A new Dawn
Chapter 1
Two boys were playing in the sun of yet another warm summer day. Their marbles, containing out of pieces of clay they had found in a nearby cave, lay throughout the whole place.
”You know that I will not be playing with you anymore as soon as I turn eleven.” the blue-eyed boy said frankly. The other, smaller boy stuttered: “B..but why? A..and whom shall I play with?”
”Well because I will turn into a man, and men do not play with boys, everybody knows that.” he grinned: “Besides you can always play with my little brother.”
”I do not want to play with your brother, he is only eight and I am already ten!” he answered boldly: “Anyway Sami, you’re talking nonsense again. Because Markku and Aleksi are already 11 and they still play with us, don’t they?”
Sami started laughing: “Of I course I will my friend, I was only joking.”
The small boy grabbed his friend to push him in the last traces of the mud. But because he was not as strong as him, it didn’t make much sense at all and a couple seconds later he himself lay on his back in the mud. “This always happens.” he mumbled: “Why can’t I be as strong as you are? I am the blacksmith’s son, I should be strong.”
Before Sami could give him any answer, two other boys came running out of the forest. “Let’s go to the river for a swim.” a very small blond-haired boy shouted. “It’s so warm and we have been horseback riding ever since dawn.” the bigger boy said.
”It’s not fair.” mumbled Sami: “I also want to ride horses instead of the stupid old pony I have. Only ten more sunrises and I’ll be a man too.” “And then Timo has to play with the babies.” the small blond-haired boy giggled. Timo sighed: “I hate being the blacksmith’s son; you will all turn into mighty warriors. And I will only be good to make and fix your weapons and shields. I also want to become a warrior.” The boy picked up a stick that lied on the ground: “I could be a very good one and protect you all from evil villains crossing our path.” He swung the stick around, pretending he was the soldier he wanted to be. But a clinging sound brought him back to reality. His wooden stick was cut into two pieces and a big, mighty man with an iron blade stood before him.
”Sir Tapio?” he said with a trembling voice. Tapio was the leader of the tribe the boys lived in, he was not only a very strong but also a very wise man. He was said to be born deep into the forest on a cold winter night, thus he received his name after the ancient God of the forest. People were a little bit scared of him, even his son Sami from time to time. His deep though calm voice demanded respect and with his sword in his hand, he was capable of killing every enemy on his path.
”Daydreaming again, boy?” he said neither rude nor friendly. Timo smiled softly and sighed: “Blacksmiths stay blacksmiths, I know.” He took up his marbles from the ground and put them in his pocket. “If thou as thy father’s strength and thy mother’s wisdom and Ilmarinen’s (god of the smiths) plans for thee change as sudden as the seasons, thou shalt become what thou wish.” Tapio said wisely. Timo looked at his friends and looked back at his leader. “What do you mean Sir, can I become a warrior too?” “Only the future will tell.” he smiled. “Dad, stop scaring us, can we go to the river to play?” Sami asked. “Sure my lad, may Vellamo (god of the waters) protect you.”
”The last one in the river is pig.” yelled Markku and started running. Sami quickly picked up his marbles and followed the other ones, but by the time he got there, the others were already swimming. “Sami is a pig!” Aleksi laughed. “Don’t talk like that to the future leader of the tribe.” he said with a strong voice. “Come on Sir Sami, stop being a grumpy old man and come and play with us in the water.” Markku said enthusiastically and he didn’t need to say that a second time: Sami put off his clothes and jumped in the water.
A little while later, Aleksi came up with a bright idea. During the whole time he had seen a little rabbit hiding in the bushes. He went ashore and took his bow and an arrow. He stretched his bow and shot the poor rabbit right in its heart. The boy smiled: “Thanks to Nyyrikki (god of the hunters) we will have good food tonight.” He grabbed the dead rabbit by its ears and showed it to his friends. “Well done!” Sami said proudly. “Aleksi can do amazing things with one bow and a couple of arrows. According to your father he is the best archer his ages.” Markku said. Aleksi could only be humble: “I was just lucky that the rabbit stayed in the bushes all the time. I am not that good yet with moving objects. Anyway, I am going to bring this to my mother, she will be so happy.” Aleksi put his trousers back on and ran to the village.
In the meanwhile Sami asked Markku about his fighting skills. “ I like the bow, I am not as good as Aleksi, but am not bad either.” “I wish I had a sword.” Timo sighed. No one responded because any response would make the little boy go on for hours and hours. Sami felt a bit sorry for him but there was nothing he could do. The boys swam around and played in the water until Aleksi came back with a message for Timo: “Your father has a job for you; he is in his workplace waiting for you.” Timo sighed and got out of the water. He put his clothes back on and walked slowly home.
”Tapio needs two training swords for Markku and Aleksi, could you finish them. They are in the fire.” his father greeted him. “Why do I have to do it?” he asked. “Your brother and I are going to hunt; I hope we catch something nice this time. I am sick of eating pheasant all the time.” “Aleksi caught a rabbit by the riverbank.” Timo said. “Nice for his family, now start your work before the iron melts.” “Yes father.” he replied softly. He took his tools and started working on the first sword while the second one was put on a mild fire. When the second sword got too hot, he put the first one back on the fire and started hitting with the hammer on the second one.
The sun was heading west when the boy had finished. His whole face was black from the ashes of the coals and his hands and arms were hurting from the numerous small burning wounds he had. But the main thing was that the swords were nicely done, at least for a ten-year-old boy. He put them in the water and entered the house. His mother sent him immediately to the river to wash his face, hands and arms.
His friends had already gone home but still for some reason Timo stayed for a while near the river. He picked up another wooden stick from the ground and pretended he was a great swordsman. He killed over 20 men in one time and saved the beautiful lady from her tower. And then he and she rode on his horse to his castle and they had many children and he loved them all.
