Bastien looked out the dusty shop window and wiped the sweat from his brow. its been several years since he had begun working as a blacksmith’s apprentice, and he was finally ready to be done with his training. His master (who also happened to be his father) already trusted him with journeymen work like the others of his year. Which was right, seeing as within a few months to a year they would be true journeymen, working for a full wage at their craft. They needed this experience being under their own supervision and at times having younger helpers to get larger projects done.
“BASTIEN!!!¨ The master shouted, not without reason, it was always crazy loud in the blacksmith portion of the shop. As Bastien set down his work, he tapped his young helper on the shoulder and signed to finish this stage then shut down the station. The younger apprentice was inexperienced and Bastien thought the surprise responsibility would be good for him. He couldn’t possibly screw up the piece so bad it couldn’t be fixed.
¨COMING!” He shouted back, and started towards his father¨s station. There were stations just like his lining the whole southern wall, and along the shorter wall to the west the power hammers sat, none were in use now thankfully. They were always terribly loud. The master station was closest to the east wall nearest the grinders. When approached, the salt-and-pepper bearded man pointed to his office on the far wall,and the two walked in amiable silence together. Bastien got in trouble reasonably often, but what could be said? Hes only 15 and there’s only so much that can be expected of an apprentice.
¨i need you to take some papers to the guild office¨ Said the grizzled old smith ¨just some budget shit and a list of the testing class for this year, mostly. Sit down.¨ Bastien´s ears perked up at the mention of testing, he had been wanting to test for the last few years but his father hadn’t let him stating he should gain more experience first. He hadn’t been wrong, and the projects he was asked to participate in or lead on were well worth his time. Bastien sat patiently as his master closed the door to the messy little office.
¨Before you ask,¨ said the tall, well muscled man said as he lit a pipe, ¨yes, you’re included in the recommendations. That doesn’t mean you’ll be accepted this year but unless terry wants to be an asshole about it, you should be.¨ terry was a smith that was passed over for the master position in favor of Bastien´s father years ago. Every once in a while, he would ´lose´ important paperwork. ¨either way, you’re officially off projects. Tomorrow you start on your journeyman pieces. Congrats, you’ve earned it.¨
Bastien was elated, he had been waiting forever for this chance and he didn’t plan to waste it.
¨Thanks, it felt like I was never going to graduate..¨ He and his father weren’t the male bonding type. Love was there, they just didn’t see a need to state it out loud. He gave a quick hug and took the papers from the well made oak desk. There were stains all over it from smokables, alcohol, ink, and various other things. ´i want one like this someday´ Bastien mused to himself.
¨ill take this stuff now, and I may not be home til late, I´m going to go celebrate¨ he said and took his leave. The old man just chuckled. Out the blacksmith shop, through the welding area, and into the street, just like every day. But today felt different, like he had made it ti a finish line he hadn’t realized he was striving towards. feels good, man¨ he muttered to himself, and took in his town again.
It wasn’t huge, only about 6500 people in the town proper, but that was larger than any town within a few days bike ride. The wall was mostly for show now, but it was a 6 story concrete reminder that wars do happen, however rarely, and that we cant relax completely. Training is important. There were few places in town you couldn’t see the wall and it sometimes seemed to be designed that way. The people were hardly cramped within and not all the land inside had been developed, leaving room for parks and ponds. Residents were a friendly sort, the philosophy around here was that manners were free, and might save as much as your life. But history shows they’re no pushovers.
There were quite a few people out today, and a shorter person would have had trouble seeing over the crowd, so Bastien was glad of his 6´2 frame. Cobblestone streets and electric lights were well common in this part of the continent, but he had been to a few villages that had only dirt roads.
¨hey you!¨ called a voice behind Bastien, and was entirely ignored by him. ¨Hey! Bas! Don’t pretend you don’t hear me!¨
the sound of his name pulled him out of his trance.
