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Chapter 4
THUCK!
Zeref felt a smack against the back of his head. "No dozing off, Dragneel. You're on duty!" A soldier said.
Annoyed, Zeref looked up at the man. Just because this was his first war, did not have anything to do with teasing him. Besides, to his opinion, he hadn't been dozing off.
He had just been thinking about...other things.
"Leave the boy!" Another mercenary yelled from behind. "He's probably with his mind with the girl he spent the night with," the man snickered.
They were marching through the abandoned stretched-out landscapes and mountain-paths. Surely the terrain wasn't easy but it was one of the few ways to reach the country's border. They wouldn't reach it within 4 days and the marching was to say the least, boring.
So naturally the men sought a way for spending their time and relief from boredom. Sadly enough, that meant teasing each-other. Or better said, teasing the youngest, and supposedly the weakest between them: assuming Zeref.
He knew he could match up to any of these guys in terms of strength or technique, but he missed the experience from years.
So he was the one the men loved to tease.
"And, man. How was she then?" the man from before asked him with a wink.
Zeref rolled his eyes, 'There they go again. Making the wrong assumptions again,' he thought exasperated
"Very good, must have kept him busy all night," the mercenary from the back called. Around him, they roared from laughing.
The man at Zeref's side poked in Zeref's ribs. It didn't hurt, that was never the intention, but Zeref turned his eyes annoyed at him. "But seriously, was she that good to keep even you busy all night? You were gone early, kiddo," he said, implying on Zeref's stamina.
Zeref shrugged, "If her name's sleep, then yeah, she was very good. Kept me busy," he said nonchalantly.
The other men stared at him, each and every one, with their mouths dropped to the floor. "You last free night, and you spent it sleeping? Do you even call yourself a man?" one asked incredulously.
Zeref smirked, "It's good for you. You should try it yourself one day," he said, hinting on the black circles each of them carried under their eyes.
They slapped their hands against their heads as Zeref kept marching with a straight face. "We definitely need to get him a whore once we have a free night," they murmured.
An older man laughed, "But he got you there," he sniggered. The others retreated from annoying and bothering Zeref after that, boasting about their own girls of that night.
Zeref liked it this way the best. He didn't join the army because of chit-chat.
The thing that had in fact haunted him in his head, came bothering him once again. He was wondering if the princess had been alright when he left. Surely enough, she had trouble with those stuck-up landlords.
He sighed, he found it suddenly stupid of himself he had made the promise, by saying that he would stay alive to see her again.
Mentally he scolded himself over and over: 'Stupid, she's a princess and you are a lowly soldier,' he thought, mentally beating himself. Now he thought about it, it had surely been a once-in-a-lifetime thing to meet the real princess and he had even been lucky enough to be able to talk to her for a second time.
Only a fool would wish for a third time.
The problem was not staying alive, to be able to tell her he had not died was the real problem. And he didn't want her to cry as well, he had seen too many women cry already.
"Zeref, what's bothering you?" the other man next to him asked. Zeref looked up at him. The man was in his late fifties and was one of the only people in this army Zeref could get along with.
"It's nothing, Rob," he replied.
Rob laughed, "You've been sighing all the way. That's not like you so if it's nothing I'll eat my hat," he said. Then suddenly he looked doubtfully, "It'd better be something. I doubt the metal would taste wonderful, let alone being able to digest it," Roran said, glancing up to his metal cap.
Zeref grinned, "Scary, how you can see through people," he said.
Rob only shrugged at this. Zeref sighed again, "Well, what would you do if you had made a promise to someone, of which you're almost sure you are unable to fulfill?" he asked.
Rob tapped his chin, "You certainly have a problem on your hands then," he said. The he shrugged: "Well, I'd try to fulfill it even so, just because I promised it. And if there really wasn't a way, I'd hope she would understand."
Zeref glared at the man: "How did you know it was a she?" he asked.
Rob laughed, "If it wasn't, you wouldn't have bothered making such a pointless promise."
Zeref frowned and directed his eyes on the road before them, "It really is a pointless promise then huh?" he said softly.
Rob glanced at Zeref, "What did you promise then for making such a big deal out of it?" he asked.
"I promised to stay alive and come back," he answered bitterly.
Rob laughed hard and long, and Zeref looked up at him annoyed, "it's not funny you know," he said angrily.
Rob's laughter died, "It very much is, Zeref. What it stopping you from fulfilling that promise?" he asked.
Zeref kept silent, searching for the right words. "She is sort of a nobleman's daughter, and for one thing, I'm only a soldier," he said. He avoided saying he meant the princess.
Rob chuckled, "Let's start with staying alive," he said.
After two days of marching through the ragged land, the officers thought it was a wise idea to take a few day's rest. Naturally the men on foot thought it was an incredible idea. The groans of pain and mutterings about blisters were heard all over the place.
"No slacking off!" Gar yelled. Zeref rolled his eyes, the said man had been riding his horse all the time.
