As I was running in the woods. I stopped to look at my surroundings. The sun cast light through the leaves reflecting off of something. I walked toward it and found out it was a merchant broken down on a trail. So I asked if he needed help.
"Yes, do you know how to fix a wooden wheel?" He said.
"I will give it a shot, Can we take it to my shop?" I said.
"We can try, where is it?" He said.
"Just two minutes that way". I said, pointing north northeast through the woods.
We finally got the wagon to my house. I led it to the forge and I lit the fire. Beginning to take the wheel apart. It fell apart very easily since one of the supports was shattered. I fashioned a new one out of a piece of a flat seeder tree that I cut down last week. Realizing I did not have to reform the metal ring I could press fit it back together. But I did not want the coal to be wasted so I asked if he wanted to forge a knife.
He said "yes" very enthusiastically and I threw a piece of steel into the fire to heat up, while I pound the spoke into place. With the wheel fixed I got back to the metal and started to pound on it with such vigor. He stepped back two feet so the hammer couldn't hit him. I laughed and told him to grab the sludgehammer and hit the red pieces of metal. He hit the metal time after time sparks flying every time he hit it. Not before long it began to take shape. He stopped hitting it and I started back up with my hamer getting the final shape out of the metal. Then I started grinding the bevels and the edge into the blade. With the forge still hot enough to get the heat treat right, I put the knife into it until it got red hot polling it out I dipped it into the oil. setting it down to begin working on the handle. As I finished sharpening the knife and fitting the handle up for a snug fit with one brass pin in the center of the handle.
"my name is Zack."he said
"My name is Leon," I said.
"Thanks for the knife and wheel, how much do I owe you?" He asked
"Ten silver pieces," I said. (It's the same as one hundred copper pieces and about one and a half gold pieces.)
As he left I went to the dog pen to get my dog that has been barking since I came back home. I let her out and headed to the house to make dinner for me and my dog, since it had been noon when I got home and it is now about seven thirty and I have not eaten since I got up, and I am hungry. I made venison steak and potatoes. My dog ate just as fast as I did.
As we went to bed, a bad dream had me up and down. finally falling into a deep sleep for the rest of the night.
As the sun shined in my window casting light across the end of the bed waking me up. Getting out of bed I looked out the window to the east at the sunrise highlighting the mountains with a red and yellow hue of the morning and I started coffee before going to the outhouse to relieve myself. The dog was at the door for me to let her out on my way out. After my first cup of coffee the dog lets me know she is hungry.
"Me too. What do you want?" I asked. She barked twice,
"That's what I was thinking." As I began making flapjacks, bacon, eggs, and sausage with orange juice freshly squeezed. As it all got done I made our plates and sat down to eat as I began, so did she.
As I put some sorghum on my flapjacks she gave me a look letting me know she wanted some too. As I finished my plate I put my plate in the sink and started outside to begin work feeding the chickens, the cows, and the horses. Deciding I had nothing else to do for a few minutes I settled on going for a run. Heading out for my run, my dog lets me know she wants to come too. We head down another trail that goes around the town. at a pond that I fish at during the summer. my dog recognized the pond and she jumped in and started to splash the water around.
"I guess this is a good place to stop." I said, sitting down on the stump that I sit on when I fish. Looking at the scenery with the trees having the different color leaves on them. Remembering it is early Autumn and I don't have all my meat stocked up for winter, I whistled for the dog letting her know it is time to go home. When we got back my sweetheart was at my house
"Hi Leon and Luci where have you been?" she said.
"Hi Lily we have been at the lake. How have you been?" I said.
"I was at the market getting some veggies for you and Luci," She said.
"Let's take a look at what you got for us," I said. There was lettuce, tomatoes, cucumis, potatoes and maize. "Looks good'' I said.
"Do you want a steak and salad?" She asked.
"That would be great, Can I help cook?" I said
"Yes if you make the salad" she said then laughed. We began cooking and when we got it all done, we sat down to eat.
"Can you make my dad a kitchen knife for his birthday tomorrow?" she asked.
"Yes, if you help me," I said.
