Force of Nature

Chapter 5

The next morning the settlement was buzzing with a jolly atmosphere. People bustled around with more vigour and speed than usual.

The reason?

It was two days till the start of the Nollaig festival. Maisri left her cell earlier than usual that morning, having to take a detour to pick up the new transfer. Thomas was still asleep when she arrived. In all honesty, she tried to wake him gently, but the man was in deep. Casually, Maisri went outside and gathered up a big handful of snow before carrying it back inside his cell and unceremoniously dumping it on him.

"Good morning," she chirped happily when he stared up at her with a sleepy glare. "You have two minutes to get ready, otherwise you can explain to the Chief why you are late for your first breakfast and morning brief," she warned before leaving him to dress. There was something pleasing in riling him up. There was something even more pleasing about him heeding her warning and hurrying to get ready. How did she know he did this? She could hear him thumping clumsily around inside.

One minute and forty-seven seconds later, a very red-faced Thomas opened the door. Maisri was leaning up against the side of his cell, one foot resting up against the outer wall. She scanned him up and down appraisingly, briefly noting how well he filled out his black cotton jumper and loose black bottoms. She fed him an award-winning smile, "Well isn't someone just sleeping-ugly in the mornings," she joked as Thomas yawned noisily.

"Why so chipper this morning princess. Did you manage to maim or injure some innocent animal already?" He asked, a slight sarcastic tone to his voice.

"Not yet, but the morning is still young," she joked, and got a tired grunt in response. She wouldn't normally have responded to this, but there was something in his response that made Maisri's instincts immediately perk up. She scanned his face again, but this time in deeper detail and was surprised to note darker rings under his eyes, his unfocused and bleary gaze and his paler than usual complexion. She reached out a hard to grab his arm, forcing him to turn and face her. Her smile was gone, replaced with a look that strangely resembled concern. "Did you not sleep well?"

"Well obviously I slept like a baby," he replied sarcastically, before sighing loudly. "Sorry," he murmured, rubbing a tired eye with his hand, "no, I didn't sleep well, it's strange being in a foreign land, where you don't know anything. Everything is different. It's just going to take me a while to adjust."

"Well, don't suffer in silence Thomas. That's what I am here for. In addition to being your watch, I am here to teach you the ropes and make this your land too. If you have any questions or need anything... just ask."

He was quiet for a moment, one blissful moment, "Why so nice this morning? Yesterday you couldn't care less if I could even keep up with you on these bridges or not."

Maisri pondered this, internally asking herself the same question. "I guess I have never even entertained the thought of being a transfer, I never put myself in your shoes. A total upheaval of zone, tradition and family. I couldn't think of anything worse. I mean I've known these people, these ropes, this land all my life." She paused briefly. "But you? You are a Westerner. This is strange. I wouldn't know what to do in your land." she stopped, looking at him and observed him genuinely considering her words. Shaking her head, "I'm rambling."