@Fuin Elda
Calaerdis
September 1, 2615 - TA
Minas Tirith - First Circle
The day began just like any other, for Caraerdis. She had dressed, then woken Radaron, got them both breakfast, then let him go run off to play with his friends. Ah, to be that little without any weight of responsibility, she thought. At least things were getting better for them, now. Much better than when they were younger.
After cleaning up their dishes, she had set out toward the blacksmith shop, where she stationed herself up in a tree across the street, and just watched. He never seemed to notice her, which was both a relief, and made her roll her eyes at how oblivious the man could be. From her post up in the tree, Cala could watch most of what he did, but she wished she could get closer. It would be better if she could work with him, asking questions, learning. But unfortunately, that was impossible, as the smith had made clear to her.
Then she saw a sign on the door post. It might just be possible, after all… Cala stared at the sign for a moment, taking a moment to read the fact that it advertised that the smith was seeking an apprentice. She felt her breath catch in her throat at the thought of it. But she knew this man; he was the same one she had worked for when she first came to this city a couple of years ago. He didn't like the idea of a girl working in his shop. More than disliked; he wouldn’t allow it. Cala desperately wanted that apprenticeship, but could she get it?
Climbing down swiftly from her tree, Cala ran through the streets, heart racing as she tried to imagine what it might be like to be an apprentice. What secrets of smithing might she learn with such an opportunity? The girl was about to rush into the house where she and Radaron had been living when she saw that there were people going inside. Cala stopped in mid-step, alarmed. Who were they? She stared in shock through the window as they began looking around, and heard comments that sounded like they were interested in buying the place.
This was horrible! Cala ducked out of sight into some bushes, holding her breath as she watched them leave. She heard comments about the evidence that someone had been living there, and the seller promised they would make sure whoever it was didn’t come back, and would change the locks and even alert the guards if necessary. That was even worse! Cala watched as the small group moved down the path, then she darted out of her hiding place and inside the house before it could be locked up. Whoever that one person was, they apparently owned the place. She swiftly gathered up hers and Radaron’s things, packing it all into an old, worn blanket, then tied the corners together tightly. All the while, she kept glancing toward the door, fearing she would be caught and possibly arrested as she packed up her things faster than she ever knew she could.
Her forge, however, she couldn’t bring with her. The girl stared forlornly at the fireplace she had converted into a small forge, feeling an ache in her heart to have to leave it. She took what tools she had, and slipped out again. With any luck, she tried to comfort herself, she would be an apprentice at the blacksmith’s forge before the day was over, so there was that, at least. Still, it was hard to leave what had been home for so long now. She ought to have been used to it; she had been leaving and going from one place to another for so long now. But still, she had never been able to stay in one place for this long before. She’d hoped to settle here for good.
Cala got out of the house and returned to her hiding place just in time, it seemed. The people had been outside talking the whole while, and no sooner had she ducked down into the bushes than the person who owned it came walking back up the path, putting an extra lock on the door. Cala’s heart hammered in her chest, reminding her of her plans to become an apprentice. She had to change, though. Somewhere in this bundle, she had an outfit befitting a boy, but she had to be able to change, somewhere, before going to apply for the position.
Before long, she had found a secluded place that was private enough for changing her clothes, and emerged with her chest wrapped tight so that it was flat like a boy’s, and dressed in the typical clothes a boy would wear. Complete with a hat, to hide her hair. She liked it long, and refused to cut it simply because some narrow-minded blacksmith couldn’t accept the idea of a girl doing smithing stuff. So long as she could hide it, she would do that instead.
Her heart was racing as she walked into the workshop. She had once worked here, some years ago, sweeping and running errands and other things that were helpful to the smith, but not quite ‘apprentice’ jobs. This time, she had a true shot at being an apprentice and she intended to get it. Clearing her throat, she tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she got the smith’s attention. “Sir, I saw you had a sign saying you need an apprentice?”
He looked up, taking a moment as if sizing up the ‘boy’ he saw in front of him. “That’s right.” He brushed his hands off on his leather apron. “Let’s see if you’ll be of any use.” He folded his arms. “The fire need stoking, how about you run the bellows for a while? It’s right over here. I’ll show you how to…”
The smith trailed off, blinking as Cala, without a second’s hesitation, nodded and went straight for the bellows and took hold of the handle, keeping an eye on the coals as she slowly pumped it. This was far bigger and heavier than the one she had fashioned for use in her own little forge, but she knew how it worked, and had used one like this before, when the smith wasn’t around. Merely to experiment with the heat, since she couldn’t risk making any noise. Determined she was going to get this job, the girl made no complaints as she worked, and did her best not to let on whether it was easy or difficult for her.
The smith watched for a moment, and she could tell by his expression he was impressed. Soon he had gone back to his work, while Cala continued, watching the coals, attentive for his signal to stop, for she knew there must be a point where he would decide it was enough. It seemed ages before he did, and she could tell already that if she got this job, she was going to be very sore and tired for a while, but then her body would adjust to the work and she’d be alright. She could do this. Cala was determined to prove that she could do it. As he worked, he asked a few questions about forgework, and seemed quite satisfied with the answers she gave. Luckily, she knew enough to make good guesses at the things she didn’t actually know, and he didn’t seem to notice.
“Alright, that’s enough,” He said finally, and Cala stopped pumping, careful not to let her relief show on her face. She hadn’t quite expected that to be so exhausting, but she made up her mind she would not let him know that. She had to have this apprenticeship, or she didn’t know what she’d do.
“Not bad. You understand, you’ll be doing a lot of that?” He asked, while hammering on a piece of metal. She couldn’t tell what it was going to be, yet.
