1)
“Your offer is generous,” the old burgher agreed, “but we’ve no need for a lord protector. We have our blacksmith.”
The mountainous man on the horse sneered. “Some lout who hammers out sickles and plowblades all day has…#epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018
2)
…time and battleboldness enough to defend a village?”
The burgher gestured down the lane, at the distant din of hammering from the smithy.
The adventurer dug in his spurs and headed that way. Contemptuously.#epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018
3)
He found the usual hot, cluttered room, with four strapping girls working a four-sleeve bellows, and one middle-aged, muscular woman heating what looked like a sword for a giant, then hammering it hard yet precisely.#epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018
4)
“You the blacksmith?” he bellowed.
The woman thrust her work back into the forge. “That some sort of trick question?”
Their eyes met. His cold, hers calm.
“Think you can defend this village?” he demanded.
“No complaints so far.”#epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018
5)
The adventurer sneered. “But have there been any attacks, so far?”
The smith sighed, drew out her work, hammered it thrice, then slaked it in a bucket of oil and commanded, “Ladies, show the man.”#epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018
6)
The quartet wordlessly left the bellows, went to the back wall, and pulled a cord. A tapestry fell away to reveal a wall studded with mounted heads. All manner of brutish-looking men, goblins, ogres, and worse.#epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018
7)
The adventurer stopped looking when he got to the third dragon head.
Which was about when he noticed that the four girls were all now holding cocked and loaded double crossbows that looked too big for anyone to lift. #epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018
8)
He looked back at the smith. Who was leaning casually on a sword much larger than his own.
“Two days’ ride THAT way,” she said politely, pointing with an axe even bigger than the sword that came out from behind her so fast…#epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018
9)
…the adventurer could only blink, “is the village of Thulbuckle. THEY need a lord protector.”
The adventurer regarded her for a long, silent time ere asking, “What happened to their last one?”
“He got imperial ambitions,”…#epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018
10)
…she told him, “and foolishly looked in this direction. We had a disagreement.”
“And?”
“The head on the far right, at the bottom. Right beside the empty hook awaiting the next one.”#epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018
11)
“Thank you,” the adventurer said gravely. He nodded politely to her and then to the four crossbow-women, and rode away.
In the opposite direction from Thulbuckle.#epic fantasy— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 14, 2018