The Kingdom of Aragon is in a time of war. This is exceptionally true for the
city of Ashbourne. The Knights Of Aragon are constantly in battle. A knight
who has a five year old son is preparing his armor for the battle to come.
“Don’t worry my child, for I will return to you as a victorious man”, the man
says as he is about to leave
“Daddy, with you not here, who will watch over me”, the young boy ponders
“You will stay with Luke and his family until my return”, he says with a smile
on his face.
“I will miss you so much, I don’t know how I’ll sleep”, the boy says as he
breaks into tears
“I made sure that the Forresters will take good care of you. Think about it,
you’ll play with Luke the whole time, won’t that be fun”, The father says whilst
hugging his son, who is starting to wipe his tears.
“I love you, Daddy”, the boy exclaims
“I love you too, Ewan”, the father says as he closes the door to their house.
A couple days later, Ewan and Luke are exploring the village when Ewan has
a worried look on his face.
“What’s wrong, Ewan? You’ve been a sad-sack all day”, Luke asks with a
puzzled look on his face.
“It’s my dad. He hasn’t talked to me in forever. I miss him so much. I wish he
was home right now”, Ewan yells as he runs for their city edges.
“Get back here. You are not allowed go there. Come on, you know I can’t run”,
Luke screams as he chases Ewan down the middle of town.
Ewan doesn’t say a thing, he just keeps running. Tears running down his
cheek as he sprints for the battlefield.
“Ewan, don’t! It’s dangerous to go there” Luke says as they approach the
battlegrounds.
Ewan runs until he finally reaches a field with a battle happening.
“Daddy, daddy! Where are you”, Ewan cries looking for his father. He can’t
find him, but he keeps trying.
A Moor soldier says something to a fellow soldier that can be translated to
“get him”, and the soldier runs after Ewan.
Ewan starts to scream for help, and his father hears him
“Ewan, is that you? I’m coming.” Ewan’s father yells as he comes to his son’s
rescue
The soldier draws his sword, aiming it at Ewan.
“Get the hell off my son, you monster” Ewan’s father yells as he tackles the
Moor soldier to the ground and starts to punch him.
“Ewan, get the hell out of here as fast as you can, it’s too dangerous here.”
Luke finally reaches Ewan.
“Run, both of you, it’s a death-trap to be here” Ewan’s father cries fighting off
the Moor soldier
Ewan runs and as he turns around he sees the soldier unsheath his dagger
and stab Ewan’s father in the chest.
“Dad, no!” Ewan yells as he breaks into tears.
Ewan and Luke and never speak of what has just occurred.
It’s been 17 years since that day, and both of them have moved on. Both of
them have gotten jobs and Luke even got engaged to a beautiful woman
named Allison. Ewan has become the blacksmith for Ashbourne. He trained
with the great Mark Strife who had been a blacksmith for 47 years before
training Ewan. Ewan learned all that he knows.
Ever since Mark died just 2 months prior, Ewan had taken over as
Ashbourne’s blacksmith. Everyone has taken kindly to the change. Everyone
enjoys Ewan’s good attitude and kind heart. It also helped that his skills were
refined, even better than Mark’s.
This attracted everyone from all over Aragon just to see his handiwork. He
made everything metal or iron from swords to horseshoes. Even Luke couldn’t
resist his goods.
Luke is running as fast as he can toward Ewan’s work place. He then trips and
falls on his face. He gets up covered in dirt and starts to catch his breath.
“Listen, Ewan, I need a favor of you” Luke said as if he was in a hurry.
“Ask away, buddy” Ewan said with a smile on his face.
“I forgot that my Fiance’s son’s birthday was tomorrow and I don’t have a gift.
Could you make a mini toy sword or something, just don’t make it pointy.”
Luke asked very specifically.
“Alright, I have no other projects anyway. I’ll have it ready in the morning.”
Ewan said with compassion.
“Thanks a lot. You really saved my hide.” Luke says gratefully.
“You really need to be more responsible, or she’ll never marry you.” Ewan
said jokingly as Luke walked away.
Ewan gets straight to work. The smell of metal and cake can be picked up
because Ewan’s workplace is directly next to Mr. Berkowitz’s bakery. He is
preparing a cake for his mother’s birthday in two.
Ewan went to get wood, but he has run out, and all of the stores have closed.
He thought until he had an idea, he would use metal, but dull it to be safer.
He did his usual routine of making metal goods. He even burned his hand in
the forge…twice, on the same finger. Long hours of labor and a lot of pain,
and it was finally over.
The next day, Ewan went to deliver the gift to Luke, but then he found out the
party had already started.
“Hey, Luke sorry I’m late.” Ewan said embarrassingly.
“Don’t mention it, he is just starting to open his gifts.”
Tyler, Luke’s step-son, got cakes and sweet rolls, and other treats. Finally it
was time to open Ewan’s gift.
“Happy Birthday, buddy!” Luke said with a smile trying to impress his future
wife.
He opens the box to find a metal toy sword. Tyler’s face lights up with a big
smile.
“Oh my gosh, thanks Luke”, Tyler says before he squeals with excitement.