¨hey rose, whats up¨ he said with a smile. Rose was a shorter girl with tan skin and dark brown hair. She was wearing the usual work t-shirt and khaki linen pants, girls around here were not required to wear dresses like they were in some countries, or even in a city or two in this one, but most did. Wearing pants outside of work was thought of as progressive or very old-fashioned. Rose was a little of both. She was bastion´s good friend and his current romantic interest. She had had a boyfriend for quite a while and Bastien had been patient. He made it known he wanted to peruse a relationship but was good friends with both of them as he was far too much of a gentleman to interfere and was saddened when his friends broke up. The two of them have been talking about getting together recently and he was very excited.
¨just getting off my shift. You?¨ she responded with a hug.
¨actually I´m going to the hall to drop some stuff off. I’ve got some news, by the way.¨ she stared at him questioningly, as he hesitated. ¨dad is recommending me for journeymanship this year! I start my prep next Monday!¨
¨that’s awesome!¨ she said with a squeak, giving a more enthusiastic hug. ¨what are you going to make?¨
¨i don’t know about the welding portion, that will be given to me on blueprints and timed, but ill be doing a batch of 20 intricate spearheads for the casting part, two messer and shield pairs for the blacksmithing test, and I´m not sure about the rest.¨ he started feeling nervous at the thought of getting all that done, but that’s no good. ´look at it as piece by piece, not a whole´ he reminded himself silently as he sighed.
¨isn’t that going to be tough?¨ she asked as they stepped on the trolley, heading downtown. ¨i know Al is only doing some lamps and things like that.¨ Alfred was a mutual friend and a coworker of Bastien.
¨yeah, and its not going to be very impressive. I saw his blueprint for the machining test and its really basic. He could do so much better, there’s a reason dad puts him on the tough projects.¨ he said, as rose took a seat and he stood. There weren’t many people on, and there were plenty of open seats, but he didn’t like sitting when he didn’t have to. ¨are you up for celebrating tonight? Bob and jay and I are going to the bar on greenhill street.¨
¨sure, I should be there by 9. I´be got some stuff to take care of, but I want to be there.¨ she beamed at him and his heart melted a little.
After a few minutes of talking, rose reached her stop and they parted ways.
¨I´m going to marry that girl someday¨ Bastien told an old woman after she left. The old woman laughed and told him it wouldn’t last.
A few minutes later, he reached his stop and departed, the guild hall was a large, boring looking building on one side, and a lively bustle on the other. The administrative side was a concrete block of dull, filled with paperwork and small offices. The kind of place that artists see when they think of hell. the other half was the residence wings. This is where wandering journeymen stay when they’re working in town. Trades can include everything from electronic repair and computer programing to writing to animal husbandry and farming to civil engineering.
Bastien walked confidently into the metalworkers guild office and found none other than terry sitting at the desk. He was fatter than last time they saw each other, but not enough to comment on. He looked to be having a decent mood, so Bastien hoped for the best and set the papers down.
¨hey, sir. Have some stuff for you from master Sondheim¨ he said, using his professional name instead of just dad. The aging clerk took the papers and looked through them with the quick motions of someone who had done this thousands of times before.
¨he forgot an initial here¨ he said and slid a paper back. Shit. Bastien didn’t know if there was a deadline on testing approvals, and if its today, there’s no way he can get to the shop and back before close to submit it. He reviewed the form, and thankfully it was just a material request. That can wait. With baited breath, he watched as the older man reviewed the last few pages, and promptly stopped on the form bearing Bastien´s name. He started to sweat a little, and tried his hardest to be invisible for a moment. ¨well ill be damned. You’re testing this year? You cant be 15 yet¨ he said, taking off his glasses and smiling.
¨yeah, this last April actually.¨ the young man couldn’t help but smile.
¨congratulations, kid. Hard work pays off.¨ maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.
With that, it was finalized and stamped. Time to party.
Bastien didn’t think of himself as particularly great looking. He was taller, but not towering, and heavyset. Nobody but himself thought of him as really fat, but he wasn’t going to win a bodybuilding award anytime soon. But where he really prided himself was his strength, he could lift damn near 300 pounds if it wasn’t on the floor, and fighting him was considered a terrible idea by those who had attempted it. He was among the best fighters in town with both longsword and sword and shield, and his father had been a little disappointed when he didn’t sign up for guard duty last year. The only thing he was more proud of was his hair.
