Broken and Brainless
Fly high in the sky like a fine cotton cloud in a crowd of fat ash colored mist, we all hit the ground to begin our feed. He comes from the dark with a symbol of royalty and net in hand; catches us like we are vermin, the lowest of the low. Soon everyone but this little fine cotton dove sits on the ground waiting for the others to appear like magic, but too soon will she herself die as the hunter crawls up. “The Hundredth Dove” is a tiny tale that points to women as brainless and men as people of power who make all of choices which end with some sort of tear jerking action that they caused.
We begin this dismal little story with an old English man named Hugh, a fowler, who was loyal to his king and the forest in which he as a bird-catch collected his prey. He lived life like an idiot with being loyal to two sides but for a human to live this way is a mistake that holds no value, for eventually both sides will force you to choose them over the other. That is what snaps a person. Hugh was stated “a man who lives as solitary as a monk in his wooded cell”, meaning he didn’t believe in owning the finest things or cared much for money only to be loyal to the forest and king. Then setting his own demise when he accepted the king’s task for him to catching one hundred doves that would be severed at his wedding. A task that the dear Lady Columbia, who was to soon marry the king, clearly stated not she didn’t want to happen. But of course Hugh had to agree making himself get obsessed with just one bird that he couldn’t and shouldn’t catch, so it ended like with most obsessions, which he snapped mentally and physically ended the doves life. which was a dry dull ending because the author should have had a bit more put into it seeing how they get you so excited to see this man catch his bird.
The white dove was the unfortunate obsession of Hugh; she had always slipped away as if made of air. And had to be the oddest idea for a fantasy obsession. So pretty and yet was so very, very, dull much like her believed other form, Lady Columbia, thank the stereotype of women being pretty but dumb for both of these girls. Oh yes, you come back to the same place after escaping five day in a row from a hunter that caught the rest of your flock. Who would be so stupid that they dumbly come back to the same spot at the same time where the same horrible thing happens for five days straight? The white dove, maybe also known as Lady Columbia, that’s who. But when caught she says the wrong thing, leading Hugh to snap his mind and her neck; good going dumb one.
Now Lady Columbia, the soon-to-be-queen, was not as mention as much as the white dove or Hugh but holds the same stupidity as both. She cried out “Please do not serve them sire” when the king said he would serve one hundred doves but then did nothing to stop the fowler from catching the same birds as she went out as the white dove ending up in little bird heaven. Same as the dove she held the stereotype of pretty but dumb with the selfishness of her counterpart, as she didn’t beg for her flock to be saved and the dove fled without helping them. So what’s wrong with this queen? She’s is a beautiful bird-brained lump that can’t voice a simple opinion in this entire tale, making high class girls and beauties all seem like idiots.
Soon we see the dullness of this female dove that ends with her neck snapping as she gambles for life with a man that had snapped his mind. All that’s left is a small cooked body with no funeral only a broken man who was stupid enough to take a task that would snap his mind. “The Hundredth Dove” portrays the sadness that comes from brainless women and men who do not heed warnings of the things that will destroy them.
Tiger Soldier
“March forward!” “Why won’t they shut up? It’s a bloody 5 in the morning” “yea, but you know how they are, ‘we have to get better and be boot lickers to get respect from your father’” “Ugh” “why do we have to whisper again?” “So we don’t disturb the early morning marching practice” “at least it’s not noon when they do the gun checks.” “Get up you little piece of slime the army has no use for someone who can’t do a simple marching exercise” “that’s it!”
The damp foggy morning was normal the one who now stomped over the troop leader who at the moment crushing the scabbing back of a male who was passed out from exhaustion. Mist and the smell & sounds of the swamp swirled around as animals ran from what happen nearly every morning. “No hurting the troops! Or else Red”, Ezekiel (Zeke) Red Blood was a fairly new unregistered troop leader who was just 17, the cocky narcissist knew how to fight and that was all that was asked, but the nearly seven foot monster loved to torment his much smaller friend too much.
“Oh, it that a promise princess” “yes, it is now back off” “but my suga’ I need to keep the troops tough, isn’t that correct Lenora” he looked towards the much smaller 13 year old female “yes but we don’t need to kill them, oh and general it’s easier to call me Lily sir” “alright Kitty hold ya’ moody horses, all troops rest up for now!”
The young girl that had raged at the much taller and lean teen was Lenora (Tiger) Lily Lum. She is the strong, acrobatic, and forever dancing only daughter to General Lucifer Lum. A tiny treat to all of the camp but that information was only know by a handful of people out of the torn and bloodstain country. All the men in this small camp treated her to the finest so they could in hope gain the tiger orange haired flowers with bright moon colored eyes.
