The War Is Over

The war is over.

The warrior in fur looked as his tribe took over the stone castle. The men in metal were laying down their arms and surrendering. Finally, his tribe had succeeded, the pillagers of the land have been stopped and maybe his tribe can return to living harmoniously with nature again.

As the warrior in fur helped subdue the last of the resisting men, he recalls the peaceful time before the war started. He was born into his tribe some twenty years ago. Growing up, he'd watched as the men and women of his tribe ventured into the forest next to the plains where the tribe was located every day. The men would hunt for deer, boars and other animals, while the women would gather berries and nuts.

As the warrior in fur grew up, he was taught how to hunt; and when he was of age, he, too, would join his tribesman in the forest, hunting animals for the tribe.

A few of years later, one of the elders of the tribe gave his blessings to his daughter and the warrior in fur and allowed them to start a family. The warrior in fur did just that and welcomed a son and a daughter into the world.

It was a couple of years after the birth of his daughter, when the warrior in fur and the rest of his tribe had their first encounter with the defilers of the land.

The day had begun like so many other days; the men were hunting while the women were gathering berries and nuts. The warrior in fur was stalking his prey, when off in the distance, a tree fell.

Normally, one tree falling down wouldn't be a cause for concern, but then, several more trees started to fall after that. The warrior in fur looked at his leader, who was just as shocked about the unnatural sounds that they were hearing. The leader sent the women back to the tribe and the men went to investigate.

The tribesmen tracked the noise through the forest, while the animals of the forest ran in the opposite direction. They finally reached the source of that cataclysmic sound and several of the warriors gasped at the destruction that they found.

Numerous trees had been felled and still more were getting cut into by the axes of a group of men wearing strange clothing. Unable to stand for this insult to the forest that had nurtured and provided for them, the warrior in fur and his fellow tribesmen attacked after their leader gave the order.

Using their bow and arrows and their spears, the tribesmen killed some of the pillagers and drove away the rest. With most of the pillagers dead or running away, the warriors went back to the tribe to report the events.

Several days passed by peacefully. The warrior in fur was at the tribe, showing some kids the basics the hunting. In the middle of his lesson about spears, they were suddenly interrupted by men in metal riding in from the forest on horses. With them, was one of the tribesman that had gone hunting that day; he was tied was his hands behind he back and a sword threatening to stab him in the back. The pillagers had slaughter the hunting tribesman and had forced one of them to lead the pillagers to the tribe. They pushed the tribesman forward and he fell to the ground, several of the tribeswomen ran over to help him.

The leader of the men in metal bellowed, "We have served you your retribution for your attack of our people. Our lord wishes to speak with your leader, so that we maybe prevent further bloodshed."

The chieftain step forward, and mentioned to the warrior in fur and another tribesman to follow him.

"Take us to your lord then," the chieftain said.

Thus, the warrior in fur went with his chieftain into the pillagers' land where he saw the most unnatural things. Animals were kept locked up, the river was blocked, and stretches of land had been replaced with stone. It was as if they were trying to subjugate nature itself.

The tribesmen were led into the tallest stone building, where the men in metal's lord sat on his throne above them. Right away, the warrior in fur felt insulted by having to look up at this man who was in charge of the pillaging of the forest.

For hours, the chieftain and the lord argued. The chieftain argued that the lord and his people had no right to cut down the forest, killing off the animals and the plants that the forest provided, and disrupting the natural course of nature. The lord, however, wouldn't listen, arguing that they were going to expand their land for their people, that subjugating nature was their right.

The final insult came, when the lord suggested to the chieftain that the tribe would be better off if the tribe moved in under his rule. Not only was the lord saying that his people were superior to the tribe, he was also trying to get the tribe to pillage the forest that they had grew to love and depend on.

Insulted, the chieftain turned around to leave. As the chieftain left, he warned them about harming the forest again. The lord just replied that the tribesman was be no threat to their soldiers and let the three tribesman go back to their home.

Back at their home, the chieftain gathered up the warriors of the tribe and declared that they would protect the forest, waging war with the lord and his men if they had to, "These men have defiled the land and have pillaged the forest! They have threatened our tribe, our way of life, and our precious nature! They do not deserve mercy! We must do what we must do to protect the tribe and nature herself!"

And that was how the war started for the warrior in fur. For many full moons, the tribe's warriors would protect the forest and its inhabitants. The pillagers' lord would send his men in metal into the forest to attack the tribe itself, but the warrior in fur and his fellow tribesman were prepared. To get around the metal that the pillagers wore, the warriors would use the forest and their knowledge of it to their advantage. They would hide in the treetops, striking only at the right moment. They would lay traps for the pillagers, incapacitating the men in metal that triggered them.

