Iron and Wood #Wattys2017

Chapter Twenty-One

The heavy winter snow began early in the morning two weeks later, or perhaps very late at night.  When the sun rose, the sky was as clouded and white as the dust that covered the ground.  That dust soon became a blanket, and soon the entire grounds were knee-deep in it.  The smoke rising from the chimneys was stark against the white.  

The paths were cleared before Ella woke up, but were still slippery and hard to navigate with her new wooden limb and walking stick.  With the bottom of her heavy wool gown soaking wet, she finally reached the smithy, a small stone building with enough heat radiating from it to melt the snowbanks on the sides.

Shal was inside, as Ella had been told, being measured in front of the fire.  She was dressed in the winter clothes of a Haugrian soldier.  The deep blue tunic made her hair look even blacker, and the long shadows cast by the forge increased the sharpness of her features.

"Cashing in already?" Ella asked teasingly.

The blacksmith acknowledged her with a short bow before returning to the furnace, but Ella was only looking at Shal.  The former Templar raised her eyebrows.

"Your grandfather thought I should have armour."

"Well maybe it's a trick, to get you to stay and be his bodyguard," Ella tried again.  

Finally Shal laughed.  It was brief, but Ella's smile could not help but widen.

"I bet you'd like that."  A hint of a smirk tugged at Shal's lips.  She turned back to the blacksmith.

"Look," Olaf the blacksmith returned with a metal bar.  "This is our finest.  It's not as fancy as Imperial steel, but it'll protect you fine."

"Thank you," Shal said.  She looked back at Ella.  "For the lack of a better phrase, what do you want?"

Ella glanced from her to Olaf.

"Can I borrow Shal for a while?"

"Go on, m'lady," Olaf said gruffly.  "It'll take some hours to get the shapes hammered out anyways."

Ella took this as an opportunity to grab Shal's hand and pull her out the door as fast as her new physical limitations would allow.  Shal snagged her cloak off a chair on the way out.

Ella watched her pause, and hold out a hand to catch some snowflakes.  They landed on her skin, turning it pink with the cold.  

"Do they have snow in Ceyose?" Ella asked.

"More like slush," Shal closed her hand and the snowflakes became water.  She turned and finally smiled at Ella properly.  "Where would you like to walk, milady?"

Ella giggled.  

"There's a garden," her voice was suddenly lower.  "Or- well, it's just snow now I expect.  So no one goes out there."

Shal looked around, and nodded.

The garden was another, smaller courtyard further back in the hall, with only a one door leading into it.  It was so sheltered it had only gotten a light dusting of snow.  Shal's boots crunched on the ground as she helped Ella down the short flight of stairs.

"I'm assuming there's a reason you wanted to talk here?" Shal said pointedly.  

Ella faced her, hesitating, and then staggered forwards into her arms.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell them," she whispered.  She could feel Shal's heart beating against hers.

Shal froze, before suddenly wrapping her arms around Ella in return, stroking her head.