Forging the Blade

When Aedric seeks forgiveness from Snoe, things take a surprising turn

20.

Forging the Blade

 

Aedric had no idea what to expect when they returned to the Queen’s banquet.   Duke Dullerm immediately went to speak to the Queen, while Aedric stood for a moment by the door.  

 

The knights-in-training had just selected their squires and attendants, which was the last event before the knighting ceremony.   They stood around speaking to their servants and so no-one noticed Aedric and Duke Eleazar entering.

 

Glancing around, he jumped when his gaze crossed the Queen’s table, for near him, seated on the platform, was Snoe and her short-haired sister, and both were glaring at him.   He swallowed back any bit of pride and walked over to them.

 

“Excuse me” He said to the short-haired Drow wearing the chainmail and swords, “I don’t know you, m’lady, and I hope you will pardon my intrusion, but I need to apologize to Lady Snoe for my actions earlier.”

 

He didn’t wait for any permission from the Drow and turned to the albino girl, who looked at him a bit fearfully.   He smiled weakly.

 

“Lady Snoe, I am very sorry for my words and actions toward you earlier today.   I was very uncivil and I regret my coarse words.    I am also sorry to have upset you with my father’s suit of mail.   I am Aedric… foster son of Lord Aeric and Lady Alis.”  

“You are the son of the last Faesidhe King?”   The short-haired Drow lady asked.

“Yes, m’lady.   Duke and Duchess Dullerm spared my life and the life of my mother.”

“Well, I am Amala, sister of Snoe and my sister seems to have been very upset today from your actions, Aedric.”

“Yes, m’lady, I regret that.   I was unaware who she was or of… certain events… that have now been explained to me by your father.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”  Amala replied, locking her eyes on his, “I am rather protective of my sister, Prince Aedric.”

 

The title surprised him and his mouth fell open, “M’lady, I’m… I don’t… I don’t think… uh… I’m just Aedric, I-“

“Well, from what my sister has told me, you were acting as if you were a prince.”

“She told you?   But-“

“Prince Aedric, the Drow have a secret language that they use when they cannot speak due to stealth.   My aunt Zeatt taught this to Snoe and to the rest of us, after she lost her voice upon seeing the horrors your father and his men did to Princess Joila and my sister.”  

The girl’s barely concealed anger toward him did not surprise him, but in light of all her father had told him, Aedric found himself experiencing a new emotion - shame.

 

“I understand now.” He said to her, and then he turned to the mute girl, “I have had my eyes opened to many things tonight, ladies, and I hope to be able to sort them out and change accordingly to what I have just learned.   I can tell you that what Duke Dullerm has told me tonight has cast a dark cloud over everything that I know.”

 

“Lady Snoe, I am deeply sorry for what you experienced - if I could, I would change that and stop the murders of your sister and the Princess.   Forgive me if I reminded you of my father.”  

 

“I was a child who looked up to his father and today I am told that he was a monster.   It is a lot to take in.   I just wanted to ask for your forgiveness for my actions today.   I’ll leave you both alone now.”  

 

He turned to leave them, but he was very surprised when the albino girl’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

He turned to her and her face was tightened up like someone trying to refrain from sneezing.   Her brow was wrinkled and her blood red lips moved without sound for a few moments.   Her sister stood up, alarmed.

“Snoe?  Snoe, what is it?”  She glared at Aedric, who shrugged to show his innocence.  They turned back to Snoe, who still was moving her lips with much effort.

“I… I… I… forgive… you.”  Her voice came out with much effort, and in the softest of a whisper, but she spoke the words to Aedric and when she did, her eyes filled with tears.   Yet they seemed to be tears of relief and joy and she smiled sweetly as she began crying.

“I forgive you!” She said again, still in a whisper, but her words seemed to be strengthening her.

 

Amala was dumbfounded as she witnessed the event, but her surprise was at her sister’s speech.

“Snoe!   You spoke!”   She said, turning to Aedric, “She spoke!   She hasn’t spoken in 20 years!”

“I forgive him!” The Albino girl said to her sister, still whispering, but with more confidence.   She smiled as if a great burden had been lifted off of her back.  

Amala turned and ran to her parents at the other end of the table with the news.  

