At the Smith [Closed] (Dated)

Steel Strike sat behind the counter. It was early morning, but he always made sure he was up and about in case any early customers came in. Not that many came in anyways. It usually involved repairs, or a new tool. He kept the furnace in the back stoked, in case someone did need a new item, though it usually wasn't cheap. He had few raw materials for new things.

Steel pulled out a block of wood, and began carving at it's surface. He didn't know what he was carving yet, but it would come with time. It always did. The whittling soothed him, as if relaxing with an old friend. A pony began to form in time, and he decided he'd make a unicorn, in a regal pose. It sat whittling, waiting patiently for somepony who needed his services.

String trots in, his cloak and hood hiding his identity, a soft smile can be seen undearneath his hood, on his muzzle, he is humming a soft tune, Guitar hanging by his side "Hello, good smith." he trots up to the counter "Do you, by any chance have any steel strings, for my guitar?"

The small griffon was looking down at the black smiths shop from atop the clock tower she called home, it was at the perfect angle to watch him work if she sat just right. she really had no interest in the blacksmith but she did have interest in his work, the forge has always been interesting to her. For once she was not trying to keep her presence hidden, if one was to look up at the clock tower one could a bright white griffon relaxing looking rather content.



(sorry if i barged in here, don't hate me.)

Steel saw the pony walk up to him, a Pegasus to be exact. He had a instrument on his back, and he seemed rather cheery.
"Hello, good smith." he trotted up to the counter "Do you, by any chance have any steel strings, for my guitar?" Steel nodded, and went into the back. He had stored some steel string a while ago, just in case. He never suspected it would come in handy for instruments, although that's what it's main purpose was. He had used steel string numerous times while smithing, and he knew it worked out well bringing materials together. After grabbing the string, he made his way back to the storefront. "Here's some string. How long do you need it?" he asked, hoping to get an estimate for an accurate cut.
(Also, I don't mind you came in....I need to make Topic have an Open Tag. xD)

A brown pegasus walks in and patiently waits for his chance to order. A broken severely scared wing can be seen on his right side. He does not speak, and has no expression on his face. He carries a saddlebag that appears to be fairly full.

String doesn't notice the needy pegasus behind him, he puts the guitar ponto the counter "About this long" he smiles again, hoping for at least a minor discount

Steel nodded. It was a modest amount. He took the steel string, and cut several peices the length the customer wanted, holding the string and the colt cutters in the air. When it was all done, he laid out 6 pieces in front of the customer. "That'll be 6 bits." he said, with little emotion. He wasn't in a bad mood today. Just didn't feel like being in a good one.

"Oh um, I just wanted one, but fine, I'll take them" String pulls out a sack of bits and opens it, he counts through it and smiles, putting six bits onto the table, he takes the strings and folds them softly, putting him in his large pocket in his cloak. "Thank you, And um.... One question, do you maybe have a spot open for a helper? I'm kinda short on the bits.", he steps aside for the next costumer

"I'm sorry, but I'm fine here on my own. We're all short on bits nowadays." he said, glumly. He wasn't trying to be rude, but he could barely feed himself, much less pay another worker to help him around. He turned to the Brown Pegasus, who was sitting patiently on a chair. His saddlebag was full, and he was a heavy build. He wondered what this Pegasus could possibly want. He seemed like the Do-it-yourself type.

String sighs sadly "Okay, I understand..." He smiles weakly and trots out of the shop silently.

The pegasus stands up. He is taller than most ponies and well built, but the expression on his face is blank. He approaches the store owner and lifts a note from his bag. He does not say anything as he puts the note on the table.

It is a list of items, mostly raw material such as metal sheets, rods, etc, with a few things at the bottom in parenthesis labeled tools.

He motions to the list and awaits the store owners compliance.

Steel looked down at the list. Metal Rods, Sheets of Metal, various tools on the bottom of the sheet. He had every tool in reserve, that she'd most likely need, and although he was low on raw materials he could fill the order, provided he was paid properly. In fact, he'd need the full amount to buy back just the materials he'd lose in this. "I'm going to be honest. This stuff will cost a hoof and a tail. All together, about 100 bits. I'm low on most of the raw materials listed, and I really need to restock. And I need to know the money exists before I plot the stuff down." he said, and would be surprised if the Pegasus pulled off the cash to pay for it. He was expecting more of a mugging with this kind of list.

The pegasus pulls a bag of bits from his pack and sets it on the ground. He goes through it intently, still not saying anything, or having any expression.

