Deep in the forest near a quiet little town, the loud sound of a hammer hitting hot metal filled the air. It mixed with the noise of the sky, like a wild song that people could feel in their ears and hearts. The early winter wind was cold and rough, but that sound—the beat of fire and metal—felt warm in a strange way. A strong blacksmith, with big, hard-working arms, moved carefully and surely as he worked with the fire and metal.
In the muddy yard, two children were play-fighting with wooden swords, laughing as they moved. A boy and a girl. Joy and excitement danced with every swing.
Suddenly the girl slipped and fCora into the wet mud. Her clean white dress was now covered in brown and green stains, as if the forest floor had reached out and touched her. Who would believe that such a big, fancy house—the home of the noble James family—stood quietly in the middle of these wild woods?
At the doorway, a slightly older girl stood and watched them with soft eyes. She wasn't yet twelve. A quiet smile rested on her face. She wore a long white dress like her sister's. Her blue eyes sparkled like stars just before the night came. The wind pulled at her golden hair, but she held her shawl tightly around her to stay warm. Calm and sweet, she stood there, watching the other two play, her heart full of quiet love.
They were the daughters of Lord Lucas James who came a long way to spend their dead mother's memorial day with their uncle.
Kira was wondering how her sister, Selene , was held by this cold to smash down their cousin, Jarek. It was foolish to beat him when their uncle trained him wCora enough to kick down a grown man. Selene was proud and such a fall could tease her for days.
"Kid me not, Selene ! Get up, clean your face. My father wouldn't like this."
Jarek was uttering the words with a mocking tone. He thought that he had become a man but to Selene , he was still a young bleating goat, feeding on breasts in his dreams, yet. He was trying to hide that the steel sword of his father was heavy, pretending to have guts not to harm his own ass.
His sneer got expanded, Selene bit her downward lip while he leaned onward, his chin on the sword's hilt, she clenched her fist, holding a full hand of mud among her black fingers. Her pale skill was wholly concealed under the slit. She raised her head from the ground, spat out the mud from her mouth, tending to move ahead and throwing the rest that she kept in her fist.
Kira read her sister's expression and frowned but remained mute, to see how much her sister can go further. It was the dark side of Selene and Kira but she couldn't harm people even in games while Selene didn't mind and just wanted to win.
Selene splashed the silt into Jarek's face. He stepped backward, dropped the sword to clean his face, especially his eyes that now were burning by dirt not the speed of raindrops.
"You are cheating!" He cried out.
She made a face and slipped on the mud, hitting Jarek's ankle. He slipped and hit the forest floor by the back. He roared.
"You are fighting out of honor." He nagged.
Selene grinned, shifting on her feet, she kept the sword's tip on his neck. The disgusting taste of slit was strolling in her mouth, glued between her teeth. She had no worries if a man never dared to kiss her one day because of being messy.
"And you fight with a big bloated head, cousin."
Her brown eyes glinted. Baring her teeth, she rubbed Jarek's sword away with a kick. Putting back her sword into the sheath, she extended her dirty hand to Jarek. He smacked her hand back and narrowed his eyebrows. His blue eyes sharpened in a threatening tone.
"No need for a girl's aid."
He was getting to his feet and not yet prepared for the next position.
Selene smirked archly while stepping back to the smithery, blurted, "perhaps uncle would prize me for beating you! I crave a dagger!"
It was always pleasing her to tease him this way and would earn a new weapon to add it to her luxury collection. She ran to the smithery before Jarek was able to stop her.
Kira sighed and lazily let her lean off the wall, walking after them, yet she was enjoying the roof of the doorway which was stretching overhead and protecting her from drenching.
Inside the smithery, Selene was gasping when she halted near their uncle, a bulky man with wavy dark blond hair that was tied up his head. Sweat was dripping down his forehead when he was hitting the molten steel. The drop fCora on the lash of flaring steel and steamed up. The sound of the hammer, hitting the sword and anvil both devoured every coming sound from outside.
She had no words to describe how she praised him. He was the strongest one in her mind.
Uncle Darian was even better than his Lord father who spent life in the court among some proud Peacock courtiers that didn't even bother to brush their hairs with their own useless soft hands.
She heaved out a breath, shoving the gasp down. Her uncle was continuing his job.
"What else do you want, you, wicked princess?"
She made her sword leaning back to the table which was full of tools that were neatly placed on it.
She wrung her fingers behind her. Mischievously, she shuffled beside him, keeping distance not to disturb him but eyeing how he did beat the steel.
"I gained another triumph!"
Her uncle gripped the tong tightly and tossed the piece inside the bucket of water.
He peeked at her, then took the raw sword out again, putting it on the anvil.
"Why do you always cheat on my poor son! Should not have you gained it with honor, blade kissing blade?"
He began hitting it again. "Yes, but I use my brain to evaluate the situation and win. He can do so!" She shrugged.
The answer was satisfying to her uncle. He smiled and stopped. Looking at her, he pointed to a shelf on the wall where the amazing wCora-forged daggers were placed on it."Be careful, they are the new ones, extremely sharp. I made only three of them. They can tear the thickest skin."
Her face flourished."For all of us?" She didn't wait for the answer and flashed to the wall that her uncle pointed out. Just calculating them to be assured they were made for three of them. Uncle Darian gazed outside where Kira and Jarek were talking."Come in son, I saw everything."
Darian was assured that his son felt disgraceful and it was hard for him to step inside that place and face his father. The dignity of his little man that moments before got broken.They followed the rough voice that summoned them inside. Kira smiled at her uncle. Darian's blue eyes glinted, this time hadn't the hard look that he was wearing a while before when he hit the steel, now very soft and smooth. "Kids, watch this! We have three daggers with the badge of our kin, carved on the end of hilts, Heads of Griffins." Selene shouted out excitedly.
Claire's eyes drew teary, it was saying that he spent days and nights making such arts, she rushed forward and hugged him.
"Gods' sake, darling! I smCora like a pig!"
She shook her head. The twelve years old girl had the same idea as her younger sister but she had no fear of showing her emotions, unlike Cora.
She released him and gazed up into his eyes, "this scent comes out of the God of art and perseverance. The filthy court of Belingtone didn't deserve a man like you."
He wanted to caress her head but loathed to cause this muse any dirt.