3. The spearfighter comes

The spearfighter comes


  • Login: wannabe_irish
    Character name: Darmon

    Another cold desert night…
    Another day living of little water and even less food...
    The entire camp was worried, three different water sources had run empty...
    He hardly cared, his mind being clouded by the happiness of love.
    He had become a man three years ago...
    He had been given the title of warrior the very next...
    This year, he had married Iris.
    he smiled brightly, but his waking dream got disturbed.

    He looked at the wall of his tent, the light of the fires of the camp vaguely visible through it.
    Raised voices...
    Footsteps...
    A shuffling close to his tent...
    Someone entered...
    His father, he was bleeding, he had been beaten.

    Help me, son, I need your help
    He pleaded, it was not like him to ask help, especially from his son who still had so much to learn in his eyes…
    Darmon, please, help me, for our family's sake
    Darmon… only fathers who saw their children as adults called them by their name...
    What had his father done?
    Darmon, I…

    A gang of men stormed into the tent.
    Tolan, son of the headman, brother to Iris and rival to Darmon leaded them.

    There you are, dog, we knew you'd crawl to your little boy for help…

    Iris had woken up by that time, she drew the bedsheet around her, covering herself from the sight of the other men.

    Tolan, what is the meaning of this? Why do you barge into our tent like this?
    She asked.

    Me, sister? Tolan replied I am just here to make sure this cowardly dog doesn't get away, and that you get a better husband than one of his offspring, who probably is just as weak.
    This last came out as a sneer towards Darmon.

    What are you talking about? What gives you the right to insult my father and me like this?
    Darmon practically yelled.

    This -dog-, boy, has stolen from the camp's supplies of food and water,
    he couldn't take the shortage like a real man would, you know now what this dog's penalty is, don't you… boy?
    Tolan said mockingly.

    Death… death for his father...

    Banishment for himself, and for his younger brother, who had been declared a man this year... being sent away with each three shortspears, a round shield and a small blade... both in seperate directions, followed for three days to make sure they didn't aid eachother...

    His youngest brother and sisters... given to the women who couldn't have children, or whose children had died during the draught...

    He was only glad his mother didn't live anymore... she would've been given as a wife to him who caught his father... undoubtly Tolan himself...

    He shook his head to wake up from his daydream
    What proof do you have of this?

    All that was necessairy, you have already been convicted.
    Tolan grinned amused.
    You are no longer welcome here boy, you will receive the mark, so the other tribes know you have no honor left, your brother has already been sent on his way. Come sister, this man is not worthy of you
    He was almost laughing.

    Iris stood up, she was crying… for how long already? Darmon didn't know.
    She knew what was happening, she knew the laws, she would not resist.

    He would show that he had dignity, he would not resist either.

    Darmon stood up, grabbed his short spears, his shield and shortblade, but when he tried to leave, Tolan stopped him.

    Your punishment is not finished, boy, considering you shared your bed with the headman's daughter, even though you are not worthy, you should be slain. But we have something worse to scar you with
    He grinned broadly, and took both him and his father outside, he grabbed Darmon's blade and put it on his father's throat.

    No! You cannot do this! You don't have the right! You're not worth the name of warrior, nor that of headman! Why don't you give up your petty jealousy, if you do this, nobody will follow you!
    Darmon yelled.

    Look around you, boy, none of these men care
    He grinned.
    And as for my jealousy, I have no need for that, you have no honor.

    Then, a burning piece of iron was pressed into his shoulder, the mark of the fallen, no other tribes would take him in now…
    He looked up again, and Tolan stood grinning.

    Now to execute the tribal law, and with that, your father

    His father looked at him, tears in his eyes.
    I am sorry I failed you son, go, don't look back, find a fellow warrior.
    Have him train you, regain your honor…

    Tolan slit his throat… he looked at the blade in his hand and threw it at Darmon's feet.
    Yes boy, go into the other lands, try to regain your honor, when you have your own flag, and a vanguard to carry it, as those people seem to think so high of it, you will regain your status as a man.
    Take the blade, and no other, it is the only possession I hand to you, you'll get no water to clean off your father's blood, and if you wipe it off on the sand, I, and all the others here, will say we had to kill you for dishonoring our tribe.

    He grinned one last time, then walked off with the others.
    Darmon sheathed the blade, took his father's body and buried it that same night.
    He remembered a friend of his tribe, who was a tradesman, maybe he could learn him something about the other lands…

    Dante Sirgelson... that was his name...

    He took up his spears and shield, then set out towards the dawn...

    ((edit: some spelling errors, name of character))


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