Chapter 3

Still early for my appointment, or perhaps late, I thought, glancing at the sun and chuckling, I wandered out of the kitchens into the back courtyard. Several small buildings served the Palace, all surrounded by the Master's neat herb gardens. I was picking some of the nicer ones when I heard the sounds of hammering.

There was a time when I thought I could be a Smith and studied hard and long, adding more than a few scars to the collection already on my hands and arms. Alas, it was not to be. The best that I could do was no better than an average apprentice managed. It is always good to know your limits and apply yourself to what you're really good at. Still, I did so miss the weight of the hammer in my hand... I was drawn to the sounds and smells of the Smithy.

Inside the building a very large man was bent over an anvil. There wasn't much room in the Smithy for other than that. He was working on an elaborate breastplate, and I remembered that this was the Smith that created Princess Lasahn's beautiful Star Tigress armor.

"Greetings, Smith!" I called and tried to work my way around him enough to look at his project. "Is that more Tiger armor for the Princess?"

The Smith seemed startled by the intrusion. (A nervous Smith? Impossible!)

He looked up and recognized me.

"Gareth! Well met!" He boomed, setting down his hammer and tongs. "Would that it were another armor for the wee Princess."

Wee? Has he looked at Lasahn recently? She is a very powerful warrior, perhaps as strong as I am. Maybe even stronger, those royal bloodlines are full of mighty warriors.

"So, who is getting this armor, friend?" I asked.