After a good nights rest, things seemed normal. The kingdom was full of activity with the King's birthday celebration in full tilt. The market streets were full of people from all over the realm selling and buying trinkets. My father and I made our way to the large stall near the castle that belonged to his old friend Galdren.
He stood in front of his market forge with his large arms crossed in front of his chest. He was shaking his head from side to side with a sour look on his face as we walked up.
"What's this I hear about you two bringing Raiders into the realm?"
"We thought it would be a nice gift for the King."
Galdren had a disapproving look on his face, and then he burst into laughter and embraced my father.
"Why is it always you that finds trouble Falren? Boy, did I tell you about how your father saved my life?"
"Don't listen to him boy, I told you he only had one story that he told. You know me and trouble. If there is any out there, I'll find it."
"Aye, that you do. Come in here, I have something to show you."
Galdren led us into the small forge and to the back. This is where he had given me the plate mail gauntlet the year before. He cleared an area on his workbench, and then went to the far side and opened a large chest. He flung a blanket up from the top and pulled out a strange looking tunic. He placed that on the bench and then went back to the chest and pulled out two tapered cylinders with buckles on them.
"Your father sent word to me that you were going to compete in the Tournament of Knighthood. He wanted me to get this for you."
"What is it?"
"What have you been teaching the lad? This is armor boy."
I had never seen armor like this. In fact, the only armor I had ever seen was on the Targen Knights, and what was in the hidden room in my father's forge, and non of it looked like this.
"It's boiled leather lad. It will protect you during the tournament. I know it's not flashy like the armor you see here or what was in my forge, but this is all you will need."
"He's right boy. I've watched these tournaments for years now, and there are always some noble prats that don heavy plate mail thinking that it will give them and advantage, and all it does is slow them down and makes them tired. This will keep you nimble and agile, and it has enough hide on it to keep you from getting bruised up too badly."
I walked up to it in shock. I was going to have my own armor? As I got closer to it, I could see that the strange tunic was more of a vest with leather belts on the side with a large hole in the top for my head to go through.
"Can I try it on? I was excited.
"I insist on it. If it doesn't fit, we won't have any other time to get it changed before tomorrow."
With the help of my father I slid the breastplate over my head, and my father buckled the belts to give it a firm fit. It was stiff, but fit my body well.
"Move around a bit lad. You need to see if it rubs anywhere on you."
"In fact, practice the first movement in it."
"I don't have a sword with me papa. How can I practice the movement?"
"You don't need a sword to practice. Just go through the motion as if you had a sword in you hand."
There wasn't a lot of room in the booth. My father and Galdren took a few step back to clear what little area there was for me. I took a deep breath and began. I brought my hand up from my side sweeping across my belt line and acted as though I was holding sword upright in front of me. I lunged forward pointing my imaginary sword at my mysterious opponent. I stepped back and blocked, first low and then high. I slashed diagonally across my foes chest, planting my front foot and then brining my rear foot behind me causing my to spin backwards. As I made my 360 turn I slashed again, this time at neck height. I brought the sword around low and then back up in a diagonal slash from stomach to shoulder. I dropped down and spun throwing my rear leg out to sweep my opponents leg, quickly standing up to go for the fatal blow. One more spin and then I brought the sword point down into and exposed throat.
I kneeled there with and invisible sword planted firmly through my enemies throat and into the earth below. From a distance I heard a small round of applause. Even though we were in the back of the small market booth, we could still be seen from the open area of the market in front. A crowd had formed with delighted eyes.
"I might have to keep you around boy. You could be very good for business if you can draw people like this. Take a bow for your fans Pitre. You can see this young lad in the Tournament of Knighthood tomorrow, and don't forget where you saw him first."
I stood up a little bewildered. I took a small bow and waved to the crowd, and then promptly hid behind the small forge in the center of the booth.
"Don't be shy lad, that was impressive. It seems your father has been teaching you well. Did I see what I think I saw Falren?"
"You did. He found the Swordsman's Euphoria early on."
"There is no mistaking that look. It was the same one that you got when you went into battle. Well, you're looked a little like you had eaten a bad piece of meat, and the privy was full." Galdren released a laugh like it could be his last. It was more like a battlecry than a laugh. Maybe it was a victory cry. he had defeated his enemy and left them in tatters on the field of battle. My father just shook his head.
"Here boy, put the gauntlets on. I have no worries about them nor do I have any doubts that Galdren chose the right armor for you. You didn't feel any rubbing did you?
"No papa. It felt." I couldn't find the words for how it felt. I barely even noticed that it was there. "It felt like I didn't even have it on." I put the gauntlets on and my father buckled them up as well. A feeling came over me, a feeling like nothing I've experience before. It was confidence. I felt like I could do no wrong, and no one would best me in this tournament.
"I see that look in your eyes boy, and don't believe what you are feeling right now. Gauntlets and a breastplate don't make you a victor. Skill makes you a victor. Rely on that and only that. There is always someone out there who is faster, stronger, smarter, and better than you. Your only hope, is to never find that person, and if you do, hope that they are on your side. Remember that boy, it will save you more than any piece of armor, or fancy sword can."
My father's face was serious. It wasn't mean or angry, it was just serious. He wanted me to hear what he was saying, and I began to step down from that platform that I was standing on. There was someone better. I saw them myself when I saw my father kill that Raider on horseback."
"Do you understand me boy?'
"Yes papa."
"Good, I have one more thing for you." My father took his pack off and pulled a bundle out of it. It was about 3 feet or so long. He placed it on the bench where the armor had been and unwrapped it. With the burlap warp open a brilliant sword laid on top. It was a thin blade with a standard guard. The handle was wrapped with leather and had a brass inlay. On the end of the hilt was another large piece of brass but it was shaped to look like the head of a ram." I made this for you to use in the tournament. The edge is blunted right now, you can't have sharpened blades in the tournament. When we get home we can sharpen it."
"Aye, when did ya learn how to forge like that? I taught you well, but I didn't teach you that well. That is beautiful man, and it's a good thing you kept that under wraps. The guards would have had a fit with that one, dead Raider or not."
The sword was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I picked it up, and the balance was perfect, not like that lumpy old practice sword. It felt good in my hands. I gave the point a little twirl and it almost sung as it cut the open air. As I was doing that, the sun broke the clouds and a single ray found it's way through the rafters of the small forge. It almost shimmered in the small ray of light. I spun the handle in my hand to spin the blade, and it seemed to fleck with sparkles from the light. It didn't matter how it fell in my hand the sword was always at the ready with it's double edged blade.
"Alright boy, we need to put it up for now. It had to be left here and Galdren will present you with it tomorrow at the tournament. Remember, only royal blacksmiths are allowed to forge weapons."
"I don't know my friend, I'm good, but I don't know if anyone is going to believe that I forged that blade, and if they do, they are all going to want one."
"Are you telling me, that the student has surpassed the master?" My father had a sly grin on his face, and I watched Galdren's face contort into something reminiscent of a knotted up tree trunk.
"So you have. You know what this means though don't ya? I'm going to ask you to join my forge again, and become a royal blacksmith."
"Is there ever a time that you don't ask me?"
"You got me there old friend. One of these times you are going to cave in and come work with me."
"Wait, did I just hear you correctly? Did you say 'with me'? Now that is something new. I don't think I've heard those particular words come from you. It's always, 'you need to come work for me.'".
"Well, up until know, your work was always just good, not exceptional." Both men began laughing again as I placed the sword in the burlap and folded it back up. I would see it again tomorrow, and then soon after, I would begin my journey as a Knight.
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