you must be sure that the doubts and questions are your own

[serjeant]

Who: Seoraj and YOU.
What: The smithy is open for business, which means taking orders and working up basics for sale.
Where: Seoraj's Forge in Stoneshell.
When: Weekdays, business hours. Specify if it matters.
Notes: This is generally here for anyone to whom blacksmiths are relevant!
Warnings: Archaic sexism.

Business may not be booming, but nevertheless it is well underway within a short time of Seoraj's acquisition. Most of his work to start with comes in through the farming communities, and the occupation is familiar in a way that lays out most starkly how familiar so much of this place is not. Steel works under his hands as it ever has, and the world outside the smithy marches on in its own, new way. Immersing himself in that is his way, though he's never had an opportunity like this before; he insinuates himself into life here as if it were an old cloak and not so crisply new as it is.

People begin to talk to him. That will be good, he thinks, though he doesn't yet know what for.

Comments

[serjeant]

Right, that does actually require he pause in his current activity and give what she's saying some focused thought. He sets his files down, sinking down onto the stool nearby and considering her. Before Nekweros, maybe he would've said he didn't believe in that sort of thing. He would have said it's hard to have an opinion on something he doesn't believe in; he would have said the hatred he sees springing up in others about it worries him, not for what it is but for the harbouring of such hatred and the cruelty that blind rage can strike with.

Nekweros shook up his world, and Baedal's turned it all the way upside down. Some of what he thinks is the same, but he no longer dismisses the occult out of hand as he might have once.

"I don't like to talk about things I don't know," he says, finally.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"Good. You willing to hear about it? I'll even ease the way with a drink if you need it." Njoki is tempted to reassure him that she's not a bad person, but if he's not even willing to hear her out then there's no point. While she'd like to trust Seoraj, she's spent a long time being very cagey about her abilities.

[serjeant]

"Give it to me clear," he says, with a wry grin; he can guess at the trust necessary, he's seen what a witch-hunt can stir up, and a part of him is pleased to be considered worthy of broaching such a conversation with, "and I'll tell you if I need a good stiff drink after."

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"Conjure or rootwork is a tool. It's a way to make things happen, not a religion or a belief system. Most of it has to do with the principle of like-to-like," she says settling into what seems to be a natural patter. "You want something good to happen, something sweet, you make a honey jar. You want someone to get away from you, you get the dust from their footprint and mix it with chilis to give 'em a hotfoot."

"There are folks who do bad things with it and some think that it's fine, 'cause it's just the worker acting as a conduit for the client's wishes, but I'm not so sure. People aren't tools."

[serjeant]

"You do something bad, you've done something bad," Seoraj says, mildly and simply; it makes sense to him.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

Njoki wuffles and agrees. Conjure is a job like any other where you can take or leave clients as you please.

"Right. I asked about this, 'cause you seem like a good man, I like the forge, and I could use good word of mouth -- d'you want me to protect this place?"

[serjeant]

"I won't say no." It's a good thing that she wants to, the way he figures it, and he can always use a leg up in the world. Maybe he should be warier about something he doesn't understand, but that's no way to learn - and besides, he has a good feeling about Njoki. She's good people. No sense turning his nose up at good people. "Will it cost me?" He's still saying yes, he'd just like to know.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"I'd like to take it in trade, if possible. Some of what I do needs nails or small metal figures." If he's not interested in paying, she'd probably still offer some work, just to get her name out.

[serjeant]

"I can do that for you." He's got no objection to paying her, and if her work doesn't pan out, what she's asking for is little to lose.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"Nice. Now, I really don't know much about how a forge runs, so what're your usual problems? What are the rare and terrible problems?" Along with the usual business concerns - nonpayment, no customers - Njoki thinks there must be some specific things like fire.