KMC Forums - ~The ßard and the ßlade§~ (...no comment...)

A cold dead wind had passed by me that night, like a blade rubbing up against my spine. I remember every detail of that night, the smell of the oak trees around me, the sounds of the forest dwellers nestling into their homes for the night, and the clouds parting to reveal the light of the moon on my back and the stars glistening in the sky. A perfect night it would have seemed, though I knew otherwise.

I remember walking through that lonely path so well, every detail fresh in my mind. I remember arriving at "Hope's End", a large cliff with a steep and rocky ending. Sitting their, I had often visited that very spot and pondered the mysteries of life. Whenever I visited that place, it was if time stopped for just a moment and the world stood still as I look upon it in awe. It's eternal beauty revealed in that very spot. All in one moment you could see the life giving rivers, the bold and protective mountains, and the mysterious and sheltering trees. Yet that night, it's beauty went unnoticed.

I remember sitting on the edge of that cliff, gently caressing my mandolin in my arms like a mother caresses her baby. In my past life, I was a Bard, and a prestigious one at that. I performed across the globe, for Kings and Queens of noble lands, and for exotic Nobles of tropical climates. My entire life my only possession had been my mandolin, and my only friend. Long ago I left my family behind, I can't even remember their faces anymore. I had severed every tie I had, as it was too painful to make friends and then leave them forever soon after. As a Bard, being alone should come standard, but I was of weak heart.

As I strummed the strings in a sad melody, I thought about my one fault. My ultimate mistake that had been my end, love. In the land of the Saxons, I had fallen in love with the King's daughter Maeve. How funny that her name meant "Goddess of Song", and that I would be but a humble Bard who only wished to play that melody. Every song I dedicated to her, every note and every lyric only seemed to echo her name. Yet I knew then as I know now that it was foolish. A Bard and a Princess of noble birth, we could never be. I played at her kingdom the most, and she would always be sitting in the back, watching and smiling at me. I knew I loved her then.

I knew what I had to do, as long as I was a Bard, she would always be out of my reach. So I gave up the life of the Bard, and took up the blade. I joined the ranks of my fellow man in war, hoping that as a knight we could be together. They sent me away to fight in wars that meant nothing. I fought only with the hope that we would be together someday. I grew stronger with every passing day, and the blades of others could not break my will.

I remember thinking about how strange it was that I would do anything and everything just to be with her, a girl I had gotten to know through odd circumstances. It was funny that I would take away the life of a fellow man, only so I could have a life with her. Though I fought as a knight, a bard I would always be on the inside.

But everything changed on that night so long ago. I remember the fighting and the screams of the enemy. I remember the blood stained on the battlefield and on my hands. I remember the look of horror in the eyes of the victims. And I remember the final blow and the light that faded from sight as I had fought on that same cliff I sit at now.

So here I am, sitting on this cliff and strumming the same old sad tune like I used to do back then. Remembering the life that passed me by and the mistake I made. Perhaps I would have been better off had I never met Maeve, and perhaps I would have been better off had I never took up the blade. Though I had died over a millennia ago, and my love had long since passed on, I still remained behind. The ghost bard of legend, doomed to sit on that cliff, strumming that tune and waiting for the end of eternity so I could be with my love again. Why had the Gods damned me to this spot of my death? I shall never know. But I remember it all, doomed to obscurity, the bard and the blade...

__________________
~Sylvannas~
"A meal that costs my dignity is still free." ~Garland, 8-Bit Theatre