A sad fic about Neal's death.. song by Eric Bogle called Green Fields of France.. I modified it a bit to fit Tamora Pierce stories...

Dedication: for all of those who have died in WWI

A/N Kel sitting by Neal's grave at New Hope

Disclaimer: I dont own anything Tamy does and Eric Bogle owns the song

Well, how do you do, Neal
Do you mind if I sit down here by your graveside?
And rest for awhile in the warm summer sun,
I've been walking all day, and I'm nearly done.
And I see by your gravestone and know by my heart you were only 24
When you joined the glorious fallen in 463,
Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean
Or, Neal, was it slow and obscene?

I was fighting beside you

But I did not see you fall

And now I wish I could take back it all

They Beat the drum slowly, They did play the pipes lowly
They did fire the arrows as they lowered you down
The bugles sound played The Last Post in chorus
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?

I believe they did

I believe they did

And you did leave your wife behind
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined?

I know you are

Because you are in mine
And, though you died back in 463,
To that loyal heart are you forever 24?
Or are you a stranger without even a name,
Forever enshrined behind some glass pane,
In an old portrait, torn and tattered and stained,
And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame?

The sun's shining down on these green fields of New Hope;
The warm wind blows gently, and the red poppies dance.
The hoof prints and blood have vanished long under the plow;
No sword and no maces, no arrows firing now.
But here in this graveyard that's still No Man's Land
The countless stone graves in mute witness stand
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man.
And a whole generation who were butchered and damned.

And I can't help but wonder, no Neal,
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you "The Cause?"
Did you really believe that this war would end wars?
Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame
The killing, the dying, it was all done in vain,
For Neal, it will happen again,
And again, and again, and again, and again.

But I will always remember your name

And I will always see those emerald green eyes

And remember how they used to shine

so yeah review.. and sorry about the spacing.. it wouldn't work for me.. WAH... good day to you too..

Caiti