Chapter 10
Once they started heading down the dirt street, Harry couldn't help the impression that risen like he was transported into another world with how he was dressed. The cloak covered his head, he felt very much like a Junior Ranger of the North. Having been dropped in some village in the lands of Dûnedain in the region of Eriador. Though they were not riding horses, Robert made it fun, they were being taught how to look at the peasants, that were in the land of Oxfordshire. They were taught how to greet the people they were coming across as the trouped down the dirt road streets. For the language of the Rangers of the North was Sindarin and not the common tongue of the king in these lands.
His attention was caught by the spray of sparks at one corner. He watched enthralled as they came upon the blacksmith shop: 'Hammer & Anvil'. It was on the corner of the 'Queen's Highway' & 'Oxford Pass'. Kayden was standing beside him as they watched the smith. Sparks flew as the hammer was brought down to strike the hot metal that lay upon the anvil. The smith's hand was clothed in leather gloves that held the metal, as he struck sure and true over and over as he shaped the sword he crafted. With a broad arm he flipped it over and struck the metal into a more defined sword like shape. He would call out to the teenage boys that were working around in the shop. They were fetching water or wood to keep the bellows hot to keep the metal malleable. All of them were bare-chested and sweating from the heat of the flame. Then the blacksmith placed it in the barrel of the water. The steam poured out of the water and the smith looked up.
"I placed an order here a few weeks ago." Robert said.
"Name?" The smith said as he took off his gloves and tossed them to one of the teen boys.
"Robert Nixon."
"Aye. I have those ready." The smith moved out of the hot kiln area towards where the display was at. "Over here."
Harry along with Kayden followed Robert while they each started looking at the blades in the case. He pointed out Sting to Hayden.
Hayden then said, "Maegnas aen estar nín - dagnir in yngyl im"
Harry grinned, "sharp-point I am called - slayer of spiders I."
"Sting is my name, I am the spiders bane." The smith said as he came back over with four boxes. Two smaller ones and two long one. He placed them on the counter for Robert. "All four, forged for use. Inspect them first."
Harry watched as Robert took out Sting out of one of the smaller boxes, and turned it over in his hands and weighted it out. He replaced it and then opened the other smaller box. Harry could see Robert smiling as he turned this one over as well.
"Which blade is this, Brandon?" Robert asked him.
"I don't know." Harry said then pointed to one of the inscriptions. "Is that Gúd?"
"Very good." Robert told him. "This is Aragorn's hunting knife. Gúd daedheloth, meaning foe of the great-fear."
Harry looked over at Kayden who was wide-eyed as he was looking at the deadly looking blades. Harry watched as Robert replaced that one and then pulled out a sword.
"Glamdring," Kayden said.
"Excellent, Kayden." Robert told him. "What does the sword say?"
Harry watched as Kayden shook his head. "I don't remember, it was found with Sting in the troll cave."
Robert smiled at him and then he turned to Harry. "What about you Brandon?"
Harry scrunched his eyebrows together thinking. "Something about the King of Gondolin, and I think hammer to the Orcs."
Robert nodded. "Very close, it says, Turgon, king of Gondolin, wields, has and holds the sword of Glamdring, foe or Morgoth's realm, hammer to the Orcs."
Harry's eyes widen even further as he grinned over at Kayden. "Elves made such cool swords."
The blacksmith gave a guffaw at that pronouncement. "Don't know if I've ever been compared to an Elf before."
Harry heard the laughter of the men around him as he turned red with embarrassment. At least not to many people around him could see his red face with the hood pulled up on his head. Robert had already placed the sword back into the box and then pulled out the last one, while he was doing that, Harry took the time to calm back down. Then he took a good look at the sword that Robert was now holding.
"Orcrist," Harry and Kayden said at the same time.
"NAGOL E-LUG ORKHRIST," Robert said.
"Tooth star blue Orc-Cleaver." Said the blacksmith. "In other words, the Biter."
Harry looked at Kayden and grinned. Knowing that these were real swords and daggers, they weren't some ceremonial weapons, and they had sheaths for each weapon. Robert replaced it and then paid for the purchase of all four blades. "I'll pick them up tomorrow before the fair ends. I have no place to keep them at the moment."
"That'll be fine." The blacksmith told him.
Harry and Kayden turned with Robert, other people in their party had moved on down the dirt road. Only David had remained behind with them as Robert was going over the blades slowly. They had only taken three steps on 'Oxford Pass', when they came face to face with Nightshade and the woman who was beside him.
"How quaint more peasants who've come dressed up to play." The woman said.
Harry heard a low hiss from Nightshade. He wasn't a peasant and neither was his brother. If Nightshade was a wizard then this woman standing beside him was probably a witch, he reckoned.
