Off To War

Sword raised, hand steady, eyes open, ready to strike; his sneer is appropriate for the situation if not a bit overly dramatic. I copy his stance and wait for his attack. I watch as I see his left leg stiffen ever so slightly, he’ll lunge with his right hand trying to hit me in the right side.

I return his sneer and watch him start to move; I turn and sweep my sword underneath his left foot which he has most of his weight on. He falls with a heavy thud letting his sword fly out of his reach, pointing my sword at his throat I smirk.

“Dead,” I give him another smirk and help him up.

“Okay, you’re getting better, you almost died there.” He laughs.

“Yeah, sure lets go with that.” I laugh back at him.

We hear the familiar creaking of the screen porch swinging open.

“Janet LeAnn Nestler! What on the sanity of Earth are you doing?!” I laugh as the plump woman in a blue and white stripped apron with matching dress comes running out looking at me with her eyes full of concern, and anger.

“What do you think you are doing out here, in this weather, with,” She takes one look at my sword and fans her face, “With a weapon, and this one!” She turns to John and I can see him swallow. “Hello Mrs. Morgan,” He says with a half smile.

“Don’t, ‘hello Mrs. Morgan’ me mister! Mr. Nestler has spoken to you about this, along with your mother! You,” and she takes a quick glance at me, “TWO aren’t to be doing such ruff things in your spare time.”

John and I laugh at the word ‘ruff’ what we were doing wasn’t even close to ‘ruff’. If Mrs. Morgan wanted to see ruff, well let’s not go there right now.

“You are coming with me and getting washed up this instant!” Mrs. Morgan grabs me by the wrist and quickly is dragging me inside the tall blue house. We quickly go past the main parts of the downstairs, the sitting room, the dinning room, the sun room and the toilets.

“I’ll take you down to see Miss Cook; she’ll get you washed up very nicely.” Mrs. Morgan says under her breath.

“Mrs. Morgan, will you be telling father and John’s mother?” I question, now worried that I’ll be getting in more trouble than being sent to Miss Cook.

“It all depends Janet; will this be the last time that you are out doing this type of stuff?” Mrs. Morgan stops and looks me straight in the eye waiting for me to lie to her.

“No,” I say honestly.

 “Then, no I won’t be telling anyone. There is no use in telling someone and getting you into more trouble if it’s just going to no use.” She takes my wrist again and continues walking me through the back of the house to Miss Cook.

 She drops me off at the back steps saying that she now needs to deal with John. I continue down wondering into the darkness. I flick on the light at the first landing and smile when the lights come on. I continue down and when I reach the cellar Miss Cook is waiting for me.

“Ge’in tha tub.”

I disrobe from my once white shirt and blue pants. Removing the socks and black shoes along with these I smile at my stretching toes. I take off my undergarments and hop into the warm tub prepared by Miss Cook.

“How do you manage to get mud into the inside your sock? And onto your covered knees, why are you constantly doing things that a lady shouldn’t? Can’t you take advantage of tha chances you got and run wit’ them?” She continues to ask questions that I don’t answer while I bathe but I continually zone out leaving her ranting behind me.