Steam and Thunder

Chapter 1

As age overtakes us, memory from childhood fades. There are moments, as adults that are embellished, that still remain vivid. Jac would always think that the birth of Princess Annaxier was his first memory. Her birth and the firelights.

His father, a simple maker of carts, awakened Jacklincoln, his eldest son early that day. It was still dark night outside. Jac knew as an adult that the dark bled off quickly in the summer months, and Princess Annaxier had been born very near the vernal equinox. Samathon Cartwright woke his son and speedily dressed the boy of three cycles. They ate two pieces of yesterday’s bread with honey on it. Sam the Cartwright was the only journeyman at the shop of Milosk Cartwright, his uncle. 

Master Milosk’s shop was the most renown in all of southern Hornik for its craftsmanship, but also for its artistry. It was not the largest foundry, yet it served. New cart designs though were produced with a consistency every five cycles since Samathon had come of age, and before that every eight to ten cycles when Milo was in his prime. Often extra care was taken with the carts. Artistic carving would adorn them throughout, making them much more valuable than anything utilitarian that was produced by rivals.

Sam was proud of the growing family his wife Vivan had given him. Three children and a fourth on the way. Master Milosk provided him with his own tenement in the compound and they had a lordly three rooms. His uncle Milosk had been glad of his nephew coming to him when his own son died of the wasting illness, and now as Milosk hands were too crippled and pained to do much work, Sam handled most of the production with the three apprentices, while Milosk handled the sales. Soon enough Samathon would be the master.

The birth of an heir to King Lancellnick Farserit was the cause for a national celebration and his majesty had made the official day to be Verday, with Holyday the next. It was two days without work and the Kingdom of Hornik rejoiced at the simple decision also. Annaxier was a healthy five day old child and the word would have reached near every part of the kingdom of Hornik by Verday.

The city of Cawless was two days ride by royal messenger from the capital of Firtoskin. With more than ten thousand souls, it was the fifth largest city in the Kingdom. The foundry and shop of Master Milosk was located along the river edge, in that part of town, south of the nobles great houses, that many of the premier shops used. 

Next to the foundry was the smaller shop of Master Fenntrel, the wheelwright. On the opposite bank of the Vernis was the smithy of Master Jamestash whom supplied the two wrights with their metal stock at reasonable prices. As with many of the class of craftsmen, the three were all distantly related. 

Further down stream, where the Vernis picked up speed at a slight narrows was the Lumber Mill of Master Carlincoln. He was a young thin faced man. Known to be parsimonious with his guildens and free with his coppens, but enjoyed the location established by his great-grandfather on the banks of Vernis. Master Carlincoln also had several other Masters as partners in his endeavors, including the Wheelwright, Cartwright, and Blacksmith. His father had run into severe monetary difficulties and loans from these men helped him. It was with regret that Carlincoln could not overcharge the three men, as he did with most others.

The town had several other areas of Craft and Artisan shops, but the banks of the Vernis had attracted the first such men, and their proximity to the Vernis and the Nobles ensured that they were the most heavily trafficked. Often other parts of Cawless, such as the jewel shop of Master Gunthertic in Portside, would be given the custom of the great, as true genius was seen in the products there. But eventually Maser Gunthertic’s success would give him the means to move to the banks of the Vernis as well. 

The shops and foundries along the bank of the Vernis were all painted woods of golds and greens, blues and oranges. Rich colors and hues abounded. Then fancy signage showed the nature of the shop. The Cartwright boasted glazed windows that looked out in broad expanses from the second stories that overlooked Riverroad and the Vernis. A wealthy merchant establishment indeed that could afford so much glazing.