- I'VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH! WHERE'S THE BRAT?
Dreng broke into the house and shouted as he pleased. Mira was ready to stand up and kick his ass, but Lok made a gesture and took the position for Mira. He cracked his hands and fingers as he stepped toward the geezer.
- What do you call my dear nephew?
Lok asked the smith with a dangerous aura. It was a well-known thing that one the geezer was interested in the siblings special jewels, and when he tried to ask about giving him to examine, Lok just stood up before him and beated him near to being a cripple with a warning. Now the geezer crossed that line again, but instead of a good beating, Lok collected his all power, enhanced his fist with mana at the most he could do and punched Dreng's tummy. The smith flew away from the house about 15 metres.
- I solved the problem.
Lok talked to Mira as he dusted off his hands and closed the door.
- Wa-wait ... ! - Dreng walked back slowly with enormous pain.
- What do you still want to say? - Mira asked him in a harmful tone.
- The ... cough ... kid, please bring him to the smith ... and you also come! Cough, cough ...
Mira and Lok just looked at each other with wonder. Mira sighed, stood up and walked into the kids' room.
- Something is wrong, auntie? I heard some noises. - Ayla asked with a tired look.
- It was nothing. Don't worry. Tomorrow we will go to the village so relax well, dears! - and Mira let them sleep as she saw Riox was already asleep next to Ayla.
She came back and stood before Dreng.
- He has fallen asleep. You need to wait another day!
- I understand, but please ... it is a must, he needs to come! And .. sorry.
And with that Drang turned his back and left.
- Why did this man's behavior change drastically?
- I don't have any clue ...
Lok just showed his hand incomprehensibly to answer Mira's question. Lok stood up, moved into the washer room, cleaned himself and fell on the bed and slept immediately. The following morning, because the hunting took nearly 5 days, became a day off for the kids as Lok didn't want to go for a short hunt.
When everyone woke up, Mira told Riox that they would visit the blacksmith. Strangely, Riox asked about the smith, but not just his intentions.
- Mira, why do everyone call the smith a geezer?
- That's ... good question. We only know that he arrived here about 30 years ago from the west. Many things are unknown about him. The geezer nickname just stuck on him, because everytime his gaze was dour, as he doesn't want to speak with anyone, I heard this at least.
They went out inside the village. Ayla, full of energy, left them and went with the kids while Mira and Lok accompanied Riox. When they arrived, the first thing they saw was Dreng as he kept a metal rod in the furnace with a pair of pliers. He was concentrated on his doings, and didn't even notice them arriving. When he lifted, turned and placed the hot metal on the anvil, noticed them.
- Ah, you're finally here. Boy, come here! - the smith just called him.
Mira just encouraged Riox to take the first steps. Riox grabbed the hammer, while the geezer instructed him.
- Boy, come here. Hold this pliers tightly! Don't let the hot metal moving! Do the same you did in the air!
And Dreng handed over the pliers to Riox. He just stood still and did nothing.
- Com' on, brat! WHAT 'RE YA WAITIN' FOR?
The patience of Dreng flew away quickly as he saw him do nothing. His head turned red because of his anger. Lok and Mira just looked at each other because they didn't have any hint on what they should see.
Riox while holding the metal, he slowly closed his eyes. Familiar feelings went through in his muscles, but instead of raising the hammer, he turned to the left and put the hot metal into the cold water. The geezer tore his few hairs he had on his head.
- WHAT THE FUCK 'RE DOIN'??
Dreng shouted at him, but Riox didn't give any attention to it. His mind became clear as a silent night in summer. Pulled out the metal from the water barrel, stepped before the furnace and put the rod inside of it, but with its edge.
Mira, Lok and Dreng just stood in silence and looked at Riox doings.
Riox felt it's the right time to pull out the metal. One side of it was hot and bright while the other darker and colder. He stepped before the anvil, held the pliers tightly and raised his other hand with the hammer. The angle was right, the power was given by the feelings of his muscles, and started the hammering.
- I ... I can't believe this ... - Dreng just fell on his knees.
- What's wrong, geezer? - Lok turned his head at him and asked.
- That ... that boy ... How ... ? - he was speechless.
- We don't understand, Dreng. What do you want to say? - Mira asked with curiosity.
- Let the boy here for a day! I won't do anything that could harm him! I promise!
As Dreng started to beg before them, they couldn't say anything, just nodded as a yes. The smith just stared at the boy as he hammered the metal rod that Dreng prepared for making a sword to Lok as an apology for the thing he did.
Each hit was perfectly calculated, never missing one. Hitting the metal, cooling it, then heating up and hammering, the circle became an endless process, but Riox just kept his eyes closed. He used nothing but his feelings and movements he saw and heard by that kind man from the past.
2 hours had already passed, and Riox stopped the hammering, put down the tools and left the sword on the anvil after he drew it in the water barrel for the last time.
When he opened his eyes, Mira, Lok and the geezer still stood around him. Dreng stepped towards the anvil, took and kept in his hands and watched the finished product with care.
- This blade ... it's too precious to sell to anyone ... I'll buy it! What's the price, kiddo?
*What the hell is he speaking of?*
Riox just looked with wonder on his face. He didn't understand anything. Lok just put his hand on Riox's shoulder and sighed.
- You created something that left a veteran smith embarrassed. Be proud of yourself!
The old geezer looked at Riox like an old dog who wanted to eat its owner's last bite of ham.
- I'll give it to you. You don't need to give anything as an exchange.
- Re-really?! - Dreng just sneezed after his question.
- Yes, after all, I used your tools and materials. So it would be your property without any question.
Riox words made the geezer emotional. Too emotional.
- We leave you with Dreng. Come back in time! - Lok and Mira took the chance and left in a hurry.
- Wha-WHAT?! - Riox just stood there helpless while the geezer just held his left hand with happiness.
- Kiddo'! Come with me!
Dreng grabbed Riox at his hands inside the workshop, pierced through many things. He turned back and pushed a hammer inside Riox's hands. It was a worn-out piece of tool, but it emitted a strange aura.
- Kiddo', this hammer is a treasure! As a pledge of our cooperation, I'll give it to you! It's made of meteorite steel, a very precious item I received from my teacher long ago! Use it as your heart wishes!
*So this old geezer was sullen because when he worked, he always remembered his master. Maybe something happened and he found nobody relieving this mood from his shoulder ... but it seems he found that person in me.*
- I-I gladly accept it ...
Riox was a little reluctant, but he nodded a yes in the end.
- Com' on kiddo'! I wanna show ya' somethin'!
Dreng rushed forth and back in the workshop, picked up everything that's suitable for smithing he found, then led Riox to the anvil to spectate him.
- Kiddo', watch carefully! I'll show ya' the method to create a proper handle for swords and blades! Later I'll show everything you need to know as a smith!
Dreng started to instruct Riox about each method he knew so far. And with this time they spent together, Riox realized that Dreng is not an evil, hateful person, but a caring and kind-hearted one who got no chance to show it's true colors.
This old geezer is much like a grandpa who just needs to have a grandson-like figure to joke with and tell the stories he collected so far in his life.