William

(Sorry this is a long, long post)

I saw the rider at the outer gates and the guards there let him inside. The rider got to the main gate and shouted up the password.

"It's Martin," I shouted to the guards. "Open the gate and let him in."

Martin crossed to the other side. He called up to me, "William. This girl here needs help."

I hurried down the stairs and carried her inside. Martin wanted to lead her to the area where we kept the other sick and injured but I turned off down a different hall and carefully laid her down on a much more comfortable bed.

Martin followed me inside, "Will, you know she shouldn't be in your bedroom, much less your own bed."

I turned and grabbed him by the robes and pulled him closer, "Listen up. Just because you are the masters' lapdog doesn't mean I take orders from you, Martin, and I never will. Now, what's wrong with her?"

I released my grip on his robes and he took a step back. He gulped and said, "I have no idea what's wrong but," He pulled the plant the woman had given him out of his robes. He continued, "A woman told me to boil this and give it to her."

"Why would she give you an herb to heal blood poisoning?" I shook it off. "It doesn't matter." I took it from him and whispered, "Thank you Martin. This whole war and everything and I found the people who kidnapped me an--"

Martin cut me off, "I know Will. Speak no more of it." He began to leave and said, "I won't tell anyone she is in here."

I spent the next few hours laboring over her mostly lifeless form, she kept on muttering incomprehensibly in the delirious state she was in. A hooded figure entered the room and I turned to face it.

"What do you want?" I asked, somewhat agitated.

The figure lowered the hood. I relaxed when I saw Bonita beneath.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I'm not sure," I scratched my head. "She should be fine for a few hours I have to go outside and find Master Moomow."

"I'll join you," She pulled the hood back up. "As long as I don't talk no one can tell I'm not just another monk and I can help people when the battle begins."

I nodded, "Alright. I'll see you when it's over. I'm going to go down in the middle of it when they get to the front gate."

A monk ran up to them and Bonita kept her head down and walked on.

I raised an eyebrow as he obviously wanted to talk to me, "What is it?"

"It's Master Moomow," The man said. "He is requesting you see him, now."

I motioned for him to lead the way and I was surprised to be led to Master Moomow's room. I saw him lying on the bed and I hurried over to his side and knelt beside his bed. He looked very weak.

"Poison arrow," He answered my pleading face. "Will there is something I must tell you."

I waited intent to hear what could be his final words. He motioned for the room to be clear before he spoke, "It is something that only a father can do for his son."

I didn't understand, "But Master--"

"Quiet Will," He pleaded. "I don't have much strength left. They made it a slow acting poison to prolong my suffering, but the end is near. You are my only son William Thrisfalen."

He handed me a letter, "I wish I could have told you everything myself, but I never could. I could never bring myself to tell you that I love you like only a father can love his son. I could never tell you how proud I was as a father has pride in his son. You surpass my strength William, and that is every father's dream. You are a legend in your own right and you will grow forever. Will,"

He grit his teeth together for a moment and then turned back to me, "I'm sorry, it's quite painful. Will, I'm proud of the man you've become and I'm proud of the path you have chosen. I love you Will."

Everything suddenly made sense and I could only reply, "I love you." The words were forced but I broke through the years of training and finished the sentence, "Father."

He smiled and said, "Read the letter once this battle is finished. Now I can leave this world with no regrets."

I watched as he stopped breathing and an uncontrolable rage filled my body as I marched from the room.

Martin ran up to me, "Will they are here."

I did not turn, did not react to his voice. I simply marched on to the armory and saw Master Taldonis getting ready to head outside.

"I came for my weapon," The rage in my eyes bid no arguement from him.

I walked over to the wall the staves were kept on and put my old weapon back. I then grabbed the top of the shelf and threw it to the ground, revealing a hidden compartment with a giant claymore, slightly taller than I was. I grabbed it and leaned it on the wall next to me. Behind the sword was a suit of armor. I pulled it out and began the painstaking task of securing it to my body.

In a moment a hand reached out and helped me get the armor on. The armor and weapon were made from no normal steel, it was an ancient weapon and armor the kind of which hadn't been made for centuries, perhaps millenia. The armor consisted of chain mail and plate mail and was extremely light considering the effectiveness of it, that's why I had sworn never to use it. Some things were too foolish to have sworn to do, but I had never before imagined that an enemy would require such use of force.

I was wrong.

"Thank you Master," I turned and saw him bowing.

"No thank you William," Taldonis said. "Today your wisdom surpasses us all. You know when to move past commitments and to search for greater truths, you will not be disappointed."

I walked out of the room and fixed the sheath to my back. I walked to the gate and yelled up to the guards to open it. The doors creaked open and I drew my weapon. I took a deep breath and charged out and saw a much larger army than I had expected. No matter, I didn't need to defeat them all. I single man beating an army of thousands would send them fleeing for the hills.

The doors behind me did not close as I expected. I yelled back without looking, "This is my fight."

"It may be your fight William," Master Taldonis called back. "But you are not alone."

I turned and looked and saw all the monks, young and old ready to fight at my back. I turned to the front and called, "Remember why we fight."

I charged forward and let loose and, inate bloodthirsty howl, as if combat itself called to me and beckoned me forward. Perhaps this was my heritage? To be a weapon of destruction. For now it did not matter. I saw the eyes of the enemy soldiers and I beheld the doubt as they grew ever closer.

I swung my sword into the line of shields that tried to protect them but my sword sliced them all in half and cut the ones who braced them. I was a good two hundred feet ahead of the rest of my army but the enemy was already beginning to break as I cut men down like they were paper. This army had had no training and I stopped cutting into the young men that I had found as they were all cowering before my terrible countenance.

I was covered in blood and I noticed the enemy army had mostly fled, I walked back to the castle and dropped my armor along the way. My army had taken injury and perhaps lost some lives, I didn't care at the moment, sleep beckoned. I had fought for hours before I had stopped and now the sun was rising, but before I gave in to the call...

I quickly changed my clothes in my room and washed my hands and face. Cordell was sleeping much more peacefully now. I didn't know what frightened me more, the killing, or the fact that I had liked it.