It was Kayden who bowed to her and said, "Pedin i phith in aníron, a nin ú-cheniathog. Ego, Mitho Orc!"
Harry snickered. He couldn't help it. Robert and David chuckled as well.
"Excuse my son. Kayden that was not nice." Robert scolded but not in a serious way.
Harry looked up at Nightshade as Kayden stood and looked up as well.
"And what did he say?" Nightshade asked.
"Brandon, translate what your brother said for the man." Robert told Harry.
Harry looked at Nightshade with a mischief twinkle in green eyes. "My brother said: I say the words that I want and you can't understand me. Be gone, kiss an orc." He couldn't help the smile that crept up on his face.
"What is an orc?" The woman asked.
"An orc," Robert said. "Well, though the origins are debated in some form or fashion. The first orcs were the east elves of Avari who were captured by Melkor. Then Morgoth the sorcerer took these elves by dark powers, tortured and mutilated them and placed them back into the ground dead where they could be bred from the heats and slimes of the earth."
Harry watched her face as well as Nightshades. Nightshade only had his eyebrows raised to his forehead by the end of it, but his companion on the other hand, her face looked as if some one had just unloaded a bunch of manure under her nose and disgust was awash all over her face. It was the ultimate insult in Harry and Kayden's book. They had been finding clever phrases they could memorize before they went off to school.
"How foul." Then Harry watched as she turned to Nightshade. "Do something."
Harry and Kayden waited.
Miss Fawley was getting on his last nerve. Apparently his wasn't the only nerves she was stepping on. Draco had been interested in one of the toy shops that they had gone to and Miss Fawley had opened her mouth about muggles and pureblood status. Narcissa had actually taken him aside and asked him to take her for a walk. Which was what he had been doing. She had insulted everybody they had passed and he had enough of it. He was about to retort to her after he hissed at her, because he knew the two little boys in front him were no mere muggles. Yet Miss Fawley wasn't in the know. Then he had seen a gleam in the eyes of the boy wearing dark forest green clothes under that black cloak. Then he had bowed and spoke in the that language yet again. He did agree with Narcissa it was like a babbling brook in spring, it seemed to flow off the tongue.
"Excuse my son. Kayden that was not nice."
Severus now had a name for the one boy, the man had claimed to be the boys father, yet he still didn't believe it. But he also wanted to know what had been said. "And what did he say?"
"Brandon, translate what your brother said for the man." The man said.
He looked down at Brandon and could see a mischief twinkle in green eyes. "My brother said: I say the words that I want and you can't understand me. Be gone, kiss an orc." Then the smile upon the boys face.
"What is an orc?" Miss Fawley asked.
"An orc," The man said. "Well, though the origins are debated in some form or fashion. The first orcs were the east elves of Avari who were captured by Melkor. Then Morgoth the sorcerer took these elves by dark powers, tortured and mutilated them and placed them back into the ground dead where they could be bred from the heats and slimes of the earth."
Severus could not help as his eyebrows rose looking between the pair. The boy Kayden had even bowed while he said this, knowing full well what an orc was. A flare with a Slytherin insult. He felt for sure, this had to be some muggle adaption for the Inferi. That was what came to his mind at first, but the description was an undead elf. No telling what Miss Fawley was thinking, probably about one of her servants in this capacity.
"How foul." Then Miss Fawley had turned to him. He could feel her stare. As far as he was concerned she deserved the insult back at her. "Do something."
Now Severus felt insulted at her command. Really? He didn't have to do anything, but he was going to do something. He turned and looked at her and laughed. He couldn't help it. She had been sweet to the witches and wizards they had ran across, but foul to the muggles. Yes, he felt for sure she was of two split minds. He did not want to see this woman again and well. Then the two boys in front of him gave him the excuse to get rid of her.
"You are going to take his side on this?" Miss Fawley asked.
Severus smirked. If he did this correctly, he would be able to join parties with the boys and get rid of the undesirable woman at the same time. "Be gone, kiss an orc."
He could hear the snickers of the boys as well as the chuckles of the men behind them.
"Well…I…." He could see the anger building in the woman as she turned and huffed away.
Severus turned back to the boys and the men with them. He extended his hand to the man who was claiming to be their father. "My name is Severus. If I may, I would like to join your party. I've been looking for an excuse to get rid of her and well, your son gave me the perfect opportunity to do so."
"My names Robert, and this bloke behind me is David." Robert said as he shook hands. "Interested in orcs are you?"
"Yes, I would like to learn more." Severus said.
They started walking back the way he had came. He was very aware of the fact that the two boys made sure to put the men between them and him. Preservation skills at its finest, there was no running away, as seeing as the man who claimed to be their father didn't mind him being there in the slightest.