Ted's Last Ride, revised for Wednesday Writing Essentials

“Tell me again,” said Jason. “Tell me about war.” His father’s tales enthralled him with thrills of the chase, driving hunger of need. Young Jason’s body wriggled, uselessly propped, legs flopping like fish out of water while slaughter awaits. “Please Daddy, please.”

His father was conversing with Sam again, he whose eyes lived forever. The gun was cleaned and ready, Jason knew; uniform pressed; troops at the door. But still... One last tale please; one final glorious victory so I’ll remember him when he’s gone. The boy smiled hopefully, while his father turned. “Okay, I’ll try.”

“Thanks Dad,” he cried.

…..

“I heard ’em shouting a mile away,” he began, “dust flying like bees. Clattering hooves, jangling harness, saddles creak—they were getting close. Hot breath huffing from their noses, horse and rider both, my Ted with the death-watch on his shoulders. But I was shaking, watching him, after all those prophesies Old Sam poured out.”

The wrong tale poured…

“My brother Ted, in the lead. They were after him then. I’m shouting loud as a steam-train, but he stops, face soaked in tears. Come on. He’s won. It’s done but Ted lies dead on the floor, like straws in wind...”

…..

“Then what?” asked Jason, his years too innocent.

Old Sam pressed close, breath smelling of straw, while Jason’s Dad, hypnotized by pellucid eyes, gave no reply. He twisted the wolf-fur cap between bent fingers; dripped tears on its pelt.

“Then what?” asked Jason, charging wild in the prairies of dreams, building tents in his mind. “Then what Dad? Please?”

Sam answered him. “Then,” he said slowly, “your Mam died giving birth. Your uncle died in battle. And now your Dad. Every victory’s bought with pain, ever was, evermore.”

Dad cried, kissed Jason goodbye, and left the tear-stained wolf-fur cap behind.

3 sets of 100 words - I guess that makes this a triple-drabble, written for Wednesday Writing Essentials

• Take an old post of yours, cut-n-paste it to a new article, and revise it with the following prompts.  If you are NEW to Gather, take an old piece of your writing and revise.
• Include the words or derivatives of: prairie, charge, press, wolf, and pellucid,
• Focus on dialogue or monologue (I refer you to Len Maxwell's tutorial on Punctuation and Dialogue.)
• Add landscape to your revision.  In other words, talk about the surroundings of your story both physically and mentally.  For additional challenge, this specific prompt could be expounded upon as a post script to your revision.
• tag with gwwe