Blind Side

* * * * *

C'mon Blue!" a voice called out from somewhere in the distance. "You're late!"
The Darigan Lupe sighed, picking up his pace to a trot. At fourteen, most boys would disdain to spend as much time with brothers six years their junior as Sesh did with Emery. But the two had been through a lot these past few years. Em had been the only real friend Sesh had while Trov was away in the war…
The Lupe resolutely turned his thoughts away from that path. The place where he and his seven year old brother were meeting had once been a lovely park, with verdant grasses and well cared for playground equipment. However, the jungle gym and swing set had long since fallen into disrepair, and with the orb gone nothing green grew within the bounds of the Darigan Citadel anymore.
Sesh looked around, finally spotting his Ixi brother sitting on a crumbling wall near the edge of the park, where there had once been an apple orchard. Pursing his lips, the Lupe trotted over to it.
If Mom comes looking for us, you'll be in all kinds of trouble," he said tartly. "Y'know you aren't supposed to be up there."
The Ixi grinned, "But sitting up here makes me taller than you! I like being taller!"
Sesh rolled his eyes, sitting down in the dirt at the base of the wall. "Fine, don't blame me when the bricks break and you fall off."
Dad says he's decided!" the Ixi announced without acknowledging his brother's not-quite-lecture. "He's going to let both of us be his carpentry apprentices instead of only you! Can you believe it? Now I can carry on the family business too!"
The Lupe smiled indulgently, letting his younger brother chatter on excitedly for a few moments more before interrupting. "Actually, Dad said you could be his apprentice now because I told him I wasn't going to do it anymore."
Wait… what?" Emery gasped, "But… but you can't! All the Eberhardts have been carpenters! For generations!"
Sesh flipped his ears. "Things change, Emery. I… I can't stay and be Dad's apprentice. Not when every time I look out the window I see the places that Trov and I used to hang out. It… it's too much."
But Blue…" the Ixi said softly, using the nickname Sesh's family had given him when he was still that color, "What will you do? Where will you go?"
Sesh hugged his knees, guilt making it impossible for him to meet his brother's eyes. "Old man Smithy says he's got an opening for an apprentice. I've decided to put myself forward for that position."
Smithy?!" Emery squeaked. "The… the blacksmith? Blue, he's scary! Have you seen how big he is?"
He's big because he's got muscles from doing his job." Sesh replied. "If I last past the probationary period, I'll get muscles like that someday too."
For a long time Emery was silent. Finally he sighed, "You're really leaving?"
Sesh could hear the suppressed sob in his brother's voice, and guilt choked him. He nodded, unable to reply verbally.
For a long time, the Ixi was silent. Then, he suddenly laughed. "You'll do great, big brother. I bet you'll be the best blacksmith there ever was. Old man Smithy will toss out all his other apprentices when he sees how good you are!"
The Lupe smiled, relieved that his brother understood his decision and wasn't going to make this harder than it already was.

Hey, Blue." the Emery said, "Even if you aren't living at home anymore... we'll still see each other, right? We'll always be buddies, right?"
Sesh smiled. "Of course, Em. Nothing could ever change that."

* * * * *
The taller Lupe gave his son a gentle shove. "Go on now, Sesh. This was your idea y'know."
Sheshyor glanced up at his father, smiling wanly. Taking a deep breath, he pounded on the door to the blacksmith's forge. It opened slowly, and a huge Darigan Usul appeared in the threshold.
The young Lupe gulped. For all the flippant dismissals he had given his brother, he had to admit that old man Smithy scared him a little too. He gave lie to the common misconception that all Usuls were vainglorious pretty boys. The smith was built like a rock, his muscles the natural, knotty kind that came from hard work. He would never be mistaken for one of the body builders who devoted themselves to achieving even muscle tone all over.
Vilmos?" the Usul said, addressing Sheshyor's father. "Back again? Didn't I just replace your saw two weeks ago?"
The larger Lupe laughed. "I'm not here to commission a saw, Smithy. I'm escorting my son. He's interested in applying for that apprenticeship you've been advertising."
The Usul looked down at Sheshyor with disdain. "I know you've been looking for a position for this youngster since your older brat is following in your shoes, but you should know better. He's way too young to be my apprentice. The forge is a dangerous place, not a children's playground. I want 'em at least thirteen."
Not for the first time Sheshyor cursed the slight stature that made him seem much younger than he really was. That, combined with the horns he had inexplicable begun to grown when the curse of the Citadel set in, had caused many to mistake him for his younger brother Emery.
I'm not the younger Eberhardt son, sir." He said, crossly. "I'm the elder. My name is Sheshyor Eberhardt, I am fourteen years old and well aware of the danger involved in smithing."
The young Lupe yelped as Smithy cuffed him on the side of the head. "Watch your mouth, brat. I don't care if you're the son of General Galgarroth himself, if you want to be my apprentice you'll show me some respect."
Now, now, Smithy, is that really necessary?" Vilmos asked.
The Usul snorted. "You're too soft on those boys of ours, Vilmos, I've always said so. A child's ears are on his bum, they listen better when you reinforce your words with blows." He glared at Sheshyor. "So, what is it boy? Still want the position, or would you rather run back into daddy's waiting arms?"
The young Lupe's jaw tightened. "I want to do this," he said firmly.
Smithy raised an eyebrow. "Well I have a newsflash for you, kiddo. You can't."
But!" Sesh began, but a harsh glare from the Usul silenced him.
You can't. At least not yet," he amended. "You're too small. I can't have any pipsqueaks in the forge. Now, you're young and you may yet get bigger, so we're going to help that along. For the next six months you will come to my forge every day at dawn. You will pump the bellows, chop wood for the fire, and haul my goods to the market. If at the end of that time you haven't died or given up, we'll discuss the possibility of an apprenticeship again."
Normally the young Lupe would have objected to being put through that much for something as nebulous as a "maybe." But something about Smithy's manner had awakened a grudging respect in Sheshyor, and he was struck by the fierce desire to earn the mutual respect of this crotchety old blacksmith.
Fine then," he said. "When shall I begin?"
Smithy smirked, pointing over to the log pile at the side of the house. "Right now. Good luck, kid. You're gonna need it."