He was one of the lucky bastards that were born into beautiful, strong, thick blonde hair. He called it his ¨silken gold¨. So when he got home after his errand, he wanted to get clean and ready for the coming debauchery. There was no shower in his family´s house, just a tub, and that only because they installed one when they moved in. most people used the public bath houses on each block, but his mother always thought that was gross. She had been raised in a town where every house had its own shower, sometimes even two or three, and when they finally got their own home Bastien´s father surprised his wife with this tub. The water bills got a little high, but it was always worth it.
After scrubbing himself clean in the concrete tub, he brushed his waist-length hair and had his mother braid it for him, it came to the bottom of his shoulder blades when they w\ere finished. He put on some good green linen pants and a close fit black wool sweater. Over this, he put a loose forest green cotton hoodie bearing a boar´s head design, just in case it rained.
Even in the best parts of town, a person (male or female) should never go unarmed, so to this he fixed his best sword belt and attached his messer, still in its scabbard, to the left side because he preferred a cross cut. The sword was meant for single hand use, but its single edged, slightly curved blade was nearly 2 feet long, and the handle could comfortably fit two hands if need be. The cross guard was plain iron cast in the shape of maple seeds, and the shell guard was a casting of a large maple leaf. The pommel was typical of the style, but finely engraved. He had made the sword himself, as a bladed business card of sorts, if someone on the street admired it he could try to sell his services.
Because they were recommended to be carried by the town council, ¨weapons of a reasonable length and fashion¨ were also something of a fashion statement these days. it was hard to find a man without a sword on his left, a hand axe or hatchet on his right, or knives on the small of his back. It wasn’t uncommon to see a person with a cane, but swords with blades greater than 30 inches were rare, and walking around with a spear was considered in bad taste.
The ride to the bar would be about 30 minutes by trolley, and it was packed. Most passengers were getting off work and heading home, but some, like himself, were going out for the night. He found a handhold on the outside and hopped onto the 6 inch running board designed for this, as it was too crowded inside for his tastes. The sun set slowly over the wall just before he arrived at the bar, and as it did, the town took on a new life. Electric lights warmed to life with a soft glow, windows lit up with lanterns or lights. The streets were lively but not crowded as people went to eat at their favorite restaurants or cafes. Having a stove or oven inside was rare, and though people did cook in the larger fireplaces, it was more common to eat out as it gave people an excuse to see friends and avoid cooking.
The bar frequented by Bastien and his friends was called the ¨Save Point¨, a reference to the games that had been popular since the fall of the old world. Computers were not as common as they had once been, but nearly everyone had some form of electronic device. The bar itself was a smaller establishment, a two story timber frame and brick building about the size of a house. Bastien entered, and was greeted by the smell of a rich rabbit stew coming from the kitchen. There was a light haze of various smokes on the ceiling and people at the numerous tables and booths were conversing over the sound of a string quartet playing something by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
He loved that song, and went to tip the band playing. Two silver coins was about a day´s pay for him, and way more than they could expect from a single patron. Bastien was a firm believer in karma and could afford to be loose with money. Making his way to the upstairs loft, Bastien found his friends already there. The upstairs was smaller, more of a loft area. He greeted his friends and sat down, lighting his own pipe. They were playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons, a very old game that focused on collaborative storytelling. The table was built specifically for this game, made of oak board construction with each player having his own area complete with a few drawers for dice and extra character sheets.
¨the room is pretty basic, a small fireplace and like 6 bunks per room with a little seating area in the back¨ Jay was explaining. He had just moved into the bunk houses at the guild hall, something Bastien was very jealous of. Jay was an electronics worker by trade and had just been accepted as a journeyman. Jay was an average height, and thin. His shorter blonde hair caused people to think the two were brothers, but they were´nt. ¨its weird sleeping in the same room with 5 strangers, but there are gates and blinds on every bunk, so its not so bad.¨ he continued.
He and Bastien were planning on traveling with the rest of their friends when they graduate in a few months. The conversation went on like that for a while, and their food came and went quickly. The party was about to go and hit up another bar when Bastien looked over the railing and saw none other than Rose. He lit up when he saw her, but only for a minute. She was on the arm of another guy, though he couldn´t see his face. They kissed and were obviously here together. Bastien´s heart sank. His stomach was filled with ice and the color drained from his vision for a minute. He sat like that for quite a while, just watching. The others asked if he was ok and he tried to snap out of it, but his hands would´nt stop shaking. After a few minutes, Rose and her male companion ascended the stairs and were greeted by the group. Bastien tried to act as if he hadn´t seen anything.
