A not so glorious day
As long as He could remember, he had always been a curious one. Wonder what would happen if he yelled "Long live Ulric!" at the Sunday mess, watching the response before he added "us!". Or sneaking into the brightwizard collegue to watch "what does crazy Brightwizards" were up to. Years later, even after his entry into the church and his pledge to uphold the virtues of Sigmar did this go away. Even during the darkest days of the Empire, during the days of reckoning, when his days were filled with the mending of wounded soldiers at the warcamps and his long inspiring speeches to try and keep the young soldiers inspired did it go away. It was still there, the naggin almost childlike curiosity. And this day, it would put him into a very awkward position...
Ulricus pulled his cape tighter around his shoulder and huddled closer to the lit fire that provided little warmth and light from the bonechilling cold wind that was tightening its grip around the small camp in High pass. He carefully looked around him at the young soldiers of the Order of the Griffon. Some of them laughed and passed away the time with small talk and games.
"Hmph, new recruits", Ulricus thought for himself
Others beared the mark of more prolonged presence at the front lines, battleweary and with an empty stare, these men sat a little further away from the other men, resting their heads against their halberds that stood up in the snow.
"Looks like there is much work to do here, Sigmar give me strenght"
Ulricus closed his eyes and offered up silent prayer to Sigmar in his head, asking for strenght and guidence. After the silent and solemn prayer he opened up his eyes again and focused at the task at hand. The more pressing task that had forced him to come to this camp earlier, to break of from his patrol and return in haste. Ulricus eyed his surroundings again, his eyes moved swift and scanning the surrounding camp to see if no one was giving him any unwanted attention. Being satisfied that no one did, he quickly pulled his little tin canteen of water and placed it on the ground close to the fire. He watched it carefully and while the reflektion of the canteed and the fire danced in his eyes he slipped away for a moment in his thought. To that moment just about 10 minutes ago, to that moment where the dullness of the patrol and the wieryness of long travels and long evenings at warcamps had triggered that childish curiosity of his about something that he had wondered about every since he first got to Highpass. What if..? Could I..? Would it..? Ulricus let his frostcovered gloved hand cover his eyes and forehead for a moment.
"Stupid, so stupid! Why...Sigmars mercy why did I have to go and..."
He quickly snapped back to reality as he noticed a young soldier standing next to him. Perhaps Ulricus behaviour had prompted the young soldier to ask him if something was wrong.
"Ya allright thar friar?"
The young soldier said with words that sounded like there was no worries or troubles at all in the world.
"Me and me lads ere thought ya looked a lil bummed thar, nuttins wrong right friar?"
Ulricus could see by the look in the young soldiers eyes that he only meant well, but this was not the time for idle sympathy! There were things at stake here that far surpassed the noble intention of this one young soldier! Ulricus managed to muster a low grunt and tried to, as polite as he could, wave the young soldier away. It seemed like the soldier got that point, but he still stood firm. Smiling and watching, waiting.
"Blast! Blast it all!" , Ulricus thought while the panic slowly rose in his chest.
He had totally forgot during this dire time.
"That bloody kid probably wants me to offer him Sigmars blessings!"
Ulricus looked up at the young soldier and met his friendly gaze, trying hard not to reveal his own panic filled eyes. There was no way out of this, he had to do it, he had no choice. Ulricus took a slow deep breath:
"Sigbas bessigs"
The young soldier stood abit stunned and abit speechless for what seemed to Ulricus an eternity, then he uttered:
"Wha...what was that friar?
Ulricus had haved enough by this point, he took one more long deep breath, looked up at the soldier and said, with quite a firm voice:
"I said, Sigbas Bessigs! Dow leaee be aloon!
The young soldier took a few stumblinh steps backward, then quickly turned around and ran back to his friend.
"Bloody new recruits"
Ulricus thought for himself while he lifted the tin canteen of water from the fire and carefully poured the hot water on the frosted part of his armored iron collar where hes tounge had frosen stuck. From his left, where the young soldier and his friend sat, an outburst of hearty laughter could be heard. It echoed around the cliffsides and woke the sleeping soldiers up.
"Well, I guess I can skip the inspiring evening sermons once word of this spreads."
He tossed the empty tin can into the snow, stood up and try to walk away from the fire into his tenth with as much dignity as he could muster.
