The secret…..

I am the secret in your life, never to be mentioned, never to be seen in the light of day, unknown to others I sit and wait for you like a lost puppy. I don’t want to be a secret anymore; I want to walk beside you in the presence of others, to be known, to be seen, to be with you in every way.

I Ride…..

I ride, the wind whipping my hair back from my face, riding so fast and hard that tears stream from my eyes as the wind is forced into them. The horse underneath me exhales like the bellows of a blacksmith’s furnace surging forward like the very storm I am riding into. I see the storm, clouds of dark purple and black clouds hanging low to the earth, light flashes in thick jagged lines across the front as I race towards it. I know what I am doing is almost certain death but I am ready, or as ready as I will ever be. I can feel the temperature of the air the closer I get the colder it gets, wrapping around my body looking for spaces between my armour to get at the flesh beneath, the closer to the storm the very air around me becomes filled with shards of ice, quickly I summon to me the words of protection that will keep most of the cold away, as I say them they are whipped from my mouth by the force of the wind, but still the words have worked and the feeling of coldness leaves my body. I am not warm but I know I will not freeze to death before I reach you. The closer to the storm I get I can see the runes etched into my armor begin to flicker with the comforting pale lavender light that is all that protects me from the ravages of this nightmare I have been living.

Racing towards my love as I have been since you were taken from me almost 3 months ago. I slip back into that fateful night that seems an eternity ago. You and sitting in quite comfortable silence, knowing that the decision for you and I was a hard one, for me to give up my position as Captain of the Queens guard, to live our lives as simply as we could, oh we are not in poverty for with the Queens blessing and her most generous gift we will live the rest of our lives in simple luxury, given the estate and surrounding lands and enough gold to last not only our entire lives but the lives of the children we plan to have.

But that entire dream is shattered in one instant as the doors to the manor come crashing in, in its place stands one man all in blood-red armour, purple and black lightning rolling across the lands behind him, his helm is lowered but he and I are old friends you see, but I thought him dead, saw him dead as my sword was thrust between the plates of his armour at the junction between his underarm and sides. This man this was once me in a former life, a life that seemed so long ago. He always wanted you but you were mine from the very first day we looked into each other’s eyes, gray on blue. He raises one gauntleted hand pointing in my direction and purple and black lightning streak from behind him surging forward to strike me where I am I mid-stride reaching for the sword that is hanging with my shield above the mantle of the large fireplace, I don’t make it I am enveloped in surging electrical shocks, my blood sings with energy, my mind expands with clarity, but I cannot move, not even a twitch of my eye. I watch as you struggle to lift the sword I was going for, the tip scratching the stone floor. He walks towards you pushing the visor of his helm up as he comes to stop in front of me his eyes alight with greed and a cold humorless smile upon his mouth. Never he says never would she be yours, you knew she was destined to be mine yet you dated to take her from me. I can still hear you struggle with my sword, knowing as you come into my field of vision that you cannot raise it to save your own life, mine is yours and I gladly give it to save your own, but I cannot I am held enthralled be the spell cast upon me. As if reading my mind he turns to you, looking at how you struggle with my sword. Laughing he walks towards you, and your eyes are on fire the blue of them shining forth with impotent rage, fear but not for yourself but for me. I see the effort in the muscles of your arms and shoulders as you finally heft the massive sword above your head, it is awkward and cumbersome but you hold it steady and true in the way you have seen me do my daily exercises. The light from your eyes as they flash over his shoulder at me is the last thing I see as he flicks a hand dismissively in my direction and more lightning pours into my body bringing with total blackness, but in truth, I see the blue of your eyes.

My eyes snap open the memories have flooded my mind, as I seem to be floating above myself I see my sword laying there, a scrap of the dress you were wearing laying next to it the smell of sulfur from the lightning, faintly ever so faintly your smell lingers in the air. The fire has died and the morning sun is peeking in through the front of the manor where the doors have been destroyed, slowly I fall back into myself, riding through the slashing rain I see only the blue of your eyes, the courage, rage and love that was there is what has kept me going. I know I near the end of my journey and with it I will set you free from the man who has kept you from me, I know I may die but that doesn’t matter as long as you are safe and he dies before I do, with that thought I urge my steed faster into the growing storm.

I hit the leading edge of the storm as I cross that point of no return, lightning flashes from the sky purple and jagged striking the ground around me raining clods of dirt and rocks down upon me in explosion after explosion buffets me from side to side, I have no choice but to ride forward lightning by its own volition is unpredictable and has a mind of its own, so I do not veer from my course but head straight and true knowing my best chance is to keep moving forward. Riding I see looming in the distance a rather foreboding structure not quite the same as the manor house we lived in but a combination of both house and stone formations as if the manor was raised up upon a rocky outcropping sitting higher than the ground I am riding upon, I see lights in the courtyard and torches upon the path leading up to it, calling to me saying run, run to me and the destiny that awaits you, mocking me, sending shivers of fear and anticipation through me like the bolts of lightning lashing out all around me. The night sky explodes with a brilliant purple light I can feel it, finally, it has hit me, sending great rendering shocks coursing through my body. My armor glows intensely the runes full of protective magic shine brighter the longer the electricity flows into my body, finally, the shocks subside I am now standing on the ground thrown from the smoking corpse of my horse, landing on my feet by only the Gods own grace. I am like a beacon of vengeance shining in the night the runes on my armor lighting the area around me as if walking in a purple sun, I can see the way in front of me, the torches and light calling to me mockingly. I put one foot in front of the other and activate my final runes on the armor to make me silent as I walk on towards my final destination.

As I close upon the ramp leading to the manor I see upon the front steps the man who violated my home, stole from me the woman I love. In his right had a sword rests point down, I hear him call out to me not yelling over the winds and rain and crashing lightning but in a conversational voice that I can hear plainly. You have come to your death brother. I am no brother of yours I reply, I have come for her the woman I love and I will have her or I will have your life. She wasn’t yours, to begin with, she was promised to me from ages past she is mine, but if you must, come then and I will end your misery once and for all. Gritting my teeth I walk forward as I get closer I can see that the runes of protection on his armor have no color but have all colors at the same time. I reach my hand to my back and grasp the very sword you tried to use to save me, I know this sword it is an extension of me, I know every inch of this hand and a half sword the glint of fire and ice forged steel, the pommel in the shape of a falcon’s head, the cross guard the wings of that falcon spread. I know every rune carved into the blade telling the stories of battles won and lost, it is a part of me in every way just as you are. Pulling it across my left shoulder with my right hand the blade singing as it is pulled from the sheath, singing for vengeance, singing for love, singing for his death.