Bitter Wars- Ashes

by Kerriann Burns

  ‘He’s a fine soldier.’

  ‘Enough.’ She sparked but gave a sigh. ‘Many men were fine soldiers but still met their end, leave me please.’ The well-dressed servants each gave a bow and returned to their other duties to give her the peace she wanted. He was curious about the woman and why she looked so sad, through curiosity and his naivety to his position in this world he approached her with his usual kind heart.

  ‘Why are you sad?’ he asked innocently, the woman was clearly startled but soon came to ease when she realised it was only a child.

  ‘I don’t recognise you; you must be new here.’

  ‘My uncle and I only came today, I’m here to work with the blacksmiths in the castle.’

  ‘A child? Divine have mercy.’ She sighed then looked onward to the gardens. ‘We would never ask a child to work in such a profession…We would never ask children to work at all, but we are in dire times and need all the available hands we can gather.’ He gave a smile which made her realise she hadn’t answered his question. ‘My son travelled out to fight in that forsaken war against Reckson…We were distraught when the Hardgrave family was massacred, but…No man has come back from the voyage, I feel as if he has walked into his own death sentence.’

  ‘Is Reckson that powerful?’ he asked as he sat down on the grass. She smiled at him.

  ‘Yes child, if it was not for King Teagan we would still be under their rule. They have armies and technology that far surpass our own, not to mention one of the finest navel fleets. We are completely outmatched.’

  ‘There’s always a way, after all Alexander Hardgrave managed to stop the first Bitter War.’ She smiled again at his innocence, children should not know of war and death.

  ‘You look like a Hardgrave yourself child, where are your parents?’ he wanted to admit that Adonia was his mother and to the best of his knowledge that she was still alive and well in the north but bit his tongue as he remembered Ebony’s words.

  ‘They died, my father fought in South Realm and my mother…Didn’t make it this far north, that’s why I live with my uncles.’

  ‘Poor thing, we’ve had many orphans since that day…My husband was mortified once he discovered that Adonia Hardgrave was there.’ Argonar bit at his bottom lip, he didn’t like lying but if Ebony said it would keep him safe then he would follow his uncle.

  ‘Boy!’ a man called out which startled him. ‘My apologies my lady, boy you shouldn’t be here, these gardens are for the Beldon’s and their servants only!’

  ‘It’s quite alright.’ She said with a smile. ‘The child is new to the castle and is innocent.’ The man was taken aback slightly but still had to enforce castle rules.

  ‘I was only exploring; it won’t happen again.’

  ‘Very well, come with me I’ll show you where you’ll be working.’ Before Argonar left he quickly turned to wave at the woman which made her smile and give a small wave in return.

  As they walked on Argonar examined the man he followed, he was tall and well-dressed but not as finely as the other servants that were in the gardens.

  ‘Apologies if I scared you, we don’t have many child workers here, yet rules must be obeyed.’

  ‘I understand.’

  ‘…It’s been difficult for us, Kinlan wants every man in Alexander to join the army against Reckson, yet if we did the castle wouldn’t be able to function, we’ve lost enough manpower in the city as it is.’

  ‘Can’t you say no?’

  ‘Not if it’s a conscription, means you don’t have a choice in the matter.’

  ‘But what if all the men go? Then what?’

  ‘Exactly child.’ He gave a small exhale out of his nose then looked down at Argonar. ‘We can’t keep calling you child or boy, what’s your name?’

  ‘Argonar.’

  ‘A dragon I see.’ He smiled. ‘We could do with some of those right now.’

  ‘Can I ask your name?’

  ‘Callahan. But around the workers you call me sir or captain.’ He continued with the walk which Argonar eagerly followed. ‘Did you ever imagine yourself as a blacksmith Argonar?’

  ‘No, we just needed money to get food and supplies then we’d be on our way, but my other uncle, Ivory, had a really bad accident on the farm and now he’s bedridden.’

  ‘My condolences, it’s been hard for everyone since South Realm…I have a son your age but…He can’t work.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Born without sight.’ He sighed. ‘He tries Divine bless his soul, but no man will ever take him under his wing.’

  ‘Can’t he do what you do?’ Callahan slightly scoffed and shook his head.