As long as He could remember, he had always been a curious one. Wonder what would happen if he yelled "Long live Ulric!" at the Sunday mess, watching the response before he added "us!". Or sneaking into the brightwizard collegue to watch "what does crazy Brightwizards" were up to. Years later, even after his entry into the church and his pledge to uphold the virtues of Sigmar did this go away. Even during the darkest days of the Empire, during the days of reckoning, when his days were filled with the mending of wounded soldiers at the warcamps and his long inspiring speeches to try and keep the young soldiers inspired did it go away. It was still there, the naggin almost childlike curiosity. And this day, it would put him into a very awkward position...
Ulricus pulled his cape tighter around his shoulder and huddled closer to the lit fire that provided little warmth and light from the bonechilling cold wind that was tightening its grip around the small camp in High pass. He carefully looked around him at the young soldiers of the Order of the Griffon. Some of them laughed and passed away the time with small talk and games.
"Hmph, new recruits", Ulricus thought for himself
Others beared the mark of more prolonged presence at the front lines, battleweary and with an empty stare, these men sat a little further away from the other men, resting their heads against their halberds that stood up in the snow.
"Looks like there is much work to do here, Sigmar give me strenght"
Ulricus closed his eyes and offered up silent prayer to Sigmar in his head, asking for strenght and guidence. After the silent and solemn prayer he opened up his eyes again and focused at the task at hand. The more pressing task that had forced him to come to this camp earlier, to break of from his patrol and return in haste. Ulricus eyed his surroundings again, his eyes moved swift and scanning the surrounding camp to see if no one was giving him any unwanted attention. Being satisfied that no one did, he quickly pulled his little tin canteen of water and placed it on the ground close to the fire. He watched it carefully and while the reflektion of the canteed and the fire danced in his eyes he slipped away for a moment in his thought. To that moment just about 10 minutes ago, to that moment where the dullness of the patrol and the wieryness of long travels and long evenings at warcamps had triggered that childish curiosity of his about something that he had wondered about every since he first got to Highpass. What if..? Could I..? Would it..? Ulricus let his frostcovered gloved hand cover his eyes and forehead for a moment.
"Stupid, so stupid! Why...Sigmars mercy why did I have to go and..."
He quickly snapped back to reality as he noticed a young soldier standing next to him. Perhaps Ulricus behaviour had prompted the young soldier to ask him if something was wrong.
"Ya allright thar friar?"
The young soldier said with words that sounded like there was no worries or troubles at all in the world.
"Me and me lads ere thought ya looked a lil bummed thar, nuttins wrong right friar?"
Ulricus could see by the look in the young soldiers eyes that he only meant well, but this was not the time for idle sympathy! There were things at stake here that far surpassed the noble intention of this one young soldier! Ulricus managed to muster a low grunt and tried to, as polite as he could, wave the young soldier away. It seemed like the soldier got that point, but he still stood firm. Smiling and watching, waiting.
"Blast! Blast it all!" , Ulricus thought while the panic slowly rose in his chest.
He had totally forgot during this dire time.
"That bloody kid probably wants me to offer him Sigmars blessings!"
Ulricus looked up at the young soldier and met his friendly gaze, trying hard not to reveal his own panic filled eyes. There was no way out of this, he had to do it, he had no choice. Ulricus took a slow deep breath:
"Sigbas bessigs"
The young soldier stood abit stunned and abit speechless for what seemed to Ulricus an eternity, then he uttered:
"Wha...what was that friar?
Ulricus had haved enough by this point, he took one more long deep breath, looked up at the soldier and said, with quite a firm voice:
"I said, Sigbas Bessigs! Dow leaee be aloon!
The young soldier took a few stumblinh steps backward, then quickly turned around and ran back to his friend.
"Bloody new recruits"
Ulricus thought for himself while he lifted the tin canteen of water from the fire and carefully poured the hot water on the frosted part of his armored iron collar where hes tounge had frosen stuck. From his left, where the young soldier and his friend sat, an outburst of hearty laughter could be heard. It echoed around the cliffsides and woke the sleeping soldiers up.
"Well, I guess I can skip the inspiring evening sermons once word of this spreads."
He tossed the empty tin can into the snow, stood up and try to walk away from the fire into his tenth with as much dignity as he could muster.