Hey y’all! Sorry for not posting last week. My schedule got kind of busy so I wasn’t able to write a blog post. But I’m back with an all new snippet!

For today’s post I thought I would do a picture prompted snippet. The snippet is based on the picture that goes along with this snippet. Hope you guys enjoy! And let me know what you think.

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Before I tell you this story there is something you have to know about me. You see, I have this everlasting dream to go out into the world and explore. I seek adventure wherever I am. And because of that I get into trouble… a lot. But those are tales for another time. This story is about the time I first realized I didn’t want the life my mother was preparing me for.

I was eight years old when I first found my grandfather’s sword. It was hidden deep within the trunk at the foot of his bed. He had told me many times not to go snooping in there, but I guess curiosity got the best of me. The blade was finely polished steel that seemed to shimmer in the light coming in from the window. It was too heavy for me to lift, but I sat there admiring it. The hilt of the sword was engraved with vines twisting around it. The words “Be brave. Stand strong” were engraved on the bottom of the blade, closest to the hilt. I simply stared at it, my eyes filled with wonder.

My grandfather walked into the room then. He came to sit next to me. He didn’t look angry. He simply watched me.

“Will you teach me grandpapa? Will you please?” I begged him.

I don’t remember why, but I wanted to learn how to wield the sword. I remember all the boys playing with their wooden swords. I had tried to join them once, but Mother would not have it. She sent me to my room. I sat on a bench near the window and watched as they ran around and played. Why should I not be able to learn like my brother and his friends?

I guess that was when the dream first appeared. I wanted to explore. I wanted freedom. To feel the wind in my hair as I rode away from this place. To learn new things about the world, about people and culture. And if I wanted to do that, I would need to be prepared. I would need protection.

My grandfather smiled at me. “If I do, you must promise me something.”

“What, grandpapa?”

“You must promise me not to take a sword lightly. It is a weapon and can be very dangerous in the hands of those who know how to wield it.”

I nodded, excitement coursing through my veins. “I promise, grandpapa.”

He lifted the sword and held it in front of him. “A skilled warrior can wield this blade as if it were an extension of his own body. It is not just swinging and stabbing like many of the young boys in the village believe it is. There are many components, many things for you to learn. Do you think you can?”

I nodded. “Yes, grandpapa.”

He smiled and stood. “Well then, come. We must find you a sword you can actually lift.”

From that day forward, I knew that I could not stay in that village anymore. I needed to explore the world I had heard so much about.

And I did.