‘I Could See Their Marks On Everything Now’

I looked up, toward the tree line and there they stood, watching us as we approached. X was some way ahead, almost at the trees now and called out, “You who walk under Cold Iron, you must tell us and teach us”.

“Tell we can, but teach we cannot”, they replied.

As I stepped forward, something caught my foot. I stooped and tugged at it. I heard X call back, “Has it a handle and two cutting edges?”

“No, it hasn’t. It is round without end, Cold Iron.”

“Is this how it goes?”

I could see their handling marks on the Cold Iron ring. I could see their marks on everything now.

“That is how it goes,” I said.

X turned away from them and looked back toward me.

“What else could I have done?”