Thorn of Ironbone

[hermeszeppeli]

It was another boring night of winter.

It was too late and too cold to play outside.

Clover was on her bed, holding the lute in her skinny arms, a disturbing melody coming from the instrument.

 

“... the Hero entered the cave... he walked over the bones of the ones that had failed before him...”

 

Rose, with a wooden sword in her hand, was walking around the room looking at the floor with carefully disguised fear. She avoided all the stuffed toys they had scattered around. She stopped in horror mid-step, continuing her sister story.

 

“... he felt something soft under his feet, and he glanced down – you should never look down, but he did – what he saw almost drew him mad!”

 

Clover quickened the melody and screamed.

 

“NOOOO! It couldn’t be! -BUT IT WAS-”

 

She stopped playing for a moment. She smirked before adding:

 

“It was him. His mentor”

 

“NOO!” Rose lost the grip from her sword at once and fell on her knees dramatically.

She started sobbing, and made the gesture of cradling something in her arms.

 

Clover started playing again, a song of pure sorrow that mixed together with the sobs of her sister and the raindrops hitting the windows.

 

“... or better, the only thing that remained of him. The Hero knelt and caressed the severed head of his lost Mentor... he remembered their last conversati-...”

 

Orick bursted in, interrumpting them.

 

“What the hell?! You’re too loud! You’re creeping me out!”

 

“OOOOOH COME ON!” the two sisters protested in unison.

“Why you always do this when the best part comes in?!”

 

“I don’t care, just shut up and go to bed already!”

 

“It’s not true! Thor loves our stories!” Rose said, defensive.

 

“Well, Thor isn’t here so you have to do what I say!” Orick remarked, pointing at himself.

 

“You aren’t the oldest! And you aren’t Father either!” Rose looked down on him as much as she could as he was a lot taller than her.

 

“Well, I’m the older RIGHT NOW so I make the rules!”

 

“You’re so boring, Orick...” Clover singhed.

 

“You better go to sleep if you don’t want that stupid sword to disappear...AND that lute too”

 

“YOU CAN’T! THEY’RE GIFTS FROM THOR!”

 

“You think Father would give a damn?”

 

Rose and Clover immediately put their most precious possessions away, and Rose hid in bed with her sister.

 

“Are you satisfied, Orick?!”

 

Orick’s smug smile was unnerving.

 

“That’s better! Goodnight, little creeps!”

 

---

 

 

Rose loved fencing. When she had finally started having lessons alongside her brothers, she almost cried from happiness.

Their father wouldn’t have approved of course, but he came to visit once a year so it wasn’t a real problem.

Thor had welcomed her enthusiasm, while Orick couldn’t understand her fascination.

 

“Tsk, I hate fencing, you can get away with it and you want to do this kind of stuff? What’s the point? You’ll get married and just have a bunch of children like mother did in the end!”

 

Rose had the impression that their behaviour had contributed to their teacher’s decision of accepting her as a student.

She had mistook the man insecurities... he was opposed about the idea of doing it behind Lord Ironbone, not to have a girl as as a student.

 

“Where I come from, women fight alongside men in battle... I don’t see nothing wrong about it actually. You’re ten already, is a perfect age to start” Romualdo had explained, “But please, I don’t want to get fired, so this will be a secret, okay?”

 

“Sure!” Thor and Rose had agreed in unison. Orick spat on the background.

 

--

-

 

Rose remembered little of their mother – the only thing that remained of her was a giant portrait in the saloon.

A noble woman that had died after giving birth to two pair of fraternal twins, in the span of less than three years.

If it was for their father, she could have stopped at the first male, probably.

Thor was the only one he actually cared about... Orick was just some kind of replacement if something were to happen to Thor.

 

The sisters were just there... nothing of note, but one or two more good connections weren’t bad either.

Rose had feared his wrath at first, as he was quick to anger and wasn’t lenient of slaps and hits at his older brothers, especially Orick. But mostly he didn’t cast the sisters much more than a passing glance.

But she realized that it wasn’t like their father approved of their interests, he just didn’t care enough to stop them.

She felt glad she could keep fencing, and Clover playing her beloved lute.

He still paid for their education, bringing tutors from the main land and they had servants to attend them.

 

---

 

It was an unusual bright day of summer and Rose was training with her older brother.

