They lived in the scrapyard, as I said, and bought parts and sold parts and made fantastic metal creations of their own design, all together under their family's name Espen. Every Midsummer's Eve, before the beginning of the Maker season, they prepared a part of the yard for building in, but it always filled back in. They were left with little space to work with, and because of the Maker season, people came and demanded so much of their time they couldn't clear it out again until the season ended and took their ideas with it. The eldest brother decided that they couldn't continue like this, without a project to present to the royal family, and determined to sit out all Midsummer's Eve so that their little clearing would stay the way it was. Well, the day came, and he went out to sit in the yard, and waited patiently all night. But when midnight came, there came a giant earthquake, and whispers in the wind of death and worse things, so that the poor boy took fright and ran back to the safety of the warded house. The sun came up, and all his fears seemed foolish, but the clearing they had so painstakingly made was gone.
The next Midsummer's Eve came around, and the middle brother determined to sit out all night so that their tiny clearing would stay the way it was. The eldest brother begged him to let him go in his stead, but the middle brother would have none of it, and away he went to sit in the yard. Midnight came once more, and with it a giant earthquake, and evil whispers in the wind of all manner of dark things. The middle brother trembled, but stood firm, until the winds picked up and the earthquakes intensified. The whispers grew into a small voice, chuckling and speaking of death and worse things, and the poor second brother took fright and fled back to the safety of the warded house. The sun came up again, and washed all his fears away in its brilliant safety, but the clearing they had made so carefully was gone.
The next year, the youngest brother decided it was his turn. The other two brothers wanted to go in his place, but Tobias would not hear of it, and off he went to sit in the clearing. Midnight crept up on him, and brought a giant earthquake, and whispers in the wind of all sorts of demonic things. If it gets no worse, I can bear it, Tobias thought to himself, and sat there. The winds picked up and the earthquakes intensified, and the whispers grew to chuckling tones, speaking of all manner of dark things. If it gets no worse than this, I can stand it, Tobias told himself, and stayed put. Then there were earthquakes that surely shook the capitol, and the ugly chuckling grew into a shout, telling the youngest Espen under no uncertain terms that were he to stay there he should die.
Ah, but if it gets no worse, I can take this, Tobias thought to himself, and continued to sit there while the ground itself seemed to become liquid.
Finally, it all fell quiet. He sat there in the silence, catching his breath, until he heard something stomping around. Getting to his feet, Tobias walked around a pile of metal to see a mechanical horse, nosing around for parts. It was made of pure steel, from its hooves to its mane, and a steel mask hanging from its saddle. You're the one who's been knocking everything back? Well, I'll soon put a damper on that fire, Tobias thought, and slipping around the back of the horse, he turned it off. Quickly reprogramming the beast, he turned the now-docile beast back on and staked it out in the clearing.
Next morning, his brothers wanted to know what he had found. With a triumphant grin, he led them out into the now-smaller clearing, where a steel horse stood stamping its feet.
The next year came, and Tobias went out again, waving off his brothers' warnings and pleadings to tag along, and everything transpired as it had the year before. The earth quaked, the skies spoke of death, until all was still. The younger brother had hardly gotten back to his feet when he heard the sound of something stomping. Walking around a pile of scrapmetal and junked cars, Tobias saw a mechanical horse, nosing around for parts. This horse was made of titanium, from its hooves to the gears in its head, and had a titanium mask hanging from the saddle horn. So you're the one who's been knocking everything around, Tobias thought to himself. I'll soon put a damper on that fire, see if I don't, and he slipped round it and reprogrammed the metal monster. The morning came, and his brothers wanted to know what had happened. Once again he led them out into a slightly smaller clearing, where a titanium horse stood impatiently shifting from hoof to hoof.
