Saving A Life

Writers: Eimi, Joy
Date Posted: 7th October 2005

Characters: Ulte, Nyblek
Description: Ulte and Nyblek discuss everything but chemistry during their study period.
Location: Smith Hall (NPC)
Date: month 8, day 10 of Turn 3

"Shards, I will never get this," Nybelk muttered in frustration as he wiped the sandtable clean yet _again_. "I'm going to fail chemistry, I know it."

Ulte couldn't help but overhear, as he was sitting at the next table over from Nybelk. He'd also noticed the other apprentice's multiple attempts to work the assignment they'd been given earlier in class.
The assignment was challenging, to be sure. It had taken Ulte the better part of the evening study period to get as much done as he had. He sympathised with the other apprentice's troubles.

He leaned over and asked, "Where're you getting messed up?"

"All these 'positive' charge things and 'negative' charge things, and then there are these 'neutral' things... Shards, I just want to make jewelry! What do I need to know this stuff for?" Nyblek through his syllus down in disgust.

"I'm sure there's a reason," Ulte replied to the last with a small grin. "It might not be obvious to the casual observer, but I'm sure it's there."

He began paging through the notes he'd taken in class, looking for the bit on ions. When he found it, he scooted his chair a little closer to Nyblek so the other apprentice could see it easier. "Ok, so, this is where you're having the trouble?" He indicated the description of the electronically neutral nature of ordinary matter and how cations and anions work to cancel each other out.

"I think so." To tell the truth, Nyblek was sketching an idea for a new pendant he wanted to make for his sister to cheer her up at the time. He hated chemistry class and just couldn't pay attention no matter how hard he tried.

With the closer vantage point, Ulte was able to see the other boy's notes, and how they weren't so much notes as doodles and drawings of different jewelry designs. "Hey," he said, "those are good."

"Thanks. I want to make that one for my sister," the young apprentice said as he pointed to a rather simple pendant. "I want to make something more beautiful for her, but I'm not good enough at it yet."

"Well, the design's the hard part, isn't it? Anyone can get good at the technical side, with enough practice." Ulte pointed out. "Not everyone can come up with creative ideas." He was, of course, speaking from personal experience. He enjoyed the gem cutting and jewelry class. It was interesting and he was able to do the precise and often delicate work with relative ease. Coming up with the required designs was always where he wound up getting stymied.

"Well, I'm a little clumsy. I have a lot of ideas, but my fingers don't always do what I want them to do," Nyblek conceded. He secretly feared he would never master his big hands enough to make the intricate designs Journeyman Jarthir could make.

"You'll get over that." Ulte replied with confidence. "Everyone goes through 'clumsy' periods. They get over it as they get older and their bodies have a chance to catch up with themselves." He was unconsiously repeating the words his father had spoken to him after he started tripping over his own feet when he turned thirteen.

Nyblek frowned. "Yeah, that's what everyone keeps telling me, but just how long is that supposed to take?"

"As long as it takes I guess," Ulte shrugged. "Every egg cracks it's own way, my mother always says." He looked over the sketch again and smiled. "You've got some definite talent there though. I can't come up with things like that off the top of my head."

"I am always thinking of things like this. I have so many ideas, but when I try to make them they just don't turn out."

"You know, if you want, I could help you out with the pendant for your sister. I'm actually pretty good with the delicate stuff," he suggested after a moment's pause. Ulte wasn't sure if Nyblek would take to the idea or not.

"Well, I want to make it myself, but I could use all the advice I could get," Nyblek conceeded. "Are you going to specialize in jewelry making too?"

"Oh no, I'm not artistic enough to specialize in jewelry. I'm planning on becomming a glass maker. I want to help make better medical equipment for healers to use. Things like lenses and tubes." Ulte explained with a smile.

"They are not good enough now?" Nyblek had always assumed that those things had been made for turns and could not be improved on.
"They're serviceable," Ulte conceded. "But with a little work, they could be made so much better. Like, for instance, the glass tubes healers use with needlethorn to make syringes. Right now, they're rather clumsily made, and flimsy. Hold them wrong and a lot of the time they'll shatter. Pack them wrong and they'll break before the healer gets where they're going. I want to try to make the glass stronger and the tubes themselves more streamlined. So they're easier to use and transport." Ulte paused for air, realizing he might have gotten a little too enthusiastic in his explanation.

"I could see how that could be useful," the younger apprentice conceeded. "Why do you know so much about that?"

Ulte grinned. "My father's a healer. I was born and raised at the Healer Hall, so I saw a lot of things and couldn't help but think about how they'd just work better if they were tweaked in one way or another." His grin faded a bit and he sighed. "I surprised most of my friends and family when I came here to apprentice instead."

"They objected to you being a smith?"

"They were sure I was going to be a healer."

Nyblek nodded understanding. "I think everyone thought I was going to be a guard after I started getting bigger. But they are happy that I'm at the smith hall now."

"Well," Ulte said, looking for an excuse to change the subject, "your chemistry assignment isn't going to do itself. Want to borrow my notes? I'm through with that part."

He nodded hopefully. "Can I? Is it really all right? I promise I will give them back to you tonight."

"Sure." Ulte smiled, scooting his chair back to where it was. "Take your time. Long as I have them back by class tomorrow."

"I will! I promise. Thanks, Ulte. You're a life saver!"

Last updated on the October 7th 2005

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