The Soldier

CHAPTER FOUR

 I hug my family as my sister cries. I may be leaving them forever. I try to calm her, but she doesn't listen.

"I don't want you to go, June!" May wails.

I take her in my arms, bending down so that she's as tall as me. "Listen, May... I'm doing this for you. So you can go to school with no worries, and to help protect this family." I say. "Can you do me a favor?"

She nods.

"I want you to stay strong and help protect this family in the best way that you can. Whatever happens, I will always love you." I tell her. She nods again, and then hugs me tight. I thank fate that May's too oblivious to understand what I'm saying: that I may die and never come back; she may never see me again. No. It's not that May is too oblivious. She's thirteen years-old, she knows what I'm doing. May is simply an optimist. I admire her for that.

"The baby and I... we will all miss you." Mother has her concerned-face expression showing.

"I'll miss you too, Mother." I say. She kisses me on the forehead, and I kiss her belly for the baby soon to be born. She smiles and I wave goodbye, ready to find Septimus.

He sits still at the table, nudging his cookie crumbs on his plate.

"Hey," he mumbles.

"Hey," I smile. Sitting down next to him, I kiss him on the cheek.

"Are you ever coming back?" Septimus asks.

All I can do is look at his stone face. What should I tell him? That, yeah, I'll come back? He'll never forgive me if I die. He told me that before on the day I was hunting in the woods, and got chased by a very lethal snake.

We're staring straight at each other, his beautiful green eyes rare for his skin.

"Yeah, of course, Septimus, why wouldn't I come back?" I lie.

I must not lie good enough.

Septimus slams down his cookie. "You know what, June, do me a favor and stop lying to everyone! You're not coming back. Ever. My friend's father went into battle, and no one's seen him since! You're going to die, just like him... You're going to die!" he cries. Every word he says is like a knife tearing through my courage. Since he turned ten, I have never seen him cry. Never. He's fifteen now, and his tears run down his cheeks like he's a child. "Don't you care about your own family, June? How could you become a soldier?"

"Septimus, stop. Crying isn't going to solve anything. I love you, that's why I'm becoming a soldier, and the sooner the North wins this war, the sooner I'll be there for you. The best thing to do is just to be strong, and help out Mom with the house, and you'll be okay?" I say. "I need you to stop crying, and be there for Mom, you hear me, I want you to make sure May does well at school, okay?"

Septimus nods.

"No, Septimus I need to hear you say it, so I will know you mean it." I demand.

"Yes," Septimus sniffs. "Yes, I will."

I don't tell him I love him until he stops crying, and puts back on his stony face he wears when he's done something he didn't want to. To enlighten him, I tell him I love him, and with one last look, I grab my luggage, leaving him to his half-eaten cookie.

"I love you, too, June." he says, and as if he just remembered something, he runs up to me, kisses my cheek, and hands me a box. "Here," Septimus opens up the box to reveal a pearl-encrusted whistle. Something that I've always wanted, but could never afford. "Here, I'm been saving up the money, and I wanted you to have this. It may come in handy someday."

"Oh, thank you, Septimus!" When I kiss him on the cheek, his blush actually makes me laugh. I may as well laugh to get it out of my system; there won't be any laughing at the camp. But, when I leave him and finally head out the door, where Commander Blue, and my father wait, the ghost of Septimus' words haunt me. He says I'll never come back, and I get the feeling Septimus is right. This will be the last time I see him, and my home.

Outside it is dark, but I can see the shadows of the trees in the moonlight. The branches are blowing as if they are waving me a silent farewell. I turn my head, back straight, fists clenched as I walk. I've got to be brave.

I can't let the other cadets see my fear.

Commander Blue leads the way, some of my luggage in his hand. I'm in the middle, Father in the rear. They both carry my luggage.

Snow falls slowly on us, and I shiver, ghostly white wisps of my breath flying in the air. I pull my parka hood over my face, forcing myself to calm down again.

When we have my luggage loaded into the SUV, Commander Blue opens the backdoor for me. I slide in, and like a door of a prison cell, the car door is slammed shut.

Whatever awaits me now, is only what I can imagine. As we pull away onto the road, I stare back at the house I no longer belong to.