Part 2 - The Blade

No-one has forced me to stop writing and i know one or two of you are quite interested in where im headed with this, so i shall continue

What is this sword?
What is the Church's interest in it?
Does Tolan have an ulterior motive for seeking out something the church wants, or is he being honest?
Is Relek going to ask for sex in exchange for the blade?

All good questions...except the last one. Lets see if we find out

Relek smiled a broad smile that changed all his features, reversing them to those of the giggling baby Tolan was almost certain he had been. He absentmindedly removed a rag from his belt and wiped the head of the smithy's hammer he held before placing it perfectly on the table without even looking. He began to wipe his hands with the rag, but something on the table caught his eye and he minutely adjusted one of his shoeing tools. Tolan again supressed a smile, he'd known Relek only a fraction of a second, but somehow he knew this was a man he'd like.
"Follow me Brother Tolan, i keep my special items in a seperate room"
"Oh im not a Brother, Relek. I'm merely in the service of the cloth" Tolan corrected. He began to follow the hulking blacksmith as he headed towards the back of the barn.
"My apologies friend Tolan, i presumed..but ah...ive spoiled many a fine piece of metal with presumptions, you'd think i would have learnt by now!"
"No my friend, if we stop making mistakes then the world will no longer have pleasant surprises" Relek's booming laugh answered Tolan's statement followed by a hard slap on the back. Tolan was almost knocked off his feet, but twelve years spent being prepared for an ambush by Brother Qualin, the abbey's blade master had taught Tolan to find his balance quickly.
"If you are not bound by the cloth then perhaps a mead my new friend?"
"Unfortunatly i must remain professional friend Relek...but maybe once ive collected the item i may have time" Tolan tried not to sound discourteous and was rewarded with a sly wink from Relek that said a mead now or mead after is still a mead.

Relek unlocked several chains and removed a large bolt before the heavy oaken door was free to swing open. Tolan was surprised to find the room already lit, a rare lodestone hung from the ceiling, its crystal form glowing with an ambient light which filled the room and illuminated its contents. The contents of the room only helped to light it further, weaponry of all types lined the wall and all were perfectly maintained, they all shone brightly and light bounced from wall to wall drawing the eye in every direction. Tolan stood with his mouth hanging open as Relek stepped into the centre, beaming like a proud father. The walls were adorned with Halbergs, rapiers, broadswords, claymores, huge war axes that Tolan couldnt even hope to lift, and daggers so sharp they could b used to cut a purse with no more than a brush. Tolan allowed himself a broad grin at the pride Relek exuded, it was earned.
"But you did not come here for my collection. So i present it to you my friend" Relek elegantly stepped to one side with a grave that belied his age and stature, beyond him lay a perfect set of armour, crested in blue and polished to a beautiful silver. At the foot of the armour laying next to a dark blue dyed scabard was a blade unlike any other in the room, it was tarnished, old, but beautiful. Its form seemed balanced to perfection, and although it looked to be the victim of neglect, there was not a single fault or failure to it. "I tried for a week straight to make it shine, to give it back the beauty of when it was first formed, but nothing. I truly believe it was made to look this way"
"Its a representation. Have you ever fought in a battle my friend?"
"Just once, during my time with the border guards" He didnt speak of it proudly, but he understood it was a service, something that all men of the land had to go through to protect what was good in the world
"And tell me Relek, when you stood on the field of battle after your first fight, how did you feel?" Relek's head slowly dropped and when he lifted it again to meet Tolan's eyes they were robbed of their boyish charm and replaced with an altogether different look, they were still sharp, but somehow tarnished. "Exactly. Now how about that mead, i think its time for it now"