She was breathing heavily, sweating and dirty when an eerie melody started playing, so she glanced up. Clover was playing her lute on the edge of the window, up in the tower of the castle.

 

“Stand up, Rose!”

 

She looked back to his brother Thor. He had finally come back from the war, a few more scars but otherwise well and even stronger. Their Father was well too, but she didn’t care as much for him.

 

“Retrieve your sword. You’re dead if you don’t have a weapon”

Thor’s advise was serious, even if said with a gentle tone.

He kept swinging his sword, the sun hitting the blade and making it glisten, showing her a new figure.

 

Rose let out a frustrated sigh, looking for her own that was stuck on the ground a few feet behind her. An actual sword, not a toy.

 

“You’re improving, you know? It’s a pity women can’t fight in battles. I think you’re more gifted then a lot of men I have seen.”

 

“If old guys are all like Father, it’s no wonder!”

 

“Well, I could choose you as a personal guard when I’ll be a captain... I’ll need someone I could trust”

 

“Really?”

 

“It depends on how good you get. If I find someone better suited...”

 

“I’ll be the best! I swore it”

 

Thor smiled at her, getting in a perfect stance, waiting for her to attack.

She breathed deeply and came at him.

 

 

--

 

Rose had taken the lessons very seriously.

She admired her older brother Thor, he was just a three years older then her, but he was tall, strong and kind.

It didn’t surprise her when he started training with a real sword, while she kept using a wooden one.

That didn’t mean she had given up.

She didn’t have any intention to be left behind.

That challenge didn’t seem to interest Orick in the least, and he actually ditched the lessons, threatening to tell their secret to Father if they didn’t let him.

Without Orick’s inability to make her feel better, she had to train even more.

At fourteen Romualdo finally let her use a real sword.

She felt confident.

She was taller – almost reaching her brother’s impressive stature – stronger.

Now they could stand on the same ground.

 

She was telling that during dinner, eating with all her siblings when Orick interrupted her, speaking with his mouth full of steak.

 

“You should do a contest then, since you’re so good” Orick’s words hang in air.

 

“I know you’re telling her this for the wrong reasons, but I think it would be interesting, Rose! I think you can do it!” Clover smiled at her, patting her shoulder with her delicate hands.

 

“Are you sure, Rose? I don’t want to hurt you...” Thor didn’t seem too keen on that.

 

“Thor! Don’t offend me talking like that!”

 

“Then we should do it when Romualdo is around, don’t you think?”

 

“Let’s do it now”

 

The sun was setting when they all walked out of mason and to the gardes, but the wind was still warm. Clover looked nervous, and Orick just had his usual smug smile, slouched by a near tree. Thor had agreed at the condition that they would use wooden swords.

Rose was disappointed, but had accepted the condition.

 

“So, this is easy. No dirty moves – but I know you’re good, so you won’t do it – no actual wounds - because we’ll get in trouble – and the first one that has the chance for a fatal hit is the winner!”

 

Clover softly said.

 

“Understood!” Both of them agreed in unison.

 

Rose had her back to the forest just outside the mason, while Thor to the castle. They kept their eyes fixed of Clover, waiting for her sign.

 

“Begin!” Clover raised a hand and shout.

 

They started circling one another, looking for an opening.

Thor was still conflicted, but he was the one that came at her.

When she met his blade and deflected it easily, she screamed and started hitting him with all her strength.

 

“You aren’t taking this seriously, do you?!”

 

Tears almost fell from her eyes and she batted them away. She would shrug Orick’s comments without a second thought, but that attitude was unbearable coming from Thor.

 

“Are you looking down on me, Thor?! You can’t! Not you!”

 

Thor looked hurt, and shouted “It’s not that!”

 

She circled him and almost had his back but he turned just in time.

He looked sad when he intercepted her hit, disarmed her, throwing her sword away.

Far away from her, Clover or Orick.

 

Rose fell on the ground.

Their battle had lasted two minutes if not less.

Their difference in strength was evident.

 

For once, even Orick didn’t made a comment.

 

Thor helped her standing up again and hugged her.

She tried to get away from him but for the first time he used his full strength to keep her at place.

 

“Next year... I’ll challenge you again next year!” Rose said, her pride hurting more than her body.

 

 

-

 

She had trained the hardest in her life.

