Curving his sword arm around and bringing it down with a grunt, Nic heard a startled intake of air from Caleb. He grinned furtively but wiped it off as Caleb’s wooden sword came hurtling towards him. Jumping out of the way he allowed himself some breathing space. Sweat beaded his forehead and his hands were clammy but his heart was racing with the thrill of the mock battle.

“That’s better! For a minute there, you were sparring like a lady.”

“A lady?” Nic exclaimed.

“Yes, well, girl just did not seem appropriate. Girls still have a bit of fight in them. But with ladies, it is all about being proper and well…”

Nic threw himself at his opponent but Caleb was too swift, he tripped him in one unanticipated movement, so that Nic found himself lying with his face kissing the ground. Pushing himself up and dusting his untucked shirt off, he shot Caleb a quick glance. Not a young man anymore, but not extremely old either. Late twenties at the most, giving him the advantage of experience as opposed to wisdom. His dark hair was neatly pulled back into a small tail and he had stubble growing on his chiseled chin. His grey eyes were casually examining his fingers and his lips were set in a lazy grin. He wore a mixture of Nic’s and Nic’s father’s clothing. A loose shirt tucked into an old leather belt at the waist. His loose breeches disappeared into his own knee-high boots. He was considerably tall too. Nic was tall himself but only came up just above the man’s shoulders. His dad had assured him he would be just as big as their guest but Nic could not imagine it at the moment.

“This must be quite embarrassing for you Nic.”

Bending down to pick up his blunt, practice sword Nic shook his head. “Not at all, it would be unfair if I took advantage of a cripple. It would be dishonourable and, well, I never do anything to damage my honour.”

Caleb threw a challenging smile at him, “Is that right? Well…”

“Nicholaes!”

The two men frowned at each other but when the call came again Nic tied his swords to his belt.

“Ah, duties call you, young man.” Caleb leaned on his long sword leaving his bad leg to rest while all his weight was on his other. “Well, I shall remain here and enjoy the beautiful day and indulge in all the wonders it has to offer.”

“Caleb!”

Nic snickered.

With a short laugh both men turned to answer Nic’s father’s call.

“Ah, there you two are. Nicholaes wont you please take those boxes to the stall, my back feels like a horse has trampled all over me with newly shod hooves.” The old man rubbed his back to emphasize his point. “I am growing too old for festivities such as these. I think next year we will sit out and just enjoy the fair.”

“You will never miss a fair, dad,” Nic laughed, picking up the box his father indicated. It was heavy, filled with beautifully handcrafted swords, axes, knives and ornaments. His father was the best metalsmith in town and the fair tonight was going to be a busy event, full of traders and visitors from other towns. The Silver Stallion Inn was packed full of them. Not to mention the jugglers, fire-eaters, sword specialists, animal tamers, hypnotists and magicians that would be performing as well.

“How can I help, Master Finn?”

“Oh no, don’t worry about it Caleb, I just called your name to see where my boy was. Besides, we can’t have you carrying heavy things with that leg of yours. You would ruin all the good work my wife has done repairing it. And if I did let you, we would never hear the end of it.”

“Well then I will make sure never to mention it to her.”  Caleb patted Finn on the shoulder and walked over to the box that was lying next to Nic’s and picked it up.

“Cripple.” Nic said under his breath.

“Lady.” Caleb retorted.

“Yeah, yeah, alright… I give in. Come on, we better get these boxes to the stall before you collapse.”

“I think you will collapse before I, Nicholaes.”

Nic grunted, his arms were shaking from the weight and he was finding it increasingly difficult to stand still but he ignored the comment and started to walk out of his father’s workshop in as straight a line as he could. The town was buzzing; men and women were so busy with their own preparation that the usual long greetings in the street were replaced with hurried smiles of acknowledgment. As the stall his father had set up came into view, Nic noticed the familiar figure standing behind the stall setting up. Her round form was fussing over the small area designated to his father. Freezing in mid step Nic turned to Caleb. “Put down the box.”

“No, really don’t worry about me I will be fine, but I do appreciate your concern.” Caleb was still smiling as he looked towards the stall, but it quickly disappeared as he saw the old housewife. He immediately placed his load on top of Nic's already heavy one, dusting any remnants of the old box from his creamy shirt.

“Hey! Get it off! This one was heavy enough to start with!”

“It’s only a bit of metal, it’s good for your training. Or would you rather me walk up to your mother with a heavy box in my hands?”

“Pah!” Nic felt himself starting to sway from the weight and could feel his arm muscles burning in protest, but he refused to give in to the warrior. Placing one foot in front of the other, Nic slowly made his way to the stall.

