A Hero's Return

, “What are you doing with the boat? There is still ice covering the river.” The man , a local, looked over and nodded. “ Ay, t’would seem so to outsiders like yourself. Do you see the water on top the ice today? T’aint much, but it shows that it’s softening.” He pointed to a lone traveler with a burdened pack animal, following him across the frozen river. “You see, he’ll be okay today and maybe tomorrow. It’ll be breaking up before the new moon. Then it’ll be too dangerous.” He nodded thoughtfully. “Sun’s warming, most don’t notice, it seems slight at first.” Yuzbasha squinted against the glare. “There’s something larger coming over there.” He pointed at a mass of dark dots approaching the other shore of the river. “Looks like horsemen,” he concluded. “Darn fools, to try to cross with a cavalcade, must be twenty men there.” All the men stopped work to watch. “Back to work,” Yuzbasha shouted. “Get the boat ready. We may need it before they get across.” The work speeded as the horsemen, after a pause, decided to follow the lone traveler over the river’s surface. They were too far away to hear or heed a shout of warning. The leaders had dismounted to lead their horses across the ice. However, one of the drovers of the pack animals had cracked his whip. This sent his mounted drovers, horses and mules over the ice as a mob. The ice seemed to hold. “Maybe they’ll make it,” Yuzbasha murmured. The boatmen stopped again to watch, but the corporal shouted at them. “Lift the boat off its supports and down to the ice.” Yuzbasha joined the men in the lift, and righting the boat at the bank, they slid it on to the ice. There was a slight tremor as the walking men reached the center of the river. The drovers too had slowed their pace, and followed tentatively. The fact of danger had at last caught them. A sudden crack like lightning and a roar like thunder, announced the parting of the ice behind the mob. All motion stopped, as men and animals found themselves on ice floes or in icy water. Shouting and panic followed. Yuzbasha entered the boat, while the men pushed it over the ice. They raced to the open water, jumped into the boat, seized the oars and started to rescue the drowning men. Part of the cavalcade had been able to pass on foot, but it took many trips –all afternoon- to rescue the men and animals from the ice floes. ”It’ll all be breaking up tomorrow,” observed the corporal as the ice shifted and crackled. The whole regiment turned out to watch and to carry the rescued to the warmth of the barracks or stables. More boats were readied and launched. The crews changed when one team tired. The troops sent up a roaring cheer each time the boat landed its bedraggled victims. Yuzbasha waved his arms in response and helped the retrieved men out of the boat. Others led the exhausted horses, pulled to the shore by the rowers, up the bank to safety. They dried, rubbed and blanketed them as they went to the stables. Repeatedly, Yuzbasha gestured a return to the water to rescue more, as the crew manned the oars and the troops cheered. He was a hero again. ****************************************** Heroes are death defying. Only villains are supposed to die. Therefore heroes must run the gauntlet of near death situations again and again to win out and prove their valor to all. In biographies the differences and variations of beginnings and endings provide a vital part of the fullness of the life portrayed. So in this book, A Hero’s Return, near death experiences provides opportunities to assess the real value and significance of the characters portrayed. The reception and treatment of heroes is as varied as the events that cause people to apply the term hero to a man or woman. One man’s hero can be another man’s villain. This theme needs to be examined closely in the currents of human emotion and resulting events. It is portrayed in a striking cultural background that will hold your attention. Read and enjoy A Hero’s Return today.