Writer’s Workshop Submissions. Cycle 1, Week 3 - The first battle

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Here we are for week three of of the Writer’s Workshop, and the theme for this week, thanks to @Geoffers747, is The first battle.

Take this in any creative direction you prefer. :smiley:

So, go for it. You can submit any story related to the theme.

Just to go over the rules once more:

  • You can only submit one story per week. And in the interest of making this manageable (for the community to read and review), we’re asking for submissions to be no more than 500 words.

  • Vote for as many stories as you want - simply ‘like’ the associated post by clicking the heart at the bottom of the submission.

  • Keep all discussion of this week over here, as anything in this thread that isn’t a story will be moved or deleted.

Story submissions will close on the Wednesday July 31st, and the winners of this cycle will be announced alongside the following weeks new theme.

We want to see all stories regardless of ability as we’re thinking about the possibility of having future awards such as ‘most improved writer’, so don’t feel like you can’t submit!

p.s. Don’t forget to stop by the Qubicle Competition, Week 4, and vote on your favorite!

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One day, while the sun was shining and the wind blew softly. The people of the city Ref, was working hard and very safely on making houses and forts. Then out of nowhere a squad of footmen from the neighboring kingdom came and the leader, who was wearing red instead of the (what I guess to be the normal color) black, said to me “we need to speak to your leader immediately.” Now I was not one to get a chance like this, to go see the leader of our land, so I said “follow me, sir.” After I took them to castle I waited outside the door and listened in. our leader was yelling “I WON’T, GO BACK TO YOUR KING AND TELL HIM I WON’T.” the footmen came and stormed right back to border and to their city. A few weeks later I had joined the army and was put on guard in a tower to make sure goblins would not attack. I wish now I did not join in the first place. The next day after I was assigned to the tower I saw an army getting ready to storm the city. I sounded the alarm and hurried down, with my bow, and got ready to fire at command. The army never moved until the footmen that was here so long ago came up and yelled at us. “Our king has declared war upon you because of not giving us…” An arrow that was shot by my officer stopped him then he said “fire at the army, do just stand there I said fire.” The siege has begun. We fired and then a wall fell we retreated to the next wall right before the castle. On the way there I saw death in the eyes of the people and my own. I ran and fired every shot with accuracy and then I heard a horn. It was not our horn or anything like it but the enemy retreat and the battle was over but I’m afraid the war was not. When I went to find my captain, he was on the ground dying I called for a healer anybody but no one came. His last words to me were “my name will go down in history”, his name was Mer Burlyhands.

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I looked at what was once my home to see burning embers. My house was only one of many that brightened the night. All who survived the horror made refuge on top of the hill overlooking our village. From the vantage, we could see the glowing buildings shining like stars in the night. The village which was once so peaceful was reduced to an inferno. The ones who caused such hell would not return any time soon, for the horror of the night was not ours, it belonged to those who thought we could fall so easily. It started a little after dawn; a few goblins emerged from the forest. We assumed that they had noticed our villages’ growth and prosperity and hoped to trade to get some of the prosperity for themselves. We were half right; they did want the prosperity for themselves… In a swift motion, the largest amongst them drew her sword and killed three of our people. The world stood still; no one moved. Everyone simply stood agape and starred. The surrealism of the moment was shattered with the tremendous battle cry the leader of the goblins let loose. The other goblins followed her lead and charged, we ran. They burned our crops, plundered our resources, and smoked us out of our homes. I knew we were all done for. The leader had us lined up. She sneered down at us. I saw our doom in her eyes, but her expression soon turned from one of victory to confusion, to fear, to hate and then became vacant. She slumped over and fell to the ground. Mer stood over her, his burly hands never before looked so inspiring. As one we got up and fell upon our would-be conquerors. The sun was setting. The red of the sun only intensified the red of the burning buildings and our anger. With their leader gone, the goblins crumbled beneath our wave. When the sun had finally set, the battle, our first battle was over. Together all of us who were victorious waited above on the hill waiting for the fire to subside and for the smoke to clear. Months after the battle, nearly all the village was rebuilt and to nearly everyone the battle as only a memory.
Only I hear the constant clang of battle in my head, as I hammer away, making weapons and armor awaiting the next battle. The goblins will be back and we will be waiting.

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Yet another continuation, the third in my little saga. Not sure how it reads on it’s own, but here are part one and part two if you haven’t read them yet and would like to. Decided to try a less predictable route with this weeks theme, tell me what you think :blush:

After Godrick got Samson’s arm patched up as best he could, they dug graves. Only one had a makeshift tombstone. There was no service, just a few moments of silence to mourn. As they began preparing a meal around their cookfire, Godrick approached Mer solemnly.

