I threw my pack over the fence and climbed it quickly; something that had become second-nature through years of sneaking out. It seemed much more daunting tonight, though. The small bag didn't hold much. Just a few simple sets of clothing – mostly shirts and pants that I had stolen from Christian long ago so we could run and ride easier. Dresses weren't exactly conducive to that sort of activity. There were a few other necessary supplies for my task, but I hoped I wouldn't need much more where I was going. The pack hit against my side while I sped through the apple trees, and I watched as they gradually changed from one variety to another. I knew this path through the orchard like the back of my hand, and as I raced to beat the sunrise, I only stumbled once; to dodge a newly broken limb that hadn't been there a few days before.
Hopefully, Christian hadn't left already. I didn't have a contingency plan, so all I could do was pray that he was still there. I paused to catch my breath for a moment, giving a sigh of relief when I got close enough to spot him. He had just thrown the saddle on Anna, his chestnut mare. I had made it just in time.
"Christian!" My voice was only a whisper, but it still seemed to ring out in the early morning air.
His hands stopped and his head snapped towards the dark brush where I waited. "Who's there?"
"Who else?" I stepped into the light and his eyes went wide.
"Rose?" He rushed over, looking me up and down as if he was seeing me for the first time. I realized suddenly that he was seeing me for the first time – at least like this. "What did you do to your hair?"
It barely touched my shoulders now, and I ran my hand through the freshly cut locks only to feel them disappear through my fingers much faster than I would have liked. I kept imagining there was more hair than there actually was now; like the rest of it was a phantom still lingering despite being chopped off just an hour ago. The feeling of the fringe tickled the back of my neck and I shivered at the sensation. I didn't want to tell him how uncomfortable I felt with it this short, so I stood a little taller and grinned. "You like?"
"It's certainly...different." He carefully examined me again, and I was sure he noticed a few other changes to my typically feminine figure, but wisely chose not to mention them. "What are you doing here? That's the better question."
"I'm coming with you."
"No. Nuh-uh." He shook his head and slipped his foot into the stirrup of the saddle. "You can't come. Even if your father were okay with this – which I know he isn't – I wouldn't allow it."
I grabbed the back of his coat and pulled him back down towards me. "You're going to tell me what I can and can't do?"
"Right now? Yes. It's for your own good. You're going to get yourself killed. This isn't a game, Rose. It's war." He looked at me like I was a child throwing a tantrum, but his attitude quickly became grave. "And if the enemy didn't kill you, the army itself would. You know they restrict the service to men only."
"Yeah," I replied, trying not to roll my eyes. "Us womenfolk are supposed to make the next generation of soldiers for this war."
He gave a twisted little grin, acknowledging the truth, as sad as it was. "I know you don't like it, but at least you guys will be safe." I knew he wasn't just speaking about me. Lissa would be safe, too. "Are you sure you're not running away? I know the matching didn't exactly go well for you."
"Are you sure you aren't?" I threw back at him. "Things didn't exactly work out in your favor either."
He didn't answer me right away, but I could see that my words had struck a chord. "I didn't exactly volunteer to fight this battle, and I can't say I'm thrilled to be going, but sometimes things like this are better than the alternative." He'd rather die than live with Avery. Or, probably more likely, he'd rather die than live without Lissa.
"I agree. Some things are better than the alternative." When he tilted his head in morbid curiosity, I continued. "My father was drafted. You know as well as I do that he'd never make it. I'm going in his place."
He silently let the news hang between us, before eventually nodding and gesturing behind him. "Aunt Tasha's horse is in the stable."
"Wait...we're stealing your aunt's horse?" I asked incredulously.
"Well, considering she's gaining the rest of my land, I'd say it's a fair trade."
"You're giving her the rest of the orchard?!" I think I sounded more upset than he did. Except for Lissa, and perhaps his darn horse, I don't think he cared for anything more than the farm he devoted his life to.
He sighed. "Of course I am. What am I supposed to do with it? I'm going to be gone for who knows how long. There's a chance I might not be coming back at all. Someone needs to take care of it and I'd rather it stay in the family."
