Read The Boy in the Field Online
Authors: Jo Oram
“Hey.” He turned around, rocking the baby in his arms. “What’s
the matter?”
“It’s not fair.” You shook your head. “You would make such a
brilliant father and yet Noah doesn’t get to have one.”
Ethan smiled. “I’ll always look after him,
hani
. As if
he were my own.”
“You’ll never have your own if you keep spending so much time
with us. And you deserve your own family.”
“Maybe I’m happy with the family I’ve got.” He laid the baby
back in the crib and put his arm around your shoulder. “My brother wasn’t the
only one who loved you, you know.”
You looked up, your heart contracting so tight that you thought
it might never start beating again. “What do you mean?”
“Why do think I wanted you to run with me?” He held you
tighter. “I just wanted to keep you safe.”
“Ethan, I think I’m in love with you.”
“Well I
know
I’m in love with you. I always have been,
masuki
.”
* * *
The news reports said that the Taatar army was pushing further
across Kinel, their numbers growing with each town and village they conquered.
To the north, the Serloran Empire was on edge, fearing that before long, their
own borders would be under threat. Noah was six months old when Ethan was sent
to fight and you couldn’t help but worry, fearing that you would lose him too.
Every day until he returned, you read the newssheets and search
for stories from the military, hoping for a story of unbreakable peace, but
satisfied with every sentence that told you Ethan would come home. You hated
the reports of missing soldiers and unidentified corpses. Any man without a
name could be your man.
The media did nothing to alleviate your fears. When the
Serlorans sent their own soldiers into the country to help, you should have
been pleased, but the newssheets reported it as a covert invasion. Mr Devis
joined protests against them. He was one of many killed in a confrontation with
their forces, sparked by a single civilian lashing out at one of their elite.
Mrs Devis died soon after, not strong enough to cope with the grief and then,
once more, you were alone.
The loss of life caused outrage amongst the people of Kinel.
King Sadin demanded that they withdraw. When they refused, he declared war. It
was a war that no one could win. Wherever there were Taatars, the Kinns and
Serlorans worked together. Wherever there were none, they fought one another.
It continued for years, Ethan continually sent away, never home for longer than
two weeks.
He was home for Noah’s second birthday, although you weren’t
expecting him. You just came home from the market one day to find him on one
knee in your kitchen, the tables covered in flowers and a silver ring in his hand.
“
Masuki
,” he said, smiling. “I want to look after you
properly. And I don’t want people to look at you like one of those pregnant
girls that got ostracised from society. Will you marry me?”
You put your hand to your mouth. “Yes!” You threw yourself down
beside him. “Ethan, yes.”
He kissed you, wrapping his arms around you and refusing to let
go. “You have no idea how happy that makes me,” he murmured, his voice
wavering.
“I think I do,” you replied. You pulled back so he could slide
the ring onto your finger.
* * *
Your wedding was quiet. Your new life had earned you a few
friendships, but most of the guests were Ethan’s colleagues. It was the
ceremony you had always dreamed of; a dress that made the most of your figure,
your son scattering petals on the ground behind you and the man of your dreams
at your side. Ethan had hired a violinist to play your favourite songs and when
he danced with you, you could tell he had been practising.
You knew the honeymoon period would be short; less than a week
after the wedding, Ethan was due to go back to fight. You knew nothing you
could say would make him stay and instead, you concentrated all of your energy
on little Noah, teaching him to walk and talk and playing games with him. Every
day, you both sent letters to Ethan, you telling him about the progress Noah
was making and Noah putting his fingers into the bottle of ink and drawing
chunky figures onto his own piece of paper. He stopped shortly before Noah’s
third birthday. A few days later, you found out why.
PEACE BROKEN BY TRAITOR CAPTAIN
In the late hours of yesterday evening, peace was to be
signed with the Serloran Empire at the Kinta Council Chambers. Within minutes
of the King entering the room, a rogue Kinel captain stormed the room,
identified as Captain Ethan Wicker by members of the council. The King was
fatally wounded before the traitor could be subdued. Wicker is being held in
Serloran custody until he can be sentenced…
Your shaky fingers turned the pages as you looked for the full
story, convinced there was a mistake. Tears filled your eyes, blurring the page
and causing the ink to smudge as they fell onto the sheet. You shook your head.
