Lord Pike strolled up to the booth just outside the blacksmith’s shop, where Eric was working. In a deep, booming voice, he said, “Afternoon Eric, seems you are busy as always. I assume you will be joining in the celebration this evening. I mean, you don’t work all the time, do you? Maybe a break once a year wouldn’t kill you...would it?”
Wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, Eric put down the hammer and turned slowly to meet the smile of Lord Pike, returning it with a bigger one of his own. With his other hand he wiped the damp, curly brown hair from his eyes. “Yes, “Hubert,” I will be attending, since the whole town would not have fun unless I am there. And no, I don’t work all the time. I took a break two years ago and found it quite dull!”
The two kept their faces straight as long as they could before tight smiles could no longer be held back. Lord Pike muttered something about Eric being crazy as he strode away with a huge grin on his face. He had always liked Eric and enjoyed talking to him whenever possible. He was one of the few who were not intimidated by his presence. Sure, everyone respected and even adored Lord Pike, but few could be themselves in front of him. It seemed to him that Eric would smart off to a king if he felt like it. In an odd way, he respected that.
“One of these days he is going to make you leave town,” came a familiar voice from behind Eric. He whirled around to see his dad standing there in a brown sleeveless shirt, displaying muscles nearly as big as Eric’s. Unlike Eric’s brown curly hair, Henry had short blond hair and was about two inches shorter than his son. However, both had soft dark eyes that always appeared to be deep in thought.
“I don’t think that will ever happen. After all, who will make his candlesticks?” he said, thrusting his head toward his dad and grinning as his hair fell back into his eyes.
Henry forced half a smile before dropping his eyes. “Be sure to get cleaned up soon. Once this gets going there will be no business to be had. Might as well get out there and enjoy yourself.” He reached up and clasped his wrist in his opposite hand, stretching hard while making a groaning sound before walking back inside the shop.
Eric just shook his head, wondering. There had been news a few years back of the raid on Brinton. Rumor had it that the assault had been led by a pack of leathers hired by Athsmin. Since most districts tended to mind their own business unless there was something to be gained, it was never really looked into. The only documented fact was that the small town had been completely purged. None had been left alive, and any that might have escaped surely fell victim to the wilds of Tarmerria. This was certainly terrible news from a humanitarian standpoint, but it was hard to shed tears for unlucky folk in a world where everyone seemed desensitized to the harsh realities of life. Death and violence were simply a part of everyday life.
For some reason, though, his dad had been absolutely crushed by the news. Eric knew his father as a caring man who would go out of his way to help strangers. Never before had he seen the man act like this, however, as he cried literally for days on end. Years removed from the incident, he was still a broken man. Whenever Eric asked why he was so attached to something that had so little bearing on his own life, he would just revert to tears all over again and say nothing. It’s not like he knew anyone who lived there. Eric learned to just stop talking about it and hoped time would heal the mysterious wound.
The festival would begin shortly, and it was time to clean up his work area before getting ready. Rolling his neck as he stretched out his arms, he suddenly noticed two girls watching him from across the road. Who knows how long they had been there, but both smiled when they saw that he had finally noticed them.
Realizing he had been inadvertently flexing his muscles, he felt heat build in his face as he awkwardly looked away. Then, right on cue, he dropped the large hammer he had been using with a loud clang. Spending several seconds fumbling around trying to pick it up as fast as he could, he did his best not to look back in their direction. His face was pure fire.
“All those muscles and not a brain in your head,” came a chuckling voice from behind him. Eric whirled around, already wearing a huge grin, knowing exactly who this was. There stood a lightly muscled young man of average height. Blond spiky hair with light blue eyes and a huge grin made Jacob seem like the most charming young man alive. This was not far from the truth, as Jacob had stolen the heart of almost every girl in town. With his hoop earrings, flashy smile and masterful charm, it was hard not to think of him as anything but a ladies’ man.