Honour's Pawn

Under moonlight and starlit skies
on a cloudless night, a
constant clicking is heard
dancing on the cobbles or
thudding in the dirt
jangled bridles and creaking
leather with quiet gasping
breaths

Metal glints flashing in
the pale light, armor
shines luminescent, hiding
its sigil, hiding its owner
protection on their quest and
protection from their enemies
in an endless and honourable
war

Sent by the King on this
journey, sent to find their
weakness, sent as a
punishment for a minor infraction
to re-discover his honour
that had been deemed, by himself
and many others, gone for all
eternity

Swathed in shadows he
follows the stream
dreaming of days of yore
before he fell and became tarnished
before his love died, and he
wonders, "What was it that I
did? What was so very
wrong?"

And he wonders as the water
laughs mockingly, "Is it possible?
Is it really possible that
chivalry has risen too far?
Has my honour truly been stained,
destroyed by an honourable love?" and
the wind whistles derisively through the
trees

An owl hoots, ghosting through the
woods haunting him like his beloved
"You have failed me and have broken
your vow," whispers the breeze
taunting him in the darkness
"But I tried," he returns, "I
did my best, no one could ever ask for
more."

But they can, and they do
and his honour was buried with
his love, and his King, his
very own King, who swore the
same oaths as he, gave him
this chance to regain part
of what he lost, and yet, still he
questions

The war is honourable, there is
no doubt, but this thing I must
do, will it return my honour? Can it
be returned? And this quest of
mine, is it honourable? By
questioning my King and my liege
do I not tarnish my honour
further?

There are those who wander
search for information,
merely for its own sake and
possibly for the joy of
traveling, but not for honour,
not for their own nor anybody
else's honour, but simply because they're
heralds….

And the sun rose over the hill
illuminating the armor and sparkling
off the water, while he sat in shadow,
and over the hill they came, and he knew
that his honour was his own and that his
king knew little. He flung himself down
and sank 'neath the
water…



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