Death
Galbatorix, at seven-years-old, raced through the fields with his two friends, Alÿare and Jacob. "Tag, your it!" Shouted Jacob as he tackled Galbatorix, splattering mud over the two. Galbatorix scrambled up and chased after them. Alÿare ran into the woods as fast as his feet would carry him and Jacob ran to the left along the stream. Gathering speed Galbatorix trailed Alÿare into the dense forest. The branches scraped against his legs as he weaved between the trees.
The forest was hilly and soon Galbatorix's legs burned and his breath came in gasps. Alÿare's speed didn't seem to falter as he ran up a steep hill. At the top he slipped and all Galbatorix could see was Alÿare's hands scrambling for a grip as he heard Alÿare yell in sudden alarm. As fast as he could Galbatorix raced to the top of the hill to see a steep cliff on the other side. Alÿare was hanging onto a root sticking out from the rock a few feet down.
"Help!" yelled Alÿare.
Galbatorix laid down on his stomach and reached over the cliff. He wrapped his feet around a tree trunk for support. "Grab my hand!" He yelled down.
Alÿare reached up and gripped Galbatorix's hand. The two united in a strong grip. And Galbatorix pulled up with all his strength. The pressure from the other boys weight caused Galbatorix's arms to burn as he tried to lift his friend. Alÿare pulled up his foot onto a small rock sticking out of the cliff, to get a foothold. He then pulled himself up but the rock cracked under his foot and the boy's body slammed against the cliff.
The extra weight from Alÿare loosing his footing was too much for Galbatorix's strength. Alÿare slipped out of his fingers as Galbatorix yelled, "NO!"
Alÿare's eyes widened with fear as he fell backward. He yelled out for the last time. With a sharp crack his head hit the rocks below and ended his life. Galbatorix's eyes swelled up in tears as he mumbled to himself. It was his fault, he had convinced himself. If only he was stronger he could have pulled Alÿare up.
He heard branches cracking as someone ran up behind him.
"Galbatorix, I heard screaming, what ha—" Jacob cut himself off when he looked over the cliff and saw the bloody remains of Alÿare. "Oh my god! You killed him!"
Galbatorix looked up and tried to explain to Jacob what really happened, but it was too late. Jacob had already run off to tell an adult.
Time seemed to slip away and Galbatorix sat there and cried. A few times he tried to yell down to Alÿare in mad hope that this was just a dream and Alÿare would jump up as if it was all a joke. Galbatorix's father and a few other men dashed though the forest, but it was only a blur to Galbatorix. Life seemed to slow and he could see the adults moving and talking to him, but he couldn't hear anything.
The next thing Galbatorix remembered was lying on a bed with his father and other men talking close by. He opened his eyes and looked around and his father came over and squatted by the bed.
"Son, tell me, what happened while you were out in the forest. If you lie I will get a magician to seep into your brain and see the memory for himself."
Galbatorix squirmed in fear at the thought of another man prying into his mind. "We...we were playing tag," he explained, "And I chased Alÿare into the forest. But...he slipped in front of the cliff. I tried to save him dad! I tired...but, I was too weak and he was too heavy. He...he slipped out of my hands and..." Galbatorix buried his face in his hands and began to sob.
Suddenly Galbatorix's cheek stung as his father slapped him. "Don't be such a coward!" He yelled. "Your old enough not to cry. If I see you crying again I swear I will..." Noticing the other men still in the room staring at him, Galbatorix's father stopped in mid-sentence, glared at Galbatorix, and stalked out of the room.
Galbatorix pulled the covers up to his neck and shut his eyes in fear. Then he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder and he slowly turned to look at her. Behind her he could see that the other men had left.
"Galbatorix, I know your father is harsh. But he only wants the best for you. He just doesn't know how to show you, but deep inside he wants you to be a man, a man he can be proud of."
Galbatorix looked up into her soft face with his tear-filled eyes. And she began to sing softly to him.
"Life is beautiful, my child,
Though many things go wrong,
And you may hear much sadness in
Its strange and lovely song.
Though friends and loved ones die, my child,
They're never really gone.
Nor more nor less than yesterday,
In you they will live on.
They will live on in you, my child,
As everything you see,
Though it must vanish, will remain
Alive in memory.
Alive in what you think and feel
And dream and say and do,
For all who ever were still are
Upon this earth in you."
Galbatorix's eyes slowly closed as her soft song edged his sleep. Soon life was nothing but a hazy memory as he was fast asleep.
Pronunciation:
Alÿare - a-LEE-air
Galbatorix - gal-buh-TOR-icks
Thank you Nicholas Gordon for your song.