[hr][center][h3][b][u][color=Cornsilk]Nika Strobel[/color][/u][/b][/h3][/center][hr]

It had taken a good deal of time for the forge to spring to life and smolder to a temperature best suited for working metal, but it had left her time to listen to what occurred in the neighbors forge and shake her head in bemusement. She would have expected a trio of smiths in the same workshop to result in a melodic cacophony of hammer blows upon heated metal, not roasting of pork or flights of fancy. How it even cooked properly over an open forge was beyond the comprehension of Nika, who would assume the overwhelming heat would burn the meat's exterior to carbon before it could make the center anything near edible, but it was not her place to question such frivolity. As a cacophony of wild animals and an even wilder student barged in upon her neighbor, Nika found her own forge to be up to snuff and began to commence work proper. 

First, the muscular smith would have to create the billet which would be formed into the sword that she would present to the god. This was achieved by layering the steel and iron in equal sized slabs atop each other, forming a rectangular block of metal that would be held together over the fire with a pair of tongs and Nika's firm grip. As flame's licked along the humble merging of steel and iron, the smith took in hand a rod laying among the workshop's standard assembly of tools, and pressed it directly into the deepest of flames. The rod's end which kissed the forge's bottom and was bathed into the most potent of heats this well spring of heat could offer, quickly softening as it reached a molten state. Satisfied it was ready for use, Nika withdrew the rod from the flame and pressed it into smallest side of the billet, welding to it a temporary handle so Nika could hold the billet over the fire while leaving the greatest surface area exposed in ways the tongs could not.

Next was the process of hammering out the billet into the shape of the sword she desired to craft. It was a strenuous effort built upon incessant repetition, but the work itself was satisfying and would lead to a quality product even if it would take up the rest of Nika's day and most of the night as well. She pulled the billet from the fire and watched as the slabs of metal had gelled together into a single mass which was brought to rest upon a waiting anvil. The sheer mass of it was unwieldy to work with, and were it not for the handle she'd have spent the entire endeavor struggling to hold it in place, but with her considerable might Nika held it steady and rained her hammer upon the glowing metal. Each strike was swift, calculated, and served to drive the mass outwards into the rough approximation of a sword. There was precious little time to work the metal before it had to be reintroduced to the forge and left to heat once again while Nika prepared herself to haul around the budding greatsword and pound it into shape once again.

[color=cornsilk]"Darn, I should have stopped by the cafeteria."[/color] Nika said, casting a side long glance to the depleted jug of drinking water she'd be liberally imbibing from to replenish herself, and noting that even after much time had passed and the sun could not be seen outside her workshop, Nika could still smell the lingering aroma of burnt pork. [color=cornsilk]"Nothing to do about it now."[/color] 
 
Setting aside her regretfully lack of a meal delivery service, Nika returned to hammering the glowing steel, each inch another step closer towards a completed work.
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Actions: 
1) Created a billet using 6 Steel and 2 Iron.
2) Hammered billet into approximate shape of a great sword.