Dantares sighed heavily, tossing aside the latest gnarled offering to his ever crucial eye.
"Never thought for a minute it was to be this difficult" He spoke into his cup before drinking deeply of the clean water within, resolving to splash it over his face in some vain attempt to extinguish the flame of frustration.
He had spent many weeks now toiling in his small one room home endlessly heating, hammering, and quenching iron. Taking in a sharp breath he procured another piece of stock from his stores and plunged it into the forge, taking great care to ensure the coals wrapped around it evenly. Working the bellows in long even strokes the flames rose throwing a great light all around the home. Shadows came forth from their unseen dens and began to dance across every available surface, driven wild by the tempo of the flames.
His mind raced through all that he had poured his heart into, every page and torn parchment his hands were able to surrender to his hungry eyes. He brought forth through his thoughts the delicate but measured dance of metal and fire. It was not at all about efficiency or expedience, but all of unbreakable concentration and patience. He let not his curiosity sabotage his methodical efforts, steeling himself with song and rhythm.
Fetching the stock from the forge he placed it upon the anvil and began to coax the metal into shape. He delivered precise and measured blows in a steady pattern, seeking to draw the metal out. The white hot heart of the iron lightly splintered and sparked with each blow, dimming ever so slightly as it beat on against the hammer.
as it dimmed Dantares deposited back into the forge, once again waking up the iron with the bellows.
Plunging into the water barrel it hissed and a great puff of steam rose into the air. With gloved hands Dantares took the iron from the tongs and looked it over. Crude to be certain but it held with it a most wondrous news that he could not help but smile with pride.
"Its straight". Placing it gently upon his table he marveled at his achievement, the first of many or so he hoped.
