The Soldier's Tale

Ah peacetime, how quaint. I'm a soldier, as you could probably tell. Peace isn't Exactly my favorite thing, but I don't exactly hate it either. I'm usually out of a job during times of peace, and there's nothing worse than not having a job to make you feel like less of a man. How am I supposed to look my family in the eyes and tell them that I fought for our country, I fought well, and now I'm unemployed. When i recieved this job at guarding the bridge, I was pleased. Of course, i didn't know what type of army would possibly attack a bridge in the middle of the country. The bridge has yet to be attacked ... by humans. The only thing to come across here and offer any threat are the wolves that live in the surrounding woods. Every now and then a stray comes too close for its own good, and I have to do my job at protecting the local folk, so I end up shooting the poor thing. The local are oh-so-grateful. Please pardon my sarcasm. The locals don't care about me. I don't get the respect I deserve. Here I am putting my life on the line to protect them, and I don't even get thanked. Sure they cook for me, but that's their duty. They are always sneaking up behind me, trying to steal my sword, or push me into the river. So my choices are to stay here being tormented and shooting wolves, or go back to being unemployed. I bring my son out here to work. He does various tasks for the locals. He gets about the same gratitude as I do. I hope this teaches him a lesson. I wonder where he ran off to, I should go find him. After all, he is in my sphere of protection and I do not want to look like a coward. I bid you a farewell.