”You know that I will not be playing with you anymore as soon as I turn eleven.” the blue-eyed boy said frankly. The other, smaller boy stuttered: “B..but why? A..and whom shall I play with?”
”Well because I will turn into a man, and men do not play with boys, everybody knows that.” he grinned: “Besides you can always play with my little brother.”
”I do not want to play with your brother, he is only eight and I am already ten!” he answered boldly: “Anyway Sami, you’re talking nonsense again. Because Markku and Aleksi are already 11 and they still play with us, don’t they?”
Sami started laughing: “Of I course I will my friend, I was only joking.”
The small boy grabbed his friend to push him in the last traces of the mud. But because he was not as strong as him, it didn’t make much sense at all and a couple seconds later he himself lay on his back in the mud. “This always happens.” he mumbled: “Why can’t I be as strong as you are? I am the blacksmith’s son, I should be strong.”
Before Sami could give him any answer, two other boys came running out of the forest. “Let’s go to the river for a swim.” a very small blond-haired boy shouted. “It’s so warm and we have been horseback riding ever since dawn.” the bigger boy said.
”It’s not fair.” mumbled Sami: “I also want to ride horses instead of the stupid old pony I have. Only ten more sunrises and I’ll be a man too.” “And then Timo has to play with the babies.” the small blond-haired boy giggled. Timo sighed: “I hate being the blacksmith’s son; you will all turn into mighty warriors. And I will only be good to make and fix your weapons and shields. I also want to become a warrior.” The boy picked up a stick that lied on the ground: “I could be a very good one and protect you all from evil villains crossing our path.” He swung the stick around, pretending he was the soldier he wanted to be. But a clinging sound brought him back to reality. His wooden stick was cut into two pieces and a big, mighty man with an iron blade stood before him.
”Sir Tapio?” he said with a trembling voice. Tapio was the leader of the tribe the boys lived in, he was not only a very strong but also a very wise man. He was said to be born deep into the forest on a cold winter night, thus he received his name after the ancient God of the forest. People were a little bit scared of him, even his son Sami from time to time. His deep though calm voice demanded respect and with his sword in his hand, he was capable of killing every enemy on his path.
”Daydreaming again, boy?” he said neither rude nor friendly. Timo smiled softly and sighed: “Blacksmiths stay blacksmiths, I know.” He took up his marbles from the ground and put them in his pocket. “If thou as thy father’s strength and thy mother’s wisdom and Ilmarinen’s (god of the smiths) plans for thee change as sudden as the seasons, thou shalt become what thou wish.” Tapio said wisely. Timo looked at his friends and looked back at his leader. “What do you mean Sir, can I become a warrior too?” “Only the future will tell.” he smiled. “Dad, stop scaring us, can we go to the river to play?” Sami asked. “Sure my lad, may Vellamo (god of the waters) protect you.”
”The last one in the river is pig.” yelled Markku and started running. Sami quickly picked up his marbles and followed the other ones, but by the time he got there, the others were already swimming. “Sami is a pig!” Aleksi laughed. “Don’t talk like that to the future leader of the tribe.” he said with a strong voice. “Come on Sir Sami, stop being a grumpy old man and come and play with us in the water.” Markku said enthusiastically and he didn’t need to say that a second time: Sami put off his clothes and jumped in the water.
A little while later, Aleksi came up with a bright idea. During the whole time he had seen a little rabbit hiding in the bushes. He went ashore and took his bow and an arrow. He stretched his bow and shot the poor rabbit right in its heart. The boy smiled: “Thanks to Nyyrikki (god of the hunters) we will have good food tonight.” He grabbed the dead rabbit by its ears and showed it to his friends. “Well done!” Sami said proudly. “Aleksi can do amazing things with one bow and a couple of arrows. According to your father he is the best archer his ages.” Markku said. Aleksi could only be humble: “I was just lucky that the rabbit stayed in the bushes all the time. I am not that good yet with moving objects. Anyway, I am going to bring this to my mother, she will be so happy.” Aleksi put his trousers back on and ran to the village.
In the meanwhile Sami asked Markku about his fighting skills. “ I like the bow, I am not as good as Aleksi, but am not bad either.” “I wish I had a sword.” Timo sighed. No one responded because any response would make the little boy go on for hours and hours. Sami felt a bit sorry for him but there was nothing he could do. The boys swam around and played in the water until Aleksi came back with a message for Timo: “Your father has a job for you; he is in his workplace waiting for you.” Timo sighed and got out of the water. He put his clothes back on and walked slowly home.
”Tapio needs two training swords for Markku and Aleksi, could you finish them. They are in the fire.” his father greeted him. “Why do I have to do it?” he asked. “Your brother and I are going to hunt; I hope we catch something nice this time. I am sick of eating pheasant all the time.” “Aleksi caught a rabbit by the riverbank.” Timo said. “Nice for his family, now start your work before the iron melts.” “Yes father.” he replied softly. He took his tools and started working on the first sword while the second one was put on a mild fire. When the second sword got too hot, he put the first one back on the fire and started hitting with the hammer on the second one.
The sun was heading west when the boy had finished. His whole face was black from the ashes of the coals and his hands and arms were hurting from the numerous small burning wounds he had. But the main thing was that the swords were nicely done, at least for a ten-year-old boy. He put them in the water and entered the house. His mother sent him immediately to the river to wash his face, hands and arms.
His friends had already gone home but still for some reason Timo stayed for a while near the river. He picked up another wooden stick from the ground and pretended he was a great swordsman. He killed over 20 men in one time and saved the beautiful lady from her tower. And then he and she rode on his horse to his castle and they had many children and he loved them all.