Really random and kinda sad. Leave me a review and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: TP owns all these wonderful characters I just borrowed them for a moment or two..
Lord Wyldon of Cavall sat on his horse staring at the troops on his right and left. There were so many faces that he knew, sons of his friends, a few who called him uncle, and the ones he was most worried for… the ones he trained.
Many said that the Knights that he had trained were the best of the best. They were excellent in sword work and most came home alive.
But it was the few that didn't that rode on his heart, he could tell you still years after they had passed through training what they had excelled at and what the final results for their exam had been.
It hurt his heart to know, that despite four years of hard training with him and then four more with their respective Knight Masters still could not save them.
He knew that as they rode out today, try though he might he couldn't be there to save everyone. Some would fall and not come home and he would write the letters to tell the families what had happened.
He wrote those in private so no one could see the tears that would fall because in his opinion he had still failed them.
Perhaps it wasn't the fact that he had always known that some would die. No it was the fact that he had lost his best class in one fell swoop that had torn down his last barrier from trying not to care.
They had reigned supreme in his mind of classes, they were all intelligent each one equally skilled with blade, spear, and lance. It wasn't his fault that they had been ambushed by a hundred men seeking to kill them, to strike a blow to Tortall.
He couldn't help but think about what happened to them as they knew they faced death and had to decide who to send away to spread the warning.
He could picture the scene in his mind:
The squad was riding through the woods unaware of the danger that was lurking close. They leader suddenly pulled up short, the others behind her riding in closer asking questions.
She had seen them. Had seen the glint of armor through the bushes and her sparrow had come telling her the total number. He could see that she bowed her head and then told one man to ride back quickly before it happened. One man throws up a shield to hold of attack as he tries to persuade her.
The men began to argue. Finally they draw straws, and the mage hands him the magical protection to slip unnoticed and unharmed through anything. He clasps hands and then disappears as the bushes began to sway and arrows sweep through the air. Some hit targets and then the charge came.
They had put up a brilliant fight half were dead when they had been overwhelmed. Help arrived an hour too late.
He had been one of the rescuers. He had seen them pierced with arrows and then cut with swords. He had seen the ones he had believed would always survive. He knelt down beside them and for the first time in his life cried openly while his men bowed their own heads in respect for the Knights they had lost.
In that spot a monument now rests. Because they sent someone out safely they had saved the kingdom. Their names stood as a monument to their sacrifice.
As Lord Wyldon prepared for battle not far from that clearing, he could not help but think of them.
He sounded the charge for his last and final battle. Of all Knights in the Realm Lord Wyldon of Cavall had been supreme, but age had caught up, and while he was still good, he wasn't as fast and he took a blow to many, his horse pulled him away from the battle as he fell across Shadow's neck.
As he fell off his horse in the clearing where they had died and he crawled to the statue and sat with his back against it as he faded in and out of consciousness and in a hazy state he saw them
Standing there bowing to the man who had trained them were:
Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, Sir Nealan of Queenscove, Sir Faleron of King's Reach, Sir Merric of Hollyrose, Sir Owen of Jesslaw, Sir Seaver of Tasride, Sir Esmond of Nicodine.
Lord Wyldon sighed at the sight and as his soul left his body that even though he had failed them they were still here waiting, to honor Knights that paid a price.
Some paid it through death, others through daring rescues. And some men were honored because they allowed so many to pass through death unscathed, they are called trainers and coaches and teachers. Those are the men and women who need to be honored the Black God thought.
He watched as this new soul joined those who were already in the Peaceful Realms the ones that he honored above others for sacrifices they had made.
Many would be drawn to that clearing in the future, and they were the ones who would never die alone.
I apologize if the grammar and spelling are not perfect... I wrote this really quickly and wanted to post it before I decided to delete it. I'm not to sure about it so let me know what you think :)
R&R
~Kari