Wings and Steel

Chapter XXI - What Tomorrow Will Bring

I had spent a week and the better part of the second working tirelessly with Baldar. He was an interesting person to say the least. He was older than both leaders of their respective Hjalmari clans and there was a mysterious wisdom in his steel-blue eyes. His modesty was touching. He claimed to only have some knowledge passed on from his father, but he engraved each piece of equipment with a mastery worthy of an accomplished blacksmith at the royal court. By the beginning of the second week, he openly admitted that the art of engraving was what he enjoyed the most, as he prefered to spend time on beautifully crafted details, rather than hammering raw pieces of metal into shape.

We didn't talk much at first, but since enchanting took considerably less time than rune-engraving, we kept each other busy with conversations. At first there was only small-talk about the beauty of the forest and how nice it was to finally feel the sun again everyday, only to advance to the point where we shared experiences and life stories.

He told me about his wife, Signe, whom he met during the final battle that ended the Great War. How they were both young and foolish, enticed by the glamorous promise of victory and recognition. He told me how they fought side by side, protected each other and ultimately fled together as the retreat sounded. How they followed Kaltar's father to the hideout, how Signe stood by his bedside day and night as he fought an infection from a cut received in battle. He told me how he had risked his life by sneaking outside, just to get her favorite flower, white freesia, as a declaration of love, consequently winning her heart. I smiled as I realized how refreshingly simple and genuine his feelings were.

"I can imagine how moved she must've been!" I said.

"She truly was. It was the only time I've ever seen her shed a tear. She used to keep fresh freesias in her house and one time I overheard her saying they're the only thing she missed after we were forced to hide underground. She still has that flower, you know? She keeps it pressed inside her old diary, after all these years." He smiled absent-mindedly, his gaze warmed by the pure, unadultered love for his wife.

"I truly admire what you have found through all the hardships you faced together." I said daydreaming about the prospect of such a beautiful love.

"We just got lucky." He modestly brushed me off, "There, another piece done." He placed a simple wooden shield with a metal center upon which he had engraved the rune in front of me. "This belongs to Kaltar, by the way. I'm not sure whether you've seen it before."

"I haven't." I admitted as I absent-mindedly traced the sharp edges with my fingers, "Better get to work."

I got up from my chair and closed my eyes, my arms extended to the sides, palms facing upward. I took a few steady breaths, feeling the energy dancing around me, just like it did many times before. My lips parted and I whispered the long enchantment slowly, articulately. As soon as I was done, my eyes shot open and my arms crossed in front of me before my hands flipped downward, arms spreading once again. I then slowly pushed the glowing, white energy that had gathered in my palms into the beautifully engraved rune. It glowed white, then faintly red before fading slowly, as the enchantment seeped into the shield. I collapsed onto the chair once again, exhausted. It had been my 9th enchantment today and it was starting to take its toll on me. I crossed my arms over the shield and rested my head on top of them, trying to wait out the dizziness.

"I thought we agreed that you would not overdo it." A familiar voice scolded, but I couldn't even bring myself to lift my head up. A warm hand rested on my back, "I think it's enough for today."

"I was only going to engrave one more today." Baldar chimed in, "She's working very hard, you know?"

"I know, which is why I came to check up on you two. Let's just say she has the bad habit of....pushing her limits dangerously much."