Please hold on
I am begging you to never let go
Let these prayers reach your unconscious self
I can feel her warm breath up against the nape of my neck
Her legs hang limply on both my sides
I clench her thighs closely to me
Trudging through the thick marshlands drains my energy
The more steps I take, the heavier my injured sister seems
Her breathing becomes more ragged as her body gets jostled around
In the not to far distance I can hear the gallops of horse hooves
The enemy is closing in
My body is screaming in pain
But my love and resolve is telling me to push foward
Even though my life does not matter
My sister's life means everything to me
The swampy water grows colder the more I continue
I need to hurry and make it across this death trap
Clenching her tighter against me, an arrow whizzes past me
The high pitch sequel kicks in my adrenaline
I can see the dry land ahead
But the sound of the enemy commander ordering his troops to nock their bows is just as close
I scream in hopes of pushing my body beyond its limits
Lighting strikes as the sky above me becomes a foreboding green
An arrow strikes my calf
I stumble and my sister makes a small sound of distress
However, I manage to catch myself and push through the mind numbing pain for her sake
I will not give up until she can be safe again
The recollection of her cheerful demeanor allows for a smile in this desperate situation
Through the sound of more bow strings being pulled I see a lone horse mere feet away
Tied and abandoned on a rotted tree
My heart palpilates as I thank the heavens for this blessing
Another volley of arrows releases
In an unescapable predicament I throw my sister in front of me and shield her
Several arrows penetrate my back
I grit my teeth in agony
Biting my lip, I prevent releasing a pitiful scream in my sister's presence
The horses are now closing in
I have to push through and make it to the horse
Using the last ounce of strength I toss her onto the horse's back
Stroking her hair and giving her a soft kiss on her cheek
I wish her farewell, and motion the horse onward
It gallops away to the far horizon where the sky is beautiful
I collapse to the ground and face the marshland where the thunder clouds are marching in
I can see, hear, and feel the enemys' animosity
I close my eyes and scream out my love and hope for my sister
As my words finish, a sword cuts through my neck
Where moments earlier her soft breath gave me the hope of a future where she will keep on living
I die, with the hopes of her escape
Leaving my flesh behind to watch over her until we meet again
©kamen1
K