“Oh, come on. I’m still here! And where did you find the mours? Yuck!” I smiled and made a wry face as I looked at the bowl Nargara had in her hands.
“You’ve been in bed for nearly three weeks. The wounds skinned over in around ten days but you remained unconscious, so I had to turn to some radical measures,” Nargara smiled, too, and then added in a tough tone, “but don’t even think about getting up just yet! The bones will be knitting wrong and then you’ll remain twisted forever!”
“And nobody will marry you,” Elcha laughed through tears.
I smiled, and it was a sincere smile as my heart felt relieved a bit.
“By the way, Sorren came again; nearly broke the door asking to see you, but Mammy wouldn’t let him in anyway. She told to come again as soon as you are up, and he promised to come with his folks to propose to you.”
“Again!… Please, tell me this is a joke!” I moaned pulling the blanket over my head. As I looked out of the shelter I added, “Why not tell him I did not survive?”
That made everyone laugh.
The Birthday Gift
I stayed another three weeks in bed, strict supervision over me. All that time, Nargara made me drink all sorts of potions. I had never taken so much bitter and smelly stuff in my life. However, it all worked, so my fractured bones were getting better rather quickly. By the third week my patience was exhausted and no matter how hard they tried to keep me in bed, I got up for the first time.
And when the pain in the ribs subsided, Nargara said our family business proved rather dangerous a venture, so I should know how to protect myself, and then told me to go to Yoos to study some hand-fight. On top of that, she made all sorts of protective amulets, so with each step I made my travel bag now clinked as it was full of flasks containing rather dangerous liquids called proudly Battle Elixirs. And every time I opened my bag I gave all those things a suspicious look – no, not that I feared for my life. I was rather anxious not to mix them all up and give one of them to a customer – and then, instead of getting healthier and younger, one of them would turn into a handful of ashes.
Nargara laughed as I told her about my fears, yet, just in case, she tied different color ribbons to the bottles thus making it easier for me to tell which was which. And she also decided to place the elixirs for customers separately, in a special little birch box.
In other words, they did their best to have me armed as heavily as they could ever imagine, and Truvle tried to keep up…
They both were average size and turned out surprisingly light. The weapon looked like two claws – slightly elongated and bent at the ends. The blade splashed some bright patches of the Sun reflected from the intertwined light and dark metal. The butt had three little grooves, while the handle was bent up at tang, thus running away from the blade, which kept it fixed securely in the hand. Just another unbelievable piece of work by Honored Master Truvle.
I felt on top of the world! My own weapon! I just could not believe that I would be allowed having it. I wanted to scream and jump with joy. Even as a teenager, I could watch for hours, all fascinated, a piece of weapon – some truly murderous beauty – taking shape under the hammer. And now one of these masterpieces was mine! But then I noticed Truvle’s mocking
glance, full of irony, as if he was watching a child who was given a book and just enjoyed holding it never even realizing it could also be read.
“So, what’s the secret you put here for me?”
“You try and find it,” Truvle smiled and sat on the anvil.
I examined the blades. Nothing special at first sight… smooth blade, bent like a claw, a little rough handle…
No, it was always about some tiny details – Truvle loved them. The tang, the blunt side of the handle, had several gems, all red. Ruby. I pressed them a bit but nothing happened; then I tried to turn them – all in vain. Impatience was growing inside me. I turned the blades trying to have a better look from each side but that never brought me any closer to the secret. I was getting really angry – I pursed my lips and stared at the blacksmith who was definitely having great fun.
“Shall I help you?” he offered smiling at all thirty two.
“I will mana…,” and I felt a little bump under my thumb, pressing it automatically… Nothing! And then I swiped my index aside and it moved – the ring in the handle did move.
“Aha! Here you come!”
Snap! And something got in its place. I gave a triumphant scream. But at that moment the blades got out of the handle and dropped on the floor with a clink full of resentment. I was shocked, and stood there, not able to move, holding what remained from my beautiful blades.
And Truvle was laughing so hard I thought he would bust a gut. He laughed so that the floor was shaking, and his already red face got burgundy.
“I imagined this moment more than a dozen times while making these,” he moaned with laughter. “But you still went beyond my expectation!”
And he went on laughing wiping the tears streaming down his round face.
I could feel my face going crimson. Not with laughter, though, but anger. What the heck were his tricks?! Why the broken blades? Not funny!
“Okay, dear, just don’t get mad,” he seemed to be reading my mind. “A joke … a little one. And you have a closer look at the piece now.”
I looked down and saw the same two blades on the floor, yet this time I could see iron chains connecting the blades and the handles I was still holding pressed tightly in my hands. The chains were thin, thinner than my little finger.
“Well… And this is…?” I was still puzzled.
“Look here,” Truvle got up, came closer and took the handles. “You turn the ring to the right and the chains come out; turn left – they get in…”
Next moment I could hear a click and the chains, like two snakes, rushed back into the handle.
