Anput looked at the creased and wrinkled paper in her hand, the address glared at her in black curvy ink.
North Waxamillion
Bellmuse Central Square
The Bazaar Candle Shoppe
439 Greenway Dr.
The bustle and hustle of Bellmuse continued around her as she stopped and looked around. She couldn't see where any street signs were that indicated where she was or where to go. For all she knew there was only one main street and she was already on it. She sighed squinting her eyes and gazing out across the sea of heads around her.
A shop caught her eye, it was quaint and little, tucked into the space between two others and an old fashioned sign hung from a weathered iron rod. She read the sign and looked down at the paper, seeing that it matched she quickly scampered across the street, tucking the paper into her top as she came to a stop outside the fingerprint marked door.
She opened the door and a jingle of bells met her, the little things were tied to the top corner of the door, she stared quizzically at them for a moment, but shrugged it off figuring it was some weird human custom. The shop smelled of melted wax and the smell of burning. A slight charcoaly and itchy scent that tickled her nose. It reminded her of the times her mother and her had made candles from tallow that they had collected from an old goat they had killed. The smell of fat and oil burning always made her cringe a bit, but came to remind her of home. Here she could smell a slight scent of tallow, but most of the candles seemed to be more chemical like and artificially scented. One in particular caught her nose and she wandered over to it. It was a mason jar, filled to the brim with no hardened wax and a short white wick sticking out of it. It smelled of cinnamon and ginger, she leaned closer, inhaling the scent wafting from the red dyed wax. She stumbled forward and into the display shelf, knocking the candles about slightly, when a voice yelled at her from the back of the shop.
"What the hell're ya doing to me candles young lady?!" The voice was old, and weathered from age. She whirled around, ears folded back and eyes downcast as he reprimanded her for her curiosity. "Unless you plan on buying one of these 'ere candles don't be sticking yer sticky paws all over them."
She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly a sheepish smile crossing her face. "Sorry about that, sir. They just smelled really good."
The old man laughed, clutching his stomach at the sheer force of the bellowed chuckles. "Of course they do youngin' I made them! Reckon the candles I make are the best in all o' the world!" The old man stopped laughing after a moment, cocking his head to the side he looked her up and down, noticing her battle-like attire and get up.
"Say are you one o' them Hunters I'm supposed to teach?" He asked, walking a bit closer to her, adjusting the strange square-like hat on his head.
"Y-yes." She said nodding and pulling the paper out to hand to him. The old man glanced at the paper, grimacing as he realized where the young woman had stuffed it and he waved his hand signaling her to keep it.
"No, no. I trust ya. Just ah gimme a sec while I close up shop and then we can get down ta learnin'. Oh and you can call me North. None o' this mister crap ya hear?" The man hobbled to the shop door, flipping the open sign to closed and locking it so no wayward shopper wandered into the shop looking to buy anything. Anput watched as he tidied up the check out counter, counted the lien and recorded it in a leather bound book that was underneath the counter. He was mumbling to himself the whole way and Anput arched a brow at the old man's antics as he continued to the back of the shop where a door lay. The employees only sign glared at her as she stepped up next to North who pushed the door open with a heave. The old oak swung open with a slight creak and the scent of wax and burning cotton reached her nose. Her ears perked forward in interest at the various devices and contraptions. She could see candles cooling off to the side, the fire where the wax was heated and then the containers where it was poured and shaped. There were wicks sitting on a wooden table, a pile of completed twine and a pile that needed to be finished. Anput looked around in awe at the sheer amount of candles and different shapes colors and sized that were available. It looked as if North had even begun to carve shapes into some of the candles and off to the side and impressive sized block of wax was beginning to take the shape of a swan, the wick portrayed from the facsimile swan's head. She inspected it closely, gaming at the intricacies of it. "It's beautiful!" She exclaimed looking over to North who was nervously wringing his hands and a red tint had begun to color his cheeks.
