Forgotten Soldiers (21 page)

But with what Lasha and the children had gone through . . . those memories seemed unimportant.

It took me less than ten minutes to pull away the vines and brush that had grown around the lean-to. Next I cleared out the leaves littering the ground inside, replacing them with tall grass for Myra and Zadok to sleep on. In the meantime, I had Zadok and Myra gather firewood.

By the time they returned with their fourth load, I had gotten the area squared away for the night. I started a fire in an old pit Ava and I had lined with river rock. It too had stayed intact.

We said very little while we worked. Myra’s sour mood hung over us, dampening the easy conversation Zadok and I instantly had.

Once I had the fire going well enough, I stepped away.

Myra and Zadok sat inside the lean-to.

“Do you both know how to keep this going?” I asked.

Myra rolled her eyes. “Of course.”

“All right. Good.” I started rummaging in my pack which I had set off to the side earlier.

“Why?” she asked.

I pulled out a couple of hard biscuits and my last apple. “Because, I’m going to go work on getting us some supper.” I handed the food over to them. “This should hold you over until I get back.” I also handed Myra a knife. She gave me a look. “So you and Zadok can share the apple.”

She hesitated before taking it, looking nervous. “If this is all you have, we can split it with you.”

“No, that’s yours. I’ve actually got some jerky, oats, and a few more biscuits in the bag in case I don’t come back with anything. I just thought it might be nice to have something fresher.” Her eyes darted about, searching the dark woods like a monster might run out of it at any moment. I realized I was leaving them, even if it was only for a little while. “If you’re more comfortable with me staying, I will.”

The frightened look vanished, replaced by a mask of hardness. “No. It’s fine. Go,” she said.

“Can I come, Pa?” asked Zadok through a mouthful of biscuit.

A bit of that worried look returned to Myra.

“Well, you could, but I really need you to protect your sister for me.”

His eyes widened. “Oh, of course.” He paused. “But how am I supposed to do that?”

Good point. The boy was skinny as a whip and without a weapon. I couldn’t do much about the former and I doubted he’d be much use with anything fitting the latter. Still, just holding a weapon can bring as much comfort to a person as being able to actually use it. I unstrapped one of the daggers I kept on my body and gave it to him sheathe and all.

“Here you go.”

His eyes got even larger. “Is this mine?”

“Sure, a boy your age should have one. I’ll start teaching you how to use it soon. But for now, only pull it out if you have to. And no play fighting with that, especially around your sister. If she tells me you have, I’ll take it back.”

“He’ll be fine, Tyrus. He’s knows what not to do with a dagger. He’s not five,” said Myra.

“No. He’s not,” was all I could say. Neither one of my children were quite adults, but they were also so far from what I remember them being, I didn’t really know how to talk to them. “No one knows about this place or that we’re out here,” I added. “Besides, I won’t be far off.”

“You can go whenever you want,” said Myra, cutting into the apple.

I realized that I had been just standing there, not sure how to part. I took her cue as the hint I needed. I grabbed some twine out of my bag, waved awkwardly over my shoulder and disappeared into the woods.

The sudden lack of anxiety I had from not being in my daughter’s presence brought on a burden of guilt I had not expected. I paused, inhaled a few deep breaths to calm myself, then drifted deeper into the trees.

I somehow managed to spot a set of fresh rabbit tracks thanks to the bright moonlight. I narrowed the well-used path by jamming sticks into the ground on either side of it. At the end of the narrowing, I set up a noose with the twine the rabbit would have to pass through. The other end was tied at the base of a nearby bush.

At best, the noose would tighten around a passing rabbit’s neck, killing it. At worst, the noose would tighten around the body. The rabbit wouldn’t die from that, but it would be stuck where I could finish the job later.

After the first trap, I discovered several other paths. With that sort of traffic, I was probably near a den. Either that or a very active rabbit. I made four more snares, optimistic I’d catch something.

Next I set a couple of squirrel traps using slip nooses around large tree branches resting against tall pines. The idea was that the squirrel would run itself up the branch like it would the base of the tree, not see the loop, and . . . dead squirrel.

I probably spent about an hour setting the traps up. Under normal circumstances, my mind would have been unfocused with that much time to myself. However, the past few hours had just been too much to handle and my mind took a break, emptying itself. I thought about nothing but the task at hand.

It wasn’t until I finished setting traps and sat on a fallen tree to wait that I truly began to recover from the day’s shock. Unfortunately, the first thing that clouded my thoughts was Lasha working the Soiled Dove. Angry tears formed in my eyes.

I decided to check the traps. I knew I should wait longer, but I couldn’t face those images yet. Gods be cursed, I doubted I’d ever be able to face them.

My impatience was rewarded with two rabbits. My hunch of there being a nearby den seemed likely. I pulled both free, and reset the traps in hopes of catching breakfast in the morning.

Despite the number of squirrel traps I set, I only managed to kill one. Not surprising since they are rarely seen moving around at night. Still, between the three kills, I had enough for a good meal.

I re-entered the clearing with animals in hand, hoping that fresh meat might endear me to Myra who could stand to gain a few pounds.

“Get some spits ready, I got—”

I froze, words cutting off at the empty clearing before me. The fire had been allowed to burn down. Myra and Zadok were not where I left them. I dropped the animals and withdrew my sword. The only sound that reached my ears was that of the crackling wood in the small flames. The only smell foreign to the woods itself was the smoke it produced.

Scanning the clearing, I saw no sign of a visible struggle which was good. However, that meant nothing. Armed or not, anyone in my unit would have been able to snatch Myra and Zadok away without disturbing anything.

My pack looked as it had when I left. Thieves would have gone through it looking for money. I felt like I could eliminate the possibility of someone taking them. That meant the alternative, which in some ways was worse.

