“Then There Was You”

Chapter 2:
“Forging More Than a Sword”

Written by
JaydexTheShadowKnight

The morning sun had already risen above the horizon, dawning a new day for Ponyville. It was another fairly humid spring morning, just as the one before. Mists hung low to the ground, along the fields and forests surrounding the town.

Anvil Clang’s forge, situated along the western most side of town, wasn’t far from the nearby groves of mist-covered trees. Galen had just arrived there, about an hour after awakening at his normal time, around 6AM. Like usual, the distant crow of the rooster from Sweet Apple Acres had stirred him from a dream-rich slumber, like most mornings and like clockwork, a good fifteen minutes before his alarm could blare in his ear.

This was, however, one of those mornings Galen would have enjoyed sleeping just a little longer. Still, he wasn’t too crestfallen, and once his mind made the connection that the new day had arrived, he happily had made his way to the forge. Galen was eager to resume work on shaping the blade of Jeannedarc’s sword, not to mention seeing her upon her arrival, hopefully with ideas for her weapon’s decorations.

There was a distinct nip in the air, which almost made Galen wish he had worn long sleeves. However, his indecision wasn’t to last. The warming flames and rippling heat of the forge kept him warm, along with the coverings of his gloves and heavy apron.

Galen adding some fresh coals to the kiln, mixing them with the older ones and the coke, which were already burning in the hearth, filling the air with their charred scent. He turned to the side and began working the bellows, increasing the heat within. Placing the beginnings of Jeanne’s sword into the forge, Galen released it from the tongs and stepped aside, giving the metal time to warm up.

He wiped fresh beads of sweat from his forehead, which dampened his hand, right before he noticed the sound of hoof falls on the grass. At first, he wondered if it might be her. Turning around abruptly, he saw that it wasn’t Jeannedarc. Instead, it was Anvil Clang’s grandson, Tempered Blade.

Galen looked to his fellow smith, giving him a nod. Rays of the morning sun gleamed off the younger stallion’s dark blue coat, while a brief breeze rustled through his short fiery orange mane. “Wow Galen, you’re here early this morning. It’s only quarter till seven.”

Galen smiled and shared an amused chuckle with Clang’s grandson. “Come on Blade, you know I take my work seriously.”

Tempered Blade snickered, he knew Galen was hiding something. “After more than two years, you can’t possibly think you can still pull the wool over my eyes?”

The human gave the stallion a perplexed look. “What do you mean?”

Blade looked over at the forge and spied the beginnings of a sword. Turning his gray eyes on Galen, he smirked. “Who’s the sword for?”

Galen’s face softened for a moment, before he shook his head. “It’s for one of Celestia’s Royal Guards.”

“I know, Gramps told me about her!” Blade grinned, stifling a snicker. “So how is the sword coming then?”

Galen felt relieved as Blade finally stopped teasing him. Checking on the hunk of metal, heating in the kiln, the human gave the stallion a focused look. “Well, so far it’s coming along great. Jeanne asked for a three-foot blade, and I already know how I want to model it. I just need her to stop by later and tell me what decorations she wants for the hilt and scabbard, and if she wants any special marks on the blade itself.”

Tempered Blade considered joking about the length of the blade, but didn’t want to tease Galen any further. The stallion knew where to draw the line. Smiling at his human friend, he accompanied him over to the forge. The intense heat rolled across at them, feeling rather nice on this cool and damp morning. Blade placed a hoof to his chin and looked at the metal as it began to glow. “Well, I hope she does come up with some good ideas for you. This already looks like another of your masterpieces.”

Galen gave a nod as he worked the bellows. “I sure hope so. I want this to be something really special.” The fire began to grow as the added air did its job.

“Well, if I know you, it will be. I’m sure “Jeanne” will love it.” Tempered Blade couldn’t resist teasing Galen just one more time.

“Tease me if you will, but there’s something I really like about her.” Galen walked back over to the hot piece of steel. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” Taking the tongs, Galen picked up the partially formed billet and moved it over to the anvil.

