The Shield
Dan nodded to Jael "I understand" Dan said. He noted he would not be given any leeway for his handicap.
Jael took a couple of cold rivets and, He handed them to Dan. "Use these to fit the straps on your arm." Jael instructed. He wanted to see how Dan would do this.
Dan looked at his stump, and his hand, he couldnt use the stump to hold the rivets. He desided to fit it onto his severed arm. Dan lay the stump down, placing a strap down over it. He pushed a rivet through one of the holes, and then grabbed the strap pulling it tight to his arm, he then fitted the second rivet. Dan checked the placement and then did the second strap the same way.
Jael watched him tackle this hurdle easily. "Good work, I am glad you do not let your issue hamper your work." Jael told Dan. "Jael then walked over to the furnace again, and used tongs to pull the rivets out of the fire. He turned and told Dan "Place the straps where they go, get them ready!, grab that hammer!" Instructing him quickly, as they had to strike while the iron was still hot.
Dan did as told, placing the straps where they needed to go. He then moved and grabbed the hammer returning next to the Anvil. Jael was just reaching him with the rivets. He set the smoking red hot metal down on the end of the anvil, and then picked a single one of them up with the tongs. He aimed it over the hole, and then let it drop through the hole in the leather. The leather began to smoke. "Hit it with the hammer now!" Jael instructed.
Dan smashed the back of the rivet as hard as he could with the hammer. The rivet sunk into the hole through the leather and struck the anvil mushrooming the head a little. "Good, Hit it a few more times" Jael instructs.
Dan whacks the rivet multiple times hard, the head distorts more, pulling the rivet closer to the leather and shield. When he gave it a last heaving strike, there was no more play in it.
Jael nods and grabs the next rivet placing it in its hole. Dan repeated the process. This went for all the rivets till the straps were now attached to the shield again.
Dan smiled.
Jael frowned.
While Dan was thinking they were done, Jael was examining the course, battered edge of the shield. It had been worn thin in many areas, and the edging was all but gone. "We are going to have to trim the edges" Jael said. "They are far to weathered to be straightened."
His finger ran the course edge pitted and pocked, bent over and hammered thin in areas. "You will loose some size, but we can shape it to your liking"
Dan heard this and nodded. "Ok" he said "How do I Trim in?"
Jael polinted to a rack of tools "See those tools there, ye will need them all, there are files, sheers, and hammers." Jael liked this man and did not want to see his first task fail. He decided to give him a courtesy. "Bring them over, and I will show you how to do one full side of the shield, you must finish the other half on your own."
Dan nodded and quickly brought the row of tools over.
Jael first grabbed the sheers. Using both hands he begins cutting away the battered edge of the metal. His muscles bulged and throbbed when he gripped down on the sheers, their sharp edges slowly forcing their way through the metal. "What kind of shape do ye want?" He asked as he neared lower portion of the shield. Right now the shield was a tower shield. With squared edges. With this shield also being his only weapon, he wanted a sharp edge. "Kite shield please, and I want to sharpen the bottom edge"
Jael arched an eyebrow at this information. "It is your shield lad" he says and begins cutting a diagonal line to the bottom center of the shield.
Dan watched him finish trimming the ruined edges off, and cutting the bottom to a point. He then filed the metal burs away, and then hammered the edges rolling them till he got to the bottom point. This he simply sharpened and moved the edge out.
"Ok Lad, ye see how to do this, now it is your turn" Jael stood up, and then let Dan sit down.
Dan looked at the sheers. He gritted his teeth and forced his stump through one of the holes, grabbing the other with his hand. He began to trim the metal as Jael had on the other side. When he got to cutting the point, he struggled a little, but powered through and finished the trimming.
His clothing was drenched at this point, and he was happy to be able to sit back and file and hammer the rest of the edges.
When done Dan leaned back and looked "Is this good enough?" he said, letting his hand open over the shield.
Jael picked it up, inspected all the edging and then nodded "yes, this will do, not bad lad, not bad. You turned that worn out plate of rust into a working kite shield!"
Dan was ignoring the flashing exclamation point in the bottom corner of his vision. He would take a look at it later. "Thank you for your instruction" Dan tells Jael, taking the shield "I will have the wolf hides brought here" He says and turns to leave.
Jael stops him, and looks him up and down. "Look lad, I would be in the wrong if I took a whole blue wolf hide in exchange for a single outfit. Please, pick some clothing from my store, I know most will not fit right, but it will be better than those stained rags you are wearing".
Indeed, Dans clothing was torn, ragged, and blood and dirt stained.
Dan nodded and agreed to the deal. He walked through the store, and found some outfits that should work for both Amanda and himself.
He picked a large cloak, that only went down to his knees, a shoulder pauldron, that barely fit his chest at its largest setting, and a large red tunic that did its best to cover his body. For Amanda he picked a couple of small dresses fit for a young girl.
Dan thanked Jael, placed his shield over his back, and then took the small sack of additional sets of clothing for them both. He left the shop and started walking back to the Inn.