Jack of All Trades

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 9th September 2019

Characters: Dunrik, H'riv
Description: Dunrik and H'riv discuss repairs around the Weyrhold.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 12, day 17 of Turn 9

"I hear you're having a problem with the exhaust fans in the Hatching
Caverns?" H'riv asked Dunrik as he sat down across from him at the
table for a bite of lunch.

Dunrik looked up from his meal, eyes going immediately to the man's
knots. "Well, I'm not, but the technicians are. They bent my blades
and I've little time to repair their mistakes."

The brownrider arched an eyebrow. "How did they bend the blades?"

"Not being careful." Dunrik frowned. "They're heavy blades and they
can't give me a reason, but shards, it was a task forging them. I had
to add on to the main forge just to make the blades as large as they
are. They said they were too heavy for the motor, but they ordered
them that size."

H'riv considered that information. He was an electrician by specialty,
but he did have a few thoughts on the blades and the motor. "How thick
was the metal you used?"

"Exactly to their specifications." He replied. "I know how to read
blueprints, rider." The chiding was gentle, but firm. "No, I think
they had a few apprentices up there that didn't know what they were
doing. It looks like they tried to force the blades to turn by using a
rod when the motor got jammed. It's the edges they bent."

The brownrider held up his hands with a good-natured grin. "No offense
was meant, Mastersmith, I assure you. I'm going to go take a look at
them today so I'm just digging for information so I can know what to
expect when I get there."

He nodded, a smile on his broad face. "Well, you can tell them that
it'll be at least two sevendays before I can repair it. Right now it's
just me, my son and a few brand new apprentices and I'm so backed up
with orders, I can barely keep up. There's a new smith coming in soon,
but until he's here, I'm working from sun up to sun down. I've already
had to explain to K'ran about the delay. If they need extra parts to
repair it, it'll take time as well."

"I hope to be able to find a solution without needing new blades.
That's the task I've been assigned," H'riv's eyebrows lifted in
amusement. "No one seemed to care when I kept saying 'my specialty is
in electricity not repair or mechanics.' That went in one ear and out
the other.'"

"Get used to that and to expanding your knowledge. Look at it as a
learning experience. By the time this place is up and running, you'll
have multiple specialties. I'm surprised they don't have you at the
dam they're building."

H'riv's eyes lit. "Trust me, that's where I want to be. Apparently,
the fans are more important at the moment since there's no one to fix
them but there are others at the dam."

"Priorities. Queens are coming in soon and they'll want those Hatching
Grounds perfect. So do I, honestly. No sense in doing a job if it's
not done right."

"Trust me, the last thing we want is a cranky Queen or queen's rider."
H'riv tended to avoid goldriders just for that reason. "I'm H'riv, by
the way," he said, offering the smith his hand over the table.

"Don't know much about cranky Queens, but I'm sure that no man wants
to be around a woman that's cranky. I never did. My wife was a little
woman, but when she was angry, she could wield a skillet." He laughed
softly, and shook H'riv's hand. "Dunrik. It's a pleasure."

"We'll probably being see a lot of each other until this place is up
and running." H'riv said.

"Well, probably, but I'm usually at the forge and take my meals there.
But it does get old doing that and Rikon needs the company." He looked
over his shoulder and pointed at the young man with a dark mop of
curly hair sitting with other boys his age. "My son. He's a good,
steady lad "

H'riv looked over at the teenager. "He looks to be close to my
youngest sister in age."

"Rikol is fourteen. I couldn't be prouder of him. Never been in
trouble and he's a hard worker. Doesn't take more than one telling to
correct him if he's done something wrong. He'll be a good smith"

"My sister is seventeen, not far off at all." H'riv said, although it
did give him pause. He estimated that he and Dunrik weren't that far
apart in age, or were maybe the same age. Dunrik had a son who was
fourteen and H'riv hadn't even had a relationship last longer than a
month. Different strokes for different folks, he supposed.

Dunrik chuckled. "If you think like a boy it is. When they get older
the difference won't matter so much, but then..." He shrugged. "Who's
to say? He'll do well enough here, I reckon."

"Well, I had better go get started on those fans." H'riv said as he
stood. "I'll drop by the forge later and let you know how it went."

"I'd appreciate that, H'riv."

Last updated on the September 9th 2019

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Jack of All Trades