Another Combat Memory

[Shiftkitty]

I've had snippets of fighting memories, and in all of them I have been either very brave or incredibly psychotic. This one was tripped by the opening scenes of "Gladiator", which is on TV right now.

I was watching the Romans, trying to see if anything kicked up a memory. I was specifically watching the Romans. I wasn't too interested in the Barbarians. However, when the camera switched over to them, one of them was nailed to a tree by an arrow. Cue the flashback!

I'm a tall, skinny male with matted black hair and good amount of scruff that passes for a very thin beard. I do NOT want to be there! I was dragged into this thing! I don't even know who we're fighting or what for! I want to go back to my farm. We engage a better armed enemy. Arrows are flying in. I use my lack of a build to hide behind a tree. Arrows are hitting the tree. I do not want to come out from behind the tree. When I think I have a chance, I dash to another tree. I intend to use the chaos of the battle to flee. I know how cowards are treated by the men I am with, and I know that captives will be enslaved. Neither option is acceptable. I get away and run for home, but it's a long way. I have to keep looking over my shoulder because I fear pursuit from those who forcibly took me from my home and family. My sons will never look up to me as a great warrior, and I will spend the rest of my life fearing another abduction, but I will live to see my home and family again.

All that flashed through my mind in a heartbeat. I will have to meditate more on it to try to see who abducted me and who we were fighting.

 

[BriarRose]

To me, one of the convincing elements of your memory, ShiftKitty, was that the person was of humble origin. The natural tendency would be to make yourself a Roman. It's interesting to hear what a "barbarian" may have felt - it breaks the stereotype of the murderous savage, painted blue with woad! Be sure to keep us updated as you find out more.

 

[argonne1918]

It's interesting to hear what a "barbarian" may have felt - it breaks the stereotype of the murderous savage, painted blue with woad! Be sure to keep us updated as you find out more.

Do you know who the "barbarians" were? That's what the Romans called the Germanic invaders. The Germans eventually brought down the Roman Empire. It was the Roman's own fault. They invaded and tried to subdue the Germans but it back-fired.

 

[Shiftkitty]

Will do. I had the feeling last night (before catching the express train to Slumberland) that he was just a farmer and was on his way home from somewhere. There was an ox or some kind of work animal that I was leading. When I got ambushed, I assumed they were after the beast for food, so I was willing to say "Go for it!" and just leave. They slaughtered the poor thing (which represented quite an investment on my part) but then they started in on me, telling me I had to march with them or die on the spot. I offered them all of the crops we had back home if they'd let me go. Then I realized what a mistake that would be if they accepted, because they might leave me and take my sons and do God knows what to the women at the farm. Right before I fell asleep I had the feeling I was on my knees with a blade at my throat. I was given one last chance to decide.


I was hoping to see some kind of landmark to tell me where I was. I was also hoping to find out if I had actually engaged in combat, or if that memory was my first one. I feel good about getting the information that I did get, though.

 

[Shiftkitty]

I'm not sure what culture they were. I tried to see some kind of decoration that might give a clue, but I couldn't zero in on anything yet. Even names escape me.


I'm not even sure if it was the Romans we were fighting. I just know they were better equipped than we were. I don't know if we were fighting to defend a homeland or just to stroke the ego of some great chieftain somewhere who wanted to expand his power, or if these guys were just a pack of bloodthirsty savages out to gain power in their own right.

 

[BriarRose]

The only really eternal things seem to be the soul, and the often silly reasons that we fight wars. I grow weary of human nature. I'm glad that the Divine has more patience than me.

 

[Shiftkitty]

I'm actually working on a book (still in the "gathering research notes" phase) about little-known military actions involving the United States. Not all of them were ours per se. Some we just happened to be there when it happened. But what has amused me most about the research is the sense that nations don't march to war so much as they stumble towards them. The sequence of events that leads one nation declare war on another can be a real comedy of errors. There was even a war that involved nobody dying. The only shots fired were at a bear that startled some Canadian troops when they got between her and her cubs! (For the record, the bear won.)

 

[BriarRose]

That's a book I would want to read!

 

[Shiftkitty]

I'll let you know when I get it finished.