Black Smoke

It was a chilly October morning as I woke from my slumber and quickly got dressed and my breath could be seen in the cool air. I stumble over to the firepit and poked the embers from the night before arousing a small flame as I tossed some kindling on and the fire came to life once more. After I built the fire up, I went outside my small forge to the nearby stream where I splashed cold water on my face when the sound of horses could be heard coming down the lane. When I raised my head there were four steeds standing in front of me with knights from the castle sitting tall in the saddles. One of them said something as I was standing and all I could hear was an echo from his helmet so I asked him to remove it so I could understand what he was saying. After he remove it there was a bald man looking back at me and he repeated that I had to report to the castle for the king requested my appearance and then he put his helmet back on and the four of them returned from the way they came. I sat on the bank of the stream thinking why would the king want to see me, he already had a royal blacksmith and he was the best in the land. I have been at for many years now but I didn't praise my work or anything and helped out as much as I could around the tiny village outside the castle wall.

An hour later I was standing outside the castle when I was motioned by one of the servants to follow them and then I was led to the throne room where I knelt before the king and queen. I then stood when the king motioned me to stand and he began to tell me why I was summoned. He mentioned that the royal blacksmith was ill and they would be holding a tournament with the weapons and armor created by the local blacksmith and the winning blacksmith whose creations stood up the best would become the new royal blacksmith. The tournament would be held in two weeks' time and you must have a complete set of armor and weapons ready by then the king finished saying and then dismissed me back to my forge.

Standing in front of the anvil I looked around the shop wondering how I was going to proceed with this task when I noticed a set of armor in the corner that I was working on for myself. Then I thought to myself who was going to wear and demonstrate the armor and weapons, I would have to find a knight to help me, but I didn't know any and that's when I decided that I would do it myself. The armor was not complete yet but I had the materials needed to complete it along with matching weapons any knight would be proud to wear and use.

Over the next couple of weeks, black smoke constantly flowed from the chimney of the forge, and the sound of my hammer pounding on the anvil echoed throughout the village. Weapons and armor began to take shape and form as the days passed by when I began adding the final touches to the armor, something the other blacksmiths didn't have, alligator skin that I acquired from a man in the south. It was treated with a special oil that made it impenetrable and was attached where the armor could not cover and gave the knight even more protection and could even stop an arrow. After many tests, the day finally came when all the blacksmiths in the surrounding land gathered at the competition ground to show what they had created. Looking around I noticed that I was the only blacksmith testing his armor, some even had their armor put on dummies instead of getting someone to wear it. I was confident in what I had created and today I would become a knight instead of a blacksmith.

Throughout the day the weapons and armor were tested and because of my work in the forge I was able to wear the armor, it was much lighter when I replaced the chainmail with the alligator skin and was able to move around faster than any of the other competitors. By the end of the day, I was quite tired but satisfied with how my armor and weapons held out. I had taken some hard blows throughout the day, but my armor was still in good condition and I didn't have a single scratch unlike some of the others that had worn the other's armor. One knight was seriously injured when an arrow penetrated the armor he was wearing and another that when he was hit the armor just fell to pieces.

I was resting by my horse and cart when one of the royal knights approached me and asked me to follow him. Too tired to ask where we were going I just followed and he led me to the grandstand where the royal family was seated and watching the tournament. "That is a fine set of armor that you are wearing," the king said. "Where is the blacksmith that created this fine work?" he asked and I just looked at him and said that I was the one that made the armor. The look on the king's face could not be described, but a smile appeared and he stepped down from the throne and stood before me. "Raise my young friend. You are an exceptional blacksmith and a fairly good knight. How would like to become the royal blacksmith and royal knight when needed?" he asked and I said it would be an honor and that is how I became the royal blacksmith and knight in the days of our king.