”We’re almost there Hugo!”, I screamed through the storm which had gotten its grips around the high treetops that both howled and cracked as we walked over the muddy path on our way to the castle. On some places we almost had to duck for both branches and one and another poultry to not get knocked or plunged into the dark gray.
We almost flew into the courtyard. ”Edward! Finally you’re back!”. Even if inside the walls it were difficult to hear anything over the storm that raged between the wooden buildings. Ingrid rushed down to meet me and had to sick-sack between all the people that desperately tried to keep their belongings, goods and other items on the ground. I gave her a smile because she looked like a mess, the hair stood in all directions and her long coat waved horizontally as she fought her way closer. ”You should see yourself!” I laughed at her. She grinned back.
”You say that before looking at yourself? You almost have the fur in front of you!”, which probably was more than correct considering how rough I felt. I dismounted and got a quick hug.
”Come on now so we can go inside, we have a bit to do”, she said and let me go again.
”What? Already, but I just got here” I said tiredly. She laughed, ”Well yeah, but you probably know by now that in this place there is always someone that has something to do for you”. Very true I thought to myself.
”There you are!”. We finally made it inside and the king came towards us with open arms and a hideous grin. ”Did you fight a bear on your way here Edward? Hah, you can almost believe that it’s windy outside!”.
”Yea, well it- what the f-” my eyes fixated on the chaos behind him. ”Is that a tree!?”. Coloured glass, twigs and other bits and pieces were spread all over the oblong throne room, and in the middle of it were a huge fir – with pine-cones and all. Not a small one, but a mighty thing. It looked a little funny because only half of it appeared to be inside – the rest hung out the window.
”Well, now we have firewood for the rest of winter!” he chuckled and gave us both a warm hug. ”It flew in, just like that. Sure, it’s a bit windy, but never I thought something like this would get caught in the arms of the storm and fly straight into our throne-room! What a day right! I sat and ate and then this happened! You should know how I jumped when this monster came crashing in! All of it didn’t really fit. It crashed into the far wall and then it stopped. Therefore you now see half of the mess outside the building! I have ordered a small group to try to split it in two so that the outside half falls down so that we can more easily handle what’s inside. It’s a bit risky, it might fall and smush a poor fellow standing in the wrong place, but I think we can try to avoid that. We live in Rotvaelta, a bit dangerous manual labour is what we live for!”. Ingrid and I exchanged hesitant looks as he walked back to the rest of the men. Without even looking he pointed towards a wagon in the corner of the room and ordered ”Now take an axe over there and come help us. This will most likely take a while you shall see!”.
Way too many cuts and groans later the branches had finally been separated from the tree, which we collected in a pile at the corner of the room, while the stem had been cut in two. The outer half had been left outside for now. Now most of us sat and rested looking at the poor janitor who were trying to get all the needles and shards of glass out of the room, but it went slowly due to the absolute mess of a room he tried to clean. Not an easy task one can think, but as this now was the throne room it had to be respectable he had said, even if there is a fir straight across the floor.
“Eeeh,…. Sir?”. One of the men who were in the middle of stripping the bark took our interest. “You should see this”.
“Oh, I wanna see!”, Ingrid said and almost flew there even if it was directed towards the king. No matters though, because she were the only one that were in the mood to stand up. Agile she climbed over the stem and landed softly next to the sweaty worker. Her eyes grew big as orbs when she realized what he meant.
“Eeeeeeeh……… Edward..?”, she said hesitantly. “There is a sword in the stem”.
That however got all our attention.
“What are you saying, is there a sword in the fir?” the king asked. “Let me see!”. Not many seconds later he crowded with the rest of the men behind him. In the middle of the stem there were a sword so shiny you wouldn’t believe it. “We have to get it out”, was the first thing the king said. He let his hands travel across the hard steel and felt along its edges where it met the slightly moist and rough wood. “Get me a knife”, he said to all and no one. At once a fumble of pockets, side straps and bindles to find something sharp, but Ingrid was already long ahead of everyone else.
“Here, take mine”, she said and reached out her little forged silver knife.
“That?”, the king asked surprised. “Shall a knife that fine be used to carve in wood?”
“Sure thing!” she replied excited, “a fine tool for a fine sword. Carve now!”
“So be it”, he said calmly and began to work. At first he carved slowly around its edges to later on going deeper and deeper around it while us the viewers curiously watched to the sound of knife against wood and a mumble or two. A few minutes later he had gotten a wide enough hole to be able to grip the handle. “Thank you, now I don’t think I need it any longer” he said and gave Ingrid her knife back in just as fine condition as he got it.
“Thanks”, she replied happily.
“Please take a step back all of you”. Then he pulled.
The wood creaked as the part that still were stuck lurched loose. He swinged it in a circle, held it upright and inspected it. “Bark. It shall be named Bark.”
“Beautiful”, said Ingrid. An astounded mumble concurred. “What will you do with it?”.
“Well..” He took a deep breath and continued, “Do you need a sword Ingrid? A complement to your knife perhaps?”
“What? Me?” She was almost surprised. “But you know I prefer two handed swords. That one is for milk drinkers like Edward” she said grinning and gave me a teasing look.
“What, hang on now you little-”
“Of course I know that” the king interrupted, “I just thought I should ask at least. But then, Edward?”
“Gladly!” I immediately replied and added “Very much so!” hopefully. He flipped the handle towards me and said “So be it. Bark is yours.” As I took it he said “But then you have to care for it.”
“Thank you so very much. Of course I will” I said and pointed it to the sky. “Everything the forest gives us we shall take care of”.
“Good. Then we all can finish the work with the big tree over there while some of us still have the mood up”, he said with a big smile. We obeyed of course, but it killed our spirits a little. But for a sword like that I would have done anything.