once
upon a time there was a woman
who
had been wronged
in
fact, she had been so betrayed
that
it twisted her soul even beyond the point
where
she thought it could be fixed
but
time wore on and she stopped worrying about
the
twist of her heart
and
learned to love the pain
-
or so she thought
now
a warrior she roamed over hill and dale conquest on her mind
and
blood in her eye and pretty nearly had all of known Greece
in
the fist of her left hand
her
right hand on the hilt of her sword of course
because
she trusted no one
how
could she when she'd never gotten over
the
pain of unrequited love
seems
she'd given her heart to a man
she
had no business dealing with
but
learned the hard way that the division
of
a woman's heart and mind
brings
certain ruination - but then who needed a heart
not
her - ever -
so
she packed it away and concentrated on one thing:
pain
if
she was in a world of it then it was only right
that
the world be along for the ride
and
what a ride
until
the small wee voice of a child pricked past her defences
reminding
her that although feelings can be denied they
can
never ever be truly killed.
and
so she packed things away again
only
this time it was sword
and
chakram and set out to meet
oblivion
maybe
no one knows for sure
but
it didn't matter because another cry filled the air
and
pricked past her defences
this
time it was a young woman with adventure in her eye
and
a keen heart to follow in the warrior's footsteps
was
she insane to follow such a lunatic
such
a bloodthirsty villain
most
assuredly
but
evidently she saw something no one else did
the
warrior princess had a heart
it
was rusty because it was seldom ever used
but
it was there all the same
but
being a tragic figure meant the young woman had to put up
with
less than ideal conditions and rather stoic behaviour
which
didn't deter her one bit because she was made of
pretty
stern stuff besides her family really
didn't
have a handle on who she was and the woman
who
fancied herself something of a bard
wasn't
going to come crying home to them and prove she
was
so different that a broken down old war horse
wouldn't
have her around
but
after a period filled with thoughtless actions
naivety
and foolishness
the
bard did something the warrior never expected
she
began to think of them as being friends
and
friends didn't let other friends live life so dangerously
that
they risked life and limb at the drop of a hat
and
on a regular basis leaving her to tend a warrior who
was
more than a little bothered by nightmares
every
so often but never mentioned
because
of the embarrassment involved
but
soon things like that weren't quibbled over any more and
the
warrior began sharing many things
things
the bard wished she hadn't
like
her penchant for really evil things
and
a list of wrongs that would choke a horse
but
it wasn't as if the bard couldn't put two and two together
what
with people trying to kill the warrior left and right
even
her dear old mother who turned out to be just as stubborn
and
ill tempered as her daughter
but
there was love in her stone heart
so
the bard knew there must be some in her child
soon
the friendship offered was reciprocated
and
in one moment of certain death three little words
were
exchanged that changed it from being something sweet
into
something very rich and deep and everlasting
the
words 'soul mate' were bandied about and the two women
had
to face the fact that they were destined to be together
for
all eternity in one shape or another
and
so they went along fighting the good fight
and
trying to clean up the messes the now redeemed warrior
had
left behind her
but
can you truly find redemption
perhaps
only in the arms of a bard
which
is what I believe she did although I have no proof
other
than a touch a glance a shared bath or three
and
more words of love
but
it didn't matter because having removed the mantle of evil
the
warrior found herself wearing one of heroism
which
didn't quite sit right with her
that
dirty old battle lust still roaming around in her veins
but
something else was flowing the juices
urging
her to enjoy the new life she found and the good
woman
who gave it to her
you
can take the warrior out of the fight but you can't
take
the fight out of the warrior for long or even short
because
truth will always out
and
spending a lifetime to atone for this kind of behaviour
is
always a risky business at the best of times
how
much is enough
and
who decides
why
the warrior does of course
she
who knew the truth would come and bite her in the butt
sooner
or later and had only one hope
that
the bard wouldn't be painted with the same damned brush
and
end up being thrown out with the bath water
anointed
with the pain she always lived with but hoped
to
leave behind
they
found themselves in one scrape or another
and
the bard was pretty sick and tired of the good fight
so
she tried to see a future for them where pain wasn't involved
but
the warrior knew not to deny her destiny
it
would be found at the end of a sword
although
she tried valiantly to convince
the
now much improved warrior bard
that
things would be better if she would just go home
she
also knew that her dark path
was
entwined with blonde tresses
and
so she let the woman follow
where
angels and demons feared to tread
facing
down one foe or another until even the heavens
felt
her wrath
but
there was no redemption although it was promised
and
partially given if you really squint and believe in such nonsense
but
still the warrior moved on down the road
understanding
that she could never do enough
that
the scales would never be in balance
and
so she took up a losing cause one that would mean certain death
probably
sick and tired of the good fight too
after
all she'd lost almost everyone she'd ever cared for
had
vanquished every known villain in the land
and
finally found a bit of peace within herself
it
was time to hang up the sword and die the good death
the
death every warrior dreams of:
sword
in hand and teeth bared
taking
as many down as you can
before
being counted out
which
is what she did
and
the bard cried out for the hero
because
she knew the hard fight had been won
and
the scales had been finally tipped in the warrior's favour
and
now that she was dead the warrior could relax
and
actually live the first moments of her adult life
without
pain
wrapped
in the sure knowledge that love would keep them together
because
the bard had written it so
and
everyone knows things happen precisely as they should
(c)
Trish Shields
062001