Now the next Midsummer's Eve arrived, and Tobias wanted once more to have the privilege of sitting in the field, and no matter what his brothers said, he would go regardless, and they gave up. Once again, everything went as it had the past two years- the earth shook like it was splitting apart, and the wind whispered and chuckled and shrieked of death and worse, but Tobias stayed fast until it all was still. He had barely stood himself back up before he heard a ringing of hooves. He walked around a rusty pile of metal and old tires, and found a mechanical horse, nosing around for parts. This horse was made of pure diamond, from the tip of its tail to the ends of its ears, and shone like fire in the pre-dawn. So you're our troublemaker, is that it, Tobias thought to himself. Don't you worry, I'll soon put a damper on that fire. He snuck round behind the shining robotic animal, and reprogrammed it before you could so much as blink. Instantly the horse was docile as a lamb, and when morning came and the brothers went out, Tobias was still sitting out there, gazing at the intense beauty of the diamond horse.
Now Maker season had begun, and the three Espen brothers wanted to have three things to present to the king this year. They argued amongst themselves, building projects only to abandon them, talking over and around each other in their eagerness. The titanium horse watched all of this with astounding robotic patience.
The king declared that this year, his daughter would compete in the Maker trials. The princess Evangeline was a renowned mechanic, and everyone wanted to gain her respect by building something worthy of competing with her. The first month of Maker season came and went, and nobody could build anything anywhere near her masterpieces- until the last sunset, when a man in a steel mask rode up on a steel horse. Nobody could discover how the horse had been created, or what kept it going, and reluctantly the princess declared his creation to be superior to her own.
The next month of Maker season came, but the man with the steel horse disappeared, and nobody could say where he had went or who he had been in the first place, and the princess was beginning to think she'd never see him again. The last day arrived, and there was still no sign of the steel-masked man- but there came riding in a man in a titanium mask, riding a titanium horse. Once again, nobody could discover what made the horse run, or how to go about building another. The princess wished with all her heart that the man might stay, and talk to her, for she felt that he was uncannily similar to the steel-masked man, but he rode off, and nobody saw hide nor hair of him during the final month of Maker season.
On the last day of the last month of Maker season, as the last bell rang, everyone was expectantly waiting for the steel-masked man or the titanium-masked man, but neither arrived. Instead, in rode a man on a shining diamond steed, with a diamond mask hiding his face, dazzling everyone present. Even though you could see every gear through the shining, polished gemstone, nobody could figure out how the diamond horse ran, or what kept it going. The man turned to leave, but the princess ran after him, and caught at his heel as he rode off. His shoe slipped into her hands, but he pushed the horse harder, and she was left standing there holding his shoe.
The princess examined the worn shoe, with its careworn straps, its halfway missing sole, and smiled faintly to herself.
The next day, the king gave a declaration for the owners of the horses, and winners of the contest, to come forward, with their mask as proof of who they were. Many men came forward, eager to impress the princess, with replicas of the masks, but the princess merely glanced at them and scoffed. She knew they were not who they claimed to be. One by one, they came forward, and were dismissed as frauds, until the last man stepped up. He had one shoe on, ragged and falling to bits, and his greasy clothes were not much to look at either. He was streaked with soot, and his hair was blacker than midnight except where the coal dust had colored it grey. The princess came to him before he could say a word, and handed him his shoe.
“This is yours, I believe,” she said, smiling at him.
“It is,” he replied, pulling it on. The king began to protest, but the man merely pulled out the diamond mask from under his shirt. He held it aloft, and then threw it at the king's feet. It tinkled to the ground, deafening in the silence, and then he spoke. “I am Tobias Espen, and your daughter used to come play with me in the junkyard. Do you remember, Evangeline?”
She threw herself into his arms, clearly remembering her childhood friend, and the king ordered a great feast for the winner of the Maker trials. The princess offered to marry the youngest brother, and he gladly accepted her offer. They were wed on the next Midsummer's Eve, and I am pleased to say there were no earthquakes on that day, and the wind kept its mouth tightly shut. And, if they have not stopped feasting and celebrating, why I suppose they are at it still.
