Little Red Cinderella and the Three Beanstalks

Previously...

"But.." I began, my eyes drawn again to Ezu's bloody split lip.
"He's right, Rikki. If we want to rescue that princess, we have to get out of here." Jack added softly.
"And besides, I've had worse. I'll be fine, see?" Ezu said, wiping the blood from his chin and dropping my hands so he could stand back and spread his arms out wide.
"See? I'm fine. They're just scratches. I barely let him get a single hit on me." I bit my lip, but was forced to give in.
"Fine. Butt he first chance we get, you're having someone look at your lip." I conceded.

This was going to be a long day.

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We managed to sneak out the tavern without attracting any attention- everyone was still fawning over the injured soldier. It disgusted me- though everyone surrounding him were fellow soldiers as well, they still didn't seem to care that it had been his own fault, and he had started all the problems. I didn't doubt for a moment that after they had finished coddling him, they would come after Ezu for revenge.
I was pretty sure that if this was how the King's army acted, I wasn't going to like the King himself very much.
But then again, I probably could have guessed that by the fact that the king was the sort of guy who would behead a girl for not being able to magically spin straw into gold.
I sincerely hoped I never had the meet the man.

Jack, Ezu and I slipped out the back, Jinx in tow, and melted with the crowd in the street. We were walking too fast, and probably looked guilty as hell, but we were just trying to get far enough away from the tavern that when the soldiers came looking, we'd be long gone. As we hurried down the dirt road, I wondered what the bar maid would think when she brought Jack and I our food, only to discover we had vanished. I lamented the loss of the meal, seeing as there was no way of knowing the next time I'd get a chance to eat something, but I was relieved to be out of the tavern and back on our impromptu quest. Speaking of which...
"Where are we going? And how exactly do you guys plan on getting up there?" I asked, coming up between Jack and Ezu and jerking a thumb towards the tower, which loomed over the rest of the castle turrets.
"We're going to scale the wall, remember?" Jack said, as if I were the crazy one.
"Believe me, I remember." I muttered darkly. "What I meant was, how exactly do you guys plan on scaling said wall?" I clarified, hoping that maybe I had just missed some crucial part of the plan- you know, that part that didn't involve us plummeting to our deaths from a hundred feet in the air.
"Well, I was thinking, if we... ahem, acquired some sturdy rope and say, a grappling hook of some sort, it would make the task much easier." Ezu suggested, ducking underneath the out flung arm of some vender on the street.
"Ok," I began, likewise narrowly missing getting slapped upside the head, "First of all, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear the emphasis you put on 'acquired'. Second of all, I can see your point about the rope, but as far as I know, none of us can throw a heavy metal object over a hundred feet- hell, maybe even two hundred feet- straight up in the air."
"You need to learn to be more optimistic, Rikki." Ezu remarked, taking a sudden right behind a black smith's and pulling Jack and I after him. We stood out of the hustle and bustle of the main street, and more importantly, out of earshot and view of anyone else nearby. Jinx alighted on a wall, choosing to defying gravity.
"Me? I need to be more optimistic?" I scoffed, but quietly. "I'm not the one who just got into a fight at a bar." I pointed out. Ezu frowned.
"That was different. And it's besides to the point anyways. Look," He began, glancing around to make sure were really were alone, huddled between the rough stone walls of the blacksmiths and the tanner's that was beside it. "You're right about getting the rope up there in the first place. It will be difficult- but not impossible." I could see where this was headed, and I groaned.
"Oh no, you don't mean-"
"All we would need is for someone to climb up to the window first and attach to hook. After that, the other two can climb up using the rope."
"You've got to be kidding me. Is that even possible?" I asked, glancing back at the top of the tower, which just peaked above the rook of the Tanner's. It looked awfully un-climbable to me.
"The surface won't be as smooth as it looks from here. It'll be full of notches and cracks, and there will be all sorts of irregularities in the setting of the stones. I could climb it easily." Ezu persuaded.
"What, you're planning on climbing the tower?" Jack asked skeptically. Ezu bristled.
"Of course. Like I said, I can do it easily." He said defensively.
"No, you can't do it." Jack opposed, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, I can." Ezu growled.
"No, no you can't." Jack repeated, and then socked Ezu in the arm without warning. Ezu howled in pain and almost crumpled to the ground, clutching at his arm. I gasped in surprise and just barely stopped myself from rushing forward to help.
"I barely touched you. You lied when you said that soldier barely got a hit on you." Jack said stoically. "I don't know what he did to your arm, but there is no way you're going to be able to climb that tower." Ezu grit his teeth and unbent himself, massaging his arm.
