Chapter 4

Lightning brightened the sky as the waves tossed the ship back and forth like an unsteady drunk. We had been out to sea for two weeks when the storm hit us. Sending massive waves taller than the four masted ship crashing onto the deck. Not even the crew dared to leave the safety of the decks below, so we sat in the mess hall or in our bunks waiting out the storm. It was in the mess hall I overheard a few of the crew talking.

"It's bad misfortune what brought this storm on us," one bearded, one-eyed sailor said.

Another broke in with his thoughts, "nay it be sorcery, the captain must have run afoul of some sorceror while we were at port."

"No it's a sea monster, causin' the waves, not some magic."

"Maybe it's one of those folk the captain took on," another piped in barely louder than a whisper.

I pretended to ignore them, eve as their conversation moved towards deciding I was at fault for the storm. I knew sailors to be a superstitious lot but I had not been on a ship for a long time and I must have forgotten how superstitious they were.

It hadn't been my intention to stay on with the ship for this long but we had run afoul of some pirates and the ship was knocked off course. The captain had been doing his best to get us back to land, but nothing seemed to be working.

As I sat and listened, my food all but forgotten, I began to wonder, there should be no rational reason for the ship to have gotten so off course, and have such trouble finding land again. Than the storm kicked in just as the captain seemed to get a bearing. It was strange I admit but there couldn't be sorcery behind it, magic was just tricks of light and illusion.

This scepticism must seem odd from someone who claims to be immortal, but I assure you in all my life no man or woman has claimed to be able to do such acts. Even to sway a small glass of water to your will is impossible, but here I sat in the middle of a ship beseiged by a storm crewed by sailors and captained by a man who had been sailing all his life, yet somehow could not get the ship back within sight of land.

As I excused myself I slowly made the trek away from the mess hall to the bunk I shared with one other person. A poor sea sick kid, who had run away from home and bartered for passage to the next city in hopes of starting a new life away from his small town. As I knocked on teh door I was greated by the groans of the boy. As I climbed into my hammock I stared up at teh low wooden ceiling.

"There may be trouble coming soon," I commented more to myself than to the boy, but responded none the less.

"How could we be in any more trouble?" he asked in between groans, "the captain's lost, and now this storm, and I think the food is oing to run out soon."

True enough the ship wasn't stocked to last out more than a month of sailing, and the time and stores were running perilously thin. I turned my head to the green tinged boy, "I think the crew may mutiny soon."

he boy frowned and almost vomitted there in the room but he held it back, through a wracking cough he managed to ask, "what will we do than?"

"Hope I suppose," I said as I rolled over.

That night my forecast came true, the captain was overthrown by his crew and tossed into the sea, as the captain was swalloed by teh raging waves the sky began to clear, and his replacement soon got the ship to land. We had been barely a day from the ships destination.

Occasionally I find myself wondering what actually caused that storm, or the unfortunate luck that had bfallen the ship. Was it mere chance that the storm ended when it did or was there indeed something far more sinister involved?

Chapter 3

As I trudged under the oppressive midday heat I passed an elderly man, sitting cross legged in the dust on the side of the road. I stopped for a moment to look at him. From where I stood I could have sworn he was dad.

His flat chest stood motionless, and the dust had settled on his bald head like a blanket. As my curiosity got the better of me and I leaned closer to the old man.

"What may I ask what are you searching for young man?" he spoke, causing me to start back a step.

I apologised saying, "I did not mean to disturb you. I mistook you for a corpse."

"There is no need to apologise, for when I meditate little startles me."

"You knew I was there?" I queried as I moved to the side of the rode.

"Yes, in fact I heard you coming this way near half an hour ago."

I stared at the old man for a moment, "you are jesting with me."

"I do not jest young man, please sit so that I may speak with you."

As I sat down facing this strange man I asked, "were you waiting for me?"

"I wait for no one and yet I wait for everyone," was his response.