  ‘My duties are to watch over the workers like you and oversee the workings of the castle, he would not be able to handle such tasks.’ Argonar attempted to give a reassuring smile but continued to follow Callahan’s lead until they came to a sweltering room filled with multiple anvils and fires, much larger than the city smithy he was used to. ‘Darmond!’ the man called out, Argonar waited anxiously, what kind of a man would step forward from the blistering heat, he expected a mountain of a man like the one in the city, an almost Divine like in proportions, a child’s imagination of a hero until a man no taller than himself stepped forward. Argonar stared in a startled wonder at the man, his ginger beard reaching down to his stomach and tattoos covering both his hairy arms.

  ‘So, this is the squirt A’ve heard so much aboot.’

  ‘This is Argonar, he might be a child, but I’ve been told he’s got good skill.’

  ‘Let’s see those hands.’ Argonar looked up at Callahan nervously who only gave a brisk gesture of reassurance before he held his hand out to the dwarf. ‘Gettin’ some nice calluses boy, hands of a working man, that’s whit A like tae see.’ Argonar only continued to stare at the strange creature. ‘Whit? Never seen a dwarf before lad?’

  ‘A dwarf?’ Darmond scoffed in response.

  ‘Dwarves are the best smiths in all the lands boy, everybody ken this.’

  ‘Why do you talk funny?’ Argonar asked in his childlike innocence, Callahan stared in horror but luckily Darmond didn’t take any offence, if anything he found it funny.

  ‘Boy ain’t so well-travelled, is he?’ he chuckled. ‘A never- Ye really Never seen a dwarf in yer life?’

  ‘Not one.’

  ‘Aye, well ain’t so vast in numbers as we used tae be, every city, toon, village had a dwarven blacksmith once, but since the elven war most of us decided bugger that then packed up shop n left, ain’t meddling in pointy eared n lanky affairs.’

  ‘Lanky?’

  ‘Humans tae ye lad. Right naw mere chit chat time for some work.’

  Argonar spent the next few days working in the castle under Darmond’s instruction, the castle took note of how talented the boy was, enough to even get the aging lord’s attention.

  ‘How’s the leg?’ Argonar asked Ivory who was now able to get around with the assistance of a cane.

  ‘Better, I doubt I’ll ever be completely healed but at least I’ve still got it.’ He said with a smile as he continued to eat a broth. ‘Ebony?’

  ‘Much better since we moved to the castle, not as tired anymore.’

  ‘He’s an idiot sometimes.’ Ivory chuckled. ‘As hard as he tries to act sometimes, he’s a worrier, we’ve never been separated before so…I don’t know I guess he’s just that extra worried.’

  ‘What if you wanted to start your own families?’ he asked as he began to swing his legs. ‘Can’t all live in one big caravan.’ He chuckled which Ivory copied.

  ‘Ebony’s…Never really been into that, don’t get me wrong he loves kids, loves you but he’s never really spoken about having his own. I did think he had something for your mother at one point, but he only saw her as a sister.’

  ‘And you?’

  ‘Hm.’ He scoffed. ‘Rejection hurts a lot Argonar, us only being around elves makes things a little harder.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘You reall
y are like your mother you know that.’ He said with a smile.

  As Argonar made his way from the medic back to the castle, he heard some commotion in an alley way and quickly went to investigate. A young boy no older than himself with a rag tied around his eyes scrambled on the floor looking for something while a group of boys laughed and taunted as they waved a stick in the air.

  ‘Hey!’ he shouted as he went to intervene. One of the boys he recognised, the older lad that used to work at the city blacksmith until Argonar worked there of course.

  ‘This little shit?’ he snorted. ‘He cost me my job, now you’re getting friendly with the lord?’

  ‘Leave the kid alone.’

  ‘Make me!’ he held the stick in a threatening position, the other boys sparked up too but Argonar was much better prepared than some street thugs. Like his mother before him he used his size and agility rather than brute force, he was able to dodge the stick’s swing and jabbed his elbow into the boys back. He remembered his mother’s words of looking for vulnerabilities then kicked another boy in the side of the knee which made him fall to the ground. For his size he wasn’t as strong as the teenagers, but he made up for it with precise hits and strikes until they had enough and ran. Argonar quickly brushed himself off and attended to the boy.

