A Rider's Blade

[diamondsword]

Khéled put down his quill and rolled his shoulders, glad to see the end of his new book on philosophy. He ran a hand through his hair, and looked about his study. It was a smaller room, about 20 feet on each wall, and every shelf was lined with shelves so laden with books they had to be reinforced with magic. His desk was somewhat small, made of a good oak and an intricate boarder of knotwork boarders the edge. The desk itself was extremely cluttered, sporting papers, essays, quills, and drawings. Books were stacked up in a corner, because the shelves couldn't hold any more. Taking his book with him, Khéled walked down a short hallway sporting several fairths of famous battles, and took the last door on the left. The sunlight was streaming through the windows of Khéled's home. The lean elf grabbed a small cookie from a bowl and munched on it as he made his way through the small kitchen. Through a tree-made archway was the entry hallway. A simple harp lay on a pedestal, and opposite the two chestnut doors was an elegant podium, upon which he deposited his new book. He would keep it there a while.

'Good morning, Cicymyst.' Khéled thought as the dragon landed in the courtyard. 'I see you had a good hunt?'
'Yes! This buck nearly got away...' Khéled chuckled as his dragon shared her memory with him. 'He should have known that escape from a hungry dragon is futile.'
'Yes,' Cicymyst agreed with a sense of satisfaction, 'He should have.' Khéled ran a hand over the young dragon's brow, and began to walk towards his forge. The forge was simply a stone overhang connected to the wall and house, and was open to the air, just like back at Ellesmera. He inspected his anvil and carefully checked his hammer and tongs. The swordsmith frowned upon noticing that the fire had run low.
'Cicymyst, would you light the fire again?' Khéled asked, annoyed.
'Of course.'
The bronze dragon carefully blew a stream of flame through a specially designed channel, igniting the bed of coal Khéled had shoveled into it earlier that morning. That done, Khéled rubbed his hands clean, and pulled out his beautiful sword to practice. With a bit of luck, some rider would seek him out to forge them a sword. Today was going to be great.

[Jay]

Jaygon was meditating in a shaded spot in the main courtyard trying to feel everything around him to the limits of the Riders' new home. This day had been peaceful so far and even though Turma had left once again to be with her wild cousins, Jaygon felt a peace he hadn't felt in a long time. He stretched out his consciousness once more feeling as the students practiced and sparred, experimented with magic, and studied in the halls. He let his mind wander freely observing the goings on.

Jaygon breathed the morning air in realizing that he had been out all night doing this. Hmm, perhaps it's time to stop, he thought to himself. AS he retracted his mind from everything around him he felt something unusual. An intensely hot flame. As if on reflex he switched into a defensive mode. His time in Alagaesia had made him paranoid. As he ran that way he drew his twin white blades and combined them at the hilt.

When he arrived he hopped up to a high point to look down. He saw a bronze dragon and a person who was probably her rider by the forge. "Ah," he said to himself, "it was merely our new forge master and his dragon. How silly of me to worry about an attack here of all places." He hopped down from his perch and landed in an area that was still mostly shade. Still gripping his combined swords he tried to stay hidden making sure everything was alright before stepping out.

"Good morning," He called out smiling and putting the tip of one of his blades into the ground the other reaching above his shoulder. "You must be the new smith."

[diamondsword]

Khéled whirled his sword in an elegant but lightning quick and deadly dance that had all the grace of the crane, the cunning precision of the snake, and the misleading frenzied footwork of the monkey. Khéled found release and safety in the challenging martial exertion. Khéled practiced and drilled until a slick sheen of sweat coated his body. Never once did he lose his footing, drop his sword, or fumble for the right stance or move. It was some time before Cicymyst smelled another being coming.
'Someone unfamiliar approaches, little hunter.' Her gentle mind stated. 'Friend or foe I cannot tell.'
'Either way, I'll let them come to me.' Khéled responded. 'Perhaps it is the first rider desiring a sword!' Excitement welled up in Khéled as he began to consider forging his first real rider's sword from the last brightsteel Rhünon had found in Alagaesia. Khéled continued to drill until he, too, could could sense the approaching entity. He could glean no sense of malice from the sentient's mind, only a curiosity. Khéled kept on drilling as the person crept closer. He didn't startle as the man greeted him, only finished his form, tapping the bridge of his nose with the pommel of his sword and drawing it out in an imaginary line. Sheathing hi sword, Khéled turned and smiled at the newcomer.
"Yes, my friend. I am trained by Rhünon to forge the blades of riders. My name is Khéled. What's yours?" Khéled attempted to hint using body language that he preferred to be adressed in elven fashion, and that nobody, I mean nobody, called him a smith if it wasn't prefaced by 'sword.' He kept his respectful and happy demeanor, though. It really didn't bug him THAT much.
"Oh, and if you want those blades to last, I wouldn't recommemd sticking them in mortar."

[Jay]

"A pleasure Khéled, I am Jaygon Islingr the wise, one of the few left from the original Dragon riders," Jaygon said. He nodded towards his blades, "These blades have lasted me a long while and will continue to last me for years to come. It is clear you are not familiar with their design but that is to be expected." Jaygon pulled the blade out of the ground, separated the two and sheathed them on either side of his hips. "I mean no disrespect of course," he said.

Jaygon looked away far into the distant sky as Turma brushed his mind. So she's back is she, he thought to himself. Jaygon turned back to Khéled and asked in the ancient language, "So how long have you trained under Rhünon?"

[TheElements]

OOC: I need a sword!