Soldier

Chapter 20

Sorry this chapter is a bit short, but otherwise I couldn't leave it in a cliffhanger like I wanted to.

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Chapter 20

I searched through the ashes for things that could be useful. The fire took almost everything, but sometimes I found tools that the heat didn't get. My hands found something heavy and hard. It was the head of an axe. The shaft was burned to ashes, but a new one can easily be made. I put it in my leather bag before I continued searching.

Amos hadn't been happy when he noticed Yoesphin's disappearance. He wouldn't listen to our arguments that she's in fact old enough to be in battle. Instead we changed the subject and told him what happened.

“It's going to be a war” Nicholas explained. “When or where we don't know”

“I'll gather my best men and women” Amos had answered. The survival camp turned to a training camp. Everywhere I looked I saw elves either practising their swords or bow. When the humans arrived we were going to be prepared.

I lifted the lumber on the ground. With a thump I let it fall.

“Found anything?” I heard Nicholas shout from where he stood ten feet from me.

“A head of an axe” I patted on my bag. “What about you?”

“My finding is quite fascinating” Nicholas approached me. “A creature with curly hair, gorgeous eyes and standing on the most perfectly shaped legs” His eyes wandered over my body and I threw a rock at him.

“Stop looking at me”

“I thought I was allowed to do that now”

I knew he referred to our kiss, or rather kisses. One simple touch on my arm would be enough to make my knees go weak. It was a strange feeling, not that I'm complaining.

“You're allowed to look at me anytime you want, but not when we have other things to do” I gave him a quick peck on the cheek. It was enough to keep him satisfied for now.

I saw the cottage I had lived in for so long. The ladder was burnt down, but with some climbing, with the help of the few branches left, I reached the platform. I took a peek inside and saw everything covered in ashes. The wood was black and the bed gone. I bent to my knees and started to dig. Most of my belongings had burned down, but one thing was still almost complete. I let my hand wrap around my ipod. What was left of it. The plastic had melted, but the screen was still intact. The batteries were completely destroyed. I didn't let go of it. My last connection to home and now it was gone. I didn't know if I wanted to cry or cheer.

“Look” I said to Nicholas when I got down. He took the ipod from my hand and investigated it.

“And this was called...?”

“Ipod. It followed me over here”

I fell silent, pressing some buttons, waiting for the sound to burst out. Suddenly Nicholas pulled me into his arms. I took my time to enjoy his smell, earth and sweat.

“You smell nice” I mumbled into his shirt. His chuckle vibrated from his throat to his chest.

“Come on! It's time to go back” Roran called at us and we separated.

It was late in the afternoon and we needed to be back before it got dark. I kept looking at my wrecked ipod. For a moment I thought it was speaking to me; you're never going back.

It felt like it symbolized how far away my own world got and how real Tahol became. I'm not so sad anymore if I ended up living the rest of my life here. I've made friends. I'll survive.