What makes a warrior? Is it the taste of blood on your tongue, or the smell of salt and steel? The stain of earth and the scorn of eyes that have seen too much? They ask if the warrior is the one who fights for the sake of it; who revels in the power over life and death, and finds meaning on the battlefield; the position to shout battle calls, or the inability to follow them. Is a warrior the spit in the dirt, the blood of the earth, the overshadowed eyes, and the unforgiving grip? Or is the warrior something different?
What makes a warrior? Not the blood on your teeth, but the blood in your heart. Is it not the beating and breaking? Is the warrior the one who stands at the ready, or is it the one who is never quite ready, but stands in spite of himself? A warrior is defined by the words on his tongue, and the weight of his shoulders, and the openness of his arms. He is defined by the shield, and not by the sword; defined by what he loves and not by what he hates. Is he less a warrior if he finds a distaste for war? He will still fight it, will he not? And how can a warrior be the one who fights as if he has nothing to lose, when there is so much more courage and honour in the man who fights for the things he could?
What makes a warrior? Isn't it less the quiver of arrows on her back, but rather the quiver of her lips as she sets her teeth and takes her aim? The dirt on your skirts, and the steadiness of your hands, and the quickness of your eyes? Is a warrior the skill to shoot the bow, or is it the willingness to shoot when you'd rather not fight at all? Is there not a warrior in the girl who dances each night with ghosts in her eyes, just for the fact she still dances? Why should the warrior be the one who charges through battle, and not the one who washes her hands and dries her eyes when the battle is done? Is there not more strength in the woman who lives when the battle is over than there is in one who fights and bleeds just to feel alive?
What makes a warrior? The sharp edge of the sword, and the sharper tongue, and the dark eyes, and the darker thoughts? Or is it less about the shadows, and more about the light? What if a warrior is not the desire to punch and pound and hit and slash and slice, but rather the flashing of steel in the midst of the war? Is he the stain of dried blood, or is he the deep red of blood freshly flowing? The glint of the teeth in the hint of a smile; the glint of the eyes after tears; a warrior is the chill of winter and the diamonds in the snow, before he is the quick-witted fighter and the broken bone. So is he made by the count on the battlefield, or is he made by the steps he took after? Is the warrior his ghosts, or the fact he is not one of them?
What makes a warrior? Not the size of the strength, but the strength of her faith. The warrior is the wisdom and the courage and the stubborn will working together. So is the warrior the one who rushes into battle, or is she the one who learns and practices when she is unable to? The foot in the earth, or the foot in the grave? Who made a warrior the strength of her swing, instead of her determination? And why should she bow to those rugged, dirty pictures of a warrior, when she has strength enough for all of them? Is she a warrior for her dagger, or for the moments she keeps it sheathed? Is she a warrior for her wounds, or the ones she takes the time to heal?
What makes a warrior? Is it less the bravery and the skill and the battles and the bloodlust? Isn't a warrior the depths of his love and his reasons for fighting? He is not a desire to fight; he is the desire to keep his family safe. And isn't a warrior the weight of her duty and the weight of her crown? She is not the love of battle; she is the willingness to do what is needed. Isn't a warrior his progress? He is not the short temper or the quick sword; he is each day lived in hope instead of regret. And isn't a warrior the size of her heart, not the size of her sword? She is not the hard punches; she is the love that hits harder. So what makes a warrior? Not the desire to fight; never that. More the willingness; more the commitment. What makes a warrior is the strength of their love.
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Further Up & Further In
FanfictionThis is my attempt to add to the beautiful world of Narnia through my writing. Inspired by both the books and the movies, I have written several one-shots and short stories on a variety of themes and characters, and as long as the inspiration keeps...
