"Williams, actually these are not of the same type that I presented to Alan. But they are very well crafted by Steve. He is the one who suggested this for you also," George explained.
"He told, 'you will understand why he suggested that to Alan in a couple of years,'" George said to Williams in a puzzled tone.
"Ah, who cares, I love mine, and I am more than happy for it. What is my second present, Great Uncle George?" Williams asked in excitement.
"You can go out and see for yourself, lad," he said, smiling.
Everyone started walking outside, with Williams in the lead. Everyone was in awe of a beautiful young white war horse.
"It is around 4 years old and will be fully grown by the time you complete your Academy studies. John was planning to gift you on your next birthday. I beat him to it, and now he will create a big fuss over it," George sighed loudly.
Williams walked slowly in a stupor and gently touched the horse. It was skittish initially, but after a few pats and rubs from him, it relaxed a bit.
"Wil, this one is really beautiful. Alan, come forward and rub the horse's neck. Don't repeat my words in front of the 'Trouble maker'; he will make me eat my words," Alan said embarrassedly.
Everyone laughed at Alan's words, as they had actually seen his horse act the way Alan had described.
After the horse was taken to the stables, everyone came back inside. "Al, show me your axes." Alan remembered he forgot to take his axes out of the boxes.
He opened the boxes and held the axes, feeling the familiar tugging sensation. Everyone was in awe of the craftsmanship.
"May I?" Williams asked. Alan happily handed them over to Williams. He took them, swung a bit, and then handed them back to Alan. He, in turn, took his axes, swung them, and smiled widely.
"Al, truly Master Steve is a master weaponsmith. He had suggested the perfect weapon for me. Yours doesn't feel right in my hand. Mine feels perfect. Do you get my meaning?" Alan nodded in agreement.
Alan held his axes, swung them a couple of times, and smiled. "It's perfect."
Following a delightful lunch, Alan took Williams aside. They headed to the practice room, Alan securing the door from inside, ready to share with Williams what he had learned about magic and his ability to sense it from Steve. In Alan, there was a steadfast trust in Williams.
Williams let out a slow whistle. "Al, are you telling me you can sense magic?"
"Not entirely, but I can sense a bit of it," Alan replied. "Wil, interestingly, I sense a similar type of magical presence from you. It's too early to draw conclusions, but if what Master Steve mentioned holds true, and my intuition is correct, you might also have the spark of magic within you."
Williams appeared momentarily stunned, then nonchalantly shrugged. "Ah, who cares about that now. If it wakes up in me, I'll use it, Al. Thanks for sharing, though." He offered a grateful smile to Alan.
Alan shook his head, smiling. He knew Williams, his friend and brother, would react in just this way. The two spent their time conversing rather than engaging in sparring that day.
As days passed, Alan adhered to Steve's instructions and visited his shop. Upon entering, he noticed a few customers and a new shop assistant, Linda, alongside Lucy, the seasoned assistant, behind the counter. Linda warmly welcomed him, "Welcome to Master Steve's weaponry. Can I assist you with something?" Alan was momentarily taken aback. Lucy approached Linda and smiled, introducing her, "Linda, meet Alan, sort of Master Steve's apprentice?" Lucy cast an inquisitive look toward Alan. Smiling, he responded, "You could say that, Lucy. Hello, Linda, nice to meet you. I'm Alan." He offered a slight bow.
Steve emerged from his room, still engaged in conversation with someone.
"All 200 swords are ready and available whenever you'd like to pick them up. You can inform the guildmaster that this batch is of a higher quality than usual."
"Ah, Alan, lad," Steve acknowledged while talking. The customers offered a slight bow to both Steve and the person accompanying him.
"Hello, Master Steve," Alan greeted. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Zain!" Zain extended his right hand, shaking Alan's. However, Alan scowled at him. "What's the matter, boy? "You're being a spoil sport, you know?" Alan said to Zain. After a moment's thought, he burst into laughter. "Still upset about the entrance test? Everyone was taken aback by their interaction, assuming Zain might have failed an influential person like Alan in the Academy test.
What shocked them even more was Zain's revelation, "It was a directive from the guildmaster to grant you both direct entry. He didn't want two monsters set loose among the children." Even Steve joined in the laughter. "You jerk, you know me very well. When have I ever acted that way? Alan asked"
Onlookers were left speechless, witnessing their dialogue as if they were old friends, which they actually were.
"Alright, lad, I was just pulling your leg. Got to head out now. See you next month at the academy." Zain bid his farewells and left.
Everyone, including the shop assistants, eyed Alan in wonder, as if he were some peculiar creature. Alan felt a bit self-conscious and promptly went inside with Steve.