“Yes sir.” She answered, trying hard not to sound like she was winded or tired.
“You’ve done it before, or..?”
Cala nodded briefly. “I used to do it some, back in another town.” She answered, hoping he wouldn’t demand to know the name of the town or the smith she claimed to have worked for. She didn’t know either, and the smith didn’t know she’d used his fire.
“Good.” He finished hammering and put the item in a bucket. The hot metal hissed and steam came up from the bucket.
Cala watched, intrigued, wanting to ask more.. Like what exactly was the purpose for that? She’d been told, long ago, it was to cool the metal, but she felt somehow there was more to it than that. At her own little fireplace forge, she had done the same with a pail of water, but she still felt that she was missing out on some secret. For now, though, she held her tongue and focused on the interview. Questions could come later.
“Well, what’s your name, boy?” The smith inquired, setting the piece aside. He came forward, offering out his hand to shake.
Cala felt a thrill of excitement. That meant she’d gotten it? She could hardly believe it! Thinking swiftly, she realized she hadn’t thought about a name yet. “Calaeron,” She told him, using the first part of her own name, but with a boy’s ending. “Cal for short,” She added, knowing she’d likely not respond well to ‘Calaeron’.
“Well, Cal, you can stay for the rest of the day and if you do well, I’ll keep you on.”
Cala grinned, thrilled beyond words. “Oh thank you, I promise you won’t be disappointed,” She assured him, then noticed he tilted his head, looking at her oddly. “Is...is something wrong, sir?” She asked, pulling her hand away, suddenly afraid he might have noticed something. Was her hair still concealed? She dared not check it, but felt her heart race faster in her chest.
“Hang on...” he frowned, then grabbed the hat off her head.
Cala gasped softly, instinctively reaching to snatch it back, but the damage had been done. Her long brown hair spilled down around her shoulders, giving her a far-too feminine look for someone trying to pass as a boy. She froze, her heart seeming to stop altogether for a second as the smith saw through her disguise.
“You!” He declared, throwing the hat down angrily. “I might’ve known! You’re that same kid that tricked me before, I remember you! You’re always coming back to plague me, aren’t you girl? I’ve seen you wandering around, trying to peddle off that junk you claim you made. I don’t want you around here, ruining my business. Get out of here, now!”
Cala stared at him with widening eyes, at first frightened by the man, big and muscular as he was, but then, as the insults set in, her temper flared. “I will not!” She retorted, hands clenched into fists. “You were perfectly fine with having me for an apprentice only a few seconds ago, when you thought I was a boy! What’s the difference? I can do anything you ask of me, and I proved it just now, didn’t I? Well, didn’t I?”
“Anyone can pump a bellow, and you looked about ready to pass out anyway, that’s why girls aren’t fit to be in a place like this, they’re too weak and frail, now get out.” He grabbed for her shoulder intending to forcibly remove her from his shop.
Cala swiftly ducked, evading his grasp, and backed away, glaring furiously. “I was not! I could do that all day if I needed to,” She had been tired, but not about to pass out like he claimed, and she resented the suggestion that she was too frail to do it. “You aren’t being fai-.”
“I said get out of here, I won’t have some half-grown woman trying to make a fool of me! Apprentice, ha! No one in their right mind would take on a girl apprentice, and I sure ain’t about to be the first!”
The opportunity for which she had dreamed of for years was being snatched away from her, just when it was within grasp. Cala felt desperation clawing at her. “I just want to learn!” She pleaded, close to tears now, though she refused to let them emerge in his sight. “Why can’t I at least learn how? Why can’t you give me a chance!”
“There’s no place in a forge for a woman. No one would buy anything from my shop if they knew I had a girl working here, and I don’t want to waste any more time with you.”
“Why can’t you just give me a chance? Just one day to prove myself?” Cala exclaimed, growing very frustrated.
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, no girl can work a forge and no one would be stupid enough to buy anything a girl had made. People want good quality, not some cheaply made imitation of it, and that’s all any woman could ever manage. I don’t mean any offence, women just aren’t strong enough to make things proper-like, don’t you understand?”
“But I’m perfectly capable of doing just as good as any boy! Maybe even better!” Cala protested, desperate, as she remembered that she no longer had a home, nor any way to feed her and Radaron. “Please! Just give me a chance, I’ll show you, I can-”
“I said get out!” He shouted, this time succeeding in grabbing her. He shoved her roughly toward the door.
Cala stumbled, unable to resist the force of his push, but turned to try pleading with him one more time.
“Do I have to call the guards?” He threatened, pointing to the door before she had a chance to say what she was going to say. “I’ll have you arrested if you set foot back in here ever again, now I don’t want to be bothered by you anymore. Get out!”
Cala’s frustration mounted to an all-time high, and she wanted to scream and cry and throw things at the man, just like a two year old having a tantrum, but didn’t dare do such a thing. She wasn’t two, she was fifteen, and she also wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, so instead, with her vision blurred with tears, she turned and stormed out, holding back a sob with some effort.
She didn’t see the customer who was about to enter, but when she crashed into the woman, she gasped in surprise and hastily tried to get out of her way. “I’m terribly sorry!” She managed to gasp out, with a little sob. Brushing at her eyes to wipe the blurriness away, she looked up at the lady, then saw to her surprise, it was an elf; she’d never seen an elf before, and now felt even worse for having plowed into her. “I’m truly sorry.. I didn’t mean to...” She couldn’t get another word out through the lump that had risen up in her throat. Sniffling, Cala turned to hurry away, desperate not to let that man see her crying, and she’d rather not let the elf lady see her cry, either… there was an alley not far away which was usually empty, she could run there and then curl up and have all the time she needed…