* * * * *
The young Lupe licked his lips, the salt of his own sweat drying his parched mouth further. For over two months he had acted as Smithy's slave, doing all of the manual labor around the forge. He arrived before sunrise each morning and wasn't released to head home until long after darkness had fallen.
Sheshyor worked like the lowest of pack animals and got no respect from Smithy or his apprentices. By the time he got home was too exhausted to do more than bolt the cold remains of dinner that his family had eaten hours prior and collapse into bed. Once or twice he had passed out at the table before finishing his food.
The Lupe had just com back from hauling Smithy's wagon to the market, as he had done once a week every week since he committed to this project. He was, literally, hauling the wagon. Stuffed with metalworks and one or two apprentices who were to sell the goods, it was anything but easy. And Sesh didn't get to sit on his laurels once they arrived either; people who placed bulk orders more often than not required help getting the goods home, so he would take a pack of the metalworks on his back and trail after the customer.
Today had been a particularly long day. General Kass, who clearly had designs on becoming the new Lord of the Citadel with Darigan gone, had sent along one of his commanders to pick up an order of weapons. Swords, warhammers, spears, you name it and Kass wanted at least ten of them. Predictably, he had sent along the commander alone, and the guy had no hope of carrying them all. Sesh had needed at least six trips to get them all to the barracks on the other end of the Citadel.
Two blocks shy of home, the Lupe decided to stop and rest. The headaches he had gotten when his horns were breaking through had been nothing to the agony in every cell of his body now. He needed to take a minute to catch his breath. As Sheshyor stumbled to a halt, panting hard, his knees inexplicably buckled…
He was unconscious before his body had fallen half the distance to the ground.
When he awoke, it was to a familiar gravelly voice growlling, "You're going to work yourself into a early grave you know."
The Lupe moaned, opening his eyes blearily, "Grand… pa…?"
Aldrik Kaestner, the father of Sheshyor's mother snorted with mixture of annoyance and amusement. Sheshyor realized with a jolt of humiliation that the old Ixi was actually carrying his grandson on his back.
When did… how did…" he sputtered.
Aldrick laughed, "When I'm not sure. Not too long I think, or someone would have stolen your wallet already. As for how, I'm not in my grave yet boy. I used to carry you around on my shoulders all the time."
The Lupe felt a flush creep across his face. "Gramps, that was when I was five. I weigh a bit more than that now."
Yes," Aldrik agreed amiably. "But only a bit."
Sheshyor blushed even harder and grumbled crossly as his grandfather laughed. "I hate being short. If I don't start getting taller soon, all of this work will have been a waste of time!"
The Ixi reached up a hand to ruffle his grandson's hair. "Blue, m'boy, you really shouldn't be in such a hurry to grown up. There are benefits to being a child."
No there's not!" The Lupe protested hotly, "I'm small and no one takes me seriously and-"
Aldrik tilted his head back so one of his horns rapped Sheshyor on the skull, silencing him. "I know, Blue, I know. It can be frustrating, when the whole world seems to think you don't have anything worthwhile to say. There's a lot more to children than most grownups realize. You'd be surprised what you as a kid can do just by being yourself."
The young Lupe hugged his grandfather's neck and burrowed his face in the Ixi's hair. "I don't understand, Gramps."
You will," he answered kindly. "Not now, but someday you will."

To be continued.