Mighty Hammer Down

by David J Guyton

"You didn't get any food?" Alana said as she held her stomach in exaggerated discomfort. "I'm surprised I can still stand up."

  "Relax. They didn't have anything cooking but I knew the Commander and he gave me some money. It should be enough for a few weeks or more. Do you like my shirt?"

  She pulled at the fabric and rolled it in her fingers to examine it. "Yeah it's nice. I like the red. You still have the black pants the Mages dressed you in though. I thought you said that people in Medora don't wear black."

  "Generally we don't, but I didn't want to be too greedy. A shirt is all I really needed so I'm happy to have it. Anyway, I have more important news."

  She flipped her hair over her shoulder to avoid having the breeze blow it in her face. "What news is that?"

  "Vindyrion is at war with Bhoor-Rahn."

  Her mouth hung open in shock. "That's impossible. I haven't been gone that long. How could that be?"

  "Well it's true. The Commander here is taking 20,000 men into Vindyrion to help fight the Bhoors. They will leave the city before noon."

  "I just can't imagine it. It has to be a mistake. The Bhoors have been our allies ever since I can remember. Why would they attack us?"

  "You assume that the Bhoors are the ones attacking? Perhaps the Vindyri are the ones who started it."

  "Well that doesn't make sense either. Why go to war at all when there is peace?"

  Rommus ran his hand over the hilt of his sword. "Because the best time to strike is when your enemy isn't looking."

  She looked down to the sheathed sword in his hand. "What's that?"

  "Oh here, I made this for you."

  "Stop it you did not. Where did you get it?"

  He held it out to her. "I really did make it, but it was years ago. The Commander here gave it to me when I asked for another sword. I thought that you had better have something a little longer than that knife."

  "Wow, thank you again Rommus. I am going to have to work hard to repay you for all these things you have done for me. These soldiers sure are generous to give all this to you."

  "Generous? No. They actually owe me a lot of money. I just gave the Commander here a message to send to my father telling him he is free to use all the weapons at my forge. If they gave me what they owed me, I wouldn't be able to walk because of the weight of the gold."

  She laughed as she fastened the sword to her belt. "Well Rommus, which way from here?"

  "Well, I think we should stay heading east since that's the best route away from Brinn. Luckily for you the Great Library is on the way, maybe if you behave yourself I'll take you there."

  She smacked him on his back. "Oh I'll be a good little girl, don't worry. But I really don't need to see it if you are in a hurry to leave. I do need to eat though or I am going to wither away to nothing."

  "Actually, maybe we will skip the library. I feel like we need to leave here as soon as we can."

  "What do you mean? Do you see any Mages or suspicious people?"

  "No, it's nothing like that. I just have a feeling. It's like if I am quiet I can hear a voice on the wind calling to me."

  She cocked her head and gave him a puzzled look. "Rommus you sound like you just got hit hard on the head or something. Can you really hear a voice?"

  He closed his eyes and listened carefully. "There's no voice, don't worry. I think the incident with the Mages is just making me want to get away from Brinn."