Laina's Forgeworks

Alrik had been in Vikhafen what would likely had been his fair share of times, but it was only now that he'd staked out a homestead on the outskirts of the city that he had need to visit Lania's Forgeworks. Alrik understood that the proprietor of the establishment had come up with an innovative way to forge and repair magical items, and while his purpose for visiting wasn't so grand as magical armor or weapons, he was certainly interested in the work of other craftsmen. Alrik crouched down, as he had to in order to enter most places built for humans, and once inside the door remain crouched - making his height just a bit over 7-feet as he moved around.

"I would like to speak to someone concerning the purchase of some raw metal, or if the forge prefers, the making of tools for rock-facing." Alrik spoke around an ornately carved meerschaum pipe, stem clutched lightly in his teeth but not lit. He hadn't yet turned his attention to the person or people that might have been standing inside the building, no doubt working at their craft. Alrik busied himself with looking at the tools, armor, and weapons piled up on the walls. He examined them as one might a painting or some type of art display.

Alrik took his pipe from his mouth, holding it in his left hand, and offered Laina a smile that would likely be subtle through his long beard, but clear in his eyes and the raise of his cheeks. It was immediately obvious to Alrik that the human was not unlike the forge that she ran; fiery, and strong-willed. "I am Alrik Storkin, pleased to make your acquaintance, Laina Frija." the giant said as he put his unoccupied right hand down to steady himself to sit. "You will have to forgive me for sitting -" he said as he eased himself to the ground, then crossed his legs. "My knees have received a lifetime of use, and are not as agreeable as they once were to crouching down."

Alrik looked around him again at the stacks and racks of weapons and tools, which he now knew were made by her apprentices. "Seeing the inside of a smithy brings back memories," he said, gazing around. "I cut my teeth in a place not unlike this one. I apprenticed under an old graybeard - a giant - that had made a reputation for himself as a master blacksmith. He told me I would be drawing ingots into billets for him, and that if I needed tongs for the task, I would have to make them. I'd already had some small amount of experience - which of course I believed to be more than it was - and hammered out a pair of tongs in only a few minutes. The graybeard looked at the tongs, then looked at me, and said 'While you are my apprentice, you will take one thing at a time and learn to do it well. You will first learn to make a pair of tongs'." Alrik let out a quick huff of a laugh at the memory. He hadn't thought of his beginnings in smithing in quite some time. "I made dozens of pairs of tongs. Racks of them. Over and over for weeks - but none of them were ever satisfactory. I had a lesson to learn before I was finally able to grasp the task set before me, and begin learning in earnest."

The giant sitting in the middle of Laina's forge spoke slowly, and told the story as if the pair of them were old friends sitting around the hearth after dinner. Not as if he were sitting in the middle of her place of business.