“Makes it some kind of a claw-tipped whip,” Truvle said turning one of the blades between his fingers.
“Well, it does look like something… er… sophisticated,” but how would I ever manage all this? The moment I try to use it I will kill myself, so the enemy won’t even have to attack,” I still had doubt whether I would ever learn how to use the weapon.
“Don’t worry. I have talked to Yoos. He will teach you. By the way, we designed these together. Yoos told me that you are no good in a close fight, not strong enough… So you will need a weapon to keep the enemy at bay. One of the advantages these blades offer is the surprise effect. The enemy will never even imagine you get him before he comes close enough. This is first. And second… Take the blade,” Truvle ordered quitting hold of one the chains. “What do you say now?”
I bent down and took the blade carefully. It was cold and smooth, with the pattern playing at the intersection of the two metals. As I was moving it in my hand, I could feel the gravity center change…
“Mercury inside?” I asked knowing already I hit the bull’s eye.
“Yes, a little cavity with mercury,” he smiled. “It will bring more precision to your attack.”
And then he struck the other blade into a wooden shield on the wall. The chain shot, and the claw gave a bang as it stuck into the wood. Given the way his face changed, he had definitely targeted a different part of the shield.
“Wow! Yeah! That’s what you call precision, huh?” I was sarcastic.
“Well, my hands are good for a different type of craft, but Yoos was really great with this stunt,” the blacksmith tried to explain even though very much confused. And then, as he gained more confidence, he added, “I think you will learn quickly!”
I couldn’t fully share his optimism, but of course, I was happy to get the gift.
“Who knows… Ok, we’ll see what we’ll see…”
When about to go back, I cast another glance at the bracelet with the blue topaz in the center again and asked, “And what happens to those who take it with no permission?”
“The effect is like that from the bite of a deep-bottom cobra,” Truvle’s voice reached me from the closet – he was producing something out of it.
I had a look full of respect at the seemingly innocent thing. Yes, that was a real protection
against a thief or an enemy. The deep-bottom cobra poison means a slow and painful death. It never kills the prey immediately but makes its flesh go rotten slowly. A Vernor is a vengeful weapon…
“What’s the name you put to it?” I could not get why but for some reason the gem stirred a lot of interest inside me. Just one glance was enough to send me burning with a desire to touch it… Even though I did not realize the reason behind it.
“I can’t say, Ricka,” Truvle apologized. “Not this time, please. It’s only the future owner and myself who can know the name. This is not a conventional Vernor. It has a magic artifact in it,” he pointed to the gem, “anyone who gets to know the name can take it and control the gem’s power. When the customer comes to pick it, I’ll have to drink the oblivion elixir to forget the name forever. That’s part of the client’s terms.”
I whistled in surprise. “Not a common order, I see.”
“Yes, I got quite a fee for it,” he said thoughtfully. “’I’m going to start a new shop somewhere closer to Karun. This one is too old, falling apart…”
I smiled here – this shop was built once as a little fortress and pulling it down would prove no easy job. Of course, he wanted to get closer to us to have more visitors than just customers. Besides, Truvle was a stubborn guy, so he still hoped to conquer the witch’s heart.
“Well, and I won’t have to run long ways then, so we’ll be here, just a stone’s throw away! I guess Nargara will love the idea,” I chuckled as I shoved the blades into the sheath, which I had on my belt, and which I had taken from the same box I got from Truvle.
He was a bit embarrassed and gave me a broad smile. “It’s a deal, then. I’ll get the shop somewhere close to your home and move there around fall. Ready to give me a hand choosing the place?”
“Sure! Any time you need”.
“Great!” he drew a sigh and rubbed his hands with relief.
“Truvle, I got to be going now. Want to get home before nightfall”.
“Of course, it’s time, yes… And this is for Elcha. I don’t want her to have her lips pursed seeing your blades and left with no treat from me.”
I took the boxes and put them into my worn-to-the-thread bag.
Coming out of the forge, I had a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, which was especially sweet after the smith’s heated workshop. Saying another Goodbye to Truvle and kissing him in his scrubby unshaven cheek, I moved back, gaining a decent speed as soon as a few seconds later. The world around was floating by, as usual, just zipping past me. When I
heard the blacksmith’s fading voice from behind “Take care, Ricka!” I once again waved my hand and speeded up.
The Bird with a Sting
Already at sunset I was at a fork, where one of the roads led to Karun. Further there, beyond the hill, a beautiful view of a mountain gorge opened up, which I had always admired for its unbelievable beauty, and my expectations were not upset again. Just as soon as I climbed the pass, I could see that unique landscape.
