SNIP
Another little black tuft of hair falls into the pile already collected on the floor behind me. Mama's hands running through the now shortened cloud around my head to shake loose any remaining pieces. It used to trail down my back and stop just below my waist just like hers. But she always does simple braids and some sort of updo or tail to keep it out of her way when she works. She says she used to do locks when she was my age and she's done it for me a few times but I hate sitting still for that long. I like to keep it natural anyway.
Now my hair has been cut down to a couple inches above my shoulders. Trimmed on the front a bit to keep out of my eyes.
"There we go dove. That should do ya much better when your moving and swinging things around." She chuckles, giving my shoulders a gentle squeeze. Mama kneels down and collects up pile of hair on the floor and puts it all into a basket. "Mrs. Everett's wife will be overjoyed to have this much extra material to work with. Make a few accessories for the family. Still have a few left over from your grandma but they have certainly seen better days."
I run my hands through the now shortened kinky cloud framing my head. Looking myself over in the mirror. I feel so much lighter now. I never knew just how much all of that was weighing me down. But I am pretty weak physically so I guess that doesn't help much. Having it this short actually looks really nice I think. A small smile tugging at my lips. "Ask her if she can make some bracelets out of it. I wanna send a few to Leo and Papa." I ask, turning to face her while taking off my nightgown and changing into the set of trousers, tunic, and boots Mama had set out for me.
Mama smiles brightly at me as she comes to a stand. "Bracelets are a beautiful idea dove." She says before stepping out of my bedroom and down the hall. Yelling back. "No matter what I want you back before supper! The moment the sun starts setting, NOT half after."
"Yes Mama!" I call back after buckling up my boots and turning to my bed to see the heavy training sword settled in its sheath. My smile widens instinctively, reaching over to grasp the scabbard and hoist it over my shoulder. Balancing it there with both hands before I run out of my room. I get to the entrance area of the cottage just as Mama is sliding her feet into some simple sandals. Giving me a glance as her smile fades a bit. She sighs with a bit of exasperation. "Look at my little girl. Lookin like a young warrior like her brother...breaks a mothers heart."
I narrow my eyes and puff up my cheeks at her. "Mama! You promised you wouldn't say things like that."
She pouts right back at me. "I know I know. Mama is sorry. But she can't help what she feels." Giving me an apologetic look before leaning down to plant a kiss on my forehead. An act that just makes me pout more but I'll let her off the hook THIS TIME.
"I'll be back!" I call out to her as I jog outside of the cottage and head towards the north gate. Passing by a few other villages who give me quite the odd looks seeing as I'm lugging around a big sword on my shoulder. The clang of iron from the smiths shop stops momentarily as the burly red headed Mrs. Everett calls out from over her anvil.
"Liore? Ya cut your pretty hair!"
I skid to a stop outside of the smithy and step a bit into the open front of the sweltering forge. "Oh yeah. Since I had my awakening and I'm gonna be workin now I thought it best to just get it out of the way." I explain with a light smile. "Mama is actually taking all the trimmings to your wife to turn into accessories. I wanna send some to Leo."
Mrs. Everett's smile stretches out wider, settling her hammer and tongs down for a moment. Using a rag to wipe the sweat from her brow. "Oh Margo will love that. She's be making nothing but grain sacks and mending clothes for months. She'll enjoy putting her actual creativity to work for a spell." The smiths eyes then linger on the sword on my shoulder, her brow raising. "Ain't that Leo's old broadsword? What you doin luggin that thing around? Hope you ain't tryin to swing it or nothin. Liable to hurt yourself love..."
My face gets a bit hotter at the scrutinizing. "Uh...of course not." I answer quietly. "Leo gave it to me before he left and said I could use it for my strength training...you know...do curls and such with it!" Taking the scabbard in both hands and giving it a few curls like a barbell. "And it's heavy too so I can run with it over my shoulders for that too..."
