My hammer hitting the metal shaping it into the most refined blade I made in a month, the saddening part is it's going to be sent for war. My beauty, my creation, if only I could display you with my finest sword, since the start of the war with the Atingkok, all swords and armor made. Must go towards the war, at least their not taking away my already made beauties, putting my hammer down next to the anvil, putting the sword in the barrel full of water. Taking my first steps out of the forge in a few months, walking out I could see the nature filled valley that would be ridden with war soon. Taking my time walking back to my house, which I bought not too long ago, there my husband waited for me, opening the door, him sitting at the dining table, taking care of his flowers. "Putting them in a new pot, honey?" Leaning over him, "I might have to put all of these outside at this rate of growth." I chuckle while ruffling his hair, I take the chair next to him pulling it out and sitting down, helping him transfer one flower to a bigger pot. I look over to him after finishing only one transfer, not my type of iron, "should we bring grandma daisy a few flowers? I haven't got to visit her for awhile." He looked at me, got out of his chair and walked outside. I fastly made my way to keep up with him. He stopped in his garden picking some flowers. He made a beautiful banquet, handing it over to me, then we walked the path to the graveyard.
Many years back, when I was just a child I lived in a small town, my family being that entire town, but if I had to name one I was the closest with, grandma Daisy. She was a kind old lady, severely devious though she stole from everyone's houses when no one was looking, giving all she found to me. Saying to me, "Look youngen I bought you a few more things!" I didn't know at first it was stolen, it was something simple, a piece of bread, then it escalated, she brought home many more things. More bigger and more extravagant, she even stole from a local noble house, never getting caught, she stopped once she got too old. Her bones creaked, she screamed in agony at night, "We're all going to die! There's no hope for anyone!" In the end you could say she was right, after she fatally died one night, the next night we were raided, everything taken, men were killed, women were taken away. Their screams echoed the night, I was one of the lucky few who made it out from the village, only losing my foot in the process. I gripped the flowers thinking about old times, and my husband patted my back. "We all have our time, and yours is not yet." Yes, not yet, I stopped walking in front of the graveyard, opening the gates. My husband stopped entering this land of the dead, taking the first step into the green grass filled with flowers, trees over growing the gravestones. Walking through you wouldn't think that a graveyard existed here or the tragedy that awaited these people long ago.
Placing the banquet in front of grandma daisy grave, clasping my hands together in hope that she is resting peacefully. We've taken care of this place the best we can, we both know it's time to stop this unending grieving for what is lost, he already knows, now it's just me I need to forgive and forget. Taking a heavy breath in as my last, standing up looking down, dusting off grandma daisy and walking away, this will be my last for caring for this place. I need to focus or as an empire we will lose, my hammer could save many, taking my partners hand and walking back to our home. Neither of us started or tried to talk, we just enjoyed each other's company, making our way back to our house, right in front of the door I stopped. "We forgot about the traps, I believe it's your turn honey." Taking a step into the house, he looked at me with a pouting face, "But I thought we would enjoy each other's company today?" I firmly grinned at him, waiting for a response I wanted, "fine but once I'm back no holding back okay?" I ruffle his hair saying okay, okay, then waving him away. He walked away deep into the forest, I turned around slamming the door, humming my way to the kitchen, stopping then remembering I should get all this smudge off before making dinner tonight. Swiftly making my way to the very back of our house, opening the door, looking at the big wooden tub, "time to fill it." Opening the second door in the bathroom that leads outside, taking one bucket and gathering water from the stream that runs through the back side of our house. Pouring it into the tub until filled with water, sparking the fire on, and letting it boil for a while, watching it I wondered.
I wonder even if I make the best swords there are in the entire world, would we win against the Atingkok kingdom? Are our knights trained enough, what will happen when we lose? If we do lose, would I lose my cozy life in this forest area, would I be forced into slavery, or would they see my talent and send me straight to the forge. I guess, I can ponder, but I do hope that none of them will be true in the end, I do not wish for any of those thoughts to become true. I want us to win this war and carry on in life, so I can live my peaceful life here with my partner to old age. I continued to ponder for a few more minutes then I noticed the bath was ready, taking off my clothes, dipping my foot in, just the right temperature. Then fully embracing a peaceful bliss before the storm, washing away all my worries, taking my time is easy but I have to make dinner soon unless I wish my husband to starve tonight. Getting out drying my hair, I hear the thunder in the distance, "Sounds like I should worry about our roof tonight." Heading to the bedroom, putting on my clothes, the roundness from my belly recently has made it harder to make my clothes fit, at this rate I might need to resow all of them. Maybe this peaceful life is making me gain weight recently, more veggies for tonight then, taking a moment then walking out the room. Towards the kitchen to prepare dinner for my fateful partner's return, flicking the fire on,, peeling potatoes, cutting carrots, and cooking a few eggs we got from the recent trip to a town.