He couldn’t have done something like that, could he?
“Okay.” You sat down. “Let’s talk.”
Noah sat and looked around the room. “How much do you think
I’ll find here tying you to the Liberationists?”
You shrugged. “I suppose that depends on you.”
“You abandoned me to fight the Taatars alone. Why?”
“I was scared. I warned you that we had seen them. We told you
we wanted to run.”
He nodded. “So it’s my fault?”
“No. I didn’t say that.” You shook your head. “How did you
survive?”
“I got lucky.” He smiled. “One time when I was coming back from
yours, there was this girl by the therin. She looked distressed, so I helped
her. Turns out, she was a Taatar’s bride. She remembered me and let me escape.
I went back for you and only found mother. We ran anyway. Broke her heart
leaving without Ethan. She died before we got to safety. I didn’t even get a
chance to bury her. I just left her on the side of a road. She deserved better
but I had to keep running.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. Sorry changes nothing. It doesn’t stop what
happened. It doesn’t bring her back. Sorry doesn’t stop me wanting to kill you
both for what you did!”
You slid off the chair and knelt in front of him. “So do it. We
both know how this is going to end, Noah—”
He raised his hand. “Actually, I’d prefer it if you’d call me
Magister Vapasi.”
“Okay.” You shrugged. “We both know how this is going to end,
Magister Vapasi,
Your Honour
. Either you’ll arrest me and I’ll be
executed or we’ll fight and you’ll kill me. And I dare say you’ll do the same
to Ethan when you find him.” You lifted your chin. “You want my blood? Have
it.”
“Is that all the fight you’ve got?”
“No.” You took the discarded knife from the floor and grabbed
his hand. “But this isn’t about fighting a war. This is personal. This is about
nothing more than you being alone and me abandoning you. That’s why you want my
blood. I’m not going to force you. This is on you.” You pushed the handle into
his fingers and put the blade to your throat. “Go on. I’m sure your mother
would be proud.”
“If you’re the best your country has to offer, it deserves to
be crushed.”
“Do it!”
Noah hesitated, pulling away from you. He threw the knife at
the wall with a shout, the blade shattering as it struck the brickwork.
“What’s the matter, Noah?”
He spun on the spot and launched himself at you, the leather
palm of his glove warm against your throat and his weight knocking you to the
floor. You felt your heart rate race but fought to keep your breathing steady.
He stared down at you, teeth bared, his knees on either side of your hips.
“We both know how this is going to end, Noah—”
He raised his hand. “Actually, I’d prefer it if you’d call me
Magister Vapasi.”
“Okay.” You shrugged. “We both know how this is going to end,
Magister Vapasi,
Your Honour
. We are enemies and either you are going to
arrest me or I am going to run.” You moved across the room, looking for another
weapon. “If you try to arrest me, I am going to fight you and if I try to run,
you are going to try to arrest me. Am I right so far?”
“Yes.”
You took a few more steps, stopping in front of a cupboard.
There was a sword inside it, but opening it unnoticed was impossible.
“We’re gonna end up fighting. Let’s just fight.”
“If you start a fight, I will ask you to stop. If you don’t
stop, I will kill you. Do you understand?”
“I’d rather die fighting than surrender to a traitor.”
“As you wish.” He pulled on his helmet and stared at you,
unmoving.
You opened the door of the cupboard and took out the sword.
Noah didn’t move as you came towards him. He didn’t even draw his weapon. You
moved closer still and levelled your weapon at his chest. The tip of your blade
was an inch from his armour when he moved, knocking your sword aside and
keeping his trained on you.
“It is unlawful to engage a magister. Desist.”
“Not today.”
You swung your blade at him again. He hit you harder the second
time, knocking the weapon from your grip and forcing you back against the wall.
He stopped with his blade pushed against your stomach.
“How did you really think this was going to end?” He lifted his
visor. “You were pathetic when you ran and you are pathetic now. If you’re
really the best this country has to offer, it deserves to fall.”