Groaning the men started setting up camp. They had heard thy would be there for about three nights and then leave at first down.
"Zeref was your name, isn't it?" Zeref suddenly heard next to him, when he was pulling a rope of a particuarly large tent. Surprised he found a boy about his age, or a little older. He though that everybody called young around here was exept for him, in about his late twenties.
'Yeah, why?" he responded.
The boy stuck out it his hand, "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Natsu," he said.
Zeref shook his hand, "Why are you here, from the looks of it, you aren't a mercenary?" Zeref asked.
Natsu shrugged, "I'm here because someone needs to watch the horses and devide them," he said.
Zeref raised his brow, "You're a stable-boy?" he said.
Natsu grinned, "Yep!". He helped Zeref with setting up the tent. "Did you know the king and his men will be coming tomorrow?" he asked.
Zeref shook his head, "No I didn't, why so?" he asked.
Natsu shrugged, "Inspection or something as ridiculous as that." He pulled a face, "Well, it has been fun talking to you. I got to go take care of the horses, preferably before one of the others messes up," he said.
Zeref nodded and the boy skipped off. He shook his head, 'Weird boy,' he thought and continued settinng up.
"But I want to go with you," Mavis whined.
Makarov crossed his arms, "No, and that's my final decision".
Mavis pouted, "But I really want to see the army. Why can't I go with you and Romeo can?" she asked.
Makarov sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Because you are a young lady and Romeo needs to know how to organise and that way use an army," he said.
Mavis turned around, "but I just want to go. Lift the spirits and such," she said stubbornly.
Makarov slammed his fist on the table, "And that's what I'm afraid of. It's a no, Mavis and that's it," he said dangerously low.
Mavis stormed out of the room, "Only because I'm a girl," she muttered. But then she got a wonderful idea and ran to the mess hall. Now that the soldiers were gone, it was a huge empty space. There by the fire, she found Lucy, how strange it may seem, stitching some clothes.
"Lucy! There you are!" she yelled.
Lucy looked up disturbed. "Sheesh, Mavis, do you have to need to be that loud?" she complained.
Mavis grabbed a chair quickly and ushered the other servants away, who had been trying to pick something up. "You've got to listen to this," she said hastily. In a few words she had explained her plan. Lucy seemed resistant at first.
"I could get badly punished for this," she said, but Mavis waved it away.
"Then I take the blame and say it was an order from me."
Lucy rubbed her head, "You know where to find all that stuff?" she asked.
Mavis cracked a smile, "You'll it? Thanks Lucy. Yeah, I know where to find everything."
"Everybody in line for the king!" was called over the camp. The soldiers hurried to their places and they formed a line. With great dignity, the king passed on his horse to the captain's tent. There he got off. "Please be ready to leave the army by noon tomorrow," he said before entering the tent with Romeo. The other riders of his following headed each to the places with their friends.
"And what now?" Lucy whispered nervously.
Mavis shrugged, "I don't know really," she said. Lucy was about to scold her when something else got her attention.
"Lucy? Is that you?" Natsu whispered.
"Eh...no..." she suddenly realized she had forgotten to lower her voice.
Natsu grinned densely, "Yo! It is you," he said softly, careful not to be heard.
Lucy rolled her eyes and got off her horse, "How'd you know it was me," she hissed. "I'm dressed up as a normal escort of the king."
Natsu shrugged, "The way you sat on your horse," he said.
Lucy narrowed her eyes, "Is there something wrong with how I sit on my horse?" she asked dangerously.
Natsu seemed to ponder about that for a while but then he grinned cheekily, "No, not at all, you just ride like a girl that's all," he said.
Mavis drove her horse a few steps away from Lucy, as the girl seemed to explode, "How...!" She started but Natsu laughed.
"I never said it was a bad thing," he said.
Lucy calmed down. Mavis was shocked, 'unbelieveble, how fast that girl can change moods,' she thought.
Then Natsu jumped up, "Hey Lu, why don't you come with me to Happy, I'm sure he would be thrilled to see you," he said enthausiastic.
Lucy turned to Mavis, "Can I go?" she asked.
Natsu rose a brow, "You broke the rules and you took the princess with you?" he asked.
Lucy looked back at Natsu, annoyed.
"Ah, sorry, this was my idea actually. It's fine Lucy, you just go," Mavis smiled as she came off her horse as well.
Lucy smiled gratefull before she was pulled away by the blackhaired boy. "Did you know that Happy has a new friend? The horse Skiadrum..." he chattered cheerfully as Mavis saw them disappear.
Mavis sighed, she had said it was okay but now that she was alone, it suddenly was a big camp. She was glad the royal riders wore helmet so people didn't keep staring at her for long. But then her preppy mood reappeared as she remembered her reason for being here. Her freedom.
'Let's go see the stuff around here.' She thought.
Author's Note: ^_^
