Chapter 14 The summons came just after dawn. A bowl of food was delivered with the message that Francis’s presence was requested… or expected at the clan leader's tent. As he got ready, Francis couldn’t help but wonder what was in the poultice the healer Hilde had given him. The skin on his hands was in better condition than he had expected. Tormund hadn’t let him use the poultice until last night, mentioning that one of the lessons every blacksmith needed to learn was pain. Each strike of the hammer cost something. At first it was their skin. Then it would be a matter of mental fortitude to push through the pain. Francis had been surprised that his skin had even blistered, but he had lost count of the thousands of swings he had taken. A young barbarian, (...)