Quoted By:
With the men of the newly-formed third army as your escort, you travel the long road west. Stiff and proud in the deep blues and greys of their uniforms, the soldiers march in orderly ranks as you ride alongside them in the low wagon. It's not quite a plush carriage, and you need to share the space with sacks of supplies, but you're grateful for it regardless. Without the need to march with the rest of the infantry, you're free to sit back and let your mind wander.
“Stop smiling,” Johannes growls, kicking you softly from the opposite side of the wagon.
“What? I wasn't smiling,” you protest, opening your eyes and scowling at him, “When do I ever smile?”
“Just now. You were smiling,” he insists, looking aside to Clarissa for confirmation. She sighs and rolls her eyes, but nods. “There you go. You were smiling,” Johannes continues, looking quietly pleased with himself, “Now stop it.”
“It's not professional,” Clarissa agrees, giving you a very solemn look.
They're both teasing you, you realise, and doing a very good job at it. You just grunt, unwilling to give them the reaction they're looking for, and close your eyes once more. You're sure that you weren't smiling anyway, not like the way they mean...
“Oh hush, let him smile. We don't have to sulk all the time, do we?” Fia asks, her unfamiliar, nasal voice causing you to look back to the group. She hasn't said much since introducing herself, and neither has her companion. In fact, for all that Master Rosenthal said, there hasn't been much conversation at all since you set out. Seeing the soldiers marching with their long rifles, everything suddenly seems much more real.
-
With too much ground to cover in just one day, you have to break and make camp for the night before carrying on. You stop in the middle of nowhere, simply setting down in a flat field as the last of the sunlight fades. With the warm glow of dozens of campfires replacing the sunlight, you sit with the rest of your makeshift cohort and listen to the countless conversations flowing around you.
If the soldiers here are pessimistic about their fate, they don't show it. You hear laughter and chatter, along with the occasional cheer. The only groans you here are from men losing at cards. You almost feel like the anomaly here, your whole group sitting in a sullen silence.
“So,” Clarissa begins, searching for something to talk about, “Why are you here?”
This question seems aimed at nobody in particular, just thrown out to the world at large. For all you know, it was meant for you and Johannes just as much as the newcomers. “Just doing my duty, ma'am,” Ellis answers in his deep, carefree drawl, giving her a nod, “Same as anyone else here.”
“Mm, right. Me too,” Fia adds quickly, her eyes flicking across to Ellis, “Duty, that's it.”
Less than convincing.
[1/2]
