“Are you going to tell me what’s going on now, or do I have to wait?” she asked pleasantly.
Legon sighed. He figured it was better to get this over with now than later.
“Yeah, we can get to it. Listen, I can’t be in this territory anymore. My best chance at not being noticed is going someplace where no one knows me or this town. That means that it will be rare that I can visit here. My life could get dangerous and I want to protect everyone, including you, from that.”
Her eyes narrowed and a crease crossed the space in between. “Ok, that makes sense. So what’s the part I’m going to have a hard time with?”
“I want you to come with me. Now wait-hear me out,” he said as she pulled back from him. “Look, we both know what’s going to happen next spring. I was originally going to try and get money here before taxes, but that isn’t going to work. Furthermore, you aren’t safe here. I have no choice but to leave, and unless you want to be a slave or be killed by some idiot here, you don’t have a choice either,” he said, trying to be calm and reassuring in his tone.
The look on her face was blank. He could see her body becoming more and more rigid. He knew she was upset with him.
“So what, I come with you and then what? What do we become? Legon, don’t you get it? I will be seen as a freak everywhere I go. Nobody will ever want me as a wife and I will never be able to support myself. You’ll be stuck with me. I won’t let you throw your life away!” she said angrily, but by the end there was sadness in her voice. It tore at him knowing the pain she felt, but that’s why she needed to come. That was why he needed to be with her-to protect and shield her from the sorrows of the world.
“Look, we would be going someplace new and people won’t know anything about you, so you could be a seamstress or something. We can keep it quiet. Also, I’m not throwing my life away. I have to keep my head down until I find out what I’m going to end up being. Look, my way has more danger than I want you in, but staying here is worse. You are not going to be hurt by someone in town, nor are you going to become a slave. Do you get me?”
Sasha heard the resolve in his voice. She did ‘get him.’ The tone in his voice made it clear that if she stayed he would too, and when the day came that the collectors came for her, he would die fighting them off. She didn’t have a choice, and in truth she did want to go with him. She knew that there was going to be a high chance of danger and she understood that he didn’t want her in it, but he didn’t have a choice.
“Ok, fine. You made your point. When do we leave?” She was surprised at how it made her feel better.
Legon leaned over and hugged her tightly, kissing her on the cheek. “Thank you, Sash.”
She laughed. “Thank you for what? Why are you hugging me? You had to know I would give in.”
“Yeah I knew, but I thought I was going to have to fight you for awhile and pull the ‘mom and dad think it’s a good idea’ card on you. Now we can actually have a nice lunch.”
“The mom and dad card, huh? So you talked to them about it, did you?” It was no surprise that they would gang up on her, she thought wryly.
He didn’t respond, instead pouring the cedar into the glasses and handing her one.
Legon could feel the tension between them drop. It was nice to sit at the top of the hill looking out over the town, eating lunch. As he thought this, a slight shiver ran up his spine. Not too long ago he had looked out over this town in pitch black and seen everything. He knew now that it must have been the Elven side of him that night. The thing that confused him was why he was having dreams with the black dragon. After all, he was part Elf, not Iumenta, and that meant that he should belong to the good brother, not the bad.
“I’m going to talk to Kovos today and tell him that I’m going to head away from the Salez territory and that you’re coming with me.”
“Ok. Do you still think that he will want to go with us?”
He took a sip of cedar. “I think he will, but I want his input on what part of the empire he wants to live in. I think he’ll want to go to the south where it’s warmer. That could be good for us too, in case we need to leave the empire.”
Sasha paused for a moment as she thought. “That’s good. If we get into trouble we will be closer to the Elves, and the people in that part of the empire aren’t as loyal to the queen.”
“Good. I’m glad we agree on that. Let’s pack up. I want to find Kovos,” Legon said as he stood up.
“You should tell him about your tattoo. He needs to know everything if he’s coming with us. He’s earned that right.” Legon nodded and reached down to help her up.
They walked back down to the house. As soon as they could see it, Legon headed off toward Kovos’. He moved quickly and with a bounce in his step. The thought of having Sasha with him made the future seem a bit less doubtful.
It didn’t take him long to get to the smith. When he entered he found Kovos and Brack hard at work. He was surprised to see Kovos working on what looked like a sword.
“What are you working on?” Legon yelled over the persistent roar of the furnace.
“I’m making myself a sword… I don’t want to put up with you anymore…sorry man.” Kovos gave him a wicked smile.
Legon laughed. “Shouldn’t you learn how to use it first?”
Kovos was a much better swordsman than him, and he knew that if they ever got into a real sword fight he would lose. Kovos didn’t have a sword of his own; he always used his father’s. The one Kovos was making looked to be a hand and half broadsword. He could see that the blade was almost done and that he was putting the finishing touches on the edge.
Legon had always had a hard time thinking of a broadsword as a ‘blade’, because they weren’t incredibly sharp. They could cut through an arm or leg that wasn’t protected by chainmail, but the blades could not be as sharp as a knife because they would chip in a fight, and even then it would take incredible strength to go through chainmail and plate armor. They could pierce leather armor, but it was the force behind the blow that did the work. The only truly sharp part of the blade was the tip, but other than that they were about as sharp as an axe.
Kovos was running the new blade across a grinding stone and seemed to be happy with it. He held it out for Legon to inspect. He was impressed right away. The sword’s handle was wire wrapped, the hilt was cross shaped, and the pommel was a large ball that could be used to hit your opponent. All in all it was a fine weapon. He turned it in his hands, feeling the balance of the blade. The weight was good and the blade was straight. Kovos had gone above and beyond by etching flames up the flat side of the blade.
“Flames? Are you serious?” Legon asked.
Kovos took the sword and inspected it. “Is there something wrong with them? Did I mess one up?” He almost held the sword against his face as he looked for the mistake.
“Yeah, you put flames on it. I mean, it was fun to put on wooden staves when we were kids, but flames on a real sword? You have got to be kidding me. Are you planning on your opponent laughing to death?” Legon was smiling at Kovos.
“I hate you. Now what do you want?”
“We need to talk.”
“Whoa there buddy. I don’t mean to sound rude, but I just see you as a friend. Sorry, I don’t go that way. Sasha will be so heartbroken when she finds out…” Kovos began, trying to look like he was wary of Legon.
“Shut up! I don’t mean like that!” Legon shook his head but gave a small laugh.
Kovos laughed. “Let me tell dad I’m stepping out.”
Kovos walked over to Brack and said something Legon couldn’t hear, and he doubted Brack heard either as the man pointed over to a set of clamps and nodded his head vigorously. For a moment, it looked like Kovos was going to try and tell his dad that he was stepping out again, but then decided otherwise. He motioned for Legon to go out the back door. The new sword gleamed in the sunlight, and Legon had to admit that, flames or not, it did look good. Inwardly he thought, “It’s a good thing he has that. We may need it in the months to come.”
Kovos looked at his friend. “So what’s up?” Now in the light it was obvious that there was something wrong. He could see that Legon was trying to figure out what to say and how to say it.
“Come on, what’s up?” he asked again. Legon started to talk.
“You know that tattoo on my back?”
