This story is a sequel to The Swordsmith – Part One.
Mary trudged through the dirt and leaves of the forest. The dark night sky had hung over her for the past few hours at least, slowing down her progress but keeping her hidden from prey. Most of her trek had been dealing with the bushes, cutting them down cleanly with her machete in a sweaty and gross mess. The trees and weeds hindered her progress, but she was easily on track for her target.
The man she was after was Miles Ringer, a thief and kidnapper. Though since he usually went for the poorer folk, not much had been set up to bring him in. A meagre pool of 50 coins had been collected from the victims, no where near enough to justify someone risking there life to bring him down. Miles Ringer was a talented fighter and stealthy man. One that would take too long to find for such little pay.
And one that may not have been worth it.
That was until he kidnapped the prince. The boy, only seven, had been playing with some friends in the lower districts when Miles took him. The assigned guard didn’t even notice it happen. It was just too quick for them to react. By the time he realised what happened, the child was gone.
Suddenly, the king and those in charge began to care a great deal about the kidnappings. A massive 1000 gold coin bounty was set up to bring Miles Ringer in – dead or alive. Double if the kings son was found. Still fifty additional coin for evidence of the other children.
Mary had gladly taken on the challenge. To find the kings boy would deliver a great reputation to herself, one she was surely lacking. The reward on top of all of it would feed her for a good three months with plenty of coin to spare. She managed to get her own contract and set out after Miles Ringer.
An old colleague of hers told her where he would be. They said that Miles camped out somewhere here in an old cave. They thought about investigating it one time, but the only time they got near it they were chased off by flying knives and arrows. They weren’t equipped for that at all. That was the moment Mary decided to attack it at night.
And with her new sword, it would be easy.
She hadn’t had a chance to fight with the weapon proper yet. Sure, a few hours here and there of practice every day helped her get the weight and feel of it, but there was nothing like a true fight to test herself.
The sword itself was perfect. It obeyed every movement she made, flowing from one strike to the next as she practised against the trees. She could only hit them a few times before they were so slashed they wouldn’t even stand up straight. Yet her sword remained as sharp as ever and entirely clean of impact.
She didn’t know why the man from the shop worried her over it’s dangers. It was a tool. A dangerous one in the wrong hands maybe, but still a tool. What did she have to worry about?
Mary held the hilt of the sword with her non-dominant hand as she cut through the vines with the machete. She was getting close now. She could feel it. Something about the way the ground felt harder, more used. The smell of sweat and oil in the air. The ring of metal ahead.
Just as she was beginning to think her friend may have led her off course, she cut down the last vine to reveal an opened cave. Wooden crates lined the ring of it, covered in leathers, swords, meat, strong wooden logs and an array of sharp objects lining the ground. It was clear that all of this had been stolen as well. Perhaps by multiple people. Mary remembered something about Miles Ringer being in a gang at one point. Maybe this was their hideout?
Yet no-one present to defend it.
Mary let out a quiet sigh and sheathed her machete. She tip-toed over to the entrance, careful to avoid the traps littered along her way nor make a sound. No telling if he would be watching for anyone.
She headed up through the cave as quietly as she could. A few torches lit up the way to guide her path, though the rest fell into pitch black darkness. The cool air flowed over her as she descended further into the damp and cold rocks.
Her hand went to the swords hilt for comfort. An instinctual reaction she didn’t even realise happened. Certainly one she never had before.
Up ahead a noise started to appear. It was a low, mumbling voice of muttering, random nonsense filling the air as it spoke. Mary pressed herself against the hard rock wall, slowly stepping forward to peak around and see what it was.
A man leaned over a chair in a well lit room, sharpening some kind of wooden statue. He was clearly strong, his outfit doing little to hide his large arms and thick beard. His hair was long yet held up in a surprisingly neat bun, likely to keep it out of his eyes as he fought.
Beside him was an improvised yet sturdy cage. Mary noticed a little boy sitting inside it, absently staring at the ground. Her slight movements caught his gaze and he looked up. She put a finger to her lips to quieten him, which he obeyed.
Miles, however, was a bit sharper than that.
“Hmm?” he called out, turning to the boy. “What is it.”
“Nothing,” the boy said quickly. “Just… stretching myself.”
