| Fantasy Fiction posted April 20, 2018 | Chapters: |
...12 13 -14- 15... 
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Joshua sees his future
A chapter in the book GULBRANDR- God's Sword
The Vision
by Roxanna Andrews
The author has placed a warning on this post for violence.
| Background A child is chosen to lead an army against a horde destroying everything in it's path. |
This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Do not be discouraged by this mighty army for the battle is not yours but Gods. 2 Chronicles 20:15.
How had the enemy gotten past the lookouts and into the fortress undetected and why had not Augdon's men sounded the alarm?
The man stepped towards Joshua and he flinched. He gripped his arm and drew him to an opening cut in the wall. He said nothing, but pointed to the scene taking place below. The horde had overrun the fortress grounds. Joshua tried to free himself, but the man held him fast. Black beasts descended from the night sky and spat fire setting the fortress and the buildings that housed the dragons and cats ablaze. He could hear the screaming of men and beasts. He fell to his knees, tears in his eyes, but the man pulled him to his feet and point again. He saw the women and children being bound with chains and taken away to be sold as slaves, Lyse among them. Joshua fought to free himself, but could not loosen the man's grip. He screamed Lyse's name, but no sound came out.
He saw men and women warriors fighting desperately in the yard and in the woods surrounding the fortress, but to no avail. The horde was too great and there was no one to lead them.
The scene before him blurred and change to one of a village. The people ran before the horde and were cut down, the dragons spat fire and men ran engulfed in flames. Screams of women and children could be heard as well as the men who were pierced by the long spears the horde carried.
Joshua felt an anger rise within him that he had never known. He clenched his fists and set his jaw, biting down so hard his teeth ached.
From the north, Joshua could see a vast army on horseback, a mighty warrior in the lead. They galloped at full speed and entered the fray on huge Friesian horses, muscled and powerful enough to wear armor. The horsemen cut down the enemy with sword and bow, many being trampled beneath horses hooves.
Above the chaos, dragons arrived to do battle with the black beast that spat fire. Joshua saw himself sitting on Dyster's back, the blue dragon soaring over the enemy, and himself using sword and shield as he fought enemy riders. Beside him the Nubian generals rode and shot arrow after arrow bringing down rider and dragon.
Joshua felt an unearthly feeling, a dizziness that made him grip the window opening. He looked to the man standing beside him and he had changed as well. He now had the appearance of a Wahaland warrior and he placed a hand on Joshua's shoulder.
"Do not fear, Joshua, for this is why you were born. Be bold and courageous for you are chosen of God to lead a vast army against a great evil. You will be victorious and they will be wiped from the face of the earth. After this battle you will ever be known as Gulbrandr, God's Sword."
Joshua's eyes flew opened and his heart pounded. He jumped to his feet and look around the room but there was no one there. He looked out the window opening and all was peaceful. He saw Lyse heading to the dragon barn and he ran to catch her.
He slipped into the barn behind her. "Lyse."
"Joshua?"
He pulled her into his arms and held her tight.
"What has happened?" She drew back from him and looked at his face. "You are pale, are you unwell?"
He shook his head, "No, I am not unwell. I have had a dream, or perhaps a vision. It seemed so real, I thought it was. The horde had come here and I was without weapon or shield. I saw you in chains being take away." His voice shook with emotion and Lyse took his arm and made him sit on the bales of vegetation used to feed the dragons. "Tell me." She sat close beside him and he told her all he had seen.
"I know it was terrible to see these things, but now God has shown you who you are. You need never doubt again."
"It has left me greatly shaken. I thought it real, and when I saw them taking you away, I wanted to throw myself from the opening to save you." He pulled her into his arms again and for the first time kissed her on the mouth. He did not care if Augdon found out.
They were silent for a long while, sitting with their arms wrapped around each other. Lyse withdrew from Joshua's arms and began taking the straw blankets from the dragons.
