I stoke the fire." She started tossing a few clumps of coal into the furnace and pulled the cord for the bellows.

"If we're going to melt anything, we need to make the fire nice and hot, which means it needs coal. Wood won't make it hot enough." She explained.

"Speech"

Spider examines the forge with interest, noting the intense heat wafting from the fire and washing over them. there are so many strange tools and terms, but Ig seems to know all of them, navigating the set up with ease. Spider settles beside them and watches dutifully, making the occasional noise of assent. it feels as though Ignita is always teaching them something new, and their admiration of her swells in their chest as she works. how can one person be so knowledgeable and skilled?

they get eagerly to their feet as Ig directs them, excited to get involved. the prospect of making something useful and solid with Ig invigorates them, and they make short work of placing the copper pieces into the aforementioned pot. “so these will melt,” Spider begins, peering into the pot, “and then we pour it into the…mould?” that’s what Ig had called it, right? “and then it’ll become something new?” they gaze at the copper pieces once again, trying to imagine them completely liquified.

"Speech"

She pulled the bellows a few times as Spider placed the copper scraps in where she directed.

"That's right! The metal will get so hot, that the metal will turn as liquid as thick water." She grabbed the tongs, picked up the full crucible, and placed it into the coals.

"There, why don't you pull this cord a few times to give the fire some oxygen while we wait for those to melt. This chain is attached to this thing called a bellows. It blows fresh air at the fire which, if it has enough fuel, will make the fire hotter, instead of putting it out." She said as she gestured to the chain string. It had several knots and handles at different heights to accommodate any sized blacksmith.

"We have to keep blowing the bellows because we want the heat to stay high and not waiver much." She grabbed an iron rod she had made earlier with Bronze and showed it to Spider.

"Once it's cooled in the mould, the copper will look like this! From this, we can make nails, wire, blades, handles, practically anything! Though this one is iron, it's best for blades and things and a little tougher to shape than copper. Copper is a bit softer for what I'm looking for to make my pins." She rambled on about it and put away the iron rod. Hopefully, Spider was continuing to pull the bellows.

"It's probably about ready! You can stop the bellows. I'll grab the crucible, can you get the moulds a little closer?" She asked, grabbing the tongs again and carefully pulling the red-hot crucible out of the fire. She began to carefully pour the white hot liquid copper into the long rod moulds. She didn't mind the heat radiating off it at all, and her goggles kept her eyes protected. She loved showing them all she knew.


"Speech"

bellows…chain…crucible…it’s a lot to take in, but Spider is ready and willing to learn. they inspect the aforementioned chain carefully, wrapping a paw around it and giving it a firm tug. after all the trouble Ig has gone to, they don’t want to be the cause behind even a single misstep! they continue pulling as Ignita shows off an iron rod, head swimming with excited possibilities, with all the things they can make! plus, they like listening to Ig ramble, listening to her talk about her plethora of knowledge until she’s practically breathless. it’s endearing!

smiling to themselves, Spider moves the moulds closer as instructed and leans in close - though they’re admittedly watching Ig’s face more than the process. as her glasses fog up and her eyes alight, Spider giggles. “you look like a mad scientist,” they tease, grinning to bely the joke.

"Speech"

Ignita was so focused on the burning metals pouring into the moulds that she didn't immediately notice Spider leaning in close and looking into her face. The crucible was almost empty when she looked up from the work to see how her goggles were starting to fog up along the tops while they made their joke.

She smiled with a giggle at them—a chiming sound against the crackling fire behind them both and the sizzling of the metal in the moulds.

"Muahahaha!" She laughed playfully, putting the crucible down and swinging her head side to side in the air, "Yes! A mad scientist! Finally! Someone sees me for who I truly am!" She giggled again at herself this time. She pushed her goggles over her brow and smiled at Spider, finally able to see them. She doesn't know why but she couldn't wipe the silly smile from her face, so she shrugged cutely and looked away, trying to bring her attention back to the task. Well... It would take a while for the rods to cool properly.

"Do you want to make something?" She asked with brows raised.

"Ignita"

Basilisk may enter her threads without warning.

