Mystery of the Bogged-Down Warrior
My non-official entry to the 2007 Samhain Bard of the Bog contest.
Original Bog Body post for the Clonycavan Man.
|
The Warrior stood bravely, staring over the crowd gathered near the edge of the marsh. His arrogant glare stopping purposefully to look in the eyes of the rival clan's king who stood in front of him. His hands clasped loosely in front of his body, shoulders relaxed, he was ready.
It was just a few days ago that he had been captured, then brought to this village. How he had let that happen, he still did not understand. But happen it had, and quickly. They allowed him a good diet of fruits and vegetables, but there was no doubt what would happen to him. A man of his station, his abilities and strength, only had one possible fate in the hands of an enemy: ritual sacrifice. Their crops had not been good, and they needed a scapegoat AND a means of ensuring the next harvest would be ample. That is where he came into the picture.
This king, rather than sacrificing himself, had decided that the Warrior's clan was responsible for the poor crop, and so he would be killed and buried in the bog along the border. The Warrior understood this, though he thought the clan's king should be man enough to sacrifice his own life for the good of his people. With a cheeky grin, the Warrior said the same to the king, and that his cowardice had proven what a poor sort of people this clan was made of.
This inflamed the king who was in fact, trying to spare himself. But he was not going to stand for insolence from an arrogant fool. The king looked at two other men, who then walked behind the Warrior. Knowing his life was nearly at its end, the Warrior didn't hesitate when each man put a hand on his shoulder. He knelt before the king, in a sort of parody of humility, which made the king let out a gruff bark of laughter. His eyes never left those of the king, as the Warrior laughed back, halting the humor in the king's eyes.
One of the men shaved half of the Warrior's head, then stood back. The king walked around the young man, until he was directly behind him. With one quick anger-filled yell, he slammed his axe into the skull of his prisoner. His anger and humiliation fueling him, the axe fell again and again. The Warrior's body fell to the ground, the king's anger spent.
As is custom, the body was buried on the border of the two clans in the hopes that the next harvest would be better. The bog holds many secrets, how long will this one stay hidden?
|
|
Fun and Games
|
