Making Enemies

"Will Nathanos be coming today too?" Jonathan saw the sun setting outside. By this time, Nathanos's lessons for the day had already ended.

The dwarf covered his forehead with one hand. He might have been a little drunk, but his mind was still fairly clear. "No. He told me he'd be going home early today, and that he wouldn't be coming for the next few days."

"Why?"

"It should have something to do with what happened when he came to see me a week ago."

"What happened?"

"A week ago, Nathanos came to watch me forge after class. He liked asking me questions. But that time, he didn't ask anything. Instead, he found the book I used to prop up the cabinet leg. I remember it was a Weapon Encyclopedia."

Jonathan said in surprise, "Weapons?"

"Yes!" Gudul nodded. "I noticed the confusion in Nathanos's eyes, so I explained the book to him. Then he quietly stood by the door and read for an entire afternoon. I think he developed a strong interest in that sort of thing."

"Stop talking, Gudul. You're drunk. My nephew Nathanos is very smart. What you described was nothing more than his curiosity. He would never study such dangerous things."

Gudul drained his beer in one gulp. Perhaps he really was drunk and merely spouting nonsense, but he remembered the glint in Nathanos's eyes as he read that book. Before leaving, the boy had even asked Gudul to teach him forging. The dwarf had agreed in a muddleheaded state.

Besides the Weapon Encyclopedia, Gudul had also given Nathanos a copy of Mineral Structure and Distribution, hoping he could learn to recognize more ores and distinguish them in the future. What was more, Nathanos had taken the Dwarven language edition of the book as well.

Two different languages expressing the same meaning—Nathanos was learning the Dwarven language without anyone knowing. It was difficult, no easier than lighting a fire in Alterac, but persistence was one way to solve problems.

"Uncle...?" Nathanos did not see Jonathan when he returned.

Sally gave him a reassuring smile. "Your uncle will be back soon."

At dinner, Jonathan watched Nathanos as he ate. The boy was slowly cutting his bread with a knife and fork. "Nathanos, is there anything you like?"

Nathanos slowed his chewing. He almost never spoke while eating, and his uncle had been staring at him for quite some time before asking that question.

People who suspect you often want to probe out your secrets. You must learn to hide things and stay vigilant against everyone.

"No... there isn't," Nathanos replied, feeling something strange stir within him.

"Uncle Gudul told me today that last week, when you were at his place... Nathanos?"

Before Jonathan could finish, the boy, who still had half a piece of bread in his hand, suddenly leaped from his chair and ran toward the room on the second floor.

Nathanos guessed that his uncle was about to ask about those books, but he did not understand why he had to avoid the question. Only one thought kept warning him: if he did not run, Jonathan would definitely stop him from reading those books.

He locked the door from the inside. No matter how Sally tried to persuade him, he refused to come out. After lighting a candle, Nathanos opened the Weapon Encyclopedia again beneath its glow. At first, not being able to recognize every word had slowed his reading, but patience had carried him through the book three times already. With every reading, the pages gained more and more notes.

What fascinated him most was an illustration of a bow and arrow. The figure in the picture, drawing the bowstring and poised to strike, was deeply imprinted in his mind. In just a few days, Nathanos had assumed shooting stances countless times in his room, constantly imagining what it felt like to draw a bow.

Besides the bow and arrow, Nathanos was also deeply fond of swords. To him, those elegantly shaped weapons felt more powerful than axes or warhammers.

After learning about both weapons, he had compiled a great deal of information.

First, the bow and arrow: a powerful weapon with long range. A bow consisted of flexible limbs and a tough bowstring; an arrow included an arrowhead, shaft, and fletching. The arrowhead was metal, the shaft wooden, and the fletching made from bird feathers. It was one of the most important weapons used by armies and hunters.

1. Do not shoot within eight yards!

This left a deep impression on Nathanos. He had asked Gudul how far a yard was. The dwarf had only gestured once—it was about half the height of a room—and Nathanos had remembered it ever since.

2. Drawing a bow placed great demands on a person's eyesight, arm strength, and judgment.

The eyes had to judge the distance between the target and oneself. The arms had to draw the bow with force. Judgment meant deciding how much force to use based on the information provided by one's eyes.

3. Timing.

The book did not explain this, and Nathanos had concluded it himself. By observing Gudul's forging habits, Nathanos discovered that the dwarf always preferred to begin work when there was no wind. Later, he learned that wind could extinguish the charcoal fire used to smelt metal.

4. Shooting point.

5. The bow and arrow, and the bow itself.

Then there was the sword: a close-combat weapon with a straight blade and a sharp point. When swung, both edges could inflict damage, while attacking with the tip could easily pierce armor. It was extremely dangerous.

1. Swords were divided into one-handed swords and two-handed swords.

The former were more flexible, while the latter were more lethal.

2. A sword's offensive power was related to the material it was made from.

3. A sword was highly flexible when swung, with varied attack methods that were difficult to predict.

Organizing this valuable information made Nathanos feel a wave of comfort. Perhaps this was the pleasure adults spoke of, a joy of both body and mind, though he was not used to showing it on his face.

Looking at these notes, Nathanos sat in his chair and swung his legs. A longing stirred within him. He wanted the real things. He wanted a bow and a sword.

If you possess dangerous things, you will often be suspected and stopped by others. So it is best not to let anyone know what you have obtained. Hiding yourself is the proper way. People who do not understand you will often lower their guard.

The voice in his dreams benefited Nathanos greatly, guiding him whenever he felt lost. His ability to comprehend things surpassed that of other children by several times over. In merely a month, Nathanos began writing letters to his parents. He found a sheet of stationery in Jonathan's room. Before coming to Lordaeron, he had often seen letters exchanged between his father and Uncle Jonathan. They would roll the letters back and forth into shapes like rice rolls, stick a label on them, and hand them to passing postmen.