Back to the Homeland (Skalos)

[Quetzal]

Throkk lived in Belatona, not that he had spent much time there lately. First he had been making weapons and armour for the Varden, then he suddenly found himself using them in Uru'baen. He wasn't strictly a fighter but it felt wrong not to fight when countless other dwarves who had never fought before joined together to help overthrow Galbatorix. The cause was a good enough one to justify stepping out of his comfort zone. Now he was well and truly back within it, walking the mountainside near Farthen Dur. It was good to be back in the Beor Mountains. He had even paid a visit to his hometown of Tarnag. It was the same as always, but he had changed. It no longer suited him. The same could be said of all dwarven settlements now, really. He had grown to like the cities above ground, where daylight reached in all its brightness rather than the filtered dimmer stuff that crept into dwarven towns.

Other dwarfs were stubborn in their ways and refused to integrate with other races too. This he found surprising. The past couple of years he had spent with others, learning to like them as other members of his race continued to avoid them and think little of them. They all had interesting quirks to them. He might be one of the few dwarves about, but he loved working with humans and surrounding himself by ever changing bustling busy places with an increasing variety of people. Even elves had started showing themselves more in human towns. Riders, even, could be seen walking the streets, dragons overhead. Urgals and kull now were accepted, werecats, dragon spirits, all sorts. In Farthen Dur it was rare to meet anyone but dwarves. As nice as it was being around more of his own kind again, he was glad to have a more colourful variety in Belatona.

Here the smith and metalwork trades were in full force, though, and he had been around other who knew even more than he did. That was exciting, and he was currently seeking some sort of new development or breakthrough. Right now he was simply strolling through the rocky terrain, keeping an eye out for anything of interest.

[Galeron Aeda]

Skalos had resupplied in Farthen Dur. He was originally sent there to deliver a group of miners. But he had ended up making awuaintances with a Rider and a King. Orik said that he was interested in Skalos. It was mostly due to his rank of being one of the Varden generals. They both agreed that a connection between each other could benefit them, so the spent several hours talking and becoming well aquainted. Skalos was even able to tell him the stories behind all his scars. But when Orik saw his sword he winced, apparently it seemed too crude for a Varden general. The King said he should have a weapon to be proud of, not one to hide in its sheathe. So Skalos bought some rare materials, such as Shrrg hide for the grip, an entire Shrrg pelt for the sheathe, and several ingots of some strange metal a merchant assured that was good quality. In truth Skalos did not look into it too much, he just needed something that could kill things. 

The materials added some more weight to the horses saddle bags, and it got tired a little quicker than it did when he was nearing Farthen Dur. But Skalos' horse was a trusty steed, it had replaced the one that died in the Battle of the Burning Plains. Since then it stuck by his side. After the war he was well built and strong. He was able to carry Skalos all across Alagaisia as his missions demanded. The generals orders were to ensure peace among the Races, and that required a lot of traveling. Something Skalos did not mind, and enjoyed. A nomadic life style was what suited him. He never stayed in one place for too long, he would stay one or two nights and be off to the next city on the morrow. His next stop was Belatona. It was a city relatively close and his mission demanded he go there. Not only that but he could get a smith to build him a sword there. He would be milling two birds with one stone in the process. As he continued down the valley he saw another dwarf. Skalos stop for a second and said "Greetings, would you know the fastest way to Belatona from here?"

[Quetzal]

Throkk saw the other dwarf nearing him. Had Skalos been of any other race he might have been cautious; however, he knew perfectly well where he stood with dwarves. He was not involved in any politics so no group had any quarrel with him. Being good with metalwork earned a lot of respect among his kind, so he was in a decent position socially even if he did live in a human city, which many more conservative dwarves disapproved of. All dwarves had supported the Varden during the war. Not that he'd heard of any, but he was certain any Empire dwarves must have been forced there against their will. So he had nothing to worry about from his stance on the war, and he had no stance on anything else to take offence of. The dwarf community supported each other. He had nothing to fear from any dwarf, except many a couple of rogue bandits, which this guy clearly was not.

He waved as Skalos passed, but the stranger stopped to ask a question. What a coincidence to find a dwarf seeking Belatona! "Aye, I happen to live there. But it's a fair week or more's ride from the Beor Mountains. I would take the road to Orthiad, then carry on west avoiding the Hadarac desert. Catch a boat across the Tudosten lake if you can, if not go round its north side. Then the humans' roads are well built, straight, and these days safe to take you the rest of the way," he explained, describing his route here in reverse. He had travelled between the Beor Mountains and Belatona very few times but knew the way reasonably well. One should always know their way home should they need it. "If you aren't in too much of a hurry, what d'you plan on doing there?" He added curiously.

