Woman, blacksmith, and sometimes both.

"No one lays a hand on me without losing it." Mildryd Gabha. Personal blacksmith to King Ælle Fíorscoth of Sussex.

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

Hairud laughed. “Now that is something I don’t want to risk, you being angry with me. That would be worse than any danger of the world,” she said, only partially joking. In fact, she’s always looked up to Mildryd and admired her skill and bravery. Although Hairud’s been through enough in her life, sometimes she still felt like the scared little girl from the village. 

She reached out and grabbed onto one of the lower branches which snapped under her touch. She observed the wood before discarding it. “Do you ever wish for things to be different?” she asked absent-mindedly.

Mildryd was quiet for a moment, mulling the question over for a while before she answered. Did she? She liked where and who she was but she wished they did not have to hide in the forest, living constantly under threat, she supposed. She wished she could practice her craft in peace, without the judgemental stares of men who did not believe a woman could be skilled enough. 

And she wished . . . she wished that when she closed her eyes at night and dreamed of her childhood, she did not dream of beatings and blood and pain, of cowering in the corner, of finally standing up for herself only to hear the snap of a neck breaking. She wished that when she woke she did not have the scars to prove it had all been real.

“Sometimes, I wish some things were different,” she said slowly. “But if they were, I think I would also be different. And I do not know if that is something I want.”

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

“Of course. Me and danger? That doesn’t go together at all,“ she chuckled. “The masquerade was probably the most dangerous thing I have ever done and I haven’t recovered from the stress yet, so I think I’ll pass, thank you very much.“ It wasn’t all unpleasant and some might even call it thrilling, but for Hairud it was a bit too much thrill for one night. “And, well, I can always ask someone stronger and more capable to come with me if I ever decide to do something even remotely dangerous, right? Like you, for example.“

Mildryd chuckled. Hairud really was young, when it came down to it; in a way she envied her innocence, and wished sneaking into a masquerade was the most frightening situation she had ever been in herself. “Of course. In fact, if I hear of you doing anything dangerous and you haven’t asked me along, I’ll be very angry.”

[mildryd-gabha]

Your skill is admirable and so is your strength, oh mighty Mildryd. ~Your Secret Admirer

“It’s true, they are. But thank you for noticing.”

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

“I’ve been told I should learn to fight, too, but I can’t even think about it,” she shivered. “Too bad they have to be used to kill, I don’t need to be part of it.” Hairud promised herself long ago she would not actively be part of the fighting even though she provided the Saxons with weapons. In a way, it made her feel partially responsible for any deaths the bows and arrows would cause but at least she didn’t have to witness them first hand. “Beating people us is not my thing,” she chuckled.

“You don’t need to be part of the fighting, but in this world it’s no bad thing to know how to defend yourself,” Mildryd said absently, looking up at the tree. Hairud was a sweet girl and as much as she would like to thing no one would wish to harm her, Mildryd was too familiar wtih the cruel and dark underside of the world to believe it. “Well. Just make sure you don’t do anything dangerous by yourself, eh?”

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

Hairud thought back to the times she would add gilded decorations to the part of the bow that was making it difficult to use just because the buyer asked for it. “One time I was asked to make so many carvings into the bow that it fell apart the moment the string was pulled. He wouldn’t listen when I told him it wouldn’t hold up and then shouted at me and refused to pay. Another soldier who just came in to pick up his repaired weapon punched his soul out of him,” she giggled.

“I’m glad he did. I’ve met men who would have supported him without even knowing what he was talking about,” Mildryd said with a roll of her eyes, smiling at the story. When she had been just starting out the number of men who were contemptous or tried to walk all over her had been staggering. Now, having built a reputation under Aelle’s command, they were more respectful. “That was one of the reasons I learned to fight. Men complaining about the quality of my blades tended to shut up after I’d beaten them with one fair and square.”

[mildryd-gabha]

Dear Mildryd, You are the strongest woman that I know. Sincerely, Your secret admirer.

Mildryd arched an eyebrow at the note. Did they think to compliment her by stating the entirely obvious? It was well meant, she supposed, and whoever had written it had tried - so she was smiling, a little, as she went back to work.