"I was very young," he continued on, "and most likely much like you. Travelling this world aimlessly with no true destination. I lived day to day with no hope for the future nor any life in the past. One day as I travelled I was stricken blind by a strange bird. It had pecked my eyes out as I slept. A traveller not unlike myself as I am now took pity on me and helped me to the next town. There he stayed with me,at first I was impatient and morose. I longed for death, yet still this strange traveller stayed with me. Years passed as I slowly realised the true meaning of peace. The pain I felt at the loss of my sight was replaced by a peace fullness I never thought to exist. Now I sit here in the very spot in which I was blinded, imparting some of the wisdom and kindness the strange traveller showed to me."

I smiled and nodded, even though he could not see my actions I some how knew he could tell what I would do. A soft yet gnarled hand reached over and patted my own hand. "Be safe in your travels young one, for there are times ahead that will test you."

As I stood up I smiled, "I have come across many such trials, but I will keep your words close to my heart."

He nodded sagely as I walked away, unsure whether or not he knew I was near three times his age.

Chapter 2

She frowned at me as I stared through the window. It had been unseasonably rainy the past few weeks, causing me to stay in the town longer than I had anticipated.

The people were nice enough but I was eager to move on, I had been hoping to get hired on board a ship heading south to the warmer climes. The weather was starting to turn cold and if the didn't stop soon I would either have to travel in the rain or stay here until spring. As I grew lost in thoughy hardly moving with my eyes fixed on the rain drenched horizon she coughed none to politely.

As I turned my head she frowned again, "you gonna order something?"

I nodded and asked her for a mug of ale, and some stew, she nodded brusquely and trundled off. The heavyset woman who ran the inn was nice enough but she didn't like freeloaders. Either you worked or you paid. Although I had reason enough to suspect she was less cordial towards me for another reason. Her young daughter had become somewhat infatuated with me. A skinny little slip of a girl, barely old enough to marry.

I had swept into town like so many travellers before me, and I had been staying in the inn for only a few days when I over heard the mother and daughter fighting. Normally I would have just moved away but I had heard my name so I sat and feigned sleep. The daughter was on love with me, and the mother was doing everything she could to persuade her daughter against the idea.

I was going to leave the next day, except when I was heading to the door the inn keeper shook her head and informed me that the autumn rains had come late and were now hitting in full force. The storm was far too strong for any person to travel, so I relented and returned to my small room. I tried to stay out of the way, and keep my distance from the girl, but she would find ways to speak with me and follow me around.

Finally after a week she had gotten up the courage to talk to me. She told me all about her life here at the small town, and how she had been picked on all throughout her life. It was sad in a way, how she seemed to think that I would stay to protect her from a harm that had already been done to her.

Each day I would sit in the same chair, and she would bring me breakfast and we would talk for a short while before her mother would rush by and shoo her off. Leaving me to sit and stair at the dark clouds and the pouring rain.

Another week passed, and than another with no change in the weather, I started talking with one of the inn's regulars and he'd say the rain should let up soon, and he'd say how nice I was for taking time to speak with the girl. I frowned and mentioned I had over heard her plans to marry me. He laughed it off and responded, "she does that near everytime someone new comes along. Poor girl's hearts been broken alot since she got old enough to marry. She falls for one of you rough and tumble types and than sits in her room and crys for a week when he leaves. "

"Don't you worry about her. Life goes on and more people come to the town, some poor guy might come along and marry her and get her with child and she'll be happy, but you don't seem the type to settle down, if you don't mind me saying."

I smiled and nodded and sipped at my ale, that old man seemed to be able to read me pretty easily.

The night before I finally left she came to me in my room, I would have none of her, and she cried and begged for me to stay. She said she could tell I was a good man and I'd be a good husband but I merely shook my head, and told her that I wasn't. Her hands reached for mine and I pulled away. Her tears flowed just as heavily as the rain tapping at the small window in my room.

I stood staring at her for a moment before I shook my head, "you're a nice girl and someday you'll meet a nice man. I am not that man, I will be leaving tommorrow morning I doubt I'll ever return this way, so it's best you forget these fantasies of yours, and listen to your mother. In all my years travelling I have learned a few things, love isn't somethign that you find, it will find you when you're ready for it."