Replaying the match in her mind countless times, she analized her mistakes.

 

Rose loved summer. It meant more sun and that Cecil would come at the castle.

Rose was waiting on a tree, looking carefully, hoping to see a carriage in the distance.

 

“Where is he, where is he already?!”

 

“Are you talking about our tutor? Or about our cousin? I wonder...” Clover smiled knowingly looking up at her from the base of the tree, a giant book on her legs.

 

“Who gives a damn about that old man! WHERE IS MY CECIL?!”

 

Rose wasn’t in love of course. It was perfectly normal to be excited to meet her cousin and fiancée.

Cecil was the fifth son of their uncle from their mother’s side.

He spent most of the year in the main land, but his parents let him spend the summers with them.

Last year he couldn’t go because of an illness, but this year things seemed fine.

Rose almost fell from the tree when she actually saw him in the distance.

 

She was the first one to greet him as soon as he stepped out of the carriage.

 

“Cecil!”

She hugged him, and she actually lifted him for a moment.

He laughed.

 

“What a warm welcome, Rose!”

 

He was a couple years older than them, and now at seventeen he really started to look like a man.

A very, very beautiful man.

 

He patter her head “You had a leaf in your hair, look”

He showed it to her getting a bit too close.

He had freckles and long blond lashes like the rest of the family, but his hair was blond and his eyes blue instead of green.

 

“I-I didn’t notice...” Rose felt warm even if she was wearing light clothes. “You... you’re a lot taller now, uh?”

 

Cecil’s smile had never looked that good before. “You too, Rose... I missed you”

 

---

 

Rose, Clover and Cecil were in the gardens. Clover and Cecil were reading a book and Rose was practising with her sword, hitting her wooden mannequin carefully stuck in the ground.

Another gift from their oldest brother, of course.

After finishing another section perfectly, Rose threw herself on the grass.

 

“Things are so boring without Thor...”

 

“Oh, so we’re boring?”

 

“Of course not! I love being with you! It’s just... there’s no one I can practise with...”

 

“I’m sorry, I’m no match for you...” Cecil seemed genuinely sad about it. He was seventeen now, almost an adult, and yet he couldn’t lift a sword.

He was tall but slim, and his delicate hands were more capable with herbs and books than any weapon.

 

“Don’t worry Cecil! You’re perfect like this! And you’re very good with the arch too!” Rose thought it was a pity, but she didn’t want him to get a scar on his beautiful face or anything like that. “And you can’t be worse than Orick in any case! He almost cut his foot last time he tried to take my sword!”

 

Clover laughed at that “Oh for real, that was really funny! He was trying to hide it...”

 

Rose laughed “He really gets ahead of himself when Father and Thor aren’t around, but this sword knows its master!”

 

Rose showed off her new sword. Since she had grown a lot, her brother had gifted her one made especially for her.

 

Cecil admired it, looking amazed. “Wow! Can I touch it?”

 

Rose blushed a little from the attention “Of course! But be careful, it’s sharp”

 

Cecil fingertips caressed the blade, its decorations and the crest of the Ironbone House.

 

“Wow, it even has the family emblem! So cool...” His fingers brushed Rose’s hand and she gripped the hilt even harder.

 

“Y-yeah, right?” Rose interrupted the contact and showed him some figures Thor had taught her. As always her figure was perfect.

 

“You make it look like a dance, Rose”

 

Clover jumped in the conversation, a big smile on her face.

“So... about dancing...You know what we could do?”

 

Rose and Cecil looked at her, tilting their head.

“What?”

 

“You know, we could go at the festival of Mid Summer!”

 

“But we can’t go to the village!” Rose said delighted.

 

“People from all the country... no, even foreigners come!” Clover closed the book loudly.

 

“Oh, Orick is gonna get sooo mad!” Rose jumped from excitement.

 

Clover put an index finger on her lips.

 

“Only if he finds out!”

 

“This is a terrible idea” Cecil crossed his arms “I have to stop you”

 

Rose would have been worried if she hadn’t seen Cecil’s grin while we was saying those words.

 

-

 

Rose was proud of herself.

She had sneaked on the servants’ room and had found ordinary clothes.

 

“This is an adventure! I’m so excited! How do I look?”

