Sephine

Such a peaceful moment made Kharadin realise how greatly his two lives contrasted. ‘Here I am, sat peacefully in my home where my family sleeps, where I can live happily with my wife and daughter and be loved. Yet on the battlefield, I kill, I maim and I bring suffering to those who face me and I enjoy it. I thirst for battle and I take pleasure in seeing my enemies fall to my blade.’ He laughed at his thoughts and reached for the wine on the table in front of him, drawing the glass to his lips and taking a long sip. As his lips and the glass parted a sound came from the outside, the sound of sharpened steel crashing against a solid object. Kharadin placed the glass down and listened for the sound again, another metallic crash sounded, it was coming from the rear of the building – someone or something was outside in his yard. Picking up his sword that was till resting on the wall he made his way toward where the sound was coming from. He stepped out into the yard, the darkness sheathing all that stood before him, another crash came from his left. Resting his hand on the sword hilt he slowly moved toward the source of the noise. Soon, he saw the orange glow of a fire from behind one of the stables, another crash, this time causing one of the horses to react. He pressed himself up against the wooden wall of the stable, peering around the corner to identify the swordsman. Kharadin thought to himself ‘Why has this man not come to the house? Why does he stay out here? What is he fighting?’ He peered further round and saw a person, moving swiftly as he swung his sword, as he watched the sword struck the ground beneath the person, who let out a grunt when they lifted it once more. The voice was female. Suddenly, the person stopped, standing with her back to Kharadin as he watched.
“I know you are there. Show yourself!” The girl beckoned. The voice told Kharadin who it was and he emerged from behind the stable, making sure the shadows covered him.
“Awfully late to be out here training isn’t it?” The girl turned round in surprise at Kharadin’s remark. She was slim and clad in light combat armour, she had brown hair tied in a ponytail that hung over her shoulder and green eyes the same as Kharadin’s. She held in her hand a rapier, clearly the sword that she had been training with.
“Who are you?” As she finished Kharadin took a step forward into the light of the fire that the girl had set.
“Pleased to see me? It’s been a long time Sephine.”
“Father! What are you doing here? I thought you were in Pandema!” Sephine quickly approached he father with obvious joy.
“I have returned as you can see. Clearly I’ve missed a lot during my absence. Since when have you been a swordsman? I have never seen you hold a blade before let alone swing one.”
Sephine laughed a little, “I thought it would be a good idea for me to learn. Grandpa told me that you wouldn’t be around to protect me so I should learn to look after myself. He said something about you being ‘A good for nothing…’”
“That’ll do Sephine, you don’t need to remind me how much Mandrich hates me.” Kharadin stared at the rapier in Sephine’s hand. “How proficient are you?”
“Why don’t you see for yourself?” She smiled as she challenged her father.
“Don’t be so foolish, you know that I am a far superior swordsman than you.”
Sephine smiled again before suddenly lunging at her father with her sword. Kharadin immediately knocked the blow away with the scabbard, not even bothering to draw his blade from it.
“Don’t get too confident. You’re lucky I’m not Volghen, he would have killed you for doing that.”
“I apologise father” She turned and stamped out the small fire behind her. “I am done, let’s go inside.”
“What were you doing out here so late anyway?”
“Mother doesn’t seem to approve of me training so I have to do it a bit secretively.”
Kharadin smiled, “Well you are only 17, I suppose I can see why she disapproves. I doubt she’s too happy about the fact that you are a girl too”
“Please don’t treat me like a child father, I am quite capable of handling a sword, besides you told me that Rynn trained you from only 14 years old!”
They stepped inside and went back into the parlour. “Yes, that may be so but you are not training to be a Xenoch Knight. You don’t have to fight some of the best warriors the world has to offer. Also Rynn is not just a swordsman, Rynn is a master of the Arcane arts. It takes years to learn Arcane skills.”
“Rynn is a girl though.”
“Don’t be petty Sephine. And don’t think you can ever be like Rynn either.” Kharadin sat back down in the chair he had been in. His wine was still sat atop the table as was his food and book, still unopened.
“Where is she anyway?”
“No-one knows. She just disappeared without a trace.”
“Do you think she is dead?”
“Possibly. I have talked to Volghen about it a few times, but he doesn’t really care. He only trained under her for a very short time, they never really saw eye-to-eye.
“Shame, I would have loved to have had her teach me.”
Kharadin laughed “Out of the question. She may have been close to us but I doubt very much that she would have taken you under her wing.” Sephine pouted a little. “Nothing personal, I just don’t think she would have seen you as cut out for it. Who knows? Maybe you can ask her yourself one day, assuming she is still alive.”

After finishing his food and taking the last sip of wine Kharadin glared at the sword that was resting on Sephine’s lap. The blade was sheathed in a thin blue scabbard adorned with two serpents winding up to the guard. His daughter was staring into space, her lips pursed in thought.
“Sephine. Show me your sword.”
“Pardon?” Kharadin’s speech disturbed his daughter from her thought.
“Show me your sword. Your rapier, I wish to see it.” Sephine lifted the sword from her lap and tossed it over to her father. He caught it by the scabbard with one hand. The hilt was crafted from gold, with 4 long sapphires equally spaced around it. The guard was a simply straight one. He grasped the hilt and unsheathed the blade halfway, observing the crest carved onto the steel. A snake curled into a figure of eight biting its own tail etched onto the gleaming metal. “Hmmm.”
“Why ‘hmmm’? Sephine seemed concerned by her father’s reaction to what he had seen on the blade.
“The crest. This is a Ehlyk blade.” Kharadin sheathed the blade forcefully.
“Yes. And?”
“When in Arazel’s name did you manage to get a Ehlyk blade? The Ehlyks craft the finest swords in all of Vanaar. This would have cost a fortune.”
“Didn’t though.” Sephine smiled.
“You thieved it?”
“No!” Sephine scolded her father. “I got it for a good price from a merchant. He was only here for a few days before he moved on.
Kharadin laughed “A peddler.  One can only wonder where he came across such a weapon. How much did you pay?
“Seven thousand Gildra. I told you I got a good price.”
Kharadin laughed again “That peddler was a stupid fool then. Ehlyks would sell a blade like this for no less than thirty thousand Gildra. Probably stolen, but that’s not your problem.
“Is your sword Ehlyk?”
Kharadin picked up his sheathed sword and pulled the blade a little from the scabbard. The same snake crest was carved into the bluish metal of the blade. “Only the finest for Sordath’s elite.”