The entire gorge was filled with the rays of the Sun that was already leaving. The crimson light played all of its shades on the cliffs. The valley below was carpeted with young spring greens. The entire right side was fields, and left, as if climbing a cliff, was Karun. The city resembled a large cluster of mushrooms clinging closely to a mountain ledge next to the roaring monster – Karhus Fall. Karhus in the Ancient language meant Thunderous, but the locals, who had long been accustomed to its frightening view, nicknamed it The Noiser.
The fall poured out in a powerful stream right behind the city, with an impressive lake under itself, which further let out a silver snake – a river stretching around the local rock and running far to the western part of the valley.
That might seem quite a questionable settlement. However, the people of water could never stay away from their own element, which was a vital feeder for the sorcerers. And in case there was no magic, then no crop could be grown, no Temple could be built, and even running common life would be much tougher. Generally speaking, there were more pros than cons, so to say.
I went down the hill to the main gate, and the sound of wind in my ears gave way to the blurred sounds of the urban rush. Conversations, laughter, creaking carts, mooing cattle returning from pastures…
There, from the turret above the gate, a voice came, “Hey, Ricka!”
Judging by the voice, it was Prit. And right behind him I could hear more young male voices shouting their Hallos to me. The guard must have just made a shift change, because it was Yoos’s squad who were on duty in the morning. Not even looking back, I waved a hand to them and hurried on. Darting through the square, the bazaar and another half of the place, I ended up
in the upper neighborhood, where we lived.
Our home was there, a little away, at the very top of the slope. Despite so many buildings nearby, the large glade around our home was empty, and it looked like no one was going to claim a spot on it. There were no fools dreaming of living next door to the witch, especially after last fall’s incident when the roof on this very house was demolished – Elcha had mistaken an elixir. Nargara loved experiments, and we tried to never lag too much behind.
In general, we had more than enough sorts of incidents while mastering the witch craft. Once, Elcha and I even occasionally turned all the local white sheep soft purple. The two of us really liked it, but we could never see why all the people around didn’t. Later, however, a rumor reached us that the purple wool sold twice as expensive in the capital town’s markets, but we still caught hell from Nargara for that sort of performance.
I ran in when the Sun was already dim and twilight descended into the valley.
In the living room, as usual, some people were sitting and waiting patiently for their turn. The door to the witch’s room was closed, which meant some work was underway, and there was no way to disturb her. A little further, there was a staircase leading to the second floor, which I took to rush into my sister’s room.
Elcha was on the floor, reading something. When I swung open the door, she jumped up and shoved her reading under the bed, pushing it with her foot even further, just in case.
“Phew! You scared me to death! Ever heard about knocking first?” she grumbled. “I thought it was Mammy.”
“Reading again something you aren’t supposed to! You’ll be for it one day, Elcha! And me, too, for covering you.”
“C’mon! Cut the whining!” she waved me off. “Better see what I got!”
She got under the bed to produce a little book all covered in Runes. Right in the center you could see the Water symbol.
“Experimenting again? This is water magic! What’s your use of it?”
“And here’s the use!” she said as if instructing me. “This is a guidebook to water magic for kids. It shows how to make up and use the most common spells. And here’s what I think, why not try and use this scheme to build fire streams? I’m gonna try it with the symbols I found in our books … Just imagine I succeeded! I’ve already learnt how to have fire on my hands, and the last time I even could light a torch…”
“Better keep that fire away from home,” my look was full of reprimand.
“Ricka, I’ll be the soul of prudence. Just let me try, half effect…” she was begging now.
“I told you!” I pointed. “And don’t forget to have a bucket of water at hand when running your experiments. I know your crazy ways… Get your room burnt down – I will never let you set your foot in mine!”
Yes, we both were firesses, which means with due training we could make good fire sorcerers, both endowed with the capacity at least.
But what training could a Tars get in the World of Water? Next to none! Just because there was nobody to teach you properly. Especially in this middle-of-nowhere. The only magic you could get here was the Water magic. Moreover, Nargara never talked much about our abilities saying that people were the same everywhere, and they wouldn’t be particularly happy to do business with someone belonging to an opposite magic type, nor would they ever trust them that much.
In cities like Ozeron or Targeld, everyone was used to those belonging to different other elements, while in province prejudice was still strong. And Nargara believed it might pose a serious risk to work. My speed was perceived by all as a manifestation of the Water magic; watermen happened to have some control over the time pace. And Elcha, too, knew a couple of tricks, so generally everyone was pretty happy.
At times, though, Nargara seemed to be going too far with all this secrecy and was too much meticulous with the entire issue. I was especially curious why she would always use lots of herbs to dye our natural fiery-red hair attaching to it some gold-copper shade, which was more typical of the Highlands. I couldn’t get how it might ever affect customers’ satisfaction yet I did not dare to argue with Mammy.
“Here. Truvle got this for you,” and I pulled the birch box out of my bag.
In a split second Elcha was next to me, bobbing up and down in anticipation. She snatched the gift from my hands and it took her only one flash-like movement to drop all the contents onto her bed.