"You little git-" He snarled, but I interrupted him.
"Ezu, what's wrong with your arm?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Nothing," He snapped, pulling his hand away abruptly.
"He didn't pull a knife on you or anything, did he?" I pressed, not about to let this drop.
"No, don't be stupid," Ezu growled. "I didn't give him the chance."
"Then what happened?"
Ezu shrugged, and stared at a point slightly above my right shoulder.
"Someone kicked out at me, he hit my arm. That's all." He muttered. I felt a little bad for him actually. He sounded so put out that he had been hurt at all that I regretted asking.
"Those tables weighed a ton. It's not broken, is it?" I continued anyways. Might as well.
"No, no. I don't break bones." Ezu scoffed, suddenly rebounding back to his usual, sarcastic, bitter self. "Fractured? Maybe." He shrugged. "Either way, there'll be a nasty bruise tomorrow. I'll consider it a war wound. Now, enough about me. We need to get some strong rope, and a hook of some sort. Something strong enough to hold out wight, but not to heavy for Jack Beanstalk here to carry without snapping his arms in two."
I couldn't help it, I snorted with laughter. Not at the jibe at Jack, but at... well, you know.
"Nice to know I'm appreciated." Jack sighed.
"No... it's not... it's just..." I tried to explain, trying to stifle my snickers. "Sorry, sorry. Ahem. Come on, enough messing around. We have supplies to 'acquire'." Ezu rolled his eyes and, still tenderly poking at his injured arm, stepped back out into the main street, almost immediately getting lost in the noisesome crowd. Jack and I trailed after, followed by Jinx. For a second I thought we had lost Ezu, but then I spotted him ducking right into the black smith's next door, motioning at us to follow with a wave of his hand. Jack and I pushed our way past the crowd and slipped into the dark, stuffy black smith's building.
It was hot in there, and smokey, too. A huge furnace crackled and burned against the far wall, which was covered from floor to ceiling in hanging swords, axes, and other deadly looking weapons in all shapes and sizes. Right in the middle of the room, a huge man pounded a red hot strip of metal into shape with a gargantuan hammer. The clashing ring of metal on metal filled the room, nearly driving my ears into my skull. Sparks flew across the room, sizzling to death on the cold stone floor, and making me watch my sleeves and hair.
Catching on fire was not how I planned on spending the rest of my day- and was exactly the type of thing that was bound to happen.
A man the size of a bear stood by the heaving, crackling furnace, pounding a red hot strip of metal flat with a hammer bigger than my head. He paused in his work though as he glanced up and saw Ezu approaching. He laid his tools down and wiped his blackened, sooty hands on his tunic, which wasn't actually much cleaner than his hands.
"What can I do you for?" He grunted pleasantly.
"Good day, sir." Ezu said, craning his neck up to look at the behemoth of a man. "We were wondering if you had any sturdy hooks for sale." He glanced at the back wall, his gaze sliding over the fine swords hung there. "And perhaps a sword, as well." He added.
"Aye, I've got both." The blacksmith chuckled. He heaved his bulk to the back wall and inspected it, while talking to Ezu.
I remained silent, of course, having absolutely no knowledge whatsoever of whatever it is blacksmiths do or how they do it. I figured I'd leave this part up to Ezu- who I hoped knew more about what we were about to do than I did.
"A hook you say, boy?" The blacksmith repeated, pulling handfuls of vicious looking curved pieces of steel from the Wall of Death. "I don't 'ave many. There isn't a big demand for hooks, not so far from the sea. But I always keep stocked up, just in case." He grunted, and dropped his armload of hooks onto the sturdy wooden table in the center of the room. I exchanged a glance with Jack, who stood beside me, then moved forwards to inspect the selection with Ezu.
Jinx whirred after me, and Jack, after hesitating for a second, did likewise.
Some of the hooks looked like nothing more than giant fishhooks. Some were barbed at the tips, other were smooth and 'J' shaped. Other looked like typical grappling hooks, with the four curved prongs. There were one similar, but with three prongs, and still others only ad two, like two fishhooks stuck together back to back.
However, they all were viciously curved, sharpened to deadly points, and very, very dangerous looking. I didn't relish the idea of being within ten feet of something that pointy- especially when that pointy thing was going to be the only thing keeping me from a couple hundred foot fall.
Ezu, apparently having no qualms about handling lethal weapons, grabbed one of the three-pronged grappling hooks and inspected it.
"It's very well made." He remarked, sounding impressed. "I don't see any cracks or irregularities at all. And the metal is good quality too."
"Aye, I take my trade very seriously." The blacksmith agreed.
"I hope your swords are as fine." Ezu said, weighing the hook in his hands. "Yes, this one will do."
"What? Aren't you going to check any of the others?" I asked, gazing down at the motley collection on the table.
