Misunderstandings

-Hey, hey, kid, I assure you I'm not your father, and if I had one I wouldn't have one as old as you.

He was right, he was just a little older than me, besides my father still lives in 2020, but his face is the same, but without the moustache, it's just as if I saw a much younger version of him, even his voice sounded the same, I looked at his hands and that coincidence scared me, they were deformed, my father always wore black gloves to hide his deformed fingers.

The Poart people were as confused as I was, but the difference was that they didn't understand how he could call Magnus dad.

I was still perplexed by what was in front of me, no matter how much hope I had, it was obvious that Magnus could not be my father, the reason, 700 years difference between this time and the time when my father was born.

-Excuse me... Magnus, you look so much like my father, even his voice is almost the same, seeing him brought back memories.

-Don't worry, but you gave me a scare, Gran.

Willfest interrupted us.

-I don't want to interrupt your family reunion, but can you make the leather armour or not?

So Willfest came out as a comedian, the son of a bitch.

-I don't have the material to make a new one, but I think there's one in this whole dump, I could modify it for him, for the right price.

-How about keeping me quiet that you're still....

Wilffest leaned close to Magnus' ear, so we wouldn't hear him.

-You're still going on with that shit, me thinking all this time we were already friends you fucking idiot, fine, fine if that's the way you want it I'll get you that piece of shit armor, but Willfest this is the last time I'll give you a free order.

Whatever Willfest told him worked, but I would like him to ask me if I want the armour or not, I feel it would be a nuisance to wear something like that.

Magnus took my body measurements, I was in a very bad mood after his 'negotiation', the others left me alone with Magnus with the order that when he was done I was to meet Lay in the guards training area.

-Boy, you tell me what's the catch in all this or am I going to have to figure it out on my own?

-Sorry Magnus, I don't understand your question.

Magnus turned on the forge.

-I don't believe you're Willfest's squire at all, I know that sack of bones well, he promised not to have any more squires, and he's someone who keeps his promises, besides I don't see your qualities with the sword, I saw when they examined you, you don't have the musculature of a warrior, even those who are overweight have strong arms, yours do not....

I grabbed my dagger and threw it towards his face, with precision so that it only grazed his cheek, my dagger at the end of its journey embedded in the wooden pillar of the forge.

I thought Magnus would be upset, but it was the opposite.

-That was fantastic, I misjudged you, but you prove me right, Willfest would not take anyone who is bad with a sword, if your skill is in daggers or daggers....

Magnus approached my dagger to remove it from the pillar, but stood examining it.

-Boy, who did this fine workmanship, no, what material is that black blade made of, I don't recognise it?

-It was a gift from my father, that dagger has a twin that belongs to my sister, I can't tell you more.

-Gran, you tell me there's another one just like it, but what a thrill, would you mind leaving it with me for a while to...?

-No, sorry, but no, that dagger is the only souvenir I have of my family, I'm not going to leave it with you.

Magnus was disappointed, no doubt he admired the work, he looked like a child at Christmas when he held my dagger.

-I understand, but the edge is wearing out and as a blacksmith I can't allow such fine work to go to waste because I didn't take care of it, give me a few minutes.

Magnus took my dagger to the whetstone, and spent some time with it, when he finished he threw it back to me.

-Ready as it should be, I also put some oil on it to keep the blade, only promise to return the favour, that one day I may examine it as it should be, I don't mind if you want to be present when I do so.

I shouldn't trust him, but having my father's looks, I couldn't doubt him.

-Thank you Magnus, yes one day I will leave it to you, but I will be there.

-Well Gran, leave me alone, I must work on your armour.

I left the forge, it was the first time in these 6 days that had passed that I could move with some freedom, so I took the opportunity to walk around the place a little, I let the archaeologist in me get a little excited with all that I saw, weapons, behaviours of the same guards that I had seen, The only thing that caught my attention was to see how Miriam, Willfest's daughter, was getting into mischief with the guards.

Surely that child must have been a headache for everyone here.

I didn't expect Lay to keep waiting so long for me at the training site.

-You were late.

-Yeah, I wanted to walk around the place Lay.

-Don't do it again.

-Why not?

-Everyone looks at us with hostility.

Lay spoke only as much as was necessary.

-Well, I won't do it again, why did they want me here?

-Liar, I know you'll do it again if I don't keep an eye on you? My father wants you to pay attention to how the guards train.

Lay had some reason to lie, but not consciously, if I saw something I liked, I would probably go straight to see it.

There were several guards training their sword, mace, shield and bow.

-I understand, I will see them, Lay don't misunderstand me for what I will say, I enjoy your company very much, but because Willfest asked you to come too.

She leaned close to my ear.

-Remember you are our... a prisoner.

I admit I was taken by surprise, I even admit I blushed a little.

-But that's not all, Gran, it's also my father's way of punishing me.

-What do you mean, I don't understand that last bit, Squire Lay.

-What was that last bit about, well never mind, he wants you to see the basics again for my poor performance in your training Gran.

-Yes, I wanted to talk to you about that.

We both watched the guards training, I know I had to pay attention to how they handled the sword, but I focused more on the archers, even so we talked without looking at each other's faces.

-Why did you hesitate to attack me, and don't tell me you didn't, you had plenty of opportunities to do so.

-Because of you, you idiot.

-What's with the gratuitous insult Lay.

-I mentally hear you calling me a murderer when I take the sword....

-Lay I never meant to hurt you like that, I didn't know, it's not an excuse Lay....

-Don't interrupt me, mentally it bothers me, but that's not why I couldn't hit you, in fact it made me want to do it even more, my hands hurt, I cut them when I avoided...

I hugged Lay, I really was an idiot, it's my fault that I can't perform, if I hadn't tried to kill myself, she wouldn't have the wounds on her palms.

She pushed me abruptly, I fell to the ground, doing some damage.

Several guards began to mutter, while Lay looked at me coldly.

-Get up quickly, focus on training and don't touch me again Gran.

Honestly I wanted to tell her to fuck off, I was annoyed by her attitude, but the problem is that the one responsible for the bad way I feel I was treated was my fault, even so I feel she went too far.

-How do you want, squire,' I said a bit annoyed.

Apparently my words managed to piss her off even more, this time she was looking at me with fury, and the only reason why she didn't leave that place was probably because she had been ordered to.

A long time passed where we watched the guards training, no one said anything to each other, and I had been bored for a while...

-Listen to me Lay lamen la....

-Shut up and watch.

I guess I won't get anything out of talking to her until she calms down, we were watching until a chubby man came to order the guards that the training was over, honestly I don't think I learned anything from all the time I was watching them train.

In that place there was only Lay, me and some guards who were still in the training area, rehearsing cuts with their swords with some straw dummies.

-Great...

Until he decided to speak to me.

-Tonight you'll sleep in the barracks, because I'm a woman they gave me a separate room, sneak out at night and come and see me, try not to let my father and especially Roy notice.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, she wants me to see her at night, wait a minute, Lay makes me get confused all the time, I really hope it's not what I'm thinking....

-Don't you think if someone sees us they might misinterpret things?

-Big the only one who misinterprets things is you.

She was looking at my crotch, and as the trousers I was wearing were baggy, my choice was showing through.

-Lay, I know how it looks, but believe me it's a misunderstanding.

-I hope so, Gran... don't keep me waiting.

She withdrew, and Roy came looking for me.

-Gran?

-Tell me Roy

-Hide that weapon, you're going to put someone's eye out.

-Shut up you idiot.