A Crucible of Souls (Book One of the Sorcery Ascendant Sequence) (21 page)

The sorcerer waved a hand in dismissal of his apology.
“
Don’t worry. It took greater minds than yours a long time to discover how to solve that puzzle. But once solved, like all breakthroughs, it all seems relatively easy in hindsight.
”

Caldan nodded. The sorcerer shifted his weight in his chair.

“
Young man, how old are you?
”

“
I come of age in a few months, sir.
”

“
That’s old to be seeking an apprenticeship. You know that, don’t you?
”

“
Sir, I grew up in Eremite and have studied at the Monastery of the Seven Paths for a few years.
”
The man raised his eyebrows, though Caldan couldn’t tell whether he was impressed or skeptical of his claim.
“
I have many skills, but the monks do not go into great depth with anyone except their most talented initiates.
”

“
I’m aware of the monastery, and the arrangement they have to educate the sons and daughters of some noble houses. You haven’t run away, have you?
”

“
No. I’m an orphan. The monks took me in when I was young.
”

“
That explains your shaved head. Why should we accept someone a few years past the age we usually accept apprentices?
”

“
Truthfully, sir, as I said,
crafting
isn’t my only skill. It may be I can work in some capacity other than as an apprentice, an assistant perhaps? All I ask is for you to consider favorably what I can do and see if I can fit in somewhere. Please.
”

The sorcerer’s expression remained unchanged. Again, he shifted in his armchair.
“
One moment.
”
He closed his eyes and sat still, unmoving except for his chest rising and falling with each breath. He gave a few twitches then opened his eyes.

“
You have a strong well, straight and not as rough as most.
”

“
So the monks told me, since I can’t sense my own.
”

“
You can sense others?
”

“
Yes. I know not many can, but I have that talent.

“
That’s rare. Show me what you can do,
crafting
-wise.
”

“
Excuse me?
”

“
Show me a
crafting
you’ve completed, or craft something for me here and now.
”

Caldan hesitated then placed his leather satchel on the desk and removed a square sheet of parchment, his ink and quill. The sorcerer’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward to watch Caldan’s work. His interest was obvious.

Bending over the table, Caldan drew with swift smooth strokes, the quill scratching on the parchment. Soon he had covered the parchment in thumbnail-sized glyphs, evenly spaced. He had an idea, a variation of the ward he had placed on his room door at the Otter. Finished with this part of his
crafting
, he began to fold the paper, firmly creasing some while others lightly, working as fast as he dared.

“
You can work with paper,
”
said the sorcerer. It wasn’t a question.

“
Yes. This shouldn’t take long.
”

“
I hope not.
”

A few final folds, and Caldan held up a box with a lid in his palm. Without asking permission, he scooped up the round metal object the man had been examining when he entered the room, placed it into the box and closed the lid. Accessing his well, he linked to his
crafting
and felt a vibration from the box.

“
There.
”

“
Well? What is it? Paper isn’t the best medium, you know. It won’t last long.
”

“
I know, but it’s quick and easy to carry around.
”

The sorcerer harrumphed and held out his hand. Caldan gave him the box, which he shook. A faint rattle came from inside. Slipping a nail under the lid, he tried to pry it open, but to his surprise it didn’t move. He pressed the box between both palms and grunted with exertion, but the box stayed uncrushed. He gave Caldan an amused look.

“
Interesting. Open it, please.
”

“
Sure…
”
Caldan stopped.
“
Um… I forgot… in my rush…
”
He felt heat rush to his face.
A stupid mistake, which could cost him dearly.

“
You didn’t include a way to unbind your
crafting
? That’s a novice error.
”

“
Yes, I agree. I’m sorry, I forgot.
”

“
What will I tell the master that lent me his
crafting
, the metal ball? He wants it back tomorrow.
”

Caldan wilted inside.
“
I don’t know. Maybe you need more time to study it?
”
he said dubiously.
“
The paper should degrade quickly as there is a strong force flowing through it.
”

The sorcerer sighed and placed Caldan’s improvised warded box on his desk.
“
Well, at least you have some talent. I would guess the box won’t last the night.
”
He scratched his cheek.
“
How far along were your metallurgy and smith-crafting studies?
”

“
I don’t have a guide to go on,
”
said Caldan with an apologetic shrug.
“
The monks taught what they taught, and they weren’t ones for letting their students look too far ahead. But I can run through some of what I know.
”

“
Start with what you think the difference between smith-crafting and blacksmithing is.
”

Caldan took a deep breath, smiling inwardly, careful not to let it show. The monks had been thorough in teaching the difference between the two, their first lesson in the subjects, which they repeated frequently as students progressed.

