“Display of Power”
Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!
Rain fell, making the ground slick with mud. Their boots quickly sank down, becoming covered with a thick coat of sludge. Occasionally, they would lift their feet to ensure that they would be prepared to move at the signal.
At the front of the group, their leader was pacing. She held her spear tightly in her hand, twirling it, almost as a display of confidence.
Only those who knew her well knew that it was a sign of the opposite. The familiar movements with the weapon calmed her nerves. Still, it was an added bonus for her that those very same movements were perceived as a threat by those who dared to oppose her and her soldiers.
She watched her enemy’s leader with narrowed eyes. He, too, spun his spear between his fingers. He thought that she was challenging her in a display of power and skill.
His movements became more complex. His boots tugged at the mud as he added footwork. The dark brown sludge splashed up, carried by brown leather, onto the bottoms of his pants. The splashes rose higher and higher as his feet moved faster.
From across the battlefield, she continued her same movements. She had nothing to prove to him, nor to her soldiers. So, she focused on herself, on saving her energy, on becoming mentally prepared for the battle ahead.
Final Comments: I completely forgot about the raining part as I got further into the story…
Overall Rating: 😅
"Waiting on Lady Rosenvall"