Finishing off the meal by preparing the dining table, whipping it off, placing the potato themed dish with some scrambled eggs, sounds more like breakfast than dinner. I have a feeling though he wouldn't mind, after all there are some occasions where he made breakfast for dinner, dinner for breakfast. Then there was a loud boom, light flashed from the window, it seems the storm is not letting up tonight, hopefully it doesn't get too bad or he might not make it home in time. Seems I will be eating alone tonight at this rate, well waiting for a while is not too bad maybe I'll get a few household chores done. Grabbing the broom from the closet, sweeping the floors, sweeping the rooms clean, grabbing a towel and wiping down the windows. Cleaning the bathroom, I almost clean the entire house, setting down the dirty towel, taking a seat at the dining table. I look at the food wondering when he'll be home, the storm has only gotten worse over the time he's been gone. Maybe he decided it would be best to camp out then run though the storm home to night, grabbing the fork, slowly eating my food in hopes that he would come through the door. I finished it, no one came through the door, only the creaking from the house was hit with a blasting wind, or the loud thundering that only made my worry grow.
Putting the plate in the sink, I walked to the bedroom. All that was left was to head to bed, opening the door, I plopped down on the bed. Getting comfy for the long night ahead, or short night ahead, right when I hit the pillow my eyes went dark and before I knew it I was fastly asleep. Next time I opened my eyes I could hear the chirping of the birds from outside, getting up from bed, going to the kitchen I found the plate of food I made still sitting there on the table not a touch in sight. Sighing, then cleaning it up, then taking my time to go to the workshop, my forge was still in one piece, I thought it would blow away finally. One part of the roof has gone bad and it's still holding up well even after that bad storm we got last night. Heading in I got to work right away, there's no time to slack, with the war going on these swords I make could save a life or two. Maybe I could get rich from helping out in this war, then me and him would be living a much more peaceful life here. Servants to help us, maybe we wouldn't need to clean up after ourselves either, flicking the forge a lit and increasing the temperature, to the right amount for the metal to heat on right up. Throwing a slab of steel in there and for only a short moment, slamming it on to the anvil, swiftly picking my hammer to the sky and striking down with great force. Shaping the metal from the finest slim of it, to finest of shapes, a perfect sword to cut down those Atingkok bastards. That was the first sword of the day, throwing it into the water barrel. I grabbed another piece of steel and threw it into the forge, repeating it over and over again.
Before I knew it, the setting sun was creaking onto my forge. Finishing the last sword of the day, I walk out of the forge. Only to search the entire house for my partner, no one was there waiting for me, no one to greet me, no one to welcome me. I walked back to my forge picking up the first sword I made today, taking it to the forest. Looking through all the trap placement in hopes that he would be there, first trap nothing, second trap nothing, third trap nothing, fourth trap nothing, fifth trap nothing. Six trap nothing, seven trap nothing, that was all of them, nothing to be found at each one, I rushed home thinking maybe he was there, maybe he just got a little injured and it took him longer. No one was there, not a single soul, I rushed through the forest, this time checking every spot that a creature could hide.
I found nothing, maybe I was overlooking something, I stopped and pondered, what about the old eight trap we used to use? Maybe he went to set that one up again? I rushed on over immediately, slashing away at the forest that stood in my way, cutting down anything that got in my way. I tripped and fell and got back up, my leg was injured but it didn't matter, what mattered the most was making sure he was alright, he could be worse, I can't allow that no matter what we have to experience the same ending. Reaching the last trap, looking around I found what I was hoping for: a slither of hope, a piece of cloth from his clothing. With this I can know he was here, at least he might not be far, all I have to do is search the area. Simple as that, clinging to my last hope I search the area, only to find my partner hanging from a tree, his blood dripping down from his impaled head. I rushed over immediately, to only start falling? Why was I falling, then from below me I felt things push right into my body, something pierced right through my neck. I believe I was in a state of confusion before realizing what had just happened. I fell right into a spike trap, you dig a hole and lay out spikes below, covering the top with leaves and clutter from the forest. I stared blankly at the forest canopy before moving my right arm over to where I was impaled. One in the neck, three in the chest, one through the stomach, and lastly one through my thigh on my right leg.
How was I still alive? If I move anymore would I be dead? Coughing up blood, all I could do was stare at the canopy and ponder, how could I allow such a thing to happen. If only I went and searched right in the morning or even during the storm would he still be alive? Is there any reason to continue this suffering life I've lived, to be tortured in my final moments. To see my only one I loved be murdered, by some bastard who I'll never be able to get revenge on. I don't want to die, not yet just a little more, I tried grabbing my sword and cutting the spike that was impaling my thigh. It cut right through it, then the one for the stomach, the three on the chest, and finally the one on the neck. I cut myself lose even if I had to saw through the wooden spikes, or even my flesh, cutting off the rest of it only leaving the parts that impaled my body in. Maybe the only reason I'm still alive is because they are stuck inside my gravelly body, digging my sword in the side of the hole, and bringing myself up from the ground. Pulling myself up, before I could get out of the hole a bour ran right at me slamming right into me, throwing me right back into the hole. Then it went pitch black, I couldn't see anymore, I could barely move my arm, maybe it's finally time for my ending. I waited and waited. I couldn't see anything but I could still feel the pain, I could still feel the dirt underneath my body, not too long crunching leaves caught my attention. Was it people? I tried to call out but no sound was made, it got closer and closer to the hole stopping just near it, then I heard a rip and tear. Something hit me, I reached out with what I could muster to feel what it was, going from the top to the bottom. It was a foot, from outside the hole I could hear growling of wolves, they were tearing up the last parts of my husband to shreds. Tears welded up in my eyes, then something jumped on me, ripping me to shreds, I could feel my entire body being torn apart, I lost consciousness right after.