A wind blew outside the kingdom walls as armies were visible from the gates. James ran up the narrow stairway and onto the grey stone walls. He cupped his hands in a circle and looked through it with one eye to see his brother returning. He ran out of the gates and straight to Thomas who had been walking from the city he just fought against to his kingdom because he has lost his horse in battle. James went in for a hug as Tom collapsed in his arms. His face was scarred on his right cheek, down his left eye and across his nose. On top of that, he had been cut in his arms and legs, his armour hung from his clothing like a string from a roof. His clothes were completely torn. James dragged Tom into castle walls and into the room which they shared. The walls were filled with swords and armour they had worn. Tom lay on his bed very weak. James was only two years younger than atom but felt as if he had the responsibility of looking after his brother.

King Thorn stood beside Tom. He had his hand on Tom's forehead which felt hotter than a burning coal. He then quickly got up and went straight to the medical room to try and find anyone who was able to help Tom.

"Brother James," said Tom in a very weak voice, "The battle was very long and hard. I never forgot you brother. You were the reason I survived. Those barbarians have a bigger army than the population of this kingdom. We cannot stop them so we shouldn't fight them."

"Thomas, if we are to lose every battle against these enemies then at least we have not fought in vein. Every man killed is another man less than they have and even if our armies go down, we have powerful allies from Uncle who will help us. Rest now brother. Father says your not well."

A doctor quickly arrived at the wooden room of Tom and James. He made a bee line straight for Tom. 

"I have concluded, your highness, Tom has a fever. He will need to rest and be out of action for a while," the doctor explained. James starred at Tom who was fast asleep on his bed. He started to think. "I should've never of let him go out without me," he thought silently to himself. The dark starred appearing through the sky and James needed to get some sleep. He dosed off onto his bed.

"James. You cannot save Tom. He is long gone. He shall die." 

James arose quickly to his dream and saw pitch black. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the setting of darkness and looked around to Tom. Tom wasn't in his bed. He bolted up and felt around the sheets of Tom's bed but he felt nothing. Thoughts popped into his head about Tom's death but nothing made sense to him. He quickly got up, put his armour on, grabbed his sword and sprinted out the door.

Tom sat by the river. His feet hovered over the waters which reflected the moonlight into his eyes. His toes dipped inside the ice cold water. He laid his head on his hands and smiled across the to the other side. He heard footsteps from behind a drew his sword and waited. James appeared in front of him.

"Thomas, you can't run off like that, the doctor said you need to rest."

"I understand but I can't rest. I know I'm not going to survive from the disasters which we fought against yesterday. Why bother resting when there is a life to be lived while we have it?

"And what if you were to survive? What if you had been healed and you wouldn't die? Then you have just wasted your chance of survival. Tom, I need you. I can't live without you. You're going to rest. Please." 

Tom thought. He was about to answer when he spotted fire from across the river. He looked closer. 

"James!"

 "James! Sound the alarms!"

Tom woke up his calvary and footmen for battle. He made a quick speech and lead then to the gates. He signalled archers to be ready to fire. "Fire!" Arrows whizzed through the sky's into the enemy lines. "Barbarians!" Tom whispered. "Man the gates! Get ready! These are the barbarians." The archers kept shooting towards the enemy lines but were barely hurting them. Across the horizen, more and more armies kept walking towards them. However far they looked, so, they saw were the barbarians advancing on their kingdom. James ran up beside Tom with two horses. "Ready?" He asked. "Ready!" Tom and James stood in the front of their army and opened the door. A flood of knights rolled into the lines and met the enemy head on. Swords clashed and banged together as men from both sides fell to the ground. All around Tom and James, people lay lifelessly waiting for their time to be remembered as heroes. Tom had to hold them off until King Thorn had all the citizens out of the city but it was hard. They had started with less men than their opponent and Tom was almost certain that they would be finished in that battle. James saw that Tom's fighting skills were weak. He was become all the more weak every time he banged his sword against another. James couldn't let his brother die.

James fought his way through enemy lines on his horse until and archer shot an arrow through the head of the horse, killing it instantly. He got up and dusted himself off. When he looked around, not many were alive. He knew they had to retreat or they would lose their own city. "RETREAT! BACK TO THE KING!" He yelled loudly for all to hear. They scrambled back into the castle and followed King Thorn to a boat which would lead them out of their. The last boat was crowded and there wasn't much room for some soldiers. The king stood up and drew his sword. 

