The Hammer's Fall

by Summers, Derick

  While Logan was learning the art of the forge, Tanel was far from idle. She took an early interest in healing and medicine. Everything Tess taught her, she soaked up like a sponge. Before too long, her skills could rival those of any other healer in Solan Bay. Tanel continued in her role as mother’s little helper and the village women would be shocked if they knew exactly how many of Tess’ poultices and salves were actually prepared by her young daughter.

  Both Tess and Hagar understood the need for their children to have at least a basic education. They both took time from their busy days to make sure that Tanel and Logan each had a good understanding of sums and could both read and write Low Tir’anish. Of the two, Tanel took to this type of learning much faster than Logan did and she spent a fair bit of time tutoring him herself. It wasn’t that Logan was simple. Rather, he was just better at working with his hands. His attention span was a little on the short side and he’d much rather be in the forge, or even in the forest, than sitting in the kitchen working on his sums or letters.

  Tess understood her son’s nature and often, when Hagar didn’t need him and Tanel was too busy to help her, she would send Logan out into the forest to find herbs for her. Tess knew how much her son loved being out in the woods and knew he could easily spend hours searching out just the right root or herb for her. She also knew that when he came back he’d have a grin stretching from ear to ear, mud covering him from head-to-toe and that he’d have found just the perfect item. She always scolded him for the mess he made, but inwardly she always smiled.

  Tanel and Logan both grew and developed. Tanel took after her mother, though she had gained some of her father’s height. At five foot eight, she was able to look many of the young men in Solan Bay in the eyes. She had her mother’s hair and her father’s eyes and her beauty had caught the attention of many of the village boys.

  Yet, much like her mother, Tanel seemed to take no notice of this attention. She was far more interested in her studies and considered the village boys a waste of her time. For their part, Tess and Hagar were fine with this attitude. They both felt that Tanel would know when the right boy came along. Besides, many of these boys were the same ones who had made Logan’s life so difficult and Tanel was fiercely protective of her little brother. Many didn’t realize that they had no chance with her before they even tried.

  Tanel continued to develop in the healing arts. She was so good and it came so easily that Tess secretly wondered if her daughter possessed more than the normal abilities in these areas. Late at night, when the kids were asleep, Tess would share her thoughts on the subject with Hagar. She wondered if Tanel might possess healing magic. Hagar would just smile lovingly at his wife and announce that what would be would be, at which point Tess would usually hit him with a pillow out of pure exasperation.

  As attractive and popular as Tanel was, Logan wasn’t. By fourteen, he was larger through the shoulders and chest than any of the men in the village, save Hagar. His ears had developed a more pronounced point and the irises of his eyes were too black and too large, by human standards. At five foot two inches, he was still much shorter than any of the other boys his age, and the disproportionate build of his body was still the source of much ridicule.

  Generally, he tried to keep to himself. His attempts to fit in with the local children had met with laughter and teasing. Logan often found himself the centre of jokes, insults and name-calling and it wasn’t just the children who taunted him. Of course, none of this occurred where there was any risk that Hagar would hear of it. His lesson from the tavern so many years ago had not been forgotten.

  Chapter Six: A Walk in the Woods

  Logan eventually gave up on ever fitting in with the other children in the village. Unfortunately, they hadn’t given up on him. This became especially apparent one summer day while he was making a delivery to Sarol Tanith’s farm for his father. Master Tanith was quite short with Logan, as was normally the case, and Logan’s business was concluded quickly. It was as he was leaving the Tanith farm that Logan ran into Seli, master Tanith’s daughter.

  Seli Tanith was a year older than Logan and quite lovely. She had long blonde hair, pretty blue eyes and was already developing an eye-catching figure. Logan had seen the girl on several occasions, and though he had never spoken to her, he had developed a bit of a crush on her. Now that he found himself face-to-face with Seli he became extremely shy and unsure of himself. For her part, Seli seemed radiant and confident as she watched him squirm under her gaze. When she finally spoke to him her voice was soft, yet sure.

