While rubbing her eyes, Samara walked to the kitchen. Picking up the empty pitcher from the floor, she straightened and thought of doing her daily routines.
But she couldn't guess why she was feeling strange to go outside. Maybe watching so many injured people and dead bodies continuously, had made her paranoid. The fear had settled so deep, she expected to hear wails and cries of ladies even today.
"Samara," came loud voice that startled her.
She gasped and looked at her brother in surprise. "Samuel. Do you need anything?" she asked awkwardly, not sure if she would get a proper answer.
Her brother had changed. As if the person with whom she used to laugh and share gossips had lost somewhere in that war place.
The person who had returned was absolutely strict and quiet. She still hoped that he would get fine soon. So, he too could go to the training sessions like other soldiers, if he needed to win Lord Commandant's trust.
Moreover, she missed his cheerfulness.
"I called you for two times. You didn't hear until I nearly shouted your name. What has stressed you?"
His voice had turned more raspy due to sickness and it made him sound more rude. Still she nodded briefly and looked at him. "I was just thinking about yesterday. The dead body, it was horrible. Going to the well will remind me the whole picture again since the crowd had gathered there only," she muttered while lowering her eyes.
She heard him stepping ahead and picking a glass from the shelf. He tried to bend but winced. Samara immediately walked to him and offered him her hand.
"Here, let me."
She took the glass and bent to take the water from another already-filled pitcher. Passing it to him, she straightened and sighed.
"I shall go. Tell mother that I have cleaned all the rooms. Then, she may work on making your paste," she said while walking towards the door.
"Samara?"
She stopped and turned back to look at him. He was drinking water and put the glass on shelf while wiping his mouth with other hand.
"Thank you."
Her eyebrows raised as she shook her head slowly in confusion. "For what?"
Samuel swallowed and blinked in acknowledgement. "For taking care of mother. For taking care of our home behind our back. I know how hard it can be without father and me."
Samara smiled tiredly and was about to shake her head when he further said, "Within seventeen days of our absence, you have taken care of all the tasks. You bring water in father's place. You bath the cows. You watch the horses. You bring the wood sticks and many more things that I can't count. For all of that, sister."
She shrugged her shoulders and bowed. "Then, maybe I have gotten mature. I am not little anymore. Now you too get well, so you too can help," she said playfully, feeling positive that he was back to his old self.
Samuel sighed and looked at the floor. "I can not wait to. There are many things I have to take care of," he muttered while looking back at her with serious expressions on his face.
Samara smiled briefly. "They can wait. But for now, go rest. I too shall go or there might be rush."
Samuel nodded. "Beware of the mud. It rained last night."
She turned around and nodded.
"I will, brother," she said while walking out of the kitchen, finding it strange.
Her brother had always been a deep sleeper.
_______
"So? He thanked you."
"Yes," groaned Samara while pulling the rope. Violet too helped her by copying her actions. The well was big and in the center of their colony.
"Then, why don't you sound happy? Didn't you want this? Your brother is talking to you like before," said Violet while grunting repeatedly as she pulled the rope in sync with her.
Samara shook her head while panting. "Not like before."
Violet looked at her palm which had turned red. "Lord, how do you do this daily? Why don't your father comes for the water?"
Samara pulled the rope with a loud grunt and held the bucket tightly. She brought it upwards to fill the pitcher. "Don't you know? Lord Commandant has begin the training again. Father has gone to teach the junior ones," she explained while dropping the bucket back in the well.
Violet groaned while looking at the pot which was still half-empty. She rubbed her palms while Samara looked down in the well and watched the bucket getting filled slowly.
"Well, it's not fair. What of those who are not able to come? My father's feet are still very sore from wearing leather boots for seventeen days without even bathing them."
Samara cringed and nodded. "Yes, really. My brother, Davis, Roman and there are more. They are all going to miss it. I just wish, Lord Commandant won't choose the new General Staff without training them," she said while pulling the rope again.
"Of course, he wouldn't. Half the village will go against him, Samara. It clearly won't be fair," said Violet while pushing the sleeves of her gown up so she could help her again. But from her peripheral vision, she felt that someone was approaching them.
She looked at her left and smiled widely. "Lord Lester," she greeted cheerfully.
Samara stopped moving and turned her head to see the man who was her father's childhood friend. She too gave him a sweet smile. "Lord Lester, good morning."
A hearty chuckle reached their ears as the man put his two buckets aside and started walking closer to Violet. "Good morning to you too, young ladies," said Frances Lester.
Violet shifted with a smile on her face, knowing the man won't let them do the work in his presence. He was the kindest man she had come across.
Same were the thoughts of Samara as she too politely handed him the rope which he was ready to take. "I see, the village is developing day by day. It would be wondrous to see if young ladies too get involved in the army," he said while grunting.
Despite having not-so-muscular physique, Frances was pulling the bucket more easily than the girls. Samara smiled while Violet laughed amusingly.
"Well, really. That must be a sight to see. I really wish that happens sometime soon. Wearing armors, fighting with swords and riding horses," she said dreamily while the man laughed.
"You still can ride horses. Samara do. Don't you, dear?"
Samara nodded sincerely while helping him pulling the bucket to put on the shelf of the well.
"But the ride with pride is something else. People cheering for you, the family looks at you proudly, is beyond the satisfaction someone could feel," expressed Violet with a smile.
Samara backed up as Frances filled the pitcher fully using the bucket and dropped it back in the well.
"I agree, dear. But then, there are fights, combats, wars and wounds. Still, it's all worth it if done for good," he said while breathing harshly as he pulled the bucket for his own turn.