"You, men, get in. I'll stay behind."

"Father no!" Yelled James " we need you hear father. You're our king."

"Not anymore, now go, quickly. Remember, I am always with you."

"FATHER!" Yelled James as the king untied the boat and pushed it away just in time. The army of barbarians jumped out of the castle. The king stood his ground slaying around twelve of their men before being brought to the ground by an arrow.

"FATHER!" Yelled James once more in anger and hatred for those barbarians.

"It's too late James. We must take up his throne." Tom and James honoured their father for sacrificing his lives for the citizens and soldiers who fought battles for him.

They floated aimlessly down a river until they reached the end. Tom tied the boat up next to hundreds of others and entered the city of Lutra. Their people had already ing new places to live and work. Soldiers made a perimeter around its borders and stood their ground. Tom and James sat in the palace which was set up for when the king visited. James thought. All his anger and fear was controlling his head. He was doubting himself. His mind was in a civil war against each other. He had two minds inside one and his mind could never make a decision because his mind believed one thing and wanted the other. He was split into two people. 

"You right James?" asked Tom gently as he patted the seat next to James and sat down.

"Yeah I just miss Father. I should've stayed behind with him. He should've escaped. It should have been me who died not him."

"He died for us James. He died so his people could live. We cannot wait and mourn over his lose for when we do, we shall fall as well. There will be time to weep for father but now is not the time. He wants us out there protecting his people. Our people. We are the kings now. We shouldn't waste our lives afraid. This is what we were trained for. This is what we need to do and every second we waste lying around, is a second closer to our defeat. So, if we are to die today. Let it not be in vein. Let us die in honour of this city. This kingdom which we love."

"No Tom. If we cannot weep for father now then when? This war shall never be over."

"That is your decision then." Tom took his sword and went outside the stone castle with his knights. From there, he proceeded to the gates of the city. "For King Thorn!" He yelled.

 Tom marched into battle once more leading his army of footmen and Calvary over the hills to meet the Barbarians. With a disadvantage of about twenty thousand men, Tom knew there was no hope. He also knew that if he didn't try then he wouldn't save his city. He charged at the Barbarians with his sword raised into the sky's to meet the body of an enemy upon landing. He landed his army dead centre of the Barbarians, splitting them into groups. Then, they surrounded one group and killed them all whilst few men protected the others from the next group of Barbarians. Tom turned to the next side of the army and marched in. Then, from out of no where, his horse struck the ground, dead. Tom got up and wiped himself from dust and dirt. Arrows whizzed passed him narrowly missing him and scraping the ground when they landed. Still, Tom marched through the firing lines to join his men in the death of the Barbarians. They fought viciously. Every sword was another slash towards victory until the barbarians came back. Someone had called for help. They were rushing Thorns kingdom. "RETREAT!!" Tom yelled urgently as his men were run over by horses. Tom crashed to the ground as hoofs of the animals rode right over him, trampling him.

Thomas awoke barely breathing with blood all over his body. He looked around to see his city in flames and people fleeing for safety within the mountains. Tom's face turned red. He clenched his fist in anger and hatred if the barbarians. Picked up a sword and shield and ran right into the city. He saw his brother James helping people out. "I must protect!" He muttered to himself as he charged in. Every man who faced him was brought to the ground. Eventually, he got to James. 

"That's the last let's go!" Said James urgently to his brother.

"I-I can't brother," Tom said weakly, "I need to cover you otherwise they'll catch up. You run along now." Tom panted and stood his ground. Arrows whizzed passed again. "RUN!" Tom met his opponent sword on sword. Bring them to the ground not looking back in fear of losing focus. He went in for a swoop near the enemy legs and on impact, broke his sword. Barbarians surrounded him. 

"Should we kill this person my lord?" asked one of the barbarians as their king appeared. 

"No, keep him alive," replied the king, "we can attract his family and kill them if he is alive."

The barbarians obeyed and took him inside the once castle of King Thorn.

"Prince Thomas Thorn," said the king, "your last mistake was attacking one of our cities. I've been waiting a long time for this."

"It was no mistake." he replied, "for you killed my mother. I needed her. So I took your children, wife, mother and father from you. Just so you would know how it feels."