"Nope. I trust his work." Ezu said simply, pulling out a small leather drawstring bag from his pocket. "How much for the hook?"
"Twenty coins."
Ezu grimaced.
"Ah, you're killing me." He frowned, but he pulled out the coins anyways and gave them to the blacksmith. "It had better be worth it." Ezu said, taking his bag from his shoulder and putting the grappling hook carefully into it.
"And you want a sword, do ye?" The blacksmith added. "Which one of you three is it fer?" He asked. Ezu fingered the ax that hung from his belt and bit his lip, thinking.
"It was going to be for me, but..." He glanced over his shoulder at Jack and I. I quickly pulled my finger away from the tip of a giant fish hook, sucking the blood from my finger sheepishly.
"Jack, can you use a weapon? Any weapon? Even being able to swing a frying pan will do." Ezu asked Jack, skeptically.
"As a matter of fact, I can handle a sword pretty damn well." Jack glowered. "And I'm very skilled in the art of frying pan swinging, thank you very much."
I giggled, but stopped abruptly when Ezu fixed me with his mismatched stare.
"I don't even know why I'm bothering to ask you." He said shortly.
"Hey!" I complained defiantly. "No, I've never learned how to swing a sword or an axe or anything, but I'm not useless! Besides, how hard can it be to swing around a piece of metal!"
Ezu groaned.
"Oh God, we're going to die." I opened my mouth angrily, but Ezu cut me off. "Nevermind, nevermind. I'll just have to teach you is all. You can use a knife, you made that clear earlier." I flushed. "That'll have to do for now." Ezu turned back to the blacksmith. "Two swords, then. And not expensive ones, I'm not made of money."
"Two swords then, for novices." The blacksmith rumbled. He went back to the wall, and after a moment of careful inspection, he took two plain, but very sharp, looking swords down and brought them over. First he held out the longer one and handed it carefully to Jack.
"This a side-sword." He said gruffly as Jack turned it over in his hands. "You're tall as it is, so you'll be able to handle this well, and it'll extend your reach by a mile. It's better used for cutting an thrusting rather than an all out swing like an arming sword of broad sword." Jack seemed fascinated with the blade, he slashed at the air a few times, and balanced it by its hilt on his finger tips.
"The balance is superb." He said, happily. "It handles incredibly well. You truly are a master at your craft." The blacksmith grinned and chuckled.
"I am known for my work. I trained as the King's own smith for years."
"You were the king's blacksmith?" I asked, surprised. "You must have been important. Why are you here now?"
"The only reason I became a blacksmith was in hops of winning my father's house." He explained. "I lost it to my youngest brother, who is now a master swordsman. In fact, it was he who helped me hone my craft in sword forging. I can shoe a horse while it gallops at full speed, but I don't know a thing about swords." He then picked up the much smaller sword, with an unusually triangular blade. "This is an anelace." He said, handing it to me. I took it carefully, not entirely sure what to do with it. "A long dagger. It's smaller and lighter, and can be carried easily on your back, or in a girdle. It's useful, since it can be wielded as both a sword and a parrying dagger." I unsheathed the shining blade, and imagined having to fight with the short sword, and honestly felt a little more confident. It was more imposing than the little dagger I had been carrying up until now, but it wasn't so long that I felt awkward or had to strain myself to hold it.
"How's that?" Ezu asked, looking at us. "Are you happy with those?"
"Extremely." Jack said with a crooked smile, still admiring his blade.
"As happy as I'll ever be." I added, sheathing the anelace. I noticed a long, thin leather strap attached to the sheath. I pulled off the backpack, and instead and slung the sword over my shoulder, so the blade rested in the small of my back. When I put my pack back on, you wouldn't even be able to tell it was there.
"And so how much for both of those?" Ezu asked, turning back to the blacksmith. The Blacksmith told him the price, and Ezu clutched at his chest melodramatically.
"Ah, taking care of you two is more expensive than a-" He stopped abruptly and flushed, shooting me a quick glance.
"Than a what?" I asked, suspiciously.
"Nothing. Nevermind. How much did you say?" He fumbled in his bag of money. "Ah, here you are. Thank you, you've been a great help to us." Ezu waved good bye to the blacksmith, then pushed past Jack and I, heading for the door. Jack cast me a glance, then followed Ezu, Jinx trailing behind.
"Goodbye, and thank you!" I said to the man, before following Ezu out of the hot, smokey room and into the gradually darkening streets outside.
"My pleasure. And whatever it is you plan on going with that hook, be careful! If you're caught, the king will have your heads!" The Blacksmith called, just as the door swung shut.
I froze, and exchanged a look with Jack and Ezu.
"Do you think..." I asked, tentatively.
"Naw." Ezu said, shaking his head. I glanced up at the distant tower, knowing that by this time next chapter, we'd be scaling that imposing looking sheer, vertical stone wall.