Chapter 12

Hammer was constantly worried about Nameless. He was out there by himself in the woods, unconscious. Hammer was bringing him water bought with his meager allowance, and Nameless seemed to be drinking it since there was less there each time Hammer had hiked out to his tipi, but he was always asleep and wouldn’t wake up.

His back was shredded, covered in scabs and puss from his neck to his waist, the angry red flesh to the sides of the cuts was hot to the touch. His left ear had also shriveled up. It looked pretty gross and swollen. Combine that with the cuts and bruises covering his face, torso, and arms, and he was in rough shape. He’d described Nameless’ condition to Father, and Father said that he was going to die soon, and Hammer shouldn’t waste his time.

But he’s my friend, thought Hammer. Knick was his friend too, but not like Nameless. Knick was more like a work colleague, whereas Nameless taught him things no one else seemed to know about. Tiga was a part of the Mountain Kingdom but Hammer had never seen a mountain and had once asked Nameless about how rocks could get piled that high. Without hesitation Nameless had launched into an in depth explanation about something called ‘continental drift’ and how most large landmasses were essentially gigantic rafts of rock floating on a vast underground ocean of magma, some kind of rock that was so hot it was liquid. He’d explained how these rafts pushed up against each other, pushing ridges of rock way up into the air, and how most people didn’t know this since mountains were naturally created very gradually over millions of years. When Hammer had asked how he could possibly know this if it took so long to happen, Nameless just smiled, shrugged, and said maybe he’d tell him some day. Nameless knew many many things like this. Losing him would mean the loss of information that Hammer couldn’t possibly get anywhere else. So he had to live.

He’d realized the other day that Nameless wasn’t eating the apples he left him. Hammer had found him sleeping last night while holding an apple by his face, but he hadn’t taken a bite. That was when Hammer remembered hearing that all his teeth had been knocked out. When he’d checked under his lips, he was appalled to find that most of his teeth were gone, and the majority of those that weren’t gone were broken. He’d need a knife to cut the apples if he was going to survive, and then Hammer wondered what had happened to the knife Nameless had had previously. It was that nice little knife that he’d stolen from Knick the first time they’d met. Who would know where that knife had gone? Hammer thought for a while and then decided he should ask the brothel owner. Mr. Jeck knew Nameless well since Nameless lived there, or used to live there anyway. He may have some idea where to find it. Hammer would just make one for him himself if he had to, but he thought his father was keeping a close eye on their food and iron to make sure he didn’t give anything away. Father always seemed to know what Hammer was thinking.

Hammer still had to complete all his chores and work each day, his father didn’t care about Nameless. So Hammer waited until evening when his work was done and then made his way to the brothel. He hesitated outside the door for a bit, his father had made it very clear that he was never allowed inside. But Nameless needed his help, so he put out his hand, pushed the door open, and made his way inside the poorly lit bar.

An old woman was tending to a singularly ugly young woman with a badly broken nose who had obviously been beaten recently. She was whimpering as the old woman changed a bandage around her head. Another woman sat with them, seemingly unconcerned, as she drank from a mug. Hammer made his way straight to the bar where the owner was cleaning a crude clay mug with a dirty rag. “Excuse me, sir. Are you the owner, Mister Jeck?” Hammer asked nervously.

“Yeah, that’s me. What can I do for you, young sir? Need a drink? Or maybe some female companionship?” Jeck indicated the women behind Hammer with a nod.

“N-no, thank you sir,” stammered Hammer, blushing. “I’m a friend of Nameless’. I’ve been trying to take care of him while he recovers from his whipping, but, as you may or may not know, he recently had all his teeth smashed out. He’s having trouble eating, and I figure if he had his knife he may find it easier. As he lived here all his life, I thought perhaps you may know what became of that knife, since he seems to have lost it pursuant to his killing of that noble,” replied Hammer nervously.

Jeck smiled, “Oh? Nameless is still breathin’ huh? That boy’s tough as year old jerky ain’t he?” Jeck laughed. “Sure, I got his stuff right here. Mayor dropped it off here since we’re about as close to kin as the boy’s got. Not sure how much his mother counts, bein’ as she’s simple, so I hung onto it for him in case he ever came back.” Jeck reached beneath the bar and took out a sheathed knife and a coin pouch. “Got his coin here too. Not sure what good it’ll do him since he’s not allowed in town, doubt he’d mind if you bought some food for him with it. That’s about all he ever spends his coin on anyway.” Jeck slid the knife and pouch across the bar to Hammer. “Good on ya, takin’ care of him. I won’t ask where he’s holed up. The less people knowin’ his whereabouts the better.” Jeck nodded like that was that. “Good day ta ya then Mister Smith.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Hammer stammered, “I-I never told you my name, sir.”

Jeck snorted, “If you ain’t Anvil’s boy, I’m the king of The Mountain. You look just like him. I ‘spect you’ll be the biggest man in the village once he finally works himself to death. Hell, you’re ten and you’re almost my height already.” Jeck shook his head, “Now, if you want a drink or a woman, and got coin, you’re always welcome here, but if you ain’t buyin’ nothin’ then you’d best be on your way. You’re takin’ up room for payin’ customers.” Hammer pointedly looked around the empty bar. Jeck scowled, “You heard me, kid. Fuck off.” He went back to cleaning his mug.

