Harem King's Collection: Turning Beastkins Into Desperate Wives!
Chapter 60: The Ways Of Shaping Steel

Chapter 60: The Ways Of Shaping Steel

Tan had to admit, the cub was surprisingly well versed in the ways of shaping steel. It would seem his claim to be a smith’s son held some truth, but the cub was far too insecure of the quality of his own work. He had real potential and talent in a forge, and the orc was pleasantly surprised by the young fox’s request.

He had been grinding on the edge of a simple hatchet when the cub first appeared before him. Tan had heard they had some beasts in their company, but didn’t much care to see for himself either way.

He was well set in his ways at his age, and gossip was something a smithy had no need for. The orc could only assume the fox was here as a customer and gave him a gruff "Afternoon," as acknowledgment, continuing his grinding on the steel while the cub began looking around.

By the time Tan had finished his task, the fox was waiting patiently at his counter, seemingly to inquire about his wares.

The orc was happy, he didn’t receive many request in this age of peace, less so considering how their tribe had mostly stayed to themselves in recent years, so he always welcomed a potential commission that wasn’t repairing a broken tool.

The orc leaned on his counter, curious as to what brought a young cub to a forge of all things. He was not prepared for the answer to that question.

"My name is Rosten Aschefell, and I am the son of one of Alora’s greatest blacksmiths. Your work quality is really incredible! I’ve never seen such precise etching on steel! The designs you’ve made far exceed what I have ever even imagined!"

The fox was beaming up at the orc with a happiness that seemed out of place in a forge. The orc welcomed a bit of cheer in his space, though, and graciously thanked the cub.

"Such praise from one so young. You honor me, Rosten Aschefell. What can I help you with?" Rust had apparently thought hard on how he would word it.

"Well... We are travelling pretty unexpectedly, and I’ve never really been to a forge outside of our home and capital... Would you need some help? I know I don’t look like much, but I will do my best! I won’t get in your way, and I’ll obey what you tell me... I don’t need pay, I just want to bring some experience back to my dad. I may only have a few days here, but I want to show him I learned new things while I was away... Please! I swear, I’ll be helpful!"

The fox seemed to be desperate in his confession. The heavy orc only furrowed his brow as he stood back up, crossing his arms as he considered the unexpected request for a moment before he finally gave an answer.

"The days are long, and the physical demands relentless. I start before the sun rises, and stop only minutes before it falls from the sky. You’ll only receive a single break, one only long enough to get some food in your belly when the sun is at the highest point in the sky. Do you accept these conditions, young Rosten?" The fox excitedly yipped his answer.

"YES SIR!" And with that, the fox cub began to assist the orc for the rest of the day, never stopping, despite how tired he was feeling. Some things were worth putting in the work.

___

As the final strike of the hammer hilted the last glowing pin into place, the orc took a step back, wiping at his brow and admiring the handiwork as the cub finally released the heavy tongs to join Tan in his endeavor. The result of their labor was a well made dagger.

It was about two feet long, and the blade curved lightly, flaring just a bit in thickness towards the tip. The orc had taken the opportunity to show the cub how a light ore dusting could drastically alter the coloring of the steel, as such, the blade before them had an orange tint that was similar to the fox’s own coat.

The handle was made of a blackened wood, polished heavily by the fox’s own efforts, and awaiting the finishing touches after the rest of the steel had cooled. Overall, it was both a successful forge, and learning experience for the cub. Tan grunted his approval before he spoke.

"Better than even I predicted. Well done, fox." Rust wiped at his own sweating brow as he gave the orc a huge smile.

"I only helped a little. You did all the hard work... But thank you for teaching me." Rust gave a tiny bow in respect to his teacher. Tan only placed a large hand on the cub’s head, ruffling the damp fur lightly as he smiled back, his own larger bottom tusks making the motion seem a bit awkward.

"You sell yourself short, this blade is easily worth twenty gold! Had I not had your help, I wouldn’t have been near as accurate in my strikes... The shakes have hindered my skill in my years. Having a pair of younger hands around was a welcomed change. I think we’ve reached a good stopping point, so, I will see you early in the morning then? We need to repair a great deal of tools tomorrow, so you need to be prepared for a grueling day."

The fox didn’t back down for a second happily giving his mentor another "Yes Sir!"

As if right on cue, a certain gray she-wolf appeared in the doorway with the human in tow. Stahl took a step forward, clearing her throat as she spoke.

"So, this is where you’ve been Rust, I should’ve guessed as much... You’ve not been bothering this orc too much, have you?"

It was Tan that answered Stahl.

"Not at all! He’s actually been quite the help to this old orc. You have a well-mannered cub."

The she-wolf donned her fanged smile as she answered the smith.

"Haha! I am only his auntie, but I am happy to hear it, as would his father be. Thank you for keeping an eye on him."

Stahl gave a small nod towards the fox’s teacher. The orc returned the gesture.

Aster, seemingly thinking deeply on something, had been distracted by something covered in a thick layer of dust on a nearby shelf. He was curiously looking at the peculiar item in question from a distance, reluctant to express any real interest without having a way to pay for it.

The human pulled his gaze away and turned to see the smith had caught him looking. The orc didn’t say anything about it, much to Aster’s relief. He knew Stahl would try to barter for it if the she-wolf knew he had liked it, and she had already given him more than enough.

After a few moments of hearing about the fox’s temporary apprenticeship, Stahl announced they should be getting back to their quarters for the evening.

As Rust turned to leave for the day, he turned and gave a final wave to his mentor. Tan only smiled on as his eager student departed with the she-wolf and the human.

The orc had to admit, it really was nice to have a bit of company for a change. However, his mind couldn’t help but to recall memory from a darker time.

Many, many years ago, when the orc was still a warrior, and before the reform of their tribe, he had slain a similar looking fox for little more than ten silvers worth of steel.

Tan regretted many things from those more savage days, but to see how far they had come in such a short time truly did give him hope his people may survive long after the old ways were forgotten.

Long after the ones such as himself were forgotten, as they should be. That is what the world needed to heal, so having a chance to teach the next generation felt like he was making up for his sins, albeit only a small part of them.

An idea came to Tan, and the orc turned back to the newly forged dagger with a sly grin.

***