Bron set his mug on the bar and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.  “Well,” he said, “I’d better get back to work.  I’ve got a couple wagon wheels to finish, and expect a horse to come by for shoes in a bit.”

The white-haired man offered to refill the cup, but was waved away.  “So, you’d rather spend your time blacksmithing alone than drinking with me?” he teased.

“Not a matter of rather,” the burly blacksmith replied.  “It’s a matter of necessity, and that twice over.  On the one hand, I need the money, even with you spotting me free drink.  On the other hand, the people around here need a blacksmith, and I’m pretty much the only one who has the skills.  It’s a useful in-demand trade, and I’m glad my parents apprenticed me to someone who could teach me.”

“Apprenticed?”

“Well, how did you think I learned?”

“I just figured there was a school somewhere.”

Bron chuckled.  “School?  Schools are for priests and lawyers and doctors.  You want to learn blacksmithing, you come to me.”

Beam set the cup in the tub of water behind the bar in which he soaked the dishes, then said, “That’s actually not a bad idea.”

“What’s not a bad idea?”

“I should come to you to learn blacksmithing.”

“Why would you want to do that?  You’re a bit old to be an apprentice, you know.”

“Maybe, but I’ll bet I’m stronger than any adolescent boy you might teach.  Come on, it might be fun.”

Bron nodded.  “It might be, at that.  Well, then, apprentice, let’s go teach you a bit about working with iron.”

There is a behind-the-writings look at the thoughts, influences, and ideas of this chapter, along with twelve other sequential chapters of this novel, in mark Joseph "young" web log entry #284:  Versers React.  Given a moment, this link should take you directly to the section relevant to this chapter.  It may contain spoilers of upcoming chapters.

As to the old stories that have long been here:

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