Story number 16 for the 100 SSSS-fic challenge, inspired by the word Questioning.
"Västerström!"
Emil flinched, stopped, and put the grenade back on his belt, turning around as his captain came closer.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"...cleansing?"
"Did you remember to check if the area was clear of team mates?"
"Err..."
Emil looked away and his captain grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away.
"You've only been gone for one winter and you have already forgotten how it's done on the field. I swear to the lords I'd kick you out if I could."
"Please don't!"
"Then you better start working according to protocol!"
He let go of Emil when they were far from the cleansing area, by the ponies. Emil looked at them, looked at his captain.
"You have cleaning duty."
"But it's Karl's turn!"
"Not as long as you keep breaking the rules."
His captain gave him the shovel and Emil took it, muttering.
"And no complaining!"
The captain left and Emil let out a sigh, petted the pony.
"Looks like it's just me and you now. I swear, if he'd just let me work I'd have Sweden cleansed in no time!"
The pony grazed, taking little notice of Emil, and Emil settled down on a rock, looked at the pony as it grazed. He stretched, got up and watched as the fires started down in the valley. He should be there, but nooo, of course the captain did everything in his power to get Emil out of the way. Yes, he was perhaps a bit too quick with starting the fires, but no one had gotten hurt!
"I wish he'd understand what an awesome cleanser I am..."
The pony chewed a little at Emil's hair and he shooed it away, pulled his hands through his hair to put the strands correct again. He got up, stretched a little and went to fetch an apple for the pony. He always brought some extra for them, even though the captain said he wasn't allowed to give them anything. There was grass enough for them to eat on the ground.
The ponies neighed when they saw the apple and Emil split it in four pieces, one for each pony. They all perched up, and happily nibbled on them when Emil gave the apples to them. He settled down on the rock again, watched as the ponies finished the apples and returned to the grass.
"Lalli would have found you weird, I bet."
The ponies ignored him, but he didn't mind. He was used to it after a whole season with Lalli. He saw the smoke from the fires rise towards the sky and let out a sigh. He should be there with the rest, but no, he was stuck here. Only because he was in a bit of a hurry to get the fires started.
"It's not like there was anyone there anyway. I would have heard it."
He leaned back, pondered. Petted the closest pony while thinking.
"VÄSTERSTÖM!"
Emil got up, turned towards his captain.
"You are on clean-up duty, not sit and dream-duty!"
"Sorry, sorry!"
Emil hurried around the camp, gathered up all the dishes and laundry that needed to be done. The captain's eyes followed him for a while, before he left the camp again. Emil threw the laundry and dishes in the water, and settled down again.
"This is so beneath me. I've been out in the silent world, further from the safe areas than any of them, and I returned. I should be treated like a hero and not like... like this."
One of the ponies neighed and Emil let out a sigh.
"I guess you're right, there's no use worrying about it. I should just get to work."
He looked at the dishes, let out another sigh and pulled off his coat, folded up his sleeves and got to work. The water was cold, and he shivered a little, but sent a thankful thought to the sun for warming him up.
"Nothing is quite like a Swedish summer, am I right?"
Neither of the ponies answered and he looked into the woods while washing the dishes.
"I wonder what Lalli's doing now..."
He stopped doing the dishes, lost in thoughts, in memories. His eyes wandered towards the sky, lost themselves in the clouds. Lalli was probably sleeping, it was still hours until night and he was a night scout. Emil let out a sigh. It had been nice coming back home, getting back in the normal routines, but two weeks later and he was already tired of it.
"VÄSTERSTRÖM!"
Emil dropped the plate he was holding. It didn't break, since it was made by steal, but he cursed as it hit his foot. He turned towards his captain.
"WHAT?!"
"I told you to work and not to dream!"
Emil had no idea about how long he had been dreaming, but he saw the rest of his friends approaching the camp a little behind the captain. An hour, perhaps, not more than two. He bent down and picked up the plate again.
"Sorry, I'll be done soon."
He stuck his tongue out towards the captain's back as the older man turned around and walked away, before turning his attention back to the dishes. It shouldn't take too long to finish with them, he thought as he started with the plate that mutilated his foot just moments ago. Karl came out from his tent, stretched and took place next to Emil, helping the slightly younger man with the dishes.
"Sorry you had to take my responsibilities today."
Emil smiled towards him. He had always enjoyed Karl's company, the man was relaxed and easy-going, although very absentminded. Which was the reason he was often put on clean-up duty.