Blade chuckled at him one more time. “All right. I’ll leave you to your task. Later!” He stepped away, leaving the blacksmith to his element.

Hoisting his heavy sledgehammer, Galen firmed his grip on it, then began clanging it against the hot steel, causing it to slowly take shape more and more. Periodically, he’d set the hammer down, and make use of his fuller to shape the ridges along the center of the blade as the billet began forming a more uniformed sword shape, all while he kept a firm grip on it with the tongs.

Before he knew it, Galen had become totally absorbed in his work, powered by thoughts of Jeanne and following his inspiration with each percussive strike of his hammer. More and more the blade continued taking shape, forming the proper length and consistency he wanted.

The blacksmith was so focused on his task that he didn’t notice the sound of approaching hoof steps. Then he heard a voice call out, “Hello, Galen?”

He ceased his hammering for a moment, having recognized her voice. “Jeanne, is that you?” He called back.

“Yes, it’s me.” Her voice had a rather shy overlay, stronger than it had the day before.

Galen gave the blade a few more whacks from his hammer, before finally stopping. He raised the heavy tool from the anvil and turned around to greet his guest. He fell into a stunned silence as his green eyes beheld Jeanne standing there without her armor. This time, Galen couldn’t keep his mouth from lightly falling open as he gazed at her in speechless awe. Jeanne was more enchanting that he ever dreamed. Unlike yesterday, he could clearly see her entire white coat, with her feathery wings tucked neatly at her sides. Gazing beyond her aerial limbs, he could at last see her cutie mark – a blue shield featuring a gray sword with white wings on either side of the blade. His eyes were quickly drawn back to her deeply expressive and sparkling blue eyes. The lovely and fairly lengthy blonde tresses of her mane framed her face and draped softly along her neck, giving her a seemingly endless beauty, only augmented by her flawlessly matching tail. The gentle smile on her face caused his grip to weaken on the hammer as it fell from his grasp, clanging with a metallic thud beside the anvil.

A blush fell along Galen’s cheeks, as he went to recover his fallen tool. “Oops, don’t worry about that. I sometimes lose my grip on this.” His sheepish words brought a smile to Jeanne, she could clearly see he was indeed charmed by her appearance, but she wondered if he would find her personality equally engaging.

Jeanne joined him in blushing as she walked over to him, fueled by a desire to make sure he hadn’t hurt himself. “Are you okay?”

He snickered nervously, while he picked up his hammer and placed it back on the anvil. “Yeah, I’m fine. You’ll have to forgive me, I wasn’t expecting you to be out of your armor…and well…” Galen’s words dropped off, leaving her to look at him full of wonder.

Jeanne cautiously stepped just a little closer, still maintaining her distance. “Well…what?”

Galen couldn’t figure out why he was blushing. Even when he had been with mares he liked in the past, he never experienced this kind of feeling. Steeling himself, he glanced over at her and managed a smile. “Well…even in your armor you looked very lovely, but…I never dreamed you’d look this beautiful without it.” He wasn’t usually so forward with his comments, well, not at first anyway. This time, however, it felt different, something compelled him to speak his mind to her.

The pegasus felt more than a little flattered by his thoughtful words. Again her cheeks blushed, while she turned her head to the side. Jeanne blinked and turned her intrigued eyes back to him. “That’s very sweet of you. I guess I should explain. I was here while doing a patrol yesterday that’s why I was in my armor. Right now, I’m off duty, and will be for several days.”

He didn’t miss the strong blush on her cheeks and hoped he hadn’t embarrassed her. “I understand. I hope I wasn’t being too bold, just now.”

While Jeanne felt a bit nervous, she smiled at him politely. “It’s okay. I’m just not used to getting such kind compliments.”

The human returned her smile. “I find that hard to believe. Anyway, have you come up with any ideas for your sword?” He glanced over at the hot metal, which continued to glow.

