3rd person P.O.V
Alder focus:
She had never considered how hard it would be to sit in the truck, and watch out of the tinted windows the house she had grown to call home and her wife grow smaller and smaller in the distance until she could no longer see either one of them. She knew her biddies were feeling the same. She could feel the emotions but she could also see the sadness on their faces, clear as day. She missed her wife, she longed to be near to her again. The blessing was strong between them and to the matriarchs knowledge had never been stretched by the distance it was about to be spread over. 3,000 miles to go before she reached the base, but in her heart she felt everyone of those miles. An indescribable ache that sat in her chest, strangling every beat of her heart, pushing down her lungs. Except she could breath perfectly fine, she checked her pulse and it was normal, but it didn't feel normal.
Time seemed to pass by in a flash and at the same time drag impossibly slow. Alder didn't know when they had reached the airfield she couldn't focus on any part of that initial car ride. Focusing on the coming place ride and further car trip felt impossible as well. She knew that she would feel better once she stepped into the grounds of fort salem, the wards she had placed there 300 years ago would relieve her of some of the ache. And the biddied would be able to take the rest of it and share it between themselves. Sarah did not like sharing her pain with the seven innocent witches that enabled her life but many times she had been given no choice but to share that pain so that she could do her job.
Once the second truck with all her gifts, biddies and bags crossed the border into Salem town Alder felt some of the weight lift from her chest and saw some of the sadness depart from the biddies faces. Stepping out of the truck Anacostia greeted the group outside the entrance to the strategy building where her office and living quarters were situated. "Walk with me?" Alder asked the Drill Sergeant, "Do you have any updates on the numbers for this years' basic cadets?" The group walked towards the office, the biddies placing the bags in the space where an eighth bed could theoretically have been placed in the dorm room. Moving into the office, Alder settled behind her desk and gestured to the chair on the other side. There have been a few dispensations, but we caught a few more dodger families this year so the children are in the fosterling program and those of age have been conscripted. Petra's daughter is due to join this year. I'm looking to put her with a trouble maker. Teach her a lesson in control and teamwork. I won't have a comprehensive list until midnight on Friday. But they don't have to be here till Monday so like always we have two days to split the cadets into dorms and units." Anacostia said it was basically the same spiel every year but if it brought comfort to the general in any capacity she was happy to repeat it.
Alder nodded. "How many do you think will come from the matrifocal communities willingly?" Anancostia asked, as one of the generals close advisors in matters of the goings on in the fort she was aware of where the general had taken her leave. "A few witches there have let it be known that they will be saying the oath, a few have dispensations, but some of them might as well. The Matriarch's daughter told me that she will say the oath, even though she has a dispensation. She might be a good math for the Bellweather cadet. From what I saw in the compounds she is very positive and caring of others," Alder said, leaning back slightly in her chair. "All you have to do is find a troublemaker to bring those two together, Bellweather and Craven. Would work well together once they find a middle ground" Alder said.
Tally Focus:
Watching the truck pull away from her, from her home was one of the most painful things Tally had experienced yet in her short life. A sadness that filled her heart. She felt as though every breath was strained and every movement was slow. Couples did not unusually separate until at least two weeks after the ceremony and blessing, Tally was aware that the next few days would be painful. But she would feel better once she arrived at Fort Salem. She had managed to slip a note into Sarah's things with the house phone number and a request to call whenever she wanted or needed to. Tally knew it was unlikely that she would call but she wanted to provide that option.
She went back into the house and into her new bedroom. The room she used to use would be turned into a guest room; it was fortunate that all the bedrooms in the house had attached bathrooms. There wouldn't be any questions as to why tally had moved to the suite, as it was expected that she would marry and have children and would need a space for her family to stay while she was fighting in the army. Tally didn't have the energy to do anything more than sit on the end of her bed. A lone tear wound down her face, she quickly wiped it away. She didn't want to cry, but it hurt to be apart. The first few hours apart dragged by for Tally, until the early hours of the morning when she felt the sadness and pain lift slightly. Sarah had passed into the Fort Salem wards, this would gradually alleviate for Tally over the next day or so. Thankfully the next day was a rest day so she was not expected to do much at all.
Because the last week had been so busy Tally hadn't had the time to completely unpack her new room which ment packing her bag for the army was quick and easy to do and she could just hide the bag in the wardrobe. Her mother was still of the opinion that she could change Tally's mind and that she wouldn't say the oath. But Tally was connected to the army either way, and at least as a soldier she could be near Sarah and she could protect her home at the same time. Her mom unfortunately didn't see it that way, May spent the next week begging Tally to reconsider to just not say the oath. To stay at home and care for the community, to learn how to become the next matriarch.
Tally was able to escape this for most of the week by assisting the other girls who were going to take the oath that Friday with their packing as well as re-arranging the communities timetables so that the gaps she and the other girls left behind could be filled. This work kept her busy enough that she didn't have to have the same conversation with her mother for the umpteenth time.
