He strode over to us, the menacing militia man, holding two silver bowls of water for us. I was so thirsty I would drink anything at this point. Striding over the officer began to place the bowls to the ground then clumsily spilt them at our feet. My heart sunk even deeper into the pit I called my chest.
"Oh Damn I'm sorry." He said sarcastically with a puppy dog face. The boy looked up at him with the eyes that could say a thousand words.
"Do you have a problem?" He timidly stated, looking at the officer the whole time.
"No, why would I possibly have a problem . . . Oh wait. There was that one time in your little crap village where you shot my best friend with a cross bow. Yeah, so I guess there's that." His eyes turned black like soot. I turned to the innocent boy and my face dropped in shock. The boy didn't seem like the murdering type, however if he did kill an officer then why was he still alive?
Plainly, he replied. "Your best friend killed my father". I could see why he was crumbling on the inside now, we were falling to pieces on our own but together.
"Which I guess was no big loss right?" The officer said with a huge grin on his face, one a twisted soul might possess.
"Captain Neville!" Danny shouted across the field.
"What?" He replied without taking his eyes away from his precious book.
"If you want us dead just kill us, otherwise ... I'd like some water please?" The boy looked as if he'd been hit with some sort of courage. I would've never spoken to the Militia like that.
"You heard the boy, get him some water." Captain Neville returned to his book. I looked up at the officer who was still holding my cup of water. He turned to me and began to speak as if I was a criminal.
"Yes sir" he replied with authority.
"I don't know what your looking at sweet cheeks?" He said taking off the gag around my mouth and stroking my cheek.
"HEY!" I shouted. "I think you should treat us like human beings instead of animals
"I am bigger and smarter than you kid, don't start." He said as he walked away. "You'll get what's coming to you, both of you."
We drank our water in silence looking up to see if any of the Militia was mulling around.
"So, what's your name?" I asked him quietly from my pole in the tent.
"I'm Danny" he replied. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened in your village. The same thing happened to me ... kind off."
"Oh god, I'm sorry!"
"No no no no no. Don't be, we are in this together right?"
"Yeah, I guess."
We chatted away as the day began to end, learning about each others interests and families or what I could remember about my family. The beautiful pink sky was fading into a purple night time with stars the glittered like candles. We watched together, giggling at the Militias stupid ways. He had his arm around my shoulder reminding me of Pa who was watching from above. Overprotective. Loving. We fell asleep against the barrels feeling a little happier knowing I had someone there for me in this big, new and scary adventure. But nothing's perfect . . . Not forever. Then there was a thump in the night.