New Beginings

The smell of ash floated on the air as Reink entered the small empty forge. His eyes glanced indifferently over the small silver pegs that lined the forges back walls. Each was tipped with a ravenous looking dragonhead, polished to a gleam. They had once held the tools of a master blacksmith. Reink let his large leather carry bag drop onto the hard stone bench that lined the forge along it's western wall. The tools within it clinked softly as they were suddenly forced into each other. Reink didn't pay much attention; instead he stood looking at the black burn marks toward the back of the forge. This area evidently once held a fire and was the only sign that the forge had been used previously. Two years previous Reink had applied to the Guild for his own forge and had traveled throughout the lands never remaining in any one place for more than three weeks. Then just two weeks ago he received a letter to inform him of an opening in the forge where he now stood. The last occupant had died only a month before of poisoning.1

Unconsciously Reink had moved over to the back wall of the forge and was now running his fingers over the sharp features of the dragonheads. He wondered what had happened to the tools that used to hang on the silver hooks and assumed that they had been placed in the care of the widow of the smith so as she could earn money for herself. Then a light knock on the door caused him to spin around cautiously to face a girl of about his age. She peaked her head around the door and Reink motioned for her to enter. She entered slowly clad in a sky blue dress. From the waist up it had a delicate, intricate floral design and below it flowed out almost touching the floor. She curtsied low gathering in her dress so as to save it from touching the forge floor. Reink was amused by this because to floor of the forge was as clean as any he had ever seen in any forge, or indeed in any other establishment. "Hello" he grinned as she struggled to rise without getting her dress dirty and trying not to reveal too much to Reink. "My name is Reink, and I'm the new smith around here" He indicated his bag on the table. It had crashed open when he let it drop onto the table and a hammer now lay teetering on the edge.2

"Greetings Master Reink" she replied, her face going slightly red. "I am Gwern, my parents own the bakery across the way". She raised a hand and pointed to a large stone building across from the inn. A small black sign with a loaf of bread fronting a spilt bag of flour blew silently in the gentle wind. Reinks eyes fell back upon Gwern "I have been sent by the village council to see that you settle in alright" she continued.3

"I would be very grateful,” replied Reink, he wondered if it would have been a wise idea to reject the offer. "Only...." he hesitated ".... could you give me time to wash up after the travel? I only arrived this very morning and I wish to get out of these cloths". He gestured to the white shirt he wore, there were multiple patches where mud had splashed from the wagons that passed him on his journey.4

"Oh! I'm sorry" blushed Gwern. "I should have thought of that myself, I'll come back in an hour shall I?". She had already turned to the door as she spoke and as Reink agreed to her proposal she was already disappearing out the door. Reink turned to his bag and pushed the hammer back inside. He then moved outside the forge where the sun had risen high in the sky. There was little movement on the dirt track main street and the grass lay undisturbed by children’s play. Small white flowers grew in places on the village green, but Reink pulled himself away from the view and moved to the house that adjoined the forge. As part of the forge building he owned it too.5

It was a small two-roomed hut and as he entered Reink noticed a small black apse in the left wall. He assumed that there had been a small fire there. Against the far wall there was a small wooden table and against the wall as he entered there was a washbasin, complete with a cloth and a large bar of fresh smelling soap. Reink moved through to the second room where he found a small bed against the far wall. Fresh linen had been laid on it and at it's head sat a small oil lamp on a shelf overhanging the bed. To the left of the bed stood a large wooden closet in which he found a few wooden hangers.6

He returned to the forge where he found his bag still unmoved and he picked it up and carried it to the bedroom of the house. He dropped it onto the bed and the tools once more clinked within. He removed a leather bag from within the carrier bag and placed it softly on the bed. It contained all his tools. He then turned to the closet and removed the hangers and lay then on the bed with a crackle of wood on wood. Then removing his cloths from the bag he placed them one shirt and one pair of pants to a hanger before returning them to the closet.7

He then walked out to the washbasin and removed his dirty shirt. He picked up the cloth and began administering the soap to the soft material. He lifted the cloth to his left pectoral and began to wash him self down. Afterwards he picked out another shirt. This one was a light green with a dark green spiral down each sleeve. He picked out a pair of pants from the same hanger. They were the same green as the spirals on the shirt.8

Just as he finished buckling the heavy leather belt around his waist Gwern poked her head around the door. “Come in” indicated Reink and she stepped in the door. “I shall be ready in a minute, take a seat” He ushered her to a chair beside the table and she sat down. Reink went into the bedroom where he picked up the tool bag and carried it out to the other room. “First I want to hang these up in the forge, is that alright?” he asked as he put the bag on the table and moved to empty the washbasin.9

“Of course Master Reink, I’ll help you if need be”. She picked up the bag and walked to the door. As they made their way back round to the forge building Reink noticed an unusual figure standing outside the inn. His bright red coat seemed as if it was floating on the wind. He was a joy-bringer, one who told stories of the adventures of the heroes of the past. Legend had it that it was a simple bard who brought news to the high kings that a new hero, Myed The Brave, had stepped forward from where others had fallen to lead them in the war against the Cloaked Men. This led to great celebration in the Central Kingdoms. From that day forth men opted to take the name of joy-bringer and travelled around the known lands recounting the tale of the one man that stood up to the Cloaked Men and won, chasing them back across the Novul Sea.10

Gwern stood beside him looking at the joy-bringer too. She snorted at the sight of him and Reink just had to ask. “What is the matter, Lady Gwern?”11

“I am not a lady Reink” she started with a look of enjoyment on her face. “And it’s just that I find it much more interesting to read the exploits of the heroes of the past in books. Each joy-bringer recounts the tale in a different way and sometimes it’s hard to tell if what he says is truth or just added to enthral his audience”12

“You think too much” Reink smiled. “Myself I enjoy listening to the joy-bringers. It always takes me in and I have heard the tale of Myed 'The Brave' many times and in many ways, each I find interesting in it’s own way. However I have never read any of the books from the past about the deeds of Myed The Brave. I would much like to though”. There was a look of dissatisfaction on his face as he turned to Gwern again, he had looked back to the joy-bringer, she was the first person in quite a while that he had met who could read and who wasn’t a noble.