I sighed long and hard. The first chance they had, they used it to rid themselves of the man who had abandoned them.

Sheathing my sword, I walked over to the lean-to, examining their tracks. I might not be as good of a scout as Hamath, but I was better than most, and definitely could track a couple of children.

“You won’t get rid of me that easily, Myra,” I said under my breath. I figured the idea to run off had been hers. Zadok had given no indication that he would do anything like that on his own.

I heard some shuffling in the woods and rose to my feet, unsheathing my sword out of habit as I did. Myra and Zadok entered the clearing. She carried more firewood while Zadok had an armful of wild potatoes.

Myra paused, gaze immediately going to my sword. She looked up to my face and then walked past me to dump the armload of wood next to the rest. “You can put that away. We’re back.”

I blinked, sheathed the sword, then said. “I didn’t know where you were.”

“I thought that would be obvious. I didn’t think we had enough wood for the night,” she said throwing a stick on the fire and stoking the flames.

“And I saw these while we were out,” said Zadok about the potatoes. He pulled out his dagger and began peeling them.

“Be careful while you’re doing that,” I said.

“Don’t worry, Pa. Ma showed us how to do this. Do you have a pot to put them in?”

“In my bag.” I was still trying to recover from the shock of them returning to camp. I had been so sure they ran away.

Zadok ran over to my bag, pulled free the pot and also a skin of water. He went back to peeling the potatoes, putting the cleaned ones in the pot after a quick rinse with the water.

“Any luck?” Myra asked while stacking firewood.

“Hmm?”

“With getting a fresh supper.”

“Oh. Yes.” I went back over to my kills, and grabbed them. “Not too bad for such a short amount of time.”

Zadok looked up. “Wow, two rabbits and a squirrel!”

Myra walked over with her hand out. I stared at it with a confused look.

“I can help you clean them,” she said.

“Oh.” I gave her one of the rabbits. We each walked just outside of the clearing to skin and gut them. I kept glancing at her, impressed with how comfortable she seemed with the task. We finished at roughly the same time, though I’ll admit, she cleaned hers better than mine.

Apparently, they had been busier than I realized during the short amount of time I was setting traps. Besides gathering more wood, Myra had anticipated me returning with something and made a couple of spits to hang the rabbits on. She grabbed mine and set them both over the flames to cook while I cleaned the squirrel. By the time I propped up the squirrel next to the rabbits, Zadok had the potatoes simmering.

While our supper cooked, I closed in the sides of the lean-to as a cool breeze flitted through the trees. Myra said nothing while I worked, but Zadok talked almost constantly. To be honest, I had trouble following his seemingly random thoughts. However, I dared not ask him to stop. The sound of his voice was enough to keep the thoughts of Lasha away.

Once finished, I noticed Myra had retreated inside the shelter. Huddled closer to Zadok, she shivered. Though her clothes were in better shape than Zadok’s, neither was fit for spending nights out in the elements. I grabbed a blanket from my bag, leaned in, and draped it over them.

Zadok paused his latest story long enough to smile. Myra clutched at the blanket and pulled it around them without a word.

I checked the food. It smelled great. If it tasted half as good, I’d consider our first meal as a family again a success. At least from a food perspective.

The rabbits and potatoes both appeared done. The squirrel was done twice over. I gave each of the kids a rabbit while I took the blackened rodent. Zadok dove into his. He pulled away quickly, grimacing at the sizzling meat, then went right back in. Juices dripped from his chin.

“Slow down,” said Myra. “No one’s going to take it from you.”

That gave him pause, and he slowed his attack considerably.

Myra tried to be more subdued in her approach, but even she burned herself a couple times with impatience.

I nibbled at my squirrel, intent on letting the thing cool first. It was dry and overdone, but at least well-seasoned. I followed it with a few of the warm potatoes, giving Zadok and Myra the rest just as they finished their rabbits, sucking the last bit of meat off the bones. They went at the potatoes with more restraint.

Barely.

Both wore a satisfied look when finished.

With a full belly, Zadok was talking again, though this time he asked questions about my life in the army. I did my best to focus on stories about lighter times in camp rather than the hell on the battlefield.

“. . . I figured out what Hamath had planned pretty quickly. Especially when I realized Ira was involved. Neither could ever bluff me. Dekar is Ira’s brother. He was different. The man could remain completely stone-faced while telling the most outrageous lie. Anyway, once I realized they were up to something, I brought your aunt in to figure out a way to get them first. We decided to feel Dekar out to see if he knew anything. We figured he’d likely go along with anything that might make one of Ira’s plans fall apart. The three of us got to work.”

I paused for a moment to make sure I hadn’t lost my audience. Zadok seemed genuinely interested, leaning forward with elbows on knees. Myra didn’t look as interested as her brother, but she also didn’t appear annoyed by my story. That was good enough for me.

“We first rigged the watch schedule, then stuffed our bedrolls, getting Ava to put a glamour over mine so it looked real. Right when the rest of my unit was coming to make their move we pounced on them from behind.” I started chuckling as I thought about it. “Ava did something to make them move real slow. Then I doused everyone with honey. Dekar followed, with these containers of ants we gathered from a nearby mound. Ava waited a few seconds and then removed the spell. They both hollered at the top of their lungs while jumping into this muddy river we had camped beside.”

I was really laughing now as I recalled the looks on their faces when they came back, covered in tiny, red welts. “Man, that had to be the angriest I’d ever seen Hamath. But he got over it eventually.”

Zadok chuckled at the story, but not as hard as I did. I guess there was something to be said for being there. Plus, I really wasn’t as good a storyteller as others in my unit. Hamath especially. I told a few more tales until he interrupted.