Jack Hawkins and the Faery Prophecies

Two Eagles and a Raven

- Two Eagles and a Raven

"Answer the Captain!" Said the other rider. His voice hoarse and mean. His spear outstretched and steady.

"I'm not spying Sir. I'm just a boy! I don't even know how I got here." Declared Daniel, exasperatedly, his voice filled with fear and his head filled with thoughts of crying. But for some reason, the tears would not come. He was feeling so afraid, that his whole body was freezing up!

"You expect us to believe that? And you helped this deserter escape!" Said the Captain, his shiny face visor on his golden helmet disguising his facial expressions and making him all the more intimidating.

"I didn't help him I swear! He was just there. I've only just met him." Cried Daniel, his hands still up in the air, his knees wobbling with fear and his mind praying that it surely all just had to be a dream. A very realistic dream.

"Stop your lies boy. Hold your tongue!" Said the Captain, as he sat proud in his great white horse. He looked down at the camp in the valley and then looked down at the Goblin by the riverside, who his men had now captured and restrained.

"I'm sure the General would like to hear from you." Sated the Captain.

"Seize him and take him back to camp! And bring that damn Goblin too!" He continued sharply, as he turned his horse on the ridge and began to descend back down into the valley.

"NO,! But Sir I'm not from around . . ." Said Daniel as he tried to shout out after the Captain but before he could finish, the other rider hit him on the back of the head with the wooden shaft of his spear, instantly knocking him to the ground and unconscious.

. . .

"Oui! Wakey wakey." Came a familiar but not so familiar voice, as Daniel's eyes began to slowly open, one eye lid at at a time. His hands bound with rope and his weary body strung over the back of a mangy old horse that was trotting along slowly.

"I told you they'd see ya! Told you to get down! But did you listen? NOOOO!" Came the voice again, as Daniel strained his head a little to look up at where it was coming from.

"That's the problem with you Humans. You always think you know best!" It continued, as Daniel realised it was the Goula the Goblin, who was also tied up and strong over the back of another horse which was trotting directly besides that of Daniel's, both horses being pulled and led by Knight in front and both being guarded by a knight riding behind.

"I'm sorry." Said Daniel softly.

"SORRY?" Declared the Goblin! His eyes wide with anger.

"He says sorry. HA! It will take more than that my lad, to make amends. I had a great spot up there, and all I had to do was wait until nightfall and then cross river, cross country through the forest and I would have been home for my chicken dinner by this time tomorrow evening." Sarcastically snapped Goula.

"Now, I'm back in this stupid camp with this stupid army, to fight in this stupid war!" Moaned Goula, his green face half full of anger, half full of sadness at the prospect.

"War?" Asked Daniel inquisitively.

"A war between who?" He enquired further.

"A war between who? You really aren't from here, are you boy?" Stated Goula, his face rather bemused looking.

"This is the Grand Army of the West my lad and the Grand Army of the West is going up against the King in the East!" Declared Goula.

"Why?" Asked Daniel, simply.

"WHY? Because everybody is so drunk with power in this place! And because everybody hates somebody! You see the Faeries, they live in the west and the King who rules from the East is an Elvish King! And the Faeries hate the Elves, always have, always will. And the Elves, well they of course hate the Faeries and used to be ruled by them too. History lad, that's all it is. And then there is everyone else in between. Like us Goblins, our traditional, historical and I suppose present enemies, are the Dwarves and they owe their allegiance to whom? But the Elves of course and so our stupid Goblin leaders decided to rope us in on the side of the Faeries just so we can fight the Goblins once again and so here we are! Fighting in a war that was not of our making just because of some ancient grievance. Quite preposterous really, when you think about." Replied Goula.