L
L'Hibou
Guest
The sudden commotion caused Leander to gasp, his hand thrusting towards his hip. When his fingers grasped thin air, he nearly panicked. The lack of a sword at his side... Oh it was a horrible, helpless feeling. Luckily, the clamor had only come from an overzealous guard. Perhaps she was not as alone and defenseless as she seemed.
Turning back to Clarice, he smiled politely. "Thank you, your majesty. I shall do as you've asked and have the paperwork returned to you as soon as I can. You've done much for me, and I hope that I can one day repay that." He tucked one arm under his chest and the other behind his back, bowing to her once more. "Farewell, your majesty." Leander couldn't help but smile at her when he straightened up. An irrational part of him hoped that they might meet again.
With hope bristling in his chest, the man turned around, leaving the throne room successful. As of tomorrow, he would be a guard. Squashing his prideful wishes to be a knight, Leander knew that this would allow him to serve the kingdom again. He would have a purpose and a mission; he could forge a new life for himself. The man found himself grinning as he stepped out the doors and set foot on the cobbled streets. The sun warmed his skin. Today was still bright and new... Beautiful, and full of possibilities.
Now, he needed to find a blacksmith. At last, he could fill the empty space at his side where his sword used to hang, and again wear a proper suit of armor. Leander felt as if, even in just a small way... His honor had been restored to him. He was trusted to watch over the citizens of Sapphire City, and that was a weight that sat comfortably on his shoulders.
Since he didn't know the city very well, Leander caught the eye of a passing man carrying a bushel of vegetables. "Excuse me, sir? Would you happen to know where I could locate a blacksmith's services?" He asked.
The man nodded, pointing down the street. "If ye go down that way an' turn down the Old Inn Road, there's a blacksmith's shop jus' there on the lef' side." The man smiled, revealing a few crooked and missing teeth. Then he continued on his way, and Leander shouted his thanks.
The Old Inn road was just around the corner. This road was bustling with activity- more than most of the roads Lee had walked on. The chatter from people passing by or talking near the shops was almost deafening. Meanwhile, the crowd was packed so tightly that it was hard to maneuver through. Leander found himself apologizing every two to three seconds for bumping into people, and he tried his best to avoid colliding with anyone. Meanwhile, he subconsciously kept a hand tight around his coin pouch... Not wanting anyone to snag it in the middle of all the commotion.
Breaking through the crowd to the other end of the street, Lee spotted a much quieter section of the road. On the left hand side, there was a little shop which was dusty with ash. A hot coal furnace cast a red glow onto the man that stood there. He was working, and the pounding of iron on iron rang through the street. "Ah, the blacksmith." Leander smiled, running a hand through his hair as he approached. "Excuse me, good sir. Do you have a moment, that I might request your services?" The soon-to-be knight smiled as he stepped under the roof of the blacksmith's structure, taking a look around.
The blacksmith looked up, his face smudged with ash. He wore an old gray shirt, leather pants, and heavy boots. Strung around his waste was a blacksmith's belt equipped with loops and pockets for tools to hang in. The man's gray hair stuck up at odd angles, and he had a gruff appearance. However, his open smile relieved Leander of any worry. The blacksmith took off his thick leather gloves, tucking them into a pocket. "The name's Drew Markley." He held out a callused hand, which Leander grasped firmly.
"Leander Crownsend." Lee introduced himself, shaking Drew's hand firmly.
"What can I help you with?" Drew asked, taking the rod of iron he had been working on and thrusting it back into the red-hot coals of the furnace.
Lee took on a relaxed stance. "I've just taken up a position with the royal guard. I was instructed to come and request a set of armor be made. I also hoped to purchase a long sword from you." He glanced around, noticing a shop adjacent to the one that he stood in. "Does that weaponry belong to you as well?"