  “Hi Logan.”

  “Um … Hi, Seli,” Logan murmured as he studied the ground at his feet intently.

  “Logan, Daddy says I can’t go for a walk in the woods because it’s dangerous.”

  She moved in closer to him and Logan looked up shyly only to find her pouting prettily. Almost immediately, his gaze dropped back to the ground and he stammered as he spoke.

  “Well … Well, it can be, Seli.”

  “I’m sure it wouldn’t be dangerous for you. I mean, you’re so big and strong.”

  She ran a delicate hand across his shoulder and down his sleeve. Logan coloured deeply at her gentle touch.

  “Would you take me for a walk?” she asked.

  He stumbled over his words as he attempted to answer the girl before him.

  “Um … uh … I really should get back home, Seli.”

  “Oh, please, Logan,” she pleaded.

  She placed both hands on his large chest. Logan could feel the warmth in her touch and felt his own resolve weakening. After a few moments he made up his mind.

  “Um … Alright, Seli,” he finally agreed.

  Seli clapped her hands in excitement.

  “Oh, thank you, Logan. This will be so much fun.”

  She slipped her left arm under Logan’s right and the two set off towards the forest. Master Tanith’s farm occupied land on the opposite side of Solan Bay to Logan’s own home, and like many of the farms in Solan Bay, master Tanith’s bordered the Great Southern Forest. Logan quickly found himself deep in unknown woods, but since the trail they were following seemed to be well traveled, he wasn’t particularly worried.

  A small itching sensation in the back of Logan’s mind suggested to him that all was not how it seemed. In particular, Logan found it odd that Seli seemed to be walking with a purpose. She also seemed to be very sure of where she was going, especially for someone who was not supposed to go into the woods by herself.

  Seli tripped slightly on a rock in the path and Logan felt her grip his arm for support. Her touch awoke a myriad of sensations in Logan and he quickly shrugged off his earlier concerns.

  Probably just being paranoid, he decided.

  They had been walking for about twenty minutes and had just come across a slight clearing in the forest when Seli released his arm and slowed to a stop. Logan paused a pace or two ahead and looked back at the girl. She was leaning against a large oak tree and smiling meaningfully at him.

  “Logan, can we rest here for a bit?” she asked, her voice sweet and slightly pleading. “Our walk has worn me out.”

  Logan shifted uncomfortably from side-to-side.

  She hadn’t seemed worn out, he thought.

  He nodded hesitantly.

  “Uh… Sure, Seli. Whatever you want.”

  While Seli caught her breath, Logan paced the small clearing. The itchy feeling in the back of his head was back. Something didn’t feel right to him. His sensitive nose was picking up a strange scent drifting on the wind, and the trees around the clearing were so thick they could conceal just about anything. Logan whirled around as his ears picked up the sound of a branch breaking underfoot. As he turned, a strange growling sound rose from amongst the trees before him. Even as he moved, his mind wrestled with his confusion.

  Whatever it was, he thought. It didn’t sound like anything he’d ever encountered before.

  He thought he heard Seli giggle.

  No, that could
n’t be right, he thought. She must have gasped in fear. Logan stepped between the girl and the sound and pushed her behind him. He watched the trees closely, waiting for the source of the strange growl. There was movement in the trees. Logan held very still in a low fighting crouch, ready and waiting to strike when his target became known.

  Suddenly, a large bear’s head pushed through the trees.

  Given the level of its head the beast must be at least seven feet at the shoulder, thought Logan.

  Carefully, he stepped back away from the bear, all the time keeping Seli behind him. Something just didn’t feel right about the entire situation, and that’s when he heard it … Laughter.

  It came from all around him in the forest and from Seli standing behind him. The bear came out of the trees now and Logan could see that it was just the head of a bear on the end of a stick. Frustration welled inside him as the situation became clear. Jonah, the local bully who took some perverse pleasure in taunting Logan, held the long stick in his right hand. He was laughing loudest of all.

