Chapter 7- My name?
Jiminy sighed with warm delight as he pulled the blankets around him tighter. The thick wool of the fabric reminded him of home, the smell of straw and must. A time long forgotten. His dreaming thoughts opening a flow of unorganised emotions. Suddenly, home wasn't a place he wanted to be. Flashes of his parents haunted his pleasant thoughts, rotting the good with their repugnant evil. Tossing in sleep he finally leapt up the blankets falling with a thump to the floor. He put a hand to his head with a moan and stretched his wi… His hands fumbled across the smooth skin of his back, the light ginger curls of his hair, the roundness of his ears. He was a man. He had missed having ears and he stuttered an unbelievable laugh as he wiggled his slender fingers. The memories of the previous night started to flood back and he shouted out in surprise and like a new-born calf battled with the remaining sheets to walk on human legs once again. He then realised that his vision was blurry and he remembered that he had once worn glasses. He searched around him and found a pair of red rimmed glasses folded on a bedside table.
'Where am I?' Jiminy wondered out loud revelling in the sound of his voice. No need of a translator anymore. He looked up at a coloured canvas roof and he looked around his surroundings. A table with a map of the lands and various other notes were in front of him. A chair was pushed up against it and Jiminy stroked the expensive clothes that were laid over it. Is this for me? He thought and his thoughts were answered when he noticed an important scroll amongst some letters. Just in case anyone came in he put the trousers on that he had been given before he broke the seal.
The holder of this scroll is an agent of the Emperor, chosen exclusively by the Emperor to carry out orders in his name. Do not question the beholder or face the wrath of the Emperor himself.
At the bottom of the official scrawl was the waxed seal of what Jiminy thought was of the actual Emperor of these lands. Putting on the rest of his attire which glowed a hearty emerald green and was carefully embroidered with gold thread. On closer inspection he actually found a stitched cricket in gold thread at his breast.
'I thought it was supposed to be a secret.' He tutted to an absent Dragon. Who else could have prepared all of this? A small shaving mirror hung over a wooden bowl of water. He smiled at the face that looked back at him, he might have enjoyed being a cricket but he had missed that face of his. He had been told once that he was handsome by a girl once who he had been too nervous to talk to. Despite the many years he had spent as a cricket those years didn't show in the softness in his skin except he could find the experience in his eyes.
'What do you think you're doing putting up a tent in the imperial camp?' shouted the gruff voice of the Captain bursting in with a huff. Jiminy smiled and happily handed the scroll to him. His angry eyes suddenly turned to embarrassment and he bowed quickly. 'Sorry for the intrusion sir. I was not informed of your arrival.' Jiminy remembered the conversation from last night and used it for his advantage.
'The Dragon asked for me exclusively. He believes I can help you get this camp into shape and I agree with him. I see potential in your recruits.' He finished enthusiastically thinking of the hard work that Mulan put in.
'I fail to see that but if you can prove to me otherwise?' he argued. There lies the crux of the problem thought Jiminy to himself. If the Captain had no hope in his troops then there was no surprise to find the troops failing. 'I'm sorry I didn't catch your name sir?' The Captain questioned as if doubting his position. Jiminy thought for a second a few names coming to mind.
'I'm Archie Hopper.' He finally answered and the Captain didn't seem happy with that.
'You're not from these lands?' he said eyebrows furrowing.
'No, but my background is no business of yours.' He said with a voice of authority. 'I will be expected to be introduced to the recruits in an hour.' He added and turned his back on the Captain with a hidden smile. He heard him leave and then went to find something to eat. He found that he hungered for honey and cake or anything sweet. That sweet tooth that he used to have had disappeared when he became a cricket.
An hour and four honeyed slabs of bread later a bounding newly named Archie Hopper licked the dribbling of honey from his lips and walked out into the fresh air. He spotted her straight away, disconnected from the rest of the recruits. She looked even more lost than usual and he hoped that it wasn't his absence that had caused that. Feelings that hadn't stirred for decades stirred now and he felt a longing to be by her side.
'I'm going to get you through this.' He whispered to her. 'Don't you worry.' The horn blasted and everyone ran to stand to attention. Archie Hopper found it hard to keep his eye from wondering to Mulan and he was glad of the distraction that Captain Shang provided.
'Soldiers! We have a visitor from the Emperor, this is Archie Hopper and he has informed me that he wishes to knock you into shape. Something that I have struggled to do for the last week!' he addressed them. Archie was annoyed with that and stepped forward to address them himself.
'I have watched the efforts that you soldiers have given over the week and I think you have the makings of greatness.' Archie spied a wooden pole that had once held a flag and an idea came into his mind. 'To prove this I will set a challenge over the coming days.' A guard that stood beside him held a crossbow and Archie cheekily took it from him and aimed toward the top of the wooden pole. The arrow shot from its place and twanged inches from the top. 'The first soldier to retrieve the arrow will not only receive extra rations but can also select a weapon or piece of armour of their choice from the armoury.' The Captain stared at him open mouthed. Archie noticed that the buff but short man who had given Mulan all that grief on the first day ran toward the pole rubbing his hands greedily. 'Wait a moment, you have forgotten something.' The man halted and Archie ran into his tent and quickly hastened something together. He ran over to the bruised man and handed him a loaded belt, weighted down with wet sand around him. 'You must reach the top with this sash or it does not count.' The man tied it around his waist and had a feeble attempt that ended with him falling ungracefully not even halfway up. Then with fleeting smile to Mulan, he left them argue and struggle to retrieve it.
Despite the same hard and gruelling training routine the recruits were alight with the excitement of the arrow challenge and for the first time in over a week they stormed through the training just so they could attempt it. Archie took pleasure in watching them with a brewed tea in hand, from his chair outside his tent. Archie knew that there were a few possible ways of successfully reaching the arrow. A man with enough brutal and physical strength could manage it but he doubted that anyone in this band could manage that. A man with long legs could use a torrential grip to get himself up the pole but he wasn't sure if again there was anyone who matched up to that standard. The last possibility was a secret that Archie didn't want to even think about in case someone would over hear his thoughts. He chuckled to himself of his genius and the person who would win this challenge would be the one with the intellect, the one who could think outside the box. The daring attempts of the recruits made for good viewing and Archie found himself commentating on their efforts. As the sun set he noticed the figure of Mulan, walking up the hill. She hadn't tried the challenge but he hoped she would. Maybe this was the chance to prove herself?