  ‘It’s okay.’ He reassured as the child trembled at his touch. ‘My name is Argonar, I’m going to help you.’

  ‘M-my cane, I need my cane.’

  So that’s what he was looking for, Argonar quickly looked around the cobbled alleyway but noticed his cane had been broken in the scuffle.

  ‘I’m sorry but it’s broken, tell me where you need to go, and I’ll guide you.’ He helped the boy to his feet and held his hand while the boy still held on the wall completely lost without his cane.

  ‘My father works at the castle.’ He shuddered nervously as he walked on slowly, still grasping at Argonar’s hand.

  ‘Is your father’s name Callahan?’ he asked as he remembered Callahan talking about his son who was blind.

  ‘Y-yes.’

  ‘I work for him; I’ll take you to him.’

  ‘Thank you…Was it Argonar?’

  ‘That’s me.’

  ‘Leonfrick.’ Argonar raised his eyebrow slightly, sometimes he thought his name was odd.

  ‘Father calls me Leon or Leo for short…I don’t really have any friends.’

  ‘It’s a good name.’ Argonar smiled, he examined the boy and he could tell he had some similarities to his father, the same dark brown hair and face shape, but he wondered if he had the same brown eyes which was impossible to see under the cloth. ‘Does the cane help you to see?’

  ‘A little, I heard them following me, but I don’t know how to defend myself.’

  ‘How could you tell they were following you?’

  ‘I could hear their footsteps, they didn’t try to pass, they followed close behind until I came to the alley way.’ Argonar was amazed by the boy’s awareness considering he couldn’t see, but without his cane he felt completely blind.

  It didn’t take them long to find the castle with an anxious Callahan just exiting the castle himself no doubt in search of his son.

  ‘Leon! Leon what happened?’ he yelled as he held his son, the boy recognised his father’s voice and quickly let go of Argonar.

  ‘I was attacked father, but this boy, Argonar saved me and brought me home.’

  ‘Argonar.’ He exhaled with a smile. He gave his son another squeeze before approaching Argonar then giving him a tight hug. ‘I want the lord himself you thank you for your services.’

  ‘It’s really nothing sir.’

  ‘No, you didn’t have to help my son, you work your hardest every day, you need to be recognised, the lord’s been asking for you as it is.’

  He nervously accepted and followed Callahan to the more lavish parts of the castle, until they came to a heavy wooden door where they waited for their acceptance. As a well-dressed servant opened the door, they both gave a respectful bow as they were addressed to the lord.

  ‘Lord Beldon, I present to you young Argonar of…’

  ‘Gareth?’ the lord stared wide eyed at the young boy which confused Argonar.

  Gareth? My uncle Gareth?

  ‘N-no sir, he’s the boy working under Darmond, his name is Argonar.’

  ‘No, no, Gareth, can’t you see he’s Gareth Hardgrave? When did you get that scar?’ Callahan stared at the lord in complete confusion, not only have the Hardgrave been dead for years now but Gareth was a grown man with his own children at the time of his death, why did he suddenly think Argonar was Gareth? Argonar nervously looked up at the portrait of the Hardgrave family that still hung up on the wall, taking more of a centre point than his own family portraits.

  ‘Is the lord well?’ Callahan whispered to the servant.

  ‘He’s been delirious since Acton left, the death of the Hardgraves hit him very badly, and his son…No doubt dead by now…The lord’s mind is not well at all.’

  ‘If I knew you were here Gareth I would have called for a banquet, is your mother and father here? I haven’t seen my dear sister since you were born.’

  ‘I…’ He didn’t know how to respond, this innocent man was completely sure that he was someone else, someone he loved who was long dead. Of course, there was no denying that Argonar looked like his uncle as he and Adonia looked so similar, but it was strange and uncomfortable to him.

  ‘Shouldn’t he see a medic?’ Callahan continued to whisper.

  ‘We’ve tried but he refuses, the lady is worried that this may deteriorate further, since he keeps asking for Acton.’

