Swords and Secrets - A Stardew Valley fanfic

Chapter 5. Swords

We walk towards the general store, a slight sense of trepidation in both of us, as we may have to face your parents' questioning. We walk through the front door, the shopkeeper's bell going off once again. It seems Pierre is not here though, so we proceed up the stairs.

Caroline is sitting in the living area, sipping on a cup of tea. When she hears us, she looks up and sets her cup down.

"Abby, you're back! Oh, and Farmer Ash. It's nice to see you again."

"Hi Caroline. Good to see you too... how have you been?" I say sheepishly. Is calling her Caroline too rude? Should I call her Mrs... what's her last name anyway? Is 'Mrs. Caroline' okay? No, that sounds too weird -

"I'm good thanks. Do you mind if I have a word with Abigail first?" Caroline yanks me out of my mental spiral.

"Mom, Ash heard our argument earlier in the morning. It's okay. You're right, I won't get a lip piercing." You waste no time and get to the point. Evidently you want to just rip off the band-aid.

"Oh! Umm... okay. I'm glad you feel that way honey." Caroline seems surprised but her body seems to relax a little.

"Mom, I wanted to show Ash some things in my room. If you don't mind...?" You point towards a door outside the living area, which I assume is your room.

"Um, yeah, sure. Go ahead, hun." Caroline seems a little disappointed that you want to escape the conversation already.

"Abby, you sure you don't need to talk to your mum a bit more? Maybe apologize for yelling at her earlier?" I whisper to you as you grab me by the arm and steer me towards your room.

"Don't worry. I... I'll do it later." You seem determined to keep that interaction as short as possible. "Besides, if we chat more, she might ask what we got up to. This way, you don't have to lie at all!"

Honestly, that's a bit of a weak excuse, though very convenient. Should I be a good friend, convince you otherwise, and endure a possibly awkward conversation with your mother? Nah. I convince myself you're right, and stop thinking about it any further, as I follow you as you show me into your room.

It's a cheerful looking room that is in stark contrast with what you wear and how you usually carry yourself. The wallpaper depicts a deep-sea setting with an array of colorful fish, seaweed, and corals. A video game console and an old TV set sits in one corner next to your bed. There is a small cage with a chubby guinea pig inside; next to it, a small wooden bookcase holds a modest array of books and a golden ornamental skull. Along another wall is a planchette on a small table.

You walk over to your computer desk and draw my attention to some full-sized replicas of medieval-looking weapons propped up against the it.

"Check this out! Dwarven weaponry, said to be forged for humans to use, as their size is about right for us and far too big for the dwarves. If that's true, then there must have been a period where dwarves and humans co-existed."

I examine your collection. There were four pieces. Three of them were similar in style: a broadsword, a dagger and a warhammer, each looking stockier than their normal counterparts. They were copper in color, with various gemstones inlaid around the handles, a large ruby in pride of place for each. One can imagine how the ruby would stand out and shine on the real pieces. Turning my attention to the fourth item, which just looks like a normal shortsword with a bronze hilt, I ask,

"So, what about this one? Just looks like a regular sword."

You grin, and as you pick it up, it makes a metallic scraping sound against your desk. Instantly I realize that this isn't a replica, but the real deal.