You smiled. “I thought you were supposed to kill me.”
“I thought you were supposed to fight me.” He put his hand on
your shoulder. “We already caught Ethan and the others. It would be a shame for
them to die without you.”
* * *
The Serlorans were mercifully quick with their executions.
Their hangman was competent and they didn’t enjoy feeding prisoners while they
were awaiting their fate, instead scheduling the hangings as soon after
sentencing as possible – in your case, the very next day.
There was a small crowd in the hanging square that morning,
mostly curious passers-by. Ethan took your hand as they read the charges. You
didn’t feel a thing.
The End
(Back to start)
“No!”
You blocked his path and forced him outside, the scuffle
drawing a little interest from the other patrons. He scowled and pushed you as
you got into the street.
“He’s right there!”
“I know. But this is a great opportunity for us Noah. We know
his name. We can pass that information on to our superiors and they’ll know
what to do with the lead. He’s one of them.”
Noah gritted his teeth and shook his head. “We know more than
just his name.”
“So we use this information to bring down the Taatars
and
the
Liberation.” You put your hand on his shoulder and steered him towards the
building in which you were stationed. “If we confronted him in there, all hell
would have rained down on us and we’d have nothing to show for it, if we even
made it out alive.”
“We’d have his head.”
You shrugged. “Maybe. But what if he’s not working with them
out of choice? What if he was forced?”
“Have you ever tried to force Ethan to do something?” Noah
shook his head. “No. He chose that job. He’s the enemy now.”
Noah was smiling by the time you reached his room. He shrugged
off his cloak and jacket and took out a piece of paper. “I know exactly how we
can bring him down. All we need to do is figure out who he is close to in the
city. If he’s got a family. Who his most powerful friend is. Who he answers
to.”
You sat beside him and ran your eyes over the list he was
making. “Noah…”
“He deserves this. He saw what they did to our home. He’s
helping them destroy other people’s lives!”
“Wait outside. I’ll draw him out. It’ll be easier to talk if
he’s not surrounded by his friends.”
“You’ve got two minutes or I’m coming back in.”
Noah walked away, pushing through the crowd to leave the
tavern. You turned towards the group at the back where Ethan was laughing
amongst his colleagues. Bending close to his ear, you put a hand on his
shoulder.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
“Not today, sweet—
masuki
?” His smirk faded as he faced
you before widening into a grin. “I thought you were dead!”
You laughed and shook your head. “I thought you were too.
Imagine my surprise when I saw you here.”
“I don’t need to imagine.” He put down his glass and put his
arms around you, amidst much cheering from his friends. “You look great. Why
are you here? How did you escape?” He shook his head and looked back to his
group. “I’ll have to catch up with you lot later.” He drained the last of his
drink and turned towards you. “We’ll talk outside.”
You followed him. No sooner were you through the door than Noah
lunged at him, knocking Ethan to the ground. Ethan fought back, trying to
defend himself, but momentarily stunned by the face of his brother, allowing
Noah to strike him in the jaw.
Choice:
104. Break up the Fight
or
105. Defend
Ethan
or
106. Defend Noah
“Noah,” you whispered, crawling into the tent beside him. “We
have to go.” You set down your bag.
“Hmm?” He opened his eyes and blinked. “New orders?”
You shook your head. “Instincts. If we don’t go now, we’ll be
killed.”
He rubbed his face and yawned. “Sorry?”
“Noah! We have to go. Please come with me.”
Noah pulled on his trousers and boots. “Where are we going to
go? Have you thought about that?”
You shook your head. “We just need to go.”
Ten minutes later, you and Noah were running across the plains.
You could hear the camp lookout shouting at you, but nothing was going to make
you turn back now.
* * *
You read about the massacre of the rest of your troop a month
or so later when some of their bodies were finally discovered by a travelling
merchant. Your names were listed amongst the missing, presumed captured. Noah
smiled.
“Are you ever going to stop saving my life,
parahi
?”
You shook your head. “Not as long as I’m still breathing.”
The End
(Back to start)