Bow and Sparrow

CH 6

"You should rest. We can continue when you wake."

"Wait." He had his back turned and the only sign that he heard me was a slight angle of his head. I fidgeted with my hands, wrapping a loose thread of the blanket around my fingers. "There were others with me. Other girls. Did you find them?"

He didn't respond right away and for a moment I thought I had mistaken his silhouette for a dresser again, he stood so still. But then he did answer, "We didn't see anyone else. I'm sorry." He left, melting back into the shadows of the room.

_____

It took ages to finally calm my nerves enough to ease myself into the comfort of the bed, but even then, my mind refused to settle down. It raced in circles and if I hadn't been laying down already, I might've fainted from dizziness. It jumped from Ayla, to my father, to Davin, to Taylen, to girls whose names muddled together in my mind, to Fields, Fields, Fields. Fields. Finally, it stirred a memory.

I knew the name not from someone I had met before but from eavesdropping on my father a few years ago. The name had been brought up in a conversation between my father and one of our guests at the time. I could still imagine the feel of the wood grain of his office door against my ear as I listened quietly in the hall.

"We need to send reinforcements to the border. I've received reports of an increase in patrol on the Rezantri side. They are growing bolder and I am afraid they might be readying for an attack." The man's voice was nasally as if he was purposely trying to breath through his nose and talk simultaneously. I remembered stifling a laugh at the time.

"And risk the peace that has been kept for decades?" My father's voice was more distinguished than the other man. More stern. And it was obvious that he was ranked higher than him. I couldn't recall ever having seen the man during his stay.

"Aren't they? It's just what I've heard." I imagined a thin shoulder shrugging in a uniform that was too big. There was a short silence. "Our sources reported a new captain that was appointed recently. Youngest in both of our histories."

The floorboards under me squeaked and heavy footsteps padded towards the door. I backed away until I could barely hear them on the other side. "Who?"

"Field's son." Someone let out a low whistle, I couldn't tell who. "If he's anything like his father..." I had tiptoed back to my room before I could hear the rest. Just as I had rounded the corner, I heard the door open and imagined my father's head poking out into the hallway.

I groaned in frustration. That didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. I already knew I was in the enemy's camp far from home. And my rescuer had a father, which wasn't a surprise. Very unhelpful.

I laid in bed, keeping completely still and staring at the darkness behind my eyelids until light finally started seeping through. I had almost forgotten about the pain in my back until I swung my legs over the bed once more.

Now that the sun was awake, I could make out my surroundings. I had never been inside of a military camp before, but I was not expecting the carefully crafted dwelling that I was in. The walls were made of stripped wooden logs, thick enough to keep the weather out. It was fully furnished, complete with a small wash basin that sat in a corner across the room. A crowded bookshelf next to it. A dresser took up another wall next to the bed and there was only one door.

Stretching my legs, I pushed myself off the bed slowly as the ground swayed beneath me. I set my shoulders and straightened up. The pain wasn't so bad as long as I focused on something else. I was still without shoes, but now a thick pair of wool socks had been dressed on my feet. I could tell there was light bandaging under them and the soles of my feet ached from the chase through the woods. Every part of my body was sore as I shuffled over to the wash basin. To my dismay, it was empty. Instead, I wiped the small mirror situated above it with my sleeve. I gasped at the girl that looked back at me.