Every Little Memory

Entry #22: Copper

“That’ll be fifteen coppers a week to keep ‘em both here, sir,” a man speaks to Gabriel. He’s rather portly, with grey thinning hair and a scraggly beard. His rags have been patched up many times and they are stained with spirits know what. Worst of all is the fact that he smells of whiskey. I hate alcohol, especially the smell. This man’s body odor may make me gag…

Gabriel seems to put up with it though, keeping a straight, professional face. He fiddles with a loose string on his shirt sleeve while he listens to the stable hand speak. Without looking up, he says, “That’s fine. I can afford it.”

The stable hand gives him a once-over and says, “I’m sure you can.” No doubt Gabriel’s fine clothes scream that he’s nobility. Or maybe it’s his clean blonde hair and well-shaven face. He eyes the stable hand when he holds out his hand, indicating for Gabriel to hand over the coin.

He digs his hand into his coin purse and plops fifteen coppers into the stable hand’s palm. The man counts them up twice, as he lost track while counting the first time, and spills the money into a jar on a table. “Thank ye, sir. We’ll take good care of ‘em.”

Gabriel nods and pushes the stable doors open to the world outside. Dragon’s Maw. What a marvelous city. Everything here, though made of coppery colored wood, is elegant in its own way. No two buildings on this street are alike. They each have their own detailed carvings etched into their siding. They are like fingerprints, setting them apart from each other.

The cobblestones on the street lay in perfect rows, as if someone took the time to make sure they all lay perfectly straight. Wooden carts pulled by large work horses rattle down the street, accompanied by busy workers. I spy a several smithies and armories, ready to serve the city’s knights. The bustling street leads up to a towering fortress.

Oh, it's big. The building is like a castle made of sturdy grey stone. The tall turrets and spires on the fortress's outer corners seem to touch the sky. I wonder what it's like to stand up inside one of them? I might get dizzy looking at the world below from such a height. There's a large iron gate spanning the building's entrance, and it's propped wide open. Though the fortress is big and formidable, the gates seem to be like open arms welcoming back the knights. That’s probably where they eat, sleep, and train. That’s where Gabriel and Séaryne are going.

“I have to admit, it feels good to be back,” she says as Gabriel leaves the stables. She is leaning against the wall, tapping her foot against the pavement. Their luggage rests beside her feet, ready to be carried off.

“It sure does. How long has it been? A month? It feels like much longer,” Gabriel responds, hefting up his bags and slinging them over his shoulder.

“It’s a shame that we get a spring break,” Séaryne replies while following suit.

Gabriel laughs as he starts to walk up the street. I follow them up the road to the mighty fortress that Dragon’s Maw is known for. As we get closer, I see young recruits battering up training dummies as they get in some practice before classes. The courtyard is filled with the rucksack dummies. Red targets are painted on their chests. Some even have arrows protruding from their inner circles.

Together they step through the wide open front gate into the main hall. There’s even more people in here. I can tell they’re mostly returning knights, catching up with their friends and getting reacquainted with their surroundings. Coppery colored braziers holding burning wood line the walls, lighting up the shadow darkened room. There are plenty of benches in the area, made for a room with a large number of people. A desk of sorts is situated in the center of the room.

Gabriel and Séaryne make their way over to this desk, lugging their belongings with them. The receptionist stares up at them and smiles when she recognizes their faces.