“I have.” She looked over at the anvil and noticed what looked like a crudely formed sword. “Is that my sword?”

Galen nodded. “Yes, I’m still shaping the blade, but as you can see, it’s coming along nicely.”

Jeanne looked at it and studied the piece carefully. “I can hardly wait to see it when its finished. I’m sure it will be amazing.”

He chuckled as he picked the blade up with the tongs, handling the somewhat heavy piece of hot metal carefully. “I think you’ll be pleased. Here, let me cool this off, so we can discuss the decorations. I’ve still got quite a bit of work to do on this before it’ll be completed.” Galen then immersed the hot metal into the slack tub. The metal hissed as it hit the water, generating some steam from the volume of heat still radiating from it. He walked over to his workbench and removed his gloves, setting them on top of it. Galen reached in a small bin on top of the table and removed the sheet containing details of Jeanne’s order, and grabbed his pen. “Okay then, what were you thinking?”

She smiled at him, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. “Well, I was thinking gold for the hilt, and I’m not sure what all you can use to accent it. After giving it some thought, I don’t really have a favorite gemstone, but blue is my favorite color.”

Galen made a few new notes, jotting down what she had just shared with him. “Okay, gold for the hilt, and I can use that to match with the scabbard, if you like. Oh, and blue, huh? Well, I could decorate the hilt with sapphires, if you want?”

Jeanne closed her eyes and kept smiling. “Yes, gold would also work with the sheath, and I didn’t even think about sapphires.” She couldn’t help giggling a little, her voice building with excitement.

Her dulcet laughter brought a new smile to Galen’s face. He all but sighed contently, making some additional notes to her sheet. “Okay, sapphires it is…oh but do you have any other preferences on the appearance? Any special engravings on the blade at all?”

She shook her head and glanced over at his other swords, resting on the racking along the far wall. “No, I trust you’ll know what to do with the rest. All of your other swords turned out beautifully. I just wanted this to…well, you know, be crafted more for me.”

Galen gave her a happy nod, making a few final notes. Turning his gaze back to her, he smiled yet again. “I understand perfectly. Don’t worry, I think I know just what to add to this.”

“Wonderful.” It was at that point that Jeanne began to feel a little saddened. She had already come and said her piece, and there didn’t seem to be a way she could draw him into a longer conversation. She didn’t want to hold him up, but she didn’t just want to leave without trying to learn a little more about him. Jeanne wanted to say something, but her shy side wouldn’t let her.

He turned and sighed quietly to himself. Galen enjoyed chatting with her, but it seemed with the purpose of her visit concluded, there was little reason for her to talk with him any further, thus no chance to learn more about this enchanting guard pony.

Having no idea what else to do, Galen figured he might as well get back to work. “Well, if that’s everything…I suppose I’ll get back to it then.”

There it was, an opening to say something, but Jeanne was having trouble mustering her courage. Then her eyes widened – there was an almost melancholy tone to Galen’s once chipper voice. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear it sounded like he didn’t want her to leave. Shyness aside, she saw a chance, but wasn’t sure what to say.

A renewed smile formed on Jeanne’s face. “Actually, if you wouldn’t mind…um, could I watch you work for a little while? I’ve always wanted to see a sword as it’s being made.”

Galen felt a joyous warmth pour out from his heart, almost like that feeling of having butterflies in his stomach. He was thrilled by her suggestion. Now, she could stay and perhaps they could share some light chatter as he worked; though the sounds of his hammer on the metal might make conversing a little challenging. At that instant, it didn’t matter. He just wanted to enjoy having her around a bit longer.

Jeanne looked up at him with some apprehension. Then, her smile returned as she saw the look in his eyes. Galen smiled at her. “Of course you may stay and watch. Just please, keep your distance. Though, I doubt I need to tell a guard to be careful.” He chuckled, feeling a little nervous, thinking – smooth line Galen.