"Yah well its something new in tryin'. Not very good in my opinion, but ya know..." He trailed off alwardlt. "Anyway we should probably get started!" North clapped his hands together with a smile and sauntered over to where he had a pot of melted wax sitting over the hot coals.
"Now I'm gonna teach you how to properly pour the wax to get the least amount of air bubbles and then after that we can make a wax mixture together so you can make your own candle to take home or whatever." He picked up the pot by the long, insulated handle and carried it over to a prepared metal container. "Also if yah need to tell me somethin' or need me to repeat a step just speak up, I'm deaf in one ear." He said pointing to his left ear.
About moved to his right side sk she could talk to him easier and watched as he began to pour the wax. He poured it slowly, but evenly, ensuring that a steady flow of wax went into the container and evenly coated the bottom and ensured that no air bubbles would be present. "Always steadily pour the wax with a firm hand. Don't let the stream be choppy or cut it off at any point. If you want a good smooth candle you need to be smooth with your pouring, got it."
Anput nodded, mentally relaying the information to herself a few times so she wouldn't forget. North finally finished pouring the wax and set down the iron pot with a sigh, and rubbed at his left arm.
"Not as strong as I used to be. Happens when you get old..." North sighed, sounding a bit older and more weary then he had before. Then suddenly her perked up again, hobbling over to the wicks and picking a finished one out from the stack.
"Now depending on the candle, you either put it in before you pour, or after. I put in after sometimes if its a shorter wick. This ones shorter so.." North pushed it into the still hot and liquid wax with a swift motion. "All done." He said, dusting off his hands and setting the mold off to the side with the others.
He hobbled back over, a hand massaging the small of his back as he took a seat at the mixing table with a groan of pain. "Sorry, me back isn't what it used to be ya know....""Anyway," he said rubbing his face with a hand, "bring me that bag of paraffin and the stearic acid from the shelf above the empty molds over there." He indicated with a crooked finger and a gnarled hand.
Anput wandered over to the shelf picking up the desired items and quickly scurrying back to North with the desired items in tow.
"Okay so three parts paraffin, one part stearic acid into the pot and then mix it over the fire over there until its nice and melted and then pour it into the mold like I showed you. Oh,and pick out a dye or two to add if you want." North said, waving her off with a tired hand.
Anput set down the still cool pot onto the coals and stirred it as it began to melt and mix, the wax turned a yellowish clear color and she quickly dashed over to the dye shelf and grabbed up the purple and yellow. She threw in a few drops of each with a quick flick and stirred it twice, giving it a swirled color effect. Smiling at her creation she hefted the pot up with both hands and slowly made her way to the waiting glass jar that was her mould. She carefully poured it in, just as North had shown her, only getting one or two air bubbles in her candle. North was holding a wick out to her and she grabbed it, sticking it into the candle with a flourish.
"Nice color choice, kid." North said inspecting her work. "Nice work for a first timer! You ever made candles before this."
"Yes" she muttered, looking at her wrap covered feet self consciously.
"Yer gonna have to speak up, can't hear ya when ya mumble." North remarked, cupping a hand around his good ear so he could hear her better.
"Me and my mom," she began a bit loudly, "we used to make candles together. A bit cruder than this, but kinda the same..."
North chuckled, "Well at least you have some appreciation for candles, my dear!" He walked over to her now semi cooled candle and tilted his head to the side as if in thought. "Tell you what. Why don't you take yer candle home along with that one you were sniffing at earlier. For free of course, payment for helping me out and learning how to make candles with me. Who knows main you'll take over as candle maker one day." He fell into laughter, slapping her on the back heartily and walking her and her candle to the awkwardly of the store. She winced slightly, chuckling alwardlt at his enthusiasm. For an old man he was quiet exuberant...
She grabbed the red candle she had inspected earlier and turned to say goodbye to North but the old fella had already wandered back to his candle making in the back. She sighed shaking her head slightly as she exited the store front. What a day....
