Sunday, November 27, 2011

His Father's Shield

There was strange chill in the air that made this cold day even colder, the land was grey lifeless, colorless, there seem to be floating pockets of warmth as the boy walked. He would stand still when he felt the warm air hoping it would last long enough to fight off this cold, that went sight to his core.

His eyes were half opened with a blank look on his face, as if he'd been up for days and all he wanted to do was to find his bed, but he didn't stop, just kept walking forward. the clothes he wore were of the fine material edge with a gold lace, you could tell once they a brilliant pure white, but now they were caked in mud, dirt and blood.

He had been walking so long looking only were his next step was going to land until the sick smell of blood was in the air. He looked up and saw a battlefield with bodies as far as his eyes could see. Nervously he started to move though the field, over the bodies, carefully placing his feet so not to step on any of the fallen soldiers. Fear shook him as if to tell him "No, go back" but he went forward determined as he walk over the fallen he'd scanned their faces, even turning some over whom death had found them on their side and even brushing off the blood soaked mud that had formed on their faces. the fear he felt soon returned and bent down holding his knees he started to rock on his feet back-and-forth he fought the urge to cry out, for someone, for anyone, for help. the feeling soon pasted when he realized there were no on to cry out to...


He looked up over his knees and saw a shimmer of gold on a shield, he jumped to his feet ran to it,
he soon saw it up-close. he looked over the detail of the shield's gold, something he had done a hundred times before, he slowly stared at the man under it, and saw the man who had care for him
loved him, dead. his father. this is what the boy had feared but he needed to know for sure.

two days before his father was leading his men into the final battle in a very long war. his father knew that this was the last battle, that this one meant victory and he wanted his son to see it first hand and the boy was eager to go along, he wanted nothing more than to please his beloved father and be a Great King just like him. father and son stood on a high cliff together looking over the enemy's camp and his father started to tell him all the decisions he had made as king to get to this point in the war, why it was so important to their people to win. He tried to tell him as much as he could but he knew the boy had the passion of a King but was too young to understand the wisdom he was trying to share. so he smiled and choose just to enjoy the moment with his boy.

His father wisdom was gone now... when the boy understood this, a sense of grief hit him. he tried to cry but no tears could roll down his face, he tried to yell out but no sound could leave his mouth...there was no relief  from his pain


A shadow moved across the face use to belong to his father, he quickly turned a looked it was man dressed in red and gold uniform, the dress of his fathers enemy...his enemy.  the man stood still as if he was statue.
 

The boy stood still in fear, paralyzed by it. the man bent over and said ''Are you this man's son?'' (the boy did not move or answer ) He said it again "Is this your Father boy?!'' (the boy said nothing.) the Man said "you are he's son! you're the young prince .'' " Well I want you to know My King will be very happy to see you'' Even though the boy was young he knew what that meant. He knew the Man's King would put him to death and seal his right to his fathers kingdom.
but the boy the was scared he couldn't fight, the man grab him by the hand and started walking him off the battlefield until the boy saw he's father shield slowly starting to move further and further away. only then did pull against the man, and said " No"

the man said laughing  "you don't have a choice, your highness" the boy said " not without my father's shield! " the man laughed and said fine than, but it won't do you much good..." the boy slowly walked, than ran back to his father and picked up the shield, when he did, all the pain and fear he felt vanished he search inside himself and felt nothing, nothing at all.. at this moment the boy saw his father's sword sticking out of a man wearing a red and gold uniform, he put his hand around the handle with a tight grip he pulled as hard as he could but the boy's strength wasn't needed, it pulled out smooth and clean.

the man saw this and thought the boy was being foolish and ran up to the him ready to knocking the sword and shield out of the boy's hands. the boy look at the man he once fear so much, as being so small. and without fear, hate or anger, with no feeling at all plunged the sword into not he's father enemy not into his enemy, nor his people's but simple because he knew that's what he need to do to survive. That's what he needed to do, his time wasn't meant to ended here of with his father.

He knew a wisdom few every see, that the King wasn't gone, as long as he lived.

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