It certainly made sense, especially since his aunt had basically raised him after his parents abandoned him, and it was only by their grace that he had the orchard in the first place. If I could recognize that, he was probably even more aware of how much he owed her.
"It's either that or you get in the cart." I peeked at the small cart tied to Anna that was filled with several crates of apples. Before I could question it, he told me, "I was asked to bring some of last year's harvest to the camp. With all the new recruits, they're going to be low on supplies. There's medicine, fabric, and some more things from other vendors in town as well. I guess every village has been asked to offer goods for the cause. There should be enough room for you, though."
I smirked. "Are you saying I'm just another bit of supplies to be hauled out there?"
He glanced back with a knowing grin. "Technically, Rose, I'm pretty sure we're all just supplies for this army."
His remark would have been funnier if it hadn't been so true. I couldn't bear to be hauled away like that, though. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it my way. That meant riding into camp on my own accord and with the purpose of saving my father to help me hold my head up high.
I started walking backwards towards the stables, keeping my eyes on him. "We'll bring your aunt's horseback," I promised, hoping that those words alone would be enough to guarantee that we'd both survive and that he'd one day be able to offer the animal back for his home as easily as he was now trading his home for a horse.
By the time I had saddled the horse and we began our ride, the sun had already crested over the trees. Still, we were long gone before anyone had the chance to notice I was missing.
Break
"Rose! Look! We're here." The mass of people filling the valley left little doubt that, after hours of travel, we had finally made it to our final destination. Two tall cliffs rose high to cap both sides of a sturdy stone wall. We couldn't see beyond the wall, but just seeing those giant rock faces was enough to make the scene feel ominous. It gave a sense of power and a slight feeling of foreboding. One misstep, and you'd be falling to your death.
I reached over to smack him but only found air. "Not so loud, genius. I'm not exactly supposed to be here, remember?"
He seemed pretty nervous himself, almost more nervous than I was. "Oh, I'm well aware."
We pressed on a bit further in silence until we were entirely surrounded by men from all walks of life. Some looked strong, exactly as you'd imagine a soldier to be, while others seemed barely able to stand on their own two legs. Several were as old as my father, but some were younger than me and Christian. Considering we were only eighteen and nineteen, respectfully, it seemed hard to imagine people younger than us being compelled towards the cause. We shared a concerned glance as one such boy passed us.
There was only one very noticeable thing missing from the scene: women. I seemed to be the only woman within a dozen miles of this camp, and it was a bizarre sight.
Eventually, we were forced to dismount, and he and glanced over his shoulder with some concern. When I caught sight of what he was looking at, my stomach dropped. There were two guards at the entrance of the camp. They were fairly imposing and were probably meant to intimidate the newcomers. If so, they were succeeding. They glanced at everyone going through the checkpoint but stopped Christian with his cart. One man kept a hand on Anna's reins, while the other one looked over the supplies. Apparently finding everything suitable, or at least not questionable, he waved over another person from the other side.
"Mikhail will help you take this over towards the supply area." He gestured vaguely somewhere to the right and then looked at me. "He'll take your horse to the stables, too. You can follow the others towards the official check-in. They'll get you your pack."
I watched Christian leave before following the mass of men towards what looked like some registration center. I could have easily slipped in one of the lines with the others, but I lingered near the back instead. I wanted to make sure that Christian was nearby. While I had been confident in my choice before, and still was, to be honest, the pressure of what I was doing hit me hard now that I was actually here. Being alone made it seem that much more unnerving.
Somehow, I spotted Christian over the hundreds of unrecognizable men wandering without direction. He headed my way but stomped pass me, glaring at nobody in particular.
"What happened? Is everything okay with Anna?" Christian had a temper, but even his didn't burn this fast without a good reason.
"She belongs to the army now," he said harshly through his teeth.
I paused a second and then ran to catch up with him. I wanted to comfort him, but I doubted I could find the right words. Comfort was Lissa's territory, not mine. Anna had been one of the few things Christian had refused to sell when his parents had left him in ruin and stacked with their debt. Now, it seemed the army had taken her just like the supplies Christian had willingly given. Apparently, his apples and his life weren't enough. They took his beloved horse, too.
