“You only get one shot”, he’d said,
Somewhere in a dream,
“That’s it, all you need,
Just a second, just a minute
Why wait until you’re ready—
—for then you’ll just be dead”
Staring back at him, a whimper arose
A whimper of fear and fright
She’d stood alone, for so long,
Always wondering what was right
And so she stood here now, with him
Two silhouettes in the dampest dead of night
“I wish not to go for there is only danger,
It’s all awaiting for me, out there,” she’d said,
“Yet I know if I wait too long,
I’d already such be dead—
My knees weak, my bones old,
My stamina no longer peak
Yet how am I supposed to go,
When I’ll only have myself to rely on?”
He then paused,
(For he was nervous, too, of course)
Took a second, and cleared his throat
To his lady, he then, spoke
“My dear, you’ve only brought this upon yourself
You’ve learned to live on the streets of hell
You’ve learned to grow, you’ve learned to fall
But now I feel you’ve not learned at all;
You’ve escaped from the beast
Many a-times, before
So when you cross the threshold door
Remember everything you know
And that is how you’ll find your strength
Your strength to go
Do not forget from whence you’ve came
A lowly maiden, a girl of grain
Unto a female knight, so strong
Follow your instincts, you’ll never follow wrong”
And so he said, his soul tired from the battle
His lips tired from the words he spoke
His heart tired from his constant pain,
His final words to her
“You only get one shot,”
She stared, dead, perfectly dead, into his eyes
She saw her reflection in them
Dirty, tired,
Hair all ratty
Yet better than a princess—
—all spoiled and bratty
She then sighed, and turned her head away
Her heart heavy, as she found her strength to say
“I’ll be back soon, my love”
She glanced back to his face, saw tears clouding his eyes
And, finally, she turned and left
She pulled on her mottled disguise
Her mare awaited her, down the edge of a rocky path
Tears streamed down her cheeks
For she knew she was a liar
She knew she’d never find the strength to come back
