The Forest's Chosen

Chapter 5: A Remarkable Discovery

As soon as the sun rose Callum set off for the emerald forest, with his men trying to catch up with him. The entire ride there he imagined himself being knighted and never having to train with those brats ever again, especially the prince. After a few minutes of ridding Callum and his group arrived at the edge of the forest. The forest was thick with trees tall enough to cover the moon and turn day into night. There were no roads, anytime someone tried to make one they would never find the way out of the forest. Some say the forest is cursed by Nefrum himself, others say by the forsaken hammer from stories long ago. But these were just stories Callum thought. Stories that mothers tell their children to scare them. With a deep breath and passion in his eyes Callum rode into the forest.

It took awhile but he finally found something useful, a stream. "Alright men time to set up camp." It had been ten hours and sun had already set, at least he thought it did. While all of his men worked on pitching up the tents, cooking the food, and starting the fire Callum found a place to sit and rest. He sighed heavily wondering where this weapon could be at. He feared that the king gave him the wrong location by mistake, or the scouts who found it in the first place simply . . . Callum thought for a moment. Why didn't the scouts just bring the weapon? Why did they come back empty handed. Now that he was thinking of it Callum didn't hear of any scouting expedition in the emerald forest.

"Damn it all!" Callum yelled, "He tricked me!" He got up from where he was sitting, pulled out his sabre and slashed at the nearby tree. With all the anger in him he kept slashing until there was no anger left. By the time he was done not only was his sword almost broken, but his men were finished and was staring at him with shock and disgust. Then one of his scouts walked up to him.

"Excuse me sir, I don't mean to bother you but It's important." Callum puts his sabre away and looked at the scout.

"I am finished now. What is it?"

Sir. . . I believe we found it"

Callum raced with the scout who cleverly left a trail to where he was. As he was running his eyes started to tear up from excitement, finally, FINALLY, he was going to become something with power and respect. When he reached the end of the trail he saw it. The stream from the camp had lead up to where the trail ended. The moonlight hit the water perfectly, making the stream glow brightly. In the middle of the stream was a little hill covered in moss. On this hill is what Callum has been searching for, a long slim rapier with a green handle. Wrapped around the rapier, from the top to bottom, was a vine.

Callum didn't waste any time, he ran up and grabbed the handle. To his surprise it wouldn't budge.

"Boy give me your dagger." Callum yelled, "This vine is in the way." The scout pulled out his dagger and gave it to Callum. No more games Callum thought. He slashed at the vine, but to no avail. The vine emitted a powerful energy wave pushing Callum and the scout backwards. It was then when the rapier spoke.

"I am Vine, rapier of the forest. Protector of nature itself. Only a boy with grey eyes and the soul of Nefrum shall wield me. Any others who dare shall perish." Callum heart sank. His chances of being a knight were gone. . . or was it?

Callum and the scout got up from the blast, and walked back to camp. By the time they got back everyone looked at them. One of the men spoke up "What was that voice? It wasn't anyone who came with us."

Another cried out, "It sounded like Nefrum's booming voice!" The man behind him whacked him and said that no one knows what Nefrum sounded like. Callum, who is irritated by now shuts his men up and tells everyone to sleep. In the morning Callum gathers everyone to speak with them.

"I need two men to come with me. We're going to the town outside of Lorod and find a blacksmith."

"Pardon me sir," one of the scouts interrupted, "but why do we need a blacksmith?"

"One reason." Callum smirked, "Their grey eyes."