"Malique! Come down from that tree and go help your mother. She needs you to go and get the horses from the fields."
"Yes father. In which field is she referring to?"
"The one with the river running through it. You'll find the foremen waiting there for you."
As a young boy, my father had begun showing me the ropes of war techniques and how to handle horses for both work and play purposes. As the captain of the king's guards, he was responsible for the wellbeing of the king's horses and weaponry of the other guards, and thus would always include me in the management of the beautiful and magnificent creatures. I loved the large beasts and I would always jump at the chance of spending time with them whenever I could, and I would always dream of joining the army as a member of the Calvary or better yet the infantry. When he told me to go and retrieve the horses from the field, I had been on the orange tree picking some oranges for my friends before we were to part ways to head to our homes.
"Hey guys, come up I throw for you the oranges that you wanted. Father has sent me to the fields to go and retrieve the horses before nightfall."
"Malique, you are mad, you know? You want to throw those oranges on our heads? Throw them on the ground!" replied Othera, my best friend.
He was soon joined by several of our friends who scampered to retrieve the oranges that I was dropping on the ground. As soon as we were done with what we were doing, I quickly ran towards the fields to go and help the foremen bring the horses back into their stables. I had my favourites as any boy would have, and had always asked to lead them by myself back from the fields. When they were back safely under our care, mother would, by that time, have prepared supper that we would sit as a family to enjoy. My father would tell us stories of what had been going on within the palace, or within the war fronts as he would be receiving, and each time he would tuck me in bed afterwards, I would stay up in bed, listening to the silent, deep breathing of my parents as they slept, just imagining the excitement that I would have experienced if I was participating in the war or within the palace as my father's assistant. This went on for quite some time and I enjoyed every moment of it. However, time came that I would relieve my imaginings as a real warrior, and by the time I had attained the required age to participate within the army, I was eager to join my fellow countrymen in defending my country and my gods.
"Son, come over here. I need to speak to you about something." My father called me one time before I had left for the recruitment.
"Yes, father." I went over to where he was and he made me sit at his feet.
"I know that you are very excited about joining the army. You somehow remind me of when I too was excited to join the army when I was your age, but eventually, the excitement goes when you find out what you do while in training! It's amazing, but very fulfilling. Anyway, I wanted to just wish you great luck as you venture out into the world as a soldier, and to tell you not to forget where you came from. The army is a place that I know many people have been broken if not made, and you will be no exception to that crowd, you hear?"
"Yes, father."
"You no doubt have heard the stories of many people that have been harassed by the very people that are supposed to protect them. Such stories come about due to some of the soldiers thinking that they own the place, and thus have the power to harm them at all costs. I wouldn't want to hear of such cases in your part, do you hear?"
