The Wound - part II

I woke up with a start, shuddering in the cold.  Some days it was hard being alone.  Harder than I liked to admit.  I wrapped my cloak tighter around me.  Finally, I gave in to building myself a fire.  Yet as I returned with the wood, a stranger stood where I had slept.  I froze and hid myself among the trees.  Intently watching him, I realized that he was building a fire.  I cautiously approached.  He glanced my direction and sized me up.  "Are you for or against?" he asked.  "Depends on what side you're on." I quietly returned and added my own wood to his growing fire.  We sat at the fire, and I eyed him warily for some time.  Soon however, we began to trust and even talk.  We became equals... even friends.1

As the battle started up again, we crept out together.  I quickly strung my bow and he drew his sword.  I found myself fighting by his side.  Arrow after arrow I shot into the enemy.  He swung and defeated many more.  After the battle the two of us found a patch of woods to tend to our wounds.  2

It wasn't long before we relied on each other on and off the battlefield.  Yet I began to rely on him more heavily than he relied on me.  Too heavily.  One night, in a battle, my former wound was reopened.  Sometimes I felt like it never completely healed.  The pain from the reopened wound was almost unbarable as it overtook my body.  I felt myself loosing consciousness.  He, entrapped in the battle, could do nothing for me now.  Soon I faded out of consciousness.  When i awoke, I was cold, bleeding and totally alone.  3

But this time, I cleaned the wound carefully.  It would heal and heal right.  But as I cleaned it I realized that I had fallen back into old habits of relying.  I couldn't rely on him so much, no matter how strong he was or how much protection he offered me.  4

Almost a week later, we found each other.  We embraced, both exhausted.  My wound was healing significantly already.  And I would remain my own warrior... I looked forward to fighting by his side.5