  Jonah had been a troublemaker for as long as anyone could remember and for some reason had taken an extreme dislike to Logan. The boy had been tormenting him for years, though why was still a mystery he had yet to puzzle out. Jonah’s father ran the general store in Solan Bay and had been able to buy Jonah out of a lot of trouble over the years. Most considered the boy to be too old to still be goofing around with the village children, but Jonah wasn’t ready to deal with responsibility and his father wasn’t about to make him.

  “Oh Jonah, that was wonderful,” Seli squealed in delight.

  “Yeah it was wasn’t it?” he laughed.

  Jonah poked the bear’s head at Logan.

  “Trying to be a man, runt?”

  He poked him with the head again and called out to the forest.

  “Hear that everybody? The runt is trying to be a man.”

  This was greeted by more laughter from the surrounding woods. As Logan listened, he recognized the voices of Jonah’s usual crew. Logan felt the tears welling up in his dark eyes.

  Gods no, not here, he thought.

  He turned from Jonah and began walking toward the trail that led back to the village. Jonah’s harsh voice followed him.

  “Where do you think you’re going, runt?”

  Again the bear’s head was jabbed at him.

  “Did I say you could leave?”

  “Leave me alone, Jonah,” Logan replied bitterly. He could feel the anger building up inside.

  “What did you say to me?” Jonah’s voice was dangerously calm as he spoke and the woods around the clearing grew quiet in anticipation.

  Logan kept walking away. Seli still leaned against her tree. She looked down her nose at him as he passed.

  “Like I would ever be interested in a freak like you!” she announced, stepping in front of him, effectively blocking his escape, as she studied his face.

  “Are you crying?” she almost whispered.

  She leaned in closer to get a better look, an expression of surprise on her own face as she answered her own question.

  “You are crying!”

  A triumphant smile appeared on her lips as she gleefully informed the others.

  “Jonah, he’s crying!”

  Again, the peels of laughter broke out through the forest and Logan’s face turned red with anger. He just wanted to go home but Jonah wouldn’t let him. The older boy again jabbed him with the bear’s head and Logan could handle no more.

  Something in Logan snapped and the world around him went blurry. All his incredibly acute senses focused on the young man jabbing him from behind. His left hand lashed out, snatching the pole just below the bear’s head as he spun to face Jonah. He pulled hard on the pole causing Jonah to overbalance as the pole was pulled from his grasp. As Jonah fell forward trying to catch himself, he fell straight into Logan’s waiting right hand.

  Logan heard yelling from off in the distance, then the sounds of people crashing through the forest brush. Hands reached and grasped at him. He shrugged them off as he threw Jonah back and away, the boy’s weight little more than that of a sack of grain to Logan’s forge-hardened muscles.

  More hands grasped and pulled. Punches and kicks struck against him. Logan spun the pole in his left hand and the bear’s head careened off into the trees. With long, sweeping strokes he cleared the hands away from him. Blocking and striking with the pole, his body constantly in motion. Time lost all meaning for him as he fought. Then suddenly, there was nothing. No hands, no voices, nothing. Logan sank wearily to his knees, the end of the pole in the ground holding him from complete collapse. Slowly, he looked around the clearing. He saw the last of the boys disappearing through the trees heading back to the village. There was no sign of Seli or Jonah.

  Painfully pushing himself back up to his feet with the pole he struggled to stay conscious. Using the pole to support himself as he walked, he slowly began the long journey home.

  Chapter Seven: Accusations

  Tanel was the first to see him as he struggled down the dirt road to the house.

  “Mom! Dad!” she yelled as she ran through the yard to her brother.

  As Tanel met Logan at the front gates, his legs finally gave out from under him and he collapsed into his sister’s arms. His weight pulled her to her knees as she tried to support him. She whispered fiercely into his ear, tears of anger in her eyes.

  “Who did this to you, Logan?”

