Author's notes: Here I go again. This time I'm getting a bit mid-evil about things...LOL. Okay the legal stuff; this is a copyrighted story etc... and all that implies. No one can copy, reproduce, or otherwise utilize this story, without permission from myself, the author of this story. Although this story does not contain graphic sex scenes it is an adult story and if that offends you, then why are you reading it? For all other, please enjoy.
*****
The Bond
"There is an old saying... 'My word is my bond'. As we all know some people's word is easily broken, while others can never be broken. And then there are the difficult ones where there has to be a certain circumstance for the bond to be broken. Those are the tricky ones."
"Not another lecture... please?" The young voice whined.
"No, more of a story that proves a point... and it is important, so please pay attention." The older voice said firmly.
"Fine... if I have to." The young voice said petulantly.
"Now, where was I?" The older voice sighed.
"What should be an unbreakable bond, the ones between friends, lovers, and mates is often broken too easily by a lot of outside interference. It seems easy to break these bonds that were meant to last forever. Time, life, and history are filled with these broken bonds. What is sad, the bonds that should be broken are the hardest to break. The bonds to slavery, lust, greed... sorry, I promised no lectures." The aged voice sighed. "The bonds that should be broken are the hardest to break, while the bonds that shouldn't be broken are too often the first to break, is the main point of all of this."
"Okay, got it, keep my word. Can I go now?" Was asked with forced cheerfulness.
"No, sit you down and listen... this wisdom was hard won and cost me dearly!" The older, wiser voice said with quiet force. "Fine, since you like those silly stories that are coming into fashion...
"Once upon a time ago in a far away land there was a proud young man set about wedding the love of his young life..." The voice sighed with a hint of frustration.
*****
The young man was happy that he was going to wed the light of his life before the mid-summer day when he would have to stand and be chosen into servitude or make his own life. It was just the way of things. If on that one day after the age of account, a person were with family, then you could make a life in the village. If not, then the Lord of the land could chose of those free of family to work, labor, fight, or serve to the betterment of the Lord's holdings.
It was with his head held high, and chest fill with pride he went to pay his bride price and betroth himself to the most fair of the land. She would give him a life filled with love and children. She would keep his house and family and he would prosper from it. It helped that he had found himself in love with her since they were small children. He always knew there was no other for him but her. He felt from her the same. They had promised themselves this at the age of five and would hold that promise until the end of time.
"You, boy, to the village center!" A harsh voice said, breaking into his thoughts.
"Sir...?" He asked shocked, looking at the knight.
"You heard me lout, to the square... there is war about and you look like a fine recruit!"
"But sir, I must go to my betrothed... the choosing is not yet for after the spring plantings and Midsummer Day." The young man asked impudently. Did not this stranger know the law of the land?
"You have sprit boy... save it for the time of war! The Lord will make his choosing now, so there is time to train you before the first battle is upon us." The man smiled, showing a fine scar trailing down his jaw and neck. "Learn this well boy, never question your betters, and to win a war you must live through it! Now go hence to the village center." The man shoved him in the opposite direction.
After much pleading, shouting, crying, and promises to wait for each other, the young man was chosen to be a soldier in a war he knew nothing about. On the day he left for his training, and one chaste kiss, he looked back not knowing he would only see her once more and never in the same light.
Months of grueling training later, he was looking at his first battle. His heart was pounding in his chest. "Keep steady boys... look at that lot, and smell the fear coming off them, like the piss running down their legs." His captain said to his men. "Use your head and you will keep it attached and your breath still in you! Mind your training, keep your wits and hold the line!"
The battle raged, blood was spilled. Guts were strewn over the field making it slippery. Wounds were given and received and the red haze of battle swarmed the men, but they held the line. The battle was theirs. They pushed the opposing forces back until they were called to halt.
"But sir, we could have..." The young man shouted with battle rage.
"Calm yourself boy!" He shook the young man. "This battle is over! For fuck sake, on the marrow we will most likely be fighting alongside these sods, as fighting against them! Damn it to hell!" The captain spit on the ground. "Learn well boy. Soon those two bastards, who call themselves Lords, will be kissing each other's arse and buggering their own mothers to win favor of the King. Trust only your company, and never these piss poor trained villagers to have your back! Now, go get you cleaned up, that'll give you a reminder to keep your head cool in battle." The captain slapped his arm, right above the slash a carless block caused.
"Aye Sir." The young man said feeling the pain of the wound he didn't feel until his captain made him aware of it. He did not make a sound as he was tended to, like all lessons learned, he learned this one in silent thought.
*****
Seven long hard fought years later. The man gathered his armor and belongings and put them onto the pack of the second horse. "Where the fuck you going boy?" The older man asked.
"I have paid my way, I have done my time. I go back to the life you interrupted." He looked at the man who had changed his life. The words were not hard but honest.
