And this went on for a year. I would study the arts in the early evening and fence with my uncle in the afternoon. It was a daily ritual. But that daily ritual came to a crashing halt one day.
~~~
It happened in the early month of June. It was bright outside. The heat was not unbearable, but enough to make anyone stay indoors. I had just stirred from my slumber and was about to go to my uncle's private study when I heard chatter. I peered through the door and noticed that my uncle was inside with another man.
"...and remember if you don't-"
"Yes, I know," my uncle said sternly. He looked grim at the man in front of him. "But where did you find this information? Even commoners have never heard of such tales."
"I have my sources," the man grinned. "But that's besdies the point. Do you or do you not have it?"
My uncle sighed deeply and massaged his temples. "If I had such an artifact, we would not be having this conversation would we."
"Hmph, just as cunning and calm as ever," the man said gruffly. "But keep in mind, the consequences if you are lying to me."
I turned my attention from my uncle to the man that sat across from him. He looked like a professor from a local college or a researcher...but there was something off about him. His facial features showed that he had seen or caused several deaths. Sadly, my fear only became worst when I saw the rifle that was nestled on his lap. It was then that I quickly pulled back from the door and clamped my mouth shout. I started looking around the hallway for anything that could save my uncle. I panicked.
As my mind raced, I started thinking of several things, several different scenerios. My uncle could lie...but if the stranger knew the truth, he would be dead...and I would be orphaned. I could walk away and forget I saw anything....but once again my uncle was in great peril, he needed me. It was out of the question. And storming into the room would only make things worst. Most likely the stranger would use me as a hostage.
It seemed like there was nothing I could do to save him. I slumped to the ground and leaned on the wall, listening intently for a gun shot. But as I held my head and looked blankly in front of me, I noticed something on the wall. It was a rapier. Not just any rapier either. It was my family's rapier, Reinholdt. My uncle always told me stories about Reinholdt. That it had a mythical power to protect anyone in my family's bloodline. I knew it to be nothing more then a fairy tale, and that the true strength of the sword came from the wielder not some mythical force.
But as I was panicking in the hallway, that story began to sing in my mind. I couldn't help but to think that Reinholdt had some sort of mythical power to save my uncle. And with that notion, I started devising a plan to free Reinholdt from it's place and slide it over to my uncle.
~~~
The blade was defently too high for an eleven year old boy to reach it's pedastal. But the chair in the hallway would give me just enough leverage to touch the blade. I hoped that would be enough.
But the biggest obsticle came from being silent. I knew that any suddle noises may alert the man, and both my uncle and I would be in grave danger. So, I quietly nudged the chair inch by inch, hoping that each second I spent trying to be silent would not be a second closer to his death. It seemed like a year had past when I finally positioned the chair above the blade. But my task was not finished yet. I still had to try and reach the blade first.
I slowly and quietly sat on the chair first, keeping my ears out for any noises that I made. Once it seemed silent, I carfeully stood up and began reaching for the blade. I reached my fingertips to it...and sadly I was still a few centimeters away from the blade. A small gap prevented me from saving my uncle. I exhaled slowly and deeply before making my second attempt. This time I stood on my toes to reach the sacred blade. My fingertips touched the blade and I gently nudged it over to the side....completely forgetting about the weight of the scabbard. I was able to catch it, but not without losing my balance. I was able to correct my balance in enough time to sit in the chair with the blade in my hands, instead of falling to the floor and causing a commotion.
~~~
I listened intently, expecting for the stranger to come running out the room. But there was nothing. I sighed deeply before slowly getting out of the chair and carrying the blade to the door. The blade was naturally light, but the scabbard was a bit heavy for someone my age. I ended up taking breaks during my trip to the door just to prevent myself from dropping the blade and loosing my breath.
Once by the door again, I peered in and listened to the conversation again.
"Stop toying with me, Reinholdt. I know you have it. Just give me th-"
"Or what? You come into my estate hoping to obtain an artifact I don't own and threatening me with a rifle. Even if you were somehow blessed with reasoning at this time, you would still consider me the possessor of this fabled artifact." My uncle grinned at the stranger. "You might as well just shot me and get it over with."
The stranger smirked. "I always enjoyed your witty retorts, Reinholdt. But this ends now." He raised the pistol to my uncle and-
I quickly opened the door and slide the blade to my uncle's feet. He quickly picked it up and rushed forward at the man. I was too frightened to see the outcome of it. I rushed out of the room and leaned at the door as a scuffle resounded from inside. And just when there was silence, a gun shot was heard. I flinched horribly and burrowed my head in my arms, thinking that my uncle was gone from this world.
To my surprise, a hand reached down and touched my shoulder a few seconds after the gun shot. I tensed a bit and looked up...only to be surprised that it was my uncle. He was stood over me, with a gentle smile on his face despite the rips and scratches all over his body.
"My boy, do me a favor and call the police."
His smile never wavered, as if his mind was still racing with adreneline or he was still thinking towards the future. I didn't hestitate. I quickly got up and raced to the butlers and a phone in room at the other end of the hallway. It wasn't too long after that they arrested the man and tended to my uncle.
It was this event that caused me to think, "If a rapier can beat a man with a gun, then perhaps learning this skill is useful." And I started to take my lessons more seriously from that day forward.
