The Blacksmith and the Apothecary

[Sweet_Wyvern]

(You should uh, still teach me to use Tumblr because I'm about as tech-savy as a snail)

 

Tony leaned back in his chair and stroked his short beard thoughtfully. This was a conversation he was okay with. "Business is well. As you can imagine, with the woods fraught with monsters, people want to be assured that they can protect themselves. I don't like that they force people to buy weapons, but it does keep my business going. It's tough, without an apprentice," he explained, glancing over at Bruce.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

(I'm about as tech savvy as Steve, but if you'd still like to learn, I'd be willing to help you.)

 

Bruce nodded, mulling over what Tony had told him. "Yes, I can imagine that the pack has given you quite the boom in business," he murmured in agreement. At Tony's last comment, Bruce glanced over to meet the blacksmith's gaze, his brow furrowing slightly. "Yes, I can see how that might be an issue. I would benefit from an apprentice myself, I think..."

[Sweet_Wyvern]

(I don't even understand how you have different pages in your blog ;-; I don't even know how to add gifs. I'm hopeless)

 

Tony nodded absently; he didn't like to think about why his business did so well. When he'd learned his weapons were falling into the hands of thieves, he had stopped employing distributors and kept but a single shop, which still kept him well off in the way of money. "I suppose I've just been thinking about legacy lately. What I will leave behind, you know? I have no one to teach my trade- my business will die with me. With my habits, it could be any day now," he muttered with a slightly amused huff.

 

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

(*pets* Do you have a Skype? I can try and teach you through there.)

 

Bruce nodded solemnly, able to understand where Tony was coming from. "It is almost as if you were looking for an heir, but without the commitment and the trouble of finding a wife," he joked lightly. "I should consider myself lucky that you saved me, then. If not for you, I would have indeed ended my bloodline out in those woods, would have left no one to pass on my knowledge.." he mused.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

(No but I'm thinking about getting one)

 

Tony glanced up at the ceiling with a small smile, taking the joke in stride. It was true though- he didn't want a wife at all. Women nagged. And killed you slowly. No, they were fun for a night or two, but then it was on to another. "Say Bruce, I have an idea. What if I learned from you and you learned from me? When you're better of course. That way, if either of us should perish without an heir, the knowledge can still be passed on. Perhaps not the talent, but the knowledge definitely."

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

(You should get one. It's lovely and it makes plotting and communicating so much easier. And most everything is free, or at least the stuff I use it for is, like video chatting and text)

 

The apothecary blinked, tilting his head in consideration. "That...might work. If nothing else, we could both learn something new. I enjoy learning new trades, even if I might not be the best at them," he agreed with a small smile.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

(Yeah I will soon, maybe tomorrow or Sunday)

 

Tony nodded, liking the idea the more he thought about it. "Good! I'm glad you like the idea as well, I'm actually rather excited. I'm not generally one for something new, but I'm sure learning from you will be fun," he remarked.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

(Sorry, crazy day yesterday)

 

Bruce smiled minutely and nodded again in agreement. They seemed to be on similar wavelengths, what with how smoothly things appeared to be going. "As am I. It should be quite remarkable, learning your trade. We may have to wait a little while so I can stand and wield a hammer, but..." he mused, shrugging his shoulders a little.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

(No worries. I made a Skype, should be Hannah B from Missouri)

 

Tony chuckled and patted his arm. "You'll be healed before you know it friend," he insisted, finishing the glass of wine. He stared at it for a moment, then looked at Bruce questioningly. "Was this yours?" He asked, though there was no embarrassment to his voice.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

(Oh boy, there's a lot to choose from...mine is lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms so try searching for mine.)

 

Bruce smiled softly, humming quietly in acknowledgement, hoping that Tony was indeed right about his speedy recovery. At the other's question, he blinked, glancing up to the glass with a slight tilt of his head. "Oh, yes, I suppose it was. I honestly wasn't paying it all that much mind..." he muttered in reply, a little embarrassed himself that he hadn't noticed until now.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony glanced into the glass, then over his shoulder at the kitchen. "Do you want another? I think I'm going to have one," he offered, standing and shuffling off without waiting for an answer. When he returned, he had the bottle and a second glass. "Never had an affinity for wine, but this stuff is alright I suppose. Gets the job done."

