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Cain had already put aside his warrior and wanderin' ways when he wed Belladonna but even more so now that he must be mother and father. That is where I actually came into the story. Ya see I am the Blacksmith for Navelorn. My name is Lordes. And I shared the battles of Cain and the Lord D'Ellan in my youth but settled down to the needs of my family at my
father's passin'. Cain stayed on in the Elite Guard and found another shield mate to take my place, Gallon. Now that Cain had to provide a home for his daughter, I could do no less than to offer to share the work and the home I had with him and his new babe. Cain excelled in anything he set a mind to and in no time not only was a fair blacksmith but was expanding the works to forge armor and work leather. Not long after we was making the armor for the youths of the Academy of Navelorn. M'Arteis held us as equals
because of our friendship with his older brother and gave work our way
whenever he could.
Cain and I raised Mahdia as best we could and after she had finished with her wet nurse she didn't get much feminine upbringin'. But we took
care to not let here become lost in our ways and sent her to learn under a female tutor. She learned to play music and soon amazed us with the same
singing ability of her mother. It lightened our hearts and our work to have here practice here singing and playing by the light of the forge. I think
some of that music may have made its way into the armors we made. Some have said that the wears we made during that time was our best and that it seemed
to actually sing when worn. The armor of the singing forge is what it came to be known as and so we changed the name from Lordes' Smithy to the Singin' Forge. This brought us local fame of course but many who come to train at the Academy come from all over Edilar and the word and actual seeing and hearing
of our armor got carried to every corner of the realm. This made our work desired by many. In the process Cain had found his calling as a Master
Armorer. The armors he was able to create through painstaking detail were some of the lightest and craftiest made since the great Master smiths were
lost to us in the first Mage war. He never took the title of Master smith but it was given to him by many and even the ruling house of Kirjah had a
suit of precise male made as a present to one of their favored sons. The suit was called the Whispering Shadow. So fine and dark were the links that
they seemed to be a veil of shadow that could be worn. Other armors may protect you better but none would be so good in aiding you to avoid
detection. Cain said this was his greatest feat in the making of armor but I have seen him make other armors to match.
All this time Mahdia grew and Cain admitted to taking little notice of her till one day he was brought to tears when she came into the forge to
help sing the armor into shape, as she called it. It struck him by the light she stood in and the height she had gained that she looked the spitting image of her mother. The voice, form and face were almost exact. Only here hair, which took more the reddish shade of Cain, set a difference. Cain never allowed her to come into the forge again. Not to be cruel to her but because he couldn't bare to see her in the shimmering light which made her look like his great love, Belladonna. He took from Mahdia one day while
they trimmed here growing hair, a lock of it and put it along side that of her mother's within the locket he wore.
Mahdia, though hurt, understood but now had to find something else to do. She no longer could spend hours of each day singing to the beat of the
hammers of the smithy. So she started to explore. Navelorn is not a large place. It is a haven far east of the more inhabited parts of the Elven Realm. Situated on a plateau that is in the forest of the Deep Wood, it has a commanding view in all directions. It was built up as a garrison for the
guarding of Edilar's eastern borders and especially to guard against attack of the wild tribes of Gnoll, Kobold and Hobgoblin that live in the great arid planes of the Horde Lands to the east. Even though the plateau is small, it is rich in variable geography. Some say the plateau was thrust up during the War of the Gods long ago and is created of the materials they needed to forge their weapons. I don't know if this is true but there is an exposed rocky ridge and hills of stone that are rich in such things as iron, copper, tin and gold. We have never had to trade for such things and so can
make our wears cheaply. This rich environment became the playground of the growing and somewhat boyish, for all here beauty, maiden. We weren't too
concerned for her safety. We knew most everyone in Navelorn and they knew us. No one would bother her. Besides, a couple of old war-horses such as Cain and me couldn't help but teach the ways of the sword and the wearing of armor to the lass. She would give as good as she would get in any scrap with anyone here own age, maybe give a little better.
Mahdia, wanted to travel out into the Deep Wood, but without escort the guards wouldn't let her leave the safety of the haven. Navelorn is a fortress, part natural and that which isn't was built to be so, and it is almost as hard to leave, as it is to enter. But no one will ever say that Mahdia was easily dissuaded once she set here mind on something. One day
she heard of another youth only a little older than her who was able to get outside. He had befriended some Gnome traders and could sometimes get his
hands on some of the candies and other things that youths like but the
elders would keep from them. His name was Qelin.
Now Qelin was not to well thought of by those of the upper station in Navelorn. Not only because he had a way of getting around them and
sometimes making fools of them but also because he was born out of wedlock. Though an elf is judged by his deeds not his birth, there just weren't many elves born out of wedlock. In most cases it isn't even possible 'cause of the soul spark not being ignited, but it does happen on occasion. Many think the child must be a curse and will not be of any good because of them not having parents to raise them. Mahdia, didn't think this way because of having been raised without a mother herself.
So she looked for and found this rascal. Years passed as they both matured and grew into adult elves. Though physically mature only a few years more than a human child, Elven children are kept at home serving the family and learning to protect and provide for the race for at least 75 more harvest seasons. Then the elders and the village help them find what is
their calllin' and decide if they are able to make decisions for themselves.
Mahdia was nearing this age when she met Qelin. And so they both had a lot
to do with the way they became adults in the eyes of the elders.
They became almost inseparable when they were able to get away from their lessons and chores. Ah, I should add, that Qelin was the bastard of
our old friend, D'Ellan. His full name was Qelin D'Ellis, and he was being
raised in the house of M'Arteis as his son for the sake of the memory of
D'Ellan, his older brother and the previous Lord of Navelorn. But I'm off
the main story, more of him I'll save for another time.
Mahdia learned a thing or two about sneakin' and hidin', as well as a
few simple things about locks and such and they became the terror of many an
elf in Navelorn with their stealthin' about and gettin' inta things they
shouldn't. Mostly they spent their time in a secluded little spot, I found
out about some time later, they called the shady glade. It was just outside
the protected edge of the haven below the plateau. It was in this place
they realized they were feeling the first fires of love.
Chapter 3
