Entry 1: Talking out of Turn

 Journal 1:

Entry 1-

Steadfast has always been my home. Mother Racha bartered some of her herbal remedies to get my collection of journals as a gift for my initiation into the mystic order. I haven’t really been able to use them until now. Tomorrow, I begin my tutelage under Elder Mystic Ithella. So tonight, I thought I’d introduce myself to these blank books. According to Mother Racha, I was found after an exceptionally foggy night. I was a baby, starved but swaddled and left next to one of the Iron Pillars that mark the landscape of the Ironlands. When she picked me up, she felt the magic of the land through my essence and consulted the fates. They responded, but she never tells me what they said.

            Steadfast is on a hill near the boarder of the Flooded Lands and Haven so to our south arcing to the east is the dreaded swamps and bogs that mark the flooded lands. Intersperced with the dark iron pillars that have existed for an eternity. To the north arcing west is the plains of Haven with vicious raider-circles and walled settlements. Our hamlet is positioned to be out of the way and inconspicuous. We like it that way. Traders rarely come by, but when they do, we get new supplies of iron and different foods than the land around us provides. Ithella handles the trading with the northern tribes but she doesn’t leave our town to do so. The Ironsworn guide people our way if we need it.

            Today, I spent the day with Ithella in one of these trade meetings. She was requesting a small iron ring that the main trader was wearing. I saw it and loved it and commented as such, now she was negotiating with him. His name was Rodrick from the northern Haven, near the foothills of the mountain and he was coming back from the sea with a cart full of trade goods. She was getting no where with the guy on pure compulsion. I twiddled with yet another gift that mother Racha made out of a deadwood tree. She cut and whittled a small allegator totem to my when I was younger. Now it was just a trinket, but Rodrick had been eyeing the Talisman for some time, noticing the markings of a mystic on it. Ithella, flustered by now, got up and left the room for a bit saying, “Tallyden, entertain our guests.” Rodrick leaned over and looked closer at my totem.

 After Ithella left the room, he said, “Boy. You want this ring.” He slipped it off his finger and set it on the table, “Then give that talisman to me.”

I shook my head, feeling the pang of loss, but then something else welled up in me. I remembered some of Ithella’s training. I smiled gently against the beating of my heart. I set the small alligator onto the table. My hand lingering on it only for a second. The wind outside picked up.

I said, “Sir Rodrick. I am no longer a boy. Tomorrow I take my first Iron Vow and begin my journey into the lands magics.” I soften my facial features. I look the man in the eyes.

I shake my head. I touch the alligator but don’t pick it up. The wind becomes heavy outside. “Now Sir. I would like that iron ring for my initiation into the Ironsworn and mystic circles of my town. You would be doing me a massive favor if I could take it off your hands…literally. Think of it as a gift and a thing of good will between me and you.”

            Now here I must interject into the story, I wanted to compel him to give me the ring for nothing in return. My logic was that he would be likely to understand coming of age rituals and that it would be easy enough to get him to do it. Oh was I wrong, I was not the ready negotiator that he was, nor did I learn any form of charm from Ithella, as I thought I had.

The wind stopped in that moment. The room got quiet and Rodricks lip twitched. He stood up from the table and the other two men in the room held smirks. There was a soft whisper on the wind and Rodrick spoke, “I want your talisman AND you’re going to become a man compared to the terms of OUR traditions. I don’t leave until the day after tomorrow. You have until sunrise tomorrow to prepare then you’re going to duel my son in the ancient ways. If you win then I will allow you to live, you’ll gain my ring, and I’ll respect you. Should you fail…well we’ll talk about that when that happens.”

“Don’t you mean if sir?” I said.

“No. My son has been training with swords for a long time. He’ll win. You’ll not. End of story.”

So with that, Ithilla came in, I took my talisman and she looked down at me and shook her head. She grabbed me by the arm. She pulled me from the room. Then pinned me against the wall.

“What in the Pillar’s Lands did you do! The winds began telling me that he wanted protection. To be kept safe in his travels. Your talisman in particular but then they changed. They now believe he wants your blood and servitude and to show you your place, under his boot!”

The hall became too small. I felt the wood against my back. I looked at Ithella’s stone grey eyes. Saw her freckles. Heard her breath. Noticed every frown line on her face deepen.

Then I spoke. “He wants me to Duel his son.”

She looked me in the eye and nodded, “Your challenge of Strength. The first of your three initiation challenges. I only went through two. The challenge of spirit, and the challenge of irons. But now. The ancient mystics want to see you test your strength and so it shall be.”

She took off her bracelet. “Your journey as a Mystic begins now. I Ithella, the third mystic of the village, second generation of Ironlander, will watch you grow and become a True Mystic. I will document your rise and see you to completion, but you must vow on this iron to beat your Trial of Strength with as much poise and practice as I’ve taught you over the years you’ve been in this village.”

It was in this moment I knew. I was taking my first Iron Vow and I would become an Iron Sworn. I touched the iron and felt its magic flow into me like the river that guarded the town to the north. I felt an ancient old life force flow from the iron bracelet and into my fingertips. It glowed blue and waited my response. I had seen Iron Vows before but this felt heavier than before and more final.

“I swear upon the Iron, and the Iron pillars to uphold the poise of this village and your teachings in the Trial of Strength and I swear to go through with the Duel to the best of my ability.”

The iron glowed brightly and I saw me naked with my staff in the dueling circle tomorrow. I nodded and closed my eyes. Ithella shared one of her rare, true smiles. It was a smile the reach her eyes and she put her bracelet back on. She went into the room and thanked her guests for coming. She offered the house we were in as a place of sanctuary and preparation for the weary travelers and I left. I had to prepare for a Duel by their rules tomorrow. I was going to battle the son of the traveling merchant because I offended their traditions. But I had to win. I had to leverage as much help as I could to beat this kid. So I went home to Mother Racha. She told me to begin writing and answers would come to me in my sleep. I’ll be back tomorrow. Goodnight Journal.