Hammer nodded, “Thank you kindly, sir.” He picked up the knife and pouch and then headed out the door he’d entered from. Jeck was right about using the coin for food, Nameless would be happy to have it. He checked the pouch as he walked down the street, six coppers and a flint. Hmm, Hammer could probably get apples for a few more weeks at this time of year by himself without having to use Nameless’ coin, and there were some things Nameless would need if he was going to spend the winter in the forest. I wonder if Father would sell me some iron.

He’d drop off the knife and pouch, minus the coins, tonight.

Five days later, when he stopped at the tipi, the fire was burning. Hammer smiled. Good, if the fire’s lit that means he’s alive and well enough to put wood on. Hammer removed branches from the largest gap between logs, the makeshift entrance to the tipi. As he entered he froze, Nameless was crouched low on one knee, knife pointed directly at Hammer’s throat. “Oh, it’s just you,” Nameless said, relieved, as he relaxed and dropped heavily to the ground, breathing hard. “You scared the shit out of me, bud.”

“It’s mutual,” said Hammer, coming the rest of the way into the tipi, pulling up some of the branches behind him. “Should you really be moving around that much?”

Nameless grinned and snorted in amusement, “No. Definitely no, but I thought you were a bear, and anything that wants to eat me has to bleed for the privilege.”

“You sound like Knick,” said Hammer, smiling back. He poured the bucket of water he’d brought into the bucket Nameless had next to him. Taking that bucket was probably why Father was making sure he didn’t take anything else to Nameless, he reflected.

“Knick may be a bit obsessive, but he’s rarely wrong when it comes to fighting.” replied Nameless as he leaned over, stuck his face in the bucket, and sucked up a few mouthfuls of the fresh water.

“It’s good to see you awake, finally,” said Hammer, taking a seat across the fire from Nameless. “You’ve been pretty much passed out since we got you out of town a week ago.”

“A week? That feels about right. I’d guess I’ll still need another week or so before I’m really mobile. Almost passed out again when I stood up for the first time earlier just before you got here,” said Nameless, chagrined. He put a hand to his chin, obviously deep in thought. Nameless did this sometimes. It was like he was looking right through you, a hundred miles away and twenty steps down the line. “I’ve got about a month til winter, so I’ll need to insulate this place and lay in some wood so I don’t freeze. Try to stock a larder I can hang from a tree a ways off so the smell of food doesn’t draw monsters. I’ll need to put together a wardrobe hardy enough to keep me from freezing to death as well. The snow will be good for water. So, once it falls, I won’t need to go to the river until spring. I’ve got my knife, so I’ll need to carve a spear for defense against monsters, suppose I can harden the tip in the fire. I wonder if I could make a crossbow? Probably not, but I'll want to stock up on stones for my sling so I don’t have to dig through the snow for more.” Nameless picked up a couple of stones from a small pile on the ground beside him and began rotating them around each other in his palm with deft movements of his thumb, without looking, as he mused aloud. Hammer was taken aback. He’d barely woken up and was already thinking his plans through all the way to spring?

“Well, I can help with the wood. I’d thought that far ahead at least,” Hammer took off his pack and reached inside. He pulled out a long handled hatchet, almost an axe in its own right. He handed it over, Nameless took it reverently. “I used your coppers to buy the iron and made it myself on my own time. Father said it was ok as long as I paid for it myself and didn’t neglect my work at the forge to make it. I also got you a stone for sharpening it and your knife,” He pulled out a flat white rock and placed it beside the fire. Nameless smiled wide, holding the hatchet in front of him and examining it with gleaming eyes.

“Oh yeah, now we’re talking. That’ll take care of my wood pile once I can move around a bit. So that leaves food, water, shelter, and clothing to take care of. Food I’ll mostly have to hunt, but I’m pretty good with my sling, and I expect I’m about to get a lot better. Practice makes perfect after all, right?” He laughed out loud. "Once I can start melting snow I can mix some mud to seal up these walls tight, and I can finally bathe properly too. Yay." he chuckled.

“I don’t know how you can be so happy after being whipped and exiled, but I’m glad you like the hatchet. Father gave it his seal of approval, said I could sell that for a full silver.” Hammer declared proudly.

“I believe it, bud. This is a nice piece of iron and no question. I owe you huge. You ever need ANYTHING you ask, yeah?” Nameless said looking earnestly across the fire.

“Well then how about a story?” asked Hammer.

"Ha! Deal! Let’s see, what should I tell a story about? Hmm, what would be appropriate? Ah, I know. This is the story of Robinson Crusoe, a man marooned on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean.” Nameless and Hammer spent a good portion of the night talking and telling stories over the fire before Hammer finally made his way tiredly back to town to get a few hours’ sleep before he had to get to work in the forge.

Seems like Nameless is going to be ok, he smiled to himself happily.