Give and Take

A young newcomer, dreaming of adventure and a better life, crosses paths with a veteran who has lost himself. Can they help each other find what they seek? Or does their partnership only end in tragedy?

* * *

Chapter 3"...then, I think it has to be this one." Jay mused, scratching his chin.

Chapter 3

"...then, I think it has to be this one." Jay mused, scratching his chin.

"It does look the best, from my view." Alice nodded. "I don't know much about weapons, but just judging by the state of the shop..."

"It is a valuable piece of insight." The human said simply, causing her to throw a big grin at him.

The pair had been looking around the trade district of the town for the past thirty minutes, and had come across several different weapon shops. Normally, Jay would have been content with the first one they came upon, and started towards it. However, to his surprise, Alice had objected. She pointed out a few things about the shop that spoke to the lack of care and neglect of the building. Intrigued, he had suggested they take a quick look at all the weapon shops before choosing one, and off they went.

Alice had seemed pleasantly surprised when Jay had heeded her objection, and then even more so when he made his suggestion. The human didn't think it was that odd, though. He wasn't an expert on things like shopping or bargain hunting. It was likely, considering the amount of time he had spent out in the wilds, that the goblin had more experience with this type of thing. She did say she had spent her whole life living in the city until recently.

"Then, let us take a look." Jay offered, his companion nodding in agreement.

The pair entered the shop, the door already propped open to the street. The reason why became immediately apparent as they crossed the threshold of the building. Though the front section where they entered was indeed a weapons shop, further back it led directly to a smithy, the heat from which hit them like a wall as they walked in.

The interior of the shop was about what Jay had expected. Weapons of all shapes and sizes were everywhere. The racks on the shop floor contained simple, affordable weapons, likely produced by the apprentices in the smithy, while hanging on the walls were the more quality works. Near the counter, locked inside glass cases, were the masterworks of the shop, fine weapons that bordered on pieces of art.

No one came to greet them, but Jay could see people working in the smithy, past the shop counter. Doubtlessly they would come help if he waved, but he decided to take a look around first. Walking to the wall, he grabbed a random short sword off of its pegs. He examined it closely, checking the edge and the balance of the weapon. Finally, he grasped the hilt, putting it through a few practice swings. Satisfied, he returned it to its place on the wall.

"You made a good choice." He said, turning to his companion.

The goblin's face lit up at his words.

"Well, I wasn't sure. I mean, there's no guarantee that a shop's quality reflects the quality of its products, but it's often true." She looked a little embarrassed, dodging his gaze.

"Now, the question is what kind of weapon would suit you best."

Jay walked around, looking at the various armaments on display. It was something that he had been pondering ever since agreeing to train the goblin. His first thought had been some kind of ranged weaponry, but he had quickly discarded the idea. Alice's stature eliminated any kind of bow except the smallest short bow, and that would hardly be effective. Crossbows were also out, she simply didn't have the arm strength to reset one after firing.

Long weapons, such as spears, were no good as well. She was just not tall enough. A blunt weapon could be a possibility, but again, she would have to use a very small mace, which would have trouble dealing significant damage to most monsters. That left some kind of bladed weapon.

Completing his circuit around the store, he moved back to where Alice was looking, wide-eyed, at a large halberd hanging on the wall.

"I don't recommend one of those." Jay said, chuckling.

"I know! I've just...never seen a weapon this big before." The goblin protested, her face flushing.

"They're a useful weapon, especially if you need to fight a mounted opponent...or a centaur." He said thoughtfully. "Not very practical for general use, though."

"Huh." Alice stared up at the polearm. "I doubt I could even lift it."

"Most likely not. That brings me to the question though; what kind of weapon should we get for you?" Jay turned to face her.

"You're asking me?" The goblin asked, a look of surprise on her face.

"Your opinion, yes." The human beckoned to her, leading her over to a different section of the shop. "I think the choice is likely between a short sword or a dagger."

"I guess that sounds right." Alice chuckled. "I don't think I could use a sword like yours, I think it's longer than I am." She glanced up at the blade that hung from his back.

