TM Challenge 208
I have four brothers.
They're all dead, that's all. I don't know why. God, I don't answer this.
They're dead. Agravain got killed for being stupid, and didn't deserve it, anyway. He was the first. He was older than I was. He looked like butchered meat afterwards, and his wife didn't know whether to mourn for him or bury him as quick as possible and pretend it didn't matter to her.
You know the same man almost killed us all. Gareth was next. His fault for trusting. Our youngest, he was cut to pieces and left tangled in his cloak, so there was no recognising him even, except what bits of his hair they found. He had yellow curls like a maiden. He left no children.
Gawain in battle, armed at least, run through like mercy. Gawain who was like my father, and raised us, who put his hand in to defend me more times than I can say. He died in spring. He bled out the mouth and his ghost gave no one wise words, and our islands went lightless without him. The sea came in.
Last was Mordred.
Then the sea went out and left the land cold and full of salt, and I swear nothing grew. Mordred outlived us all, but his father the High King brought him down on the hot plain in the middle of summer and left him there with the crows and the bodies of two forsaken armies.
A death for a traitor, but not my brother.
Not my brothers.
Understand, I had four. None of us are left now.
Words: 267
They're all dead, that's all. I don't know why. God, I don't answer this.
They're dead. Agravain got killed for being stupid, and didn't deserve it, anyway. He was the first. He was older than I was. He looked like butchered meat afterwards, and his wife didn't know whether to mourn for him or bury him as quick as possible and pretend it didn't matter to her.
You know the same man almost killed us all. Gareth was next. His fault for trusting. Our youngest, he was cut to pieces and left tangled in his cloak, so there was no recognising him even, except what bits of his hair they found. He had yellow curls like a maiden. He left no children.
Gawain in battle, armed at least, run through like mercy. Gawain who was like my father, and raised us, who put his hand in to defend me more times than I can say. He died in spring. He bled out the mouth and his ghost gave no one wise words, and our islands went lightless without him. The sea came in.
Last was Mordred.
Then the sea went out and left the land cold and full of salt, and I swear nothing grew. Mordred outlived us all, but his father the High King brought him down on the hot plain in the middle of summer and left him there with the crows and the bodies of two forsaken armies.
A death for a traitor, but not my brother.
Not my brothers.
Understand, I had four. None of us are left now.
Words: 267