Kros Voyeh Ch. 16

"Is he skilled in knife making?" Lislora tried to soften her face.

"There's no one better. Why are you an apprentice?" Mes turned to look at the man with a furrowed brow.

"The bargain that was struck. I make the best weapons and armor I can and in exchange, I was allowed to have my wife, Lyn," he gestured to the woman watching Mes like a hawk, "and I'll have my freedom once I complete the tasks required to recognize me as a master smith of Torga. I've labored and paid Origaugh back more than twice over. Making this knife..." His face broke in a broad grin as he looked to his wife.

"A Prince of Torga isn't going to want a knife made by some slave." The man he'd called Origaugh scoffed and straightened himself. "I'll make the knife."

Lislora studied the now grim-faced Northerner in front of her. They were reputed to be excellent weapon makers. "My cousin is more concerned for quality rather than who makes the blade. I trust his servant's assessment. The man may be as sour as an unripe pudding fruit but he's seldom wrong.

"However, I have some conditions." She watched the man's grey face carefully and he began to smile with determination.

"I can meet any requirements for your blade, truell."

She frowned slightly but the way he'd said 'truell' it hadn't sounded like an insult and she chose to ignore it. "I want it to be a traditional Torgan wedding blade, serviceable, but fine and fit for a Prince of Torga. His silver Duchess gave him an Aran blade and the silver and black thing is practically jewelry. I don't want him to be ashamed to carry mine."

"He only wears black?" He said something in his language to his wife and she scurried away.

"He prefers it." She hesitated, remembering the flowers etched on the Aran blade's hilt, "Are you familiar with Kros Voyeh?"

"Flowers are traditional." He nodded. "I know the design. Jewels are traditional for royalty as well."

"Dark green would be best."

He looked at her speculatively, "You want it to be serviceable but like a piece of jewelry? Dark jadmesite can be inlaid in the handle. The stone isn't precious but it would make it look like a piece of jewelry. I'll use gold for a Prince."

"Blackened gold, if you can. He's-"

"The Black Prince," Origaugh snorted.

"-the Duke of Kroscur as well." Lislora gave the Torgan a scathing look as she finished her sentence and the man had the grace to look embarrassed.

"I can have it arranged, truell." Khildis took the paper and pencil that his wife had returned to give him and beckoned Lislora over to a narrow glass case that held a few jeweled knives.

She watched as he sketched out a blade. It was slender, but slightly curved like the blade her grandfather had carried. The handle was slightly fatter at the end but didn't have the Aran style pommel.

"I would suggest..." He sketched a small guard on the underside like the bent tip of a leaf, "To keep the hand from slipping forward onto the blade itself. It would make it more practical."

His wife said something carefully and he nodded. Stepping forward, the woman sketched out a hilt. It had peculiar sections and Lislora wasn't certain if she approved.

"Most of the work will be in steel. I can fill parts of the hilt with gold and inlay the stone. I would suggest blackening the steel and leaving the gold as it is but I'll do it any way you ask." Khildis looked at her with a frown. "Adding the flower engravings on the gold will be easier than on steel but that can be done as well. When do you need it?"

"As soon as possible."

"Lyn will engrave the gold." He looked at the sketches and nodded. "If I drop everything else-"

"No! You have work to do! The Black Prince-"

"Told me to have him fetched if I had any difficulties." Lislora tried to imitate Isonei's sweet but frosty tone and failed. It sounded almost cheerful to her ears but it seemed to make Origaugh nervous so she continued it. "He was in a foul mood when I left and I don't believe he's sparring today. He'd enjoy having someone to take out his frustrations on."

"It would make the day brighter for everyone, my Lady," Mes spoke up sounding cheerful as well, "He's always in a better mood after thrashing someone."

"I'll stay and finish the work I started, Origaugh. I may even take on more if you pay me a fair wage for it." Khildis scratched at the rag on his head. "We need to settle on price. A job like this done well and as quickly as possible should command a princely price, but your Torgan tradition dictates the final work be done for cost. The quality is a matter of pride not of pay."

"I would be willing to pay something above cost for the speed if," Lislora inclined her head, "if the quality is as good as I've been told."

"It will be, Lady." Khildis inclined his head with a proud smile. "Truell."

On the unmarked piece of paper, he wrote out, in surprisingly good handwriting, an invoice for the material he expected to need and a separate sum for engraving. One gold cenura and five silver vloori.

The walk back to the palace with note and invoice would have been almost pleasant if not for the Lerians trailing behind at a respectful distance. She'd almost managed to forget about them.