Samara nodded. "True. I see how father looks at Samuel. As if his love has increased after watching him working hard, fighting and getting wounded. Now, he cares for him too much. After all, Samuel deserves such care."
Frances laughed and wiped his face with forearm as drops sprinkled on his grey beard. "Samuel is a son everyone wishes for. Mine doesn't even care how his old man supply vegetables all day. Even now, early morning, God knows where he went," he said while filling his buckets.
Violet laughed. "Don't worry, Lord Lester. The training sessions have began today. He must have gone there only," she guessed.
Samara stiffened at the mention of her tormentor and kept quiet while Frances dropped the bucket the third time for another bucket of his.
"I hope so. I have always been against his choice of getting into army. He is the only one, I have. He could have just taken care of my old-self for sometime yet goes for that training to double his arms. Lord knows, what he is doing."
Samara felt her stomach flipping at the memory of their kiss. She so wanted to tell his father about his flirtatious behavior with her but then, she knew that she would turn down the old-man's hopes.
"Lord Lester, Rodwin was able to fight without getting any serious injuries. He is good. You should have faith in him," said Violet while noticing that other two men were approaching with their buckets.
Frances smiled in delight which made Samara smile too. She had learned to observe how much a father could love his kids, especially if they hear their praise from other.
"That's good to hear but still my heart is at the edge of cliff all the time, whenever he holds the swords and leaves home."
Samara shook her head and give him a smile. "If he has crossed this deadly-war, you don't have to worry."
Frances smiled while looking at her. "Thank you, dear." He suddenly widened his eyes and glanced at both of them. "My vegetables cart is outside. I shall go or I will have to suffer for abandoning it."
Violet laughed. "There are no thieves around except for our Samara."
Samara gasped and blushed furiously. For God's sake, everyone in this village had come to know about that incident, which too was related to that tormentor.
Frances laughed and bent to carry his buckets. "I had nearly forgotten. But actually, there is no need since your father had bought some apples for Samuel from me and I had quietly added some berries for you."
"Really?" asked Samara excitedly.
Frances shrugged his shoulders and with a grunt he carried the buckets and turned around.
"You are the sweetest, Lord Lester," she shouted as the man started walking but not before bowing in agreement.
Violet smiled while shaking her head. "He's such a big-hearted man, Samara. Sweetest of all."
Samara stared at the back of the man who looked so much like the person she hated so much.
She wished that she could hear same words for his son too.
While father was sweet and sympathetic, the son was absolutely savage and sinful.
______
The sand flew as the back of the man hit the ground with a loud thud. He groaned while clutching his back and muttered through gritted teeth, "I yield."
The soldiers cheered for the winner while Lord Commandant too looked at him and nodded.
"Good work, Lester."
Rodwin smiled broadly at receiving the praise and nodded actively. Getting back to the rows, he sat down with others as the next pair of trainees started fighting.
"Enjoying the time of your life," Logan grinned while patting his hard shoulder.
Rodwin wiped the dust off his face and bare chest with his brown-coloured shirt. "Not yet. The time is yet to come," he said while feeling determined.
Logan nodded with an amused smile. "What? When the bald head would lick the ground you walk? It's enough, Rodwin. You know, his lad is going to be the rank holder."
Rodwin blinked while watching the fight going on and noticed his competition sitting on the other side of the fighting ground. The young man was laughing and nodding actively at the moves of the winning soldier.
"Just because he behaves royally," he muttered through gritted teeth while Logan shook his head.
"Not just that. He is rich and of high status. He breathes royally, he fights royally, he loves royally."
At those words, Rodwin's jaws clenched. He fisted his hands while remembering how the boy would have kissed his Samara last night if he wouldn't have interrupted them on time.
"See if he dies royally," he muttered while jerking his shirt to depart the dust and wore it to save himself from the glowing sun.
No matter how much people loved the rarely-showing sun in that unwanted rainy season, Rodwin didn't like to sit in the sunlight. It caused him rashes on his skin and he could barely open his eyes in bright light.
His father often told him that it could maybe because of his late mother. She belonged to the place where snow would fall all the time. She couldn't live in hot area. Her face used to turn red just like his.
He smiled at the thought. He loved his mother and it felt good to know that he was like his mother even if he had never met her.
"You know what happens if he dies. Don't you remember? He dies, she dies."
Rodwin scoffed at Logan's words and ran fingers through his hair that had gone longer. He remembered, he hadn't cut them since the week before the war.
He looked at his friend with a sly smile.
"I won't let her die on me," he promised while watching his friend tilting his head in amusement.
"Not without a fuck."
Logan couldn't help but snicker while shaking his head at his friend's stubbornness— more like childishness.
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"What do you think?"
Please vote and comment.
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If you want, you can nominate the book in 'The fiction awards 2017'.
The last date to nominate is June 11. You may nominate it for the werewolf category.
I would be grateful.
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Also, these are some amazing covers made by amazing readers. It would be wonderful if we all appreciate their work.
This beautiful cover is by ♥
@AlwaysIsForForever
(This thoughtful reader was the first one to volunteer for making banner when only one chapter was published. I am grateful.❤)
These above two are by ♥ @fatimaatjj
Thank you so much, love.
This was given by ♥
@Vampirian444
(They made it because they can't wait for a wolf to appear in the book--- as they had told me.😂 Thank you)
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I am so glad with the response. In such a short time, the book has started receiving such great love and I am grateful.
I will try my best to give you regular and interesting updates.
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Until next update,
-Nikki