The warrior cries
Soft tears at first
Trickling down a weathered cheek
A moment of weakness?
He glances up
Terrified he might be seen
By the ones
He has sworn to protect
Embarrassed at this sign of emotion
Reassured that he is, indeed,
Alone
They come more quickly
Rain splatters on a red coat
The dam breaks
Gut-wrenching sobs
That make his strong shoulders shudder
He's not sure what brought this on
Was it the sight of Zanarkand
Broken ruins of what once was
So akin to his own heart?
He can almost
Feel the Farplane from here
The ache in his chest
Threatens to tear him apart
As he longs for
That final peace
The release of a promise
Too long has he grasped this form
Sheer will holding on
When others had already let go
Forced to be strong
So others could go on
Never once has he given in
They will never know
About this one time
The flood subsides
He wipes his eye
With a crimson sleeve
Once again he shields his face
So no one knows
The warrior cries