Miles quickly turned around to where Mary had just been standing. She hid behind a table and chairs, willing herself to be as small as possible. She just had the element of surprise. She couldn’t have lost it now. Right?
“Show yourself!” Miles called out. “I know you’re behind there, bounty hunter. May as well make it interesting.”
Mary continued to stay stock still. She heard him stand and move around, though not towards her. A small metal object clattered against something around where Miles was. Was it a key in the lock? A weapon of some kind?
Before she could think, a knife flew into the table beside her, shaking as it impacted with the wood. She rose to meet her opponent, who grinned across at her.
“I knew you were coming before the boy said anything,” he said. “You’re not as sneaky as you thought, hunter.”
“Give me the boy and no-one has to get hurt,” Mary said forcefully. She held out her hands in an offer of peace, not wanting to escalate this further. Now that she saw Miles in person, she wasn’t sure she could actually take him on, even with her fancy new sword.
“Oh no,” Miles said. “I know my bounty. I know what you’re really here for. So let’s see if you can really take me on.”
He threw another knife at her, this time straight to her chest. Before she knew what she was doing, her sword parried the projectile into the wall. Mary quickly glanced to the sword, surprised by it’s appearance. Though now was no time for freezing.
“So, you can deflect a shot,” Miles snarled. “What’s so special about that? Let’s try this!”
He pulled out his own sword and ran at Mary. His face curled in rage as he built up the willpower to take on his foe. She took a quick breath and prepared to defend herself.
As he went to slash her throat, the world slowed down. Mary felt the sword guide itself to his own, the two metals scrapping against each other as sparks flew. She stepped to the side and let Miles momentum carry him forward. Faster than she realised she could move, she twisted her sword and punctured his back.
A brief flash of something appeared in her mind. Strange images, smells, noises, tastes, all randomly spread out and yet feeling unfamiliar. It was over as soon as her sword was out of his body, yet it shook her.
Miles felt at his back as a trickle of blood flowed out of it. He looked up to Mary as she continued to be dazed and grinned.
“Got me there,” he said, lunging once more.
Even though she was still processing what had just happened, her sword arm deflected his attack and stabbed itself into his body. This time it was fatal, his eyes widening as his life flashed before his eyes.
No… it flashed before her eyes.
Images of his childhood careened through her body. Growing up in a poor district, he had to made do by stealing from the schools canteen with what little he could. His mother didn’t care what he did with it, just as long as she didn’t hear him cry himself to sleep in hunger pains it was just perfect for her. The kids at school bullying him, building up his defences to whatever they said to the point he couldn’t even hear the nice things.
Another image flashed by, him leaving jail after he had been caught stealing food. No place would take him in. The criminal record a strain on his life that couldn’t easily be removed. The only one who would take him in was a member of a local gang, impressed by his ability to sneak around and grab large prizes. He began to pay him for stealing simple items from stores. Nothing to crazy, just to test his abilities. Miles passed with flying colours each time.
The images moved ahead once more. This time to his first kidnapping. A child abused by his parents, stranded on the side of the road. His boss convinced him to take the kid in to be trained and used by the gang. He sympathised with the boy, relating to his own upbringing. He took the child and taught him, giving him an almost good life.
A final vision flowed through Mary’s eyes as she saw him take the prince. This one had been rather intense, forcibly grabbing the child and riding him to the cave they were in. A rival king had paid him to take him as a bargaining chip. Miles was simply waiting for the next day to begin travelling again.
He never harmed any of the children, nor allowed them to come to harm.
Mary pulled the sword out of the man’s back. Miles was dead now, his skin pale and bloating as he laid still. She looked down to her sword, the blood of its victim cleaned away as if it were never there.
She quickly sheathed it and headed over to the prince. Her arms mechanically and in a rehearsed movement freed him from his cage and they headed out of the cave quickly. He gave her gratitude for something or other, though she couldn’t hear any of his words. Her mind still raced from the clairvoyance she felt as she processed them.
What had happened? What had she seen?
What was this sword?
She needed to get answers. And she knew who it would be.
- Part Three: https://cheesmanchronicles.com/2024/11/18/the-swordsmith-part-three/
- Part Four: https://cheesmanchronicles.com/2024/11/25/the-swordsmith-part-four/
Thumbnail Image retrieved from ‘Pexels Free Photos’
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