What Is Done

Chapter 35 - No Man's Land

Early the next morning we returned to Maarav's blacksmith shop. His shortest-haired son was speaking to a female elf outside. Essaerae, in her invisibility cloak, kept poking the back of his neck as Sellion and I wandered inside.

Maarav looked like he was setting up shop for the day as one does. He was ordering his other three sons around while he fiddled with a sword display. "One of you go tell Ahearn to stop tryna get in Líra's skirt."

I knew Essaerae was probably throwing up internally if she heard that. None of the boys moved upon Maarav's orders. They pretended to be busy with other things. Maarav sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he finished messing with the display and scolding his offspring, he gave us his full attention.

Maarav beamed with glee. "The Arünian King and Guard!" 

"We have names you know," Sellion muttered.

"I know his, not yours," Maarav pointed to me, not bringing his elbow away from his body.

"Sellion," I informed Maarav of his name.

"Sellion," Maarav echoed. "Well, Sellion, High King Laverne. I wasn't expecting you two this early. How's Lady Omärra?"

It was my turn to repeat. "Lady Omärra?" 

"The Cardinal's mother," Maarav notified us.

"She's well?" Sellion quipped in for me when I spent too long searching for something to say. I did not know Lady Omärra well. The little time I saw her she was odd to say the least.

"Been depressed ever since Bjorn died, that one is." Maarav pulled out Sellion's spear from underneath the counter. The tip was wrapped in a delicate homespun cloth. "Anyways," he said in singsong, "here's your spear."

Sellion picked it up to inspect it further. He ran his thumb along the blade. It drew blood. He grinned as if he were a child with a shiny new toy. "Perfect. Sharper than my wit."

Maarav nodded, his hands on his hips like a master craftsman. "Cut myself a couple times tryna handle it after I sharpened it. Hahaha." His laughter felt forced. I was drawn to his bandaged fingers. "Outdid myself, if I do dare say so."

"It appears that way," I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Sellion closely. He was infatuated with the new sharpness of his spear. He knew a thousand ways to kill. He could have easily killed everybody in this room and gotten away with it simply to not have to pay them.

"You don't owe me anything else as ya already paid up. If you're back in Elrichia anytime, I'd love to have the honor of any weapon maintenance you give me and I'll even knock off a piece of the price just to get a gander at that beautiful Arünian spear again." Maarav smiled the way hillbillies do. Unlike stereotypical country bumpkins, he was not missing teeth.

"We'll have to see how long our expedition into No Man's Land lasts." I wished I could've remembered how to smile without it seeming fake.

Maarav and his sons all gasped, "You're going to No Man's Land?! You've got to be crazy or brilliant. Or maybe both."

"I like to think both," I chittered before twisting the conversation into something else I needed to know before we left for our expedition. "Maarav, where can I buy arrows in this town?"

"I dunno if anyone sells anything like that here. I ain't ever seen it." Maarav scratched the back of his head as he thought. "Maybe try down in Trench."

"Trench?" Sellion asked, as bewildered as I was. Neither of us had ever heard of a town called Trench on the Islands of Elderon, but that was true about most small towns. Rarely anyone knew the names of the small towns littering Oriande if they didn't grow up in one or were in a village near one.