As a rule, the opinion of the warrior is not important, especially if they are not leader and are likely to be in an unfair position. Yet, few times does this rule hold true, for the one who can see past the warriors opinions can see what they are truly capable of.
"I won't be beheaded," Nathaniel said, "not in any battle". No one paid him any attention. It was the third time that day that he had made the same prediction, and had been ignored as before. As the others rode off, Nathaniel picked up his guitar and started to sing.
"C'mon lady, come to my bed tonight.
I ain't never had no one like you,
before now...
I've been looking all pretty,
I was waiting up for you,
you know I really love you,
c'mon my lady come to my bed."
"Why do you keep giving the same prophecy?" a woman asked.
Nathaniel shrugged, "You have to say it twice. I don't know, it just happened to make sense."
"Foolishness," she commented. She lifted her bag off her horse and said, "You seem to know a lot about direction. I need to find the nearest place with a great deal of people."
"The castle," Nathaniel said, pointing to the rock formation, "is still ahead, but if you go that way then you could find more people."
"It'll take me half a day," she put her bag down, "I suppose I could stop and get a bite to eat. I don't suppose you're having a picnic?"
"Too full," Nathaniel smiled wistfully, "I've had to put a lot of things in check since I was a child. Now my stomach can't handle anything but beans."
"I never eat beans," she said, "You can have my share of the roast. I might be looking at this place for a while."
As she walked, she said, "Try to make it through today Nathaniel. All I know is that you keep trying to make sense out of what is happening. There were always rumors of war, but never any action. This is certainly something. You don't seem scared of anything..."
"I'm not now."
She mounted her horse and rode off. She rode past the castle, the nervous look on the faces of the guards and warriors told her that something was odd. There was no sign of the enemy, although they must be in the castle, but they didn't come out. It didn't make a lot of sense, but she had no idea what was in the castle. Because of this, she was watching the trail closely, and slowing down to make sure that no one was ahead of her.
As she rode up to a store, she heard many voices inside. Her first instinct was to kill the quieting, young looking man behind the counter. Something made her hesitate. It was a strange feeling, like a twinge in her guts. It was a feeling that she had not felt in years. She killed the man before she searched the place. She was not sure of what she found, but something made her turn around and ride back. She stopped as her horse neared the castle, to count the number of faces that she was seeing.
"You killed that man," Nathaniel said, "you will be beheaded for sure."
"You're sure?" she asked, "but he didn't know me." With his curly black hair, white t-shirt and bright blue pants, he was a rather strange looking man.
"He said that the bathroom was for paying customers only," Nathaniel answered, "and that they were short handed. I think he was a shopkeeper."
"But I don't think I knew what I was doing."
Nathaniel shrugged. "You need to do what you have to do. That was a strange feeling, didn't you feel it?"
"Like I was frightened for no good reason," she said, "but I must not allow fear to control my actions."
"No," Nathaniel smiled, "it isn't that. That feeling was a comfort and a warning. You feel all right, don't you?"
"I feel good," she said as she closed her eyes. As she talked, she felt Nathaniel's presence grow stronger. It was not the presence of a ghost, but of a living soul.
"Yes, you do," Nathaniel answered as his own presence grew, "but you are not the only one. I have a great deal of work ahead of me. I must return to my family."
"Are they here?"
"You do not see them," Nathaniel held her, "but I feel them."
"This castle," she said, "is it your home?"
"This is it," Nathaniel responded as he held her gaze, "and you have a place here, as well as this place. I am not sure why, but I like you. I have been watching you since the battle began."
"I haven't killed anyone since," she replied.
"I know, and that's strange, for I saw your regiment, and I saw your fellow soldiers die. The captain said you saw them die. They died in battle, for that is what they were trained for, or they would not have died. I've seen men die in other ways, but there was nothing that I could do for them. I've not felt this since..."