Mrs. Everett chuckles and shakes her head. "Well if your Mum is okay with it then alright. But you shouldn't be holding weapons either way. We non-combatants just get all fuzzy in the head when we hold them." She would state sternly. "Give me a few weeks and I can whip you up some suitable barbells and some weights."
I purse my lips and almost try to argue, but I think better of it. Best not to make trouble about stuff I shouldn't even be feasibly doing. So I just nod and smile up at her. "That would be great if you have the time." Readjusting the sword back over my shoulder. "I gotta go now! Strength training and stuff!" Excusing myself as I continue towards the gate. Mrs. Everett waving me off before heading back to her work.
I take a deep breath. I'm starting to realize that I need to be more careful with the other villagers. I don't want to draw a bunch of unneeded attention and questions. I spot Mr. Thorpe down by the gate, a smoke pipe between his lips. Puffing a few rings as he waits, his signature spear balanced over his left shoulder. The shaft is a fine lacquered dark wood while the metal blade at the end is bronze and shiny. The socket where the blade and the staff meets is ornately shaped like a wavering sun. A simple short sword in a scabbard hooked to his belt.
Old Guard notices me approaching and gives a wide smile with half of his mouth still dedicated to hold his pipe. "Mornin kid. Ready to go?"
Smiling back at him I nod, adjusting the sword on my shoulder as the other couple of guards near the gate look at me strangely. Making me sort of uncomfortable as I look away from them. A motion that Thorpe does not miss as he cocks his head back and notices two of his men gawking.
"Walt…Edd…there a problem here?" He would ask with a narrowing of his eyes, words slightly slurred with the pipe in his mouth.
One of the guards, a younger brown haired man with slighty tan skin speaks up. "Well Cap. I mean it's just seein a cute little farm girl luggin around a big ole sword is a little strange yeah?"
My mouth forms a thin line and I further try to avoid looking in their direction as my face heats up. Mr. Thorpe reaches up with his free hand to take out his pipe, blowing out the smoke. "It's her brothers, he gave it to her before he left. She wants to carry it around for strength training." He responds flatly at the younger guard. "Now mind your own business and watch the gate. Or do you want to take the night shift next?"
Both of the guards tense up and shake their heads. "No sir!"
The old man shakes his head and returns his attention to me. "Lookin good by the way. The shorter hair suits you." He compliments with a smile as he turns to head through the open gates.
I follow closely behind as we make our way along the pasture fence line that arch's up the big hill. The cattle currently grazing on the inside of the fence. And after a few minutes we get up to the top of the hill. The same spot where Mr. Thorpe did all of his lessons and spars with Leo over the years. A few spots where the grass is no longer growing caused by damage during pretty heated spars.
Mr. Thorpe finds a decent spot to set up and turns to face me. "Let's take moment before we start." He says gruffly with a smile, lifting up his spear and embedding the flat wood end into the ground to hold it there before he lowers himself down to sit cross legged in the grass. "Go ahead and take a seat. Put the sword in your lap and keep a tight hold of it."
I purse my lips but nod, sitting in the grass in front of Old Guard. Laying the sword across my lap and tightly gripping onto it. A strong comforting aura emanating from it. As if the sword felt relaxed.
"You can feel it huh." He says suddenly, snapping me out of a trance. My attention pulled back up to him.
"Feel…what?"
"The sword. The strange familiarity it gives off. Feels natural to hold. Like it was meant for you." He would explain. My eyes widen as I look back down at the sword curiously.
"Yes. I thought it was weird. I always feel drawn to it even when I'm not holding it. I feel safer when it's near me." I admit, remembering how it felt to grip the hilt for the first time. To swing it for first time. How I immediately felt like a knew just how much it weighed. "I'm guessing that's not…normal?"
Mr. Thorpe smiles over at me. "Not for regular weapons no. But for that one yes." The old man starts, regrabbing his spear to rest it against his shoulder. "The sword is enchanted. You could say it has a bit of an intellect of its own. It's an heirloom from an old mercenary buddy of mine."
