Thread: Fire and Earth (Aldir, zellsantal)

Metal striking metal, it was a rhythmic sound of clanging that filled Tsukasas ears. Her arm came up and then down again as the hammer in her hand smashed into the heated piece of metal on the anvil. The glowing metal was hammered out again and again, twisted and twisted further into a shape the woman desired with each pump of her arm. The heat of the forge was naturally blistering, though it hardly seemed to bother the woman as she continued at her work. It was starting to cool, noted by the increased effort needed behind the swings to bring about the proper shape. Tanned fingers gripped a pair of metal tongs, bringing the metal towards the forge itself and placing it within the flames. Tsukasa grabbed a cloth lying nearby and wiped her face with it, clearing away some of the sweat and soot upon her face. The tunic under her leather apron was strained with sweat as well, another hard day of work at the forge. Fortunately her last piece for the day was nearly done it appeared, the spearhead for an Earth Kingdom soldier. Shed made six alone today even here where the war had yet to reach it appeared that its waves could be felt. Her eyes gazed longingly at the flames of the forge, her fingers twitching unconsciously as they danced and sparked. Long had it been since she had used the flames, wearing the green of an Earth Kingdom national could be stifling at times as opposed to the red of her own nation. It was still better than the war though, she had made the right choice in her own heart. The woman shook herself from her ponderings and used the tongs to remove the half-finished spearhead from the forge fires, placing it back on the anvil. The woman certainly held the bearing of someone a little more exotic from an average Earth Kingdom National. Her eyes were a bit narrower, her complexion a little more tan, though her accent carried little trace of her former heritage. She stood rather tall and her body was sculpted with muscles born of training and forge work. Tsukasa had managed to get by for two years as playing the part of the daughter of a Fire National immigrant from a ways away. Two years to build up her forge and life in Ashstone, so far everything seemed fine. It could all vanish in an instant if she was not careful, thus no firebending for two years. Tsukasa shrugged off the thoughts of her home, bringing down her hammer once again as she battered the metal into the desired shape. Soon enough she found the shape to be acceptable and then took it up with her tongs and placed it into a barrel of water nearby. Hot steam, enough to leave burns on most skin grazed her hand but it didnt burn and instead only added to her internal heat. Firebenders carried their fire within them, in doing so they could control it. The woman did look around to make certain no one had entered her forge to see that, satisfied she placed the finished spearhead on a table next to six others. With that done, the forgemaster placed aside her tools and removed her apron. Smelling of soot and heated metal as she did, Tsukasa walked from the forge to the showroom where her finished pieces were arrayed. It was getting close to midday if she recalled, a perfect time for a break and usually when one or two of her friends showed up to drag her to the local teahouse. She wiped down the front counter and some of the finer pieces displayed, smiling ever so as she did so.