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Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
He inhaled and exhaled slowly, loudly. “Yeah, I just have to catch my breath.”
Derrick released him and shifted to a nearby rock, looping his hands loosely around his knees. “How’s the leg?”
“Hurts,” Lucas said, and smiled grimly. “But I can cope with it.”
“Maybe we should take a break,” Derrick replied, and waved to Travis. Lucas grabbed his arm and pulled it down.
“Stop!” he hissed. “I’m fine, okay?”
“It’s bleeding!”
“It’s fine!” Lucas insisted.
“What’s going on here?” Travis had seen the commotion and wandered over. Other members of the team followed suit, noticing the commotion.
“Nothing.” Lucas hoisted himself to his feet on the crutches. “Everyone gets hurt sooner or later, right? I can handle it.” He scrubbed one hand nervously through his growing mess of curls, feeling the sweat gathering at his hairline. His skin felt clammy.
“C’mon, the kid says he’s fine. No need to coddle him,” called one soldier, disinterested, who walked away.
“He’s not fine, he’s bleeding!” Derrick maintained.
Lucas tried to move forward, but Travis’ hand on his chest stopped him. “You don’t look fine, kid.”
“I’m not a kid!” Lucas shouted. “Gods. I have to keep moving. I rested for a week and the wound is healing. My muscles have to knit back together, and they need exercise in order to do that. I can walk – I should be walking, as long as I take it slow. I’m not putting much weight on it. Like I said, I’m fine.”
Travis’ eyes narrowed. “How do you know all that?”
Lucas ducked his gaze, suddenly realizing how much he’d revealed. “The medics told me.”
Jonah shouldered through the small gathering. “Don’t lie, Myren. You know medicine?”
Lucas swallowed hard. “Just a little. I just know some science.”
“You told me you were a servant, not a scholar.”
“I was – I just read a lot,” he stammered. His face was pained; his heart was pounding in his ears. “Please, I –“
“Sorokin!” Jonah barked.

30-Jun-2010 01:41:17

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Sir.” A tall, broad-shouldered soldier jumped to his side. Lucas saw the red cross sewn into the shoulder of his uniform.
“Myren, the army only gave us one medic. You’re going to help him.”
“I really don’t know—“
“Do you know enough to stop the bleeding instead of chopping off every injured limb?”
“Yes, but—“
“Great. Sorokin, meet Myren. Myren, meet Sorokin, our medic.”
Sorokin smiled warmly and offered a hand. “Welcome to the team,” he said. Lucas shifted his weight on his crutches to shake the other man’s hand.
“Thanks,” he said.

Much later, the trek through the woods continued. Lucas had spoken with Sorokin for over an hour, discussing everything they knew together about science and medicine. Lucas’ knowledge was embarrassingly limited, but Sorokin did*’t seem to mind.
“You learn on the job, man. Do I look like a bookish kinda guy? I can’t read!”
“Then how—“
“This army is desperate, man. I cleaned floors in a physician’s shop. You know how they ask you your previous job? Somehow they thought I musta heard enough to know what the hell I was doing.”
“Wow,” Lucas said.
“But you can read. How’d you escape without them knowing?”
“Escape?” Lucas echoed, trying to dodge the question.
“This ain’t a fun job, man,” Sorokin said, eyes darkening, and abruptly fell silent. Lucas did*’t know what to say, so he said nothing. Eventually Sorokin drifted off, walking in silence with his head down, leaving Lucas to his own bitter thoughts again. His mind, as usual, went to Justine, and his eyes slowly lost focus on the trees and soldiers around him, sliding into another memory.
**He was lying in the grass, staring up at the branches of the tree above, leaves dappled with sunlight. His hands were laced behind his head, Justine’s head lay against his stomach, damp from swimming in the river. It was a scene they had created many times, and any other day, Lucas would have been at peace, nodding off into sleep.

30-Jun-2010 01:42:30

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Things had been awkward between them ever since the incident in the castle; they were reluctant to get close to each other, and they both knew it. Justine had finally suggested the outing to the river, knowing the special significance it had for them, knowing he would recognize it as a peace offering, an apology. They’d played in the river like they always did, and slowly broke down their physical barriers once more. Emotionally, however, they were both walled off, and they’d lapsed into silence once they settled beneath the large maple tree.
“Lucas,” she began finally, saying his name quickly, breathlessly, the way that made his heart beat even faster. “I need to apologize. For what I said the other day.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he grunted, the blood pounding in his ears. “Listen, I—“
She sat up and dug in the pocket of her damp trousers, shushing him. “Let me say this.” She stuck her tongue between her teeth in concentration, and made a small sound of triumph when she finally produced her treasure: the ring he had thrown bitterly at her the other day. *I don’t care what my father thinks.”
“Well I do. Justine, I—“
She cut him off again. “It doesn’t matter. I’m grown, I love you, and I can do what I want.”
“Please, just let me—“
“I want to marry you, Lucas.” She held up the ring, eyes shining, waiting for him to take it and slide it onto her finger.
His face crumpled. “I joined the army,” he said.
She jerked back, as if she’d been slapped. “What? Lucas, that’s not funny.”
“It’s not a joke. I report in a week. Justine,” he said gently, reaching for her arm. She flinched away, drawing her knees to her chest. The ring spun around and around in her fingers. “I had to.”
“Out of some foolish sense of duty? Lucas, do you have any idea what could happen to you? The Kandarins –“