She continued to cry even as I left the room and slipped out of the inn door int the dark and wet night.

I lied somewhat after my travels south I did eventually come by, the fat woman who ran teh bar was replaced by a tall brown haired man, and his wife, a thin red haired woman, her eyes lit up when she saw me but the light drifted off and she greeted me with a stiff nod. As I sat down at the same table I sat at so many years before she brought me a bowl of stew and a mug of ale. Wiping her hands on her apron she sat down across from me. She smiled at me as I turned to look at her, the innocent young girl had become a beautiful woman. With a glow of happiness about her, my eyes turned to spy a small boy sitting by the fire playign with a wooden horse. I turned back to her and she merely nodded. Placing a hand on the top of mine she stood and smiled, "you were right."

That was all she had to say I turned to my meal with a smile and as I walked down the road into heading north her voice echoed in my mind, "you were right."

Chapter 1

Night had come swiftly that day, the dark clouds above all but smothering the sliver of a moon vainly trying to shine it's silver light down upon us. The others were quiet, we had been fighting for almost two days straight, those that were left numbered just under fifty. On the morning we would face near two hundred foot and a hundred mounted men.

It was more our fault that this situation arose, for we did not think that our foe would arrive with such numbers. We had managed to hold the pass with half their numbers but each day more of ours would fall.

The battle had continued on with little respite for those of us left, until night came that evening, for it was far to dark to cross the treacherous grounds before us, to continue the fight. Though that did us little if any good, for even this small reprieve would not last, for I could feel the tensions of the silent few near me clotting the air like a heavy mist. No one spoke but the air reeked of fear and despair, few would survive. Most likely none would, save for myself, but than I can not die, which is little consolation at a time like this.

The men surrounding me were my friends, I had trained and trained with them. If my count was correct I was now the second in command under just one other soldier who had the unlucky fortune of being promoted over me the day before. Not that I was bitter, I was pleased for him to hold such an honor even for so little a time. Shortly after our general had the unfortunate grace to fall to a simple foot soldier's pike.

As I sat and stared at the fires across the rocky field I was drawn out of my reverie by a tentative tap on my shoulder. As I turned I was greeted by my commanding officer, he spoke with a quiet urgency his voice barely above a whisper,"I wish to speak with you."

I nodded even though he would be unable to see, and rose, together we softly picked our way to teh back of the line and he laid out his plan to me. "We're all going to die here, I sent a runner back to the city to warn them of our failure, and perhaps the rest of teh army will be able to advance and meet them not far from us. We have a more difficult task ahead, they are going to storm us with their cavalry onthe morrow, no matter our defenses we will be unable to survive that."

I simply nodded, as a cloud drifted out of teh path of the moon I could once again see his face, I had forgotten how young he was, barely twenty if a day, a wisp of a beard barely covering his cheeks and chin. At that moment my heart fell, he was to young to be leading this army, and younger still to throw his life away for someone elses fight. Alas that is how things happen those who should not are and those whou should aren't.

The sky once again darkend as a heavy black cloud crept it's way across teh sky once again shying the moon away from us. "I think we should take every man and make our move tonight. They will be caught off gaurd and if we can frighten their horses they may cause far more damage than I could hope."

"If we can get the horses to charge into the camp," I said some what doubtful, even though I would have suggested the same course.

"Yes, which is why I need you to lead the men. We'll station them aound one side of the camp with bows, and fire into the camp after the horses have done their work. You should be far enough away that they won't be able to see you and you'll have the fire on your side."

I nodded again knowing this to be most likely the best course of action, "and you'll be leading the group against the horses?"

He nodded, even though I could not see it I did not need to for I had already known what he was planning when he spoke of the plan. "Don't do this, I can lead the team to free the horses, you may be able to salvage what's left of this and still make it home."

"No, they won't listen to me, we both know that," he cut me off harshly, "none of the men respect me, nor do they agree with my promotion. They WILL listen to you, if you claim the idea as your own they will agree with it."