[Galeron Aeda]

"After the war I basically have all the time in world!You see, I am a peacekeeper of the Varden now, I am tasked with keeping all its races stable within the alliance. Personally, I'd like to be on the front lines once more, but a job is a job. I was given orders by King Orik to get myself a sword to be proud of," The stout dwarf unsheathed his sword and showed Throkk the poor craftsmanship "It carried me throughout all the battles in Alagaisia. Personally I'm proud of the old girl, she's served me well, and behind every nick in its blade theres a story. But all the same, I must agree a replacement should be in order". He gave Throkk the blade for him to inspect it.

"The names Skalos, General Skalos. It seems you know the way to Belatona well. I must thank you for that... you wouldn't happen to know any smiths there would you?" The General was surprised to have met a dwarf that knew Belatona so well. Maybe he was a smith himself though Skalos. While Throkk observed the blade, Skalos observed Throkk. The dwarves arms were strong, and his hands look big as well as weathered. No smith needed to be thin, and Throkk was a perfect example of that, the traveler had a puffed up adomen. By now Skalos was convinced the man was a smith. he began to look through his saddle bag for the materials for the sword. He shuffled them all about looking at the strange assortment of materials. The sun gleamed off the strange ingot, and blinded him. It gave off a orange and scarlet toned hue, which was what convinced Skalos to buy it off the shady merchant in the first place. he looked back up to Throkk and adjusted his eye patch.

[Quetzal]

Throkk was surprised anyone could want to go back to the front line. That had been hell for him, killing and being attacked. Seeing others fall. Even the strangers he felt sad to see go down. Never before had he been in a place of so much death. Big and strong he might be, he was no soldier, and had only fought because of the dire need. He had no intention of fighting again anytime soon, very happy to have regained his status as a civilian. Defending against bandits and the like was bad enough! Luckily in most regions carrying a large battleaxe across his back and having thick weathered arms was enough. Those who wished ill of him found that deterrent enough to look for easier pickings regardless of his small stature. They knew dwarves made up for their lack of height in strength and stability. They didn't need to know that he loathed using said axe.

The sword made him frown. "This thing, really?" he said in gruff surprise. "King Orik is right to get you a better sword. A dwarf warrior deserves better! Human forged, was it?" the poor craftsmanship and wear of the sword was blatant. He shook his head, tutting as he ran a finger down a blade that could be sharper, picking at each notch. "And did nobody teach you to care for a blade? A truly excellent sword should be tended to after each use," he scolded, though not with anger. He withdrew from his inspection of the sword. "Well, once again we are surprisingly well met. I happen to be a smith myself, and would be happy to fulfil King Orik's orders to see you wielding a better weapon!" He would have said more but noticed the gleam off the ingot. It piqued his curiosity. "That some metal you've got in there, General? Copper? Brass? Not all much good for sword-smithing..." he hadn't seen more than a flash of some orangey colour, which wasn't much to go by.

[Galeron Aeda]

The truth was that Skalos' brother had forged it as one of his first swords, when he was nust learning to smith. It held a special place in his heart, and when the Urgals ambushed Farthen Dur it was the only weapon close by. The sword served him well at Farthen Dur, and kept the sword throughout the war as a reminder of what he was fighting for. He didn't want to discard the sword for he had a good recollection of memories with it. Skalos' eyes glimmered with hope when he heard Throkk's revelation. It was not unlikely to find a smith among the dwarfs, but he had doubts about Throkk's skill. Not because of his appeaance or anything else, just by the fact that he was a complete stranger. But he seemed to know what he was talking about, his eyes shifted from each part of the blade inspecting it.

He could see that the smith was dissapointed by all the parts, the pommel had seen wear, it was dented for the beatings it had had. The guard had scratches from all the blades it had cought in its grasp. The handle's leather had worn off and begun to tear, and finally the tang of the blade was slightly loose, threatning to send the blade flying 50 feet away during a swing. "It may be a piece of junk, but it got the job done at least!" He chuckled. Then when the sound emanating from his throat died out he continued "Thats what I ask for most. Functionality above all else. If it does not work well, then it's putting my life at risk. But I imagine that you'd like to add a bit more... 'Flare' to it."

