A deaf and mute child leaves his home one day to chase imaginary enemies with his wooden sword. The boy, the offspring of a poor farmer who was once in the army, runs through the woods, braving various obstacles. However, when a rabbit crosses his way, the child becomes immensely scared and panics at the view of the small rodent. Disoriented and exhausted, he goes to sleep in the middle of the woods, only to wake up hours later, at twilight.
As soon as he wakes up, the child perceives movement in the distance. Initially believing the creature to be a bear, he then understands that these are in fact an army of men. The bloody, wounded and half-dead group crawls like a pack of injured animals, some of the warriors dropping dead along the way. The boy is however not impressed nor scared and goes around looking at everyone's exhausted faces. He even attempts to ride one of the men like he used to do with a slave back home, but the soldier throws him on the ground.
The child then realizes the seriousness of the situation, acknowledging the men's dilapidated faces and bloody bodies. As the group continues to drag themselves along, the young lad takes the lead, and notices that the footsteps of the men go in both directions; they have walked this ground earlier on their way to battle. The defeated army soon reaches the creek; some of the men slake their thirst and get back on their feet, while others do not find the strength to get back up and drown.
As the army and the boy continue walking, they reach the site of a burning house. Enthusiastic, the child gestures towards the flames, but soon recognizes the view. The houses and buildings around him appear oddly familiar, and he finally understands that the burning house is his own. Terrified, the boy progresses towards the property and discovers the mutilated carcass of a woman, probably his own mother, and falls into distress.
