I'll Stand My Ground

Daniel stepped to his appointed travel. The gate was longer than before; his pace heightened as if something to anticipate. The roads were not of pastures fields, valleys, and meadows much as they were before, but of desolate, rocky, mountains to grabble into and beyond. The peaks led to another, and still to another. The heights of which touched the very tips of stars; the winds cold and bristle; of ancient winds drawn cold and viced with frozen airs; no greenery enclosed; brown, rockish boulders to trip him about as he went. He tumbled and fell through his climb; the stamina challenged; the determination confused; perhaps to turn back; nowhere to turn. To think and question if this is the right way; another is easier, more convenient – it must be.

He stopped to see the boulders rise still further and become even steeper in his climb. He thought there must be a better way. Slowly, he began to descend.

"Where are you going?" He heard a voice call out.

"There is snow and steep climbs above; I can't go there…" he professed.

"And why can't you?" It came again.

"Because…" he had nothing further to relate.

"Because," it was stern, "is no reason… Again, where are you going?"

"To find a better way…" Daniel was quickly finding this to be a fruitless venture.

"And you think it is where you came from? I should suppose you knew that way already…" The voice asked on, "There is not a better way; 'this', is the only way…"

"I will fall…"

"Then, get back up…" he heard the hooves of something inching closer from behind the realm of three massive boulder fronts.

"It still doesn't get me there…"

"Determination will…" the hooves came closer with the voice, "and God's speed, the same…" And from this lowly, brown brush came forward an enormous ram, with horns as big as rounded gates; impressive eyes, with a stout, thrusting chest to hammer a heavy rock into rubble.

"I am Daniel…" he stood and brushed himself free from the debris.

"And so you are…" the ram stood firm, "Am I to be so impressed?"

"My sword will cut you for a meal!" Daniel wasn't pleased.

"That's not to its purpose…"

"How would you know of this?" Daniel seemed prepared to draw.

"Ah… ahh… ahhhh…" the ram warned, "Be cautious in how you proceed; great weapons are to be utilized wisely… Because you bear the arc, means no occasion for you to abuse it."

"You're a smart one, for an animal…"

"I'll take that to be a compliment…" the ram snorted out rather profusely.

"And who are you?" Daniel asked.

"A smart animal…" the ram seemed to smile.

"Either one for confusion," he dusted himself further, "or one for humor; I know not which…"

"I'll take that to be a secondary compliment…"

"Yes," Daniel stepped a little closer, "rather you should."

"Well…" the ram stood his ground.

"And to this?"

"Get going…" the ram took a step towards Daniel.

"I'm not afraid of you…" Daniel appeared to object.

"Nor I, of you…" the ram took a step closer, "Now, get going…"

Daniel took steps to descend further.

"Wrong way," the ram stepped to the side, nearly blocking Daniel's retreat, "You could have asked before I allow you to pass."

"A bit of predicament we are in, it seems..."

"Looks that way," the ram now had Daniel blocked from retreating further. His only steps were upward, or battle this ram to some relevant victory or rousing defeat, "You aren't too intelligent, are you?"

"I'd rather not take that as a compliment…"

"Nor, would I," the ram stalled in that silence, "your move…"

"You would challenge an archangel with a sword…"

"You don't know much about rams, do you?" The animal, with those pressing, vacant eyes, strong bite, and a chewing, persistent action, looked to be eyeing Daniel over; through and through, "Pity…"

"You don't know much about archangels…"

"Seems I know more about archangels, than you do about rams," he paused, "Seems even more-so, I know more about archangels than you do… And you're not one…"

"I am, as I am," Daniel appeared to be indisposed by his own confusion.

The ram took to thrust out his tongue on Daniel, which all but placed Daniel into an adolescent-like rile. The ram's actions caused him to nearly pull from his scabbard that flaming sword.

"It won't work," the ram further cautioned, "If misused; it won't work…"

"How do you know?"

"Trust me," the ram laughed, "it won't…"

"Care to try it out?"

"My pleasure," and with this, by lightening speed and drastic division, the ram thrust high with its front legs, pushed about by its rear ones, lowered the angle on his long, rolling horns, and pushed fast into Daniel's belly; which, by all accounts, pushed Daniel's long frame into reverse some twenty feet or more. He landed, back-first, up against these three enormous boulders the ram first appeared out from.

"You see," the ram circled; now to appear more as the predator than prey, "There is something to be said for experience in such matters… All that it is, that I wish to do, is to assist you…You are a contrary sort of beast; aren't you?"

"Some would say otherwise…"

"Perhaps," the ram chagrined, "Those 'some' are not here…and 'this' is all I have to work with and can evaluate on…"

"So what do you suggest?"

"Simple… Get going…"

"And if I don't?"

"Well then," the ram pursued, "we still have a problem which persists…"

"I don't see any other alternate…" Daniel was slowly gathering himself to a stand; all in soreness and apparent pain from the suffering blow he just took.

"Nor, do I…" the ram circled for another blow, if the need arose.

"You wish to help…"

"I already have…" his tongue looked to protrude out a second time.

"There's no debating with you…"

"There is no need…" the ram dug a hole in the ground with his front hooves.

"I wish no further festering," Daniel pleaded his case; and as much, deferred to the ram's unaltered persistence, "I'll go up…"

"Good…" the ram stood his ground.

"Why are you so disagreeable?" Daniel spoke before he turned.

"It is best we depart from one another, with such an outcome…"

"You win…" Daniel had his back to the ram and proceeded forward.

"No, you do…" and a forward rush came from the ram, as he playfully bounced his horns up and back, up and back, up and back into Daniel's backside, "Now… get going… get going…"

Daniel looked back to see the ram again.

"Remember – Faith will place you in the palm of God's hands…"

The folly urged Daniel to hasten his pace, and he did as much in order to leave the ram's territory and rigid domain.

He looked back on occasion; the ram still in staunch guard to his unrivaled territory. The echoes of gusts and blows reigned down on Daniel as he ascended; fog rolling through and employing its own weapon to disorient him. The handles of every reach was cold and biting, cut to his fingers to make them stiff and seem worn. The foundries of snow tumbled from some unseen skyward range. The howl of an unknown animal seemed to protrude down; it was only the wind.