Daggers

I'm very bad a summery and that was three different people talking.

     The skin from my eyes began to squint as I moved my hand to block the incoming morning light. Not to day, I was too tired to get up just yet, only another moment then I’d get up and start my daily routine. Even though I knew fully what was to come if I ignored Grandpa’s call, but I was feeling extra definite today. I looked around the room head still lowered to the soft hay of the Pillow. The chamber was an eerie silent, the little shack that I call home, it wasn’t much but it was quite and it was mine, my only concern is the size. I hate being kept in one place for long and this cage of a room didn’t give me the option of moving around whole lot, it barley had room for the bed itself.  I wrapped the purple tatters of my blanket, moving myself into just the right spot to avoid the holes that had gathered through the years.  A smiled grazed my tan skin as I genteelly washed away into my land of fantasy and adventure.

“Eli? Boy get up!” I heard the rocky old voice of my Grandpa echo through the makeshift home.

I continued to ignore the call, I was tired and after a long day of chopping wood and trying to sell my skins to passing merchants takes a lot from you.  Nadia told me to come to the bakery and try selling there but I refused. I knew I could make more money and I knew that the fine men and woman of Tiljar would enjoy the rustic findings of a character like me in saying, “Aw how sweet, and isn’t that cute?” I’m not cute, I am grown man, sure I may be small for my age but I’m certainly no child. Corse that’s not the only reason I refused to go into the city. I don’t belong there and many make it a point to prove just how true that is. Since I was young, whenever I went into to the bakery to see if Nadia was there I’d be looked down on. My family are famers and living outside of one of the biggest trade centers in Cordale isn’t idea. People soon became tired of our simple corns and beats and soon moved on to the next new thing, leaving us with no money for anything. Not to mention how terrified I am of Nadia’s father. He is one of the biggest men I have ever seen and Nadia is his prized position and he will never let me forget that. Mr. Merd always greeted me with the same thing, “I’m watching you.” At first I thought he was just joking with me but as the years went on, I began to feel more and more of I were outcaste around him, more as I were a dog begging for food that a human being. But I’d always light up when I saw Merd’s face when Nadia barked at him for being rude. I will always remember the red that came over him.

My thoughts were interrupted but the screech of the wooden door against the choppy floor boards, I closed my eyes tightly and pretended to be asleep.  I could hear the steady tapping of Grandpa’s cane against the floor, I did my best not to move, maybe he’d believe I was actually sleeping. Of course my act didn’t fool the old man, the thump of his cane wacked against my head and I jumped from the shock. I looked up at my alarm, well it was an alarm to me. Grandpa’s wrinkled with age stared down at me with a blank expression. I smiled a fake smile added with a soft laugh.

“Eli, what did I ask of you?” Grandpa asked softly, I honestly couldn’t tell if I was in trouble or not from his tone.                 

“To get up?” I asked trying my best to sound naïve.

“So the boy can hear can he?” Grandpa smiled, “get up boy.” He said removing the purple sheet from my warm torso.

My eyes grew curious by his expression, I grew to know Grandpa’s expressions over my childhood, which ones meant I was in trouble, which meant he was proud and so one. But this was a look I rarely saw, one of fear. I did not know what he was so afraid of, I didn’t understand if I had done something to frighten the elder, but from his look I could tell something was wrong, I eagerly waited to see what had caused such a look.

“Eli,” Grandpa shuttered, “My boy, when is the last time you’ve eaten?”

I looked at the fully detailed rib cage, when every line clear as day, and every rib visible without someone to look hard. I had always been skinny I knew that, I never could eat very much and now I rarely ate at all. We barley had any food, a drought has been keeping the crops from coming in this year, any money I had gotten from skinning was given to Grandpa for emergencies.  I cursed at myself listen to the words fall of Grandpa’s tongue, I had always made it apparent to show as little skin as I could. I had thrown my shirt off last night from the heat; I had forgotten to put it back on before Grandpa saw.

“This is unhealthy boy, I knew you were a bit thin but this,” he gestured towards my back and ribs, “This is too much.”

“Sorry,” I lost eye contact, I didn’t want to see that look any more, I began to rub my palms, tearing he dead callus skin away slowly.

“Calm down Eli,” Grandpa placed his hand on my shoulder. My back tightened and my eyes widened, he soon took his hand away from me, I slowly loosened my invisible bines on my back, relaxing.

His brown eyes glared worriedly into mine, my expression changed from one of confusion to one of annoyance, “I’m

fine!” I shouted, instantly I felt ashamed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

“It’s ok Eli, get dressed and meet me down stairs.” Grandpa said before proceeding out the bedroom door.

