From Dawn to Dusk: The Smith and The Piglet

 

Foreword

(Hey, I spelled it correctly this time.)

Hello, folks! For those who read "Aimless", you'll know that From Dawn to Dusk is the fantasy world that I've been crafting for the better part of 6 years now. It is a series that begins with the Dawn of Creation and ends with the Dusk of Apocalypse. It features fantastical creatures such as elves, werewolves, faeries and so on, doing battle against Hell after it, quite literally, broke loose. "Aimless" took place near the beginning of the series, near the start of creation; this story will take place near the end of the series, during the apocalyptic future. Keep in mind that this is still very much a work in progress and, as such, details are not set in stone and can be changed at any moment before the full story is released. Basically, I got the itch to write in the setting that I've been dreaming about for past several years and I'm finally going to scratch that itch. With that, I present to you an excerpt from "Steam Punks" (working title), "The Smith and the Piglet".

The Smith and The Piglet

Her legs gently swung back to forth over the ledge of the cobblestone wall that encompassed the Evergreen harbor. The teenager was sloppily dressed in a white tank top, that had various stains from the dirt pathways she had been on. Her top was tucked into a red and black plaid skirt that had a few tears around the hem. Her legs were wrapped in black tights that led down to the muddy, brown hiking boots that were loosely hanging above the sea below her. If she swung her legs hard enough, the boots would surely fly off into the water. Her emerald eyes studied the bouncing ships that still remained in the harbor. There were a total of twelve ships in the Evergreen's fleet. Most were trading vessels that sailed across the Meridia Sea to trade with the few dozens of mortal civilizations that remained.

The three that currently sat in the harbor were scouting vessels that sail in search of inhabitable lands or more settlements to trade with. They had just returned from their respected missions; both crew and vessel requiring some maintenance before they cast off again. The young girl always made sure to come to the docks whenever she got wind of the scouting vessels return. She had grown to love the sight of morning light gently caressing the treated wood. For her, there was no other reason to wake up before dawn and certainly no greater reason to skip breakfast. She tried her best to ignore the hunger pangs that plagued her belly. The loud growling was almost enough to ruin the beautiful spectacle before her. But she soon forgot about it as the yellow, burning orb began to peak over the horizon and cast its warming rays out. The light danced along the ocean's surface and began to brightly illuminate the name plates that were secured to the side of the boats. She sat closest to her favorite, The Brazen Pine.

The boat was a standard galleon. There were four large masts that ran down the middle of her. The white sails were currently down, but as soon as they were raised; the dark, green tree of Evergreen would proudly be shown. Her hull consisted of sturdy wood stained a dark brown. On her port side was a large, bronze plate that spelled out her name. A twenty-man crew would be the minimum necessary to operate the vessel.

The teen's eyes hungrily eyed The Brazen Pine, her imagination running wild with the possibilities. She could clearly see herself walking along the quarter deck and barking orders at her crew, demanding that they weigh anchor so they could adventure out across the Meridia Sea. Her image was wearing dark brown pants, a dark green vest, and a clean white undershirt. On her hip was a sharp cutlass that was newly forged. Her red hair was long and following in the salty sea air. Her pink lips smiled as she pictured the scene before her. One of her hands began to absent mindedly twirl her short pigtails that hung just above her shoulders. Her smile instantly plummeted as a gruff voice began to talk to her.

"You need to move on, little miss," the soldier called out to her. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke. She turned her head to look up at the older man and breathed a sigh of relief. She recognized the soldier and knew him as Ian. He was wearing the usual city guard outfit. He wore a long sleeve shirt that sported a black collar, not unlike a standard suit jacket. Underneath the shirt was the typical guardian armor, bronze plates covered his midsection and were connected by steel chainmail. A pair of black jeans covered his legs and shiny, black boots dotted his feet. On his left hip was a silver broadsword and on his right was a revolving, flintlock pistol. The young teen looked into his grey eyes before her smile returned to her.

"Good Morning, Ian," she spoke softly and quietly. Her voice sounded a touch weak, perhaps a product of her diet, or lack thereof. She swung her legs back onto the cobblestone and slowly stood up so she could face the soldier more properly.

"Good Morning, Piglet," he said with a chuckle. It was a nickname she had earned from most of the townsfolk. Truth be told, she had been called it for so long that she forgets what her birthname actually was. She rose a brow in disgust. She never enjoyed her nickname. "I need you to move along now. The crews are returning to their vessels and we can't have you in the way."

