When Given a Lemon

Part 14

After coming here, and seeing the way others are able to fight, maneuver and survive, I shouldn't even be considered a novice at any of those things. Because that would be too advanced for me 

Even so, there was a part of me that didn't want to learn how to fight. A part that hoped all the untrained soldiers could be sent back to the barracks where they may still be useful in other capacities. Because the more I thought about it, the more I believed training might lead to us being sent somewhere even more dangerous than here and this place already has things that are scarier than I would like.

On the other hand, if they intended to ship us out anyway, I wouldn’t want to be the soldier sent out to a battlefield with the amount of training I have had because I wouldn't last long! I shudder to think if that's something they would do, or even worse, have done to others. If so it would make the words those scoundrels had said true;

that we were meant to go out first and be human shields for the rest of them.

Though I hadn't reacted outwardly when they had said it, the words did bother me. I'll admit I wasn't accustomed to people like that back home. Not that I lived in a utopia nor was everyone just super accommodating or anything; I'd dealt with my fair share of bullies back then too. We just didn't have the same disparities, and it was a working village so every family, building, and person had a job to do that were all necessary for the village to function properly.

Still, I wish I recognized which people they were, but it had been dark when they said it, and all the wealthier soldiers here wore thick jackets and fur lined hats, making it impossible to tell who was who beneath it.

Merryl sits by the fire with us but still looks a little queasy, partaking very little in the merriment around us, specifically in the form of food. I can't say that I blame him. The whole ordeal was gross and upsetting and if Lemon wasn't always there distracting me with their stupid faces I probably would have been more bothered by it myself. Their presence really has helped me, though I'd never let them know it. Gods alone know what they would do with that knowledge. I can guarantee it would probably be in the form of a practical joke at my expense.

Even with Lemon to distract me, I'd be surprised if parts of the past several days didn't show up in my dreams tonight.

Free time ended when the lieutenants unexpectedly resurfaced, barking orders to the first group they found lounging around, stacking several extra tasks onto their to-do lists for “having time to be lazy”. Several of us made ourselves scarce while the rest got stuck doing the extra tasks until much later in the night.

Me, Lemon, and Merryl were joined by Bill and Kipol when we took an impromptu tour through the dell nearby to escape whatever punishments the officers were dishing out. The other lucky ones slipped away to other unknown hidden places. 

In case we were questioned when we returned, we gathered up firewood and hunted for more of the early wax fruits while it was still light enough. I don't recall what Lemon called them, eber-berries or elbow-berries or something strange like that. Wax fruit is a lot easier to remember. They're not the greatest in terms of taste, but honestly anything is better than the boring porridge we get served in the mornings, and sometimes evenings.

I'm really glad that my old marching companions decided to join us, even if it was a snap decision to escape from the officers’ wrath that led to them being here. It has been a while since we've seen or spoken with each other more than passing by in camp.

“Kipol and Bill ended up on either side of me when they reorganized the marching arrangements.” I explained to Merryl after introducing them. Bill nodded in greeting, before taking a swig out of a large jug.