“This was sitting on the table by his cot” Godrick said without inflection, handing a sheet of scribbled on paper to Mer. “Didn’t read it. Didn’t want to. Samson will want to, cost him his hand, give it to him when you’re done.”…

Crossing the pass was easy. It shouldn’t have been that easy, and we could all feel it. that feeling of disaster right around the corner… but nothing happened. We were cold, and we were hungry, but we were safe.

On the other side of the pass, the land was untouched, like nothing we had ever seen. Raw and bountiful, without shortage of any kind. We set up lean-to’s that first night, and did little but gather food the first day. The second day the real work began, chopping trees, and laying down the foundation for a house. Nothing fancy, barely a house at all, but we could sleep a little heavier with a roof over our heads, that was for damn sure.

It didn’t quite take a week for us to get really settled in, but once we did…then things weren’t so easy. The first attack came with the light of dawn, and we were not ready for it. Why would you attack at dawn? It just seemed so… wrong. Monsters come out at night, right? Well if you thought that, you were wrong. Very wrong.

I was keeping watch through the last few hours of the night, and once the sun broke the horizon…well I dozed off as I heard the others moving around inside, it made sense to me at the time, I’m sure it did. There was no danger left.

I woke to a blade piercing my chest, and opened my eyes to a goblins grotesque face inches away from my own, howling with bloodlust. How did he get so close without me hearing him? I should’ve heard him, should’ve woken up. The rest of our band came bursting out of the house almost immediately, and I saw that this goblin hadn’t come alone. There had to have been at least six of them. How did they get so close? Why didn’t I hear them? I guess goblins aren’t quite the clumsy beasts I had expected…

I didn’t see much, hard to focus when you can feel your life pouring on to the forest floor. Plus me passing out didn’t help. But I saw Mer wielding that carpenters hammer like a war hammer, crushed at least two goblins skulls. Illowyn had her bow strung already, must’ve been gearing up to go out and hunt…guess we were just lucky. She put one through the big guy’s eye, he never saw it coming. As for Godrick and Samson…well I honestly never even saw them, but there were at least three other goblins, so they must’ve done something. I don’t know, it all happened so fast.

I can hear them burying the goblins in the fading light. Digging my grave too no doubt. Can’t believe I was so stupid. If you’re reading this, make sure you keep a vigil watch, more so when it seems unnecessary. And if you’re tired, well I can assure you, you’ll be able to sleep plenty once you’re dead.

-Ulrich

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last round before the finals folks, and we’re at the half-way point… plenty of time to submit your entry!

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“Well this is it” Peter mumbled to himself while strapping his leather helmet tight.
Beside him Dirk and Ernest still argued, as usual Dirk tried to find reasons to chicken out “They seem so harmless, always standing still in one place, what is the worst that could happen?” annoyed Ernest answered "Don’t underestimate them, they are rotten to the core, don’t you find it suspicious how they never blink? We must act or they WILL fall on us first!"
On my left side my fingers found the head of my axe, moving slowly down until I could feel the smooth shaft, tightening my fist around it gave me a sense of secureness and calmed me.
I spoke up “No sense in arguing, you felt it too, the Master Above commands us and you know we have to obey. If we do as we must, no harm will come to us. Lets move out – it is a deed that must be done.”

The underbrush slaps against my side, we split half a hour ago. The battle plan is a timed attack so they will be surprised. We believe they won’t put up much of a fight, from what the scouts say they never talk to each other and just stand tall, watching. They must know about us though, some of them can see our camp from where they stand.
I try to make as little noise as possible, it must be close – I don’t even know if its a he or she, but eventually it won’t matter.
There it is, now to wait for the signal.
Sweat is crawling down from under my helmet, dripping from my right earlobe.

The distant hoot by Ernest heralds the start of the attack.
It gives me strength to know that right now the three others are starting to move in too.
My feet carry me forward but I feel so weak and then the dark skin is before me.
I dare not look up, the grim face that will look down on me is much too familiar, the grip of my axe in hand I do what I was trained to do and the blade digs deep into the flesh of the foe.
Its unreal and overwhelmed I zone out, hacking away everything just seems distant, no cries reach my ears and I can’t feel anything.

After a while my arms start to get weak, but the deed is done.
The enemy is defeated and when the creaking begins I yell at the top of my lungs:
“TIMBER – tree falling”

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reminder: last chance to submit and vote folks…

as with the qubicle competition, we’ll be providing a slightly revised format going forward, with a months worth of themes to help in managing your own time on the competition…

we’re almost to the first round finals! :+1: