Scouts' Temptation

Chapter 2

Sparrow could smell food being cooked. Breakfast for the Royal Scouts of Tasskurr was a serious business. Their cooks could do things with bacon, sausages, eggs and kidneys that few alive could match. Sparrow, however, was not as keen as usual. He didn’t even dare open his eyes just yet, but decided a few cursory checks were in order first.

He gently moved his hands, and aside from the good news that both were still intact and pretty much working, he could feel that he was still fully dressed. He regarded this as something of a bonus. Since, while it meant he hadn’t ended up with a woman last night, it meant he certainly hadn’t been undressed by his comrades.

He wriggled his toes, they were cold. It took him a moment or two to establish they were still booted.

He allowed his tongue to creep out to lick his lips and also try and learn what now dwelt in his facial hair. He quickly discovered however, that due to some sort of paste having congealed across the surfaces of the inside of his mouth he had lost his sense of taste.

As the previous night’s events focused into his mind he slowly opened one eye. It was still fairly dark, but dawn in winter for the army was usually after breakfast. He couldn’t taste blood, the one thing that always made it through the tongue-paste barrier, and realised that his nose didn’t feel damaged. His forehead must have taken the brunt of hitting the table…

Yes, there’s the pain… right in the middle of the forehead, camouflaged by the hangover, but there’s definitely a slightly different, more external, pain there as well… Good oh…

Five minutes later he had managed to stand, establish he was back in his bunk in Scout House, and was fully clothed in his civilian attire from the night before. He had considered going into his footlocker and using one of the healing potions he had tucked away. It would have cleared his hangover and all the aches and pains of the previous night, but he decided he had earned this hangover, and the potion might actually save a life one day.

The room was empty, his bunk mates beds already made.

They must already be up he thought, and hoped that he was not the main subject of gossip round the mess room dining tables.

He stripped and washed himself, thankful for the hot water provided by the large heater the Major had purchased from a wizard some months before. He dried and dressed in his Forest Green uniform, and made his way downstairs.

He could hear the general bustle of the mess room before he got near the door, he paused before opening it, took a deep breath, and stepped through the doorway.

He was met with a round of applause and a few cheers, to which he raised his hand and nodded his thanks. He could feel his cheeks reddening with embarrassment. He hated being the centre of anyone attention, even those he knew so well.

Planque jumped up form his seat and bounded over to greet him.

“Now then old lad! How’s yer head?” He grinned.

Planque was one of Sparrows best friends in the world, but was unfortunately burdened with a level of ugliness that even a mother would struggle to love. Grinning did not improve his appearance.

“Thank Manon, I hit it with me forehead.” Sparrow replied. He felt for the lump, it was big and there was a split. If he didn’t get it looked at by one of the priests or the healers it would scar.

“You came off better than the table.” Planque grin broadened.

“I know the legs went…” Sparrow could feel the shame of his loss of capacity, and wasn’t happy at reliving it. One thing he knew, however, was that he wasn’t going to get out of it. The lads would all be reminding him of this for quite some time…