"Christian," I whispered, trying to get his attention back after he had been so entrenched in his private indignation over the theft of his horse. We had slipped into one of the lines randomly and it had taken me far too long to realize something very crucial to maintaining my disguise. "Christian. They're pairing people up for tents."
"So…" His shoulders were still tense and my observations seemed to be only making him more upset. Unfortunately, my worry took precedence over his petulance.
"So…" I mimicked him before continuing, "we're going to be split up! Right now, I'm going to end up with the guy behind me."
I saw the implication hit him and watched as he started counting off pairs, ending with the same conclusion: he'd end up with the blond guy in front of him, and I'd end up with the red-head behind me.
"What are we going to do?" I asked, watching the line grow a bit shorter.
"We just need to switch." His solution was so obvious that I was slightly annoyed that I hadn't thought about it myself. Perhaps that's why I spoke too quickly to the man behind me.
"Go ahead of us." It sounded more like an order rather than a suggestion or offer, and he didn't seem to take kindly to that.
"Why?" I could already see the argument brewing in his mind. Of course, rather than pacifying him, I made it worse
"They're pairing people up. You and I would end up in a tent together and-"
"Are you saying you don't want to bunk with me? Do you find something wrong with me?"
"Listen, man," I heard Christian try to cut in but the guy was much angrier and much louder.
"No! I want to know why this guy who looks like he's too small to even hold up a sword thinks he's too good to share a tent with me?"
Things were quickly getting out of hand, and for the life of me, I didn't know how it happened or how to fix it. "It's not that! I promise. It's just that Christian is a friend from home and I'd prefer to-"
"What's your name soldier?"
I turned immediately at the deep, commanding voice. The owner of it was so tall that I had to step back to actually meet his face and when I did, I was immediately flustered. He looked terrifying, but a horrible part of me still was drawn to how stunning his eyes were. And there was also a part of me that was significantly distracted by how well his black shirt fit over his chest.
His voice broke through my daze. "Soldier! I asked you a question!"
"Ro-." Of course, the first name that came to me was my own, and I barely stopped myself before saying it completely. When I hesitated, his eyes seemed bore deeper into me, and with every passing second I didn't say something became a little bit more frantic to find an answer. Any answer. Of course, Christian's name, as well as my father's passed through my mind, but both of those would mean backtracking.
Oh God. He's staring at me like I'm an idiot. What's my name?!
Suddenly, I recalled a name I hadn't thought of in years. The name of my mother's brother, her only brother, who had died just a year before I was born.
"Ronin, sir," I barked, trying to make up for my lack of confidence earlier. "Ronin Hathaway."
He eyed me carefully and I met his stare, silently challenging him to question me. I desperately hoped he wouldn't, but I still knew enough small details about my uncle to make a convincing story. A few small twists and I could certainly make it work in my favor.
Luckily he didn't seem to sense any deception, or if he did, he was beyond caring. Perhaps it seemed like nervous stuttering rather than the outright lie it actually was. Either way, one soldier out of a hundred, who was most likely going to die anyway, probably didn't matter much to him. "Is there a reason, you're already causing issues in my camp?"
I bit my tongue, holding in the curse that was waiting to break free. He wasn't just a guard. He was an officer. A Captain or a General or something. It didn't matter, really, he was the one with the power to kill me.
"No, Sir," I replied. The red-headed man that had been arguing with me a minute ago snickered, unfortunately loud enough to be heard. The officer turned on him.
"How about you, soldier?"
Realizing that he was now in the crosshairs of the officer's fury, the man beside me straightened and replied, "No, sir."
The officer nodded, apparently satisfied with our submission. "Very well. I suggest you fall in line, then, and be ready to follow the rules of this camp or face the punishment of disobedience. I do not tolerate insubordination." He left, passing down the rest of the line, observing his new men without any indication as to whether or not he was pleased with what fate had brought him. If I were prone to wager, I would say he wasn't.
"Who was that?" I asked, not addressing anybody in particular. I could vaguely see some tattoos on the back of his neck, but they were mostly obscured by his hair which was tied back low in a band.