The creeks of the door across the wood screeched through the chamber. Silence once fell across my room, a sigh escaped my lips as I grabbed my tunic from under the bed. I genteelly slipped on the patched tunic, the worn fabric rubbed against my skin as it covered the bones of the back. It was the color of dirt with more than enough patches of fabric found here and there. I took my rope and tighten it along my waist, it made me look thin but the rope was the only thing keeping the tunic from blowing me away with a single gust of wind.  I removed the purple sheet from my legs, I stared down at my equally torn trousers. The tan color seems to match the hay from my bed, but ended at my feet. I had no shoes, I out grew them years ago and I just haven’t gotten around to get a new pair. Another sign came from my mouth as I placed my hands equally apart on the frame of the bed. I hated this part of the day. It was my secret ritual, my secret of the day. I pushed my palms down and gritted my teeth, my legs slowly unbent themselves as I raised myself father in to stand. A shock of pain came from my arm. I quickly shut my eyes, a thump echoed from my impact. I opened my eyes again to see the splinted wood of my floor, as another day went on, the harder my ritual became. 

I placed my hands flat on the floor boards, I pushed until I had successfully gotten to my knees.  No one must see me like this, no one must ever see the weakness.

After much struggle, I finally managed to pull myself to my feet and proceed  to meet Grandpa down stairs, the wooden floor broads cracked as I walked down the narrow stair case.

Grandpa sat in his usual red chair. I remember listening to stories by the fireplace as a kid, hanging on every word, stories about adventures and witches. I always liked the endings the best, the brave hero would kill the evil witch, save the girl, and live happily ever after.

Faded blue eyes stared back into mine and I snapped back into attention. He looked at his open palm, my eyes followed as they set on an auburn cotton bag, our emergency funds. My eyes snapped back to the face of Grandpa, what broke now?

“Eli, I want you to go into town,” my heart suck into my stomach with a single word. Not today, today was the first of Evaluation for the knight’s academy. Our town being only a short ride from the academy made us one of the most visited towns in Cordale. Parents would dress there of age sons for the trainers, showing off their skills and talents while the trainers judge them like a piece of meat. Every son must be evaluated at least once, except me. I never made it past the first selection, we’d all line up shoulder to shoulder, the weak looking boys were removed first. The instructors would walk down the line and talk about us as if we were not there. “This one’s too short, too skinny, too weak, maybe next year.”  

“Eil? Boy have you heard a word I’ve said?” Grandpa asked sternly.

I snapped to attention, a sigh came from the old man as he repeated himself, “Go to the market for your evaluation. While there pick up a few lofts of bread, two. See any deals you can get today.”

He placed the cloth bag into my rubbed palms, it was nearly empty. I should really try to sell some of my skins in town today. I know the people of Tijar are just buying it out of pity, but at this point I don’t care, we can’t live on our savings forever. I started to walk out the front door when I felt my arm being grabbed; I froze and looked at the old man.

“I don’t want you getting into trouble, not while all these knights are in town. Keep your nose clean and stay close to Nadia. I’m sure if they say anything she’ll give them a good reason to run away with their tails between their legs. “ Grandpa said letting go of my arm.

“And Eli, stay out of the woods today.” My face turned stone white, how did he know about that.

Grandpa must have noticed my expression, he just laughed, “You’re not as sneaky as you think boy. Now remember be good boy, stay out of it today, do as you’re told, and above all get home by sun down.”

A curfew? I’m seventeen nearing eighteen, I’m almost at age, I’m not a child.

“Sun down boy,” Grandpa said sternly.

“Yes sir,” I said leaving from the worn farm house.

The dirt road from our cottage ran directly to the village, unlike the stone streets of Tijar the dirt of our worked road had character, it was natural, beading into the background of the world. I started to walk down the path way, listening to only the sounds of the stream and the forest. Both sides of the path were surrounded by either water or forest.

Why was everyone so afraid of the woods? The only reason people don’t dare venture into the woods are because of the legends. Nothing but children’s tales if you ask me, just things parents tell their children so they’ll behave. Stories of giant shadow beasts that will never stop until there master is pleased. Others have an entire different look on the matter; many say that a guardian resides in these woods, they say he is a twisted man who will kill any who enters his land. Well, I’ve been hunting in the woods for years, trapping squirrels here and there and I’ve never seen a twisted guardian. But then again, I don’t even know if the guardians are real. The thought of five men being chosen for being most like certain gems seems unlikely. Simple children stories, that’s all they’ll ever be, along with witches, dragons, fairies, and adventure.

I stopped starring at my reflection in the stream. My musky hair shagged into my face, I genially brushed them to one side out of my eyes. I hated my eyes, I knew they were brown but they looked nearly black being so dark. Eyes can tell a lot about a person, but when I looked into my own all I saw was darkness. I tried to get my attention from my eyes. It went to evaluation. My face was sharp, angled chin, shin eyebrows, straight nose, clear skin, no scars, what did they not like about me? The sound of trumpets broke my self-pity, I’m late.