As conscription day grew closer Tally felt a growing anticipation, and worry. She knew that things would be slightly different between herself and Sarah and that she may not see her for the first few days. But at the same time she did not know if Sarah had found it necessary to tell anyone at Fort Salem about their marriage. This nervousness sat uneasy in her stomach and grew worse throughout Friday afternoon. Especially when news of a spree attack at a mall that day hit the television. Several thousands dead and even more grieving family members. Her mother, as always, told her to turn it off. She had lost her only sisters to the war against the spree. This was one of May's reasons for not wanting Tally to join the army; she didn't want to attend a fifth military funeral for a direct blood member, least of all her own daughter.
Tally was almost in a daze the whole evening. She didn't really remember but she managed to lock her mother out of her bedroom when it became close to midnight and she kept begging and screaming for Tally to not take the oath. But Tally didn't listen and as the clock turned to midnight golder sparks filled a pocket of air just above Tally's head as they had done for hundreds of witches over the last few centuries. The words came naturally "I, Tally Craven, do solemnly pledge to protect and defend the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic. I will faithfully serve and obey the rules and articles for the government of the Army of the United States, all secrets keep, all lawful commands willingly perform as dictated by the Salem Accords." Tally recited the oath that she had never heard before. From the golden sparks, a ribbon hovered before twisting and turning into a metal medal, with the inscription "Tally Craven, pvt 1st class" written clearly on one side. While the oath was never shared with anyone witch or civilian the schedule was and all conscripts were to arrive at fort salem before noon the following Monday. Each witch would take the journey voluntarily and alone. Tally knew that the nearest airport that flew to Massachusetts was several hours away. So she would leave the next morning, she had money saved for a taxi ride to the airport and would then be on military transport from the Massachusetts airport. The army ran a shuttle between base and the airport over the weeked and and on Monday morning. Tally collapsed back onto her bed and let out her first genuine smile since before Sarah had left.
Even knowing that she would be in the same area as her wife within the next few days was enough to relieve a part of the longing ache that had been a constant for her over the last week. Tally slept peacefully that night and just after dawn she left her room with her medal and her bag. She attached a note to the fridge telling her mother that she had taken the oath and that she would call when she could. Tally walked out of the compound and waited by the main road gate for the taxi that she had ordered the day before while her mother was working. There was a fund set up at the compound for each witch of conscription age to take their share on conscription day even if they were taking a dispensation, Tally used her share of the fund to pay for the taxi and to have some spending money if it should be needed if they were at any point given the chance to go offbase. It was mid morning by the time Tally reached the airport and she had taken her medal out of her bag and looped it around her neck as soon as she closed the door behind her.
Alder focus:
Alder stood in the wings of the on base auditorium and watched as all of the new recruits filed in one by one, she recognised some faces. Some family lines did tend to look a lot like their ancestors. She was looking for 1 specific face though. Searching for that bright red hair and big smile. She knew Tally was excited and had most likely snuck out of her home to avoid her mothers disappointment. She managed to spot her young wife in the crowd and felt marginally better, the longing for physical contact had increased once Tally had passed through wards to the base. She had a speech to make and she could not be distracted at this point in time, regardless of how pretty her distraction was.
Alder and the biddies stepped out onto the stage and into the glare of the spotlight that was directed at the podium she was to stand behind. "I am General Sarah Alder. Welcome to Fort Salem. A moment for the fallen today, who live in our hearts. It is a solemn day much like the day, some three hundred years ago when I made a deal with the Massachusetts Bay Militia. My terms were simple, honor me, make a place for me and my kind and we will win your wars. That was before we were even America." Alder started. Having recited this speech so many times, she didn't need to think about it anymore. She paused to let the crowd stomp their feet in agreement. "Since that day we've never been defeated in a military engagement, not once, right up to this solemn day." a second pause for more stomping. From all but one witch. The Collar cadet, she recognised her mother in this cadet and the civilian who had made the outcross. She was defiant, a trouble maker perhaps. And perfect for the Bellweather. Resuming her speech after raising a hand to quiet the hall. "The next nine months will hurt your feelings and your bodies, but they will also be exhilarating. You are the daughters of ancient lines. You are called to greatness." she paused to take a breath, she hated the next part of her speech but it was necessary. "You have bravely pledged to serve and defend this great country. I assure you, dark days await us. We live in a time of ancient hatred and emerging threats. They are ruthless and savage, the Spree. We saw that again recently. They speak of liberation, but it's no kind of freedom I care to be part of. We will need all of you to meet what's coming. And we will meet it. With storm and fury." Alder continued, nearing the end of her speech she quickly scanned the crowd and caught a glimpse of Tally's wide smile. "Many of you have spent your whole lives out there. You are with your own kind now. Take comfort in it. Find strength in it. A blessing on all of you, a blessing on this place, this witches place." Sarah finished her speech and moved off the stage. Catching Anacostia before she left the auditorium she told her that she wanted to put Collar with the Bellweather unit.
"I was already planning on that ma'am, her records state she's a naturally gifted fixer but tends to be a bit reckless and breaks the rules. She'll be good with Bellweather and Craven." Anacostia stated before moving off to Circe barracks to greet the new cadets before they all arrived