As he came into sight, Noelle's fingers tightened on her father's shoulder and she leaned forward, peering as if that might cut the yards between them to mere feet that she might better see his face. Misinterpreting her gesture, Noelle's father, King Louis, reached up and patted the top of her hand reassuringly. "Still yourself, Noelle. There are many guards between us and him and he poses danger only by his existence and his symbolism, not by sword and lance." Her father's fingers were fat with indulgence, flesh bulging around the many rings he wore, and if the fashion at court ran to thick beards it was only because Louis wore one to hide his chins. The South was so rich compared to the stark yet beautiful North and its prosperity gave rise to many vices such as the gluttony of her father and the feeling of decadence in the Court that had in part fostered the revolt. Hard men, lean fighting men who daily pitted themselves …show more content…
Tall for a woman, taller than most peasant men and nearly as tall as noble ones, she was slender rather than curvaceous and had a fine grace of breeding and the poise of her station about her. Her eyes locked on Sir James and seemed to wash in and out of the whites as passing clouds obscured the sun. There was no fear in them but there was something strong in their depths though it remained impossible to discern. Noelle took another step forward and Sir James mount, a warhorse that would have normally been at risk of braining her with a hoof strike, simply lowered its exhausted head and rested it against the Princess' breast, her hands coming up to cradle the velvet muzzle and stroke it with simple love.
Noelle looked over the muzzle and back at Sir James, then held out her right hand, eyes flicking to the reins he held, silently asking that he give them over to
Marie de France is concerned with living the good life which consists of following true love. In her story entitled “Lanval,” Marie de France describes a knight who is envied by many because of his “valour, generosity, beauty, and prowess” (295). Although many people are envious of Lanval and his
It was two in the morning and a barefoot and bedraggled, sixteen year old Charlie Matheson clung to her father in the President's office, softly weeping.
Swords crashed against shields like a field of doors slamming shut in the wind. Arrows whistled through the air; a murder of tiny crows swarming above us vulnerable soldiers. The grunts of men impaled by hafts and sliced open by steel join the cacophony of a battle raging into dusk. Wet warmness would splash across me in response to the dying cries of my comrades as one after another of those we battle would push our shields apart and break the line. The ground was wet and sloppy, dried earth had been turned to slush by a rain that did not fall from the sky. The ground was rendered difficult to manoeuvre through, encumbered by the lifeless figures of soldiers now without the allegiance that lead them to a face in the dirt.
You have successfully entered enemy territory. You and the other recon soldiers have crossed the distance of open plain, skirted the barbed wire, and are close to the enemy trenches. You all lie on your stomachs in the mud, rifles in hand. So far, the going is good. You don’t seem to have been spotted, and no shouts of alarm split the air.
After the battle of Somme, I was alone. All the men I had signed up with were gone. There was no time to grieve for them; Our division had to meet up with the others at Vimy Ridge. Immediately, we were handed maps of the Ridge. It was odd. We all had our own map to keep and study and we were explained exactly what to do. We even had to go through a scale model to know the lay of the land. Talk about overkill. It was nerve racking because of our tactic called a Creeping Barrage. After firing shells at the Germans for three weeks straight, we slowly aimed higher and higher while we followed the line of fire slowly. That way, the Germans would not be able to leave the trenches until it was too late. In those days that lead to a victory, Canada
Although he loved his mother, Richard realized that a family could not survive when the woman desired to command, and he knew that his mother was like a starving child who had become gluttonous when confronted with food. She had lived so long in the tradition of her country that she could not help herself now, and abused the privilege of equality afforded the women of her new country. (134)
By March 1915 the influx of refugees from Belgium was almost at an end and Epworth played host to a social reunion consisting of games, dancing, and songs to bring together all those who had been housed in the Isle. Part of the entertainment featured songs from Mrs. W. Hirst and Mrs. R. Stephenson and a pianoforte solo by Mrs. Breeze. The month saw farmers becoming increasingly rueful; the fine weather created ideal growing conditions but a shortage of men and horse hampered progress. Indeed, there was concern that horses in the Isle were being ‘worked to death in order to make up for the lack of numbers.’ Members of the Belton VTC celebrated the opening of their new rifle range where Mr. G. H. Newborn exhorted them to use it well to learn
Both local newspapers began to signal, albeit discretely, that war could be approaching its end. Reports spoke in guarded terms about German difficulties and in the ‘Letters to the Editor’ columns, there were encouraging words, leaving readers in no doubt that a resolution was close. Talk in shops and at church services built on the speculation. When news of the imminent German surrender reached soldiers in the front line it was greeted with silence. ‘We did not cheer,’ one soldier recalled. ‘We just stood, stunned and bewildered.’ He continued: ‘On the stroke of 11a.m. the CO raised his hand and told us that the war was over. Then we cheered, with our tin hats on and our rifles held aloft. For old hands like me, it was funny realising that the day we had waited so long for had come at
He saddened every time he thought of his mother and couldn’t bear the consequences of leaving her behind. Luckily, Friederick was always there for him, comforting him along the way.
Then he cursed as though he learned it from a manual for sergeants, and his curses merged with the metal slapping air sound of a prop turbine. Dad heard the Bunge’s voice sputter. It sounded as if he stored his anger deep inside him. In order for him to access it, he had to pump it out, using every muscle in his stomach, back, and neck. Sarge cursed, rocking with the effort until his voice became a high-pitched hum.
“Could that be an air raid warning?” He whispers, recalling that in World War 2 they would sound sirens to warn of the German planes in the skies,
I heard it. Beneath the ground, behind the walls I heard it. Echoing screams of sorrow, visions of the dead, a wildfire of disease, a contagious Earth. The scattered debris of humanity’s tallest skyscrapers crumbled in heaps of stone. The splintered glass of humanity’s greatest architectural feats laid scattered in on the roads. The canvas of humanity’s greatest artworks scraped beyond recognition and laid defeated. This was our future. Nothing could’ve prevented it.
“I thought this would be a good idea for me. Also I did not want to be drafted.” Before he made this huge decision in his life he worked at a bubblegum factory. When he decided to join the military he was only 18. “I was probably the most nervous person there.” he said. Tom was very brave and Frank his brother was strong. They both went over to Vietnam and they stuck together throughout the war.
I write to you today from a hospital bed in France. I know that may sound bad, but truly I am one of the lucky ones. I have lost so many friends in this past battle. I am sure you have probably heard news of this back home in England already. The first day of the battle on the Somme was a dark day indeed. I have heard it word here that it could have been one of the bloodiest battles to date. I do not even know how to begin describing the war, but I have to describe it to someone. I would never want to tell my parents of these horrors I am facing; it would be far too much for them to bear. You are my closest friend back home, and I know if it were not for your health issues, you would be here fighting too, so I feel I can tell you about all this. I know I volunteered for this, but I never in a million years could have predicted what war would truly be like. Looking back on it though, we are truly lucky that Britain is a country that relies on volunteer
It was February 23, 1939 Austria a young adult was taken away from his home and his casual day to day life. The second world war. Was taking place. We were swarmed into the streets and being taken out. People in confusion as to why these German soldiers are constantly yelling at us