Here we go again, Same old stuff again, marching down the avenue, a few more days and we'll be through...not...
The next day, she woke early and made her way to the blacksmith's shop. The fire was blazing brightly and the sound of a large hammer hitting metal could be heard clearly through the silent morning. The man at the fire holding the hammer, stood with his back towards her. She could see sweat running down his arms and his shirt clung to his body. To Celaena's amazement, his form seemed young. He was tall and had a youthful muscular body.
"Excuse me!" she called over the hammer's pounding noise. The hammer stopped and the man turned. His clothes and face were covered in sweat and dirt, but his eyes glowed brightly. They were a dark amethyst color. His hair was a matching color, long and slightly spikey. The man walked towards her and into the morning light. Celaena noticed that his hair wasn't just one color, but a variety of shades. His skin was tan and his face-
"What do you want?" he asked sharply. She couldn't reply. His face…it was…how could she say it? Young? He looked to be in his mid-twenties, but he couldn't. Unless he was a Fae or and Elf. Her eyes looked to his ears only to find them normal and rounded. No point whatsoever. What was he?
"If you're just gonna stand there and say nothing, then leave."
"No, no I need help." Celaena said hurriedly.
"With what?" he sighed.
"I need some weapons." She
"Oh?" He didn't seem the slightest bit amused.
"Yeah."
"What do you want exactly?" he asked, turning back to his work.
"I want two daggers, a long-sword, and a short sword."
"That all."
"Yes."
"120 Tallums." He said while punctuating the sentence with a blow from the hammer.
"What?! I don't have that type of money! Do you think I'm rich?!" Celaena yelled angrily. Being robbed by a simple blacksmith was…was…not her style.
"If you're so desperate for weapons make your own, or pay up." the blacksmith growled. His purple eyes reflecting the firelight.
"I can't make my own weapons! I'm the fighter, you're supposed to make the weapons!" Celaena shouted angrily.
"A good warrior knows how to make his own weapons for times like this. A warrior needs to know his weapons, he needs to know how they're made and all that they're capable of. When you fight, you become one with your weapons. They are part of you." The blacksmith replied calmly.
"Enough with the lecture, I want a cheaper price for the weapons."
"I can't give you one."
"Why?"
"Do you have any idea what it takes from me to create these fires and make your silly kitchen knives?"
"My what?"
"Are you going to buy your weapons or not?"
"I…" Celaena had to think. "You will make those weapons for me and I will pay your stupid amount of money." She hissed angrily. With that, she turned and stalked off. She heard a faint chuckle come from behind her, but she ignored it entirely. Let the blacksmith think what he wants, she thought.
Later that day Celaena dared to walk by the blacksmith. She saw him working at the fire hammering on a long piece of metal. The water steamed loudly had he cooled off the red-hot metal, holding it with a pair of tongs. He brought the piece up to his face and studied it carefully. His brow creased and he put the piece back into the fire. It was a blazing fire of various colors. There was the normal red, yellow, orange, and white, and a little blue. Strangely, there was also dark and light purple, a dark pink, and black.
"If you're looking for your weapons, they're not even started yet." A voice rumbled from the darkness near the fire. Even though it was mid-day, there was a strange darkness under the overhanging roof. It was partially because of the fortress walls, but there was something else. The fire was there, but it didn't seem to give much light.
"Why haven't you started yet? Are you lazy?" Celaena said playfully.
"I do what I want, when I want." The blacksmith grunted into the fire.
"Sound like a little kid." Celaena smirked.
"Shut up." he snapped. Celaena noticed that his voice was tired and low.
"You OK?" she asked quieter.
"When do you care?" the blacksmith hissed.
"Well, I need you in top condition to make my weapons." Celaena smiled shyly. She had a feeling that she and the blacksmith wouldn't get along together very well, but there was something about him that was intriguing.
"So, what's your name?" she asked softly.
"My what?" the blacksmith stopped his hammer.
"Your name." Celaena repeated even softer this time.
"Caius Sanguis." The blacksmith said quietly, but then he turned and rammed the hammer back onto the anvil. Celaena hummed softly in reply. Feeling brave she asked, "Everyone here is different than the usual human. What's your special quality?"
"That's none of your concern." Caius grunted as he pulled a load of metal up onto the big wood counter. He began picking certain shapes and sizes of metal that had similar looks to them.
"When will you start making my weapons?" Celaena asked curiously.
"Soon, I don't have much to do right now." Caius replied.
"The girl in the motel, Mai, told me a little about you." Celaena said with a hint of curiosity in her voice. Caius stiffened slightly, "What did she say, exactly?" he asked stiffly.
"Oh, not much. She mentioned a little about your fires and their intense heat and that you're a warrior."
"That all?" Caius asked.
"Yeah." Celaena paused "I noticed that your fires have strange unnatural colors to them."
"Your point?"
"Do you have an ability to make and control fire?"
"And if I do?" he asked.
"Nothing, it's just that I can control and make fire. I was thinking that we could teach each-other a few tricks and techniques." Celaena said quietly, more to herself than to the blacksmith. Who, for some reason, began walking towards her slowly. He eyed her carefully and his gaze dropped to her hands that were clasped together nervously in front of her lower waist. The feeling of Caius looking that low made Celaena feel even more uncomfortable. A strange clenching and desire erupted from inside and below her.
"Stop looking there!" Celaena gasped angrily. Caius stood confused, "Looking where?" he asked calmly.
"Where you were looking before!" Celaena clarified.
"You mean your hands. Were you thinking that I was going to cut them into cubes and eat them for dinner?" Caius said smoothly with a hint of mockery.
"That's none of your business." Celaena hissed.
"I see." Caius's manner went dark and cold again.
"So about my idea…" Celaena asked softly.
"What idea?" Caius put his selected metal pieces into the fire. Melting them.
"The one where you'd give me advice on using fire magic."
"Why would I ever do that?" Caius raised a violet eyebrow skeptically.
"Because it would benefit both of us. You could teach me what you know and I could teach you what I know."
"Whatever could you teach me?" Caius asked mockingly.
"Stuff that you don't know." Celaena replied.
"Like?" Caius brought the metal from the fire and began hammering it into shape.
"Well, just tell me what you don't know. Maybe I'll know it."
"There is nothing I don't know about myself and my abilities, and my training and power are none of your concern. Now leave." Caius ordered. His tone was sharp and crisp. Sighing, Celaena left, but not before saying, "Just remember my little idea." She heard the blacksmith "humph" and continue hammering away.
Celaena walked back to the motel humming a small tune. There was something interesting about Caius. His last name Sanguis, she had heard it before a long time ago, but not only as a name. It stood for something. Also, she could have sword the blacksmith's eyes glowed a slight crimson when he told her to leave. She must have wither hit a nerve or something.
Hola mis amigos!
(I hope I said that right...I only know like half the words I say in Spanish...even in class)I LOVE Caius' temper!
This story is kind of different than what I usually do. So, please have mercy and patience with me! :)
I am stuck with all my Environmental Science stuff right now...an exam and a 160 point poster about an environmental issue...So, it might be awhile before I post again...also, Summer is coming (yay), but that means that I won't be posting until fall...:(