"I was heartily sorry to hear of your grandfather. To be prisoner to the horde must be a cruel and terrible thing. After what I saw, having to fight for such people could destroy a man," Joshua said as he helped Lyse take the blanket from the dragons.
"He was taken on a scouting trip, now they make him fight for them. Father has his men watching him. It has made him most anxious, he and my grandfather are close."
She hesitated a moment and then went on. "Another thing that causes him much distress is he cannot hold a sword as he used to. He has lost some feeling in his hand and arm and cannot fight as he did. It leaves him feeling useless. I do not doubt it is another reason for his frustration with you. He does not like to speak of it, so do not say I told you."
Joshua sat on the bales again. "I have never seen him use sword or bow, but I thought nothing of it. He has men to do the training so he did not have to use his weapons. I feel I have learned too much in these past hours."
Lyse squeezed his arm and he drew her to him. He kissed her again, feeling great relief that she had not been taken away in chains. Joshua realized he loved her more than his own life and felt he could not live without her.
He stayed with her talking until the sun came up and helped her feed the beasts. Soon the generals and warriors arrived for the daily training with dragons and cats.
The images from his vision were burned into Joshua's mind and he saw them each time he closed his eyes. It took several nights for him to sleep soundly again. At times he would dream, often that Lyse was being taken away and he would start awake and reach for his sword.
The vision had instilled within him a determination to put an end to the horde. He saw the way he had been, what could happen if an army had no leader, and understood better why Augdon would be so cautious about him. And he saw what he could become and no longer wanted to be that insecure boy, but the champion he had seen on the dragon, bringing down his foe.
Joshua realized he'd had a nagging fear within him that he was not good enough. Augdon's distrust of him had caused his confidence to further erode until he thought of leaving the mountain. But he could never leave Lyse. He could not ask her to go with him as he would be too ashamed, could never ask her to be tied to a failure all her life, no woman would want such a man for a husband or a father to her children.
The vision, though it had shaken him greatly, was a relief as it told him who he was. He often felt he did not belong because of who his mother was. Some in the village would not associate with him because of her. His uncles always told him he came from a great house, whatever people might say, but it left him feeling insecure. He worked harder to be the best warrior in the village to show everyone he was as good as they where. But deep inside was that gnawing feeling, those thoughts of, "Who do you think you are? You are nobody."
He wanted the mountain men to believe in him, to make Augdon and his uncles proud. And Lyse, he wanted her most of all to be proud of him. To think him worthy of her. She completed him and his life would be nothing without her. Even if he did all that was expected of him, without Lyse none of it would matter.
He admired Augdon and Valdig. He wanted to be their champion, but the responsibility had been crushing him, causing him many sleepless nights and to be impatient with himself.
The vision had reassured Joshua and restored his confidence. He threw himself into being the leader of a great army. He began speaking up at the war council meetings, giving his ideas and opinions and they were well received. He spent time with Valdig who encouraged him and advised him on how to lead. Joshua looked forward to his time with the older warrior. For his age, he was still vibrant and filled with passion.
Joshua decided to move into the common room were all the warriors stayed, for a time. They were his men and he needed to get to know them and understand how an army lived. He began to feel at ease with the way things should be. He behaved as a leader and gained the men's respect.
Cedric also moved to the barracks and made up for lost time on the training field. Joshua watched him and saw his natural talent with a sword and bow. It would not take him long to be as good as any man on the mountain.
Joshua now realized it had been Cedric leading the charge on horseback in his vision. One day he would tell him.
As the weeks past, Joshua grew in his confident. The men listen to him and began to follow his commands. Augdon seemed at peace with it and let it be.
The Friesian is one of the oldest horse breeds and originated from Friesland between the northern Netherlands and Germany. They are beautiful horses, rarely have any white markings and are dark or chestnut in color. They can stand 17 hands high, but average is 15 1/2. I thought they would make a good war horse. They are big and slower but not plodders, they are also very calm and gentle.
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