Tobias smiled as he stepped out the back door of his home. A cozy porch hugged the back of the workshop and offered just enough space for a pair of chairs and a small table. Steam

rose lazily from his mug of tea. A slice of rye bread and a small sliver of cheese rested on an earthen plate on the table. He breathed in deeply, and enjoyed the brisk chill of the late fall morning.

True winter, and the inevitable snows, was just around the corner, but this was his favorite time of year. Just cold enough to want a coat. Maybe I’ll prop the doors to the workshop open today, he thought as he munched on his breakfast.

Periodically, Gunnar’s rough voice would puncture the quiet of the morning. The captain of the guard worked his men hard, to keep them in fighting shape should trouble arise. Even with Enzo joining the group, Gunnar had no patience for slackers. He barked out drills and formations for the men to work through, each tailored to help the guard in question improve.

All this structure will be good for the boy, Tobias thought as he finished his tea. I remember being young. Some structure would’ve done me some good too. The old smith gathered up his dishes and returned to the kitchen. After a quick wipedown, he set them on the counter to dry. Whistling to himself, Tobias grabbed his apron and gloves and made for the workshop.

The room was roasting, despite the chill of the morning. The sealed furnace had burned all night, maintaining the delicate balance needed for the dragonstone to form up into a shapeable state. Tobias propped open the door to the outside and walked over to inspect the furnace.

The seal on the outside of the furnace door had held up over night, though it had dried out considerably. Tobias quickly set to making more of the clay-like mixture in a bucket near the workbench. As he worked, he looked over the design Enzo had come up with for the handle of his training hammer.

Such an ambitious idea for a practice weapon. Not bad for the dragonstone hammer though, Tobias thought, smiling and shaking his head. Still, the bands around the bottom are a good start for increasing his grip in wet conditions. Maybe I’ll add some curves, give it a more scaled look…

Working with the plan Enzo had created kept Tobias’s mind occupied while he worked the clay into the correct consistency. When the mixture was finished, Tobias had a thorough plan for a proper hammer’s handle. He grimaced as he considered the work required. It’ll be fitting for a weapon of this caliber, kid better like it.

He carried the mixture over to the furnace and carefully began to chip away the seal he’d created the night before. When the debris was clear, he opened the door and glanced inside. The heat was intense, more than he’d normally work with, but that was to be expected given the source of his dragonstone. The bars had formed nicely, the metal bonding with the ground egg shards seamlessly. Both shone a dark garnet color, even despite the heat.

Satisfied that the process was moving along smoothly, Tobias added more fuel to the furnace. The fire flared at the introduction of more charcoal and wood, and the dragonstone brightened slightly, absorbing the energy directly. Tobias shut the door, and applied the new seal again.

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Should be another day or two with the rate things are progressing. Should be enough time to get the handle out of the way.

He returned to the little living room behind the workshop, replacing his heavy protective apron on a hook by the door. Leaned in the corner sat Enzo’s first crack at creating a handle for his practice weapon.

The wood was acceptable, oak was more common than the preferred hickory of most tools, but would get the job done. The boy had clearly put in a great deal of effort as well, as the handle was nearly perfectly straight. Tobias removed a glove and ran his hands along the grain of the wood.

Have to say, he did a pretty good job with this. It’s basic, but it’ll get the job done.

He put his glove back on and walked back to his workbench. The head of the hammer sat on the table, cooled and ready. Tobias first dipped the wood in oil and rubbed the liquid across the surface of the handle. He wiped away the excess, then inspected it. Satisfied that the entirety of the handle was coated, he set the piece on the table and took the hammer head.

The handle was slightly too large for the hole they’d punched through the iron, but that was a good thing. Rather have more wood to work with than not enough.

He set the head on the solid stone floor of the workshop and took up the handle in one hand. After aligning the wood with the hole in the hammer head, he withdrew his hammer and swung down with a heavy thud. The wood didn’t budge. Three more attempts produced three more heavy, fruitless thuds.

Tobias frowned at the situation. He set his hammer down and examined the handle again. The end had become frayed and chipped, and now entirely refused to press through the hole. With a grunt, the old smith searched for the sandpaper Enzo had used the night before and began grinding the wood down.

The process took most of the morning, but eventually Tobias was able to get the handle into the hammerhead. He cut and sanded the excess wood that extended from the top of the head until it formed a smooth transition from iron to wood. Satisfied, he lifted the hammer and swung down, impacting sharply on his anvil. The wood held firm and the head smacked the metal solidly.

Upon closer inspection, no chips had formed along the iron or in the handle. Tobias smiled as he lifted the weapon again and held it up over his head.

This’ll be a good practice weapon, the weight is heavier than the hammer we’ll make from the dragonstone. He’ll use this and gain strength while he learns the proper forms and be a force to be reckoned with even without his Affinity.

As he set the hammer back down on the workbench, Enzo entered through the open door to the workshop.

“Gunnar’s going to kill us,” Enzo said. Tobias noticed the young man was drenched in sweat already. “He’s decided that general endurance isn’t enough, we need to be fit to fight for a day or more at a time and has us either lifting weights, running, or sparring all day.”

Tobias smiled. “Good, it’ll be good for ya,” the old smith replied, taking a seat by the workbench. Enzo approached and picked up his warhammer. He ran his fingers along the weapon, taking in the fruits of their labor. After a moment, he stepped back into the open area of the room and practiced several stances with the weapon.

“It’s heavy, but I like it,” Enzo said as he beamed at Tobias. “I can’t wait to start training with it. When do you think we can start on the dragonstone one?”

“Glad you like it,” Tobias replied with a note of pride in his voice. “And glad you asked. Today, you’ll be building a second forge so we can both work out here at the same time. Grab that bucket and start mixing together the cement.”

“Can’t we just have an easy afternoon for once?” Enzo groaned.

“Not a chance,” Tobias responded sharply. “And with that attitude you’ll be at it late into the night again. No more fussing, let’s get to it.”