“Good morning, Mrs Shaw.”

“Oh hello there, Cal - Bless the Gods! Nic, what are you trying to prove? Are you trying to ensure back problems in your future! Put those silly boxes down right now!”

“Sorry.” Nic shot an angry look at Caleb who just smiled back.

“Where is your father? I have been waiting for almost a season for him to come back with my tablecloth.”

“Bit of an exaggeration, Ma.” Nic intoned.

“Don’t argue with me Nicholaes.”

“He was at the house when Nic and I left.” Caleb said, saving Nic from any more scrutiny.

“Well then I better go help him, he probably can’t find the damn thing. Unpack those boxes Nicky.”

“We will, Mrs Shaw.”

“I was most certainly not talking to you, Caleb! And how many times must I tell you to call me Mirabel?”

Caleb was just about to reply, but Mirabel quickly pulled up a chair and commanded him to sit. When she was satisfied she smiled at him, kissed Nic on his forehead, and shuffled off.

“It is like she thinks I am disabled.”

“Crippled.” Nic corrected bluntly.

“Yes, she does make me feel like one.” Caleb stood up and started helping Nic unpack the boxes.

The corner of Nic’s mouth twitched up into a small smile. He enjoyed Caleb’s company, and they had become good friends, besides for the age gap and the short time they had known each other. Over two months ago Caleb had limped up the Shaw’s garden and collapsed just outside their front door.  Nic had discovered him that stormy night still unconscious, and had awoken his parents to help him quickly drag Caleb inside and place him by a fire. His mother had nursed Caleb back to health, since he was in a bad state, but it did not take long for him to recover. Still, Mrs Shaw insisted he rest until she felt it was time he could leave. 

In the mean time Nic and Caleb had had many talks as he sat on the porch or by the fire. And then steadily a friendship formed and Caleb started teaching Nic how to use a sword. Caleb had claimed to be a warrior and had been riding in the Aldo Forest the night of his arrival to Tjorin Vale when two bears attacked him, killing his horse and biting his leg, leaving an almost lame limb. But he had fought them off and slowly made his way to the closest town. Nic did not doubt the story, since he had never stepped a foot out of the valley, but he still had never heard of bears in the Aldo and if there were, they would have to be really deep within the prolific forest. Nic did not voice this preferring to keep to his own council. 

He enjoyed hearing Caleb’s tales as a warrior who had seen the rest of Hanarah and, in many ways, was jealous of him. Nic knew he was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a metal-smith but he did not have a passion for it like his father did. He did not really know what he was passionate about but he was not allowing that to affect him. He would decide when the time came. Maybe he would leave the town and join the warrior group that Caleb claimed to be apart of but then he knew he was not a particularly skilled fighter. Caleb said if he practiced hard enough he would do well in anything but Nic did not have the patience to spend hours on end practicing. 

Glancing at Caleb, he could not believe that just two months later he was as strong as an ox, his leg as good as new as if it had never been injured. But yet he still lingered in the small town. Not that Nic minded. It was good to have somebody new in the house, almost like another sibling, a brother he never had. But besides their friendship and the many talks they shared, Caleb was still a mystery to him.

Wiping off beads of sweat on his sleeve he pushed his hands into the small of his back and sighed. It was the middle of summer and the days in the valley were at their hottest. Nic would normally be at the lake just outside the town by now but the end of year fair had disrupted everyone’s day-to-day routines.

“Would you like something to drink? I’m going to the fountain; I can fill up your water sack.” Nic said, clicking his neck. Caleb finished unpacking the last item and looked up.

“Water would be great, thank you.” He said and unbuckled his pouch from his waist. Nic caught it in mid air and then turned to the middle of town. He weaved his way to the fountain, and was just about to fill it up when somebody slipped in front of him and started to drink their fill.

“Well sure go right ahead, I’ll wait.” He snapped irritably, placing his hands on his hips and furrowing his brows.

“I’m sure you will” Nic’s heart skipped a beat and his stomach muscles clenched; she always had this effect on him. I need to ask Caleb if he has any advice about woman.

“Anya, how are you?” he tried to sound as natural as possible but it came out more as a mumble then individual words.

“Things could be better and you?” she replied tersely.

Nic couldn’t get himself to answer so he just smiled. You look like a donkey with four left hooves, say something! “Excited for tonight?” 