Drew shook his head, pulling the iron rod out of the coals. "The owner and I have an agreement. She sells, I forge. Together we're quite the team." He pulled on his gloves and continued to pound the iron and shape it. "Aye, I've never had a better business partner. Nor a better wife." The blacksmith smirked to himself. "Come back in the morning, and I'll have your armor for you. Then you can take the bill to the captain of the guard. We have quite a lot of business with the guard. The sword's on you, though. So you can speak with my wife about that." He chuckled as he thrust the hot iron, now shaped into an axe-head, into a bucket of water. It hissed and steam filled the air.
Leander nodded his understanding, tempted to stay and watch the blacksmith work. It was such an art. "Thank you, good sir Markley." He left the man to work, walking next door.
Here, there were tables covered in an array of weapons and pieces of armor. Swords, daggers, bows, arrows, axes, and more, were lined up neatly. There wasn't a single empty space. "Mrs. Markley?" He called, noticing that the shop was empty. When he heard no reply, Leander moved towards the nearest table covered in swords.
The variations were endless. They all ranged from different weights, lengths, and styles. Some were made of steel, some iron, and some with engravings along the blades. He brushed his fingers over the hilts, finding a two-handed, steel long sword. Lifting it from the table, he found that it was well balanced, with the hilt heavy enough to equal that of the blade. It was also light enough that it wouldn't be difficult to carry, and it had an overall simple, sleek appearance.
"That's seventy gold pieces. Seventy five if you want the hilt wrapped." A feminine voice spoke up from behind him. Leander turned, his eyes falling on a woman who could only be the blacksmith's wife. She had salt-and-pepper hair, all tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head. Just like her husband, she had a kind but strong appearance.
"It's very similar to the sword I used to carry. Extremely well made, light, and balanced." Leander held it with his finger just under the top of the hilt, balancing it there. "Make that... Perfectly balanced." His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I'll take it just like it is." Leander placed the sword back on the table, reaching for his coin pouch. He counted out thirty, and gave the woman the other seventy. "There should be seventy there."
She gave him a satisfied smile, tucking the coins away safely. "I'll be right out with your sheath."
A few minutes later, the familiar weight of a sword hung at Leander's side. It felt like a breath of fresh air; as if he could breathe again. After thanking the blacksmith's wife, Lee started walking back in the direction of his house.
[Summary: Armor requested, sword bought. 30g remaining.]
Turning back to Clarice, he smiled politely. "Thank you, your majesty. I shall do as you've asked and have the paperwork returned to you as soon as I can. You've done much for me, and I hope that I can one day repay that." He tucked one arm under his chest and the other behind his back, bowing to her once more. "Farewell, your majesty." Leander couldn't help but smile at her when he straightened up. An irrational part of him hoped that they might meet again.
With hope bristling in his chest, the man turned around, leaving the throne room successful. As of tomorrow, he would be a guard. Squashing his prideful wishes to be a knight, Leander knew that this would allow him to serve the kingdom again. He would have a purpose and a mission; he could forge a new life for himself. The man found himself grinning as he stepped out the doors and set foot on the cobbled streets. The sun warmed his skin. Today was still bright and new... Beautiful, and full of possibilities.
Now, he needed to find a blacksmith. At last, he could fill the empty space at his side where his sword used to hang, and again wear a proper suit of armor. Leander felt as if, even in just a small way... His honor had been restored to him. He was trusted to watch over the citizens of Sapphire City, and that was a weight that sat comfortably on his shoulders.
Since he didn't know the city very well, Leander caught the eye of a passing man carrying a bushel of vegetables. "Excuse me, sir? Would you happen to know where I could locate a blacksmith's services?" He asked.
The man nodded, pointing down the street. "If ye go down that way an' turn down the Old Inn Road, there's a blacksmith's shop jus' there on the lef' side." The man smiled, revealing a few crooked and missing teeth. Then he continued on his way, and Leander shouted his thanks.
The Old Inn road was just around the corner. This road was bustling with activity- more than most of the roads Lee had walked on. The chatter from people passing by or talking near the shops was almost deafening. Meanwhile, the crowd was packed so tightly that it was hard to maneuver through. Leander found himself apologizing every two to three seconds for bumping into people, and he tried his best to avoid colliding with anyone. Meanwhile, he subconsciously kept a hand tight around his coin pouch... Not wanting anyone to snag it in the middle of all the commotion.