“It’s okay, and thank you.” The joy in her voice almost seemed to match his. Galen could hardly believe it, Jeanne seemed excited to stay, but was this any cause to think she might feel anything for him? Deciding not to worry, he just picked up his tongs and figured he’d enjoy her company as long as she was there.

After removing her blade from the slack tub, he placed it back into the forge, so it could warm up again. Sword making wasn’t devoid of its challenges. The metal had to be handled carefully and cooled periodically to help prevent structural weaknesses from occurring. There was still a long way for Galen to go, and he’d have to warm and cool the metal quite a bit before the sword’s blade would be ready for the finishing processes of quenching and tempering.

Now that the metal was heating in the forge, Galen returned to Jeanne. “I’ll need to give the steel some time to heat back up. I’ll also need to periodically work the bellows as well, keeping the fire good and hot.” He chuckled, feeling mildly giddy.

Jeanne giggled at his enthusiasm, noticing how he seemed to really enjoy his work. “I just hope I won’t be in the way.” She voiced her concern quite well, but Galen knew she had little to worry about.

“You’re fine. We can chat if you like, while I wait on that metal to get to temperature.”

“Okay.” Jeanne loved the idea of chatting with him, but wondered what to talk about first.

Galen pondered the same question. He smiled again, turning to look at the lovely white mare. “So, in addition to being a sword enthusiast, you’re also fascinated by the process of making a sword?”

Jeanne smiled at him. This was a good start and helped her know where to begin their conversation. “Yes, I’ve always admired swords. Ever since I was a filly and my parents took me to the Summer Sun Celebration. The knights of Canterlot would joust but they would also show off their sword skills and spar with their fancy blades. My father also took me by the blacksmith’s stall, where they’d have all manners of swords for sale or on display. He always showed me the most impressive ones, and I always admired the beauty and elegance swords seem to possess.”

He nodded at her informative explanation. “Well, I can see why you enjoyed them. This must be a real treat for you.” Galen concluded, looking back to the kiln.

“You have no idea.” Though swords were hardly the only thing on Jeanne’s mind. Still it gave her something to talk about with him. Then she thought of a question for him. “Galen…I was wondering.”

“And what’s that, Jeanne?”

“What made you decide to become a blacksmith? I mean, were you one back on your world?” She looked at him, her eyes full of wonder.

He stood close to her, and Galen found himself resisting the urge to place his arm on her shoulder. “Well,” he began, “It’s sort of a long story.”

Filled with intrigue, she looked at him with awe. “I’d love to hear it.”

He chuckled softly at her eagerness. “All right then. First off, I wasn’t a blacksmith back on Earth, the world I’m from. It all started about six months after I started living here in Ponyville.” Galen began telling his tale, while pumping more air into the forge, augmenting the flames.

Jeanne stood at a safe distance and clung to his every word, with the awe of a filly.

* * * *

The rest of the morning went by swiftly. Galen finished his tale, and Jeanne learned how he met Clang and expressed his fondness to the stallion for sword forging. She also learned that to Galen’s delight, Clang offer to give him a chance at becoming a blacksmith, making the human his apprentice.

Jeanne enjoyed watching Galen work his craft as he beat the heavy hammer on the hot metal, continuing to shape her sword. She found the whole process incredible and marveled at the assortment of tools he used and had on his workbench, not to mention those on the shelves around the entirety of the forge.

She couldn’t help but stare in awe, while Galen worked himself into a good sweat. Little by little she was starting to see why other mares found human males so fascinating. There was something about watching him work with such passion that made him very attractive to her. The feeling it stirred within her was both alarming and yet at the same time, delightfully addictive. For whatever reason, she couldn’t get enough of it, and kept smiling as the result.

As noon arrived Galen didn’t even notice that Jeanne had disappeared. He finally looked up and saw she was gone. It left him feeling a little down. While he had gotten caught up in his work, he enjoyed having her around to gaze at and feel renewed inspirational vigor as he worked. Though, he figured she must have needed to leave. It would have made him happy to at least say goodbye to her.

