Chapter 9: The Secret of the Ring Blade
The day soon turned to night in Tira's new home. Brendan, the family's ten year old son, although the same height as Tira, had arrived home. Brendan looked at Tira as if he knew she was coming, but didn't say a word to her.
Tira continued to pass the ring blade throughout the day, remembering that Viktor had said there was an interesting story behind it. Tira couldn't help it. After minutes of staring at it, Tira managed to remove the glass and pick up Aiselne Drossel. "Pretty," she mumbled to herself.
"I'm glad you like it," came Brendan's voice from his room, "because it's mine. Driese is training me to be the master, not you."
After realized that Brendan calls him parents by their first names, Tira thought, "This little spoiled brat isn't worthy of wielding a ring blade."
Brendan was tired of waiting for Tira to respond and took the ring blade from Tira's hand and placed it back on the wall. Brendan walked back to his room and whispered to himself, "I bet she doesn't even know how to use a ring blade."
Tira had the sudden urge to destroy him, but the fact that he was part of the family kept her in restraint. Tira went to her room and looked out the window to see that Viktor was still talking to Driese. Tira was curious, and decided hop out the window. "What's up?" she asked.
Driese, seemingly ignoring the fact that Tira hopped out a two-story window, stopped talking to her husband and turned to Tira and said, "It's this year's best garden contest. Stralingaard, last year runner-up, says he has an ace-in-the-hole for this year's competition. I've been trying to figure out a way to make my garden better, but I just can't think of any."
"Try chrysanthemums," Tira suggested without thinking. Tira's mind froze. "Did I say that?" she thought. "Me, Tira. Did I just give flowering arrangement tips? No way." After a long silence, Driese spoke up saying, "Yeah. Chrysanthemums are red, so they'd seemingly clash with the roses, but if I group them with the tiger lilies, it will be perfect. Stralingaard will never know what hit him! Thank you Tira! You like the daughter I've always wanted!"
Tira was rather pleased with herself. Sure, she wasn't killing, but she was still happy nonetheless, a feeling she thought she could never acquire. After Driese returned to organizing the garden. Viktor stepped over and said, "If I remember correctly, I promised you a history lesson Aiselne Drossel. Follow me."
Tira followed Viktor to the ring blade. Viktor removed the ring blade from its place and began to speak. Tira could see Brendan was also listening from his door as well. "The story takes place long ago. The year is 421 B.C. Driese's ancestor was drafted into the Peloponnesian War. Battle after battle, he barely escaped until the battle of Aegospotami, when he found a discarded ring blade. Using that, he managed to survive the war, although the ring blade was lost. That is, until 149 B.C., when another of Driese's ancestors was drafted into a war, the Third Punic War to be exact. During one of the battles, he found the exact ring blade his ancestor had lost years ago."
Tira eyes widened as Viktor continued, "Once again, though, the rig blade that saved his life was once again lost. Over a millennium later, the story of the ring blade had been passed down through her family, until the Hundred Years' War began and once again the ring blade was found among the bodies during one of the battles by another of Driese's ancestors." Brendan scoffed as Viktor ignored him and continued, "He fought bravely with the ring blade, but soon was considered to old to continue fighting and was forced into retirement and the ring blade was lost until 1574." Tira recognized the year as her birth year, but decided not to bring it up.
"Driese's brother was drafted into the Eighty Years' War after moving to Holland and once again found the ring blade during a battle. Driese's brother was a true believer of the stories, so instead of risking it getting lost, he had it sent hear, where it has remained ever since." Tira was dumbfounded. Viktor smiled and asked, "There was one thing in common with all of the these fighter, and all of Driese's male ancestors. Do you know what it is?" Tira had no clue. She began to guess; birthday, hair color, eye color, city of birth, but they were all wrong.
Brendan was getting rather annoyed and interrupted. "Their name!" he yelled. Viktor gave Brendan a look, but didn't reprimand him for giving away the answer. "Correct," Viktor began. "All of Driese's ancestors were named Brendan."
Tira then shifted her eyes towards Brendan who continued to look on with disinterest. Tira could tell that Brendan had no respect for the history of Aiselne Drossel, and he should wield it unless he did. "Although," Viktor continued, "the ring blade was found among the wreckage of the battle of Aegospotami, where it came from before that is unknown to this day.
"Not true," Brendan interrupted. "My uncle bought it from a silversmith to coincide with the legend that my grandfather made up." Tira smiled faded as Brendan continued to badmouth the ring blade, and what made her even more angered is the fact that Viktor did nothing to stop him. "I can't believe it," Tira thought. "This little brat has no respect for ring blades and Viktor's not doing anything." Tira could feel her left hand curl up, but loosened it. Brendan slammed the door to his room and Viktor left downstairs.
The day ended and the next day, Tira awoke early and sat in front of Aiselne Drossel. Tira continued to stare at the ring blade and remember the story told by Viktor, as well as the inconsiderate rantings on Brendan. Tira stared at the ring blade until Driese came running out of her room and down the stairs. Tira followed.
"Driese!" Tira yelled, failing together attention as she ran out the door. Tira dashed out the door and followed her. Tira managed to catch up to Driese at an open-air flower market. "Tira," she said in minor shock, "I'm glad you're here. I've realized the chrysanthemums will go perfect with the tiger lilies, but that would leave the roses with no color coordination. I need something to coincide with the roses. Tira, take the left side and I'll take the right." Driese ran of leaving Tira to mumble to herself, "I can't believe that I understood every word of that."
Tira wandered over to the left in search of the perfect flower until a familiar face appeared in the crowd. "Toren!" she yelled as she pushed through the crowd. Tira made it through, but there was no sign of Toren. Tira continued to walk until she saw his face again, this time, Tira didn't chase it and it disappeared as soon as it came. Tira tried to ignore it until she found tulips that worked perfectly with the roses. Although she didn't know how she knew that, Tira returned home with Driese.
Days passed and thanks to Tira, Driese won the best garden award again. Tira was happy. Months passed and Toren continued to appear. Tira continued to dismiss them as just part of her old life and as the months passed, Tira began to repress her memories until the disappeared. Tira had just turned seventeen and had successfully forgotten about, Logan, Zatana, the old man, and even the Bird of Passage and the massacre. Even Toren had become a distant memory. Tira continued to help Driese with her garden, and resent Brendan for his lack of knowledge on Aiselne Drossel, even though he showed mastery of its technique.
Tira enjoyed her life with Viktor and Driese, even though they never lifted a finger to punish Brendan, who Tira managed to tolerate, but as Tira would soon find out, not all good things last forever.