Elements

The Stranger

The sky was turning from purple to blue, and Sorsa’s eyes slowly opened. It was a few hours before dawn, and the first signs of light were leaking into the sky. Sorsa was a girl of nineteen, with thick dark brown hair with lighter highlights and deep brown eyes. She got out of bed, the cool air following around her. It was the normal time she got up every morning to do the work she had to complete everyday before the shop opened. Quickly throwing on one of her only two dresses, both brown, she hurried down the stairs only slowing to grab her black leather apron. She hurried into the kitchen to snatch two slices of bread for breakfast. As Sorsa quickly walked down the hall of her home above the shop, she stopped in front of the mirror. Her reflection reminded her of her mother. High cheekbones, slightly angular face, and then the eyes, nose, and thin lips of her father. Sighing, she combed her hair with her fingers, and rushed on through the rest of the house. 

The weapons were lined up along the shelves, the metal gleaming in the first rays of sun. She had work to do. Sorsa gathered fire wood, placing it at the bottom of the fire pit and lighting it. As soon as the wood was white hot, she threw coals over the top of the fire. It brought the fire down, but slowly it began to burn with the wood in a solid lasting temperature. Once that was done, she filled the barrels with fresh water from the well. After which, she used the air pump to blow air onto the fire making it spark. She then grabbed the nearest sword and began to sharpen it on the wheel. Pushing on the peddle, the wheel began to turn, sparks flying from the collisions of metal on stone. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Kree, the blacksmith and her master. Sorsa had been his apprentice ever since she’d come to the town of Tren. He had taken her in when no one else would, although he had made it clear that he wouldn’t stand for any nonsense.

“Now listen clearly, I am not your uncle, your father, or even your friend, I am bringing you on as my apprentice because I have too much small, insignificant work to do that I could be spending more time on important things.” Kree had told her the day she’d arrived around nine years ago.

“Sorsa, is my horse ready?”

“Yes, Master Kree.”

“Where’s my breakfast and food for the trip?”

“In the saddle. Remember, you told me to put it there.”

“Ah, yes.”

Kree walked out the door to find his horse tied to the post outside the shop. Mounted the horse and turned his attention to Sorsa, who had followed him outside.

“Now, the butcher is coming to get the new set of knives he ordered. Don’t let him get away with anything cheaper than seven gold petals.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And when I return, I expect nothing less than nineteen golds, twenty-seven silvers, and thirty bronze. As well as more food for storage. I expect the shop to be in tip-top shape when I return, with all the swords sharp to a point and the pit cleaned spotless. I’ll be gone for at least two days, four at most, and you’ll have until then to get all the things I added to your duties as well as your usual chores. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

With that he was off, galloping at full speed ahead toward the main road. Kree had been called to the capital city by the emperor! A great honor in the eyes of normal peasants. Kree still thought of Sorsa as a child, and expected the place to be burned to the ground when he returned. She would prove him wrong. Sorsa was planning to triple the amount of money he expected, and still have the place in tip-top shape. In this way, she’d prove that she could take the shop from him after he retired, as he had no children of his own. Sorsa turned, and went back inside to do the sky high load of work she had to do on her list.

She opened the shop a few hours before noon. The butcher came and bought his new set of knives for seven gold and three silver petals. After which a couple others came and she made eight golds, ten silvers, and ten bronze. It had been a very nice day to work, and Sorsa had gotten her regular chores done early, and so had time to sharpen, clean, and create a new dagger, which took about three hours to start. Late in the afternoon, a stranger in a black cloak stepped into the shop. He looked like an old woman with a wooden staff, and a straw pack on his back. Nothing about him seemed odd, many times travelers came through town, picked up a few supplies, and went on their way with the same type of cloak and pack. 

“Can I help you sir?” Sorsa asked in routine with every customer.

“Yes, I am looking to buy a dagger. I seemed to have misplaced mine.” The stranger admitted.

In the middle of him speaking, the well known bandit of the city decided to pay a visit. Tunin snuck into the back of the store, and was reaching for an ax when Sorsa saw him. Most people in the town knew never to steal from her as she won most of the towns knife throwing contests and duels. Sorsa had just finished pounding the white hot, burning blade of a soon to be dagger. Aiming for the head, she threw the dagger from the extra metal on the end first. It landed in the wall barely a hairs width away from his crone nose.

“Next time you’ll use that mass of muscle between those elephant ears of yours before you try and steal from me again!” Sorsa yelled as Tunin scrabbled away like a rat. “Forgive me, distractions, distractions. Now, you said that you would like to buy a dagger, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent, if you’ll just follow me.” Sorsa motioned. She showed him to a rack of daggers and blades, each was special in its own way. That’s how Sorsa liked to make them. At about the seventh dagger he saw, the stranger said, “This one will do.”

“Great.” Sorsa picked up the blade and weighed it in her hands. “This is the best in my collection, and judging by its character and its weight, I’d judge a fair price to be nine gold petals.”

“That sounds fair.” The stranger pulled from with in his cloak a small burlap sack and took out nine gold petals, which he had handed to her. At the same time, the two traded the objects. “It has been a pleasure doing business with you.” he told her has he walked toward the door.

Something’s burning, Sorsa thought as she followed the smell toward the stranger. The start of a flame was present on the back of the straw pack on his back. The flame went out just as quickly as it had come, leaving a large hole in the weaving. Turning her head slightly, she strained to see a faint glow of light coming from inside. Falling out from the pack, came the largest diamond she had ever seen in her life. It fell to the floor with out a sound, as if carried down slowly by the air. That could make me rich for three life times, Sorsa thought. Kree would most definitely trust me it I said I traded for that. Then again, this is an honest person, those are his earnings. But he’ll never notice it’s gone, I could just let him walk out the door and pretend I never saw it. No, she sighed you couldn’t. 

He was nearly out the door, she ran to the stone, calling to him. “Sir, wait !” Sorsa never got the chance to give him his gem back. The moment she touched the stone, a bright white  light so bright it washed out everything else. Sitting quickly to the ground, curled up into a ball, eyes squished shut tight. She heard people run into the shop and the light went out like someone blew out a candle. 

Sorsa uncurled to find Bay, Cliff, and their father staring down at her. The gem was no where in sight. “Are you alright? We saw a flash and came running.” the gentle men asked. Bay and Cliff were well known, well liked boys all girls in the town were after. 

Helping her up, Sorsa told them, “I’m fine. It was just a quick flash, that’s all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Alright, we’ll see you around Sorsa.” 

With that the gentle men were off, and went back to their home. Not knowing what just happened, she went to the storage cabinet to put the coins in her burlap sack. She opened the cabinet only to find the gem glowing slightly sitting in the center of the shelf. Startled, Sorsa shut the doors suddenly, only to turn around and find the gem sitting behind her on the table.