1 Chapter 1

The familiar hiss of water, meeting hot metal roused Arlo from his sleep. Sitting up in the wooden plank he called a bed, he looked out his window, which was just a crack in the west wall of his room. A beam of light shone through the crack, warning him that it was mid afternoon. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched, popping his back a little. He glanced out the crack again, seeing people walking up the dirt road from the capital, to Skellowyn.

A crash then came from the forge, causing adrenaline to rush through Arlo. He bust out of his room, grabbing the iron short sword sitting by his door. He looked around the room, ready for a fight, before seeing his uncle on the ground. The older man was drunkenly trying to push himself off of the dirt floor. His face was battered and blood dripped from his nose. A young boy named Mekla was trying to help him up.

Arlo ran over and told Mekla to run to town and get some guards.

"Uncle, are you okay?" Arlo asked, helping the drunkard off the floor. His uncle made a groaning noise, before looking behind him. Arlo followed his gaze and saw two men, one with a scruffy beard and long shaggy hair and the other wearing a red twin headed lion on his chest, the local Lords sigil. Arlo sighed and sat his uncle down on a stool close to the anvil.

"How can I help you gents?" Arlo asked politely. One of the men point to his uncle before sliding his thumb across his throat. The other man just laughed at Arlo.

"Kid, ye best stay out of our wae, or we'll beat ya just as bad as yer uncle." The man with the crest said. "Now move." The bearded man added to his friend's sentence. Arlo didn't budge.

"Fine, if ya want him, ya gotta go through me." Arlo said. The two men looked at him for a second, before breaking out in laughter. One opened their mouth to speak, but as the first word escaped his mouth, he was met with a quarterstaff to the temple. As the two had their laughing fit, Arlo had grabbed a staff from a rack of weapons. The bearded man toppled to the ground, knocked out.

"Now how about you take your friend out of here." Arlo snarled. The man with the crest shouted something in a strange language before trying to swing at Arlo. He stepped out of the way of the attacker and slammed the back half of his quarterstaff into the man's stomach. The man groaned and held his stomach, as Arlo swung the staff like a sword and smashed the man's jaw in. The man screamed in pain and held his jaw, kicking his legs around.

Arlo just chuckled a bit and picked both men up by the backs of their clothes and tossed them out of the shop.

"And stay out ya rotten good fer notin wankers!" He shouted as the crested man picked up his comrade and began to run off, only to be stopped by the guards being led by Mekla. Arlo watched the young apprentice walk back to the front door.

"How did you fight them off?" Mekla asked the tall smithy.

"They had their guard down." Arlo said simply walking back into the shop with a small smile.

As he walked back to the forge, his uncle was sitting on a chair, looking at him.

"Thank ya..." He muttered, slightly angry. "I could have handled it meself..." He sighed. Arlo just rolled his eyes and grabbed a rag before dipping it in the bucket of cold water and holding it to his uncles wounds.

"What did you do to piss them off?" Arlo asked quietly.

"I just owed sum coin..." Celtra said. Arlo stopped and looked at him.

"How much?"

"Bout 200 vieli." He said. Arlo let out a sigh.

"You need to stop gambling." He paused. "We are already in debt." Arlo said, a small growl coming to his voice. Celtra just nods and puts his head in his hands. Arlo sighed a bit, hearing the shop door open.

Standing, he walked to the counter, seeing a group of Hanne soldiers looking at the weapons. Arlo just looked at them.

"What can I get ya?" Arlo asked, sounding ready to start the day.