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce's eyes followed Tony into the kitchen and back, his lips twitching in amusement. "No, no I'm fine. Pepper merely offered it earlier, and I accepted. It is better than whiskey, at any rate," he replied, shifting a bit as he tried to make himself more comfortable.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

With a shrug, Tony set the glass aside and retrieved the original, pouring himself a substantial amount of the red liquid and then setting the bottle down on the table. "So..." He trailed off, realizing they had run out of things to talk about. "How did you come to this town?" There, that seemed like an adequate question.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce watched as Tony filled his glass, a small frown marring his lips. He wasn't in any position to judge, nor would he ever comment on it, but it seemed to be far more alcohol that absolutely necessary. Then again, he had just fought valiantly in a rather gruesome battle and helped to burn the bodies of his fallen comrades, so he supposed that it might be justified. He swallowed for a moment, his throat suddenly dry, before replying, "I walked. I tend to enjoy that, walking, and I did not have enough money for any other way of travel. This town just seemed like a decent enough place to settle down in when I stumbled across it."

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony was about to comment that he didn't want to know how Bruce literally got to the village, but then his question was answered. "Ah. I didn't originally live here either, but the market in the palace is a much too suffocating place to live and work in," he replied, swallowing a mouthful and tilting his chair back on two legs.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce's eyes grew wide, and he blinked a few times in surprise. "You...you used to live in the palace? O-or at least within the city? Are you of noble blood?" He paused, realizing how rude it was for him to just ask something like that. "I mean, if you do not mind me asking."

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony's lips quirked up into a slight smile. "It's quite alright. I am of noble blood- I grew up in the palace. However, I did not find that it suited me. Many looked down on a noble who chose such a.. Rough trade, shall we say," he replied, gazing pensively into the wine.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce swallowed and nodded, looking at Tony with renewed interest. Most people, or villagers of the outer ring of the kingdom, would go their entire lives without meeting anyone of noble blood, or if they did, it would be when they were scrubbing their feet or preparing their breakfast. And this one was not only sitting before him, speaking to him in casual conversation, but he had risked his life to save Bruce's. "That is...well it is certainly something..." he murmured, unsure of what to say.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Upon glancing at his companion, Tony could see that this news had unsettled Bruce. It was rather amusing, but at the same time he didn't want the man to feel uncomfortable. "Bruce, please don't think of me any differently. I may be a noble but I certainly never act like one," he assured the apothecary with a smile.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

"Right.." he breathed, taking a deep breath to calm himself a bit. Bruce didn't want to be the reason why things might become awkward between them, although if he was, that wouldn't exactly be a new development. He cleared his throat and sat up a bit straighter. Tony was Tony, and that was that. Smiling, he looked the blacksmith over, trying to convince himself that Tony really wasn't like other nobles, like the ones who'd done him wrong in the past. "Forgive me, I've just...well I haven't had the best experience with nobility in the past. I merely hope that you are an exception, as you claim you are," he admitted, no malice in his words. He genuinely enjoyed Tony's company, and he would like to believe that the man's past truly didn't factor into the present.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony tilted his head in surprise and curiosity, now intrigued as to what had happened to Bruce. It obviously left an impact, if he was anxious around Tony of all people. Being the nosy person he was, he just had to ask. "I am, but out of curiosity, do you wish to talk about what happened? With you and the nobility?" He asked.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce swallowed and played with the fraying fabric of his trousers. "When my wife was dying...I traveled to the kingdom, sought an audience with the King in hopes that he might introduce me to someone who might be more equipped to help her, o-or someone who might know something that might help. He sent me to some warlock, witch-doctor type. I didn't want anything to do with him, and when I declined, he went to the King to report that I had committed some sort of crime, which I didn't, by the way. I was thrown in the dungeon for 3 days and publicly flogged," he explained with a grimace, still embarrassed and bitter over the event. In a much softer tone, he finished, "By the time I returned, she was at Death's door."

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony listened in silence, horrified and disgusted by what he was hearing. By the end of the tale a deep scowl had formed on his face, though it wasn't directed at Bruce. "I.. It may not mean much but I am sorry you were treated that way. Again, my words may not hold much in your eyes, but I insist that I would not treat a person that way. You are perfectly safe in my company," he promised, touching his arm.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce swallowed again and forced a smile, looking up to meet Tony's eyes as he touched his arm. "Thank you. It has been some three-odd years, and I've placed the past in the past, where it should say. I'm sure that you are different," he assured, trying to brush it off to better avoid the pain of it all.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony dropped his hand after a moment and lapsed into an awkward silence, fiddling with the edge of his shirt. What was he supposed to say now? For lack of anything better to do he downed half of his wine, knowing he'd probably do something embarrassing while drunk and not caring. He didn't really know what to say while sober anyway.