When the Blacksmith asked about the metal, Skalos took it out. He bit a corner of the orange metal, but it did not dent or bend. "Seems as strong as steel if you ask me. Not copper or brass I can assure you" he tossed the ingot to him.

[Quetzal]

Having no clue about the origins of the sword, Throkk was totally unbiased in his evaluation and saw only the dodgy craftsmanship and signs of considerable wear. Dwarves knew how to care for their weapons, so this wasn't just neglect. He knew easily that the weapon was well-loved for all its use, and while it was impossible to tell the reason for the sub-par make he would not have been surprised to find it was one of the first swords someone made. "I can see that. Sword doesn't take a battering like this while keeping its user alive and not demand some respect. Not so much any more, to use such a weapon now might put you at risk," he said, seeing how the dented blade could never be made so sharp, and more importantly how the whole thing was at risk of breaking in a couple of different ways.

"You guessed right. Functionality is my priority, of course, I don't smith weapons to become ornaments. I can add whatever decoration you want, though, and perhaps a few things to enhance it to your particular style. Weight for heavy blows to cause more damage, lightness and a shape that cuts quickly through the air, something better for stabbing, whatever suits you." He loved seeing how different people fought and thinking through the challenges of shaping the weapon perfectly to them. The very best weapons he was most proud of were as unique to their user as a fingerprint, serving them in exactly the way they needed for the best possible results. It was extremely satisfying to see someone using a weapon, or any tool, as though it were a part of themselves. In a fight it could make all the difference. What one person found ideal was useless to another.

He caught the ingot and examined it with extreme curiosity. He felt from feeling the weight of it that the density was wrong for anything he'd encountered before. "I don't actually know what this is," he was surprised at that, feeling a rush of excitement at the prospect of working with something new. He smiled. "How exciting. It's strong, that's true. No way of knowing until it's been tested what its properties are. Did you have any plans for this?" he asked, wondering why Skalos purchased such a thing.

[Galeron Aeda]

(Geez i didn't notice the spelling mistakes on that last post, sorry. I do all my rping on my iphone)

Skalos was pleased by Throkks response. Functionality before anything else. The General nodded, saying "I happen to have plans for the weapon, though, I don't think it's what you'd expect." He took the sword from Throkks hands so he wouldn't have to juggle so many items at a time. He placed it in its well worn leather scabbard and drew out a long rolled up scroll from the same bag the ingot was in. He handed it to Throkk. Inside the scroll were the plans to a long double headed battle axe. It had intricate dwarven designs on the two blades, and in between the two blades it held a bears head on either side, or better said Urzhad heads. The pole of the weapon was all metal, for if it was wood it would break and splinter against the edge of a sword. Along the pole it had ornate dwarven patterns, and at the pommel the metal opened up and cut off at a square. On the flat side of that square was the Urzhad Clan insignia, and it was jeweled around the edges. The metal pole indeed made the weapon heavier, but it made it much more durable, and the orange, gold metal that Skalos had luckily found seemed to feel light.

"King Orik had one of his men sketch out the design of the battle axe for me, he offered to forge it for me as well, but after I saw his work I was disinterested. If I want it made, I want it made right!" He came off as more stubborn than he intended. Finally, Skalos came to the realization he did not want to waste his time with another petty blacksmith, so he voiced his concerns "Can you assure me that you will forge the weapon that I desire? A weapon worthy of a person to lead the Varden. I do not mean to come off as rash, but I'm merely expressing some concern for the weapon."

[Quetzal]

((Sorry for such a long wait. Finally getting my life sorted!))

Throkk's eyes widened in admiration at the detailed drawing of the axe. He admired it first, seeing talent in whoever designed this. Whatever Skalos had talked about functionality over everything else, it was beautiful. A stubby finger traced the patterns as he studied it intently. From the plans this was a tricky thing to get right. So much metal had to be balanced perfectly, especially difficult when the weight of the patterns had to be accounted for. Making it streamlined with all the detail would prove tricky. Yet he had achieved a lot and loved a challenge. He smiled at Skalos. "King Orik's man has much skill, then. Done right, this would be a fiercesome weapon. Made wrongly, of course, it would be clumsy and cost lives," he said, trying to imagine the weight of the thing.