"Then, the biggest question is what you'll do with your other hand." Jay explained, Alice nodding at him to continue. "For a short sword, you would likely want a shield in your free hand. Maybe a buckler or small round shield. But, I can't recommend that."

"Why not?" The goblin cocked her head at him.

"Blocking hits with a shield isn't too hard when you're about the same size and strength as your opponent. If the foe is significantly larger or stronger, then it becomes far more difficult."

"Ah, I see." Alice said, catching on. "And since I'm a goblin, pretty much all of my opponents are gonna be bigger than me."

"Precisely." Jay nodded. "Of course, it's possible to use a shield skillfully enough to fend off heavy blows by deflecting them, but it's a skill that takes extensive practice or experience to master."

"Which I don't have." She said wryly.

"Another option would be to use a short sword in your dominant hand, and a dagger in your other, but I don't think it would be worthwhile." Jay continued. "It would give you slightly better reach, but not enough to make a difference for most opponents. Your speed and agility are going to be your greatest assets."

"Really?" The goblin looked doubtful. "I don't think I'm particularly fast or agile though."

"You'll get there through training." Jay said. "Trust me on that."

"Alright, so where does that leave us?" Alice asked, looking at the selection of weapons on the wall.

"A dagger in each hand will give you the most flexibility when it comes to combat." Jay said thoughtfully. "They aren't long enough for you to tangle your weapons up with each other, and you can hold them in a reverse grip for more defensive fighting."

"I get it...I think."

The goblin clearly didn't, but that was fine. There was much she needed to learn, and Jay had all the time he needed to teach her. A small flicker of excitement had flared inside of him. He couldn't recall ever having such an enthusiastic student, and certainly not one with Alice's level of potential. Now they just needed to find some suitable weapons for her.

Jay moved to the counter, waving to one of the apprentices working in the smithy. The young man immediately dropped what he was doing to come assist the adventurers. He was a young man, probably just reaching manhood, with sandy blonde hair. The apprentice was still rather lanky, lacking the bulk of an experienced blacksmith. He had likely only started his apprenticeship in the past few winters.

"Greetings, good sir. How may I help you today?"

The apprentice directly greeted him, not even looking at the goblin standing at Jay's side. It irked the adventurer a little. First the gate guards, then the innkeeper, and now this apprentice. Being human, Jay had never dealt with much racism in the past, but now it was constantly getting shoved in his face.

"Yes, I am looking to buy a set of weapons for mycompanionhere." Jay emphasized the word, gesturing to Alice.

"A set of weapons for...a goblin?" The boy said slowly, as if he was expecting that the adventurer was playing a trick on him. When Jay's expression didn't change, he continued. "Then...what kind of weapons might you be looking for?"

"A pair of daggers, to be specific."

"Of course..." The apprentice still looked at Jay suspiciously, as if he couldn't believe this was a serious request. He led them over to one of the tables on the shop floor, where several rows of daggers and knives were displayed. "I'm sure these will be suitable for your...companion."

Jay looked at the selection of weapons disdainfully. They weren't particularly poor quality, or shoddy, but they weren't even close to the level of the weapons hanging on the wall, let alone the ones in the glass cases at the counter. They were clearly the product of one of the apprentices, perhaps this very one, and their prices reflected that. Alice also may have noticed, her face looking distinctly crestfallen. A small surge of anger coursed through him.

"No, I don't think these will do." Jay said firmly, striding towards the sales counter of the shop.

"Ah, sir, uh...please wait just one moment!" The apprentice called out, chasing after him. Jay was pleased to hear a small note of panic in his voice.

The adventurer stopped beside the glass cases that held the masterworks of the smithy, looking down at their contents. The apprentice quickly caught up with him, with Alice trailing behind, a somewhat amused look on her face.

"These look closer to what I'm looking for." Jay said, motioning to the case.

"Oh, I don't think you'd want these." The apprentice said earnestly. A bit too earnestly. "They are quite expensive, you see-"

"Are you suggesting I don't have the coin for it?" Jay cut the boy off, causing him to be visibly taken aback. Behind him, Alice was smirking at the boy's back.

