A knight who cannot protect his King... What is he worth? A son without a mother, what hope does he have? Nothing, none at all. This lone knight stood infront of what used to be a place of comfort for him, praying. Who to, he wasn't sure of but what he wanted was more than clear to him. He wanted the land of Deltora and it's people to live in peace forever, in hopes that his mother too, would be able to rest peacefully. For the sake of his Kingdom, he'd slain more than he could've ever hoped to count, despite not all of these deaths being human, it still placed a heavy burden upon this soldiers heart. He just needed some guidance, someone to tell him that what he was doing was the right thing. Surely it was... Surely it was morally right of him to try and free the people..? The flip side of that was he was he led brave young men to their deaths, as any captain did. It was the price of being the strong, you must bear the burden of the weak. One day, just for one day, he would like to see the world through their eyes, to see their struggles and feel their pain. Despite being someone who proclaimed himself one of the people, truth be known, he had spent his life inside closed walls, isolated just as the kings and queens had been. The knight had promised himself that he'd know better than them, that he would connect with the people the way they could not...and yet...
"I've learnt nothing!" Barda slammed his fist against the gravestone but quickly withdrew.
The rain continued to attack him but the lone man did not flinch, his eyes were solely fixed on what had been his object of his outburst.
"I am sorry Mother, I did not wish to take my anger out on you," he spoke softly, placing his forehead against the ground, asking for her forgiveness.
It had been so long since he had last seen his mother but Barda still remembered her fondly. Old Min had been King Endon and his friend Jarred's dear old nursemaid, practically raising them from when they were infants. Barda had once upon a time been jealous of these boy's but that was soon replaced with pride. He was proud to be the son of such a trusted servant, trusted enough with the King and Queen's son of all things! He'd grown up wanting to protect both her and her charges, to help keep Deltora peaceful... Then, his world was shattered. She was found dead, apparently she'd fallen from the stairs but Barda had not believed that one bit. What he did believe was that it was partially his fault for her death, if only he'd listened to his mother, then maybe she'd still be beside him to this very day.
"I will protect them this time Mother... I promise you this," the man put a fist over his heart as if to prove his sincerity. "I could've kept us together but because of my cowardice, because of my weakness, people died!" He exclaimed, lightning flashing and thunder cracking, the forces of nature bellowing in response to Barda's rage. "No more people will die Mother. I will protect them all, even at the cost of my own life," he unsheathed his sword and held it high. "I shall brave this storm, alone if need be! This sword will slice through the lightning and pierce the very heavens themselves just so you can see Mother! The storm will end, the rain will stop and there will always be hope for another calm day!" With that, the man, who was both a knight without a King and a son without a mother, marched away, ready to face his death.
Storms come and go, rain pours then stop but even as the clouds cover the sky, always realise, the sun is still there, trying to break free. You only need be patient and wait for a new day then, then you may hope once again. Until that day comes, hold your loved ones close and tell them you love them for not everyone is patient, some may try and brave the storm alone, resulting only in their death. Take caution and listen to my tale, you must wait for the sun no matter how long pours the rain, snow and hail.
