The guards took the large bronze pushrod to Thorin's forge, where the dwarf had a pair of saw horses set up, along with what looked like a hydraulic jack on rollers. Dominic had never seen anything like it before, but after inspecting it for a second, he could understand what the dwarf was thinking.
Once the shaft was placed over the fire to heat, the dwarf took out a box full of rollers and a gear-driven wheel that would roll the whole contraption down the length of the shaft, bending it back into shape as the contraption passed down the length.
That was the real advantage of being a full-time smith for a merchant. You could make up specialty tools and jigs for commonly broken parts that the vehicles used. It was so much more efficient than working from a travel forge with makeshift stands and a string line to tell you when the rod was actually straight.
Dominic hopped up and worked the bellows on the forge, keeping the heat up as the Dwarf prepared everything for the task at hand.
Fortunately, his forge was an enchanted one, and the thick bronze was glowing hot in a matter of minutes, ready to be transferred.
"One, two, three, lift. There we go, just settle it in the rack and I will get the roll press set up. Have you ever used one? I know Pops is old school and doesn't use jigs and cheats to make his tools." Thorin asked.
"Nope, but I get the concept. With the eyes of the shaft in the jig to keep the length right, you'll roll it back to shape." Dominic replied.
"Close. You will be the one to roll it straight, and I will keep the heat on it and hammer out the stress points so we don't have to put as much work into getting it finished."
That was something that Dominic hadn't practised at all, and it was a fine art form to even recognize where the stress points were. But as he started to roll down the pushrod, adjusting the pressure with one hand while he moved the gears driving the rollers with the other, Thorin's tapping and the resultant change in the tone when he got to a stressed point, told him that it was not going to be a short process.
The first pass straightened the shaft close to straight, and in an emergency, they would have likely called it good and slapped it back on. But they had some time, and the forge was hot, so they got it glowing again and made another pass, then another to make it perfectly smooth, and to give Thorin a chance to work out a few more stress points.
Then he nodded happily at their handiwork and cast a spell on the bronze, cooling it instantly.
"Journeyman Blacksmiths have some advantages. Especially Dwarves. I don't need a bucket of oil to temper my creations." He laughed at Dominic's confused look.
"Unfair advantage," he muttered, while the dwarf continued to laugh.
"Here, install that spindle, and I'll call the boys to bring over the shaft. Just don't forget the washers when you tighten the nuts." Thorin reminded him.
A quick swat with the hammer set the new spindle bolt in place, and the guards brought over the beam with shocked looks on their faces.
"How did you do that?" One of them asked.
"Do what? I just worked the roller. Thorin did the hard parts." Dominic replied.
"Yeah, that part. How did you complete a task without getting yelled at?"
Dominic shrugged. "Just work the roller properly, and you don't get yelled at."
Thorin's laughter rang through the woods. "See, boys. The Sorcerer gets it. If you could follow directions, you too could complete a simple task without getting yelled at."
The fact that none of them had any blacksmithing skills meant that none of them knew when to adjust the pressure, or which way, so of course they would mess it up every time.
"Any other vehicles too damaged to travel?" Dominic asked after he tightened the last nut and checked his work.
"Nope, we're all up and running. Come and grab something to eat, and then I think your team wants to be on their way again." The guard informed him with a friendly pat on the back.
One bowl of stew and a hard bread loaf later, they were ready to head back into the woods, looking for signs of more Goblins.
Wiz stood to address the team. "Alright, listen up. The caravan boss said that the group they were attacked by had one much larger goblin, nearly hobgoblin sized, but wearing armour and jewels. That's not normal goblin behaviour, they won't allow any of their tribe members to try to look more impressive than the others.
So, it has to be some sort of leader to the group. Maybe even a Goblin Lord. If there is a Goblin Lord, it means they're getting organized, and that we will be facing much more dangerous attacks along the road over the next few weeks. So, I want to try to find where it went.
If we find more Goblins, that's great. But if we can find a Lord, or even more Shamans, the town will be grateful for our efforts."
Grateful didn't pay extra, but it would earn them some goodwill, and goodwill went a long way when you needed something in the future. Things that weren't for sale to outsiders would become available to those with a good reputation, and even the farmers' stalls would get you a better price on provisions if you had a reputation for keeping Goblins and other dangers away from their farms.
The guards wages weren't high, but they always ate decently, thanks to the gratitude of the farmers.
"Alright, let's go find this tacky Goblin. How is your ammunition doing, Bella?" Dominic replied.
"I'm still good. I stocked enough for a month of hunting before I have to go back to the city to get my ammunition refilled. There isn't anyone in town that sells it at a reasonable price." The Gunslinger replied.
"We're all good on arrows as well. No worries, little smith, you can just look after our healer, and we will take care of the rest." The Guard Captain laughed.
The Cleric flipped him off for suggesting a boy who looked half his age and magical ability should guard him, but the boss wasn't wrong. He didn't have much for combat skills.