186 Braedyn's Decision
For years Braedyn traveled around the Lower Realm doing odd jobs earning some coin, most of the time he lived off the land. His experience with the old blacksmith had turned him off ever working for someone ever again, he never wanted to be in a position where someone held power over him,
His years traveling around the Lower Realm had only underscored this fact, as often when nobles saw him, they tried to get him to join their families. Everyone who saw his size wanted him to work for them as a bodyguard. Each blacksmith he had worked for had tried to numerous underhand methods to get him to join their family. Either they threw their daughters at him or tried to frame him.
Braedyn had become disillusioned by the people in the Lower Realm and had retreated to living off the land. He had finally ended up in the Leiquet Forest just outside Shaihshire, where he had lived for a couple of years. But an unfortunate encounter with a werebear and her cubs had ended up with him being severely wounded.
As luck would have it, Elder Terrakeep had stumbled upon him as he lay bleeding. Braedyn had resigned himself to death, part of him had been happy that he was finally going to join his mother and father. The last couple of years alone had worn him down. A man wasn't meant to live all by himself, and Braedyn was sick and tired of being alone.
Braedyn doesn't remember how he ended up Shaihshire. His last memory was of Elder Terrakeep leaning over his dying body. The next thing he knew he woke up in Elder Terrakeep's house, his wounds had been tended too. During his recovery Elder Terrakeep had visited him often, chatting to him about the happenings in the village. It was during one of their conversations that Elder Terrakeep offered a Braedyn a place to stay.
Initially, Braedyn had been wary about accepting his offer. He had been sure that soon Elder Terrakeep would demand something in return. When he had recovered Elder Terrakeep had led Braedyn to this smithy, he had told Braedyn he could move in any time he wanted. When Braedyn had demanded to know what was the cost. Elder Terrakeep had just smiled faintly, and told him that all Braedyn needed to do was to make tools and goods needed by the villagers. The villagers, of course, would pay for the items.
Elder Terrakeep had then turned away and walked back to his house, leaving Braedyn at the smithy. Staring at those furnaces, Braedyn had been filled with such longing, it had been years since he had forged anything and he ached to get back to forging. It was that soul ache that had finally driven him to accept Elder Terrakeep's offer, and Braedyn had moved in. For a long time, he had been waiting for Elder Terrakeep to start making demands, but the man had never once asked for anything.
After so many years, Braedyn had finally realized that Elder Terrakeep hadn't been deceiving him, he really had no desire to control or use him, and Braedyn had finally found some semblance of peace. But now this young woman with Elder Terrakeep wanted him to work for her. Braedyn didn't want to give up his freedom, but this design in his hand really tempted him.
If something like this had been available when his father had been alive, maybe his mother and father would still be alive today, and his sisters would have been able to find loving husbands, instead of being sold off as they had been. Even though his sisters were married Braedyn had been able to tell that all three of them were miserable and treated poorly, but he was in no position to help them.
"You will make this... what did you call it—technology, available to everyone?" Braedyn asked after some time.
Jayde had waited patiently for Braedyn's response, she was slightly taken aback by his question.
"Not immediately," Jayde answered. "Not until this village is strong enough to stand up against the nobles and royal families."
Braedyn grunted at Jayde response, while a part of him wanted to argue with Jayde, he quickly realized that Jayde was correct. The noble and royal families would not be happy with this type of machinery ending up in low born people's hands. The hated anything that would enrich or better the lives of commoners.
"But you will eventually allow commoners access?" Braedyn asked.
"Of course, all of my technology is meant to make their lives better."
"Alright, then you have a blacksmith. I will work for you, but I won't join your clan."
"Pity," Jayde said, reaching over and grabbing the parchment out of Braedyn's hands. "Sorry, I can't accept anyone working or staying in Shaihshire who is not part of my clan."
"Hey!" Braedyn exclaimed as Jayde pulled the parchment out of his hands.
"I already said I would work for you, why must I join your clan as well," Braedyn demanded.
"Because you will have access to sensitive information that I do not want branded about," Jayde said, giving Braedyn a flat stare.
"Humph, you don't expect me to believe that you require everyone to join your clan," Braedyn said suspiciously.
"Yes, I do. No exceptions."
"Ha, really even Elder Terrakeep here?"
"I have already joined, and blood-sworn myself. So has Master Andire," Elder Terrakeep stated softly but firmly.
"W..w-hat?" Braedyn stammered, flabbergasted at the bombshell Elder Terrakeep had just dropped.
"Yes, both myself and Master Andire believe in Jayde's vision and future plans for Shaihshire and were willing to take a blood oath to show our commitment to her and the Centauri clan. We both recognize her as our clan leader."
