The Annex

Chapter 20

After a long day of walking, we decided to stop for the day. We had covered a good distance and also had the time to shoot two pheasants which had become our dinner. With Atlas to guide me, I had started a mediocre fire with which to cook our pheasants. We all took turns plucking the pheasants. Hands deep in feathers, I turned to Dorian.

"We probably should have started plucking somewhere besides where we're planning on sleeping," I gazed around at the massacre of feathers that were gently dancing in the wind. Atlas spit and waved his hand as he got a feather in his mouth.

"Uh, yes," Atlas agreed.

"What do you miss most so far," Tomas said, kicking back as he rested.

"Who, me," asked Atlas.

"Yeah."

"I think I miss hot water, and spices," Atlas laughed.

"I miss tea," Mimi sighed.

"I miss my bed," I said as I stretched. "My back is killing me."

"You're lucky you had a nice bed," Dorian chuckled. "When we get back to the Palace. I dare you to spend a night in the barracks. You don't know a bad bed until you're a soldier."

"So true," Tomas raised a finger and pointed it at Dorian.

"I do miss not having to catch every single meal," Dorian mused. We all laughed in unison. Dorian had failed in all attempts to help keep us fed. The first rabbit we had found, he had scared it off when it had scared him.

"Who the hell gets scared by bunny rabbits," Atlas clutched his stomach, wheezing from laughing so hard.

"It didn't scare me, it startled me," Dorian's protest just made us all laugh harder. In his second attempt to catch us food, he had set his eyes on a squirrel. Tomas had warned him that the squirrel was going to be more trouble than it was worth. But he seemed fixated. In his attempt to chase the squirrel, his eyes were focused on the little rodent, weaving through the bushes. He failed to notice a low hanging branch and managed to hit his head.

"And then the squirrel," Tomas gasped out in between laughs. It had been a hilarious sight and reliving it, I found myself fighting for breath as well. I dropped the pheasant and nudged Dorian as I laughed.

"Okay, that was stupid, I'll give you that," Dorian rolled his eyes and broke a grin. "And hey, that's our dinner." He pointed at the pheasant.

"I think I've done my share of plucking." I tossed the half plucked pheasant to Atlas to finish plucking. "It has been nice to fall asleep under the stars," I said, a measly attempt to make light of our situation.

"Oh yeah, and not having to bear the wrath of Grim at sunrise every morning," Tomas pointed out.

"Definitely," Dorian nodded his head in agreement. "You two don't even understand the horrors we have to endure at morning training," he said to Atlas and Mimi. "Imagine the most grueling trainer, now picture ten of them, and pack it into one man. That's Grim for you."

"And honestly, the peace and quiet out here is nice too," Atlas commented. "There's always the hustle and bustle in the palace. There's never any peace and quiet to be found."

"It's nice to not have to cook for a whole crowd of people," Mimi said.

"Somehow, I'm impressed that we haven't starved," I said. "I am not a light eater."

"We know that," Tomas retorted.

"Hey, Torr helps catch my fill of food." Torr's head lifted at the sound of his name. He was currently making easy pickings of an unfortunate mouse.