Brushing her thick swept bangs back with the rest of her shoulder long choppy hair behind a tanned ear, the cat was tired and about to go back to her fluffy bed and sleep to the sounds of the bayou that surrounded camp. Rubbed her baby like eyes she decided it was nothing and went back to sleep for another hour or so. Around noon the gun check awoke a now rested young girl, she tore off her nightgown and replacing in with trousers, a white top that fell unevenly around her thighs, a blood stained sash, and boots to look like a daughter of regiment (Hughes). Marching in perfection to any soldier the princess went to her father study/tent, going in she waited like the young lady she appeared to be for the tall muscle toned blond man who was working on a battle plan.
“My little princess, I’ve missed you!” “You saw me last night at dinner father” lily wheezed out due to her father pulling her in for a bear hug. “Yes but I miss you during the day my little Liebste” the two sat and talked for the time of 5 min. before a young man poked in. “General Lum we are ready for today’s meet” “alright led them in soon” as the tent flap closed Lily spoke “Bye Lucifer” “I said to call me papa” “ ok, bye papa”
After gathering her food for lunch the small teen sat with Red and Cole, her orphaned best friend who had bit of a temper sometimes. “Kitty you gonna eat that” Cole’s hunger was only topped by Lily’s so he always asked to stop his hand from getting stabbed by a fork. The young girl in question was in a mind numbing trance by trying to figure out the plan that was to happen soon. “Kitty cat, a slickers here” “away from her you little-“a well dressed man who was currently yelling Cole for being close to Lily stood around the so the same height as Red. He had black hair pulled back in a neat pony and was wearing a clean slate colored army suit. Upon seeing her notice him the arrogant man introduced himself “My lady I am Richard Dove, But you may call me Dick” “It’s nice to meet you sir, I am Lenora Lily Lum But you may call me Lily” “Lily my I speak to you” eyes harden upon seeing Red “outside in private”. With a cut nod lily was dragged by the much taller and older male.
Red watched as this new cocky slicker carried his Kitty who belonged to him. The tent flooded with made all the soldiers flee except Cole who was really a soldier anyway. “That fast-mouthed-rich-slave-whipping-hog-slop-eating man is not going to take Kitty” Cole had stuffed his mouth with corn bread but still muffled out a “wacha’ gonna do –swallow- the guy is a generals son you could tell ya self” a growl was the only response the hay haired teen got.
“You’re like 10 Vivandieres in one for this camp, these men scruffs wouldn’t be there without you” “thank you” “Lily I must say that I hope I get the chance to know you better.””You might Dick but I must ask are you going out in the battle?” “Yes I am. Why?” “I want to say please be careful” “thank you . . . are you going out there?” “Yes to help those wounded” “that is good, but those many women who travel as men into battle on both sides (B. A. Somervill) they must have a death wish.” “My mother was like that she fought on the Union side and got caught to many times to count” “I heard but I must say th-“
Lily left the conversation to think of her mother, the one who now lay dead in her vast garden at home. Then the memory of her death played like a piano in her head. ‘”Mummy, mummy look at these flowers aren’t they pretty!” “Yes dear they are” the young flame haired girl twirled like the finest ballerina to her mother who even with her sickly glow looked not a day over 20. “Lily my little flower I must tell you that when you go home take care of the garden like I showed you and make sure all of the asylum sleeps well” “what will you do mummy?” Red locks seemed to cradle the child as her mother held her close, tears soon dripped down like after a rain storm well a glitter of a smile decorated the women’s features. “I love you Lenora” breathed out of the sick one mouth as her body fell back. The child just sat and felt the warmth of the body leave and movement from breathing stop. Hours later the yelling began and the young girl was dragged away from her mother’s now cold and lifeless body, eyes held no warmth and that glittering smile still there on the corpse.’
“Lily my dear, are you all right?” “Oh, yes I’m fine” “that’s good now I was sa-““hey Kitty this guy being boring yet” “Red th-““Red is it? I think you should know not to trouble a higher officer” “You’re my higher up? Oh that’s rich, real rich”
Dick and Red were quick to grab the nearest lethal weapons that could find get which turned out to be a hawken rifle for each (List of weapons in the American Civil War). Both of the narcissists were ready to fire when the young cat like girl grabbed the guns and stomped off. Both males had the same idea ‘I must get that girl!’ Lily who is the girl in question sneezed and felt a shiver shake her spine.