"No, not at all, sir!" The apprentice said hurriedly, "I just don't know if my master would comfortable selling any of these weapons to be used by-"

"And now you're implying that I'm notgood enoughto buy one of these weapons?" Jay asked, raising an eyebrow. Behind the apprentice, Alice was almost doubled over in silent laughter.

The boy was sweating buckets by now, and looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"No...uh, not at all, sir. I just, um...well..." The apprentice was looking around wildly now, clearly unprepared for this kind of situation.

One of the other apprentices, clearly older and more experienced, noticed the boy's plight and came to the sales counter.

"Gregor, what are you doing?"

"I, uh, this adventurer wanted to buy a weapon, you know, for the gob- I mean, his companion here..." Gregor stuttered, looking flustered and gesturing to the glass cases.

"...and? Does he not have enough coin or something?"

The older apprentice looked to Jay, who held up his coin pouch, shaking it slightly and raising an eyebrow. Everyone could tell by the sound that it was nearly full.

"Coin isn't the problem!" Gregor protested. "I just don't think master would want one of his best works being used by-"

His next words were cut off when the older apprentice cuffed the back of his head.

"Idiot. Has mastereversaid that he cares who uses the weapons he makes?"

Gregor gave a sullen shake of his head, looking at his feet.

"If they have the coin, sell them whatever they want." The older apprentice continued. "If you drive away paying customers, Iwilltell master."

"Yes, of course." Gregor muttered, as the other apprentice returned to the smithy part of the building. Now looking thoroughly cowed, the boy turned to Jay and Alice. "Just...just tell me if you'd like to see anything in the cases."

Satisfied, Jay nodded, taking his time looking over the weapons. Whoever was the head of the smithy certainly knew what they were doing. The weapons were elegant and gorgeous, but not overly ornamented in any way that would hinder their effectiveness in combat. The variety of weapons was also impressive, everything from knives and daggers, all the way to two-handed war hammers and even a metal tower shield.

Moving towards the smaller weapons, Jay scrutinized the various blades until something caught his eye. A pair of daggers, double sided blades with a slight curve to them. The outer edges were marked by three shallow extruding points, designed to make them catch incoming blades easier, as well as make any wounds they inflicted messier. The hilts were a good size for Alice, and the cross guards looked stylish but functional. Finally, the blades had been embossed with swirling designs which caught the eye.

The more he looked at them, the more sure Jay was that they were suitable, possibly even ideal weapons for his companion. Their size wouldn't give the goblin an issue in wielding them, and as her skill grew, the weapons would allow her more options in battle.

"I'd like to see those two." Jay said, drawing the attention of the apprentice.

Gregor hesitated a moment, then acquiesced, sullenly unlocking the case. Jay reached in, taking both weapons. He checked the balance, finding it sublime. The hilts were comfortable to grip, though slightly too small for his hands, but that only made them more suitable for Alice. The human flipped the weapons, grabbing them gingerly by the blades and offered the hilts to the goblin.

"Here. See how they feel in your hands."

Alice hesitantly took them, one in each hand. Though they were daggers, the blades of the weapons were nearly as long as her forearms, looking almost more like short swords for her. She hefted them experimentally, her expression one of wonder as she inspected the weapons.

"How do they feel?" Jay asked, watching her.

"Great...I think." The goblin lifted one of the daggers up to eye level. "They're lighter than I expected."

"They're very well made." Jay said with a nod to the apprentice, which seemed to make the boy perk up slightly.

"Master made them for an elven client, but she never came to pick them." He shrugged. "Apparently they've been here for years."

"Here, try to swing one like this..." Jay showed Alice the proper motion for a simple attack, nodding when she copied him. Her footwork wasn't great, but she would learn in time.

"I like how that feels." The goblin said, grinning.

"They do appear to be a good fit. The hilts are comfortable in your hands?" Jay asked, receiving a nod from her in return. "We'll take them." He said, turning to the apprentice.

"Then that will be fifty gold coins." Gregor replied instantly.

Alice made a choking noise behind him, but Jay paid her no mind.

"If I give you fifty two, do you have a weapon belt that will fit my companion here?"

The apprentice thought for a moment, then nodded. "I believe we have something in the shop that will fit."