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

“I’ll be careful,” she promised. That was all she’d been doing since she became an adult - being careful. This war was keeping her on her toes at all times, sometimes she even felt like she was sleeping with one eye open. She didn’t like it; even though she didn’t actively participate in the fighting, it was affecting her life in more ways than she’d find comfortable. On the other hand, however, it meant she had a steady clientele and what more could a craftswoman want? “Do you do the same with your weapons?” she asked curiously, glancing back to the other woman. “Making more exquisite weapons for people who deserve them?”

“Of course.” The corner of Mildryd’s mouth curled up a slow, satisfied grin. She put her blood, sweat and soul into crafting her blades, there was certainly no way that she would ever hand one over to someone she deemed less than worthy. “There are people who think they can just pay more for better quality, but all it takes is a little gilt here and there and they’re happy. They don’t know the difference between a truly fine blade and an acceptable one.” She snorted with derision. People were so easily distracted by a little glitter and gold, they couldn’t look beyond it to the quality of the sword. “The people who can tell, they get my finest work.”

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

Hairud thought about what she was saying. “You may be right,” she nodded, touching the bark as if it was sacred. “Oh I’m so excited I might build a tent right here so I can work for as long as possible,” she laughed shortly. “I feel like I need to only use the wood when it feels right, you know? Not everyone deserves a bow made out of this beauty.”

“So long as you are careful - this a way from camp,” Mildryd pointed out. She understood the drive to work, having spent days, sometimes, without sleep at her forge when she got caught up in a particular creation. But they always had to be mindful of the city that sat not far away, and its knights that patrolled these woods. “Of course not. You must make them for people who will treat them well and do them justice with their skill, no one lesser.”

[mildryd-gabha]

 grandmistressofbows‌:

“This will take days to clear,” she pointed out. Not that she had so much to do but the winter was approaching and spending her days processing an old broken tree in order to salvage as much material as possible would be challenging at least. The excitement was making her feel warm inside, though, so - at least for now - she didn’t really mind. “I think I should get someone to cut it down first otherwise it might take three times as long.”

Circling the tree to examine the extent of the damage, Mildryd did a few calculations in her head and then suggested, “You might not need to cut it. The lightning’s all but split it, and the roots are almost certainly dead. If we can find a large enough branch and get a good angle, we can probably just lever the whole thing out. You’ll still need to cut it up to move it, but it might be easier.”

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

“I hope not! I’d hate it if somebody beat me to it,” Hairud chuckled. Though it was unlikely, she knew, and once they reached the clearing she gasped upon seeing the tree. So obviously aged and broken, probably struck by lightning during the recent storm - it was split right down in the middle. With a little bit of imagination, it might seem as if someone could’ve stepped out of the tree trunk, that’s how perfectly split it was. “It’s beautiful…” she breathed, stepping closer to the tree, carefully, as if she was paying respect to it. “A lot of it is burned but what isn’t could be salvaged… Oh, the weapons will be gorgeous.”

Even Mildryd could see how impressive the tree was blackened and twisted by the lightning, so she could only imagine how it must have looked stood whole and straight. It seemed more than just the way it looked though; something about the atmosphere around it made her shiver, as if the air was still charged with static. “It’ll probably do the forest good to clear as much as you can,” she commented, looking at it. “Make way for new seeds to grow.”

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

Hairud decided not to ask about the times Mildryd’s life was on the line. “I’d rather not get into that situation,” she chuckled nervously. 

She beamed with excitement when the other said they were getting near. “Ah, imagine what a wonderful source this may be!” she said, walking faster as if the tree could walk away from her if she wasn’t there by a specific time.

Mildryd hoped, for Hairud’s sake, that she would not have to; but their lives were terribly precarious at the moment and she could not promise the girl that it wouldn’t happen. She did make a promise to herself, however, to look out for her as much as she could.

“I can’t imagine it would be much use for anything else,” she remarked with a smile as they broke through into the clearing where she remembered seeing the hawthorn tree, not far from the lake’s edge.

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

“I could never do that,” Hairud said as she jumped over a pile of leaves in her way. “Fight in a war, I mean. I’m not great with blood and all.” She could shoot, of course, she had to know how to use her bows but hardly ever did so. And even though she would (most likely) be able to hunt and slay an animal for food, Hairud much preferred to trade for it rather than to have to prepare it herself. “You’re definitely a warrior compared to me,” she chuckled.

“You may find you’re surprised at what you’re capable of when your life is on the line.” Mildryd spoke lightly, but there was an undercurrent of seriousness to her words. Although not much had happened for months, at some point it seemed inevitable that they would have to face Camelot again. And then it would either be fight or die.

