Our Shropshire Stories
The Fort, by Merion Price,
Broseley C of E Primary School
I am the Guardian, the Guardian of the fort, MY fort, the great fort and woodlands of Broseley. Some say I care too much for it - I don’t. Out of thirteen Fort’s, twelve are at war. Guess which isn’t? That’s right, MINE. I don’t believe in war, nor do I want to rule over others. My only desire is peace, to keep the people of Broseley safe, just like my father did. I can remember the day he transcended into the great beyond. It was also the day I became the Guardian, a terrible day. On top of the grief, I had self-doubt and was filled with silent dread as I became the Guardian. At the first I was bewildered, so left decisions to my advisors, but after a few terrible decisions, I got the hang of it. My most memorable challenge was on my eleventh birthday, where the
future of my people weighed heavily on my shoulders. A message came from the Savage Boar tribe, some twenty miles to the south. Their people were starving and needed refuge. Did I reject their pleas, ensuring enough for my people, or help them, letting my own people go hungry. Then a Mage from a far-off land offered a solution - he knew of a Heart Stone that would nourish the land, bringing an end to starvation. Alas, the Heart Stone existed only in the depths of the earth. Luckily the Mage knew how to guide us through the complex maze of lava tunnels, and so we set off with our troops to retrieve the Heart Stone.
It was an eight mile trek North but eventually we reached the entrance to the tunnels, which were filled with fiery lava. The Mage started chanting magical words, and the liquid inferno retreated into its hole. Eighteen troops went down, none returned. I was with the nineteenth and as we descended we heard screaming. A demon was guarding the bright orange Heart Stone. Even from a distance I could see the life giving sparks and warming glow. It was brilliant, it had to be the best moment of my life. But we had to deal with the
demon first. Ten foot tall and armed with a fiery whip this would be a challenge, a challenge we would win. On my command we attacked. A cloud of arrows rained down, one finding its mark in the demon’s eye, so I swung my sword, cutting off it’s malicious head. Within seconds of slaying the beast, the lava flowed once more, so we grabbed the Heart Stone and ran through the now boiling tunnels, up to the surface. Just as the last man climbed out, a huge spout of molten rock gushed forth, forming what today we call the Wrekin. We returned to my Fort victorious and able to bring a time of peace and prosperity to all forts near and far. The Heart Stone remains buried, secret and safe within my Fort to this day.
this story was inspired by the place-name Broseley - to find out more, click here.