The game went on for a few more hours until the group decided it was time for a break. While everyone was stretching their legs, Rose followed Bastien downstairs and pulled him to the side.
¨whats wrong? Youve been acting strange all night.¨ she inquired, her face illuminated by flickering lantern light.
¨nothing, im just thinking about things.¨ He responded. He knew he wasnt in the right for being upset with her, but he was anyway.
¨that´s crap, Bas. I know you well enough to tell when something is bugging you. Why don´t you just tell me?¨ she wasn´t wrong. And so Bastien told her what he had seen.¨oh...¨ she looked guilty. ¨i wanted to tell you myself... Al and I have been dating for a few weeks. I didn´t want you to get hurt.¨
¨so you just lied? That´s not a good way to keep someone from being hurt, Rose.¨
¨i was waiting for the right time to tell you, its not like I wanted to lie¨
¨well why didn´t you tell me any of the times I asked if you wanted to go out? You said you´ve been dating for weeks and I know i´ve asked you out a few times in that time. You could have said something at any time.¨ he didn´t mean for so much coldness to leak out into his voice, but to Rose, it felt like an icy hell.
¨i didnt want you to be upset...¨ she said, defeated.
¨the only thing im upset about is that you lied. You know me so well, but it feels like you think im some kind of time bomb that´ll go off at the slightest provocation. I really liked you, Rose, but I don´t think we can be friends after this.¨ she only nodded. He could see there were tears in her eyes, and he felt for her, but there was nothing he said that he wanted to take back, and he was only sorry he hadn´t found out sooner. She and Al left soon after, he didn´t notice.
Several hours later, the bar was in full swing. It was just crowded enough that you had to raise your voice to be heard; terrible atmosphhere for tabletop gaming. So the party cleaned up, cashed out their bets, and ended the game. Bastien was in no mood for antics, so he left. On the way out, he tipped the band again, not nearly so generously, and had them play that song again. It sounded different this time, he thought, it was deeper than he heard last.
He walked home in the clear night, millions of stars still visible over the street lights, but just barely. He was certain someone was following him. There were no pedal taxis arround, and the trolleys were done for the night, Bastien started sweating and silently told himself to remain calm. They followed him for 6 turns, no way it could be a coincidence and they were obviously not in a hurry to catch up which meant that he was working in a team. Bastien broke into a run suddenly when he came within shouting distance of a guard station.
“Shit, what are you running for!” the tall, thin figure called. The voice sounded familiar echoing off concrete walls. “I just want to talk, Bas! This has to happen some time; lets just do it now.” even before he stepped into the halo of a gas light Basyien knew who it was. Alphonse was his co-worker and now boyfriend of Rose.
“You piece of shit, you scared the life out of me” Bastien shot from the alley as he stepped into the light. Shadows were still cast on the two accomplices, but they didnt seem to be threatening. Alphonse was a tall guy, at least 6 inches over Bastien’s 6’1, but not quite as wide. He was a dark haired young man, and carried a rapier at his slim waist. “whats so damn important that you need to follow me at midnight to tell me?”
“Stay away from Rose” Alphonse said confidently, “She doesnt want you around anymore” his eyes narrowed, and his left hand unconciously moved to the rapier at his waist. He was preparing for a fight. Bastien was a nice enough guy, but he had liked Rose for a long time. There was no telling how he would take this and fighting him like this wasnt something Alphonse wanted.
Bastien stiffened, and glared at Al. He couldnt get a read on him, first he says its just a talk, now he readies for a fight. “i wasnt planning on talking to her again. Shes with you, thats her choice. Its none of my business.” Al visibly relaxed, which angered Bastien even more. Why did everyone think so little of him that he would fly off the handle for bad news? “are we done here?” he spat.
Alphonse sighed “yeah. Glad we see eye to eye on this.”good luck on your exams”
“go fuck yourself” Bastien turned and left. The rain worstened. It matched his mood.