Iron Blooded

Nine: Rebirth

The southern Kadian sun beat down on my back as I crossed the rubble-strewn square of Ceris.

In the weeks since the siege, the patrons of the city have worked tirelessly to repair their city. Though the outer walls are mostly intact, the fire damage within the outer city was extensive. It had taken days for Magus Ferris to put out all of the fires, and now the burned-out husks of houses and shops stood out stark against the blue sky.

Two men carrying thick wooden beams exited an alleyway, and I stepped aside to allow them to pass. One of them looked up as they passed, his sweat-stained brow rising in surprise.

“Ser William,” he said, dipping his head. His fellow glanced around, and when he saw me his back straightened beneath his heavy load.

“Are you really him?” he asked, coming to a halt. Unsure of how to respond I could only nod. The man beamed.

“God King bless you Ser William. Thank you for your service. If it wasn’t for you and the Lord’s Blackthorne and Dacon, we might have lost the city.”

I watched as the two men disappeared around the corner. Suddenly I was aware of the scrutiny of others. Those gathered in the square had turned to look. Whispers passed through the crowd like a tide. From a nearby upstairs window, a young boy leaned over the balcony and pointed a finger at me.

“Is that him mumma?” he asked. His mother appeared in the window behind him.

“That is him,” she said, ruffling his hair. “Ser William of Blackbriar. They say he’s a commoner just like us.”

I dropped a hand to the short sword on my belt and winked. The boy’s eyes widened and I suppressed a chuckle as I turned away. It would appear that my reputation was growing. Whether that was a good or bad thing remained to be seen.

Across the square were a few outlying merchant buildings that had survived the fire. My eyes scanned the signs,

“No promises.”