"No worries."
"Hey, I never got around to asking you about the Silent World. How was it out there?"
"Terrible. Everything went wrong all the time."
"You made friends with the others?"
"Kind of."
"Kind of? Oh. OH! You met a lover! Did you woo her? How was she? Was she be-a-u-ti-ful? Have you remembered to send her flowers?"
Emil hit Karl lightly in the back of his head.
"Of course I didn't! The woman I hung around were like 15 years older than me anyway!"
"Some boys like their women older. But you hung around her? Was she busty?"
"Not... really? Ah, she was my captain, it's not like I was looking anyway!"
But Emil blushed. He turned away from Karl, focused on the cutlery he held in his hands.
"But... there was this boy..."
"A boy? Well, I guess there's nothing wrong with that, I just figured you'd go for a girl..."
"It wasn't like that..." Emil's blush intensified. "We were just really good friends. That couldn't talk to each other. There just... kind of was a connection between us, you know?"
"Ahaha, you are so in love with him! When will I get to meet him? How does he look?"
"Like a stick figure", Emil smiled. "But it's not love! Not like you mean anyway! Ah, stop confusing me!"
"I'm not confusing you, I'm helping you! Anyway, what did you do out there anyway?"
"Mostly we tried our best not to get eaten."
"Were you successfull?"
"Almost", Emil laughed, trying to hide the terror that threatened to grab him. "They did manage to taste us a couple of times."
"Must have been horrible."
"It was."
They worked in silence for a while. Emil started drying the dishes off and Karl started working on dinner. When the dishes was done Emil moved the horses to another tree, where there was more grass, and gave them another apple.
"Don't tell the captain", he whispered to them before he went back to Karl. Karl put the finishing touches on the food, before grabbing two bowls - one for himself and one for Emil. They settled down at the edge of the camp to continue their conversation.
"But what did you really do out there?"
"Promise not to tell?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die", Karl said. "Or something."
"Well", Emil leaned back against a tree. "We gathered books. Skalds in all countries are looking for books from the old time since most got lost and destroyed in the first ten years... Especially the Danes are interested in anything that has to do with their history..."
"Have it changed your feelings about what we're doing?"
Emil looked up towards the trees. He wanted to say no, but was it really the truth?
"...A little, I guess. I mean, I still think a good flamethrower is the best weapon against the uncleansed areas but... I can't explain it."
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
Karl also leaned back, looked at the leaves above them. They saw a squirrel leaving the tree, jumping to the next tree and disappearing into the woods.
"Want to tell me more about your friend?"
"He's a mage, from Finland."
"Finland?" Karl looked at Emil again. "Do they even understand Swedish there?"
"His cousin did, but he didn't."
"But, how did you talk to eachother?"
"Well, mostly I talked and he ignored me", Emil smiled again. "But as I said, there was some kind of connection anyway, we didn't really need a lot of words."
"You so want him to learn Swedish."
"Yeah..."
"You're heading out again in winter?"
"Maybe, I don't know yet."
"Think I can come along? Maybe your captain would be impressed with my manliness!"
Karl flexed and Emil laughed.
"Only if you can kill a sjødraug with your teeth."
"Ah, yeah... No, I should probably stay at home then. How did she look?"
"She was like this tall", Emil exaggerated, raising his hand far above his head. "and she had red hair and purple eyes."
"Did she captain you around?"
"Not as mister pissy-pants here", Emil said and gestured towards their captain, who had his back towards them. "She was more... She knew what she was doing and what we could face out there. It was a relief having someone who knew what we were doing out there."
"Västerström..."
Emil closed his eyes and leaned closer to Karl.
"Pissy-pants?" he whispered.
"Pissy-pants", Karl confirmed.
"Captain!" Emil turned around. "What brings you to the two of us?"
"Clean-up duty tomorrow as well, Västerström. Don't think I don't know what you just called me."
Emil let out a sigh.
"Yes, sir..."
The captain turned around and got back to his food and Karl laid an arm over Emil's shoulder.
"Hey, this way, you'll be able to tell me more about your mission tomorrow. I want to know everything about lover-boy!"
"He's not my lover! I swear, I'm gonna tear you apart if you keep calling us lovers!"
But Emil smiled. Clean-up duty was terrible, but together with Karl it was a tiny bit better. He'd just have to survive the constant questions about Lalli.