 

Snoe looked back to Aedric and she took both of his hands, “I needed to forgive.   So I forgive you.”

“Thank you.” He could only say, but he was greatly surprised that he really meant it.

“I’ll work on your chainmail.” She told him, still whispering.

“No; not if it causes you pain.   I didn’t know… about what happened to you.  It’s alright; I really need Plate Armor anyway.”

“We have that too.” She replied, seeming to be thrilled with her ability to communicate.

 

Right then the Duke and Duchess arrived, along with Snoe’s other sisters, and Aedric stepped back to allow them to rejoice at the event.   But Snoe would not release his hands and held him there.  

 

So the young Elf stood there very awkwardly as the Drow swarmed around her.

“What did you say to her?”   The Duchess asked him with a bright smile.

“I… I told her I was… sorry… Your Grace.”  He replied then

he lowered his gaze.

 

To his horror, the Drow Duchess reached over and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek.   Her action flooded him with strong memories of his mother and he blinked back tears at the memory.  

Duchess Aurei noticed the tears and gave him a gentle look that only further reminded him of his mother.

“Are you alright?”  She asked softly.

 

He started to answer, but words caught in his throat and instead he just nodded as he foolishly blinked back tears.  

 

Again the Duchess embraced him, full of compassion for someone hurting.   As she did, he found himself greatly confused.   Here she was; the cause of the Faesidhe raid that had created all of his pain.  

 

Yet in spite of what his father had told his people, she didn’t seem like a scheming witch full of evil and malice.   She smelled sweetly of perfumes and her black skin was soft and warm as she instinctively gave motherly reassurance to someone who was hurting and confused.

She wasn’t a monster at all, but a beautiful lady that was remarkably like his mother.

 

His father’s words of warning seemed to fade and he realized to his dismay that he really liked the lady.

 

His confusion of emotion began to panic him and yet the albino girl kept a tight grip on his hands to keep him from escaping.   It was like being trapped in a web, yet a part of him hungered for the attention.

 

They spoke to the girl for a few minutes, asking her questions and receiving whispered answers.   Then they were joined soon by Archbishop Zeatt and Sir Alvis.   Through it all, the girl tightly clasped his hands and every time he tried to pull free and escape, she looked at him sternly.  

 

He found the Archbishop looking at him with a slightly amused look at his caged animal expression, but there was the same gentle motherly look in her eyes that he’d seen in the Duchess’ eyes.   He began to wonder if perhaps they were placing some enchantment upon him.

 

“This is a miracle from Yesh.” The Reverend Mother said to everyone while she looked at Aedric.   Her meaning was plain to him and he wondered how she knew that he didn’t believe in her God.

 

He found himself blushing at the attention, and again he tried to pull free from Snoe’s tight grasp, but she only gripped his hands tighter.   He was surrounded by Drow and couldn’t escape.   Thankfully, so much activity was going on in the noisy room that few paid them any heed. 

“I should leave you and your family alone… please.” He said to the albino girl.   Her blood red eyes sparkled while she smiled at him again.  

She didn’t seem nearly as hideous in appearance to him right then, yet she wouldn’t let him go.

“Not yet.” She whispered as if she knew exactly what was going to happen next.  Something in the look she gave him when she whispered this unsettled him.

 

A shadow came from behind him and he was only able to turn his head, as Snoe still had his hands bound.   He smelled a very flowery perfume and everyone in front of him bowed at the woman standing behind him.   He turned as far as he could to see that it was Queen Eioldth. 

 

Immediately he dropped to his knees, remembering the etiquette that Sir Aeric had drilled into all his knights-in-training.

 

Snoe knelt with him, still holding his hands.

“I sense something joyous has happened here.”  Eioldth spoke, glancing at both Aedric and Snoe.   Again he tried to pull his hands free, but the girl, who was remarkably strong, probably from twisting and bending the metal wire used in Elven Chainmail, would not let go.

 

Instead, the white skinned girl looked up at the Queen and grinned, “I have found my voice.” 

It almost was a voice that time, it came much stronger and clearer and Eioldth cried out in delight upon hearing it.  

 

She pulled the girl to her feet and embraced her as best as she could, for Snoe still would not release Aedric’s hands.

