The Soul of Scarlet's Lost Tears

Making our way, finally, through the long winding trail, that went up and down, over up rooted roots and ducking under low tree branches, wading through shallow with a slight moving current river.

And only resting two to five minute breaks, just long enough to stretch our legs, and water the horses. The prince kept mostly to himself, which he normally does, I even catch him, sometimes still mounted on his horse.

Glancing at his journal and making a few added inquires in to it, while I was wondering what is on his mind that he would be all alone even when he’s surrounded by the men his father chooses to be with him on this journey to find out if our new friends are still friends and if there is a chance to find more lands to explore.

My mind drifted off, which it usually does when I’m either board with no one to talk to or just mainly board, imagining a gallant wide-open prairie fields of rolling hills and wheat fields ready for tilling, where in another vision there was me sitting next to a stream, while I was watching a windmill turning, turning a wheel that was picking up the water from the slow-moving stream, then suddenly, doused with a cup of very, very freezing water.

Was poured on top of my head, which pretty much brought me back to reality, immediately fallowing, was me springing up to my feet yelling “Hay, what was that, that was uncalled for”, followed by Kravis saying in a taunting voice “was it, was it really uncalled for, since we’re about to leave” as he added with a short snicker, “would you’ve rather have us leave you behind, like we should have done prior to leaving home”. I had nothing to add to that remark coming to mind, that I just stared blankly at him.

But for Kravis, on the other hand was about to add even more salt to my wounds, until he was interrupted by the platoon leader stepping in between us as he straight at Kravis and the two other men who always seem to be at his side like shadows or blood sucking locusts.

“I gave you guys an order to gather your things and head on out”, then he added, “ I guess I have to repeat myself and you know I don’t like to do that, so one last time, you two gather your things and head out, and as for you Kravis, you could join them later on, but for now leave my sight”, being a bit snotty Kravis asked “but where should I go sir”, “for right now I don’t care, for now go back to camp an wait for me there”.

Just like that, without any whimper from him or his two shadows, all three just simply walked away. When they were six feet away from us, the platoon leader turned around, looking at me, as he then reached into his left front pocket, he then pulled out a pocket-watch.

Which then he said, “hold out your hand”, which I did, as he placed the watch in the palm of my right hand. On a closer inspection, I soon realize that, that pocket-watch was the pocket-watch he took from me one day earlier.

I was jaw dropping shocked that I got it back as I slowly examined it closely, slowly opening top of the locket to see that it was working and was at the right time. Before I could tell him ‘thank you’ I looked up to see him walking, that his casting shadow fallowed him until he walked over the other side of the hill and from there he disappeared from my sight.

Which left me a little speechless, as I could only hear not only myself but the sounds of birds flying overhead, creating their own shadows; skimming the top of the grass.

Then flying even up an over my head, when that happened off in the distance was the sound of a high pitch whistle fallowed by a low pitch.

That’s when I knew, I just knew where I should have known way before I once again daydreamed, to when I would’ve made my way toward camp before they blew the warning whistle to leave, which at not a second slower I raced to camp.

I ran heavily like it was life or death. Breathing so heavily that I was breathing more through my mouth than throughout my nose, my heart just pounding against my chest, with my lungs in inhaling with fresh cool oxygen, then exhaling outward put at a rapid pace, but while running I soon started to contemplate what the whistling was actually for since it was not a single long one but two short whistles one high than the one that fallowed afterwards was a lower, than it suddenly came to me the whistle I heard wasn’t a warning to everyone to be ready to leave; but this one sounded more like a warning of unknown and unexpected present danger.

Once I did, that’s when I stopped abruptly by the sight of men dressed in head to toe in black robes, on 12 black Stallions that were swarming around the men like ants to a rotting apple core, that they were surprised as much as I was but maybe a little more since they were more to the outcome than I was, surprisingly I could only watch from a far and not be seen, for I quickly knelt down to the ground like a woodchuck nestling in his lair as he hides from his enemies within his whole in a damn made of wood or bark of the tree.

After I ran over so much uneven terrain of dirt patches of grass, my heart was still racing, as I tried to slow my breathing by taking more deeper inhales through my noes then slowly (exhaling) blowing out through my mouth, like blowing through a straw, getting as low and quiet as I can, I watch like a predator watching his prey.