"I believe I can. Most of my work is in the hands of people all over the land, but among them is a Rider's blade. I can experiment with that ingot of yours too, I'd like to find a way to make more." The prospect of this job was much more exciting than the usual standardised swords the Varden had him making for speed more than anything else. Those got so monotonous, however good he was at making them. They were what many commoners asked for, too, as it was all they could afford. As he improved, such as the attention from forging the Rider's sword, he was attracting wealthier customers requesting more challenging weapons. Jewellery too, he was good at intricate detail and quite liked making something beautiful. That was the purpose of jewellery, just as the purpose of weapons and armour were to offer adequate protection. "The metal pole will make this axe's blows incredibly strong, but likely quite slow. You'll have to be careful around the quick opponents. Probably be too heavy for anyone but a dwarf to wield effectively, too. With such beautiful design it's fit for a leader," he said, capable of going on for hours about this kind of thing once he got started.

[Galeron Aeda]

(Nah don't worry, it's fine. Life first, then rp never the other way around. Btw I was so confused on whetehr it was dwarves or dwarfs turns out it's dwarves)

"I told the smith I wanted a simple weapon, but seems my words wouldn't get through his skull. But if that axe drawn there would work as well as it looks, then why not? I'm not too worried about the weight, I've handled heavier, any other material and the grip would break. Unless you can think of anything else, I think the same metal from that orange ingot is the way to go since it's light." said Skalos Stonetree, his big, wide red beard bobbing up and down as he spoke.

The dwarves' arms were as thick as tree trunks, what he lacked in height, he made up in strength, and even among his race, Skalos was tall. After all The dwarfs didn't call him Skalos Giantborn as an empty title. His one green eye peered at Throkks face. He seemed very interested in the weapons and he said "You like it I can see it in your eyes! A weapon worthy of a member of Clan Urzhad wouldn't you say?" He was glad that the blacksmith took so much interest in it. Not only that but it showed the General that Throkk cared for and loved what he was doing. Skalos couldn't wait to show the weapon to his brother or Grimstborith Hreidamar.

In his state of curiosity Skalos drove his horse forward and turned him around, his horse stationed next to Throkk's. He looked at the parchment along with the smith and then he shook him in a friendly manner across the shoulder saying "It will be glorious I can feel it!

[Quetzal]

((Ah cool, I always use dwarves but wasn't sure either))

Simple? That designer certainly hadn't filled that brief. Throkk agreed; as silly as unnecessary glamorisation was, when not hindering the functionality of a weapon he didn't see any harm in indulging in it. In fact, for someone in a leadership role, it practically was necessary. "Aye, you aren't wrong there," he agreed. Heavy it might be, the other dwarf looked strong enough. If he said he'd wielded heavier, he trusted him to know how to use the thing. It was always a slight worry leaving something in the hands of a person he wasn't confident could use it. Almost like he felt sorry for the object wasted on a person unable to bring it to its full potential. In fact, he had considered refusing making such items for some people in the past.

Throkk felt as if his character were being judged until Skalos spoke next. He smiled. "I do like it! It's certainly worthy, especially of a General. Leaders have to look the part, and no plain axe would do that." This was pretty much sorted then. "So, with you on your way to Belatona, will you stop by my forge there? It shouldn't be too hard to find, it's near the centre of the city and I have served many customers who can point you there. It will take me a little longer to head back there, then longer still to make the weapon."

[Galeron Aeda]

Skalos nodded and said "I have some matter to attend to in Urubaen. Need to fill in a report of my mission here, I helped deliver some miners." In truth Skalos did that as an excuse to come, but orders from the Varden were that he should check around Farthen Dur and see if there was any anti-rider sentiment among the clans. One of the clans had attempted to assassinate Eragon during the war, but they were unsuccessful. The clan was now being monitored by the Varden in secrecy, and as far as Skalos could tell they seemed calm enough. But, no doubt, some still despised the dragons. "I'll go to Belatona after that, hopefully I'll catch you making it, I want to see the process, and help you in any way I can. I'll have a courier deliver all the materials to your forge in Belatona." He tookt he scroll with his hands and quickly rolled it up. He packed it in his saddle bag and said a farewell in dwarvish. He gave his a friendly smile and parted ways with him. His brown horse went into full gallop, and they rushed across the landscape.

(Sorry I think it may have been a little rushed. Didn't want to keep Harbor waiting. There wasn't much else to write really.)