About the time he decided he’d stop for lunch, Galen looked up and saw Jeanne walking toward him. “You’re back!” He tried to keep from gasping his response, but wasn’t sure how well he did.

A muffled giggle met his ears. Jeanne walked over to him, carrying a white paper bag in her mouth. He couldn’t help but think how adorable she looked holding it. She reached up and set the bag on his workbench and gave him a cheerful smile. “Sorry about leaving like that. You were busy, and well, I didn’t want to disturb you. Anyway, I was hungry and thought I’d go pick up something for lunch.”

He smiled at her. “So that’s what happened. I was hoping you wouldn’t leave without at least saying goodbye.” Galen felt a little silly, but his concern was valid.

Jeanne gave him a slightly bashful look, before she replied. “Of course I’d say goodbye. I can’t forget my manners. Now, are you hungry, Galen? I brought something for you, if you like.” She couldn’t quite put her hoof on it. Normally, Jeanne was rather uptight and nervous around strangers or individuals she had just recently met. Yet, things were different with Galen. Even though she still felt shy and rather bashful towards him, Jeanne noticed she was also able to feel a little relaxed and at ease around him.

Galen was touched, not only had she enjoyed observing him at work, she allayed his fears and was kind enough to bring him something to eat. He chuckled at her thoughtfulness. “So, what did you bring?”

Jeanne giggled briefly, eyeing up the bag. “Well, I wasn’t sure what I was hungry for. So, I thought something simple would work, and ended up at Sugar Cube Corner.”

He joined her in looking at the bag. “Oh, they have some of the best pastries around!”

Her smile grew. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I picked up some of their big muffins. Originally, I was just going to get some for me, but then I thought, maybe you’d like some too.”

“That was very thoughtful of you.” Galen felt very touched as he walked over to her and continued smiling.

Jeanne kept sharing his smile, while she slowly unrolled the bag. “Now, I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I bought some apple crumb muffins, a few chocolate chip, and an experimental flavor, Mrs. Cake said she got from your world, called Double Dutch Chocolate. If I understood her correctly, it’s basically a chocolate muffin loaded with chocolate chips.”

Galen nodded. “I’m actually familiar with that flavor. Back on Earth, the bakery at the local supermarket made muffins like that.”

Jeanne reached into the bag and removed one of the aforementioned muffins. “You mean like these?” She held it up for him to get a good look at.

Galen removed his gloves and set them on the workbench. Placing a hand on his chin, he studied the pastry carefully and gave a nod. “Yep, wow. They look almost the same. Huh, Mrs. Cake even added a sweet crust of sugar at the top.” He closed his eyes briefly and smiled very contently.

Jeanne shared another of his smiles and chuckled softly. “Well then, why don’t you have one?”

“I will, but let me wash up quick.” Galen removed his apron, setting it with his gloves. He then proceeded to walk over to a nearby sink. The water started to flow with a simple twist of the hot and cold faucets. A damp and metallic scent reached his nose, while Galen gave the water a chance to warm up. Once it was the right temperature, he dampened his hands and applied some soap. It’s subtle orange fragrance filled his nostrils as he worked it into a good lather.

Jeanne was just gazing as he cleaned up. She smiled to herself, watching the water fall from his fingers and focused as he scrubbed his hands. The more Jeanne watched him tend to his hands, the more her mind began to wonder. It was still very fascinating that she knew someone with hands, especially a human. Her eyes fell shut for a little as she recalled Galen gently touching her hoof, just before administering the test of her foreleg strength.

The pegasus sighed dreamily, recalling how soothing his fingers felt against her velvety fur. A series of shivers jolted up her back, as she looked over at him, unaware that she was staring at him. The whole experience yesterday had taken her by surprise. Jeanne shook her head as something came to mind – was Galen typically a gentle individual, day by day? Then, another thought came to mind. If he were like anyone else, he’d most likely have treated a mare guard like a tomcolt while she was wearing her armor, and yet, he didn’t. Galen treated her like a lady.

