Black Magic

[altariel]

Oh yes, still drabbling. Enchantment is found in familiar places.

Black Magic

Ithilien, in the Fourth Age

Wizards and monsters may have left the world, but enchantment remains, found suddenly in familiar places.

The forge stands at the foot of the hill. Morwen has passed by most days, but never before entered. Today she stands for a spell on the threshold, watching the smith at work, and each morning thereafter she comes back, mesmerised by his elemental craft. Metal bends to him; fire obeys him; air and water do his will.

After a week, he offers her the hammer. A shaky first attempt. So he teaches patience, respect for skill and tool, the humility of true mastery.

Comments

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

I love this!

Wizards and monsters may have left the world, but enchantment remains, found suddenly in familiar places.
That is how I feel about science, and it always saddens me when people claim science 'takes the wonder out of the world'. To me it is about really looking at things and trying to understand how they work, and when you manage that makes them even more wonderful.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. Stars and magic, as the Doctor once said. To be able to read and interpret the world in more complex and nuanced ways can only be wonderful.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

That is very satisfactory. It reminds me of when I went on a welding course. There were lots of shaky attempts.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'd love to do a welding course, although I'd be terrified.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

It was a lot of fun. Go for it! I did one weld that the tutor passed as "not too bad" in twelve weeks, which was high praise indeed.

I suspect Morwen got better at smithing more quickly than I did welding.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Every girl should have a trade. I've always fancied plumbing. There's an all-female plumbers round here called - ho ho - Girls on Tap.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I have just spent a lovely time reading back through your Ithilien drabbles, and The Case of the Silver Letters (for which Bravo! I loved Amrothos Holmes). I am leaving my comment here because as soon as I read

Wizards and monsters may have left the world, but enchantment remains, found suddenly in familiar places.

I remembered exactly that feeling the first time I stood in the doorway of the local smithy - you have described how it was perfectly. I never got a chance to lift a hammer - but, sometimes, if I was very lucky, I was allowed to pump the great bellows - pure heaven.

I have been reading your journal because azalaisdep has mentioned these drabbles a couple of times to me. Would you mind if I friend you? We have quite a lot of good friends in common, and 'bump into' each other quite often!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I have never been near a smithy in my life, so it's good to know that I managed to convey something of the sense of one! And I'm glad you enjoyed the drabbles and Amrothos Holmes!

Please do friend my journal and I hope I can reciprocate. We do seem to bump into each other quite a bit!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Please do reciprocate!