Pushing thoughts of the battle aside, he focused on the task at hand instead. He made his way carefully to the tree and discovered the wreckage of a tent. It was tipped sideways, leaning into a large crater filled with charred grass and blackened dirt. Lucas knelt next to the seared canvas and poked some of it aside. He recognized one of his shirts and sighed with relief. Once he had pushed the ruined tent aside and gathered it in a heap, he began to rummage through his belongings. But minutes later, he still had not found what he was looking for.
“No,* he muttered. “No! It has to be here.” Panic began to rise, almost as terrible as when he was in the battle. A lump formed in his throat and his breathing became shallow. He pawed at the mess of clothing, armor, and army gear senselessly.
“Hey!”
Lucas looked up, mouth working soundlessly.
“What’re you looking for?” An older soldier leaned against the remains of the oak tree, arms crossed, smiling slightly. His face was lined and bearded, and he had a bandage wrapped around one arm, the blood clearly seeping through. But his gray eyes were warm and the helmet on his head was tipped sideways, giving him a comical appearance.
Lucas shook his head. “It’s – it’s nothing,” he mumbled. “Just…just a letter.”
“A letter?” echoed the man. “From who?” He laughed, watching the younger soldier frantically begin another search of his gear.
“A – a girl.”
“Oho!” The soldier straightened, then knelt beside Lucas. “Let’s see if we can find this letter.” Together they systematically went through the mess. “So who is this girl?” he asked after a moment.
“She’s a merchant's daughter,” Lucas answered, face lighting up at the thought of her.
“And you?”
“I was studying to be a scholar, in the palace.”
The soldier chuckled. “Not exactly cut out for war, are you? How’s a bookish fellow like you end up out here?”
Lucas stiffened. “I really don’t think that’s your business,” he said softly.
01-Jun-2008 19:21:23
- Last edited on
06-Jul-2013 18:18:12
by
Crystal Smee