As he continued washing his hands, he looked her way and smiled. Jeanne felt her heart race for a moment – he gave her quite a charming expression. She felt momentarily flush as warmth tried to pool along her cheeks, making her smile back.

Galen turned off the water and properly dried his hands with a towel, carefully hung beside the sink. Returning to Jeanne and his workbench, he kept smiling. She looked at him and reached for the muffin. “So, ready to eat?”

He briefly placed a hand to his chin. “Yeah, but…” The blacksmith looked around the forge. “This place is dirty and rather cramped. Would you like to walk outside the forge? There are some nice shade trees over there.” He pointed to a few nearby maple trees, only a matter of feet from where they were standing.

She loved the idea. The fresh air would be nice, and so would getting away from the confined area. In some ways it almost reminded Jeanne of the barracks in Canterlot. She gave him a cheery look. “I’d like that.” Placing the muffin back in the bag with the others, she rolled it back up and clutched it in her mouth again.

Galen on the other hand, reached under his workbench and pulled out his cooler. Opening it, he retrieved two bottles of chilled water from within. Jeanne gave him a happy glance from her eyes, and proceeded to follow him. Galen led her outside the area of Clang’s Forge and just beyond to the nearby trees.

He stopped under the welcoming and cool leafy branches of a tall maple tree. There, Galen sat down, quickly joined by Jeanne. She parked her flank onto the soft blades of the green grass, which covered the area below the roots of the large timber.

“How’s this?” Galen asked her, taking in a refreshing breath of the warm midday air.

Jeanne smiled brightly at him, giving him a nod as she set the bag of muffins beside them. “This is perfect.” Slowly, she unrolled the bag and removed one of the Double Dutch Chocolate pastries. “Here you are.”

Galen deftly took the muffin from her delicate hoof, sharing in her kind smile. “Thank you, Jeanne. Oh, here, I brought us each a bottle of water, from my cooler.” He handed her the bottle.

She blushed slightly, touched by his thoughtfulness. “You’re welcome, Galen, and thank you. I completely forgot about getting something to drink.”

“It’s okay.”

“Oh.” She stuck her hoof back into the bag, and briefly rummaged around. “I did remember napkins.” She gave him a proud look, offering him a few.

“Thanks.” Galen placed the napkins under the muffin and started to slowly tug at the thin paper covering it. The pastries were very fresh, and the rich chocolatey scent made its way up his nose, making his mouth water. “These smell great!” He grinned as he pulled away the wrapper.

Meanwhile, Jeanne was attempting to remove the plastic cap on her water bottle. Normally, such a task was child’s play for her, but this bottle seemed particularly stubborn. Each time she went to pop it off with her hoof, she slipped before it would give way. “Darn, I can’t seem to get this cap to cooperate.”

Galen set his muffin down, and tried not to laugh at her. There was something really cute about watching her struggle with that defiant bottle cap. “Here.” Galen reached over for the bottle. “Let me get that.” His fingers lightly brushed against her hoof as he took the water from her. Taking his free hand, he twisted the cap, causing it to make an audible snap as the seal around the lid broke. “Ha! Not so defiant now, are you!” Galen grinned as he lectured the bottle. “Here you are.” He handed the bottle back to his charming lunch guest.

“Oh…thank you.” Jeanne’s words were soft and rather demure. He smiled at her again, unable to miss the rosy glow on her cheeks. Part of her wanted to hide, but she was just enjoying his company too much to give into her flight instincts. She also felt reason to stay calm, as her shyness seemed appealing to him. She returned his smile, and then finished removing the cap, taking a refreshing drink of the cool water.

Galen picked up his muffin, removed the rest of the paper and proceeded to take a small bite. To his delight, this pastry was delightfully moist for such a chocolatey treat, unlike the ones he knew from back on Earth, which were dry at times. Jeanne couldn’t help but watch him as he sampled the first bite. He glanced her way. “You know what I used to do with these back on my world?”

Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she shook her head. “No, what did you do?”

“Well, since these were so big, you couldn’t just eat them like a normal muffin. So, I’d do this…” Galen placed his fingers below the cap of the muffin and gradually tore it in half. “This way, it’s a lot easier to eat. I’d eat the bottom part and the save the sugar coated top for last.” He grinned in an almost playful fashion, taking another bite from the bottom portion of his lunch.

Jeanne set her water down, and removed one of the Double Dutch Chocolate muffins. She peeled the paper off, and then did just as Galen had, dividing it in two. He looked up just as her mouth surrounded the edge of her muffin’s bottom half, taking a small bite. She chewed it gingerly, and savored the moistness and rich flavor as it danced across her taste buds. Galen kept smiling as he took another bite of his muffin, then washed it down with some of the cool water.

After finishing half of her muffin, Jeanne moved just a little closer to Galen. A partial fringe of her blonde mane fell near her eyes as she gave him a happy look. “This was a great idea…like a picnic.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I just hope you don’t mind I didn’t have a blanket or large towel we could sit on.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. The grass is more than okay. Besides…” Jeanne had to pause a moment, while she composed herself. “I’m grateful for the company.”

“Aww, I’m happy for the company, too.” She turned her head away, trying to conceal her once again reddening cheeks, while Galen finished the last of his muffin.

Jeanne held up the bag, clutched securely in her hooves. “Did you want another?”

“Yeah. Didn’t you say you had apple crumb?”

She nodded happily. “Uh-huh.”

The two went on to enjoy a few more muffins, finding them to be more than filling, and shared some light chatter about their meal and then about her sword, both of them enjoying every second. By the end, the two had each eaten two muffins and drained their water bottles dry, save only for a few straggling droplets.

Galen stretched out his legs and then lifted his arms over his head, letting out a mild yawn. “Ahhhh… Mmm, that was tasty. Thanks again, for thinking of me.”

Jeanne signed contently. “You’re quite welcome.” She giggled softly, delighted by the joy in his voice.

Galen rested against the trunk of the mighty maple tree, glancing up at the rays of sunlight poking through its leafy canopy. He closed his eyes and let out a calming breath, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. Jeanne looked over at him, then studied the surrounding area. Just ahead lay the sprawling grasslands and forests surrounding the town, and off to the right, Ponyville itself stretched out standing proudly like always. The pegasus started to lose herself in the calm surrender of the early afternoon. A powerful joy thrived within her, and forgetting herself, Jeanne slid over and leaned up against Galen, casting out a happy sigh.

Galen had almost nodded off, when he noticed, much to his surprise, the weight of what he could only guess was from her resting against him. Opening his eyes, he confirmed that it was her. “Jeanne…” He whispered softly to her.

Her eyes had fallen shut for a moment. Then, she heard his voice. “Huh?” Turning a bit, she realized what she was doing. She quickly pulled back, her cheeks turning bright red. “Galen…I’m so sorry. I got caught up in the moment. I…”

He could tell she was feeling pretty embarrassed, and Galen certainly didn’t want that. Slowly, he moved closer to her, offering her a kind expression. Galen reached out and gently brushed the fringe out of her eyes, rejoining it to her bangs. “It’s all right, Jeanne. No need to apologize…I didn’t mind.” The human quickly looked at his hand and pulled it back, now that he was the one forgetting himself. He grinned nervously, before suggesting, “Uh, maybe we should head back. I still have quite a bit to do.”

Jeanne felt her tension ease, the nervous presence in his words told her that he was more than okay with what she did, and was feeling a little uneasy as well. Though, as she quickly thought back to what she’d just done, Jeanne couldn’t help but smile. Giving him a nod, she rose to her hooves. “Okay. We have been out here for a little while.” She rolled up the muffin bag and clutched the remaining muffins in her mouth. Galen secured the two empty bottles and their used napkins. Then, the two made their way back to the forge.

