-2-
Hodge
Dawn has arrived and the peaceful hustle of the busy streets could be heard over the rising sun. People rushed around the cobble stone roads carrying assortments of strange objects as they began the new day. One man in dirty clothes carrying an oddly shaped sack over his shoulder, a woman in a vibrant dress carrying a basket of garments, old men pushing carts and children herding cattle to the market, indeed anything you could ever want could be found in the streets of Idris. Between the streets lay old stone buildings which lay home to every kind of shop imaginable- bookstores, delis, weapons, cakes, hats, furniture even the odd Opium Den in the back streets- and among these lay a single shop in particular, 'The Lightwood & Sons Bakery' the only bakery in all of Idris.
Behind the old oak counter stood a young man, only seventeen, watching the city move in a quick blur through the foggy shop front window. He smiled slightly as he thought about all the other lives moving past him that he would never know. The tinkle of a broad bell chimed through his thoughts and he looked up to see an old staggering man in his late nineties. The boy wiped his tanned skin on a dirty rag hanging off the wooden counter and smile at the man as he approached the counter.
"Good morning, Hodge" He nodded to the frail man who lent against a carved wooden stick with intricate designs.
"Ah Jace, I see your charm hasn't worn since yesterday" Hodge was the oldest man in the city- after Old Morgs had fallen ill last winter- and had known Jace's family since anyone could remember, in fact he had been around so long he pretty much knew every family in the city from before they were even born. Hodge lifted a thin arm slowly and ran it through the hardly existent white threads of hair on his bald head "Is your father in?"
Jace's eyes glinted a bit in anger as memories of his real father came to mind but his face remained cheerful and Hodge ignorantly didn't notice the transition. "Of course, Robert is just in the back there. I shall go get him for you"
"Thank you, my dear boy" Hodge replied with a horse throat as Jace turned around and disappeared into the doorway behind him where a small square kitchen, only about twelve feet in length, lay. Jace was welcomed with the strong smell of fresh bread and burning wood. Large ovens and long wooden benches breached the edge of the room whilst large dough tables and round metal bowls the size of a horse were positioned within the cramped space between. Standing at one of the benches stood a tall bulk man with broad shoulders and a head of dark brown hair, kneading some sourdough together.
"Robert, Old Hodge is here to see you" Jace called in a bored tone as he approached the bench. The man turned around surprised and wiped his hands on his white shirt, which had once been a light brown before the flour had covered his body head to toe. His face was covered in white powder and ash so Robert took an old rag off the hook on the side of the cold stone wall and wiped down his face, making dust flurry around the air onto the floor.
"thanks Jace, you finish this and I will go talk to Hodge" passing the rag to Jace, he walked back out the heavy wooden door and into the front room. Robert was Jace's adoptive father, Maryse was Roberts wife and they had three kids who Jace adored as his own siblings. The Lightwoods had adopted him when he was ten years old and ever since he had helped them run their family bakery on the main street of Idris.
Jace continued to work on the dough slowly and folded it into an oval, cutting slices into the top with a thin knife. He opened up the large oven doors and slid the loaf into the open fire before closing the metal doors and twisting the lever to hold it closed.
He walked back over to the bench and grabbed the rag before walking out the door into the front room to see Hodge and Robert discussing what looked like quite a serious matter, wiping his face with the rag Jace walked over to the two men and sat beside them joining into the conversation.
"they say she controlled the beast with only a few words, as though it was an old friend!" Hodge bantered with extravagant hand gestures, Roberts eyes grew large and he continued listening contently.
"What happened" Jace asked in confusion, Hodge turned to him and replied as though he was telling them a story around a campfire.
" 'em travellers from Elsorve were passin' through Idris and set up them camp in the Mantire Forest last night," the old man exclaimed "attacked by a wolf they say! Right in the middle oh' the night, full moon too! Ya' know what my grandpapa always told me," Hodge brought his wrinkled face up close to Jace's-much to Jace's disgust-and continued his story in a shallow tone " 'the forest changes form when the moon is at its fullest' " bringing his face back he leaned back on his walking stick and looked at Robert once with a chuckle "but 'course them city folks ain't got no sense in them' woods!