"Oh, Ian," she stomped her foot in protest. "You know I won't be in the way. No one pays attention to me anyways." She folded her arms, hoping she wouldn't be forced to leave. She had never seen the ships cast off and desperately wanted to witness it.

"Now, Piglet. You know how the sailors get. Do yourself a favor and go... do whatever it is you do when you aren't here," Ian spoke with a little more authority. The man only now realized that he had no idea where the girl goes when he doesn't see her here. It was no mystery that she was an orphan. She had lost her parents when she much younger, too young to remember their names or their faces. She had grown up in the Common House. There she lived among other girls and were cared for by the local nuns. The Church of Evergreen had nearly as much power as the Emperor and did their best to appear charitable. The nuns were not cruel to her, but they were awfully strict. It was her housemates that she hated. The other children saw her as the runt of the litter and treated her no better. She was bullied constantly, the worst of all being when a group of older boys beat her and cut off her red hair. She left the orphanage and had been fairing for herself for the past two years. For the past two years, she had been homeless.

"But I wanna see the ships cast off," she protested further. Ian had never raised a hand to her, though he has had to have this argument several times in the past. Some arguments got a touch more heated than others, but the man was honorable and would never hit a child. "Pleeeassseee." Ian sighed as she begged. He dropped down to one knee so that he was eye level with her.

"Now look," he began, holding out a hand and waiting for her to lay her open palm in it. She did so, curious what Ian wanted to give her. "I know you must be hungry, and I know you haven't eaten today. Here is forty coins - run on down to the bakery on Main Street and get yourself some donuts for breakfast. And you just may have enough left over to afford yourself a night in the inn on Cast Iron Street." The man reached into his pants pockets and retrieved a black bag of coins. He rested the velvet on her hand and smiled once she started beaming. "Do that for the both of us so I don't have to fight any of the sailors for calling you names."

"Fine," she sighed, shoving the bag of coins into the waistband of her skirt. "Thanks, Ian." She smiled shyly before taking off down First Street. Ian stood back up and smiled at her before stretching. He wanted to do more for her, but the man was barely paid enough to support his family. That bag of coins was contraband he took off a thief. He conveniently made sure it was absent from his report whenever he captured the man. Ian then turned and began to walk towards the growing commotion coming from Main Street. The sailors had woken up and were making their way to their respected ships.

Piglet walked at a brisk pace down First Street. Having been ripped from her imagination made her painfully aware of how hungry she was. Did she eat dinner last night? She didn't think so. Breakfast the day before? Was that her last meal? Or was it lunch before that? She always had trouble keeping track of the days. Her only frame of reference was the coming and going of the ships, but even they weren't always on the same schedule. She attempted to push the thoughts from her mind and instead focus on the mouthwatering sweetness that awaited her. She jogged pass the residential homes that were located on First Street. Most housed the sailors and their families. A few mothers had emerged from the homes with their young children, seeing them off to school.

The education in Evergreen was mostly apprentice based. Once a child reaches their teenage years, they leave the general schooling and find one of the masters in the city to shadow. The biggest industries were carpentry, smithing, and agriculture. A close second to those were both sailors and soldiers, the dream jobs that one could hope for. Most kids Piglet's age were already apprenticing with their chosen master. The kids she ran pass were the younger crowd, heading towards the city center to be taught by the Church. They would gain their general education there, covering topics such as standard mathematics, reading, writing and the history of the world.

She moved pass the youngsters all loudly talking with their friends and made a turn onto Crest Street. This street would take her right to Main Street and deposit her out next to the forge. Then she would just have to walk a few more yards up Main Street and she would be at the bakery. She never made it to Main Street. As soon as she was about halfway down Crest Street, a group of teenage boys stepped in her way from a nearby alley.

"Hey, Piglet," the oldest boy, a boy named Adam, snorted. His two cohorts chuckled along with him.

"Where you going? Gonna roll around in the mud some more?" a boy with sandy blonde hair added in. He was about a foot taller than Piglet. His name was Oscar and grew up in the common house with her. He was the boy that beat her and cut off her hair. She froze in her tracks and looked at each boy nervously. She didn't know the other two. She could feel her legs begin to wobble a little. She quickly glanced over her shoulder but couldn't see anyone that would save her.

"She looks scared guys," a boy with a shaved head, named James, said. He and Adam began to walk on either side of her, trying to cut off her escape.

"What's wrong, bitch? Scared I'm gonna beat your ass again?" Oscar chuckled, taking a step towards her. She instinctively took a half step backward.