Less than ten minutes later, the pair was walking out of the weapon shop, Alice's new weapons secured on her belt. The sheaths hung down from the belt a bit, causing the weapons to rest mid-thigh on her. They suited her, Jay thought with some satisfaction. However, the expression on the goblin's face was not a happy one. Did she not like the daggers?

"Is there something wrong with them?" Jay asked, causing her to flinch in surprise.

"Oh, no, not at all." Alice said quickly, looking up at her companion. "I just..." She trailed off. "I can't get comfortable with all this gold you're spending on me." She finished somewhat glumly.

"I told you, Alice; you need this equipment." The human said firmly. "If it helps, you can think of it as an investment."

"An investment? Why?" She gave a sidelong glance at him.

"As I said, you have potential." Jay explained. "I think you'll reach the upper ranks of adventurers someday. When you do, you'll find out that what I've spent on you isnotthat much gold." He chuckled. "If you still feel guilty at that time, you can pay me back then."

"Well, if you say so."

That seemed to cheer the goblin up a bit, at least as far as Jay could tell. Her pace certainly picked up slightly, regardless. After a few minutes of walking, Alice broke the silence.

"So what's the plan now?"

"We head back to the inn and get dinner. They should start serving it soon." Jay glanced at the position of the sun, which was starting to set.

"Isn't it a bit early for dinner?"

"Not really, considering we're going too early and we're get to sleep early tonight." Jay looked at the goblin. "We're going to have an early morning tomorrow."

"Oh, great." Alice muttered under her breath.

* * *

"Again."

"R-right."

Alice ignored the burning in her arms and raised her weapons again, getting into her stance. She turned her eye to the human, and he nodded, motioning for her to begin.

The goblin lunged forward in an attack routine, daggers flashing in the sunlight. She did a feint with the blades, crossing her feet as if she were going to roll to her left. Instead, she took only one step, then sprang forward, her leading blade plunging into the bale of hay, right through the small square of parchment.

Wasting no time, she slashed sideways with the embedded blade, cutting it right out of the bale. Moving her feet like Jay had shown her, she disengaged, dancing backwards and away with a defensive spin. She finished her rotation facing the target once more, falling back into her combat stance. Pausing there, she looked over at the human.

"Good." He said simply, nodding with approval. At least shethoughtit was approval. She had spent more than three weeks with him at this point, and she still felt like he was inscrutable most of the time.

"Feel free to take a break." Jay added, walking over to remove the target from the hay bale.

Alice sank into a sitting position, making sure to carefully lay her weapons on the grass. Leaning back, she put her hands out behind her and gazed up at the sky, looking at the small, fluffy clouds floating by lazily.

It had only been about two weeks since Jay had started training her, but it felt like months. True to his word, after several more days of physical training, the human had started to instruct the goblin in combat and tactics. It was intense, to put itverymildly, and sometimes the goblin's head felt so full of new information that she feared it might burst.

Thankfully Jay proved to be an adept teacher, though not a very exciting one. He clearly and concisely explained things, and the reasoning behind them, and patiently answered any questions Alice came up with. The only issue was, the goblin thought privately, he seemed to have no passion, while teaching or otherwise. That, and he wasn't exactly generous with his praise.

But those were minor things, in the big picture, and overall the goblin was quite pleased, both with his instruction and her own progress. With Jay's help, she had already become proficient with quite a few attack routines and defensive maneuvers, much faster than she would have thought possible. Maybe the human was right about her potential. If only the other girls working at the tavern could see her now!

"How are you feeling?"

Jay's voice pulled Alice from her musings, and the goblin looked up to find him standing over her.

"I think I've got the hang of it." She flashed him a triumphant grin. "I got it pretty fast, right?"

"You did indeed." The human said simply, causing Alice to sigh internally. Would it really kill him to be a little more excited for her? She pushed her rueful thoughts aside as he extended his hand to help her up. She gathered both her weapons in one hand, accepting the proffered hand with her other, and he heaved her to her feet.

"So what's next? Another few times through that one? A new move? Some more sparring?" She grinned at the last one. Though sparring sessions always ended up with her on her ass, she couldn't deny the thrill they gave her.

Give and Take - Ch. 03

Discussion(0)