Furrowing my brows as I look down at the sword. My lips forming a flat line. "Uh…hello…Mr. Sword."
The old man laughs and shakes his head. "Okay maybe saying it has an intellect is going a bit far. It can't talk to you nor can it think for itself. But it can play favorites. Basically if you match up with it then it will give you some benefits and keep others from using it." he explains carefully. "Might sound super special but it's a pretty common set of enchantments amongst higher level mercs."
I nodded along to his explanation while holding the sword tighter to me. "So it…accepts me?"
Mr. Thorpe smiles. "I think it liked you the moment you grabbed the handle. Was pretty obvious when I caught you swinging it like an expert a few months ago."
Thinking back to the moment when I held it for the first time, my body had unsheathed it unconsciously. It felt so natural to me. "Yeah. That was a really strange feeling. When I gripped it it was like the groves in the handle were meant for my hand."
Old Guard nods bluntly. "One of the benefits it gives for partnership. As well as increasing your balance and stability. Which is what helped you keep yourself from tumbling over with that overhead strike you did."
My eyes widen at that clarification. "Oh so it was just the sword that did that and wasn't me?"
"Well no. That was mostly you Liore. It just helped. What you did was still pretty impressive for your first swing. Especially with how heavy that sword is." He would say, folding his arms over his chest while still keeping the rod of the spear in the crook of his left arm.
I purse my lips. "So I'm still…strange…abnormal."
The old man's eyes soften as he leans forward. "OR…your gifted. Your sharp as a razor Liore. Even when you were a baby. Me and your dad had so many arguments with each other about what class you'd end up as." He chuckles, a smile crossing under his bushy mustache. "Your dad was convinced you were going to either be a cook like he was or some rare class like your brother." He then sighs with exasperation. "I won that bet but it's looking like he is gonna win through technicality."
I can't help but smile and giggle at that. Still clutching the sword to my chest. "What…what happened to the old owner?" I ask, already kind of guessing what the answer will be.
Mr. Thorpes smile fades a little, reaching up one hand to pass his fingers through his graying brown hair. "He died of course." His smile gone now. "Died like an idiot…" Grunting out sharply in agitation before a short pause and his features soften. "…like a hero." His hand that passed through his hair comes down to absentmindedly clutch at the pendant around his neck. That deep black money piece. "That sword of his has helped train a dozen people now. Including several of the younger village guard when they came of age. So it will serve you well."
I nod slowly, my eyes a bit fixating on his pendant but I stop myself from asking further. It's obvious wherever he got it from hurts to think about. So I'll leave it alone for now. "Then I will use it well." I say back, smiling to him.
Old Guard gives a thumbs up and stands up to stretch. I can hear several loud popping noises coming from his joints as he does so. "Aaaaaalright. I think we can go ahead and start with a simple spar. Slow and stready." He says as sets his spear down in the grass. Then reaches over to unfasten the short sword and its sheath from his belt. "We'll be keeping the sheaths on obviously" he assured me as I stand up.
My heart is starting to pound in my chest. Excitement rising as the corners of my mouth curve upward."I understand." Walking back a few paces like I've seen Leo do dozens of times before I face the old man.
Mr. Thorpe brings the sword to a diagonal grip with it crossing over his chest and the point aiming up in the sky. His knees bend, standing widening. His offhand held up, near the chest and behind his sword. "I want to see just how much muscle memory you are getting from [Battle Theory] and this is the best way to do it." His brows furrowing as he locks eyes on me. "You ready?"
I gulp at that stare, gripping the sword in both hands. Unsure of what to do myself but I start to try to mimic his stance a bit. It feels awkward at first but then my body seems to adjust automatically to something more proper. Keeping a two handed grip as my concerns and worries begin to melt away as my eyes narrow and focus. My mind settles, heart slows.
"Ready…"