* * * *

The two stopped by his workbench, now that they had returned. Jeanne set the muffins on the flat surface near the edge. Galen smiled at her, while he re-donned his apron, securing it in the back.

“Galen.” Jeanne looked at him with thoughtful eyes.

“Yes?” He looked at her, continuing to smile.

“Would it be okay if I stay a while longer, or would I get in the way?” She blinked her eyes, giving him a hopeful look.

As Galen looked into her eyes, he knew there was no way he could simply turn her away, besides, he was still enjoying her company.

He gave her an affirmative nod. “Of course you may stay. Oh, and don’t worry, you won’t be in the way.”

She smiled, letting out a relieved sigh. “Thank you. Oh, and I’m sorry again for getting carried away.” The uneasiness in Jeanne’s words were hard for him to miss.

Galen walked closer to her. He gave her the sincerest smile he could muster, and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. “Like I said, it’s more than okay. I didn’t mind at all. In fact if we’d had a little more time, I’d have enjoyed sitting like that with you. It was rather relaxing.”

Jeanne tried to keep her mouth from dropping open, and felt her cheeks starting to blush. Galen had no problem with what she did, but more to her delight, he claimed to have enjoyed it, and his hand was resting delicately on her shoulder. She looked at him with nearly shimmering eyes as her cheeks remained red, making her smile at him.

Galen chuckled softly, patting her shoulder, prior to removing his hand. “Stay as long as you like. Now, let’s see if your sword has heated up properly.” He placed his gloves back on, and walked over to the forge carrying his tongs.

Jeanne stood there, filled with awe. It made her feel very happy that she hadn’t done anything to upset him, rather, he liked it, and she knew she did as well. Realizing she was standing there, half in a daze, she quickly trotted over after him, maintaining a safe distance as not to get in his way.

Jeanne peaked over at the forge and spied the glowing billet of steel. Galen worked the bellows with his foot. “Looks we need to get this just a little hotter.” He gave her a brief wink, adding more air to the fire. “Your sword had just finished cooling off and before you came back, I had put it back into the kiln to warm up over lunch.”

She nodded. His explanation made perfect sense. “I see, this way it would be all but ready, when you got back.”

“Exactly.” The metal started glowing a little brighter, a strong orange hue coating the majority of the blade. Grasping it in the tongs, he removed it from the forge. “Yes, this should do it.” Galen took the long bar of steel over to his anvil, and set it down deftly. Jeanne followed him, still maintaining her distance.

Her eyes lit up as he secured the tongs and reclaimed his sledgehammer. She watched the fingers of his left hand wrap around the handle as he raised the tool and began striking it against the hot metal. The loud metallic bang of each percussive blow met her ears, while she watched on marveling. As he continued using the hammer and fuller, she could really see her sword coming along.

He looked up briefly, and caught a glimpse of her smiling at him. Galen shared her expression, and then resumed his work.

Jeanne remained there watching him with almost endless fascination. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt there was something special about Galen, and she wanted to keep getting to know him better. Hopefully then, she would find out why she found herself so captivated by him.

Author's Note

I hope none of you are thinking that Jeanne isn't worthy of being a guard. She's simply acting bashful around Galen as that's part of who she is and like all of us, she is nervous when she's trying to make a good impression on someone she likes. When duty calls, she'll more than be up to the challenge. Personally, I love that she has a shy side, but can still be strong when she dons her armor and looks out for those in need (as you will see in future chapters).

Oh, and in case any of you are wondering, I made use of some Wiki entries in researching "sword making" back when I started working on this story a few months ago. In addition to those articles, I also used what I've seen on TV shows, movies and documentaries on the History Channel and the Learning Channel.

Here are the "sword making" links I used:
1) Sword Making
2) Forge
3) Sword

I'm certainly not an expert and am not claiming to be 100% right on how this is done, but I did some research and pulled what I knew from memory of various documentaries so I could attempt to bring you a fairly decent representation of what it's like at a blacksmith's forge and what goes into making a sword.