These Broken Hands

Chapter 1

Yuin stared into the fire of the furnace as his father sharpened a recent order behind him; an ax to gather wood for the coming winter. It was going to be a long one, he could tell. They seemed to get longer every year. He got up from his seat and approached his father. "Is there anything else for me to do? I've polished all the orders, swept the store and thrown out the rats from traps. Can I go out now?"

The scraping of iron ceased and the show of sparks ended abruptly as Ruek lifted the ax from his wheel. "You can go but take this to your mother before you go. It's the medicine I meant to bring to the house before coming to the shop. Give it to her then you can go do what you want for a few hours. I want you back at the shop before sunset, alright?"

Yuin nodded and took the small pouch given to him. He went outside to the front of the shop and ascended the stairs to the right of the doors. They used to live in a separate home but when his father was at the shop it took too long for him to return home if something happened with his sister, Aela, so he built an extension beside the shop.

"I'm home," Yuin called out before opening the door. No response. He peeked inside first. No one occupied the front so he went inside and closed the door behind himself.

"We are in the back Yuin," his mother called back.

Yuin went to the back room and joined his mother, Yaum, beside Aela's bed. A small table set for tea sat between them. He handed her the pouch and kissed his sister's forehead. "I'm going to take a walk around town and go to buy that bag I saw in the tailor's window," he said. "We could deliver items with it if they are small enough to fit inside and take requests too. That could bring even more business to the shop."

Yaum nodded as she mixed a drop of the medicine into a cup of steaming tea. "If they have not come to us for work then maybe they do not need our service."

"Or maybe customers do not want to walk all the way to the north end of the town to get service," he replied. "That bag could change so many things for us. Do you know what we could do with all the money this could bring in? We could afford more medicine for Aela. I think we are almost out now."

"We have enough medicine for the rest of the month, Yuin," their mother said with a sigh. "Do not waste your money on something we cannot use. Get something useful like a scarf or gloves. It will be winter before you know it and that bag is not going to keep you warm."

She helped Aela sit up to drink the tea. Yuin looked away as the sheets fell from her frail frame. She took the cup but Yaum had to hold it from the bottom to make sure she did not drop it. Yuin stood and walked toward the door. "Do you need anything mother?" he asked, not looking back.

"I would like some fabric to make a new dress for your sister," she said. "Can you bring back some nice material?"

He stopped outside the door and sighed, "I am glad to see you are feeling a little better today Aela."

He walked away without waiting for her response. Aela looked to her mother. "Is faxi okay? He seemed upset, although... He always seems upset when he comes to my room."

Yaum made her finish the tea then put the cup on the table. "Yuin is just fine dear, do not worry about him. He just wants to see you get better."

Aela laid back down, her body unable to stay upright for long without her head spinning.

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The town was as busy as ever, especially in the square. The more well dressed inhabited this side of town and Yuin stuck out in his ash dusted working clothes. The only thing he was concerned with was the tailor's shop. Orders were placed there but there were some items sitting up for sell to keep money coming in between orders. There was a leather bag that sat in the window and it was big enough to carry an ax and anything else he could think of to put in it at the moment. He pushed the shop's door open.