 

Clover was wearing a brown muddy dress, her hair parted in two big braids.

 

“What a lovely peasant!” Rose approved “And I?”.

 

“Why did you choose male clothes, Rose?” Cecil asked.

 

She had took them without even thinking about it. Rose looked at herself in the mirror and at Clover. They had the same red hair and freckles all over their pale skin, but aside from that they didn’t resemble one another that much.

 

“They’re more comfortable? And we’ll get less attention like this, I guess”

 

“I think it suits you, Rose” Cecil nodded. He looked good even in simple clothes. He took off his hat to place it on Rose’s head.

 

“Oh. Perfect! That was the finishing touch!” Clover approved.

 

After dinner, they sneaked out.

Cecil had some money with him, and they used their horses to get to the village.

 

Orick looked at them by the window with disdain, but didn’t stop them.

He prepared a brown old mantel and an ugly hat, so very unlike the fancy style he favoured.

 

“What fools...”

 

---

 

Rose had never paid much attention to the way she looked – but... Cecil was too beautiful, when he walked, every head turned in his direction. Of course they would.

 

And Clover too, she was petite with a small nose and big eyes, and her long red hair was wavy and shiny.

 

When Clover was too tired of walking, Cecil walked arm in arm with her. They looked like a beautiful couple. The ones writers wrote stories about – stories Rose used to find boring.

She didn’t want to waste the little time she had thinking about useless things, so she consentrated of her surroundings.

The village was full of lanterns and decorations, bards played at every corner, people danced and talked loudly.

It was different, overwhelming.

Amazing.

A man with a generous belly, dressed in bright colours shouted at the crowd:

 

“Hello, young lads! Who wants to win? There’s a good prize for the winner of the Young Swordman Contest!”

 

Rose stopped mid step.

 

A bunch of guys was waiting excitedly on line.

 

“Please sign up for the Contest! You just have to tell your name and age!”

 

Rose touched the hilt of her sword to check if it was still there.

She turned to her sister and cousin, a dangerous smile on her face.

 

“Clover, Cecil... I’m gonna do it!”

 

--

 

“Hello, young lad, what’s your name?”

 

“I’m....” she coundn’t say her real name, could her? Something closer, but not quite... “Thorn”

 

“Good, good... age?”

 

“15”

 

“Well.. you can choose one from this wooden swords, first come first served”

“What, wooden swords?! I thought this was a contest!”

 

“Ahah, that is just for the first round... you should go easy with the weak ones, uh?”

 

Cecil and Clover watched from afar, with the overgrowing crowd that stopped to enjoy the show and place their bets.

Rose looked at the guys that were in the contest.

The organizer didn’t seem to be too picky: there were boys no more than twelve, as large, tall boys with some beard already.

That explained the wooden swords at least.

The people watching were half drunk already. It wasn’t really a serious contest as much as a way to pass the time.

 

Still she looked forward to fight with someone that wasn’t his brother or his instructor.

Was she really good or not?

 

“Good evening to all! I’m Bjorn, I present to you this young contestants! It’s a tradition of the festival to show off the future champions of our army! Well, well, who is going to win this challenge? We’ll pair you up with this one!” The man that collected their information was holding a grain sachet. His voice was clear and loud, so strong that he could be heard over the chaos of the crowd “Here I put all your names in paper, five of you will pick one and get your chosen opponent. A good fighter also needs some luck, of course! If you pick your own name you’ll choose another”

Rose felt unlucky. She had gotten one of the smaller children.

She sent him flying in moments, trying not to hurt him. The other matches went just as quick, and she reached the final match with no effort.

 

The next round was finally a true contest. The man also proceeded to comment.

 

“Here we have Thorn versus Wolfgang! Who will win? Bets are open! Thorn is smaller and quicker, but Wolfgang is taller and stronger!”

 

Bjorn knew something about sword fighting.

 

His comments were spot on, focusing on some technique – or lack there of.

 

Wolfgang used a longer sword. Thorn would need to get closer if she wanted to win.

 

But she was used to fight taller people.

She wasn’t scared in the least.

Her opponent had the same smug smile she had. She would make sure to brush it off.

The guy in front of her swung his sword at her.

 

“You look pretty full of yourself, little one”

 

Rose laughed at that. She was taller than any other woman he had seen, and as tall as a good half of the men in the crowd.