When we got done eating, we went out to the forge to make the knife. I threw a large piece of steel in the forge and then lit it, getting it to a red hot state. I pounded it to the desired shape until I let her grab the sludgehammer and she gave a few swings drawing out the tang. Then I put a piece of the wood I used yesterday on the weele. Grinding the bevel on the blade, then made a sheath for it. Giving it to her, we put the dog in the pen and headed into town to give it to him. When we got to their house
"I will not be able to make it into town tomorrow, here is your birthday gift." I said to him,
"Thanks for this, I will use it tonight for dinner," He said. "Will you be able to stay a while for dinner?"
"I would, but I have to feed my animals and then get started on the knife set for a guy in the next town over," I said.
We finally got back to my place and I started to feed the animals then got ready for bed. Laying down next to each other and saying before we past out "I love you" to each other. When we got up in the morning we made a big breakfast. Sitting down at the table across from one another we put sorghum on our flapjacks.
"I do have to make the knives for the knife set today," I said.
"I know I want to help," She said.
"Then, let's get started,'' I said. As we put the dishes in the sink, we went outside to get started. Getting half of them done before lunch, we take a break. We are eating fish that I caught last week and carrots that I got from my garden. After we ate we got back to work on the knives. Struggling on the last knife, the cleaver, being the biggest knife. When we got done with the cleaver I started on the knife block. Getting the last knife to fit up like it should.
"We got done two days early," I said. as we sat down on the edges of the bed, right before we passed out. When we got up we started the trip to the next town. When we finally got to the town after two hours we searched for his house. We finally got there and I knocked on his door. He answered.
"I have the knife set that you ordered two days ago." I said.
" You said it would be four days. but it seems you got it done two days early. how much do I owe you?" he said.
"It is forty silver and ten copper pieces," I said. After he gave us what he owed us we started back home.
Two hours later we get home and we were both tired but we stunk so we went to take a shower. When we got done we ate dinner then went to bed.
When the sun peaked in the windows we got up and got dressed. After we eat breakfast we go on a run around the town taking a break halfway through and I ask her to marry me and she said "yes." I slipped the golden ring with my crest on it that I made myself on her left hand. We start to head into town to show her parents, her mom starts to scream in joy as her dad smacks my back and gives me a smile.
She wants to get married in six months on the thirty-first. For now I am trying to make a blade that shows our love for one another. it seems like it will be harder than it ought to be. until i remember the first time we went out she had a black dress on. I gave her a red rose that I put in her hair over her left ear as we walked the trails around the town in the beginning of spring with all the pretty flowers.
So I made a dagger with roses on the pommel and guard and it has a vine wrap handle. For the final touch I put a simple phrase on the side of the blade. That said I will love and protect you for ever and ever. Then I made a sheath out of red tanned hide that I bought off a merchant last week. For the first time in a while I am done with my work. But it is still four months early for the wedding so I have to hide it from her until then.
The next morning I woke up to the best feeling I have felt every morning since I asked her to marry me. Finally I opened my eyes. We got up from the bed and I went to the window and saw the most beautiful sunrise I have seen in a long time.
We take a shower before we go on a run around the town and lake. We start off at a steady jog along the east side of the town, which was different from how we normally start. We normally go west to east. That made it seem longer than it was. We got on the other side of town and stopped at the fork in the road. so we enter the third trail on the left into town. We went to her parents house for lunch. We had roast beef sliced thin on homemade bread that just got done before we showed up. When we got done eating, I asked her dad to meet me outside by the shed. When we got out by the shed, I asked him to hold on to the dagger for the four months before the wedding.
"Yes I will if you give me your word that you will never leave or cheat on her," He said.
"Look at the blade," I said. On the blade it read 'I will love and protect you for ever and ever.'
"thanks." he said, as his face turned red.
"No thank you for giving me her hand in marriage." I said. His face got even redder.
"I am proud to call you my son in law," he said.
"I have one more knife for you in trade if you keep it from her for four months for me?" I said. we shuck on it. We headed back inside to see what the women were doing. Of Course they are talking about the wedding and what she is going to wear and who is all coming to the wedding. Her dad and I started to laugh.