Silently, a patiently, watching what was going on shortly down the hill in front of me as my men was being confronted by these strange men in black even more nerves than I was for them seeing how panicked.

From sure sight, they were trying to decide if to bring out their weapons or to leave them in their cases, though only a few had their weapons already in their hands, but did not have them raised up for long, when they noticed at the same time I did; that the six out of the twelve riders had bows and arrows some even short bladed swords pointing toward the men as they were swarming them.

It was the last time, it was ever spoken, of men, riders of black that would haunt these wide lands with the intent to kill or harm let alone imprison anyone who dares to cross their path that are not invited.

Without any probable cause, or any sign that we were in any way trespassing, of such weight fell on my chest as I could only watch intently at what was going on, down the small hill that I was laying on.

Over hearing on what was carried on the wind of a deep man’s voice, as I vigilantly could watch a man in black where I could presume that it was the leader dismounted off his horse, as he landed with both feet wearing heavy metal boots that by hitting the ground so violently that, that there was a small tremor that fallowed right afterwards.

Passing his horses reigns to the left of him as another rider, who stayed mounted on his horse retrieved them with no problem, as he, the mounted rider slightly bowed his head. Without a disgruntled moan, that one rider, who was still on his horse grabbed the reigns while he held onto them.

Knowing that his leader’s horse was no horse to be trifled with, it did tend to buck hard as it would thrash its head violently like a gator doing a death roll.

While the other men who watched, staying patiently mounted on their horses, though the limitations on patients was growing thin, like sand in the hourglass that would continually fall.

For the other men who still surrounded my men, fiercely outnumbered three to one, not only had their grip on their own horse’s reigns, but had one hand on their weapon of choice ether it was a sharp sword, or a bow and arrow.

With every second passed it look like my men could only stand there while being surrounded, as for our young prince who was standing in the center of the group tried his best to convince those who were close by, to let him see if there was a peaceful solution to negotiate, “but sir, per your father we do not ever negotiate first”.

Even trying nudging at the men to let him through, they, his men stood their ground and did not budge, standing there like iron gate, of such a strong hold to bear witness, I felt a little smirk linger across my face.

Soon a man’s voice broke through, as it raised up, and said with a deep base tone he said “so, where is the leader of this raggedy looking bunch, whose wandered so far from their home”, “to where” he added clearing his throat, “to how you are dressed in such a gallant attire, I see, is not, and most certainly from a very far from here”, as he slightly mumbled underneath his breathe “where, I would like to visit someday”.

His face half cloaked in shadow, as his hood that he was wearing blocked most of the sun, hiding his war scared face from the many battles he fought, as the deep scars on his face is like notches on a belt or like trophies on a shelf, they are reminders of once was, and can be again.

The surrounded groups attention was not only on the one individual that was walking around asking the questions, but as well on the other men that sat on their horses, three individuals where holding onto flags of different legions that were fluttering in the wind.

Three were representing the different sections of the army, and the other three were smaller flags that symbolized the families in where they hail from, long alas three minutes’ pass, then another, followed by another, finally five minutes had gone by, until.

Columnist clouds slowly drifted over head, with the sound of many more horses coming from a farther distance, across the way along the far side of the valley was another line of men on horseback, but this time these men looked different. Instead of wearing cloaks, these men on the valley wall, were gleaming in the sun of silver chain-male, squinting my eyes even closely, I managed to see the men more clearly though a little blurry.

Come to find, that these men, that was standing off in the distance looked more like my comrades but in more of a superior form of garment even they were wearing matching metal helmets, some with face shields

and others that don’t.

Like a commendable fleet, they watch from their vantage point. Soon I spotted one of them who wore one of the helmets that didn’t have a face shield lean over to his right side, to whom looked to be the leader, who was wearing one of the helmets that had a face shield, if he had something to say like “well, you were right to leave when we did, Caption Dawes, from what I see he is so over his foolish head and big brave brother has to come and save his butt once again huh”, as he, the potential leader looked over to his left, toward the one who spoke would suddenly sit straight up, as if he said something insulting, but what?

Myself couldn’t hear what was said since I was very far away from ear shot.