Breaking through the crowd to the other end of the street, Lee spotted a much quieter section of the road. On the left hand side, there was a little shop which was dusty with ash. A hot coal furnace cast a red glow onto the man that stood there. He was working, and the pounding of iron on iron rang through the street. "Ah, the blacksmith." Leander smiled, running a hand through his hair as he approached. "Excuse me, good sir. Do you have a moment, that I might request your services?" The soon-to-be knight smiled as he stepped under the roof of the blacksmith's structure, taking a look around.
The blacksmith looked up, his face smudged with ash. He wore an old gray shirt, leather pants, and heavy boots. Strung around his waste was a blacksmith's belt equipped with loops and pockets for tools to hang in. The man's gray hair stuck up at odd angles, and he had a gruff appearance. However, his open smile relieved Leander of any worry. The blacksmith took off his thick leather gloves, tucking them into a pocket. "The name's Drew Markley." He held out a callused hand, which Leander grasped firmly.
"Leander Crownsend." Lee introduced himself, shaking Drew's hand firmly.
"What can I help you with?" Drew asked, taking the rod of iron he had been working on and thrusting it back into the red-hot coals of the furnace.
Lee took on a relaxed stance. "I've just taken up a position with the royal guard. I was instructed to come and request a set of armor be made. I also hoped to purchase a long sword from you." He glanced around, noticing a shop adjacent to the one that he stood in. "Does that weaponry belong to you as well?"
Drew shook his head, pulling the iron rod out of the coals. "The owner and I have an agreement. She sells, I forge. Together we're quite the team." He pulled on his gloves and continued to pound the iron and shape it. "Aye, I've never had a better business partner. Nor a better wife." The blacksmith smirked to himself. "Come back in the morning, and I'll have your armor for you. Then you can take the bill to the captain of the guard. We have quite a lot of business with the guard. The sword's on you, though. So you can speak with my wife about that." He chuckled as he thrust the hot iron, now shaped into an axe-head, into a bucket of water. It hissed and steam filled the air.
Leander nodded his understanding, tempted to stay and watch the blacksmith work. It was such an art. "Thank you, good sir Markley." He left the man to work, walking next door.
Here, there were tables covered in an array of weapons and pieces of armor. Swords, daggers, bows, arrows, axes, and more, were lined up neatly. There wasn't a single empty space. "Mrs. Markley?" He called, noticing that the shop was empty. When he heard no reply, Leander moved towards the nearest table covered in swords.
The variations were endless. They all ranged from different weights, lengths, and styles. Some were made of steel, some iron, and some with engravings along the blades. He brushed his fingers over the hilts, finding a two-handed, steel long sword. Lifting it from the table, he found that it was well balanced, with the hilt heavy enough to equal that of the blade. It was also light enough that it wouldn't be difficult to carry, and it had an overall simple, sleek appearance.
"That's seventy gold pieces. Seventy five if you want the hilt wrapped." A feminine voice spoke up from behind him. Leander turned, his eyes falling on a woman who could only be the blacksmith's wife. She had salt-and-pepper hair, all tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head. Just like her husband, she had a kind but strong appearance.
"It's very similar to the sword I used to carry. Extremely well made, light, and balanced." Leander held it with his finger just under the top of the hilt, balancing it there. "Make that... Perfectly balanced." His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I'll take it just like it is." Leander placed the sword back on the table, reaching for his coin pouch. He counted out thirty, and gave the woman the other seventy. "There should be seventy there."
She gave him a satisfied smile, tucking the coins away safely. "I'll be right out with your sheath."
A few minutes later, the familiar weight of a sword hung at Leander's side. It felt like a breath of fresh air; as if he could breathe again. After thanking the blacksmith's wife, Lee started walking back in the direction of his house.
[Summary: Armor requested, sword bought. 30g remaining.]