Emerald-Studded Scythe
| Type | Weapon |
|---|---|
| Discovered By | Edara Kindon |
| Discovery Date | 24 October 2008 |
| Discovery Location | Far East |
| Abilities | (unknown) |
| Current Owner | (unknown) |
Edara liked stealing. It was surely wrong to take so much pleasure in—how had General Olga put it—“creatively acquiring” things that belonged to others. Well, to be fair, she didn’t really like stealing from just anyone, but smug little tax collectors…they rather deserved it. Besides, they had bullied whatever they had out of the peasants, anyway, and they always seemed to manage not to pass along quite everything that they collected…
It wasn’t really proper stealing anyway, not like when she and Ain had been younger…nabbing off with pies and things out of the kitchens or raiding the neighbour’s orchards…having to be sneaky and not get caught. She sighed: when you marched right up to the door with twenty-five burly men at your back…well…it just wasn’t the same.
She knocked on the door of the house to which she had been directed—funny how peasants never minded pointing out where the revenuers lived. A manservant opened the door, looked at her inquiringly, then noted the men behind her.
“We’ll be wanting to see your master,” Edara said politely, pushing past him into the hall, “It would be much nicer if we didn’t have to kill anybody, so you might just mention to him that it’d be better if he didn’t call out his guards. I expect that we can take them…easily.” Lambert and six of her Brutes crowded through the door behind her. The servant cowered without moving, “Go on…fetch,” she waved him out of the room, “We’ll meet him in the Counting Room.”
Edara looked at her men, “Well, let’s go find the money.”
When the tax man finally arrived, she was sitting at his desk, strongbox before her. Without greeting him, she stuck out her hand and said, “Key.”
The man looked at her and raised his eyebrow; she wasn’t really the most imposing looking knight, “My lady…really…,” he began with a supercilious air, “I am afraid that I do not possess the key. When I take the funds to the Banker, he opens the box and…”
Edara stood, “Shut up,” she didn’t raise her voice, “And give me the key that’s hanging around your neck. I could just take the whole box, but it’s heavy. This way, I’ll have the gold, and you’ll still get to keep your handy box…and your heart,” she indicated her men that had stepped into the room behind him. They were a little more imposing…he shut up, pulled the key from his neck, and handed it to her.
She looked questioningly at Lambert. “Aye, he roused his guards, but we…took care of them,” he smiled at her, “They won’t be bothering anyone again.”
Edara sighed at the tax man as she opened the box, “I did say that no one needed to get hurt…now see what you’ve done, and…whatever do you keep looking at?” She looked over her shoulder where the man’s gaze kept drifting. In a dark corner, a large bundle was propped against the wall. She looked back at the man and noted his unhappy look. She handed the…blast…paltry amount of gold off to Lambert and walked over to examine the object.
It was long but not bulky and was wrapped in canvas. Edara pulled out her belt knife and slashed the hempen twine that held the wrappings on. She pulled loose the canvas…gods…she took hold of it and brought it into the light. It was a scythe. But not an ordinary field-hand’s scythe…no…this one…this one was…Edara could feel the power in it, and…bless everything that breathed…it was beautiful. The blade was a wicked curve--sharp and a gleaming gold…hmmm…gold would make a poor weapon. She grabbed it and gave it a bit of a twist…it didn’t bend…not actually gold then…or maybe just a wash…or maybe…magic. The snaith was pure, lustrous black…ebony perhaps…and nearly as long as she was. Emeralds dotted the last foot before the blade and sparkled in the lanterns’ light. Edara gave a delighted cry and gripped the weapon…it just felt…right…in her hands. And emeralds! She wriggled in pleasure.
The revenue man groaned from the chair where two of the Brutes were tying him. “Awww,” Edara stepped over and patted his face, “Don’t be sad. I reckon you pinched this, anyway…the likes of you never came by it honestly,” she could see by his face that her instincts were correct, “Well, you’re a charming man to have left it about where I could find it, because it’s shiny!” she added thoughtfully, “Seems rather as though it were made for me…”
With a bit of a shake, Edara remembered herself, “Right, we’re off then, and you’re not out anything that belonged to you anyway,” a crash from the other room made her smile, “Well…not too many things that belonged to you at any rate,” and with a little wave, she and her men withdrew.
