The Tales of Miriela: Shadowborn

Chapter 17: Odwin

The light of day seemed like a faint memory to Odwin, blackness was all he knew. He walked down the hall, to find Giddeyal in kitchen. Odwin could not help but to wonder if the man ever slept. He was at the forge every night and had a vineyard to manage during the day.

"Ready, boy?" Giddeyal asked. Odwin nodded his head and reached for his overcoat. Off they went, as they had every night to the forge. Odwin hardly needed the light of the torch. His eyes could see through the dark, just as before he saw in the light. He sat, and grabbed the tools to begin his work.

"Giddeyal," Odwin said.

"Yes?" Giddeyal responded.

A question had been on Odwin's mind, begin to be asked each night. Yet, each time he tried, no words seemed to form upon his lips. But tonight was different, Odwin needed to know.

"What is the reason for all of this? The true reason," He said.

Giddeyal stopped and Odwin could see thoughts were wrestling about in his mind. Perhaps Giddeyal had been wanting to give Odwin the answer all this time, but was having trouble forming words of his own.

"There is no need for smithing, Odwin. Not anymore. We have enough tools to run the vineyard." Giddeyal sat down near Odwin. "Do you remember the first night you came out to work?" Giddeyal asked.

"Yes. I remember," Odwin responded.

"Do you recall that I lead you to the forge with the light of a torch? You could hardly keep up, stumbling about. And around the forge, I had several flames," Giddeyal said. Odwin couldn't quite remember, but the more he thought about it, it seemed Giddeyal was indeed right.

"Each night I removed a flame, one less torch to light the darkness. And each night you required less guidance. And tonight, not many moons after the first, you walk in the night without the assistance of a torch at all," Giddeyal said.

Odwin realized he was right. He noticed that he could see in the night now, but had not considered his struggle to do so just days before. "You want to know why you're able to do this, Odwin? You want to know why we've been out in the dark? Well, what is it that you think, Odwin? What do you make of the things you see?" Giddeyal asked.

Odwin believed he was a slave, nothing more. He was at Tasilmire because he couldn't return to The Grounds. If he did, the others would see that a runaway slave is still given the chance for life. How many others would then run as well? But Odwin was too skilled to kill. And that was why they had sent him to Tasilmire, to produce, to work, to do the same thing he did at The Grounds, to be a slave.

"I'm here to work, because I'm a slave of the city of Ferenor. We work in the night because the news of a runaway slave at your Vineyard may inspire your other slaves to do the same," Odwin responded.

Giddeyal reached over to his right and pulled forth a dagger. One that Odwin had forged just days before. He tossed it to the boy, and Odwin caught it. "Have you ever held a sword, a dagger, a weapon?" Giddeyal asked.

"Well, yes. I have forged thousands," Odwin replied.

"No, not while smithing, Odwin. After the work has been done. Have you ever held a sword the way it's meant to be held, and used it the way it's meant to be used?" Giddeyal asked.

"No, I suppose I haven't," Odwin responded.

Giddeyal took a dagger for himself as well and stood. "Over here," He said to Odwin. Odwin met him in a grassy opening just across the other side of the Old Road, across from the forge. Odwin held the dagger, uncertain if he was doing so correctly and even more uncertain of what Giddeyal was planning to do.