Chapter ten: War Memo (Kirstey)
With Aqua gone, and the Frostarian war approaching, anyone would want to run, hide, or die. Maybe do all three. Our meeting had ended and we noticed no one at the hall. It had only been about several minutes after they left so unless they stuffed their faces fast enough just to get to sleep, I bet most of them skipped lunch all together.
I rolled my eyes, we had another full night of training if they wanted to be good. I promoted quiet a few people during the night, Grace, Alison, Anna, Emi, and Fay were just a few. Joanna had given almost everyone nicknames during the night.
Alison was Rockier, Anna made sure her name was kept the same though it ended up just becoming Toad. Emily bargained with Joanna and kept her name and Fay became Pika. Grace had the oddest nickname, It was Mini me. Or for others, Mini Kirstey.
Grace gave a few, Isacc got Iquack, Bonnie became Bunny, Stuart became Emrys, Nathan Nate, and Alison became Ali.
Most everyone cracked up on the Isacc-Iquack thing thought I don't know why Isacc didn't like it. "I'm not gonna get over that Isacc-Iquack thing" Joanna giggled next to me. "Nor is anyone who remembers their own name after they wake up from how deep a sleep their in" Rose chuckled as she jogged up to my side.
I snickered and rolled my eyes. I opened the bunk doors quietly, peering inside. Yep. Rose was right. They were dead asleep. I smiled, last time it was this quiet in the bunk, Joanna ran at me screaming at the top of her lungs 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIRSTEY' like it was the end of the bloody world.
I yawned silently and made my way over to my bed, laying on it. I stared at the ceiling above me for a couple minutes in the light that shown through the one window above the bunk door. I feel fast asleep, dreaming about what could have happened yesterday if I hadn't escaped the 'hundred-handed-revenge', as Joanna called it.
I woke to the sun still shining, but it was darker in the bunk. I sat up and looked around, everyone was still sleeping. I sighed and got up, daylight wouldn't let me sleep again if I begged it on my hands and knees.
I quietly made my way to the training area, to get everything ready and do some Solo practice training after I got it ready. I needed to practice my spin-kick and other crud I had stuffed in my brain.
I reached the gate area and looked around. Apparently when I called break, everyone just dropped everything and walked to a wall. Literally. Swords and shields were scattered around the ground, most of it banged up.
I noticed two figures down at the farther end of the area, picking things up. Gathering them and examining them. One looked up and noticed me. "Kirstey! Have a nice rest?" A familiar voice shouted across the field. I realized it was Grace and someone. I couldn't place the other person, thought I knew who it was.
"Grace! What are you doing? I thought you'd be asleep with the rest of them!" I called back, bending down to gather the swords. "Well, I was then I woke up remembering the field. I wanted to clean up, cause no one else would and I figured you would wake up and come clean it up, so, I wanted to save you some trouble." Grace's voice called back.
I kicked a few things towards the middle, making a pile of swords, then went around gathering the shields, putting them in a pile next to it. Picking up a sword, I examined how bad it was.
The way it looked screamed; Get new swords! I mean, this thing was bent at several different angles, in degree's I didn't think you could bend a sword to without breaking it. "New sword time. These things are done for. I mean, if they could talk, they would be moaning in pain at the angles they are bent at.." I muttered, feeling a bit sorry for the inanimate objects that laid broken on the ground in front of me, piled in a heap of shards.
"Hey Patrick, mind helping me get the rest of these swords and shields to the giant pile?" Grace asked. "Nope, Don't mind at all." A voice answered, and I turned back. I realized why I knew the figure.
He was an old friend of mine. Now how the heck did that happen? I don't speak to him for a while, a couple weeks and then I see him hanging with Grace.
I let the thought run unspoken and I turned back to solo training. After about thirty minutes of training, I decided to go get new swords and then go wake the rest up. I found our shed, were we kept supplies like swords and extra blankets and other stuff. I grabbed three bags of the newer swords and headed out, locking the door behind me.
I came into the field, and everyone stood there, waiting for me. The sword stack was gone, and they stood there silent as the air.
"Um, am I dreaming? Are you people silent and in a line?" I asked, shocked.
"Not dreaming." Grace's voice called, her head popping out of the line to look at me.