In the early days of the war, the traps would be simple traps that only aimed to incapacitating; the tribe was release the pillagers that were lucky enough to survive the day's assault. However, as the war grew longer, the warriors of the tribe grew weary and their assault and traps grew deadly. By the later days of the war, the traps aimed to kill, and any of pillagers caught in the forest alive would be executed.

Then, it was time. The tribe was weary of the war, but they knew that they had to press on. The chieftain ordered the warriors to attack instead of defend.

The warriors in fur marched through the forest and into the village on the other side. They set fire to the buildings that they came across and slaughtered anyone that stood in their way. They stormed the castle of the lord, where the lord surrendered. The warrior in fur watched as his once peaceful tribe killed the remaining resistance. His fellow warriors brought the pillager's lord to their chieftain and forced him onto his knees, so that the war could end.



The war is over.

The soldier in armour threw down his sword as the barbarians came storming in. His lord had surrendered and he was to do the same. He watched as some of his fellow knights threw down their own swords, while others resisted and were killed for their efforts. As he witnessed the carnage around him, the soldier in armour thought back on his life before the war started.

Born into a family of nobles, the soldier in armour was raised and educated in the village. As a teenager, he showed prowess in combat, and thus was trained to become a knight, a soldier for his lord. Starting out as a squire, he was eventually knighted after doing well enough in a tournament. The soldier in armour can still remember how happy his family was during the ceremony.

A few years after he became a knight, his family arranged for the soldier in armour and a woman from another noble family to be married. Although the marriage was arranged, they tolerated each other on the worst of days, and enjoyed each other's company on the best of days. Two years after the marriage, they had a son whom they loved very much.

However, they were not the only ones that were having children. With the population of the village growing, the little village was having trouble keeping up. So, the lord gave the order to starting clearing the forest next to the village, so that the village could expand and have more resources.

The soldier in armour can still remember the day when some of the villagers that were sent out to clear the forest came running back while the rest were dead. They had been attacked by the barbarians.

Surely, this was an act of war, but his lord gave the barbarians a chance and ordered a group of knights to go across the village and invite their leader to speak with him.

With a group of fellow knights, the soldier in armour ventured into the forest. Spotting a group of barbarians, the knights approached them. As the knights neared them, the barbarians spotted the knights and raised their spears in response. Remembering the massacre of their villagers from earlier, the panicked and vengeful knights attacked.

The barbarians were no matched for the knights, theirs spears and arrows could not penetrate the metal armour of the knights at all. The knights easily defeated the barbarians and captured one of them.The knights made him lead them to where the barbarians lived.

Coming through the forest, the knights entered the plains where the barbarians lived. The knights looked in disgust at the barbarians who lived without a trace of civility.

The knights asked for the leader of the barbarians. The chieftain stepped forward, and along with two other barbarians, they were led back to the castle of the knights' lord.

In the castle, the barbarian's chieftain and the soldier in armour's lord argued for hours. The lord explained that the village was running out of room and that they needed to clear the forest to keep the village alive. He explained to the barbarians that men shouldn't be running about half naked and living in huts. He explained how civilization is the correct way for humans to progress. However, the barbarian's chieftain would have none of it. He clinged onto his obsolete beliefs and disregarded the knights' lord's arguments.

As a gesture of goodwill, the soldier in armour's lord offered to let the barbarians join the village and learn about civilization. However, the barbarian's chieftain insulted the lord by refusing his offer. As the barbarians left, the chieftain warned the knights' lord against trying to clear the forest again. At this point, the knights' lord gave up, and let the three barbarians leave after warning them that this meant war.

That night, all the knights were gathered in front of the castle. War had officially been declared. Their lord was on the wall of the castle, overlooking his soldiers, getting ready to address them. The soldier in armour recalls what his lord told them that night, "These barbarians have slaughtered our men! They have refused our offer of peace and civilization! They would rather cling onto their obsolete beliefs than become enlightened! Not only are they a threat to our village's expansion, but also our village itself! These savages will not stop at the forest; they will come for the village as well! We must protect the village and destroy the barbarian threat!"

Thus, under the orders of their lord, the knights would march into the forest, attempting to cross through it in order to attack the barbarians. However, the knights never made it through the forest. Every attempt was stopped by the traps and ambushes that the barbarians had prepared. The knights had never encountered this kind of warfare before, and were unprepared for it.

Finally, after months of wearing down the army, the barbarians attacked the village. The soldier in armour watched in the castle of his lord as his village was being burnt down. He was worrying about his wife and his son when the barbarians barged into the castle. The soldier in armour prepared to fight, but his lord finally gave up and ordered them to surrender, ending the war.



The war is over.

The warrior in fur watched as his tribesmen brought the soldier in armour's lord to his knees in front of the chieftain. The chieftain took the lord's sword and executed him.

The war is over. The warrior in fur and his tribe celebrated the defeat of the pillagers, while the soldier in armour and his fellow knights slumped in defeat as their village was overtaken by the barbarians.