Alcove of the Soldier

The poor boy was made to tend the sheep.

Who wants to tend sheep, when joining in the hunt with the others would be more exciting?  Who wants to be responsible for wandering and grazing animals, when learning how to track and ride are certainly more exciting and useful in later life?

The boy sat under a tree, and he watched the sheep eat, sit, and just stand there.

Not a very exciting life, especially when he could hear the others whooping and yelling as they chased their prey while they passed in the far distance.

After minutes of sitting, the boy stood and strode around.

He noticed one of the smaller lambs standing on a mound of rock and earth.  He also noticed that the poor animal had gotten it's hoof stuck amongst the cervices.

"Not very smart, are they?" he thought to himself.

Off he went to release the little animal.

He climbed up onto the rocky and earthen mound, and pulled at the little lamb's hoof.  Pulling it free, the lamb immediately jumped down and ran to the other sheep.

Just as the boy remarked on how foolish the lamb had been, down he went.

The rocky and earthen mound cracked and broke, sending the poor boy down into a long-forgotten alcove.

Standing and patting the dirt from himself, the young shepherd gazed around at the lost room.  He noticed a great statue before him.

Surely, it was dedicated to a great and renowned warrior of an ancient day.

He noticed stone statuettes placed along the carved walls.  He noticed a copper brazier off in a shadowed corner, and iron weapons carefully placed along walls and corners.

This had been a greatly cared for place.

Wandering around, he discovered several other rooms.  Stone statues, iron monuments, gold trinkets and other treasures waited to be discovered.

The young shepherd took a sword that had been left on the ground for unknown centuries and wondered.

"What stories could these tell?"