Rain Forest (part 1)

It all started the first time I met her. Or more specifically it started with the war. The war between the nations of Eloise and Cemnen. It was awful, it's the simplest way to explain it. Hundreds of thousands died or went missing, which meant that the army had to "call" or force more and more to join the army.

And it was to one of those selections of soldiers, that I met her and her father, my general lieutenant.

She was sitting quietly outside one of the test tents, waiting for someone. She wasn't that pretty with her dirty face and mat brown hair, but she had beautiful green eyes, there was so much life in them that they could steal one's soul.

They just glowed and shined as the sun does on the dew leaves. They looked just like a forest in the early morning.

I just stood there and watch her for I don't know how long, she looked to be around 6 or 7 years old. Maybe she was waiting for her big brother or father.

Unfortunately, I had to take my eyes away from the beautiful forest in hers and attend to my duty. I had to train the soldiers and prepare for the war.

It didn't take long before I forgot all about the forest eyes. As I got back to the war and began to rise in degree. The war didn't seem to get better it seems to get worse and it seemed that Cemnen was close to winning the war.

The nobles were so desperate that the condition to join the army was set down, so that even sick men, the elderly and boys over the age of 11 had to join the army and fight the war.

I hated it.

I hated to see the young men fight for their lives, not knowing if they would be able to see their loved ones again. Not knowing if you be the next to fall, and never rise.

I hated that I toke friends, sons, brothers, dads and husbands away from their homes.

I hated that every time I order the soldiers out to battle, I knew many of them would never return.

I hated it all.

Then one day I had enough and begged my supervisors to make an end to it. But I got ignored.

Which I didn't understand. I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but I didn't know who to ask for answers. And it made me so distressed and desperate.

Which I must have shown because one day my general lieutenant comes up to me and begins to talk to me.

"General Lee, please forgive my ruthlessness for a bit. But because I know you are different from the other generals and nobles, and by all the time I have been by your side, I dare say my opinion." my general lieutenant begins his speech, salutes and looks me in the eyes.

"General Lee, no Roy, you need to pull yourself together! You have been out of it for days and you starting to worry the soldiers. And I know you have been trying to stop the war, by trying to convince the king and other nobles to stop the war with a peace agreement. The soldiers know it too. Even our families know of it.

The reason we are loyal and follow your orders is that you fighting for us, the people. That you always go with the strategy that cost the least lives.

You give us hope that there is an end to this cruel war. That we can come home to our families and friends.

Me too. You give me too much hope that I can come to hold my little girl again.

So what I want to say, what all us soldiers want to say is: 'please don't give up! Keep fighting!'"

I was stunned to know that the soldiers had so much trust in me. And suddenly the burden on my shoulders felt so much heavier, yet I never felt better.

"Thank you, David, it means much to me," I thanked him. "But to be honest, I got surprised, I didn't know you had a daughter. Way to let the cat out of the back!" I said and looked at him playfully. This time it was his turn to be stunned and then he begins to laugh.

"Well, what can I say, I'm full of surprises, huh?"

"Yea you are. So tell me about your daughter, how is she?" I was genuinely curious, I never really talked about this with my soldiers, about their families, homes and lives before they joined the army or talked with them at all. I was scared. Scared about how they would act around me, would they look at me with hate or with expectations that were far out of my ability.

"Her name is Elea, she just turned 7 years old, and she is the sweetest and most understanding child ever. Never did anything wrong, always do as told and I have never seen her throw a tantrum." Looking at him it is so obvious painted in his face how much he loves and adores his daughter.

"She sounds lovely, then since you have a daughter, you must have a wife too, how is she?" I asked without thinking and when there didn't come answer I looked up, only to see a depressed face, and I quickly regret what I said.

"She died two years ago... But don't worry about Elea, she can take care of herself, after all, she's a good child. Like a little adult." he smiled bitterly and looked at the ground, take a deep breath and saluted.

"Thanks for listing to us soldiers, General Lee, it's getting late, I will leave you to rest" and he was gone.

A dead wife and 7-year-old daughter... Who would have thought that the always happy and easy-going general lieutenant, had those kinds of hardships? And the girl is all alone without her father in this cruel world.

Well... I'm going to do what my general lieutenant said and never give up hope like my soldiers and make sure that David gets home to his little girl, that all my soldiers get home from this war, back to their families.

But that is easier to say than do because the next thing I know we were sent to battle again, which was the last battle according to the nobles. They claim that they have a secret weapon, that nobody can fight against. But it wasn't my business, I had orders to follow. The king wanted us to capture the Mali fortress in the east.

The Mali fortress was said to be uncapturable, with its big stone walls, got tar and cannons. It was going to be difficult, but not impossible.

Everything was ready, all I had to do was give the order to fight. But I couldn't. So many would die. So many would never come home.

I could feel the weight on my shoulders again, but it wasn't pleasant it just made me hesitate more and I couldn't make a decision anymore. So I turned to my general lieutenant for help.

"General Lee, please give us an order, I can't wait to get home to my daughter," he said with a big smile when he saw my look for help, and I got what I needed.

"Of course - FOR ELOISE!!!"

And we went to battle. The battle was ugly, everything happens too fast, and you had to always be on alert so you wouldn't be hit by one of the arrows that were raining down or get stabbed by an attack from behind.

Several of the soldiers died on the battlefield, most of them fought bravely, and others didn't even know what they died off. There were even some who would just stand and watch in a daze with confusion and fright, at the terrifying scene before them. And unfortunately, some attack their fellow military buddy, because of the confusion, stress and fears of not seeing another day again.

Even I had it difficult to see what was happening around me. I had even lost sight of the general lieutenant in this chaos. There were just too many things happening at once.

And to make it worse suddenly everything went quiet, but I could see people yelling all around me. It was as if everything slowed down and yet it went so fast.

Then it got bright, I remember feeling pain in my shoulder and then everything got together in a mix of blazing light and endless darkness ready to consume me. And it did.