CHAPTER SIX:

THANK YOU, LORD SIGGY

"Oi, wake up!"

A youngster lightly kicked another lying in some hay covered by a piece of mostly clean cloth, only for the other to turn around and mumble.

"B-bughhger off… nyam nyam nyam. Let me shleep."

"Wakey, wakey!"

He kicked his side harder this time, his jolting body rustling the makeshift bed beneath him.

"Ahhhaha! Tris you bitch!" he cussed as he held his stomach.

"You asked me to wake you up early today Sig. I am just doing what I am told." he said with an exaggerated bow.

"Yeah, to wake me up! I don’t remember asking you to break my fucking ribs! Uugghh."

"Might have misheard then, anyways, get up! We got stuff to do, it’s already getting close to noon."

"Noon?!? Bastard! I asked you to wake me early!"

"I know but you were out like a light. And after yesterday, I can’t really blame you. I am sure she’ll understand if you are a little late."

"I guess… WAIT! How do you know about that?!?"

"Oh please. You think it was hard to overhear you and your new friend? Everyone’s been talking about how you’ve been chummy with the new girl studying at Jorin’s place."

"Aghh! Whatever, don’t stick your nose in it too much." he said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Aye, up you pop." Tris held his hand up and helped Sig up from the ground, the hay crackling underneath him as he got up. He gave a quick, light jab to Tris’ side.

"Ahh, you prick." he said whilst giving a slightly pained snicker.

"Found thee unguarded!"

"Great, now he is talking like a twat too."

He gave a long stretch after he got up.

"Alright, better get going, wouldn’t want to catch Jorin at a busy time."

"Yeah, sure, busy time..."

They walked outside the courtyard and into the desolate slums. Despite the dry season, it remained dark and dank as if even the weather had forsaken this part of town. The stench of poverty was overwhelming as they crossed the refuse-filled streets on their way to the smithy.

"So I haven’t asked yet, how did you guys nick the merchant’s wallet?" asked Siggy with curiosity in his voice.

"Well, when you ran off with the guard’s coin. Gwen was already next to the merchant. She nabbed it when he started yelling." he said as he chuckled.

"Ah, that lass, she might play it all straight-laced but she is a crafty one."

"Ain’t that the truth, sucker was too busy yelling at his escort to even notice she was ever there."

"Ah, good stuff."

Before they realised it, they arrived at their destination.

It looked more like a shabby house than a proper smithy’s residence. The only thing designating it as such were the constant clangs of a hammer striking metal and the billows of smoke emanating from the chimney at the top of the building.

The door burst open and a pair of youngsters got tossed out, landing square on their backsides.

"If you aren’t gonna buy nuffin, and keep flappin’ yer gums to feel better about your own worthless lives, then move yer carcass OUT of me shop! If I catch ye bums ‘round ‘ere again talking shite to muh face, you will get a lot worse than what you just got, you little shits! Now GIT!"

Said a robust man, arms thick as tree trunks, sporting a workman’s tan and a rough greying beard.

"We were just showing you your place, you fat, old fart! You think you damned nulls should even be allowed in this place! Phut!" one of them screamed and then spat on the ground.

"Y-yeah! That’s right! Get the hell out of here you freaks!"

"Lewis?!?" Sig said in surprise.

"Sig, Tris?!? T-this isn’t what you think it is!" He cried out.

"You better start explaining because this isn’t looking good mate! What the hell are you doing together with that twat?!" Sig began shouting at this point while Tris seemed more disappointed than anything and simply assessed the situation for now.

"What’s there to explain to scum like you? You low lives should be grateful you are even allowed behind the walls! Get out of here, you are nothing but a nuisance." said Lewis’ companion.

"Shut up, Newin! I am talking to Lewis!"

"You arrogant little!..." before Newin could utter his next sentence, Lewis stuttered.

"I-I-I…" he gathered the will to speak "I don’t want to stay on the streets Siggy! I want to live in a house again! I want to wake up to the scent of freshly baked bread and a hearty stew every morning, not the stench of decaying refuse and a damp, mouldy blanket. I refuse to live like an animal!" he declared in an increasingly angry tone "And I refuse to let Gwen marry some gutter trash with no prospect of becoming a respectable husband! She will marry befitting of her birth!"

