Soul Bound

I awoke to the sounds of my father at the anvil, hammering away at what would be a great weapon or piece of armor used by a great adventurer some day. My father, Hard Iron, is one of the most well known blacksmiths in canterlot. He has even designed armor for the Royal battlements. Even with the wealth he has gained, we still live a simple life with a simple house and a simple forge. My mother died when I was young. I don't remeber much of her, but it really broke my father when she did. You couldn't tell behind his strong demeaner, but he isn't as strong as he once was.

I jumped out of bed, exitement clear on my face. Now, normally, I would be dreading waking up, but today is my birthday. I'm turning twelve years old today and my father has promised me a special day out hunting! I have never been hunting before. I've never even left the city. So fatigue would not get in my way today.

I grabbed my cape from off the floor and tied it around my neck, making sure to double knot so it does not fly off. I run over to the window and jump onto my hindlegs so to get a good look outside. I slide the window open and get a good wiff of the air outside. Smells like fresh, clean air, mixed in with a slight twinge of metal. Most likely from the burning forge downstairs. I take a look down to see the townsponies wandering about their days. A look into the skies shows a slightly cloudy Fall day.

"This day is going to be amazing!" I squeeled out my window, then slamming it shut.

I landed back on all four before staggering and racing to my door. When I opened the door though, what I smelled made me feel like I had awoken in heaven. Nopony could ever deny the sweet smell of waffles floating past them. Who would?

Breaking away from my astonishment, I rushed downstairs to see an empty house, but the smell of waffles still grew strong. I rushed into the kitchen, but he wasn't there either. My mind can't be playing tricks on me. I take a sniff in the air to make sure what I smelled had not been conjured by my mind. That is most definitely waffles I smell.

"Dad!" I yell out, not knowing where he or the waffles may be.

"At the forge son!" I here him reply through an open window above the stove.

I take a moment to ponder why he would have brought the waffles out there, but quickly dismiss it, knowing that my question would be answered once I had gone outside.

Upon reaching him, I can see the waffles that I could smell earlier lying on the anvil. I look over at him and see him sitting down at the grindstone. He turns his head back towards me and says, "Give me one moment, Bound, I need to finish this real quick. Head back into the house and prepare for breakfast."

I quickly rush back into the house and into the kitchen. Opening a drawer, I grab a fork and a knife and rush over to the dining table. I set the silverware at my spot and hop into my chair. Hearing the grindstone stop, I can't help but hop up and down in my chair.

Dad comes into the house with a pile of waffles on his back. He walks over to the table and plops them down on the table in front of me. "Breakfast is served, straight from the forge." He says before stabbing a metal spike through the top, then spreading butter on top.

I turn all my attention onto the waffles and begin to chow down, not noticing him leave back to the forge. I mean, who could care when you have a four stack high mountain of pure deliciousness awaiting you right in front of your nose. These taste even better than normal waffles. What did he say, fresh from the forge? Ha! wouldn't that be funny, you're mining and you come across a rich vein of waffle ore. I wonder what a waffle sword would look like? Maybe waffle armor? Probably wouldn't protect very much. I don't know, can you reinforce waffles?

Before I can even finish my thoughts, a sharp feeling goes through my mind. A sense of dread and evil. I have eaten all the waffles. How am I still hungry? That was like a pound of waffles.

Before I can even finish those thoughts, something lands on the table in front of me, startling me and making me jump. I look down at it to see a nice, new, polished hoofbow. I turn my head to look at the one who set it down to see my father with a massive grin on his face.

"Happy birthday son. Some of my finest work, that one." He says to me, pointing to the weapon on the table in front of me. Flabergasted I turn back to the hoofbow, then to my father, then the hoofbow, then my father. My dad goes to say something but I cut him of by tackling him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the best birthday ever!" I exclaim, leaving him to chuckle a bit. This is so cool. I've always wanted my own hoofbow. Oh! And I get to use it because we're going hunting. With this realization, I hug him even tighter.

He pushes me off and grabs the hoofbow off the table. "Here, let me show you how to put it on. Come out to the forge and I'll give you the run through."

Walking outside to the forge feels like an eternity with this much energy and exitement. Finally we got out there and he tells me to sit up onto the grindstone. I do as he says and wait anxiously.

He walks back over to me and gives me the hoofbow. "Before you try it on, let me tell you what this thing's made of. A normal hoofbow, even of my expertise, would cost around ten to twenty bits. What your holding in your hooves is worth a small fortune. That stock is made from dark oak. It's more expensive, but well worth it in the long run because of it's great durability. That string is no ordinary string. It's made of giant spider silk from the everfree jungle. That stuff cost me a pound of gold, but it was worth every ounce. As far as I can tell, that string will live longer than you will. Those straps are made of rockadile skin. On the market, that hoofbow would be well over five hundred bits. But with my skill and your heart, it is worthless. Take good care of it and it will take good care of you. Your welcome son."

"Sweet celestia," I say in astonishment, "I'll never let it leave my sight."

"Good. Now let's see about getting it on. First, take the bow and place it on the front of your dominant forleg. Next, slide it up away from your hoof so that you can still walk while wearing it. Now tighten the straps tight enough so that it doesn't fall off but still keep it comfortable." He stops to let me configure the positions. I find a nice position and he continues. "Now take the string and pull it back to the end of the stock and place it behind the small lever that's poking out. This is where you would normally load a bolt, but let's save that for later. That's pretty much it, nice and simple to use. Just flex your wrist and let it soar."

I flex my wrist and the string lets go of the lever and snaps forward. "So can we go hunting now?"

"Hold up, hold up. There's still one final thing." He grabs a small satchel off of the workbench and hoofs it to me. I look inside to see about twenty hoofbow bolts. "These bolts are made of a crystal iron alloy. They are magicaly charged to resist wind and gravity. They will fly farther and faster than any other bolt. Make sure to collect them once you have shot them because these don't come easy."

He takes the satchel from me and straps it to my side. A breeze comes blowing by and my father steps back, looking at me quizzically. "What?"

"With the hoofbow and that cape of yours blowing in the wind, your starting to look like a proper warrior." He says to me. I take a second before facing the wind and giving my best heroic stance.

My father chuckles at me and says, "Tell you what. You go get my old sword from the basement and I may give you a lesson on how to use it when we're out hunting."

My face flashes into one of pure joy before I race off, yelling back to him, "I'll be back in no time!"