 

Bjorn acknowledged their exchange, probably lost on the people watching them.

 

“Thorn laughs at the scorn of Finn! Is he confident or is he a fool? We’re going to find out soon! Start!”

 

Finn run to her, swinging his sword.

He wasn’t even trying to hide his intentions, the direction of his hit obvious. That made Rose laugh even more. She dodged the hit at the last second and a swirl that was more dancing than fighting.

Finn fell on his face, but Rose didn’t take advantage of that weakness and let him the time to stand up again. His nose was dripping blood that dirtied his already messy clothes.

 

“Oh! You’re bleeding and I didn’t even touch you” Thorn said.

 

With that, the match was already decided. Finn had lost himself to rage and Thorn didn’t really saw him as a worthy opponent but more like a wooden dummy, perfect to vent all of her sadness, anger and frustration.

 

Bjorn gave her a cheap medal, and the prize – some copper and metal pin – but what made Rose truly happy was the crowd cheering for her. It was the first time her ability was acknowledged by someone that wasn’t a sibling or her teacher. It didn’t really matter that that wasn’t her real name.

It felt right.

 

--

 

They turned back and Rose let Cecil help Clover inside while she put the horses back in the stalls and feed them.

 

She jumped when a fist hit the door.

 

Orik laughed at her “Oh, so you won? That was some ridiculous peasant contest!”

 

 

Rose get off her horse and stood in front of her brother.

 

“Did you follow us?”

 

Orik ignored her words, and continued, “Did you have fun in the village? Found some blacksmith’s apprentice to hit you in the good places?”.

 

Rose turned red at that, gasping for words that didn’t come.

 

“Haha, like you could found some guy that would like you! No wonder you were all excited to get frisky with those boys, fights are the closest thing you’ll get to a good fuck...”

 

Rose freezed. Orik was annoying, and salty, but he had never been this awful before.

“How you dare talking like this?!”

 

Orik smiled.

 

“You won’t stood a chance against a real soldier! You can play the hero all you want but you are just a fool! You end up with some old man and die like our mom did, whoring yourself!”

 

Rose spat at his feet.

 

He seemed scandalized more than hurt from the gesture, but that wasn’t enough to make him stop.

 

“Ha..ha, you’re silent now? So you know I’m right... It’s not like you have ever won against Thor, do you? You’re just good against some pitiful farmer that trains with trees!”

 

Orick waited a moment, he was used to Rose quick comebacks but this time she stayed silent. Orick then continued, singhing.

“Why are you so happy all the fucking time? It’s all meanless. Don’t you understand?!”

 

Rose voice trembled with rage when she finally found her words “... oh, so I should follow your example, shouldn’t I? You, big brother Orick, that always has some spiteful comments on everything and anyone, the one that hates everything but doesn’t do anything to change! The one poisoned by envy!”

 

Rose looked up at him and she was actually crying, from both sadness and rage.

 

“The only times I ever see you smile is when you’re saying something horrible...”

 

Rose laughed a bit at that, and looked down at him.

She was taller than he was now.

 

“Aren’t you pitiful?”

 

Orik glared at her. He didn’t back up.

 

“I know my place at least”

 

“If I get good enough I’ll be a soldier under Thor’s orders! He promised me!”

 

Orik looked at her with something close to pity.

 

“You’re a woman. Women can’t fight in war. Not even brother can change that. It was just something he said to you when you were little”

 

Rose bit his lip “Y-you...”

 

 

“I’m not a fool. I know that my life is worthless. Everything was already decided since the day I was born. Everything would have been different if I hadn’t been ten minutes late. But I was, and I know it. You can practice all you want, but no matter how much effort you put into it, it won’t matter”.

 

He wasn’t smiling any more. His eyes were sad. That shocked her more than anything he had ever said.

 

“We can’t have dreams, Rose. They’ll shatter you, if you keep clinging on them”

 

---

It didn’t mean anything.

Orik had always been a dick.

She would shrug his nasty words like she always did.

Tomorrow.

She admired her sword, the decorations... roses and thorns.

She had always dreamt of running away, fight and protect other people... being free.

She knew her dreams were just that... dreams.

She had always known that.

 

In the stalls, far from Cecil, Clover and Orik’s stares...

no one would see if she cried or not.