Foundry had been working on this project for weeks. He'd sketched and carved, molded and cast. Pieces had been welded together and then polished to a shine. It was his first real project, not something made out of cardboard or bits of plywood. He had spent just as many weeks working on the project as he had begging his father to let him take the metalworking class. Finally it was all coming together. The shield was near perfect and his teacher had been proud. All that was left to do was finish up the enamel paint job and cover it in a lacquer to protect it.

Hunched over the intricately engraved metal, Foundry sat at his worktable with brush in hand ever so carefully painting in the pale pink roses and mint green leaves. A bead of sweat rolled down his brow as he worked on the finishing touches. Despite the look of concentration, the foal was practically bubbling over with nervous energy. Tonight his parents were going to stop in to the class and take a look at his work. He couldn't wait to show them and explain.

With this he could help people stay protected even better than before!

Unbeknownst to the colt, a marking had slowly materialized on his rump as he worked, daydreaming about how he could keep people safe.