Erivale: The Lost Princess

Chapter 18: Part 1

The armory was a completely new area of the palace to explore. The scent of leather and herbaceous oils was heavy on the dry air. The stone floor and walls were dark and rough indicating that we were in an older part of the palace. Inside the walls and shelves were lined with every type of blade and weapon imaginable.

Ulric grabbed a sword in his hand and hefted it up to look at in the dim light. "Whatever we find today, make sure you hide it well. No one can find during the ceremonies."

"I know Ulric, we've been over this hundreds of times. Just because it's the day before the ceremony doesn't mean I suddenly forgot everything."

He sighed and set the sword back down with a gentle clank. "I'm sorry, I know. I just don't want to see something bad happen and for you to get hurt."

"You don't have to worry about me anymore, I can handle my own."

"Amberleigh, you only just learned to use a sword."

I sensed him turning towards me and grabbed one of the smaller blades to quickly point at his chest. "And I think I've picked up on it pretty quickly, don't you think?"

Shaking his head slightly he pushed the tip of the sword away from his chest. "Yes, you have, but none of us, not even me or Soren, has actively run away from a palace to then attempt to take down their corrupt rule. Unless you have before, in which case I'd love to hear all your experiences."

"You know sarcastic Ulric needs to work on his jokes. He's not funny at all."

"You wound me princess, I thought I was hilarious," he said dryly and returned his attention back to the blades. His hand trailed over the hilts of a few different swords before picking one up, the blade was much thinner and a little shorter than the one he held earlier. "Hold this, see how it feels."

I took the stiff leather wrapped hilt in my hand and felt the way the tip pulled my hand down. It was much harder to hold than the sword I was used to practicing with. "It's too heavy."

Ulric took it back from me and replaced it with another, "Try this."

I tried holding this one out again and felt that it was a much better fit, not perfect, just better. "I think this will do."

"For a premade sword I think it will work as well. Eventually you can get your own blade smithed for you and you only."

"Were your swords made custom?"

"Yes, I made them myself."

"Really?"

"Yes." He picked up a metal helmet. "Try this."

I set the metal helmet on my head and it immediately tipped forward and covered my eyes. "Yup, I think this is exactly what I need."

"I've always hated helmets."

"Why, because they cover your gorgeous hair?"

"You think my hair is gorgeous?"

A small blush tinged my cheeks. "Answer the original questions Ulric."

"I don't like helmets because I always felt like they cut off part of my senses. It's harder to see and limits your peripheral vision."

I took the helmet off and looked at the shiny metal distastefully. "Do I have to wear one? I'd prefer to have all my senses if I have to fight."

"On second thought this bag is quite small, I'm sure the resistance will have extras for you to use." Ulric set the helmet back at its original spot and tossed me a worn leather bag. The leather was stained and discolored in a few spots, but otherwise seemed sturdy enough for the journey.