Tylywoch ~ 08

Tylywoch ~ 08  Swordsmith I

By Len Morgan

   The spindly ten-year-old grew in confidence and in strength, pumping the bellows in Terrek’s forge.   As years passed his shoulders broadened and he grew taller.   At thirteen, he had no problem passing himself off as seventeen.   He learned to speak Meyam like a native, also to curse and swear in five languages but discretely depending on the company he was in.  He also learned his craft, quickly and well.   How to hammer and temper hot metal, and read the colours on its surface when the metal was heating or cooling.  He learned to create specialised steel mixtures with different uses and purposes in mind and to test blades on the corpses of dead animals and executed criminals.   He became skilled as a swordsman, testing himself against his master until Terrek could no longer defeat him with ease.   The fighting kept them fit, proving Terrek’s blades, confirming they were second to none.   His craftsmanship was in great demand, by the rich the powerful, and the infamous.   As Terrek’s Apprentice, Jax was a valued and respected associate.   His business acumen came to the fore early, and he communicated well with people from all walks of life, encouraged by his patron.   He had rare qualities in one so young, he instilled confidence and trust and had a highly developed sense of responsibility.   Terrek was often happy to leave day to day business transactions in Jax’s hands, freeing himself for the skilled work of producing weapons.

Hartwell, was a vibrant walled city in the feudal Meyam kingdom.   Terrek’s forge was situated at the eastern gate.   Jax frequently travelled around the city delivering commissions to clients.   Usually, he kept to the main thoroughfare, being wary of street gangs, who claimed many of the streets in ‘the Cobbles’ on the outskirts of the city as their own territory.  Large area’s of the city were therefore considered no-go areas to someone of Jax age.

Jax had recently returned from a trip to his home town Sudoren, with fresh supplies of carbon, and other ores available in the Sabre Tooth range.   Terrek asked him to make an urgent delivery to one of their more important and influential patrons. It was late in the day, but he knew Terrek would not have asked had it not been important. The ‘Grande Highway’ was still quite busy, so he walked it without fear.   He was about fifteen to twenty paces behind a fashionably dressed young lady in her late teens.   As she started to cross an intersection with one of the many small side streets, three rough looking youths surrounded her, and hustled her struggling and protesting into the side street,   little more than an alley.  She tried to scream, but a hand was clamped firmly over her mouth muffling her cries.   Jax leaned his wrapped commission carefully against the wall of a building and gave chase.   He saw one of the attackers snatch her purse, while two others held her arms.

 “Hey!   Take your hands off that young lady!” he bellowed loudly with as much confidence as he could muster, and without hesitation, he chased fearlessly into the fray.  They dumped the girl unceremoniously onto the ground and all three turned to face him.   Much younger, and with absolutely no experience of street brawling, he unwittingly allowed two of them to trap his arms, whilst the third grabbed his money pouch.   Though younger, he was much fitter, by the nature of his work, his speed and strength were also telling factors.  He struggled violently, shrugging off the two, hitting the third full in the face even as he snatched his pouch.  The other two quickly recovered, grabbing him again, bundling him hard against a rough stone walled building, with bone jarring force that would have flattened any other thirteen year old.   Jax grunted like an angrily boar, planted his oversized feet against the wall and pushed hard.   His surprised assailants found themselves crushed hard and painfully against the opposite wall with spectacular effect.   One slumped to the floor, the other moaned supporting himself groggily against the wall.   A well aimed kick to the groin brought him to his knees.

“Look out!” the young woman shouted a warning.

Ducking as he turned he side stepped the third man, coming in low with head down, a knife in his hand. As the man lunged he grabbed the knife wrist, a hank of lank hair and shot his knee up hard into the mans face, hearing a loud crack. He knew the man’s nose was broken even before he sprawled headlong into the gutter and lay still.

Picking up his pouch and the young woman’s purse, he grabbed her hand.  “Lets get out of here,” he said, leading her back into the main street.

“There’s one of them!   He followed her into the alley…” yelled a nearby store keep.

“Unhand her young man.” Yelled a sergeant of Militia, his men came up behind Jax as he let go of her arm, they restrained him, he didn’t struggle or try to argue.

“The footpads who attacked me are in the alley.” Said the woman breathlessly, I dread to think what they might have done to me. Without this young mans help they would have been long gone.  He may well have saved my life by his brave action, coming to my aid.”

“Get Them!” the sergeant ordered, his men snapped instantly into action.   “Do you require an escort lady Bianne?”   He asked with genuine concern.

“Thank you, but I would ask this young man to accompany me.   Would you mind?” she asked turning to Jax.

“It would be an honour lady Bianne.” He replied with a smile.

“You have the advantage on me…”

“I am called Jax” he said picking up his bundle from where he’d left it. 

“If you have business to attend to I wouldn’t dream of keeping you,” she said.

“I am at your service lady, where are we going?”

She smiled warmly, “Box Lane No. 37.”

He looked again at his delivery note.   “It would appear we were destined to meet,” he said “My delivery is to a Colonel Cantro – 37 Box Lane?”

 

“Fathers new swords!   Then you are a Swordsmith?”

“Actually no, I’m apprenticed to the Swordsmith.” 

“But, at such a young age to be entrusted with such an important commission…” she said.

They smiled and walked on together.

 

(To be Continued)

 

                                                                                     Copyright Len Morgan