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Well said Lewis! Now let’s…"

"Is that how you viewed us? As some gutter trash nulls? Your sister has been busting herself trying to help everyone back at home and you sit back, do nothing and expect your situation to get better? You couldn’t even do anything by yourself and had to suck up to this prick to even get anywhere. I would say that I am disappointed, but I never expected much from you anyway. You are pathetic Lewis." Tristen said his peace, his emotions well contained, but clearly apparent. What he once thought was a lazy comrade turned into an object of disgust.

Lewis did not know what to do and kept looking at Newin, but the boy was staring daggers at the pair of nulls. Siggy, on the other hand, was uncertain whether he should still be angry at Lewis or laugh at his well-deserved mocking.

"Your little drama ‘ere ‘as been amusing to watch. But you two best get moving if you don’t want a walloping. And YOU two, I ‘ope you are here to actually pay this time. My charity towards the less fortunate only goes so far." he said in a voice deep enough to crack stone.

Tristen held onto Siggy’s shoulder to calm him down, which seemed to work as he gradually lost his tense posture and loosened up.

"Get out of my sight you two. I will have a word with you later Lewis, if you still have the nerve to show up at home." said Sig, his words dripping with vitriol.

They didn’t wish to get into a fight with the shop owner again and reluctantly ran off.

Siggy and Tristen stood in silence before Jorin spoke up.

"Well, what‘re you standing there for, you are here to buy or what?? Come on in."

They walked in silent as the grave.

"Welcome back, Dad. Did you sort out those brats?" a young lass, roughly in her late teens with dark hair and pale green eyes behind the counter spoke.

"Aye, traded them for these little rascals right here. And when we are in the shop, call me boss, how many times do I have to remind you?!?"

"Ah, sorry boss. Welcome, I hope you will behave better than the last ones. Oh, it’s you Siggy! Didn’t recognise you with you dressed like an actual person. Rare day to see you without Lysandra here."

"Yeah. I guess."

Sensing something was wrong, she decided to keep the conversation short and sweet.

"Well, just behave yourselves."

They both nodded but, remained silent, neither found the right words to speak yet and simply began to browse absent-mindedly.

The shopkeeper sat down and opened a flask, taking a deep swig of his drink. The clerk scooted toward the man and asked in a hushed whisper.

"What happened with them? They seem like they are in a different world."

But, instead of replying, the man looked at her and shook his head. He looked back and observed the pair of youngsters, took another swig from his flask and finally spoke.

"So, brat, did you get tired of my gift already?"

Sig snapped out of his stupor and looked up at the man with deadpan eyes.

"Gift?" he produced a small holstered knife from under his shirt and took it out of its hilt, with the blade pointing downwards "You call this piece of junk a gift?!? It can barely cut butter, let alone a purse! I did you a favour by taking it instead of you throwing it out!"

"That so? Well, ‘aybe next time you ‘on't even get that! Ungrateful, brat!" The man grumbled under his breath in his rough voice.

"Now hold on a second. Let's not get hasty here." he said as he put his hands in the air. "All I am saying is that if you just touched it up a bit, it would go a long way in showing goodwill."

"Yeah, in the business we call that a service. Somethin’ we charge for."

"Uuuum…"

Tristen looked at the scene with great amusement while his friend tried to weasel himself out of the hole he dug for himself.

Jorin got up from his chair and walked over to Sig, the floorboards creaking beneath his frame. The bear-like paw of the man hit Sig on the back, almost toppling him over.

"I'm just messin’ with ya kid. You’re really easy to get a rise out of. So what ‘ill it be then?"

He looked around the shop, greeted by an assortment of weapons. From swords, short swords, pikes to halberds, even some rare firearms, the establishment’s crude exterior belied its impressive contents. It was apparent that each and every piece was crafted with great skill and precision whilst still providing choices for lesser budgets.

"Old man, why are you even in this crap pile to start with, I am sure with your skills, you could easily make money elsewhere."

"I get by ‘nough and it’s not your concern, now choose already."

"Fine, but I already have my pick." he responded as he walked over to the dagger and knife section.

He reached his hand out and grabbed a knife instead of a dagger that oozed functionality. It was a sturdy, well-made blade that was sure to serve its master for a long time to come if given care.

"This one."

The smith raised his eyebrows at the choice and asked.

"A hunting knife? Are you sure you can afford that? It is ‘ade with some of the finest steel I have, it won’t come cheap."

"Is the price still the same as a month ago?"

"Yeah, price is 50 shillings still, am not willing to go lowa’."

"50 shillings? Siggy, I thought you needed a gold for a dagger you were looking for." Tristen interjected.

"Yeah, I do need a gold coin. Two of these please, and I believe you have some custom-made handles for us."

"That, I do. Are you the reason why Lysandra came home dead drunk rambling on about some engravings and some handles?"

"That might have been me, yes."

"Sis always had a soft spot for you Siggy."

Tristen’s eyes almost popped out.

"You don’t mean to tell me that…"

"I do, one is for you mate." Siggy said as he patted Tristen on the shoulder.

"I don’t even know what to say." his friend was taken aback

"Just say ‘Thank you, Lord Siggy, your generosity has humbled me once more, I am forever in your debt’ or something like that."

"You're an ass, has anyone ever told you that?"

"Once or twice."

Jorin leisurely pulled out a smoking pipe from a drawer nearby, began stuffing it and sat back down, hunched slightly forward. The bearlike man laid back against the wall, lit his pipe took a few puffs.

"Your bonds are impressive, *pumpfh*, truly, *pumpfh* but there is still a matter about the price. The engravings themselves are 10 silver and the handles are made of verden oak for 30 silver. A total of one gold and 80 silver."

Siggy cupped his hands together in front of his mouth with a mortified look and breathed in deeply before speaking.

"These better be some well-made fucking knives." said as he looked Jorin straight in the eyes.

"I make nothing but the best, you have my word on that."

"The best who refuses to move town even when he is treated like crap here?"

Jorin's expression took a turn for the worse, visible hatred in his eyes.

He scoffed.

"If all it took was some loudmouths to intimidate me into packing up my life’s work and let them verbally abuse my daughters, then I'd be shaking in fear for all my life."

"I guess I can respect that, just don’t overdo it, I would hate to see anything happen to this place."

"The world is truly turning upside down if a snot-nosed kid is the one worrying for me. Don’t mind me, I have some ‘friends’, who would be quite upset if this place went under. Now, the money."

"First I’d like to see the product if you don’t mind."

"Clara, bring them in."

She hurriedly got up from her chair walked through the curtained doorway and came back a minute later with the two knives instead of hilts along with a hagard Lysandra.

"Hey, how are you holding up, you aren’t looking so good." said Siggy with an amused expression.

"Oh shush you!" she said in a barely audible voice.

"They've already been mounted?" asked Tristen.

"Aye, Lisa was quite noisy about it. As for me, I am just glad I can finally sell them."

The woman in question remained silent, still groggy from last night and just waved her hand with a somewhat red face as she didn’t want others to advertise her fawning over the little tykes.

They took the knives from her hands to inspect.

The craftsmanship was outstanding, they were balanced perfectly, centred at the bolster and the engravings were no less impressive.

The one Tristen held was decorated with a majestic tree. Vines poured from its branches and wrapped around the handle, some even extended to the metal, framing an exquisite picture carved in it depicting an ancient forest teeming with life contained in a single magnificent work of art.

"I love it!" he said in a giddy voice.

Siggy's handle, on the other hand, had a beautiful craggy mountainscape decorated by sparse vegetation. The blade, however, had portrayed a ferocious beast with a ruffled mane, steely beak that had protrusions from it resembling sharp teeth and fierce, piercing eyes. It was seemingly leaping from the "rocky" handle of the knife onto the blade, like a predator leaping on prey.

"..." He remained silent, staring at it.

"Well, don’t just stand there! Say something." Tristen said.

Siggy skillfully spun it in his hand, as if he had practiced it a thousand times. His eyes filled with a rare childlike joy grinning ear to ear.

Siggy took out a purse loaded with coins and laid it on the table with a series of clinks. He struggled to find the words but decided to speak anyway.

"I don’t think I know words strong enough to let you know just how much I love this thing. Worth every groat!"

*knock* *knock* *knock*

A series of knocks came from the door.

"Come in!" said the man of the house.

As soon as permission was given, a pair of men clad in darker clothes, heads covered by a hood, entered.

‘What the hell are they doing here?!?’ thought Siggy in shock.