"Commander Dimitri Belikov. He's apparently god on the battlefield." I turned to the man I had been arguing with before. Based on his awe, it seemed like we had something in common, though he seemed more impressed with his credentials than with his physique. "I'm Mason, by the way."
Introductions went all around, including Eddie, the man who had unfortunately been drug into this whole mess simply be standing in front of me and Christian. A truce between Mason and I had been formed after our mutual scolding, and he had been more than willing to move ahead when he realized that Christian and I were friends from home. With so many strangers around, clinging to a familiar face was a small comfort that he could recognize.
Once we finally made it to the registration desk, all it took was a name to announce what house we were serving from, and a signed declaration that said we were serving 'of our own free will,' to be given our supplies. We were all officially enlisted. Eddie and Mason took their packs, and then Christian and I did the same.
The entire encampment was set up in a semi-circle. We had been registered at what would apparently serve as some sort of dining hall in the days to come, but when we moved around it and towards where we had been urged to set up our temporary homes, you could see a large clearing that was obviously designed for training. Across the field, there were several more elaborate tents set up already. It was easy to tell that they belonged to the various higher-ups around here. I scanned them, trying to decide which one of them might have belonged to Commander Belikov, but they all looked pretty much alike. Only the one in the middle of it all seemed to stand out, being at least twice as large as the others.
The view on our side, however, was nothing but an expanse of tan canvas and dirt. The occasional men walking around the area wore clothing that was just barely distinguishable in color from the tents themselves. I pulled away one corner of my pack and saw the same dingy beige and brown fabric that everyone else was already wearing. I hadn't expected any finery here, but even Christian's poverty-stricken wardrobe looked significantly more extravagant than this. Brushing my hands against the coarse fabric only make my spirits drop more. Simply wearing this stuff would be irritating.
We set out tent as far as possible from the others, choosing a shaded spot on the hill that overlooked most of the main camp. There was one tent to our left, but otherwise, we would be in a fairly private area. As soon as it was built, I moved inside to escape the heat, but Christian was hot on my heels. He flipped open the canvas door, checking around us before closing it again and tying it tight.
"You're going to die," he hissed, quietly. It was the first words he had spoken to me since our unfortunate encounter with the officer.
"I know." I moaned in despair, falling back against my pack for just a second before finding my strength again. Releasing the high bun that my hair had been tied in, I shook it own and rubbed at the tender scalp. It tingled a little under the release of pressure, and winced and the strange and somewhat painful pleasure.
"How are you going to keep this up?" He asked, sitting down next to me. "You barely managed to stay hidden for one day. You know we'll be at this for weeks, maybe months, right?"
"It'll get easier!" I insisted.
"Sure. I mean you already got the tough stuff out of the way...like your name!"
I grinned, mostly just to annoy him. "Exactly!"
"Rose! It's not funny. Also, how in the world did you forget something so simple in your cover-up? It's pretty much 'hidden identity 101.'"
"Huh, must have missed that class. But in all honesty, this was kind of last minute. I was more worried about not looking female."
"The fact that they haven't questioned your voice is pretty amazing."
I paused, not wanted to say out loud what I knew we had both noticed earlier. Eventually, it came out anyway. Someone had to acknowledge the horror. "Christian. They have kids as young as sixteen here. They aren't going to worry about my voice being too high." One of those boys, who had looked younger than sixteen honestly, had stood a few places in front of us while we were issued our camp packs. His voice had cracked, perhaps because of nervousness or whatnot, but nobody had commented. We had all been a little on edge ourselves.
So," he continued after a moment of awkward silence, "do you have a plan now?"
"Train, fight, and hopefully survive. Same as you."
Author's Note
Dimitri has made his official entrance! As has Mason and Eddie. I know it's just a peek of them for the moment, but we'll get quite a bit more as the story goes on. Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this story so far. The reception has been incredibly positive and I'm so grateful for your support of this story and the "VA does Disney" project as a whole. I look forward to reading more of your thoughts. Keep an eye out for another chapter soon. Until then, have a wonderful day!
