Jaycee Woods

I created a new quote image. I think this is my first from Boudica and The Butcher. As I edit, when a quote strikes me, I now try to create a quick image of it in PowerPoint, which means that I am multitasking by editing and creating promo material for Instagram and Pinterest.

The below snip of formatted raw draft is the context for the image quote. After talking to Olga in chapter 18, Boudica accepted her goal as saving her master, The Butcher, from the consequence of the war upon his soul. This clip is part of the dialogue with him when she learns how difficult a challenge she has accepted.

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As she heard her master explain his counting on the enemy’s potential complacency, she suddenly became more scared as she realized that her master’s life was more precious than he thought it was, “Master…isn’t it possible that you’ll be…killed?”

Her master admitted, “Every day of this war. The sooner the war ends the better.”

Boudica became even more worried as her master had become numb to the possibility of his own death, “But…but…aren’t you afraid?”

Her master thought for a moment. “Of what?”

As she heard his response, she became even more worried as his own fear was not a concept that her master even considered, “Of…death.”

Confused, her master asked, “Whose?”

Boudica became more worried. “Your own!”

Her master said, “No. When I went to war, I accepted that I was already dead.”

Boudica said, “Why! Why did you accept that?”

Her master said, “It isn’t possible to live in a war, only to kill or to die. Hopefully, my men will survive this war to be reborn as whatever our labor has made of them.”

Boudica realize how much this war had broken her master as his own death meant nothing to him, which terrified her, “But…you’re not…ready to die yet…right?”

Her master smiled sadly. “I walk, breathe, talk, and fight, but I died in that car bomb with my wife and son. I am a corpse yet to be buried.”

As she heard this, her eyes teared, because she felt how broken her master had become, and how alone he felt since the day he lost everything, his wife and son. “Master…if you think that you have nothing to lose…then…know that you still have me.”

Her master said, “Legally you are mine. You will be my gift to my parents to replace the daughter-in-law they lost as I couldn’t save her from her injuries. Our future child will be another gift to them to replace the grandson they lost as I couldn’t save him either. I don’t know how to replace the son this war has cost my parents.”

Boudica became even more afraid, for her master and for his parents. In his words, she felt a fraction of the depth of his loss. She looked at him as her eyes continued to water. “Master…why…why do you still fight…if you have nothing left to live for?”

Her master said, “Avenging my wife and son by destroying the rebellion, by ending the war. A man’s life is but a brief moment, so my task requires that I take these risks.”

Boudica became more saddened as she could not help but realize just how much her master had given away to his revenge, “Master…you’ve…you’ve given up…so much of your life to avenge them…so much that you don’t care if you die yourself.”

Her master looked at her and smiled wistfully with his left eye still swollen shut from his injury. “Odin gave up his right eye to receive wisdom. I have given up my left eye for now only to push further down the path of death.”

As she saw her master’s smile and looked at his wounded eye, she finally realized what a broken and suicidal man he had become, “Master…what happens…if you lose…and you can’t avenge them?”

Her master said, “Measured in blood I have killed many thousand rebels in collection of my blood debt, which will only be repaid when I have been liberated from this existence or the rebels renounce war, whichever comes first.”

Boudica became more scared as she realized that her master’s life would be over when he could no longer fight for his vengeance, “Master…what happens…if you win?”

Her master said, “Then I will lie down for the last time to rest forever.”

Boudica became more terrified than ever, “No! Master, don’t say that! You can’t give up like this! I won’t let you! I won’t let you just give up your life after everything you’ve done!”

Her master said, “My little slave girl, Boudica, the die was cast.”