He looks up and lets out a deep breath. He unstraps his bag and lets it fall with a loud thud. Cracking his neck and his legs he begins to lower himself to the ground, as if ready to pounce.

He remains like this for a moment, the same blank look on his face. Suddenly he takes off out of the shop. A lite cloud of dust is left behind, along with his pack and the bag of bits.

Steel gawked as the Pegasus took off. Leaving the saddlebags behind. No, they can't be.... he thought cautiously. He went out from behind the counter, and shoved the saddlebags in a corner where no one else could see it. He then looked out the front door to see if anyone was there. His eyes quickly noticed a White griffon atop the watch tower, who seemed to be staring intently at his shop. She seemed relaxed. Let's hope she stays that way... he thought quickly and went back inside.

A few minutes passed

As suddenly as he left, he arrives again. A rush of wind and dust blows into the shop. Once it settles, the pegasus, holding a unicorn on his back, stands in the shop. The unicorn looks shaken as she grips the pegasus' neck for dear life. He gets her off and pushes her to the store owner.

The unicorn is seated wide eyed. After blinking a few times she realizes where she is. With a small cough, she stands up, "Um, hello, my name is Mercy Heart and I am unsure why I am here." She glares at the pegasus who pays no mind.

He saw the Brown pegasus arrive again, with a friend of his. After she coughed for a moment, she stood up, and said "Um, hello, my name is Mercy Heart and I am unsure why I am here." Steel nodded. "Well, as I told your friend, this list contains alot of raw materials along with some tools. It's costly. He threw his saddlebag down," he nodded toward the corner where he put it "And went and got you, I suppose. I told him 100 bits, and that I'd need proof it existed before I gathered the materials up." Steel felt awful about the price, bit it was only fair, under his current circumstances.

Mercy immediately felt a bit of grief from the unicorn over the price, and it was a lot of money, but trying to gather the materials around town is too dangerous and time consuming. "There is no need to feel bad. I understand raw material is hard to come by. Is there any way we could work out a deal? I own a clinic and I have medical supplies as well as purified water. Is there any way I could pay you part in bits and part in trade?" Mercy smiles.

Steel thought it over. He wasn't injured often enough to warrant a constant hospital trips. However, it'd still be very nice to have some sort of safety net if he were to be injured. He weighed the pros and cons. He needed that money severely, but cut costs might be worth a life-saving trip to the hospital. And purified water would be nice. "How much would you be willing to pay, if I took you up on the offer. It's been a while since I've had water purified. And I don't require treatments now, but it would be nice for treatments when and if I need them." he said, with a straight face.

"Oh, well my services are free." Mercy levitates her bag of bits and the pegasus' bag. "I can pay 75 bits, and I would be willing to give you 10 gallons worth of water, if you don't need medical supplies here. In addition once my new purifier is finished, I could give you as much purified water as you need, for free." Mercy consolidates the two bags of bits, putting 75 into one and a significantly lower number in the second. She places the first bag on the counter and smiles.

Steel thought about it a while longer. "Alright, Deal." he said, slowly. He then walked into the back, to gather the supplies. He grabbed each peices with magic, as he walked by, pulling out the amount required. He got to the tools, which each only required one of. By the time he was done, he had a massive pile of metal floating above his head. It took a while to get it all through the door leading to the counter. After he did, he set it all in front of the counter, on the floor. "Here you go. I think it might take a few trips back and forth to get it all, but that's everything." he said with finality. He took the money bag, and went upstairs. He went into his bedroom, and placed it under a loose floorboard, where he kept most anything valuable. He came back downstairs to see if Ms.Mercy needed any help.

Mercy levitated each object carefully onto the pegasus' back. She set it up so that large heavy objects were on the bottom, and the lighter ones on top. The tools and small objects went into both ponies bags, filling them to the absolute brim. The few awkward objects she could not fit or balance she levitated.

By the end, everything was collected. The pegasus still had no expression. He either had no trouble with the incredible amount of weight, or was really good at hiding it. "Thank you so much sir. I will be sending my assistant back with the water before nightfall. When I get close to finishing the purifier I will let you know. In fact I might be back for more supplies, if money allows."

She proceedes out the shop behind the pegasus, "be safe."

"Be safe." Steel almost chuckled. It wasn't like the griffons would be coming to get him anytime soon. He took out the statue he was whittling before, and began carving more features out, like the nose, and the horn.