“What did I say about metal, were you in another world or something”, Luke
whispers angrily to Ewan.
“I ran out of wood, it’s better than coming empty handed” Ewan says back
trying to calm his friend.
“It’s really not me who’s worried, it’s Marge. I don’t believe you two have
formerly met.”
Luke walks away to get his fiance so Ewan can meet her. Luke comes back
with a smile on his face.
“Ewan, this is Margery…”
“But you can call me Marge”, Luke’s wife quickly interrupts. “Luke has talked
about you almost non-stop, it’s hard to shut him up.”
“So, when’s the wedding”, Ewan asks awkwardly. After a silence, Luke speaks
up.
“We actually haven’t decided yet, but we are hoping by the end of next year”,
Luke says to break the awkward silence.
Marge goes to greet another guest, which leaves Ewan and Luke alone once
again.
“Someone that hot must have been really desperate to say yes to you”, Ewan
said jokingly.
“Shut up, at least I have someone”, Luke says in a savage manner.
“Easy on the burns, hot stuff”, Ewan spits back with no hesitation. “I’ll find
someone… eventually” Ewan says with a sigh
Ewan waves goodbye and exist the party more upset than he arrived. He
thought about what Luke said. Maybe the missing piece in his life is a
significant other.
“As just an average everyday person, who would take me” Ewan questions
himself.
A couple days go by, just normal projects and stories Luke tells him about
what it’s like to be a knight. Then he suddenly gets a knock at his door.
Confused, Ewan opens the door to see a person well dressed seemed to be
someone with some importance.
“Can I help you”, Ewan asks baffled that someone who works with the King of
Aragon himself, Peter III, would come to see him.
“I actually have something that might interest you”, the man said.
“What is that supposed to mean” Ewan asked thinking what the man was
saying was suspicious.
“I have a job opportunity that means you are the royal blacksmith for all of
Aragon, if you choose to accept it.”, the man told Ewan.
“I will under one condition… I stay in Ashbourne”, Ewan told the man not
looking impressed, but he really was.
“Great, you will actually only work for some warriors, not the entire army. Only
The Dragonborn Guild,” The man said as he walked away.
“Wait, um, uh, who are they” Ewan yelled chasing the man leaving.
“Oh you’ll find out, yes you will”, the man yelled as he walked to his horse
carriage.
Ewan was very excited and confused about his new job. Ewan stayed in
Ashbourne and got weapon requests from a bunch of members, Tim, Joseph,
and Aidan. Then he didn’t get a request to make a weapon, he got a request
to come and see the guild himself.
Ewan got to the headquarters that the note said, but all he could see was a
rundown inn. He went inside to investigate. It was all dark and dusty, Ewan
could’ve sworn he had seen a rat. He saw a weird lever and like any normal
person, decided to pull it. A bookcase completed turned around to reveal a
passage in the most cliched way possible.
Ewan walked down the set of stairs to find a dark room, no one seemed to be
around. The he heard a movement, and many people drew their swords and
screamed.
“Who sent you, hellion”,one of them yelled, scaring Ewan to the extreme.
“Holy crap, you did! You sent me! Aren’t you The Dragonborn Guild.”, Ewan
yelled out of fear.
“Oh sorry for the scare, you must be the blacksmith Ewan.”, the person said,
who turned out to be a girl. “The name’s Lily, Lily Mercer, the leader of this
here group”, Lily said with a smile.
“I’m Owen”, one of the men says introducing himself.
“And I’m Luke…Wait wait wait, Ewan? You’re the blacksmith for our group?”
Luke questioned just as surprised as Ewan to see him.
“So, why did you bring me here”, Ewan asked confused about the whole
situation.
“We want you to join our group. In a fight against the Moors. In our last battle,
almost all of our warriors were slaughtered in cold blood, now it’s just us” Lily
asks with a worried look on her face.
Ewan starts to have flashbacks of when his father was killed.
“What do we have that the Moors don’t”, Ewan asked in a pessimistic way.
“We have a first class blacksmith, hows that”, Lily said to lighten the mood.
“I also have another question, how is the leader of Aragon’s elite fighting force
a woman? Don’t you have kids to watch or something”, Ewan asked curiously
trying not to offend Lily, but obviously doing so in the process.
“Fine, I’ll explain. When I was 8, I was playing with my sister in the middle of
town, when a strange man pulled a dagger and attempted to mug my mom,
who was shopping. I was scared, but I stepped in and tried to grab his dagger
and disarm him. I got a hold of it and threw it as far as I could and started to
throw punches and kicks, and I eventually knocked him out. Everyone was
staring at me, confused, surprised a little girl possessed such force and
strength. No one treated treated me like a girl ever again. I eventually joined
the army and once again impressed everyone. Now here I am”, Lily explained
in great detail.
“That clears that up”, Ewan said, clearly showing that question was bugging
him.
“Ok, the Moors are supposed to arrive in a month, I think that is enough time
Ewan”, Lily said with optimism.
“Woah woah woah, I’m gonna be on the front lines fighting”, Ewan yelled
trying to imagine himself as a knight.