30-Jun-2010 01:43:12

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Are the least of my worries. It’s not about being a hero. I have to prove to your father that I am a man.”
“By getting yourself killed?”
“By proving I have the strength to survive!”
“You did*’t even talk to me about this,” she whispered, tears spilling from her eyes.
“You’re the one who told me that your father could never accept me! I have to earn his respect!* She struggled to her feet, turning for the horses, sobbing noisily. He reached for her. “Justine, please, I need your support in this…”
“I can’t lose you,” she whispered.
“If your father marries you off to someone more ‘qualified,’ you’ll lose me anyway,” he sighed, as he pulled her close and buried his face in her hair.
“What if something happens –“
“Nothing will,” he said quickly. “I promise you. I’ll be fine, and I’ll come back to you, and I will be your husband.”
Her arms circled his neck, tangled in his hair, and he felt her breathe in deeply. “I’ll wait for you,” she promised. “I’ll wait for you, and I’ll be your wife.”
He’d bent his head to kiss her, and they’d stood embraced like that for many minutes, pressed together as if to imprint the feel of their bodies on each other forever.**

30-Jun-2010 01:43:43 - Last edited on 30-Jun-2010 01:44:08 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
It's cool. I'm adding about once a week anyway...might not be adding for a few more days though. Had a hectic week, and I started a new short story so I've been devoting most of my writing time to that. That...and I'm feeling lazy and tired...>_<

09-Jul-2010 20:59:00

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Sorry for the wait time between adds...I've had a long and stressful week. Not on top of my game, so these adds are most likely not up to par. But hopefully they move the story forward. I'll try to write something better next week =\

15-Jul-2010 21:19:47

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Two long and lonely days later, Lucas and the team reached Port Sarim. Long before they reached the outlying farms, the smell of the ocean wafted towards them, making Lucas’ heart pound. He almost thought he could smell the metallic, heavy scent of blood, and he worried if they would encounter another burning shell of a town, instead of the thriving harbor that would carry them away from the war. Images of the battle on the beach flashed through his mind. I have to get used to this, he told himself sternly. I cant* spend weeks on a boat thinking about the battle every time I smell salt. Still, he stayed on edge, listening hard for screams or the crackle of fire, or the smell of smoke.
When he saw the small farms on the outskirts of the town, he began to relax. Finally a town, not about to be attacked, not already destroyed, just a normal town filled with normal people living their lives. Travis nudged them into formation as they walked down the main road into the city, but they had trouble maintaining formality. For the first time, Lucas saw real smiles break out on their faces. He could smell something delicious brewing at the inn they passed, and women and children swarmed through the various shops, laughing and shrieking and cheering when they saw the soldiers. Lucas couldn’t help but smile himself. After being out in the country, surrounded by nothing but more soldiers, the buzz of chatter and the comfortable chaos of people just going about their business was refreshing. He could almost pretend he was back in Varrock, and if he turned left here he would see the palace rearing up above the low buildings*but there was no palace, just the harbor, teeming with ships and brightly colored sails and sailors unloading valuable cargo.

15-Jul-2010 21:20:22

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
They walked along the long piers until they reached a squat stone building, behind which was a low stone wall that marked the edges of the garrison. Jonah stopped us at the entrance. “I have to make my report to the commander here. In the mean time, you will pass through this building to the inner courtyard, where you will find barracks with waiting beds. You are on provisional leave for the next week – you do not leave the city, you return to your bed every night at curfew, no excessive drunkenness, you stay out of the brothels, and you conduct yourselves like men and like soldiers. Do not forget that you are under my command. I will be in touch with all of you, and in a week, we will begin briefing before we ship out to Karamja. I expect that you will restock whatever supplies you are missing in the mean time and use the extensive exercise facilities within this garrison. I suggest that you use this free time wisely.”
He stepped aside and gestured to the door, and the team flooded inside, through the main office into the courtyard. Inside, there were a few buildings, a training yard, and small cabins – more like glorified tents * that must have been the barracks. Soldiers sparring in the yard with wooden swords looked up and eyed the newcomers with distaste. A commanding officer shouted, “You’ve got the five barracks on the right, men!” and turned back to his own soldiers, directing the sparring in a bellowing voice. Lucas followed the other men into one of the buildings and claimed a cot, where he tossed his belongings on the floor and sunk down onto the mattress. It was hard and bumpy and the quilt itched at his back, but oh, it was a bed, and it felt wonderful to collapse onto a pillow and lay his head back. He could feel himself drifting off into sleep already, but he did*’t want to waste a minute of his free time, so he sprang upward before he could pass out completely.

15-Jul-2010 21:20:48

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