North Waxamillion
Bellmuse Central Square
The Bazaar Candle Shoppe
439 Greenway Dr.
The bustle and hustle of Bellmuse continued around her as she stopped and looked around. She couldn't see where any street signs were that indicated where she was or where to go. For all she knew there was only one main street and she was already on it. She sighed squinting her eyes and gazing out across the sea of heads around her.
A shop caught her eye, it was quaint and little, tucked into the space between two others and an old fashioned sign hung from a weathered iron rod. She read the sign and looked down at the paper, seeing that it matched she quickly scampered across the street, tucking the paper into her top as she came to a stop outside the fingerprint marked door.
She opened the door and a jingle of bells met her, the little things were tied to the top corner of the door, she stared quizzically at them for a moment, but shrugged it off figuring it was some weird human custom. The shop smelled of melted wax and the smell of burning. A slight charcoaly and itchy scent that tickled her nose. It reminded her of the times her mother and her had made candles from tallow that they had collected from an old goat they had killed. The smell of fat and oil burning always made her cringe a bit, but came to remind her of home. Here she could smell a slight scent of tallow, but most of the candles seemed to be more chemical like and artificially scented. One in particular caught her nose and she wandered over to it. It was a mason jar, filled to the brim with no hardened wax and a short white wick sticking out of it. It smelled of cinnamon and ginger, she leaned closer, inhaling the scent wafting from the red dyed wax. She stumbled forward and into the display shelf, knocking the candles about slightly, when a voice yelled at her from the back of the shop.
"What the hell're ya doing to me candles young lady?!" The voice was old, and weathered from age. She whirled around, ears folded back and eyes downcast as he reprimanded her for her curiosity. "Unless you plan on buying one of these 'ere candles don't be sticking yer sticky paws all over them."
She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly a sheepish smile crossing her face. "Sorry about that, sir. They just smelled really good."
The old man laughed, clutching his stomach at the sheer force of the bellowed chuckles. "Of course they do youngin' I made them! Reckon the candles I make are the best in all o' the world!" The old man stopped laughing after a moment, cocking his head to the side he looked her up and down, noticing her battle-like attire and get up.
"Say are you one o' them Hunters I'm supposed to teach?" He asked, walking a bit closer to her, adjusting the strange square-like hat on his head.
"Y-yes." She said nodding and pulling the paper out to hand to him. The old man glanced at the paper, grimacing as he realized where the young woman had stuffed it and he waved his hand signaling her to keep it.
"No, no. I trust ya. Just ah gimme a sec while I close up shop and then we can get down ta learnin'. Oh and you can call me North. None o' this mister crap ya hear?" The man hobbled to the shop door, flipping the open sign to closed and locking it so no wayward shopper wandered into the shop looking to buy anything. Anput watched as he tidied up the check out counter, counted the lien and recorded it in a leather bound book that was underneath the counter. He was mumbling to himself the whole way and Anput arched a brow at the old man's antics as he continued to the back of the shop where a door lay. The employees only sign glared at her as she stepped up next to North who pushed the door open with a heave. The old oak swung open with a slight creak and the scent of wax and burning cotton reached her nose. Her ears perked forward in interest at the various devices and contraptions. She could see candles cooling off to the side, the fire where the wax was heated and then the containers where it was poured and shaped. There were wicks sitting on a wooden table, a pile of completed twine and a pile that needed to be finished. Anput looked around in awe at the sheer amount of candles and different shapes colors and sized that were available. It looked as if North had even begun to carve shapes into some of the candles and off to the side and impressive sized block of wax was beginning to take the shape of a swan, the wick portrayed from the facsimile swan's head. She inspected it closely, gaming at the intricacies of it. "It's beautiful!" She exclaimed looking over to North who was nervously wringing his hands and a red tint had begun to color his cheeks.
