Mythran's Master Of All

Donan used Ren's forge while Ren made over the other forge that Donan normally used. The process went quicker this time because Donan had already cleaned it out. Ren only had to take it apart, grind the top stone bricks down a little and then enchant it all. Once Ren was done and activated the new forge, keeping his face well away from the opening this time, Ren and Donan switched places and kept working. At lunchtime, Donan called a halt to the work and they went to a nice little house only a block or so away. Ren watched Donan as he made a nice stew and set it to cook on the stove. Teepo, in his usual behavior, crawled over everything and came back when he was done.

“Where did you learn to cook?” Ren asked.

“My sister taught me.” Donan said.

“I've been wanting to learn how to cook for a while now.” Ren said. “I've had no idea where I'd learn something like that... assuming someone would even teach me.”

Donan chuckled. “I hear ya.” Donan said and sat down. “Sometimes it's like pulling teeth from a chicken to get people to tell you their secrets.”

“Secrets?” Ren asked.

Donan chuckled again. “Of course! If people didn't keep their secrets, everyone would be able to do their job... and then where would they be?”

Ren thought about it for a moment. “Out of a job.”

Donan nodded. “Right. If people didn't guard what they knew... there'd be no use for them anymore.”

Ren had a thought and instead of contemplating, simply asked it. “Is that why you didn't have an apprentice before?”

Donan smiled and stood up to check the stew. Donan took 2 bowls from the cupboard next to the stove and filled them with stew. Donan turned off the stove and put both bowls on the table with spoons. Donan sat down again and picked up his spoon. Ren didn't pick up the spoon closest to him and looked at Donan. Donan nodded. Ren smiled and picked up the spoon to eat. They ate in silence and Donan refilled each bowl only once. They finished eating and Donan put the bowls and spoons in the sink.

“Thank you, Donan.”

Neither Ren nor Donan knew what the other had meant for sure. Donan's nod and Ren's thank you could have meant 2 different things; but each assumed that what they wanted it to mean was what the other meant, and nothing else needed to be said.

With their bellies full they went back to the shop and kept working. By the time the evening came around, they were finished of all the forging. Once all the blades were done, with a hundred extra in case of weakness and breakage, Donan showed Ren how to strengthen the blade by tempering it and then how to sharpen it. They worked halfway through the night to temper and sharpen the required 1000 blades.

Donan showed Ren how to make a proper hilt for the short sword and they worked through the rest of the night to attach all 1000 hilts properly. Once that was done, They polished the short swords to increase the durability and it's effectiveness. At the break of dawn of the third day, Ren helped Donan crate up the weapons. Ren's woodworking skill came in handy and they finished quickly. No sooner had Ren nailed the last nail in the final crate, when he got a popup.