As time went on more generals and troops came to prepare for a the battle coming up well the only vivandiere went about the chores that were given such as washing, cleaning, cooking, healing (B. A. Somervill), and her own personal task of stopping fights. For both Red and Dick had made it their own mission to try and kill each other over the affection of a certain small cat, but the cat was on the edge of wring out both of the cocky men’s hides. Their fights were dismantling the camp and nearly killing everyone. Lily remembered the worse battle though.
‘Dick had gathered himself to walk towards the small tent that was the hold for his love, his princess, his bride-to-be. As he mused on what her ring would be a hand brushed the thin cream tent covering away. A war cry was then heard by some birds ten miles away. The black haired male began to scream
“You, you, YOU PIG! YOU MONSTER GET AWAY FROM HER!!!!”
The sight that had driven Dick to rage was a shirtless Red cuddling Lily who dawn only a night gown while they slept. But both stood awake now with Cole shiver under one of the room’s hundred pillows and blankets. Both of the older and deadly men had moved out to the large clearing well Cole crawled and stuck his head on Lily’s lap much like a puppy. The girl started to stoke his head and calm her best friend. A sigh escaped her lips as she pushed herself and went to fix the use to be peaceful morning. Both of the narcissists were close to being purple head to toe so the young female smacked both to make them pass out.’
After that she had been assigned their ‘nanny’ to make sure that now more of those happened. It had been five days and the tow now just banter and bickered like two old men so Lily had taken the chance to read the letter her eight elder brothers had sent. It told of how they had a run in with soldiers who had dumbly got drunk and passed out on the streets. Once done the kitty had a giggle and started her own letter telling of how she now had to deal with two wars, the one of the country and the one in this camp. Putting the finished letter with the many others to post she began her duties yet again.
It had been a time before Lily had learned when the next battle in the countries war was. She had started to wear dress to seem more like a lady to the visitors, but unknown to them she had weapons and supplies sown into her layered petticoats which she then smuggled into her tent. As the date of the battle neared she had put all of her belongs and stolen items in her one large trunk and got ready to run. The plan that had been made between her, Red, and Cole was that during this battle, which would later be known as ‘The Battle of Gettysburg’ one of the biggest in the Civil War (The Battle of Gettysburg). That they would run and make it to the Union states then hitch a ride back to her home town. And the time for them to run was getting much closer. As the young cub got ready she remembered that day she met her two friends.
‘A young cat like child was running to keep up with her father, they had arrived that day and the girl was quick to stay with the man that had dragged her to the other side. She held a gun that was given by the same man who also ahd taught her the art of fighting, hunting, and war. Her mother had teached her gunslinging and the art of being a lady. The orange haired girl was left by her father as he went into a tent and he told her to find the two other children in the camp. Each shaking step was killing her small body as the baby went to the firing field and found both of the older boys who were yelling at eachother. She watched them for what felt to be an hour before both noticed the other young’in and with a shared chesire grin and dragged her along on their adventers.’
Her best friends, Red and Cole, red always protected them but was a snot qiuet often and Cole was like a puppy who loved a good fight. The three of them had done great things like make paths that they could use for escape like they would soon. The plan that Lily went over in her head yet again. A while back the threesome had got lost found railroad tracks with a bunch of pathes along the way. They had marked the spot just incase they felt the need to run. And now they needed it, and fast.
Soon the groups were at Gettysburg and the battle had already started. Bodys sat in the heat waving a heavy stench to the fight, many soldiers on both sides had been given a bloody wound or death. The young Vivandiere was battered and covered in gore and dirt. She had been running through out the fields helped those in agony and covered the un-living. The sun was setting when she rushed through and grabed her old trunk. Running to the trees but falling suddenly. The cargo slid in mud and blood undercover but Lily was in a worse situation. She was face to face over the dead body of a Union soldier who skin sticking to the warm fleash of the young girl, teeth pressed against her ear as if to wisper a message, arm had somehow fallen over her wasit. The beat heart of the two skipped a beat as an unmoving body was filled with the reminder of what she had lost. After a time when everything had gone to orange the little body was untangle from the craddle of the corpse by her friends. The battle still raged as they slowly made their way to the track, with a quick stop for the kitten to grab her trunk. Soon they ran and hitched a ride with the cars that had seemingly sat waiting for them. Unknowingly a figure followed but went back to informe what had happen to his love’s father. The three hundled for warmth amongst the hay and wood in hope that they could forget the war and the pain it had brought.
