Aphelion

I was conflicted about this story. It brings a realistic feel of the war through the description of the scenery and action. In contrast is the fairy-tale of the girl coming down to end the conflict -- a story within the story -- and everyone's hopes of this story being true.

I found the ending unsettling, with the girl jumping off the tower. I guess I was hoping for a positive outcome of some kind, although a simplistic 'happily-ever-after' would have left me feeling cheated. Perhaps the protagonist could have snuck the girl away and both of them escaped and let the war go on without them.

I suspect there's an allegory in all this, but I can't define it. It seems certain that the war would have gone on in any event, and the girl was tired of her life as "just a pretty face," so the ending was inevitable.

One thing bothered me enough to take me out of the story. Very early on, we find Zach climbing a boulder and being able to see all around the area for quite a distance. The problem being, that that boulder was clearly stated as being in the bottom of a gulch, along the river. He shouldn't have had a line of sight.

This is a well-written story. It had a pretty doleful ending, but did a good job of getting there.

. . . because after all, I don't think the idealism we had as youths never really panned out for anyone.

Wow. That's a tragedy all by itself!