"Okay, amazing. I'm not dreaming, so I'm awake so what's going on if I'm not dreaming this?" I asked, laughing at my own amount of logic I put in that. Which wasn't much.
Grace giggled. "Well. They all came when you went to get the swords, so… Joanna brought up the idea to get in a nice line that way we would surprise you!" Her voice sounded like she could cry tears of joy, jump around like a mad kangaroo and sing at the top of her lungs.
"Well, ya sure did surprise me." I snickered at their 'Oh ya, we did it, uh huh, we did it' faces. "Yall gonna break out into a weird dance or something? Cause your face's look like you could at any moment." I snickered.
"Move into a side by side!" Deanna's voice called. Everyone filed into a side by side, and I stood their smiling.
"Wow. Guessing that listening training for privets and up was a good thing, eh?" I laughed. "Maybe you wont need one if you keep this up."
"We'll see." Grace laughed. "Oh yes, we will see." A voice rang in from behind me.
I jumped and spun around, to get a look at who spoke. "Don't worry, I'm just the messenger boy. Grace you already know me, but for those who don't, I'm Jayy." His voice came again.
A small head poked out of his side, staring timidly at us. "Jayy, why did Mr. Raptor send us here?" A lighter voice asked.
"Excuse my little sister, but this is Jayonia. And Jayonia, we are here to tell them something." Jayy turned and spoke to the little girl, who was apparently Jayonia.
A third person stepped out from behind Jayonia. "I'm Jade, assistant messenger." She grumbled. "I got the message Jayy, go back to the van would ya?" Jade's voice snapped.
"Okay okay, but CT would be happy." Jayy's voice warned. "Like I could give a darn what they do to me. They've already done everything they could to me. Demotion, torment. The whole nine yards." She snapped again.
I jumped back and looked at her. "Okay, so, the message?" I asked, quickly before an argument broke out between the two in front of the already scared Jayonia.
"Come on Jayonia, lets go back to the van." Jayy's voice lead her. "No…" She argued. Jayy grabbed her wrist to drag her off. "No!" She shouted. "I don't want to go back! They will hurt me! No!" She screamed and thrashed wildly with her brother.
"I want to join them!" She screamed again. I froze looking at her. She had to be no much older then seven. "Fine! Get killed! CT will have you personally killed!" Jayy threw her wrist and stormed off.
Jayonia ran towards me, tears running down her face. "They will hurt me if I stay or go." She yelped, hugging my legs. I patted her back. "It's gonna be alright, we wont let them hurt you." I reassured her.
"How about you go to my friend, Joanna? She will get you some nice clothing and other stuff while I talk with Jade." I pointed to Joanna who waved for her to come along, a warm smile on her face.
Jayonia walked over to Joanna and got lead to a place I knew she would be safe for now. I turned back to Jade.
"What's the message and tell me about Jayonia please." I asked, looking at Jade.
"Well, the message is this, They want war to be the day after tomorrow, will you accept?" She muttered, looking at me.
"Yes I will accept" I sighed.
"Good." She took off a watch and hat, her shoes and a pin on her shirt. She threw it on the ground and stomped on it wildly.
"Sword please." She asked.
I stared at her, but handed her one of the fresh swords. She cut everything in half, breaking it and then grabbed it all in a heap.
"Be back." She muttered. She took off and came back a few moments later, out of her uniform and in a decent shirt and shorts.
I stared at her dumbfounded.
"What? They had spy camera's and other junk." She raised an eyebrow at me.
"Okay then." I muttered.
"I wanted to tell you, what was really said." She sighed.
"And that was?"
" 'Ask for war the day after tomorrow, we'll strike tomorrow. They wont expect it. Get the troops ready now. We'll strike at high noon. Their valley.'" She sighed looking at me.
"Expect tomorrow at high noon. Expect from now, till midnight Sunday for war." She muttered.
"And about Jayonia, She was taken when she was about four, she's spent four years of her life knowing that torment and the pain if she made a mistake." Jade winced at something.
"At four? That's not a normal age for a person to be taken by them. They want someone useful." Grace's voice gasped.
"I agree, but lastly. I want to join you. I cant tell you how much I hate them. You know CT's nickname Crazy Traz, right?" She asked, looking around.
"Ya, why?" I asked.
"It had to start somewhere, and your looking at the person who started it." Jade snickered.