David, the Crusader

Walking up a mountain.  Breathing heavily.  Occasionally looking back to make sure no one is following.  A few years ago, I wouldn't have ever imagined that my life would be like this. Now, it's just a day in the life of a Crusader.  I honestly want to go back to when I was a baker's apprentice, when my friend, Aadil, and I didn't have to fight against each other.  Those were good times.  Aadil and I would run through the town, trying to beat each other to the market whenever our master needed something.  Yes, we had our differences, but we didn't care.  We liked having each other around.  But alas, those years did not last long.  Now we have to fight on opposite sides of the Crusade. 

 

"David!" I snapped back into reality when I heard my name.  I gazed over at where the voice came from.  It was from my fellow soldier, Peter.  He was smiling at me.  "Thinking of a girl back home?" he asked.  I smiled back. We always teased each other like this.  "Well, it's a lot better than thinking of who I'm walking next to!" I replied.  Peter and I laughed and kept walking.  We tried to keep things light-hearted, even though we were, in essence, walking to our deaths.  We, along with thousands of other soldiers, were marching towards the Holy Land to reclaim it.  Every single one of us vowed to fight until the Holy Land was ruled by Christians again.  I both wanted to and didn't want to be a part of it. I wanted to be a part of it because I wanted to see the Holy Land as a Christian place again. I didn't want to be a part of it because I was afraid that I would never see home again. I would never see Aadil again, or my master.  But now, I have no choice as to fight in the Holy Land. Last I heard, we were halfway there.  That was three days ago. We have been traveling for almost a week now.  We should be there soon.

 

Suddenly, I heard battle cries from almost every man in front of us. They all started running, as if something was chasing them. Peter and I looked at one another.  We made it! I thought.  I screamed and ran.  At first, all I saw was a jumble of Christian soldiers.  Finally, the Turks broke through. One of them marched up to me and slashed his sword at me.  I deflected with my shield and cut my opponent in the arm with my spear.  We went on like this for awhile, attacking and deflecting, deflecting and attacking.  When all of a sudden, my opponent wailed in pain and fell.  I wondered what the heck just happened.  I went over and inspected the body.  With my foot, I turned my opponent to his back.  There was an arrow sticking out of his shoulder blade.  Who did that? I thought.  I glanced around for someone with a bow and arrow.  Then I saw him. 

 

Up in a tree was my friend and fellow soldier, Jacob.  I should have known.  Jacob's weapon of choice was the bow and arrow.  I saluted Jacob and went on.  After that fight, my adrenaline felt like it was through the roof.  No one paid very much attention to me.  They were all off in their own battles.  Then I heard something.  It sounded like crying.  I advanced towards the noise.  It was coming from a bush.  I moved some of the leaves to find a cowering young woman hiding there.  She let out a yelp when she saw me, and I jumped back.  I took a deep breath and checked again.  "Ma'am, are you alright?" I asked.  The young woman stared up at me. "Are... Aren't you going to hurt me?" She replied.  I gave her a confused look.  Why would I hurt her? I thought.  Then I noticed the gash along her stomach.  "You're hurt!" I remarked,  "come with me, I promise I won't hurt you."  I held out my hand for her to take.  She stood up, but didn't grab my hand.  She started walking in the opposite direction.  "Hey! Wait up!" I told her.  The lady turned to face me.  "What's your name?" I asked.  She scowled.  "Why do you need to know?"  I gave her a puzzled look. "If I'm going to help you, I should at least know your name," I replied. She turned away.  "Helia.  My name is Helia."

 

Before I could say anything back, I was pulled back by two Turks.  I tried to fight back,  but they were a lot stronger than I was.  The Turks threw me into a wagon, tied me up, and drove off with me in the back.  We traveled for what felt like forever. Finally, we stopped, and all I heard was mumbles.  Eventually, a man came into the wagon and threw me out of it.  He untied me almost completely, except for my hands; which he kept bound.  The man took my arm and pulled me through a crowd of people who were facing the same direction.  Why are all these people here? I thought.  The man who was pulling me shouted, "WE HAVE ONE MORE!"  There was another man on a stool facing the crowd.  When the man on the stool saw me, he came up and pulled me to the stool. "Stand on it," the man said.  I wasn't sure what he would do to me if I didn't listen, so I obeyed.  The man shouted, "WHO SHALL TAKE THIS MAN FOR THREE SHILLINGS?" I was being sold into slavery!

 

 Everybody was silent for a moment.  "I WILL," shouted a voice from the back.  "ANY OTHER OFFERS?  GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.... SOLD! TO THE MAN IN THE BACK FOR THREE SHILLINGS!"  Said the man who was selling.  The man in the back came up and gave the man who was selling me three shillings.  The man from the back then took my arm and pulled me through the crowd.  After we walked past the mass of people, the man who had my arm turned down an alley and untied my hands.  "Why did you do that? I asked as I examined his face.  The man looked into my eyes. They seemed.... Familiar.  "Your name is David.  I know this because mine is Aadil," he said.

 

AADIL! I thought.  My childhood friend and I were finally reunited.  And he remembered me enough to save me from slavery!  "Aadil!" I exclaimed as I hugged him.  Aadil hugged back. "I thought that we could open our own bakery, and have all our favorite foods from childhood there," he announced as we released each other from the hug.  "That sounds like a fantastic idea," I responded.