Galen
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Galen felt the air rushing against his face.  The ground looked so
tiny, the trees and shrubs appreared to be toys.  It was one of the
most amazing things he had ever seen.  For a time, he forgot he was on
the back of a large dragon and that he was VERY high in the air.  He
was so lost in the wonder of it all.

The teleporation had been pretty amazing as well.  One minute they
were above the warren, the next they were above the campsite where he
had been found.  Meena and the large dragonrider, Meena said his name
was Farr'in, had gone one direction, and the others had gone another. 
Now they flew, looking for something out of the ordianry.  Galen was
too busy staring at the ground in wonder to look for anything.  

They had been flying for quite a while when Meena turned to him and
pointed to the sky ahead.  Galen looked to where she was pointing and
froze.  There was a black cloud, and when he squinted, he could make
out that they were birds.  Scavengers.  The kind that would hover over
a battlefield.  

Damn.  Dammit to hell.  He had hoped to miss this - maybe he still
could.  

"Maybe there was a big animal that died there."  He knew it was a very
lame attempt, but he couldn't think of anything else.

Meena shook her head.  "No, I don't think so.  I've never heard of
that many scavenegrs hovering over one animal.  I think we should
check it out."

As she turned her dragon towards the cloud, Galen knew there wasn't
anything he could do.  It was too late now.  As they came closer,
Galen could see the tents.  Most of them were crumpled in heaps on the
ground.  Small forms littered the campsite, and it appeared the whole
ground was moving.  

"What in the hell is that?"  Meena asked.  Galen was silent, the
memories already begging to play in his mind.

Closer and closer they came.  Suddenly Meena sitffened, realizing what
was before them.  An army.  Or at least, it had been an army once. 
Several thousand men lay on the ground, all of them dead.  They had
been dead for some time, and the scavengers were picking over them,
looking for some scap of food.    

"Shit!  What in the hell is an army doing here?  What in the hell
killed them all?"  

She landed on a ridge above the campsite, Farr'in close behind her. 
The dismounted and slowly walked towards the campsite.  Galen felt
numb inside.  

"Holy hell.  I've never seen that many dead men in my entire life." 
Farr'in's voice was thick with amazement.  

Galen stood looking over the carnage, desperately trying to keep
control of himself.  

"The worst thing that can ever happen to a unit commander is when all
of his men are killed and he survives."

Meena and Farr'in turned to look at him, confusion in thier eyes.

Galen had to try three times before the words would come out.  "There
is something I need to do in there.  You don't have to come with me." 
With that he started walking down towards the campsite.  He heard
steps behind him indicating that they were following, but his mind was
on the task before him.  

He walked through the dead, not looking down, trying to keep the food
in his stomache.  He could see one tent still standing and made for
it.  He was amazed to see that it had with stood the ferocity of
battle.  He stopped before the tent and looked at the men lying around
it, finally allowing the memories to fully return.  A lone tear rolled
down his cheek.  

He stood there for several minutes, remebering and greiving again.  He
finally went into the tent, for it was his tent, and looked around. 
Everything was still in place.  Farr'in and Meena came in behind  him,
questions in thier eyes.  But they could see Galen's mood and kept
thier silence.  Slowly, methodically, Galen began to gather his
things.  Books, the rest of his clothes, several personal items.  He
packed them all up.  

Finally the tent was empty and he exited it and viewed the death
again.  

"There is nothing more I can do here.  There are things I need to tell
the WarrenLady.  Please take me back."  

Meena only nodded.  Silence rained through the trip back to the
Warren.  Meena must have forewarned them, because when he arrived in
the WarrenLady's office, Lacey and T'grat were also there.  He handed
his things over to Farr'in and finally told the WarrenLady the whole
truth.

"I am Major Galen Elessedil of the royal army of Capera.  I have lied
to you about several things and I beg your forgiveness.  It was
necessary for me to keep the truth hidden until I could be sure that I
was safe here.  I have a story to tell you and I ask that you do not
interrupt until I am finished."

The WarrenLady gave a brief nod and he began.

"For the past sixteen years I have served in the army of Capera.  For
fourteen of those years, I was under King Darian.  King Darian was
wise, paitent, and kind to his subjects.  Capera borders a stretch of
land called the Waste's, because nothing grows there.  No one has ever
gone into the Wastes and returned.  King Darius knew that there was
danger in the Wastes and he always avoided them.  Two years ago the
king passed away.  His son, Seth, was crowned and Seth began to refrom
many of the things his father had done.  He was young, arrogant, and
bold.  He did not believe that there was dnager in the Wastes. 
Instead he believed that there were immense riches there, waiting to
be taken.  The reason no one had ever returned is that they were so
immensly wealthy that there was no need to come back.  He planned an
invasion of this promise land.  An army was prepared, ten thousand men
strong.  The army would break into two prongs, each marching across
the Wastes and into this land of wealth.  There were some who opposed
the king, telling him that his plan was foolhardy.  We tried and tried
to convince him that there was nothing  but more Waste, but he would
not listen to us.  Bound by my oaths, I was forced to be a part of
this mission of invasion.  We marched into the Wastes, full of fear
and anxiety.  We saw nothing for four days.  Then, as we were setting
up camp the fourth night, the creatures attacked.  I can only describe
them as something out of a nightmare.  We were taken by surprise, but
we fought hard."  Galen's voice broke and he swallowed a few times
before continuing.  "They were too large and too numerous for us to
prevail.  I rallied the men of my unit and we made our way to the
outer edge of the camp.  There was fighting like I have never
experienced before.  By the time we cleared the camp, there were only
three men left with me.  Some of the creatures followed us and we ran
for the forest.  I remember hearing each man scream as one of the
beasts caught up to him.  I was the only one to make it to the forest.
 I lost the creatures there, hiding in the foliage.  I was lucky  to
have still had my marching back pack on, and I was able to survive in
the forest.  I walked for three days, eating berries and drinking from
the streams.  After three days I was found by Meena and Jahn."  He
paused here, looking at each of the people present.

"I am sorry I did not tell you this before.  I had lost my sense of
direction during my flight and I did not know if I was in an enemy
country or if I had crossed the Waste and had made it to a land
beyond.  It became apparent very soon that I was in a totally
different land, but I still held my silence.  I was ashamed that I had
been a part of an army that had planned to invade you.  I had hoped
that I could start a new life here and that my past would go away.  I
should have known something like this would happen."  He cleared his
throat, stood a little straighter and looked the WarrenLady in the
eye.

"All of my vows and obligations to my old life lie dead on that field.
 As far as I can tell, I was the only one to have survived the attack.
 I can only assume the other prong met a similar fate.  I ask that you
allow me to stay, because I have found here a peace that I haven't
known for a while.  I understand that I have lied to you before and if
you turn down my request I will gather my things and leave.  My
judgement is in your hands WarrenLady."

For the first time since he had arrived here, Galen felt relaxed.  All
of his secrets were out now.  It might mean that he would have to
leave the Warren, but he would accept that if it happened.  He watched
the WarrenLady, waiting for her to pronounce his fate.

<Tag Les>

__________________________
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore!"
Ben Tate
Major Galen Elessedil