“i knew it.” they wrinkle their nose, eyes squinting in exaggerated suspicion. “you conduct all your experiments in here, don’t you!” they point an accusing paw, then snort with laughter, breaking composure so quickly it doesn’t even come close to convincing. but a more thoughtful expression falls across their face at Ig’s question, humming under their breath. what did they want to make?

almost unconsciously, they scan Ignita from head to toe, noting her lack of weaponry. they know Ig really can’t ask for a better protector in Bas, but it worries Spider to think of her out in the world, unarmed. Spider glances back at the fire. can…weapons be made? they hesitate, the question poised on their tongue - but they decide to earmark it for later, for a time when they’re alone and can puzzle out the details. for now, they settle on a different route. “what about jewellery? maybe a small copper hoop? i’ve always wanted a piercing!” it’s been on their mind for a while now, a bit of bling to commemorate their impending second birthday. adulthood means sticking yourself with metal, doesn’t it? “what do you think?” they sing-song, peering curiously into Ig’s face. “would i suit a piercing?” better to ask a friend’s advice before they started poking holes everywhere, they suppose.

"Speech"

She laughed loudly and freely at their joking accusation! A sound of pure uproarious and warm delight. She couldn't help herself. Her sides hurt and her eyes began to water. She wiped her cheeks as she began trying to regain composure, smudging dark ash over her pale white and golden fur.

She hummed comfortably as Spider began to think about what they wanted to make, her golden eyes gleaming with mirth as she smiled at them.

"Ooo!" A piercing! She looked at their ears trying to imagine what would suit them. "You want a stud or a hoop? We can make it in the last of this copper wire easily or I can pull the gold or silver wire down that we have plenty of!" She wagged her tail and gestured at the several spools of wire for gold and silver.
"Oh! There's also this interesting color back here for an option." She walked over to her storage of metal wire and pulled out a spool of a warm soft pink metal. The label said "Rose Gold: 75% Gold, 22% copper, silver" and she presented it to one of her closest friends.

"What do you think of this stuff? The label says Rose Gold." It was rather dusty and may not have been used since long before Charlie took over. She thought it matched their eyes.


"Speech"

Ig seems to like the idea, and Spider finds themselves growing even further excited at the prospect of their new accessory, enthusiasm mounting in the face of their friend’s support. even better, Ig presents them with a variety of options, once more displaying that uncanny vault of knowledge. oh, how they’d like to take a trip through her brain one day; it’s probably a library in there! as they’re looking through the different metals, however, Ig reveals an alternative that immediately catches their eye.

“oh,” they murmur, mouth parting in a little moue of delight, “it’s perfect.” they move to take a closer look, then flash Ig a cheeky smile. “this would suit you, too.” now that they’ve seen this colour - Rose Gold, is it? - their resolve hardens into something near-tangible, a desire they don’t want to dismiss. still, this is a big step, and they’re glad Ig is here for it. not only is she just seems so capable - possessing a breadth of knowledge that rends their trust in her implicit - but she’s excellent company, too. “this is gorgeous,” Spider affirms, nodding at the metal approvingly. their grin is wicked, all teeth. “let’s do it.”

"Speech"

They really liked it! Ignita didn't know what it could be used for back when she looked around and organized the smithy earlier. Her tail swayed behind her happily as they remarked that it was perfect! Then, they suggested one for her as well!

"Me?? I... I don't... I guess... I never thought... It'd look good on me." Her voice trailed off. She'd have to think about that. She wasn't opposed to the idea, she just never really thought she was the type to be... pretty enough to pull them off. She was smart, she couldn't be... pretty or cool.

"I like it too, it suits you so well. Let's see, We need to make it sharp so it can pierce the flesh, and have some kind of backing so it stays. Unless it's a hoop, then that's even easier." She mused looking around the smithy to see what she might need to make it into a stud or hoop. Probably some of these sticks with the handle thingies with the long nose. "We can get Ollie or Wylan to help pierce it through the flesh when it's done!" She continued.

"Here, why don't you pull some off, as much as you want to make for the piercing. Then I'll cut it off the spool." She directed. She wondered where Spider would want his piercing. She wondered if she'd ever get to pul something off like one. Or if it was more like putting lace on a turd and calling it pretty. She was Iggy, an inventor, maybe borderline genius, slave, she didn't get to be pretty like a real girl.

"Speech"