"Yah well its something new in tryin'. Not very good in my opinion, but ya know..." He trailed off alwardlt. "Anyway we should probably get started!" North clapped his hands together with a smile and sauntered over to where he had a pot of melted wax sitting over the hot coals.
"Now I'm gonna teach you how to properly pour the wax to get the least amount of air bubbles and then after that we can make a wax mixture together so you can make your own candle to take home or whatever." He picked up the pot by the long, insulated handle and carried it over to a prepared metal container. "Also if yah need to tell me somethin' or need me to repeat a step just speak up, I'm deaf in one ear." He said pointing to his left ear.
About moved to his right side sk she could talk to him easier and watched as he began to pour the wax. He poured it slowly, but evenly, ensuring that a steady flow of wax went into the container and evenly coated the bottom and ensured that no air bubbles would be present. "Always steadily pour the wax with a firm hand. Don't let the stream be choppy or cut it off at any point. If you want a good smooth candle you need to be smooth with your pouring, got it."
Anput nodded, mentally relaying the information to herself a few times so she wouldn't forget. North finally finished pouring the wax and set down the iron pot with a sigh, and rubbed at his left arm.
"Not as strong as I used to be. Happens when you get old..." North sighed, sounding a bit older and more weary then he had before. Then suddenly her perked up again, hobbling over to the wicks and picking a finished one out from the stack.
"Now depending on the candle, you either put it in before you pour, or after. I put in after sometimes if its a shorter wick. This ones shorter so.." North pushed it into the still hot and liquid wax with a swift motion. "All done." He said, dusting off his hands and setting the mold off to the side with the others.
He hobbled back over, a hand massaging the small of his back as he took a seat at the mixing table with a groan of pain. "Sorry, me back isn't what it used to be ya know....""Anyway," he said rubbing his face with a hand, "bring me that bag of paraffin and the stearic acid from the shelf above the empty molds over there." He indicated with a crooked finger and a gnarled hand.
Anput wandered over to the shelf picking up the desired items and quickly scurrying back to North with the desired items in tow.
"Okay so three parts paraffin, one part stearic acid into the pot and then mix it over the fire over there until its nice and melted and then pour it into the mold like I showed you. Oh,and pick out a dye or two to add if you want." North said, waving her off with a tired hand.
Anput set down the still cool pot onto the coals and stirred it as it began to melt and mix, the wax turned a yellowish clear color and she quickly dashed over to the dye shelf and grabbed up the purple and yellow. She threw in a few drops of each with a quick flick and stirred it twice, giving it a swirled color effect. Smiling at her creation she hefted the pot up with both hands and slowly made her way to the waiting glass jar that was her mould. She carefully poured it in, just as North had shown her, only getting one or two air bubbles in her candle. North was holding a wick out to her and she grabbed it, sticking it into the candle with a flourish.
"Nice color choice, kid." North said inspecting her work. "Nice work for a first timer! You ever made candles before this."
"Yes" she muttered, looking at her wrap covered feet self consciously.
"Yer gonna have to speak up, can't hear ya when ya mumble." North remarked, cupping a hand around his good ear so he could hear her better.
"Me and my mom," she began a bit loudly, "we used to make candles together. A bit cruder than this, but kinda the same..."
North chuckled, "Well at least you have some appreciation for candles, my dear!" He walked over to her now semi cooled candle and tilted his head to the side as if in thought. "Tell you what. Why don't you take yer candle home along with that one you were sniffing at earlier. For free of course, payment for helping me out and learning how to make candles with me. Who knows main you'll take over as candle maker one day." He fell into laughter, slapping her on the back heartily and walking her and her candle to the awkwardly of the store. She winced slightly, chuckling alwardlt at his enthusiasm. For an old man he was quiet exuberant...
She grabbed the red candle she had inspected earlier and turned to say goodbye to North but the old fella had already wandered back to his candle making in the back. She sighed shaking her head slightly as she exited the store front. What a day....