"Don't you dare run," James threatened. "We'll beat you twice as hard." She inhaled deeply, knowing that running towards Main Street would be her only hope. Surely there would be a guard or some adult there that could help her. But with Oscar in front of her, she would have no way to get pass him. The only opening she had was the alley they came from. She would have to rush into it and then hopefully it'll lead out onto Main Street. She glanced at the opening and then back at the boys. She gulped before taking her chance.

She wanted to break into a sprint and leave the boys in the dust, but Oscar was a quick thinker and stuck his leg out to trip her. She fell onto the dirt pathway with a thud, kicking up dust as she landed. She face planted, covering her freckled features in a light brown.

"What did we say about running, Piglet?" Adam shouted, stomping down hard on her hand, fracturing her bones inside. She let out an ear-piercing scream that was quickly stifled as Oscar delivered a kick to her stomach. She desperately tried to catch her breath again as the three boys each took a turn kicking either her stomach or her back. She let out grunts and groans as the air returned to her lungs. After a few moments of kicking, the boys stopped. She covered her head with both of her arms, trying her best to protect herself. Her body ached and she was sure her ribs had to have been cracked.

"Whatchu got hiding under your skirt, Piglet?" James chuckled, reaching down and pulling the black bag of coins out of her waistband. She could feel tears begin to well up and pour out of her eyes. "Where did this bitch get a bag of money from?" The boy opened the bag and stared wide eyed at how much money was inside. "There's gotta be like fifty coins in here."

"Where'd you get the money from, bitch?" Oscar asked, kneeling down so he could look her in the eye. She tightly closed her eyes, scared that this would be her demise.

"She must've slept with that old soldier she hangs out with," Adam chuckled. "Little Piglet is a Little Slut."

"How much do you charge, Pig?" Oscar chuckled, trying to pry her arms away from her face. She let out a short scream, which Oscar responded to by punching her in the nose, breaking the bone.

"Why don't we throw her into the ocean?" James suggested, tossing the bag of coins between his hands. "Bitch seems to love the ocean so much, makes sense for her to drown in it."

"I like the way you think," Oscar agreed. "How about it, Pig? Feel like going for a swim?" All the boys loudly laughed at her as she began to whimper. Her mind was blank. It couldn't process anything other than fear and pain. Her mind was trying it's hardest to shut out the danger in front of her. She just wished it was over. The boys were laughing too loudly to hear the young kid sneak up behind them, carrying a large and sturdy stick. They only recognized his presence when he swung the wood as hard as he could into Adam's back.

The teenager fell forward, shouting out a groan of pain. He face planted onto the dirt, getting bits of the earth up his nose and in his mouth. Oscar and James both stepped back from the girl, each wearing a look of shock on their face. The young lad held his walking stick in both hands, ready to fend off the two assailants.

"Who the hell is this?" Oscar asked rhetorically. The girl on the ground managed to peek through her fingers at the boy that saved her. He was younger than she was and was about a foot shorter. He had a shaved head, with black peach fuzz dotting his visible scalp. He stood by, a look of determination on his face masking the puddle of fear that sat in his stomach. Of course, he didn't know this girl. He didn't need to. His father taught him that when you see an injustice, it is your duty to act out against it.

"What do ya say, Oz? Should we gut him?" the teen asked, brandishing a switchblade.

"I like that idea," Oscar agreed, pulling out a knife of his own. "You should know better than to mess with people older than you." James and Oscar chuckled to each other, stepping on the Piglet as they walked over to the young boy. He took a few steps back, knowing the reach of his impromptu stave would be the thing that saves him. James moved first, reaching out with his off hand to gain control of the stick while attempting to dig his knife into the boy's belly. The lad was much faster than the two teens. He took two quick steps backwards before driving the bottom of his stick into James's face. The teen's cheek bone instantly shattered from the force, and he was launched backward onto the dirt, causing a small cloud of dust to float up.

Oscar attempted to capitalize on the opening he saw in front of him. He charged the young boy, hoping to overpower him. The kid managed to hold the stick horizontally in front of his form, keeping both of Oscar's hands at bay. The teen pushed against the boy as hard as he could but was unable to make any headway. The child couldn't be more than ten but was proving to be much stronger than the older teen. The young lad was able to keep Oscar at arm's length away and counterattacked. He dropped his stave, causing Oscar to stumble forward and lower both his arms. The child then delivered a strong punch to Oscar's jaw, knocking the teenager to the ground with a loud groan.

