[Adanedhel]

Haleg lead Halasan down the sloping road towards the smithy of Tunar Estomer’s. Many people passed them on their way, children, warriors, women, tradesmen, all types and every single one looked happy and content with their lives on their way to do whatever errand their life demanded. Soon the two came upon a row of houses, some which doubled as shops, of the four that stood there, the first two were blacksmiths, one a tanner and the last was a saddlery. Haleg passed the first Smithy and came upon a small shop front, two large double doors like that of a barn fronted the shope to allow wagons and horses into the smithy.

Haleg stood out the front and turned to Halasan

‘This is Tunar Estomer’s smithy, he is a good man, respected in Edoras as a good blacksmith and a man of not many words but a wise mind’

Halasan nodded his face hiding the turmoil below at Annawyn’s words that Catrina may be the lover of the man that betrayed his family. He shook the thought from his mind and he and Haleg entered the smithy.

Heat and noise greeted them. The steady clanging of a hammer on an anvil and the slow whooshing noise of the belows as it feed the fire the oxygen it needed to make is strong. The smithy was well ordered and kept clean, there were shelves on which a variety of pieces of metal work sat awaiting either to be sold or to be picked up by owners. In the middle of the smithy was the bellows and all the apparatuses of the blacksmith’s work. Over the anvil was a man with shoulder length hair tied back behind his head as he bent over a piece of red hot iron, hammering it into shape. His appearance was of a man of strength, his leather apron hiding this feature but the rolled up sleeves of his work shirt showing his bare forearms covered in black soot excentuating his muscles movements as the hammer rose and fell rythmically.

Haleg yelled over the din

‘TUNAR ESTOMER? A WORD PLEASE!’

The hammering stopped and the blacksmith looked up, a questioning look on his face as to who his visitors could be, he waved to them then quickly swapped his hammer for a pair of iron tongs and picked up the red hot horse shoe dropping it carefully into a barrel of cold water, a massive hiss and cloud of steam erupting from the barrel as some of the water was instantly boiled by the hot iron.
Tunar put the tongs down, whiped his hands on the burn marked leather apron and walked over to the two men extending his hand to Haleg first then to Halasan when he reached them, shaking firmly and then releasing

‘Good morning sirs, how may I be of service’

His friendly and open tone hiding his curiosity as his green eyes regarded both as he had never seen either of these men in the riddermark. Before Haleg could speak Halasan said to Tunar hurriedly and said:

‘We would enquire of you some information regarding a young women and man that came through here and came to see you recently’

Tunar raised an eyebrow and said in a tone tinted with humour

‘I am a blacksmith not a rumourmonger, I deal in iron not in words’

Tunar saw Halasan’s face change slightly to reveal an annoyance at the blacksmith’s answer, Tunar smiled then said in a much more serious tone, all humour gone

‘A young couple did come through here recently. They came and saw me with a local merchant by the name of Deriath, who bought a particularly good rapier from me before leaving’

Halasan’s face lit up and his tone became excited, Haleg standing beside him not uttering a word but watching the exchange in silence

‘Where did they go? How long ago? How did they travel there?’

Tunar chuckled and said to Halasan, small chuckles punctuating his sentences

‘Slow down friend! Not so many questions!

He laughed again, scratching his cheek and squinting as he tried to remember the details of the visitors

‘I remember Deriath saying he was heading off to his trading post by the Snowbourn and Entwash rivers, they left only two days ago and most likely left by horse as I re-shoed three horse for Deriath also’

A smile formed on Halasan’s face and he turned to Haleg

‘Do you know how to get to this place?’

Haleg rubbed his chin and said in a uncertain tone

‘I haven’t been that way for a very long time, so I can’t say I remember how to get there so it may take longer than expected’

Halasan nodded grimly but seemed he was set on getting there. Tunar watched with curiosity and said to the two men

‘I would be willing to show you the way to Deraith’s trading post. I have been there before to deliver repaired carts so it isn’t unfamiliar to me’

Tunar looked from one to the other, searching their faces for an answer....

[ March 21, 2003: Message edited by: Adanedhel ]

[ March 21, 2003: Message edited by: Adanedhel ]