Turning up a path to the left, she spotted the clearing where she thought she had seen the tree ahead. “It’s just up here.”

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

Hairud nodded quickly and kept nodding the whole time Mildryd was advising her. “Yes, I will do that. I am doing that, I think. It’s just… hard to keep reminding myself all the time, you know?”

She quickly fell back in step with the other woman. “So you weren’t a warrior before then?” Hairud hoped she wasn’t annoying Mildryd with all the questions but she realised they never really talked all that much and this seemed like a good enough opportunity to catch up. A lot of the people in the camp wasn’t very talkative at the same time, so she hope she wasn’t intruding.

“Don’t let them get in your head. You have to believe in your own value, or no one else will.” She knew well the hard graft that it took to make it as a craftswoman, the blood, sweat and tears it took and the doubts that would creep in around the edges when you were exhausted, but there was no shortcut or magic solution. You just had to keep going.

Twisting her mouth to one side in thought, she considered the question a moment as she tried to recall which fork in the path to take. “I don’t know that I would call myself a warrior now,” she said finally, shrugging. “I learned how to fight because I had to be able to defend myself or I would die. But I am not a soldier, the way the other men are.”

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

“I can imagine,” Hairud nodded, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. “If my father didn’t let me help around and teach me everything he knew, I wouldn’t be where I am now, either. Sometimes I think Cerdic only asked for me because of my father’s work. I wonder what’s going to become of me once people forget his memory.” Her bows were good and innovative, but would that be enough?

“How did you come to join Aelle?” she continued asking.

Mildryd turned to look at her, arms folded and said with all the seriousness of one craftswoman to another, “What will happen depends entirely on you. If you want them to respect your work apart from your father’s then you must make them - you must show them that you every bit as much talent as he did and that they should be lining up to get one of your weapons.”

With that bit of advice dispensed, she turned and started back along the path. “I passed through Sussex by chance - I moved around a for many years. I heard the stories of this leader and the things he had done, and the way his men spoke of him intrigued me. One of his soldiers needed a new blade and I was the only blacksmith nearby, so he came to me. I crafted it particularly so that Ælle, if he was what they said, would notice. And he did.” She smiled to remember it. He had come seeking her out with the blade, wanting to ask her about it. “He asked if I would join his service. I was impressed that he did not immediately change his mind because I was a woman, but still I asked why I should pledge myself to him. His answer convinced me he was a worthy leader. So I agreed to join him, and I have not looked back.”

[eadwigtrodai]

grandmistressofbows‌:

“I wonder,” Hairud bit her lip, thinking hard. “If he’s someone I once knew.” It was almost unimaginable, what were the chances? “It was a long time ago, though, so it’s probably just a coincidence.” She broke a twig she was carrying as she stepped over a pile of leaves and pebbles. “What did you do, before the war?” she asked, glancing at Mildryd.

Mildryd flicked her eyebrows up and gave a shrug as though to say, Maybe it is - but personally she thought that would be rather a large coincidence. “Only one way to find out.” Glancing over at her, she was quiet for a moment before answering her question. She didn’t really like talking about her past; it brought up too many painful memories and a lot of buried anger. “Tried to survive, mostly. Not many people want to commission a woman blacksmith.”

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

She followed after the blacksmith but couldn’t stop thinking about what she said earlier. Hairud almost gave up looking for Eadwig and now the hope was slowly restoring. “Um, see, the healer you mentioned… Do you know him well?” she asked eventually, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

“As much as anyone, I suppose. He’s not exactly one for talking,” Mildryd said wryly, glancing sideways at Hairud. Did she think she was being subtle? “We’ve both served Ælle for a long time, and fought together more than once. I trust him more than most people.”

[mildryd-gabha]

grandmistressofbows‌:

“Maybe. I think so. But I could be wrong. Probably am.” She shook her head quickly. Not to get her hopes up. Clearing her throat, Hairud narrowed her eyes, focusing on the task ahead of them. “So about the tree…”

Mildryd did not, for one instant, believe Hairud’s attempt to casually shrug the matter off - but neither was she interested in pushing for an answer if Hairud didn’t wish to give one. So she looked at her a moment longer, then shrugged. “Sure. This way - I’m fairly certain it was over here.”