The boy retrieved his walking stick and ran over to where the girl laid. He dropped down to one knee and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Lady!" he pleaded, trying to snap the Piglet out of her trance. "We have to go before they get up. C'mon, I know a safe place, lady!" The teenager removed her hands from her face and stared into the kid's baby blue eyes. She noticed the hand he was offering and she took it. The child helped the teen to her feet and pulled her along towards main street. The two ran, the young boy pulling the older girl along with more force than she anticipated.

How is he so strong? she absentmindedly asked. As they approached Main Street, the fresh smell of baked goods managed to break through the scent of blood that was inside the teen's broken nose. She remembered the whole reason why she decided to come this way. She looked back and saw her bag of coins still laying on the ground. She then noticed that the oldest teen, Adam, was on his feet and running after the two. She felt her messy hair stand up when she saw the murderous intent in his eyes. Her line of sight was broken as the young boy pulled her south onto Main Street, away from the bakery she desperately wanted to visit. They ran a few more blocks before stopping in front of forge.

"In here, lady!" the boy shouted as he pulled the girl into the smith's shop, causing a bell hanging from the door to ding. The interior looked like any ordinary store. On either side of the room were three folding chairs. A door that lead to a bathroom was on the right wall while a water cooler was on the left. In the middle of the room was a long table that currently had a bicycle sitting upon it. The bike appeared damage, both front and back tires stripped from the vehicle. Behind the table was a room that lead to a back door that was currently open and emitting a wave of heat.

The teenager looked around the room, confused. Why here? She didn't linger too long on the thought as a bell dinged once more, drawing both her and her savior's attention. They saw an angry Adam standing in the doorway, a knife in his right hand. The girl breathed heavily as she stepped backward, her hand leaving her friend's and her back hitting the cashier table. The young boy readied his stave again, ready to knock Adam to the ground again. Adam stalked forward, nearly foaming at the mouth with the rage he felt. He stopped his advance, a look of worry on his face.

"What do you think you're doing!?" a deep, masculine voice boomed out from behind the teenage girl. She nearly jumped out of her skin but instead turned to face the voice's owner. The gentleman was clearly the black smith owner. He was much taller than the girl was, reaching nearly 7 feet tall. He had a dark, black beard and shiny bald head. His arms were the size of tree trunks and his torso was the size of a house. He was wearing a thick short sleeve shirt underneath a brown apron. In one dinner plate sized hand he held a forge hammer. He stared at Adam with eyes so brown they almost looked black.

"Back off, old man," Adam breathed between breaths. "I'm just here for these two shitheads." All of the store's occupants jumped when the smith slammed his hammer down on the table in front of him. He stared deeply into Adam's intimidated eyes.

"For one-" he began in his deep, smooth voice. "I don't allow weapons to be brandished in my shop." He stepped out from around the counter, his hammer still clutched tightly in his fist. "Secondly, that is my boy you are threatening." He stood only about a foot away from the tiny teenager.

"Just give me the Piglet then," he motioned the knife towards the girl, causing her to cower behind the tower of a man. He glanced back at her for only half a second before looking at the punk in front of him.

"Thirdly, how I was raised..." he took another step towards Adam, forcing the teen to step backwards. "We treat ladies with respect. She isn't going anywhere." The girl breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling some form of comfort and safety. "But if you don't get out of here, I am going to turn your punk ass into kindling for my forge." His bushy brows furrowed as he stared into the Adam's eyes. The teen eventually let out a "tsk" before turning tail and rushing out of the shop.

A comfortable silence surrounded the trio for a few moments. The large blacksmith let out a tired sigh before placing his hammer down on the counter. He glanced at the stranger before turning his attention to his son.

"Are you okay, Richie?" the man asked, looking his boy up and down.

"I'm okay, dad," Richard responded. "I'm sorry I got into a fight - this girl was surround by three guys and they were all hitting her and she needed help and I-" the smith raised his hand to quiet his son for a moment.

"I'm not upset with you, son," he explained. He took a few steps towards him before patting him on his fuzzy head. "If I didn't want you to get into fights then why did I train you?" he chuckled before turning his attention over to the Piglet. She looked awkwardly up at the man before crossing her arms. She felt small but only wanted to be made smaller.

