{"id":2551,"date":"2023-09-23T12:28:33","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T19:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2551"},"modified":"2023-09-23T12:28:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-23T19:28:33","slug":"the-weight-of-a-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2023\/09\/23\/the-weight-of-a-soul\/","title":{"rendered":"The Weight of a Soul"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Write a story about a warrior who doesn\u2019t want to kill the dragon.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cedric\u2019s plate armor sat piled atop his folded tabard just inside the entrance to the cave. He\u2019d done the honorable thing for his horse of sending it off. If he returned soon, the horse would be waiting; if not, it would find its way home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half a mile farther down in the cave, Cedric leaned against the wall of the vast cavern and sighed. He laid his spear and sword next to him on the ground and shook his head. \u201cOh, my dear, dear Gwendolyn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Cedric.\u201d The deep voice came from the other side of the cavern. \u201cI\u2014I didn\u2019t mean to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Cedric answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The owner of the voice moved across the cavern toward Cedric, the small fire in the center shining off her golden scales. She moved close enough to lay her fine-scaled head, the size of two horse heads, on Cedric\u2019s lap. Her bright yellow eyes reflected the flickering of the fire as she looked into Cedric\u2019s. \u201cMust it be so?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cedric scratched the ridge above her nearest eye. \u201cYou were to hunt only<\/em> in the wilds, and not to bother with the settlements. Why did you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was so hungry. The king\u2019s huntsmen chased all the game out of the foothills.\u201d Her gaze bore the semblance of pleading. \u201cFor three weeks I hunted without success. When I saw the slow-moving horses pulling their load, hunger took over, and I had finished the first before I could comport myself properly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cedric patted the heavy head that lay on his lap. \u201cThat horse was one of the king\u2019s favored draft horses.\u201d He lay his arms across her head and leaned forward to lay his head on hers. \u201cI warned him that flushing all the game to his preserve would cause problems that he couldn\u2019t foresee but the young king rules at his own whim.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll the game?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs much as can be got. You\u2019re not the only one who was hungry. The populace began petitioning to hunt on the king\u2019s preserve. He grew tired of declining their requests and ordered the huntsmen to drive the game back to the hills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStill, must you? If the game is coming back, I can return to my normal hunt,\u201d Gwendolyn said. \u201cAnd how would the king have responded if a hungry bear had taken his horse?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe would have sent a huntsman to bring him the head of the bear. The huntsman would have just brought the head of the first bear he came across.\u201d Cedric sat back up and began scratching over her eye ridge again. \u201cDifference is, since you\u2019re a dragon, he sent a knight. You are the only dragon for days and days of travel. I don\u2019t know whether it is a boon or a curse that he sent me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA boon, for certain,\u201d she said. \u201cI would not be happy without the chance to say farewell to my dearest friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNor would I.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI will leave here,\u201d Gwendolyn said, \u201cfly many days south and find a new home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat would the preferred action,\u201d Cedric said. \u201cThough my life be forfeit should I return without your head, I will happily make that trade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She reached forward with a clawed hand the size of Cedric\u2019s torso and laid a careful finger on his shoulder. \u201cYou and I should flee together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould that I could, dear Gwendolyn, but it is not to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you know what happens to a knight that betrays his lord?\u201d Cedric grabbed the finger on his shoulder. \u201cAt least, if the king demands my death, it will be quick. My presence as a knight-errant would only further endanger you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do not like this,\u201d she said. \u201cHow is my life worth more than my friend\u2019s? I do not wish to cause the death of my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou speak the truth we both face. Would that I could convince the king that you are no threat.\u201d He sighed. \u201cI tried, many times but could not get through to him. But\u2026I have sworn to honor, and to lay down my life for my friend is the highest honor I know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou belittle the vow I have made,\u201d Gwendolyn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPray tell, dearest friend, what vow have you sworn to?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you remember our first meeting?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI could never forget,\u201d he said, \u201cthe day a small boy got lost in the hills and wound up between a bear and her cubs. You came down between us like a golden angel from heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI made the vow, then, to you.\u201d Her closed half-way. \u201cDo you remember what I said?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou said, \u2018You are protected,\u2019 then led me to the road.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would be breaking my vow to let you suffer harm for my sake. I must pay the price for my mistake, and you must return to your king with his prize.\u201d Her large hand slid back toward her side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat weight a vow against my soul?\u201d he asked. \u201cI can no more kill you than I could kill my own kin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI won\u2019t make you,\u201d she said. She shifted her weight with a rumbling grunt, her pupils dilated, and tears began to well in her eyes. \u201cYou forever have my love and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cedric reached down and found his spear missing. \u201cWhat have you done?\u201d He looked at the bulk of her body laid out along the wall and saw a growing pool of dark liquid shining in the firelight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have protected you, body and soul. You are without sin, Cedric. Would you please stay with me until\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am here for you until your light goes out,\u201d he said, tears blurring his vision, falling and joining the tears of the dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She held something between two claws and offered it to Cedric. \u201cTake this and remember me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He took the offered scale she\u2019d removed when spearing herself. \u201cI will remember you for as long as I draw breath, and my children and grandchildren as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her labored breath rattled in her chest, and pink flecks of foam came from her nostrils. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, for leaving like this. I fear I will no longer be able to protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cedric watched as the light went out of her eyes. Her head lay heavy on his lap, and her breathing stopped. He closed her eyes and wept.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

prompt: Write a story about a warrior who doesn\u2019t want to kill the dragon. available at Reedsy Cedric\u2019s plate armor sat piled atop his folded tabard just inside the entrance to the cave. He\u2019d done …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208],"tags":[216,210,209],"class_list":["post-2551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trunk-stories","tag-fantasy","tag-fiction","tag-short-story"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pxT7i-F9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2551"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2552,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2551\/revisions\/2552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}