Regroup

After 37 years of constantly forging onward I feel battle weary, I'm far from home and my army is stretched.

Death and mutiny, souls lost at sea, leadership challenges, cowardice in the ranks, the once loyal deserting their general and a plague amongst them... others have gone before this and endured greater hardships, suffered higher losses and yet every struggle is different for its own peculiar reasons.

And somehow I feel comfort in the territory once occupied, the reek of familiarity... it is there that I find the spoils of past victories an inspiration, moments to be cherished again and reminding me of the reasons to, once again, spill forth.

The world is not black nor white, nor even shades of grey. It is multi-coloured and multi-faceted, an ever-evolving state of flux where one must wait for the tremors to subside before making the next sure step.

And it is surety itself that defies my quicksilver soul. But the flighty, the chaotic, the come-what-may might be my saviour tomorrow or my Achilles today. I choose neither and step back from the plate, survey the scene, await, observe, regroup. Regroup!

Let me sleep, I shall feel better when I am rested. I shall need all my strength to conquer the Leviathan, crush the ravening hordes, wheedle out the assassins. My armour is dulled yet still strong, my sword always sharp yet still sheathed. They will be aired come the morning, either this or the next one.

Dawn cometh, I avert my eyes lest brightness pierce my sleep. Goodnight my friends, I might you see on the morrow.