Lightforge – Kumara – Chapter 5 Part 4

Since my travels began, few things felt as comforting as a well-filled coin purse. And right now, my purse was loaded. Norn are a strange race, once you beat their champion—which should be their best—suddenly they all want to challenge you. As I was hurting for coin, I felt no need to deprive them of that paid-for pleasure.
“To Kumara!” one of the norn cheered, hefting his stein into the air.
The waitress shook her head, but smiled regardless. It was noisy in the tavern at the moment as a lot of the norn I had fought and quite a few who had watched had come here for an ale—or more than one. The fact that I promised a round helped a lot to get the patronage flowing.
Off to my side, Garron was staring thoughtfully at me.
“What?” I said, putting down my own ale while scratching Thornfang’s head.
“You were worried about coin just this morning, and now you’re giving everyone a round?”
“Well, I earned a lot of coin from them, so giving a fraction back like this is only fair. Besides, it’s the best way to keep norn happy, and you never know when we need help.”

“Yes, yes, this is true. You are much more strategic than you let on, you know.”
I arched an eyebrow at that, but seeing as Garron gave no further comment I continued to enjoy my ale.
“Greetings!” another norn said as he sat down heavily at the table.
“Hi,” I said.
“I have been talking to Svart for a bit—”
“Uh oh.”
“—and heard him talking about your bow. Could it be, that you are Kumara Icebreaker?”
“Icebreaker?” Garron said, perking up.
I shrugged, not sure of what to make of it myself.
“Yes! The brave charr that lead a group of norn on a heroic assault on the grawl, who turned out to be led by a ferocious icebrood! Which, the charr then slew with his iron bow!”
Sighing, I whispered, “I wasn’t alone, you know.”
“Ah yes,” the norn continued, apparently oblivious to my comment, “we still sing tales of that great victory around the hearth.”
“Why. Surely there must be more interesting tales to tell,” I said.
“Ah, so it is you!”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Yea, I guess that would be me.”
“Marvelous!” the norn said, clapping his hands together. “Tell me, what other heroic deeds have you done since then?”
“Heroic deeds?” I scoffed. “Why would you think I did any of that?”
“Well, you see,” Garron said, musing. “You have been to the Grove, and spend time with the asura and even wound up on the seas, solving a murder. I’d say you’ve done things.”
I grunted, but the norn was staring at me, wide eyes.
“By raven’s beak! You have traveled beyond what I could have ever thought! Surely, there is a tale in there somewhere?”
“Yes, yes, however, I’m afraid mister mope isn’t that forthcoming with regards to his tales, so let me tell you the one I know of.”
As Garron started with the story about the murder onboard the Serendipity, I shifted my attention to my mug and drained it. Which, I immediately regretted as I now had no excuse not to listen to Garron. In all fairness, he had a certain… flair as he was telling the tale. I’ve heard skalds at work, and he was not inferior to them at all. Unlike the skalds, though, he added noting to the tale. No embellishments, just the story as it was, but told captivatingly.
During his retelling, more and more norn gathered around to listen, and I tried to make myself as small as possible, but I was a charr in a room full of curious norn, so there really was no point in even trying.
Once he was done, the surrounding norn let out a resounding roar of approval.
“Mightily told, friend!” Svart said, and many norn agreed. “Not to forget you, Kumara Icebreaker! How you dealt with the murder was amazing!”
“Just one thing,” another norn said. “How did the battle go with that first mate? Your friend didn’t have the details on that.”
With a sigh, I rapped my claws on the table’s surface, pondering for a bit as more than a dozen norn were looking eagerly at me.
“Fine,” I grunted eventually. “But you better get me an ale.”
“Deal!”

—

The next day was announced along with a splitting headache. They eventually got me so far—in no small part due to the ale—that I shared some adventures from my time in Glix’s krewe. Which I mostly did because I felt that Garron at least had the right to know how I managed to get to know Kaya.
“Good morning!” Garron said once I managed a groan.
“Ugh.”
“Can’t hold you liquor, cub?”
Glancing over to give him a foul glare, I saw him grinning mischievously at me.
“Well,” I said laboured, “you obviously know moderation.”
“Yes, yes, you see,” he said with a shrug, “I had to learn the hard way.”
“The hard way?” I said while gathering my clothes. “Getting really drunk, that hard way?”
“Not really,” Garron said, ponderously tapping his chin with a claw. “Back in the legion, we shamans were not allowed to be inhibited. If we were caught drunk, we were whipped with chains of iron.”
“That… wow. That’s harsh. And I thought Blood Legions was tough.”
“Yes, well, you see, being a shaman comes with all the power and respect… but also with all the responsibilities and burdens.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Hmm? The flagellations?”
“Ha, no. Being a shaman.”
“Well… do I miss the respect I had? Yes, yes, a little bit. But I certainly do not miss all the things I had to do in the name of the Flame Legion.”
“Hmmm. Sounds fair enough.”
“So,” Garron said as we were walking down the stairs with Thornfang in tow. “Do you miss being a Blood Legion scout?”
“To be honest… I don’t miss being a scout, as I do plenty of roaming nowadays. Actually, I see more of the world than I ever had during my scouting days. However, I do miss my warband, and working at the forge.”
“Yes, yes, I don’t miss my warband at all. Bunch of jerks, the lot of them.”
“Really?” I said with a snicker.
“Yes, you see, becoming a shaman basically means all the others are jealous, and my band had an aptitude for showing it.”
“Well, that sucks.”
“Yes, yes, it does,” Garron said as we sat down at a table. “But, working at the forge?”
“Hmm?”
“You said you missed working at the forge. You told last night that you helped the asura by working their forge, but why is a scout apt at smithing?”
“It has always interested me, from the time I was a cub.”
“Well, I guess we all have our things. What was your ‘band name, then? Did it have to do with the scouting, or the forging?”
For a few seconds I stared at him, pondering if I should tell him or not. Usually, I did not share much because I feared the other person might try and find out more. With Garron, however, I was not so sure he would do that.
“Lightforge,” I whispered tersely. “Kumara Lightforge.”
“So your ‘band was the Light warband… I see… Interesting name.”
“Yea, a lot of us liked to do some stargazing, but the rest didn’t like the be the Star warband.”
“I can imagine,” Garron said with a smirk.
“Yea, fair enough,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Embertongue. Garron Embertongue.”
“Hmm? You were the shaman, so Ember would make sense… but… the Tongue warband would most definitely not.”
“Ha, no, no it would not. We were the Ember warband.”
“Then why the tongue?”
“Can’t you guess?” Garron said, smiling.
“Because you like to talk so much?”
His response was a toothy grin.
“Morning!”
We both looked up to see Svart lumbering towards us.
“Good morning!” Garron said.
I gave him a nod as he sat down with us. Usually he did so with full force, but now he seemed to take things more gently.
“Remind me, Kumara Icebreaker,” he said with some difficulty, “to never again try to match you ale for ale. By bear, you can drink.”
Not sure what else to do, I gave him an apologetic shrug.

