Hospitality's Horn
The stream I got my water from was frozen. I was sweating and my muscles were working. I swung my arm down and with a thunderous clang my hammer impacted the apple red metal. A spark landed in my hair and I shuddered it off as one would a gadfly. The metal under the hammer was mostly in its shape. Long and thin and soon sharp. It was the length of my wrist to my elbow and it would gain a hand when I attached a handle. Twisting the tongs with my left hand I turned over the iron. Again and again I hammered the metal forcing the blade to taper and thin towards the end and the edges. I laid the knife blade by on a stone by the fire to let it cool slowly; it would still need work before it could be tempered.
I left the smith and quickly made my way through the cold air to my house just across from it. I could feel a meaning in my fingers. The tip of my left index and the tip of my right pinky had a tingle that almost seemed like pulling. It was clear to my mind that I would need to travel soon. It was almost time for a winter feast and I should find a neighbour that would take me in.
I knocked on the door of the great hall, my staff sounding as thunder on the horizon. A lady opened the door. Let me in, I cried, I have traveled over the mountain and I wish to attend the feast you have here. I hoped that these people would respect hospitality as one should but you never know for sure when your beard is with frost in the night.
"Do we know you?" she asked.
"You know I am a traveler and that you need to be hospitable," I responded.
A man with full beard of grey came up behind her. "Come on in traveler we have boar and mead enough to share with you."
I followed the man's gesture and entered into the hall past the woman who pierced me with looks as cold as the ground outside. I could feel the heat and the smoke of the hall melting the chill from my clothes and my face.
"Is this your hall I have entered kind one?" I said as I accepted a seat the man offered me. A serving woman offered a horn of mead as well.
"I am Hrgil and I live here with my son and his wife," he said nodding at the wife of his son.
"How long is this feast?" I asked.
"It lasts the week," Hrgil said proudly, "And you may stay the whole time."
"Thank you generous Hrgil," I said, "I have a gift for you the keeper of the feast and owner of the hall." I removed from my bundles the dagger I had made. The light from the fire caught well on the blade and the rune sign, which I had inlaid with brass near the hilt.
That is a fine gift! Hrgil exclaimed.
"It is called Thorn may it protect you and this house from all ill."
The stream I got my water from was frozen. I was sweating and my muscles were working. I swung my arm down and with a thunderous clang my hammer impacted the apple red metal. A spark landed in my hair and I shuddered it off as one would a gadfly. The metal under the hammer was mostly in its shape. Long and thin and soon sharp. It was the length of my wrist to my elbow and it would gain a hand when I attached a handle. Twisting the tongs with my left hand I turned over the iron. Again and again I hammered the metal forcing the blade to taper and thin towards the end and the edges. I laid the knife blade by on a stone by the fire to let it cool slowly; it would still need work before it could be tempered.
I left the smith and quickly made my way through the cold air to my house just across from it. I could feel a meaning in my fingers. The tip of my left index and the tip of my right pinky had a tingle that almost seemed like pulling. It was clear to my mind that I would need to travel soon. It was almost time for a winter feast and I should find a neighbour that would take me in.
I knocked on the door of the great hall, my staff sounding as thunder on the horizon. A lady opened the door. Let me in, I cried, I have traveled over the mountain and I wish to attend the feast you have here. I hoped that these people would respect hospitality as one should but you never know for sure when your beard is with frost in the night.
"Do we know you?" she asked.
"You know I am a traveler and that you need to be hospitable," I responded.
A man with full beard of grey came up behind her. "Come on in traveler we have boar and mead enough to share with you."
I followed the man's gesture and entered into the hall past the woman who pierced me with looks as cold as the ground outside. I could feel the heat and the smoke of the hall melting the chill from my clothes and my face.
"Is this your hall I have entered kind one?" I said as I accepted a seat the man offered me. A serving woman offered a horn of mead as well.
"I am Hrgil and I live here with my son and his wife," he said nodding at the wife of his son.
"How long is this feast?" I asked.
"It lasts the week," Hrgil said proudly, "And you may stay the whole time."
"Thank you generous Hrgil," I said, "I have a gift for you the keeper of the feast and owner of the hall." I removed from my bundles the dagger I had made. The light from the fire caught well on the blade and the rune sign, which I had inlaid with brass near the hilt.
That is a fine gift! Hrgil exclaimed.
"It is called Thorn may it protect you and this house from all ill."
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