 

The Queen noticed this and looked at him with a puzzled, but friendly glance.   She was even more beautiful up close and definitely of Faesidhe ancestry.

“How did this wonderful thing occur?” She asked Snoe while looking at Aedric.

“I forgave him.”  Snoe replied, and it was her voice now, a beautiful, somewhat deep, but extremely feminine voice.  

Behind her, the Duchess clapped her hands in glee upon hearing her daughter speak plainly.

“There is powerful healing in forgiving.” The Queen said, still looking at Aedric, “As well as in asking to be forgiven.”

 

Matron Zeatt vocalized her agreement to the statement and Aedric just averted his eyes in awkwardness.

“You are Aedric, are you not?”  Eioldth asked him.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Duke Dullerm tells me that you wish to compete in the tournament as a free knight.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He replied again, hating the attention he was now receiving.   His mind still swam with all the events that had transpired this day and he worried that he had made several rash decisions this evening.

“Aedric, do you have a patron?”  She asked.

“No… I’m hoping that the Dwarven Armorer’s Guild will sponsor me, Your Majesty.”   His face reddened at how unprepared and immature he felt at that moment.

 

“Well, you need to know immediately, young man, before the knighting ceremony.”  The Queen turned and motioned for one of her servants, then pointed to the grey-haired dwarf that Aedric had seen earlier that day, working along side the Bugbear at his anvil.  

 

The servant rushed over to where he sat, on the other side of the Queen’s table, near the wall.   A few moments later the servant returned, bringing the old dwarf with him.

“Ye wanted to see me, Your Majesty?”   He asked, bowing very low.

“Thorm, I have here a young Elven knight that would like to request sponsoring from your Guild.”

 

Thorm glanced at Aedric, “I’ve seen him.   He cost me some money today when he upset my armorer.”   The Dwarf turned to Snoe, “Has he sought your forgiveness, lass?”

“He has and I’ve forgiven him.”  She answered clearly and the old dwarf’s mouth fell open in surprise.

“Yesh preserve me!   Ye found your tongue!”   He looked around at her family, “When did this happen?”

 

They explained it to him and the dwarf glanced back at Aedric, then down at his hands, still clamped by Snoe.

“Well, lad, ‘twould seem ye have found yourself a sponsor, seein’ how Lady Snoe has restrained ye from escaping.   Are ye any good?”

 

“He’s quite good,” There came an answer from behind Thorm,

before Aedric could come up with any sort of reply.  It was Sir Aeric, “I trained him myself, Master Thorm.”

 

The dwarf snorted, “Well, I don’t know about that.   My armorer has him all bound up and she’s just a young girl.”

 

Everyone laughed and Aedric’s face grew as red as Snoe’s lips.   But she released her grip on him with a timid smile.  

 

He turned to Thorm, “I could have got free, sir.”

“I don’t know, lad; why would ye want to?   I’ve never seen the girl so bold, and ye have seemed to inspire her to talk again.   ‘Twill probably spoil my sales some - she draws them in, all pale, shy and mysterious-like.  I can’t tell you the number of men lurking around my booth for a look at her.  They want to know what she is at first, and then they want to meet her when they see how fetching she is.”  

 

He turned to the albino girl, who seemed to have suddenly resorted to shyness again.   “Ye ain’t thinkin’ to quit, are ye?   Ye are my only smith that can make Elven chainmail, and Carn and I aren’t much to look at, so ye owe it to your folks to stay and help me keep my coffers full so I can pay taxes.”

The girl laughed softly, “I’ll stay.”

 

Thorm grinned, and then turned to Aedric, “Well then, ye have the sponsorship.   We’ll have to measure you for some proper plate armor.   Come see me after the knightin’ ceremony, lad, and we’ll get to work on fixin’ ye up with something the Duke or your foster father would kill to have their boys a-wearin’.” 

 

He laughed at Eleazar and Aeric’s frowns and slapped the young Elf on the back, “See, they’re worried, lad.  Ye made a good choice seekin’ the Guild to sponsor ye.   You’ll show ‘em.”

 

Though he was no big fan of dwarves, he found himself smiling somewhat smugly at Thorm’s outlook.