Chasing Promises

Chapter 1 - Barnabas - 1518

At the age of twenty, six years after he killed the dragon that besieged, Barnabas had finished an blacksmith apprenticeship. He had paid for the tuition through the sale of some of the dragon's hide - which proved to be high in demand so he received a fair sum for the little he did sell. One armourer had offered to make him a suit of armour from it in return for its teeth, the armourer had taken a fair while in shaping the hide as he had informed Barnabas that the hide is impervious to fire.

In the second year of his apprenticeship the armour was ready, so he travelled (with permission from his employer) to Norwich on the back of an old mule, kindly donated by his employers wife who had developed a soft spot for him despite his gnarled and patchy appearance; his hair for example having been burned off had returned but thin white and patchy in places, as he had scarring over the left side of his head from burns; burns also covered his elbows and back, along with a deep long scar that ran the length of his face. His eyes and nose were also decorated in the same fashion giving people the impression he was either a old outlaw (for the scars seemed to add years to his face) or a battle-worn war veteran , no one believed that he was an Earl or only twenty so he no longer tried telling them. He had to visit two physician's before one agreed to see to his wounds, the first believed him to be the infamous outlaw John Noble and even threatened to call the guards if he did not leave immediately.

The second physician, Henry Redwin was a barber by trade and had enough common sense that a wanted outlaw would not visit a physician so openly and treated him. On the discovery that Barnabas had killed a dragon, Redwin had asked if he possessed any of the dragons blood, citing it as an important medicine to help the healing of burns. Immediately Barnabas had informed him that the carcass of a dragon was on a cart on the back of his horse, the barber had left him seated and returned with ten vials of the blood (which had now dried and was flaky rather than a liquid) declaring it as payment for his services. Redwin said this blood being dry would not be as effective but would be better than anything else he could provide.

On arrival at the armourers, Robert Jackson was his name realised he was no longer the skinny short teenager who visited him only a year ago, but now towered over him at the grand height of six foot and still growing, his slight frame was gone and had been replaced by the body of a hard working strong blacksmith's apprentice. The armour barely reached his stomach. Jackson had told him to go away and return when he had stopped growing so he could be measure properly, which surprised Barnabas as his parents were not tall and he presumed he would not grow any more, only for the rest of his apprenticeship to go by and he to now be six foot seven. The tallest person in his apprenticeship village, standing heads and shoulders over every other tall man.

Once more at the age of twenty Barnabas returned to the armourer in Norwich who was shocked by his height. Although not a small man Jackson had to look up at him like so many others, he had been adding inches to the original armour every couple of months since he'd sent Barnabas away so that it now fitted him perfectly.

"Each scale was hand sewn." Jackson said as he walked around Barnabas admiring his work, "I also included a hood that covers your face, so you can't be scarred any more if you come face to face again with a dragon. Your whole body is covered. How does it feel?"

"Surprisingly cool." Barnabas laughed pulling the hood over his head so he was entirely covered. "Do you have a mirror?"

"Of course let me get one." Jackson disappeared through the entrance of his workshop, as Barnabas was so tall the fitting had to take place outside. A few passers-by stopped and stared at Barnabas with admiration mingled with fear as Jackson returned. "Shoo!" He shouted at them when he saw they were staring.

"Thank you." Barnabas said taking a small wooden framed mirror from Jackson. He looked at himself through the small veiled slits in his hood, Jackson had done a marvellous job with the armour, it was heavy although that could not be helped because each scale must weigh at least a pound but surprisingly he was free to move and was unrestrained - unlike metal plate armour which he often made for knights where movement was constricted.