“
Blacksmithing, or simple smith-craft, as Lucidous refers to it in his text
The Complete Forged Metalwork,
”
— Caldan glanced at the sorcerer, hoping his reference to the famous text would elicit a response, but the man merely grunted —
“
is essentially forging and shaping iron using a hammer and anvil. It’s more complex than that but not much. Working with heavy hammers, an anvil, tongs, vices and the like to create utensils for day to day use, such as horseshoes, plows, axes. Simple work.
”
He saw the master nod in agreement.
“
Smith-crafting uses metallurgy, which relates to the study of extracting metals from different ores, purifying and alloying metals whose properties are different to iron. It uses those metals to create crafted objects, generally using much finer tools, kilns and molds.
”

The sorcerer gave him a thoughtful look.
“
What would you class as a useful object? Isn’t a horseshoe useful?
”

Caught off guard, Caldan hesitated before replying.
“
Yes, of course,
”
he said slowly, giving himself time to organize his thoughts.
“
Um… what I meant was that people could be apprenticed as a blacksmith and learn their trade, as working with iron does not require a great deal of innate skill, while metallurgy requires a much deeper knowledge of many different metals and alloys, and their properties. Smith-crafting is more delicate, using molds, wire, inlays. Metallurgy combined with smith-crafting, and further combined with
crafting
, can create some of the most beautiful and useful objects known.
”
His voice had gained confidence throughout, and he finished firmly.

The sorcerer frowned.
“
I expect most apprentices to know as much. It’s good you do.
”
He cleared his throat.
“
What percentage of carbon is combined with iron to make steel?
”
he asked.

“
About two percent,
”
Caldan rattled off. An easy one.

“
And how does the carbon make the iron stronger?
”

Caldan gave him a puzzled look.
“
Er… I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows.
”

The master nodded.
“
Thought I might ask anyway, in case you had any theories. What gives the reddish tint to rose gold?
”
he added quickly.

“
Copper,
”
replied Caldan without thinking.

“
In what ores would you find platinum?
”

“
Copper, maybe nickel.
”

The sorcerer paused for a moment.
“
If you were to make a
crafting
out of gold, how would you strengthen the metal so it wasn’t soft?
”

“
You could add some rare metals to make it harder, but they would be expensive. More than the gold itself.
”
He wracked his brain.
“
I don’t know any other way.
Shaping
glyphs on the object wouldn’t work, but…
”

“
It wouldn’t? Why not? Isn’t that how
trinkets
are crafted?
”

“
That’s the prevailing theory, but I don’t think it’s correct.
”

“
Really, and why not? What insights do you have that wiser scholars and sorcerers have not been able to work out themselves?
”

Caldan fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair.

“
Well, you can’t craft a loop into the object to reinforce its hardness to withstand those same forces coursing through it. The
crafting
would make the object harder, then harder again, then harder — an infinite loop. It would crack or crumble, maybe melt?
”

“
Indeed, or worse. So how are
trinkets
made?
”

The question took Caldan aback. No one knew how to craft
trinkets
. The knowledge had been lost long ago. He resisted the urge to reach up and touch the weight of his own
trinket
, the ring resting heavily against his chest.
“
I haven’t the foggiest,
”
he said.

That gained a smile and a nod of agreement from the sorcerer, who remained quiet for a moment, then spoke.
“
Well, let me know if you have any insights into the subject.
”
He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
“
Give me a moment to think.
”

Caldan bobbed his head.
“
Thank you, sir.
”
He sat patiently while the man took some time to decide his fate.

After what felt like a few minutes, but was probably only one, the sorcerer spoke.
“
It is plain you know theory well and can improvise on the spot, albeit there was a problem with your paper
crafting
.
”

Caldan opened his mouth to protest but stopped as the man held up a hand.
“
I know, having the test sprung upon you, the stress… I have heard plenty of excuses before, and they don’t hide the fact it is inherently flawed. I can’t even open it.
”
He slammed a hand onto the paper box with a thump, and it retained its shape.
“
Ow!
”
he exclaimed, shaking his hand.

“
That was the point, sir.
”