[Context: Thyrl is crafting the material component of a powerful but single use device. It will alert certain people to Atlilla being in danger should it be broken. It will then act as a beacon to Scrying magics. Until activation its true purpose is hidden by obfuscation magic.]
Thryl sits back to and then arches her back. It had become a nest of muscular knots. Her task had kept her in a stooped posture for the past few hours. The was dual-boxing two significant projects for the family. This one she’d just completed, the other still required some work.
She’s become quite the Jewel smith over the last decade or so and these last two projects had tested her skill to near their limit.
She groans as her back pop, pop, pops, when she arches back and then sighs in pleasure at the touch of hands on her shoulders, thumbs working the tight muscles in her neck. So engrossed in her work she’d missed the ever-present scent of lavender that appeared whenever her eldest sister was near.
“Oh gods! That feels so good. Your hands are magical Rya.”
Her sister chuckles, “I can’t have my girl all knotted up and bent over like an Oma, can I?”
Aathrya had been more of a mother than a sister to Aathryl, ever since the three sisters had been abandoned by their birth parents when Aathryl was only two years old. Aathrya was fourteen at the time, and her other sister Aathryn had been twelve.
Leaning comfortably into the hands, “I have finished that damn girl’s anklet. It’s a pity I’ve wasted such skill on this. Still, I think it’s one of my finest works. Take a look.”
Aathrya sighs deeply. She despaired at the animosity between Atlilla and Aathryl and nothing she’s been able to say has quelled it in any way, “Thryl, I don’t understand why you dislike her so deeply. Even Aath trusts her and Roxana has adopted her. You have a niece and nephew who love her deeply. The others find her a joy … But you still dislike her.”
Aathryl stiffens a little but soon relaxes back into the skilled hands of her sister on her neck.
“Why can no one else see she is dangerous to us. Her stubbornness, her total disregard of basic safety measures, repeatedly putting herself in trouble and by extension us. Her refusal to protect herself and the infatuation some of us have for her. This leaves us open. I swear she’ll be the death of one of us!”
Rya sighs then chuckles and teases “Are you sure you’re not just jealous of her closeness to Daniel?”
Thryl moans in frustration, “No, I’m not jealous … But I still think she’s dangerous!”
Aathrya sighs again at her stubbornness before carefully picking up the exquisite piece of jewelry the sister had created, and it was certainly a crafting masterpiece.
The core of the anklet was a weave of fine platinum and gold wires, anchored on no less than ten 0.75 carat diamonds. The platinum wires had runs that were definitely a Grecian Meander highlighted by lines of tiny emeralds. This was woven about gold wires that had areas molded to appear as tongues of flame. These tongues had been adorned with tiny rubies to enhance their appearance.
Evenly spaced about the anklet were four charms.
The first she examined was that shaped like a wolf’s head, It was also crafted in platinum and embossed with onyx which was engraved so skillfully that the creature’s fur suggested it would move in a breeze. At the temple there was a miniscule Fehu rune and the eye was sapphire.
Next was a small catapult. The frame and arm are crafted in Platinum. Examining with a jewellers loop there could be seen tiny gears, sprockets and springs … The device could actually operate!
The next trinket appeared to be a bandolier that had seven pouches, containing a bell with handles crafted from onyx. Each bell had been individually crafted and placed in its pouch before the gold flap was forever closed over them.
Lastly there was a katana. It had been crafted using exacting smithing techniques. It had a Damascus Steel blade, a Habaki of gold and a Tsuba of platinum. The Tsuka was engraved onyx with diamond inlays, giving the appearance of woven silk.
Rya gasps a little, “Thryl … This is truly magnificent work.”