A Warrior's Promise

Written for a competition between myself and a friend on deviantART, A Warrior's Promise is a 1,000 word short story telling the tale of two warriors' love and betrayal of each other. May later be expanded into a more comprehensive story.

“Lianas, you can’t leave me to do this alone.” Rasa struggled with the tormented emotions raging in side of her. She wanted to scream. “I can’t lead them if you fall.”

 

Lianas took her face in his hands, stroking her jaw with his calloused fingers. “My dear Rasa, what choice do we have? These invaders will slaughter us all if we do not do something. We must ask quickly.”

 

Her dark grey eyes darkened in emotional pain. She knew he was right. Lianas was almost always right, except about them not falling in love. He had denied it as ever possible, and yet, here they stood, three months after their marriage before their tribe. ‘If only we weren’t discussing going to war,’ she thought bitterly.

 

“Promise me you will take charge of our people,” Lianas murmured, the undertones of his voice revealing his own pain of having to leave his wife. “Promise me you will be the warrior our people need of you if I do not return.”

 

“You must return,” Rasa replied. “But if it will make you happy, then yes, my darling, I promise.”

 

A soft smile crossed Lianas’ weathered features. He pressed his lips firmly against hers. “Be strong, my warrior wife. I will return to you.”

 

That was the last Rasa had ever heard from her husband.

 

A year had passed, and while no attack came from the foreign invaders, Lianas and his troupes never returned. Rasa had done what she had promised to for their people—she became their warrior queen, leading them to victory over any who threatened them.

 

As the months wore on, resentment grew deep within Rasa’s heart. She had kept her promise to Lianas, yet he had betrayed her. He had never returned.

 

She led the tribe, alone. It broke tradition, the elders told her. She needed to find herself a new husband. She needed to bear the next warrior king or queen to lead them. But she refused, wishing only for her Lianas to return.

 

Two years after her beloved Lianas had left, along with many of the tribe’s best warriors, Rasa stood on the battle field, watching as the warriors she commanded prepared to defend their families and friends. She tried to imagine Lianas standing beside her. It had been such a long time, there was no longer any comfort in the thought.

 

“Today, my friends,” she shouted out from her place atop a hill crest overlooking the battlements. “Today we fight to defend those whom we love. Ours is a strong people, proud and true. We have long since rid our lands of those who would seek to destroy our way of life, to destroy us. Let us fight together, as one, to put an end to this treachery and bring peace back to our lives!”

 

The sound of the warriors echoed across the plain as their voices cried out in unison. Spirits were high as she walked down to join them, her husband’s sword at her side as she headed for the front of the lines. She was not afraid to die, for little much mattered to her anymore.

 

She would put on a strong, confident front for the tribe. She couldn’t let them see just how much pain she was truly in for the loss of Lianas.

 

She had almost convinced herself that he was dead, if not for the clear view of the invading warriors across the small, shallow creek. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She knew many of the men standing across from her own warriors, and deep down, she knew this may well be the end.

 

“Rasa…”

 

Rasa turned her smoky grey eyes on Arden, and nodded swiftly. He knew them as well for who they were. They were older, and certainly more weather worn than they should have been for the tribe’s territory, but it was the very warriors who had not been heard from for two years.

 

“What will we do?” Arden could not hide the worry in his voice. Many of his own brothers now stood on the opposite side of the creek, alongside other family and friends, mixed in with strangers. He knew, if he must, he would fight them, but the uncertainty in Rasa’s eyes left him worried about the rest of the warriors and their warrior queen.

 

Rasa let out a slow, purposeful breath, her eyes darkening in restrained resentment and hatred towards her husband. She decided, in that moment, if he was to allow her to believe he had been dead for all these years, then that was exactly the state he would be in when she returned home this night.

 

“We fight. They are not of our people any longer. Listen to them. They are not speaking the tongue of our tribe, but the tongue of our enemy this day. Lianas is dead, whether he knows it yet or not. And the others shall join him.”

 

A grim smile crossed Arden’s features. “I will stand by your side in against our enemies this day, my queen.”

 

Rasa turned a hard gaze on him, which softened momentarily. “And I by you, my king. If I do not survive this day, you shall take over the tribe in my place.”

 

“Today is not your day to die.” Arden raised his sword high in the air to call their warriors to attention. “None shall fall from our tribe this day! Only the blood of our enemies shall quench the thirst of the gods!”

 

Voices cried out in understanding. They all knew the words of the king in battle, and they had long since waited to hear them once more. With new found enthusiasm and courage, the warriors rushed as ones to defend their way of life.

 

Rasa found herself face-to-face with Lianas. Rasa stared at the man she no longer knew. “You should have stayed dead, Lianas.”

 

Lianas didn’t resist as her sword ran deep inside him. Instead, a smile slowly crossed his features. “Thank you, my queen…”

Author's Note

Original posting: http://jackalibis.deviantart.com/art/A-Warrior-s-Promise-117843819
Stock Image story based on: http://lindowyn-stock.deviantart.com/art/Warrioress-Portrait-117808739
Competition info: http://jackalibis.deviantart.com/journal/24009604/

Reviews

[Emily Quinn]

i love this peice, i really do; its sad in a way you cant really pinpoint; tragic. I love how you leave a lot to the imagination, hint subtly but dont give away too much insight which keeps our attention. Very good

[Johnzo]

The first few paragraphs I thought did a great job expressing the emotional gravity of the situation, it really grabbed my attention. I also like the concept of this warrior tribe culture, I felt like I got a sense about what type of people they were, but without reading explicit details. Sort of like defining a shape by filling in the spaces around it, instead of drawing the actual picture. The ending however felt a little unfinished. Obviously with a word limit that effects how much detail can be given, but without any description of Lianas' motivation, his death seems almost pointless. Overall, a good short.

[~*~Peace Keeper~*~]

A good story...kind of sad...but its good
Great Job