A smile tugged on the left side of her mouth, “I am. It is going to be an eventful night. I just hope Irien will not expect me to act like I have needles all over my body.” She was looking straight at him; her big emerald eyes were looking into his with a mischievous grin. She is challenging me. Ha! He looked back showing no intention of looking away. Her grin was slowly spreading. Don’t look at her lips you fool! Focus! She was just shorter than him, tall for most girls but he still had to look down at her.  Her midnight braided hair, usually hanging down her long back, was draped over her shoulder, ending just below her full chest – a feature Nic was becoming very aware of in the last few years. Clenching his jaw, Nic regained focus. A minute must have passed already but still he had no intention to change the direction of his stare.

“It is a hot day,” she said through her grin.

“Scolding,” he said back.

“Perfect for a swim.”

He allowed his lips to curl up but said nothing.

“Nicky boy!”

Nic turned to see who was calling him before he could stop himself. Robert Stafford was strolling towards them from the middle of the town centre. “Here we go.” Nic said under his breath. Anya was frowning at him but quickly diverted her gaze when he looked at her. I would think she had not just challenged me in a staring competition, if you could even call it that.

“Hello Anya, beautiful day is it not?”

“Yes very.” She replied dryly. “You look awfully proud of yourself, what did you do? Challenge a bull?” Anya’s tone was bland and sarcastic and Nic had to strain to keep a straight face.

“No, but it looks as if I am going to have to. No names have been put down for The Wrestle this month. They are too afraid of the champion I guess.”

“Good. The wrestle is stupid, pointless, useless and an absolutely vile expression of violence that should not be encouraged!”

“Us boys see it differently, is that not right Nicky boy?” Robert winked.

Nic looked at the ground. He would never put his name down to challenge Robert. The boy was violent and cruel at times, and no one had come out of a challenge against him unscathed. He admitted he was scared of Robert to himself, but to admit that he hated the stupid challenges that took place on the last night of every month in front of Robert would be the same as admitting he was terrified of him. It was a tradition in the town; started a long time ago by the men in the town who wanted to impress the women. Of course, times had changed and the Wrestle was no longer seen as a courting game but rather an intense, competitive battle between two youths on the brink of adulthood.

“Nic is too sensible to participate in that silly game of yours, aren’t you Nic?”

Nic looked at Anya with gratitude but felt slightly ashamed for not answering himself. She smiled up at him but snapped her eyes back to Robert quickly.

“No, Nic just isn’t a proper man yet, that’s all. He is too scared to get a bit bloody. A real girl if you ask me.” The last part was said so softly that Nic hardly heard it. 

Clenching his fists and jutting his jaw, Nic tried to ignore the remark.

“As scared as a rabbit tailed by a hound,” Robert sneered.

“I am not afraid! I just don’t see the point.” Nic snapped.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that princess.”

Nic straightened his back until he was almost half a head above Robert. His nails were digging into his palms and he felt heat rising to his neck.

“You challenging me, Nicky?” Robert said in a deep voice, attempting to match Nic in height but failing so instead puffed out his broad chest. “You want to face me in the Wrestle tonight? It would be fun don’t you think? Well, for me at least.”

“That’s enough you two!” Anya stepped between them, leaning her body against Nic’s. Nic relaxed and felt his cheeks heat up but not because of anger. He would have smiled but the moment was not right. Instead he did something he would have never done if Anya had not put herself between them.

“Yes. I challenge you, tonight at the festival.”

Anya twirled around her long dark hair whipping around after her. Her jaw dropped, eyes wide and nostrils flared in pure shock. Robert’s pleasure in the challenge was obvious. 

“Until then pretty boy.” And he walked off.

“Nice going genius!”

Nic looked down at Anya, shock had now turned to anger. She was glaring at him. What have you done now! You’re a dead man! God I wish she wouldn’t look at me like that! “I uh…what have I done?”

“Good question, keep asking yourself that. As for you being too sensible, I take that comment back!”  Nic watched as she briskly walked away. He didn’t even try stopping her since his thoughts were racing inside his head. Slowly realization dawned on him. I have just challenged the town bully to a Wrestle! What was I thinking? Oh wait, I wasn’t thinking. Trying to impress Anya and I did the exact opposite. I am going to die! Arem protect me! Silverbark…

“What is taking so long with that water? Did the fountain scare you away?” Caleb came strolling towards him, chuckling at his own joke. “By the Gods it looks as if you have seen a ghost. You’re as pale as the winter snows, what happened?”

Nic snapped out of his trance and looked at the warrior. “I cannot believe what I just did.”

“What did you do?” Caleb’s tone was serious and concerned. His usually smooth temple was creased with a worried frown. “Nic, what happened?”