“What other choice do we have, all of our squad is in this room, that’s only
four counting Ewan”, Lily said making the situation seem dire. “Any other
questions”, there is silence. “Alright, let’s do this”, Lily yelled with excitement.
Days went by with no progress on Ewan. He just couldn’t get the hang of
combat. On the side, Ewan made his own weapons and armor, and once
again burned his hand in the forge. After he finished his weapons and armor.
When no one thought Ewan could improve, he beat Lily in a sparring match.
She was impressed with his entire movement pattern. It was unique, but
effective. He became as good a fighter as Lily, which increased her interest in
him.
Ewan was making a huge wooden contraption looking like a sideways pillar.
“What are you making, Ewan”, Lily asked confused.
“It’s a battering ram. You know? A siege weapon”, Ewan said in a
condescending voice.
“What are we going to use a siege weapon for, we aren’t raiding castles or
anything”, Lily asked in a kind of rude manner.
“You’ll know when the Moors come”, Ewan said mysteriously.
Just two weeks later, it was the day before the battle, and no one was getting
any sleep.
“Ewan, hey Ewan. Are you up”, Luke whispered.
“Now I am, what do want, it’s late”, Ewan said losing patience.
“Do you think you will share the same fate as your dad”, Luke asks unsure of
the outcome.
“Who the hell wakes someone up just to ask if they will die the next day, and
that same person watched their own father die in front of them”, Ewan said
pissed at his friend’s lack of compassion. “What happens, happens, ok”, he
says hoping it will shut Luke up.
The day finally comes, the final showdown with the Moors. The Dragonborn
Guild wakes early to prepare, but something unexpected happened.
“Guys, and girl, you are not going to like to hear this. Moors snuck in and
burned down the houses of the knights with them inside. They are all either
dead or too injured to fight, guess they have won”, Owen says with a frown.
“There is no way in hell I am letting a bunch of cheap-shotting little punks win
because of a setback. Remember, Aragon still has us, and they are still
coming. If they penetrate our forces and win this battle, all of Aragon is theirs
for the taking. Let’s do this for Ashbourne and for all of Aragon”, Ewan said full
of a blazing spirit and confidence.
There was silence, then Lily stepped.
“He’s right, we have to fight, we have to win”, Lily said with the same spirit
present in Ewan and blushing afterward.
“For Ashbourne”, everyone yelled at once. They ran to the field with all of the
equipment needed.
“Why do we still have the battering ram”, Lily asked.
“It’s not for any castles, it’s for soldiers. Since we have the high ground, we
can have two of us push and roll it down the hill through the army, bulldozing
them. Also, they are sending less troops, thinking all of the army was
eliminated, so that’s a plus.”, Ewan said prepared to come out as a victor.
The Moor troops began to come into view, closer and closer they came. The
set up battle formation.
“Are you ready? CHARGE”, Ewan yelled as Owen and Luke grabbed the
battering ram and pushed it toward the oncoming danger. Of the 1,000 Moors
present, about 150 were bulldozed by the sheer force of the battering ram
either killing them on impact or wounding them enough to be trampled by
Luke and Owen.
On the front lines, Ewan and Lily were slashing Moors left and right, about
twenty per minute. The battle was intense, but Ewan didn’t seem to break a
sweat doing it. He treated it like clockwork.
“I’m doing it, I’m finally doing it. I’m avenging my father”, Ewan yelled at the
top of his lungs. Caught off guard, a Moor stabbed him in the foot with a
dagger. Before the Moor could make the killing blow, Lily stepped in and
stabbed him in the chest and kicked him off her blade heroically.
“Owen, Luke, cover me while I take Ewan to safety”, Lily yelled trying to get
their attention. “Please, he’s bleeding!”
“Alright, come on. I’m not letting my friend die now, not ever”, Luke yelled with
passion.
After making it to the top of the hill, Ewan found a crossbow and loaded it. He
was able to fight without getting into the action directly.
The battle went on for five more hours until every last Moor was dead. They
wiped off the blood and sweat to yell in celebration.
“Oh my god I love you, Ewan”, Lily yelled out of excitement, but actually
meant it.
“Say no more”, Ewan said before taking Lily into his arms and kissing her on
her lips.
The entire kingdom celebrated with a huge feast in The Dragonborn Guild’s
honor. Everyone was invited to the festivities. There was good food for all,
except serfs of course. Everyone was eating when Ewan tapped his glass with
his spoon to get everyone’s attention.
“Excuse me, everyone, can I have your attention for just a moment. Thank
you everyone for the feast, we couldn’t have asked for more, but I have just
one thing to ask. Lily, will you marry me”, Ewan asked with all of his heart.
“Oh god, this is a lot to spring onto someone so suddenly. Oh what the hell,
yes I will!”, Lily yelled going into Ewan’s arms.
Eventually, Ewan and Lily got married and had little warriors of their own, one
boy and one girl, Matthew and Eliza. Kids never got in the way of defending
Aragon. They fought until the day they died, and the next generation of The
Dragonborn Guild was born.