Ignis

The Tale of Ignis Fatuus written by Tar

Once upon a time, there lived in a tiny hut at the edge of a marsh a simple peasant family. The man and his wife loved each other dearly, and had three beautiful children. They had too a large black dog, who kept guard by their hut all night.

The man was a baker, and sold his bread to other families in the nearby village. The woman was a blacksmith, and sold tools and weapons to farmers and soldiers alike. Both were admired by their friends and neighbours for excellence in their crafts.

It happened that there was a captain in the army who hoped to elevate his position and be named commander one day. He had hitherto obtained his rank by bribing superiors, poisoning rivals and intimidating inferiors. Yet, he found he could rise no further, owing to his lack of sword skill. And so the captain began to seek a new sword that would render him every advantage in battle. He wished for a sword that was sharp enough to cleave through armour, light enough to bear for hours without tiring, sturdy enough to withstand heavy clashes unmarked, and beautiful enough to adorn the hip of a future commander.

He visited every blacksmith in the entire city and in the towns beyond, seeking out one who could forge him the sword he desired. One by one, they brought him their best creations. However, it was all in vain for none of the swords was good enough to satisfy the captain. If a sword was sharp enough, it was also ugly. If a sword was sturdy enough, it was also heavy.

Finally, it was in a simple village next to the wild marshes that the captain heard tale of a talented blacksmith who could forge him the sword that he wanted. He sent a courier to summon the blacksmith to his presence, and the woman rode two hours from her little hut to the inn where the captain stayed.

When the blacksmith arrived, the captain at first paid no heed, thinking her to be a simple serving-girl.

“And where is the blacksmith that I have summoned two hours hence?” He shouted.

“It is I, good sir.” The woman inclined her head. “I am the blacksmith.”

At this, the captain was silent with shock, for he had not expected a talent of blacksmithing to reside in a woman. He had envisioned in his mind a man, for surely women had not the strength or ability to undertake such work.

“I have brought for your inspection, one of my best wares, made from the finest metal,” the woman continued.

The captain received the sword from her proffered hand, examining it with a critical eye and furrowed brow. When he hefted it, he felt its weight to be as light as a wooden stick. When he felt the surface of the blade, he knew it to be as hard as diamond. When he tested the edge, it sliced through his gauntlet as if it were parchment. When he strapped it to his hip, the elegance of the jewelled pommel declared it a weapon fit for not just a commander but a king.

“This, at last, is the sword of my dreams!” He cried with delight. “With this sword, I will know no defeat in battle, and there can be no doubt that I will be named commander in time.”

And he rose to dismiss the blacksmith, for he was eager to return to the city with his newfound sword.

The woman, however, remained where she was. “Alas, sir, there is the matter of payment. For I shall need gold to cover what I have spent on procuring the finest metal as well as the days I spent in the forge, so that I may feed and clothe my three children at home.”

The captain laughed and summoned his soldiers to drag the woman out by force. “How can a woman make a sword of such quality? This is a man’s work no doubt, and you are nothing more than an imposter. Begone with you!”

And the blacksmith was forced out while her protests went unheeded. She returned home disconsolate, for the children were growing and needed good meats and new winter cloaks.

At night, the woman wept alone outside the hut, her heart filled with worries for her family. Her husband and children were asleep, and only the large black dog lay at her feet to keep her company. After a time, the woman grew tired and fell asleep on the ground. The black dog, however, remained awake and pondering. He had great love for the family, as they had always fed him and treated him well. He felt keenly the great injustice that the captain had committed.

As the moon rose high in the sky, the large black dog left the hut behind and ran to the north, following the road through the village to the city. He ran swiftly and surely, and before long had closed distance with the captain, who kept a leisurely pace. He saw that the captain had made camp for the night, and was sound asleep in his tent.

The large black dog gazed towards the marshes to the east, and summoned the starlight which was reflected in the glittering marshwater. With the green light pulsing through his body, he began to sing a deep and eerie howling tune. It was a sight both bewitching and terrifying to human eyes. It was a song at once too beautiful and too terrible for human ears.

The music awoke the captain, who stumbled from his tent, mesmerised by the tune. As if in a dream, he felt himself drawn towards the great green gleam that shone in the dark night. And so he followed the large black dog, off the dirt road and into the marshland. All through the night, he walked with the dog as the dog danced and sang and shone.

When morning came, the soldiers awoke to find the captain’s tent empty. Of the captain himself and his new sword and his money bag, there was no sign, though they searched high and low for three days and three nights.

Far away, in her little hut, the woman awoke that same morning to find a sword and a bag of gold at her feet.

The large black dog was never seen again. The man and woman and their three children often wondered what had become of the kind dog that used to stand guard at their hut through the night. They wondered, too, why they saw strange green lights every night now, above the marshes in the east. But they were content to leave such mysteries be for they knew that the world was full of inexplicable things. They were merely grateful to be able to get through the coming winter with enough food in their bellies and new cloaks to keep them warm.

And so each day after that, the man continued baking his bread and the woman continued forging her metals. Each night after that, the large black dog continued glowing and dancing in the marshes. And they all lived happily ever after.

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