Them reckon a woman in a green cloak summoned the beast away! They thought 'em dreamin' but they have an arrow to prove it! You know who it is, boy?" Hodge raised a buff eyebrow at Jace, who had no idea what he was going on about. Hodge may be the one in the whole city with the most gossip to spread but he was also the oldest man in the city, not everything he said was reliable or seine for that matter.
"You?" Jace joked but Hodge didn't see the humour
"Don't be silly boy," he paused and lowered his voice, bringing it closer to jace's once again. Silence fell for several moments as though it was a sin to speak his next words, before he finally drew out his sentence in a grave voice "It was… The Solus"
"The Solus?" Jace questioned, incredulous.
"Yes, The solus" Hodge replied impatiently "don't tell me you 'ave'nt heard o' The Solus"
"I have, of course I have," Jace replied "but shes just some made up nonsense brought up by hallucinations and shadows"
"Oh she's anythin' but made up, boy. Six years ago, she first appeared, they say she was only a small figure back then. Saved Everest Green from his house fire and everythin'. Appeared outta nowhere one day and has been savn' all our lives ever since. Can't say 'em authorities all too pleased, callin' 'er an outlaw as such. They say she lives on 'er own in tha woods, and that she can speak to the forest animals, hair is apparently red as a rose and eyes as green as the vines to match. Never seen nothing' like it they say, but o' course nobody really knows, she aint ever let nobody in, and always hidden behind that hood o' hers. Goin' 'round the city at night stoppin' all tha' crime. Steals things in return sometimes, its only fair- she saved my life once, some gang from the south struck me in tha olive greaves once. In a flash she had 'em all on the floor without a scratch on 'er. Next day me old coat went missin', must'a known I didn't use it no more. I aint care, she deserved more than me ol' rags for savin' me life like that. Shes real alright, boy, she's helped more than three quarters of these here city and aint never left a name or asked for anythin' in return besides a couple little things we aint use no more" Hodge finished his little story with a proud expression, as though he was happy with his description.
Jace listened thoughtfully, he wondered why this woman did the things she did. Saving strangers and living alone? It didn't seem like the ideal life, especially for a young girl. The bell rattled again as another person walked through the door and into the warmly lit bakery. Jace looked up along with Robert and Hodge to see a tall slender boy with messy black hair.
"G'day there Alec" Hodge started. Alec looked at him and replied with some subtle greetings before walking over to Jace. Alec was holding a large weaved basket which was filled with fresh ingredients from the markets such as flour, milk, potatoes, cheese and ham with an assortment of other necessities. The boys bid farewell to Hodge as they walked back into the kitchen but Robert and he were already deep in another conversation and didn't notice.
"What was that about?" Alec asked casually looking over at Jace whilst he placed the basket on the farthest bench.
"Old Hodge giving Robert the daily news, as usual" Jace shrugged and walked over to the fire oven to take out the loaves of bread
"Anything new?" Alec began taking the produce out of the basket and started placing them into shelves above him. Alec was Robert and Maryse's son and was closer than a brother to Jace, blood or not.
"Nah, the usual. That Solus character apparently stopped some animal from attacking some foreigners"
Jace opened up the heavy door and was blinded by steam, once it all rose to the ceiling and cleared off a bit he wiped the sweat off his forehead and used a long wooden rod with a flat end to shovel out the bread from the flame.
"Really? Wolves in the city?" Alec didn't seem too alarmed, just curious
"Nah, out in the Mantire supposedly" Alec nodded his head in understanding and both boys continued to work like usual.
So that's my second chapter (counting the prologue as the first chapter) I hope you all like it so far and hopefully I will get another chapter in soon. Let's hope I don't forget to update this one like I do with all my other ones, you know Reviews help because they remind me that I need to keep writing. If I don't get any then I just expect no one really cares and don't write anything. Criticism is always useful since I suck at writing. Well I probably won't post again until next weekend because I have to get through my last week of school for this term, then holidays I should have time. So yeh, wait five days and hopefully I will see you again. Oh yeh and hopefully I write another chapter to The Battle Of Time also, thanks.
-Me P:3