  ‘Well, Arg- Gareth has had a long journey my lord, he needs his rest.’

  ‘Of course, master Callahan, our finest room only!’ he exclaimed joyfully. The pair gave another respectful bow before leaving the room quickly and awkwardly. As the doors closed Callahan gave a heavy sigh and ran his hand through his hair.

  ‘Is…Something wrong with him?’ Argonar asked.

  ‘According to his servant, he’s mind has taken a turn since the Hardgrave massacre, and the departure of his son has only made it worse.’

  ‘…Would I make it worse?’ Callahan remained silent, it is possible especially since the lord so strongly believed that he was Gareth, it would probably affect him very badly in the long run, or at least that’s what the boy thought.

  ‘Try not to think about it Argonar…The lord is getting old and is under a lot of stress.’ Argonar gave a brisk nod before returning to his duties.

  As Argonar worked he heard the taps of wood in the distance and the young boy was soon to follow, he noticed how the servants would move out of his way maybe for his own benefit, maybe so they wouldn’t be hit by his cane or just maybe because they didn’t want to be near him.

  ‘Leo!’ Argonar called out happily, the boy flinched slightly but looked in his direction, then nervously made his way to him. ‘I see you got a new cane.’

  ‘Father got me a new one straight away.’ He felt the area around Argonar before he sat down next to him. ‘I can’t really get around without it.’ Argonar smiled as he continued to work even with Leo at his side, but he was curious about what he was doing. ‘What work do you do?’

  ‘I’m kind of training to be a blacksmith, but I mostly polish and clean, do you want to try?’

  ‘B-but I can’t see.’ Argonar looked at the piece of metal he was cleaning, it was a smaller chest piece that was covered from dirt from today’s sparing, but the boy had an idea as he felt the metal then took Leo’s hand.

  ‘See this bit is clean.’ He said as he encouraged Leo to touch the metal. ‘And this is dirty.’ The boy touched the hard dirt against the metal, clearly feeling the difference. ‘So, all you need to do is make sure that all of it feels like the clean patch.’ Leo was nervous, he’d never worked a day in his life but with Argonar’s encouragement he gave it an attempt. He took a lot longer than Argonar, but it was understandable, if anything
the blacksmiths were amazed by it.

  ‘Has anyone seen-.’ Callahan asked as he came to the smithy only to see his son cleaning alongside Argonar. He didn’t know how to react at first, he was shocked that he was working believing that he never would in his life, but it was that action that made him pause for a moment. Argonar actually made the effort to work with him, giving him easier tasks that he could manage and gradually moved him on to other things.

  ‘See this is a dagger, be careful because it’s really sharp.’ Callahan’s heart was in his throat as his son handled the weapon, but he took his time with it, he traced his fingers against the wooden handle then against the flat side of the blade before nervously feeling the sharp edge with his thumb. He applied enough pressure to feel its deadly edge but not enough to accidently cut himself before passing it back to Argonar.

  ‘You know…I think that people think that I’m stupid, but you don’t see me like that.’

  ‘How? You can do everything I can, who needs eyes?’ he laughed which made Leo smile. Argonar could tell that Leo felt sheltered by his father, told he couldn’t work more for his own safety than because of not being able to do it.

  ‘Father’s…Always been worried about me, especially since mother passed away, she got sick one day and…’ he sighed. ‘I know he can’t look after me because he looks after the castle…’

  ‘I’ll help you to see, what if we made up our own language or something?’

  ‘I don’t follow…’

  ‘Like, um…’ his mind clicked then he knocked on the metal. ‘If I do this once it means yes, two for no.’ Leo smiled at the idea. The very motions were melting Callahan’s heart enough to reduce him to tears, his son finally had a friend.

  ‘Darmond, give them a break.’ Callahan hushed to the master smithy. The dwarf looked up at him then at the children, they were more occupied in their game as it was, but he could see Callahan’s warm smile at the pair.

  ‘Alright lads, go play or some shite.’ The boys quickly looked up, Argonar was stunned to see Callahan standing there but he only mouthed “Go on” to them, almost keeping Leo unaware that he was watching. He smiled back and took his new friend’s hand where they went outside to the gardens to play.