  “J ... jon … ah … Se … ll ..,” he croaked.

  “Jonah and Seli?”

  Logan managed a faint nod but the way the blood moved through his aching head informed him that repeating the gesture might not be a good idea. It was then that he heard his mother’s startled gasp.

  “Hagar, take him in the house,” she barked. “Tanel, get my supplies.”

  His mother quickly took charge of the situation and Logan felt Hagar’s strong hands on him, lifting him from the ground and carrying him into the house. It was at that point, safe with his family, that Logan finally let himself pass out.

  Logan woke to find himself in his own bed under his feather duvet. Tanel was sitting beside the bed, watching him. When she saw that he was awake, she moved to sit at the edge of the bed and smiled down at him.

  “You gave us quite a scare lil’ brother.”

  She dabbed at his forehead with a cool cloth then called out to the other room.

  “Mom! Dad! He’s awake!” her voice rang through Logan’s head like his father’s hammer on the anvil. Logan flinched.

  “Sorry about that,” Tanel apologized sheepishly.

  Tess bustled into the room carrying a tray with a variety of jars and pots on it. Logan sniffed.

  Ick, he thought. I know those smells. They’re some of mother’s more potent salves. He found enough of his voice to lodge a protest.

  “I’m fine,” he insisted. “What’s all the fussing? Just let me up.”

  He tried to push himself up to a sitting position but his whole body cried out in agony. His head swam and he crumpled back in defeat. A large shape cast a shadow in the doorway. A voice like thunder rumbled painfully across the room.

  “Take it easy, boy. You let your mother tend you now.”

  Logan sighed. He really didn’t have much choice, anyway. His whole body ached.

  “What happened?” he asked quietly.

  “What do you remember?” his mother countered.

  Logan relayed as much of the story as he could recall. When he finished, another deep rumble came from the shape at the door.

  “I thought so.”

  He heard his father’s steps leaving the room, then the sound of the door slamming as he left the house. Confused, Logan looked toward his mother.

  “What’s wrong with Da?”

  “Don’t worry about it right now, Logan,” she continued applying ointments and slaves to his injuries.

  “Mother?” Logan demanded.

  Tess sighed in frustration before fi
nally speaking.

  “It’s just that what you told us isn’t what the town is saying. They’re saying you lured Seli out into the woods and Jonah had to save her from you. They say you were like some crazed beast and they had to beat you off of her. That part, at least, seems true.”

  “Mother!” exclaimed Tanel in outrage.

  “I meant about the beating, Tanel!” Tess snapped as she shot her daughter a dark look. Seeing Logan’s confusion she softened her tone and explained.

  “Those weren’t just hands grasping at you Logan, they were sticks and rocks and given the sort of wounds on your back, possibly even one or two knives. They gave you quite a beating, son.”

  “From what I’ve seen around town, he gave them quite a beating too, Mom,” Tanel announced with a very self-satisfied smirk on her face.

  Tess shot her another dark look.

  “Tanel, behave. This isn’t the time.”

  Tess and Tanel continued to dress Logan’s wounds.

  A couple of days later, Logan was up and moving again. Tess and Tanel couldn’t believe the speed of his recovery, but Hagar just shrugged and put it down to the boy’s strong constitution. Logan was soon well enough to go with Hagar into town to face his accusers before the village elders.

  The format was simple. Each individual stood alone before the elders of the village and told them what took place. The elders would listen to all the testimony and when everyone had had their say, the elders would make their decision. That decision was final.

  As Logan and Hagar walked through the market square to the town hall, Logan was amazed at how many people were there. It looked like the entire village had turned out to witness the proceedings. Seli Tanith was there with her father, Sarol, who was shooting withering glares at Hagar and Logan. Jonah arrived shortly after they did, limping on crutches. His leg and one arm were splinted. Given the poor quality of the workmanship, Logan knew that it hadn’t been done by either his mother or his sister. The other boys from Jonah’s crew were there as well, all in some state of disrepair.