Napoleonic: I. Enemy

The light snow flurries through the air
 settling onto everything in sight.
 The upper layer of the hard snow crunched and collapsed beneath my pace,
opening casam after casam of watery pits.
I tried moving fast
yet with each quickening step more force was applied to the hard icy film,
sharding and breaking it.
The crevasses’ splashing out water, that water dampening and freezing my boots,
` my feet with them

I tore my gauntlets off,
as they fell one clanged up against the hilt of my sword
 Forming a strikingly crisp sound within the softening, nullifying, surroundings of winter.


My eyelids grew weighty, with each passing moment.
My feet dragged a little more,
and just as I felt I was going to fall.   I’d stabilize and awaken.

The view was the same, a thick opaque fog,
a storm of whirling snow.
It was winter.
a cold, dark winter.

Fear, guilt.
 anticipation of what is not to come
An angry spirit of what's left behind
of what I trampled over in my haste
Friends and enemies alike     chasing, trying to catch up.
As well as beasts all around      hunting, stalking,counting my steps.

A Territory of darkness
a territory of.   No. Not a territory, an untamed unclaimed land
Forfeited to nature.
Elements rule.

Frozen Water
Cold Air
Damp Earth
And a dim dim flame

Approaching in the distance  inspiring both hope and fear
a flickering wick floating, fading in and out of perception.
Crunching footsteps, progressing towards me
a silhouetted mass becoming more and more focused.

Bonjour?
No answer.
Привет?  (Privet)
No answer.
Hello?
Who's there?
An answer!

 
English!
I hope for God to guide this man’s heart, for a pacifist is my only survival.
I tugged at my hilt     frozen in place..
“I come in peace!” I yelled out to him
“As do I” he replied.
“No man today shall lose his mortality… Unless you will it?” he chuckled
I did not know mortality was something that could be lost
Would that even be such a terrible thing?
The flame grew and grew with his approach

with it      my unease
"French man.. hmmm?.." He pondered
"Yes."  I replied
"You wouldn't be Napoleon by chance, ha!?"
He took slower more elongated steps
"Non, but I will admit that I, did, serve him once"
I took similar steps back.
"No longer?" He matched my footwork with double of his own.
He was now within reach.
"So.." He attempted to cut the silence.
To no avail
I grabbed my hilt       still stuck.
"Well we've become quite cozy haven't we?"

I said attempting to pull into focus the searing fact of my unease with his closeness.
"As I can see, you already seem to know what brought me here"
He took another step,       closer
I wrapped my fingers tightly together in preparation for the worst
He turned away from me, flinging his arms in a dramatic fashion up into the air.
"The weather! Ha, yes! The weather is so lovely!"
"I care to disagree..." Unsure of his sarcasm
"A straight arrow," he said assured.

“What is your trade…. What is it that you do?” I asked him
You can consider me a representative of The British government.
“Are you the king?” i jibed
“Indeed?” he retorted
“No so?!” I exclaimed
“And just when i thought you were sharp enough you trip and fall”
I rolled my eyes.

I looked around---- the snow had subsided
The storm had ended
The night was clear the sky -
Starlit

Even though an unexpected
Halt in my thought
Held me back from more primal fears
The fact stood I was exposed helpless in the presence of a stranger
An Englishman
An imposing figure
A man with a weapon