Braedyn was blown away by Elder Terrakeep quiet statement. In the years he had lived in Shaihshire he had avoided most of the residents. He realized that his size made people wary, and he had always been a quiet person, which tended to make him even more intimidating.
Elder Terrakeep and Charliye Andire were only people in Shaihshire who were not intimidated by his size and went out of their way to always talk to him. They tried to include him in the village activities, and while Braedyn usually turned down their invitations, he had always appreciated how much they accepted him. Braedyn suddenly thought of something Jayde had just said.
Braedyn frowned. "What do you mean by anyone staying in Shaihshire has to join your clan?"
"Just that, Shaihshire is now the Centauri Clan estate. Any villager who refuses to join must leave, of course, we will give each villager a hundred gold pieces to help them resettle elsewhere," Jayde said firmly.
Braedyn's heart dropped at Jayde's statement. Shaihshire had become his home, it was the only place he had felt at peace ever since he had left his family's small farm. Braedyn looked around his smithy in a daze, the pure thought of having to leave this place cause a tearing pain in his heart. Subconsciously he rubbed his chest, trying to alleviate the pain.
No, he thought forcefully. I can't leave here, this is my home. This is where I belong. He couldn't lose this. He wouldn't go back to the fear and the loneliness.
Jayde stood quietly. "Think about it, I will return in a week for your answer."
"No, don't go!" Braedyn bit out forcefully. "I'll join."
Jayde right eyebrow arched slightly at Braedyn's panicked response.
"Think about it carefully," she advised gently. "You are making a life-altering decision, this is not something that you should blunder into. Take some time and think about carefully, I don't need your decision right now. We can chat about this next Restday."
Jayde gentle response calmed Braedyn down. Anyone else would have jumped at his acceptance, but this young woman wanted to give him time to mull over his decision. That on top of knowing that Elder Terrakeep and Charliye had blood sworn themselves to her made Braedyn decide that he wouldn't change his mind.
After years of observing and interacting with Charliye and Elder Terrakeep, Braedyn trusted them both. The one thing that Braedyn knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, Charliye and Elder Terrakeep wouldn't risk their families. They would die before allowing any harm to befall their family members, so if they trusted this young woman, then Braedyn could do no less.
"No, I don't need a week, my answer will not change. I would be honored to join your clan, Lady Jayde."
"Braedyn, are you really sure, I must warn you that it might be dangerous?" Jayde asked.
Braedyn figured that Jayde was talking about the new technology that she wanted. He realized that there will be problems when the royal and noble families found out about it. That's most likely why she is insisting on everyone joining the clan and taking the blood oath of loyalty, he thought.
Just thinking that his friends could possibly face danger and that he wouldn't be there by their sides, made Braedyn even more determined to stay in Shaihshire and protect them. Not only was he determined to protect his friends, but he really wanted to create this machine that would help so many low born families, besides he was eaten up with curiosity about what other wonder contractions this young woman had.
"I swear, I won't change my mind," Braedyn stated firmly.
Jayde was pleased seeing that Braedyn was determined to join her new clan. Jayde had felt slightly guilty about not giving Charliye a chance to think over his decision, but she had really needed his help to rebuild the village. She didn't have the luxury of waiting to find a qualified stonemason, not with Maianna wanting to purchase slaves within the next month, but since they were not desperate for a blacksmith, she wanted to make sure Braedyn was sure about his decision.
***
After Braedyn made his blood oath, the three sat down and discussed Jayde's plans for Shaihshire. Braedyn was flabbergasted when he found out about Jayde's plans to free slaves. He had thought Jayde's new inventions would be dangerous, but they were nothing compared to what she actually had in mind.
Braedyn was really happy that he had decided to join Jayde's clan. If anything, Shaihshire needed him more than anything. Like Elder Terrakeep and Charliye, Braedyn too hated the whole slave system in the Lower Realm. During his travels, he had come across many of the slave markets, and he had been disgusted and how the slaves were treated.
Often he had to watch, helpless while young children were beaten to death by slave traders, and he had seen how young girls who had barely entered puberty being sold to brothels. He had standby and silently watch as those young girls were stripped and groped in public by crude men, who had laughed in delight as the poor girls had shrieked and begged for help, but their cries had fallen on deaf ears. Many of the spectators had even edged on those brutish men, taking delight in the desperate girls' plight.
Braedyn had to fight hard not to interfere, he had known it would have been useless to save those girls. Even if he somehow managed to survive confronting the guards, he couldn't look after those girls or boys. Also, if they escaped Braedyn would soon have been tracked down, and he would be killed, and those young children would have ended straight back on the slaver's block.
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📌 Quote of the day
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." -- Francis of Assisi
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