A single slow nod of satisfaction was his reply to her bravado, and he spared her an emerald gaze that twinkled with agreement in return to her grin. After a moment's consideration he pulled a second mold from the stack and moved to set them next to the forge as he checked the crucible. A glance was all he needed to know it was not yet ready, but he waited for Thalassa's confirmation before he walked back to the molds, this time to a different section.
"They can be cast from the remaining ingot," he explained, pulling out four smaller molds after due thought for the size of the Captain's hands and her preferences. "Please choose your style." He set the small stack in front of her before moving back to work the bellows again, keeping the coals white hot with only a tinge of yellow at their outer edges. Another detour had him returning with an additional lump of purified iron to add to the remaining crucible, and then it was time to remove the first with the tongs and, with great care, pour the glowing white liquid into the two ingot molds.
"Will these be thrown?" he asked, professional curiosity in the question, as it would determine how he balanced the weight and mass between blade and tang.
"They can be cast from the remaining ingot," he explained, pulling out four smaller molds after due thought for the size of the Captain's hands and her preferences. "Please choose your style." He set the small stack in front of her before moving back to work the bellows again, keeping the coals white hot with only a tinge of yellow at their outer edges. Another detour had him returning with an additional lump of purified iron to add to the remaining crucible, and then it was time to remove the first with the tongs and, with great care, pour the glowing white liquid into the two ingot molds.
"Will these be thrown?" he asked, professional curiosity in the question, as it would determine how he balanced the weight and mass between blade and tang.
