Post by Émile d’Ames on Feb 14, 2010 8:52:23 GMT -5
After reconciling with my brother, I hied myself off to the artisan's district in search of a smithy. I was tired of wandering around the Palace with a borrowed sword, and it would take time to forge weapons and armor that were exceptional enough to ward a monarch.
"What are we looking for, brother?" Landis asked, casting his gaze about as we walked.
"A smithy," I answered. "A competent smithy, at that."
"I was under the impression that House Courcel provided their royal guards with weaponry," he remarked, gesturing towards one establishment where the blades that were mounted on the wall shone with the slightest help from the sun.
I shook my head. "Bah, those blades are more suited for decoration, I'd wager. The shine masks the poor workmanship." I stopped to examine a similar place. "Here, this one is as good as any."
Landis snorted. "It looks dirty."
"It's a smithy," I explained. "If it were pretty I would not trust it to forge weapons of quality."
"Well, perhaps the smith simply has better taste," Landis replied. "But if you are sure..." He withdrew a sizable purse of coin, opening it to briefly inspect its contents. "I sent a letter to mother as soon as I heard you were confined to the Palace, and she authorized me to withdraw as much coin as I needed in the event of a calamity like this." He passed me the purse. "It is enough for a good sword and daggers, I'd wager, perhaps the vambraces as well."
The purse's weight certainly confirmed his words, but I could not help but feel a little guilty, as I had been diligently saving the pittance that the Queen paid me, not for something like this, but this was a nobler cause.
"I am going to ruin us," I remarked.
Landis chuckled. "Ah, no, there's always money to be made, and once I acquire my own salon, I will be famed throughout the City of Elua, and you, my dear brother, will want for nothing." He grinned as he pushed me forward. "Now, it is not right that you should ward Her Majesty with a borrowed blade."
For a time I was occupied with haggling with the smith himself, a grizzled man with battle scars that my father would have been proud of. He had a couple of strikers to aid him in forging the blade, the hilting and the making of the scabbards were done in a separate building adjacent to the smithy itself. It was unusual, as far as sword-making went, but it made it all the more convenient.
"It's not a common job, what you're asking me to do," he said when I outlined the particular specifications I desired. "But not impossible, a week, at least, for the blades, a little more for the scabbards." He narrowed his eyes at me. "You ward the Queen, don't you boy?"
I nodded. "Yes sir, but I am not a Cassiline anymore, hence the need for the blades."
"Hmph, well I can't in good conscience refuse a commission from the Queen's personal guard, no matter how untried he seems." He smiled. "The news of your fall has spread farther than you think it has, lad."
I felt my cheeks turn red from embarrassment. "Can you do this for me, then, good sir? For Her Majesty's sake, at least."
He held my gaze for a long time before nodding. "Return in a fortnight, everything should be ready by then..."
"What are we looking for, brother?" Landis asked, casting his gaze about as we walked.
"A smithy," I answered. "A competent smithy, at that."
"I was under the impression that House Courcel provided their royal guards with weaponry," he remarked, gesturing towards one establishment where the blades that were mounted on the wall shone with the slightest help from the sun.
I shook my head. "Bah, those blades are more suited for decoration, I'd wager. The shine masks the poor workmanship." I stopped to examine a similar place. "Here, this one is as good as any."
Landis snorted. "It looks dirty."
"It's a smithy," I explained. "If it were pretty I would not trust it to forge weapons of quality."
"Well, perhaps the smith simply has better taste," Landis replied. "But if you are sure..." He withdrew a sizable purse of coin, opening it to briefly inspect its contents. "I sent a letter to mother as soon as I heard you were confined to the Palace, and she authorized me to withdraw as much coin as I needed in the event of a calamity like this." He passed me the purse. "It is enough for a good sword and daggers, I'd wager, perhaps the vambraces as well."
The purse's weight certainly confirmed his words, but I could not help but feel a little guilty, as I had been diligently saving the pittance that the Queen paid me, not for something like this, but this was a nobler cause.
"I am going to ruin us," I remarked.
Landis chuckled. "Ah, no, there's always money to be made, and once I acquire my own salon, I will be famed throughout the City of Elua, and you, my dear brother, will want for nothing." He grinned as he pushed me forward. "Now, it is not right that you should ward Her Majesty with a borrowed blade."
For a time I was occupied with haggling with the smith himself, a grizzled man with battle scars that my father would have been proud of. He had a couple of strikers to aid him in forging the blade, the hilting and the making of the scabbards were done in a separate building adjacent to the smithy itself. It was unusual, as far as sword-making went, but it made it all the more convenient.
"It's not a common job, what you're asking me to do," he said when I outlined the particular specifications I desired. "But not impossible, a week, at least, for the blades, a little more for the scabbards." He narrowed his eyes at me. "You ward the Queen, don't you boy?"
I nodded. "Yes sir, but I am not a Cassiline anymore, hence the need for the blades."
"Hmph, well I can't in good conscience refuse a commission from the Queen's personal guard, no matter how untried he seems." He smiled. "The news of your fall has spread farther than you think it has, lad."
I felt my cheeks turn red from embarrassment. "Can you do this for me, then, good sir? For Her Majesty's sake, at least."
He held my gaze for a long time before nodding. "Return in a fortnight, everything should be ready by then..."