—

“Aaah, it is good to be on the road again!” Svart said as we plowed through the freshly fallen snow.
The passage through the peaks towards Skradden Slopes was full of fresh snow, and the wind still tugged at us mercilessly, but at least it was not storming anymore and we could finally pass. The dolyak also seemed to enjoy walking over idling in the stables.
Thornfang, however, was not nearly as amused. The poor creature practically had to dig its way through the snow. I tried placing him on the dolyak, but neither beast seemed enamored by that idea.
“It beats sitting around, getting drunk,” I said.
“Now, now,” Svart said. “I wouldn’t go that far, charr friend!”
I could not help but smile at that.
“Personally,” Garron said, “I’d love to be rid of all this snow.”
“You will be,” I said. “As soon as we’re near Lion’s Arch on our way back.”
Garron let out an exasperated groan that made both Svart and I laugh. I could hardly blame him, though. Although I had gotten used to the snow and the cold during my time in the Shiverpeaks, I still remember when I first arrived and had to plow through snow for the first time. In my defense, I was freezing to death at that time.
“The two of you obviously aren’t merchants,” Svart said.
“True,” I said.
“Then why are you doing a merchant’s job?”
“We were hired to do so.”
“Either you’re really short for cash, or you really like this merchant.”
“I was just bored, really. Didn’t have anything to do.”
“Not true,” Garron said. “You could have become first mate on the Serendipity.”
“Nothing I wanted to do.”
“First mate? By wolf, why didn’t you do that?”
“Because… I don’t feel much for being in a position of power, of leadership.”
“It can’t be that bad?” Svart said.
“I have my reasons,” I replied.
Svart still looked ponderous.
“You led the assault on the icebrood, though,” he said.
“Well, yea, I couldn’t just let all of them die, now could I.”
“You could’ve,” Garrons said.
“Anyway, Svart, why are you traveling so light?”
“What?” he replied, arching his eyebrows.
“Well, for an ale merchant, you’re not carrying a lot of ale.”
“True!’ Svart said. “I’m doing a run past the places I sell to, to see what I need to get in stock.”
“Right,” I said, frowning. “I’m not a merchant, but couldn’t you have done that during your previous sales run?”
“I could have, but I forgot!” he said, laughing.
“Yes, yes, Svart, the not-so-magnificent ale merchant,” Garron said.
“Hey now!”
“Garron has a point,” I added with a shrug.
Svart looked flustered, and failed to come up with anything to say.
“Well, would you look at that Garron, we actually silenced a norn!”
Both Garron and I laughed about it, however Svart looked rather surly, muttering unintelligibly.
“I do hope we get through this pass soon,” Garron said after a while.
“Soon enough,” I said.
“Why are you looking around?” Garron asked, staring at me.
“I’m expecting an ambush.”
“An ambush?” Svart said, abruptly ending his moping session. “By who?”
“Grawl. Dredge. Ice elementals. Icebrood. Jormag. Anyone, really. This trip has been far too quiet.”
“There roads are frequented by the lionguard,’ Svart said. “They’re fairly save. I didn’t think you’d be a scaredy cat, Kumara.”
Letting the jab slide, I said, “Well, so far in my travels I have seen so much combat, that this trip feels so wrong.”
“Well, yes, yes, you see, maybe all the baddies are busy elsewhere?” Garron said with a wink.
“Oh,” I said, “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

List Of Recurring Entities:
The following is a list of characters—apart from Kumara, Thornfang and Garron—who have made an appearance before this part, sorted by order of appearance. With all the different stories on CoT, I understand it is hard to keep track of all the characters.
Kaya: The asura Kumara met during his stay with the asura, who went on to join him for a while.
Svart: The norn travelling ales merchant that accompanies the group on their way to Hoelbrak.