I really like my post today.  It is another one of my older pieces that got a face lift recently.  I wanted to work on my writing of characters.  In this piece I tried not to tell story that was happening, but to show it through this man’s eyes. The writing book I recently finished made a big point of this — of showing instead of telling — so I felt obligated to do service to his lessons and give it a shot.

The blacksmith’s apprentice pounded hard at the tough steel with great determination. Butterflies danced in his stomach. Not since his first days working with a hammer had he felt this way. He certainly showed no outward sign of it. When he was so engrossed in his work his face became as hard as the anvil he pounded on, and the hammer rang true with that deep concentration put into every strike.

In the back of his mind he could feel the sweat that poured freely down his muscular body. The burning fires of the forge cast a glow upon his slick chest. It was just another aspect of his duty, of the hours he had worked to perfect the shield. Great effort went into every aspect. His teacher and mentor would not be disappointed.

At long last he put down the hammer. In admiration the man inspected the creation carefully for any flaws, though he expected none. The Ingal was centered to perfection. The great dragon claw that symbolized the kingdom was unmistakable. Only the King’s personal guard received shields of this nature. It was a great honor to be allowed a hand in the creation of one.

The metal worker smiled at the achievement lying before him. He hung the shield with pride above his station. Tonight the ceremony would take place. His work would be admired by the entire court while the knight was inducted into the King’s Guard. After tonight, he would no longer be an apprentice.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 at 1:30 pm and is filed under Fantasy, Writings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.