The fallen's lament

Placing her hand on Howard, indicating she was going to go talk with the Everseer, Rose began to walk away from them, and stopping beside the Everseer as Sophia and David were dragged off by Howard and Autumn. David had wanted to hear the conversation, but Howard must have felt it was for the better as he ushered them back to the marble building in the centre of the village.

Once they had reached the council, the tall masked figure once again stood up and addressed them. “Have you made your decision?”

Sophia began to speak. “We’ll be staying –”

“Together,” interrupted David, who now had his arm around her.

Sophia let off a squeak as David pulled her into him.

The tall figure merely chuckled for a few seconds, then he replied, “And I trust you’ll want a place near Rose’s... where is she by the way?”

Howard, who had remained in the shadows, stepped out and answered. “Urgent matters with the traders, she’ll be back before long.”

The figure bowed. “Then I trust you to set them up with a weapon. We will get the accommodation arranged, you can handle the weapons, then you two must find a trainer, and it cannot be Rose unless no other trainer will train you.”

David still had questions. As he spoke, he made sure the figure was paying attention. “But there is still so much we need to learn about this village: your lifestyle, your culture, all of that and more.”

The figure simply nodded. “In time, David. Dismissed.”

As they left the council chamber, David and Sophia were silent; Howard was deep in thought, examining David and Sophia carefully, examining every detail of them.

As they walked out in the sunlight and down the marble stairs, Sophia saw Rose leaning against a wooden signpost, waiting for them with a smile on her face.

As they approached her, Rose stood up straight, hugged Howard, and then turned to David and Sophia. “How did it go? Are we building one home or two?”

Before Sophia could answer her, Rose went on, “Stupid question wasn’t it? I can see Sophia’s ecstatic so that must mean it’s one.”

Sophia’s face turned a marvellous shade of red. Hiding her face with her hands she leant into David, who still had his arm around her.

Rose merely chuckled then beckoned David and Sophia to follow her. Turning slowly they headed towards a blackened building covered in what appeared to be charcoal; as they walked, Sophia suddenly felt a sudden weight on her shoulders which made her legs give way. She stood back up onto her feet, looking up to see Katie beaming down at her.

Smiling broadly, Katie said, “Congratulations, Sophia. Now you can request a weapon and a trainer. Leave the building to us – mind you, you should see the builders just to be safe.”

Smiling up at Katie, Sophia resumed following Rose to what apparently was the blacksmith.

Once inside the Blacksmith, the atmosphere changed instantly: outside it was calm and tranquil, in here it was fast; the very air seemed to make them desire to work, to do something. David and Sophia stared in awe as they noticed Howard sliding a long thin piece of metal into the furnace, turning almost instantly to start hammering down on a piece of glowing material, forging it into what appeared to be a handle made of cast steel. Its hand guard was being crafted into a beautiful dome to cover the wielder’s hand, the grip a circular ring pattern. As the metal began to cool, Howard reached behind him and pulled out the thin metal, which now glowed a bright orange from the heat. Resting it on the anvil, Howard began to lightly hammer the sides of the metal, gradually forming it into a blade shape as he dunked it into a barrel of water. Quickly pulling the steel out, Howard placed it into the furnace and began turning it round and round. As it began to glow a brilliant orange again he took it out and rested it on the anvil. Howard repeated his process of hammering the steel into a blade shape and after a few hours of repeating this process, he began to meld the blade into the handle’s end, forming what appeared to be a one handed cutlass.

Howard slowly turned, holding the cutlass tenderly as if it were a newly born child. After he had turned, Howard bent down and handed it to Katie, who then carried it over to a slightly bigger barrel, climbing up some steps so she could rest the blade in the strange substance. It wasn’t water, but it must have been dangerous, as Katie was being very careful not to touch it with her bare hands. Carefully placing it in the substance, she leant the handle on the side, allowing it to hang by itself.

Howard looked up to see Sophia and David staring at his blades along the walls. Chuckling quietly to himself, he spoke. “Magnificent aren’t they? Each one crafted and created by me and Katie.”

Once Howard had finished speaking, Sophia spoke up. “What is that liquid in the barrel?”

Howard grinned widely as he answered. “It is the venom of snakes, collected over the years to marinade and meld together to create the most deadly poison known to man.”

David and Sophia decided it best to step away from the poison as Howard continued to speak.

“Now, I assume you’re here for one reason, and that’s for a weapon or weapons right?”

Dave and Sophia nodded slowly. Howard grinned as he turned around and walked over to the massive stack of hung up weapons, all of different varieties. Turning his head, Howard looked straight at Sophia; his eyes examining every nook and cranny of her body, making her feel slightly uncomfortable. After a few minutes, Howard turned back round and reached up, grabbing a thin curved sword from the rack, carefully resting it on his hands as he passed it to Sophia.

David watched carefully as Sophia gently held the handle, her whole arm shaking with apparent fear. David was surprised to see Howard laughing.

Once Howard has finished his laugh, he spoke. “My dear Sophia, there is nothing to be afraid of, that blade is not poisoned or sharpened, but it is a strange blade. I learnt the design from the world travelling traders a few years back, only you and one other in the village has one, I believe they are called sickle swords, used mostly by those in Egypt. Find a trainer, David, it’s your turn.”

David followed Howard to the rack; as Howard began to talk as he examined the weapons, then David, then back to the weapons.

“David, you are an odd case. Sophia’s blade was designed for the light and dexterous but you have more force behind you, so I’d assume you’d want something with more strength behind it, am I right?”

David merely nodded as he watched Howard reaching for a thin but thick looking blade; its handle was longer than most of them with a diagonal tip to it.

“This is called a handle and a half blade; it’s designed for switching quickly between styles of one handed and two handed techniques.”

Gently lifting the blade from its place of rest, David watched as Howard held its handle tightly, as though testing it with both his hands. Howard stepped down and swung the blade, striking stances and lunges as though something was wrong, the concern apparent in his face. After a few minutes of watching Howard, David decided to speak up.

“Howard, what’re you –“

Howard was quick to interrupt. “Hush, give me a minute.”