Ashen Metalworks
“What a rowdy bunch. Though I have never heard of this ‘Tipsy Penguin’ band, I can tell that they will be helpful at least. Thanks to Jamison and his family, we get to go to Dains for free now, boy. See, I told you doing good would only result in good.” I said, addressing the child in my arms. His face was practically saying, ‘Sure, that’s obviously how it went.’
I didn’t even get a chance to retort as he immediately shifted his attention to the skeletons hanging everywhere. I looked around as well.
It is an eerie sight for a supposed ‘festival’, though, my instinct tells me everything is forced. The stories, games, heck, everything, and everyone here feel fake to me. I looked at the child in my arms once again and I could have sworn his face was saying ‘You’re just being cynical.’
“You need to respect those older than you a little more, boy. One day, it might come and bite you in the ass when you least expect it. Lucky as you are, no one would harm a defenseless child over a few words thrown around like that.” I said, trying to appear both menacing and wise, but his little laughs soured the entire attempt and I just felt silly.
I ignored him and wasted no time when it came to sleep today. I barely got any sleep since we left Stricks, so the moment my head hit the bed, everything stopped mattering.
The next thing I remember, the sun was rising and the child was crying. I wanted to just turn onto my other side and ignore him, but alas, I couldn’t find a comfy spot so I got up. He was also far, far too loud, so I had no choice but to shut him up as I got ready.
Thankfully, a good old bottle of milk always does the trick. I fed him for about half an hour before he soiled his diaper. I quickly changed that and then got ready as fast as I could before any more accidents could happen.
I picked up my belongings and the child and went downstairs. As I turned my head to survey the room, I caught sight of the largest man in the group, Boulden, with his long brown hair tied so it wouldn’t move about, sitting alone.
The moment I approached him, he stood up, picked me up by the shoulders, and sat me down next to him. I didn’t fight back out of curiosity and I watched as he signaled for one of the workers to bring forth a few plates.
She did as she was ordered to, and I simply watched him.
“Sorry. Everyone else is drunk, so this trip might start a little later than usual. I didn’t drink much last night and I didn’t see you drink or eat anything, so I thought you would wake up early and be hungry as well. Please enjoy this meal and consider it my way of thanking you for helping my family, albeit extended, out.” He said, rather quickly.
I just nodded and we ate together in silence. It was a comfortable silence, really, only interrupted by the sounds of an excited child every now and then.
“You have two fine swords tied to your belt. Are you a dual weapon user?” He asked me. I shook my head.
“No. I do have two swords, but I only use one of them at a time. Each of them serves a purpose, and so I like using them accordingly.” I answered and he nodded, scratching his small goatee.
“I am proficient with the longsword, and a good shield. If I have to, I might even use a mace or hammer, but I’m not really that good with them. The hilt in my hands gives me a weird sort of comfort in the middle of battle.” He said, stopping himself before rambling on any further.
“I agree with that feeling. Sometimes I wake up thinking my sword is still in my hands after a battle. This was mostly due to the fact that I sometimes had to hold the sword for days on end.” I replied and he just nodded. I quite liked his company for some reason. Maybe it was because the only person I have been talking to lately was this little smartass of a child, or maybe because I miss talking to a fellow warrior
However, I wouldn’t let some insignificant and fleeting feelings as this control my actions. I am still on a mission, and so I used this to my complete benefit.
I talked with him for a little while longer, about his band and Dains in general, what I should expect, what I should do to not stand out, and so on, and he proved to be exceedingly helpful in every manner. He even told me he was an earth mage. After receiving all of this precious information, I felt indebted, so I showed him a handy earth spell and promised to craft him a one-of-a-kind weapon suited to his style of fighting.
Hours had gone by before the children finally showed up with their parents, and then the rest of the merry band trickled in one by one. The sun had passed its apex by the time we finally loaded the wagons and left the town. Thankfully, Boulden’s increased trust in me seemed to be obvious to the rest of the band that not a single one of them seemed to be bothered by my presence, maybe it was also because the Jamison children were playing with me on the wagon, but I honestly didn’t care.
Hours passed by in this manner. Everyone in the band tried to entertain the children, but the only interesting one was Lander’s wife, Lara, who shared silly and serious stories throughout our little ride to the neighboring kingdom called Great Marsh.
“Why is this kingdom called Great Marsh, again? ” Asked Lara, and everyone seemed to shake their heads. No one among any of them knew, even Claire.
“Dunno. Never been there, but it’s well-known to be a safe area and that’s enough for me. ” Said Jack, the fast one, I believe. He was as carefree as Boulden made him out to be.
“Well, it would be nice if we knew, you know…” Said Strey, clinging tightly to her robes. It was getting a little colder the further south we went, so it was to be expected.
“ It’s a play on words. The Kingdom is actually various villages built on marshlands that eventually became stuck together, so the buildings seem to float or shift south the longer you look at them. It would normally look like a great army of buildings was marching through the land, hence the name Great Marsh. In recent years, their growth has been attributed to the quality of the land they resided on and they even made enough revenue to build a castle. The king there is supposedly the strongest man in that kingdom since he united all of the marshlands together through brute force alone.” I said, explaining it to them. Everyone, save for Lander who was at the front of the wagon, had their eyes on me.
“Wow, old man! You sure know your stuff!” Said Justin, breaking the silence that followed my explanation.
“Mind your manners, Justin. He is Master Ashen, so please refer to him that way. Also, he is indeed extremely knowledgeable and a retired soldier like Lander and Aaron’s parents, so I would like you to show him the utmost respect that you show them.” Said Claire, giving him a look. He just winked at her and gave her a little salute to showcase his obedience.
According to Boulden, Justin was the youngest among all of them. He grew up playing with them and he naturally accumulated their skills. As is common among the youngest child of any litter.
“Well, there is no need to get so defensive, Claire. It was only a few words and he clearly didn’t mean them.” Said Amelia, trying to prevent the situation from turning into something worse.
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