"Are you okay, child?" he asked her. She didn't answer and kept her stare on the stone floor beneath her. The blacksmith crouched own in front of her, trying his best to put himself at eye level but still towering over her. "My name is Owyn. Obviously, I am the blacksmith and Richie's father." He tried to look the girl in the eye but she kept moving her gaze any time he got close. "I promise you are safe now. No one can hurt you as long as I am here... Can you tell me your name?" he asked slowly

"I-" she attempted to speak but no words managed to push past her lips. Her mouth hanged open and her lips quivered as she tried to speak. She could feel tears begin to pour down her face. She raised both hands to her face again, hiding away her emotions and the pain she was feeling. She was wrapped into a warm and loving embrace. Owyn had pulled her into a soft hug that made her feel safe. She couldn't discern why, but she felt as though she could trust this man and his child.

"Rich-" Owyn called out, not letting the Piglet go. "Close the shop, please"

"Sure, dad" the boy called out before doing as he was told. The girl could hear a heavy wood door being opened for a moment and then closing once more. She then heard the sound of strong locks sliding into place.

"Take your time, dear," Owyn instructed. He released her from his embrace and she almost asked him not to. "I am going to fetch some medical supplies and get you patched up, okay?" he asked, waiting for the girl to nod her head. She looked at his kind eyes and slowly bounced her head up and down. The large man nodded before standing and walking through the open doorway behind the counter. Richie approached the girl, smiling confidently at her.

"You don't have to be scared anymore," he declared victoriously. "My daddy won't let anyone hurt you. And he's the strongest person in the whole city!" The teenager couldn't help let out a wholesome smile. "My name is Richard, though everyone calls me Richie! What's your name?" the boy extended a hand for handshake. She stared at his dirty palm for a few seconds.

"I... uh..." she spoke through a pain groaned. "I don't really have a name..." she admitted before gently taking the boys hand. He gave her a terrified expression.

"You don't have a name?" his eyes were wide and his mouth hanged open. "Then what do people call you?"

"Um... Piglet..." she said softly.

"Your parents named you Piglet!?" he shouted.

"No!" she shouted back, nearly as loud. She raised her hand to her mouth, feeling embarrassed for how loud she spoke. "I... I don't have any parents. They died when I was a baby..."

"Richie," Owyn called out as he reentered the forge. "Let the poor girl catch her breath for a moment. Go up to your room for a few bit, please."

"Okay, dad..." the boy responded. He made it almost to the other side of the counter before he turned back to face the teenager. "It was nice meeting you!" he called before rushing through the back door.

"Sorry for all his questions," Owyn apologized with a shrug. "You know how kids can be, I'm sure." The teenager gave a polite smile but chose to not say anything. "I'm gonna put you up on the counter now, if that is alright." Before the girl could answer she felt the man's strong hands slide under her arms and lift her up effortlessly from the ground. He sat her down on the counter, making her almost eye level with him. He then went to work looking her over, tending to her most wounded spots first. He started by wiping the blood from her face with a warm, wet towel.

"I do need to ask you the same questions, if that is alright," Owyn said slowly. The girl gave a slow head nod while Owyn continued to clean her up. "Are you an orphan?"

She nodded.

"Do you live in the common house?"

She quickly shook her head no.

"Have you lived there before?" he asked slowly, intrigued by her expression.

She nodded.

"And you don't want to go back there." Owyn said, rather than asked. "You don't have a name?"

She shrugged and shook her head no.

"Well, I don't want to call you Piglet. Can I give you name?"

She shrugged again and nodded.

"Hmm," Owyn thought for a moment as he continued to apply first aid. "How about Grace? That was my mother's name and I always planned on naming my daughter after her, if I had one."

The girl thought for a moment before shrugging and nodding her head.

"Alright, Grace it is then," he said with a gentle smile. "Are you hungry, Grace?"

"Yes, sir," she said, finding her voice. Owyn smiled at her.

"How about I go find you something to eat as soon as we finish healing you?" he proposed. She smiled at him and nodded her head. "And after that... While I certainly won't force you to stay, I'd also would prefer not to send you out into the city by yourself. If you'd like... we could talk about you staying here."

Grace stared at the man with a surprised expression. Of all the people that she had met in this city, Owyn was the first to ever offer her this level of kindness. She felt tears threatening to escape her eyes again. She looked Owyn in the eye once more and she nodded.

Backword

And there is my constant daydream put to paper. I had been toying around with this short story in my head for a few days and it feels nice to finally declutter my imagination a bit. As stated in the foreword, this is an excerpt that may look vastly different by the time I get to writing the full story. At the very least, I do hope you enjoyed reading what I have and the little peek into the fantasy world I'm crafting. I appreciate all of you reading and would love to hear your opinions. Either leave me a comment below or join my mailing list (ragdollgamers.business@gmail.com OR the form on the home page). Regardless, I hope to write for you again soon. Happy Reading!