When Given a Lemon

Part 37

“N-n..” I bite my lower lip and Merryl gives a reassuring nod, one much more genuine than the others in the tent with us. “Well, they came back after I fell asleep and left with everyone before dawn, uh, before I woke up.”

“So you haven’t seen Lemon since the sparring match?” Their expressions were as unbelieving as their voice was, “are they still gone?”

“No? They returned yesterday.”

“When yesterday? Did they have anything with them?” What?! These unexpected questions make it hard to think. Did I see them with anything? Did we even speak to each other?

“Uhh, they were here already when we got back… no, I didn’t see anything. Merryl, did you?” Merryl shakes his head.

“Where are they now?”

“I don’t know?” I am getting more and more nervous that I might somehow have been roped into something just because I'm Lemon’s tent mate. “I, they were sitting right outside the tent when I left to wash laundry.” I point to the still damp clothes we can see a glimpse of every time the untied door fabric flutters against the push of the wind.

“Alright, and where were you during the time that Lemon was absent?” the other soldier finally piped in. What a useless question! They were gone for days!

“Where? Me? Oh…” Where have I been? I try to think back through the last few days but my thoughts start overlapping, their staring is not helping me gather my thoughts very well. “We went out hunting a few times and I had to have my stitches checked by Obert. So, mostly here, I guess, when not out with the rest of my squad.” I hope I’m not missing anything, the last thing I need is for them to find a reason to be suspicious of me. “I think the only time I was out on my own was when doing laundry today.”

“Will you do us the favor of letting us know as soon as Lemon comes back?”

“S-sure?”

“Hm. In the meantime, mind if we have a look around?”

“No, go ahead.” I glance at Merryl again who shrugs slightly. It seems he doesn’t know what they are looking for either. “I don’t mind at all.”

We all climb out of the tent and Merryl decides now would be a great time for us to go out to check if all the cloths used for bandages and cleaning had been taken down yet. I had hung them on lines that were undercover but the gusting winds the other day were strong enough that they could have dislodged some of them from the little pins. He dragged me with him and sure enough, we came to find that several of the damn things had been blown off the line and would need to be rewashed, again. At least this mundane chore kept me busy while those people went through my stuff for whatever they think it is that Lemon has gotten themself mixed up in. I hope it's a misunderstanding, but my gut tells me Lemon doing something or taking something they shouldn't isn’t off the table.

“What do you think happened?” I ask Merryl while we work, “I mean, I know Lemon has done little things like stealing extra food” - no one needs to know I'm involved in those endeavors - “but never anything that would warrant us being searched!”

Merryl only shook his head.

“Honestly Keenah, I don’t know Lemon nearly as well as you so I can’t even begin to guess at what they’re looking for or whether there’s a chance of it being found in your tent.” His hands work fast, nimbly scrubbing, washing, rinsing, and ringing out the rags much quicker than I am able to. If it were left to me, or even to two of me, I’d be here a lot longer cleaning up. “What do you think? Any ideas what they could be searching for?”

“No, not really. I don’t think they’d take something that would get them in trouble. But since they didn't even give us a clue about what it could be, I can't even begin to guess.” I shake the moisture from my hands after pinning the last of the wet cloth back up to dry.