I believe he could tell my reaction to this thought even though he could not see my face, I spoke no more of it, he was going to walk into the mouth of death, not for glory nor pride, but for teh love of his country and of his men. War did strange things to men, those that are brave cower and those who seem meek of heart flourish, but this was a battle doomed to fail, and the remaining three hundreed we were facing might cower at the losses they might face if the plan worked.

Again I nodded, and he extended his hand and I gripped it tightly, as I strode away from him and silently began gathering those that were left. As we all huddled together I outlined the plan, but instead of attributing it to myself I made it know it was his idea. The dark silence that followed after I finished was heavy and oppressive but than one man spoke up. "I will go with him."

Than another and a third and a fourth, as we crept forward in the darkness I once again met my commanding officer as he slid up beside me and he whispered in my ear, "I thank you but you did not need to do that."

"Of course I did," I replied as I looked up at the dark sky, "if someone survives it shoudl be known what you did and what you accomplished when men thought greater than all of us could not, you could. You're doing it right now, you are a great leader my friend."

He almost laughed at me, "I'm no leader and I'm no warrior. i'm just a sheep herder from a small town."

I clapped him on teh shoulder softly and squeezed reassuringly, "no you are a hero. Let it be known that you did what needed to be done inorder to protect those who could not protect themselves."

He nodded, and I nodded and as I let go he and the four other men crept away and into the enemy camp.

Vacation!

Going on vacation this coming week so today next tuesday and next thursday I will be taking a short break. ^_^

Introduction

Greetings dear reader, whomever you are and however you chanced upon these writings I implore you to read this thoroughly before passing your judgement upon me.

My writings may seem erratic and this is the first of what will probably be thousands of entries. I do not intend to prattle on about mine own thoughts, nor mine own feelings. What I do intend to do is to open your eyes, and if what you read here performs such an act even in the slightest than I shall consider this the best laid plans of mine own life.

So my new friend, what I will tell you might broach what you view as conventional thought, or it may break upon you like a wave crashing against a cliff. But however these writings affect you in whatever time you live, with no relevance to how you live or whether you live oppressed, poor, rich or anything else, read what I write with an open mind for what is to follow, will seem to you fictitious and fanciful.

It is however not, the words I am writing now are true, and nothing that you will find within these pages is false, the events that I will be writing about have happened, so read with care reader for this is not the writings of a madman, but perhaps the first written words of a man truly unable to die.

Through no fault of my own I assure you. I had spent near a half year attempting to rid myself of the treacheries of this life, to no avail. I am aware that you think this to be impossible, and the wiritngs of a man insane or perhaps you think this is truly a work of fiction. It is not, I have no way to prove this to you so I again ask that you read with an open mind.

So read on my friend for through these words you will not only glimpse the past through the eyes of one who has experienced it, but perhaps you will gain some insight into the future as well.

Just Another Job

He sighed as he stared out at the building across from his room and light another cigarette. The windows were still dark and would likely be dark for another few hours. His client had originally wanted to come with him to make sure he got the job done. He had used all his patience trying to convince her to stay away, eventually she broke down and chose to let him do his work alone. His knife was the deciding factor he assumed, havign brought it out after he tired of their little game of words.

Absentmindedly he picked up a now cold french fry and placed it in his mouth, his rifle was set up at his side ready for the deadly work that would hopefully come soon. Another sigh and a puff on his cigarette and he chewed on another fry.

It seemed like near a day before he say a light pop on in a window. Immediately he had his rifle cocked and read with his eye on the scope. The shadow of a woman passed into the window beckoning to his target. It seemed he had been busy that night. A shame, he'll have to charge a gratuity for the woman. He shrugged as he watched the woman push the man onto a couch and straddled him. His hands were fumbling around her back and her's were deftly removing the belt from his pants. He smiled as he watched the pair, it wouldn't hurt to have a little show.

They were onto what he guessed their third go when the rifle snapped back against his shoulder and the woman's back arched. Twice more the rifle shuddered as a second and third bullet entered the woman's back as she slumpped to the side he fired three more times, two bullets entering his chest and one dead centre into his forehead.

As he packed up his rifle, he picked up the last fry and ate it, hopefully the guys widow was more grateful than she let on she'd be.