Joshua Simon - Forgotten Soldiers

“That’s a heck of a thing she did to you,” said Ira.

Hamath shrugged again. “She waited more than five years. That’s more than I thought she would considering we were only betrothed.”

“You gonna kill the guy she married?” asked Ira.

“Xank, no.”

“A beating at least? He took your woman,” Ira pushed.

Hamath shook his head. “She always wanted kids, and she was tired of waiting. I can’t fault her for that. Lavi be cursed, I was never sure if I even wanted kids.”

“Still, I know I couldn’t let someone get away with that. I’d have to at least-”

Dekar cut his brother off in a low voice. “Let it go.”

Ira clamped his jaw shut while the rest of us stared at the dancing flames. I spared a quick glance at Dekar and saw the worry lining his face, most likely thinking of the wife waiting for him.

We were all more apt to dwell on the possibility that there wouldn’t be much good waiting for us on our return. It was one thing not to have a job, or friends. But to lose your family, your woman. .

My chest clenched for any man who had to go through that.

* * *

We set out late the next morning. Despite the desire to get home, Nehab demanded we all take a few extra hours of rest. No one argued. We had been pushing hard and it showed.

I sat at the back of the trailing wagon, legs over the side, listening to the clattering wheels as we rolled along. Staring at the beaten road, my mind wandered in a hundred directions-thinking of my stint in the army, the men I lost under my command, and what Ava was learning in Hol. I wondered what those idiot High Mages were doing with the Geneshan artifact. Maybe they had wised up and buried the thing as our enemies had said to do. That would be the day.

Most of my thoughts went back to Denu Creek. How much would it have changed in the last ten years? Would I recognize any of it? Would anyone recognize me?

The conversation from the night before got me thinking about how Lasha would greet my arrival. She wouldn’t have found someone else. I doubted that would happen even if she thought me dead. We had talked about that scenario the night before I left home. I had been adamant she find another man to marry.

“Fine, Tyrus. I’ll try. I’ll try to find someone who makes my legs weak with just the slightest of looks, who makes my heart race with the barest of whispers. I’ll try to find someone who treats me better than I have any right ever to be treated and loves his kids like no man I’ve ever met, including my own father. However, I have a feeling that no one will ever live up to the standard you’ve set. But, if it will ease that worrisome mind of yours, I promise to do my best if you don’t make it back.”

That was all a moot point. I wasn’t dead, and she knew that. Before Balak cut off communications with the outside world, he allowed all soldiers to write one more letter home stating that another letter would only come to announce our death. Until then, our family had no reason to believe we were dead.

No, what I worried about was how we’d act together after so much time apart. I knew her letters said she loved me, but saying something and acting the same way were two different things. Would the fire between us burn immediately, just as it had before? Or would it need to be rekindled, stoked over time, until it ended up greater than it had ever been? I guessed it didn’t really matter how things fell into place as long as they eventually did. And with everything I knew about my wife, I had to believe they would.

The kids though. .

The wagon rolled over a rough patch of dry road, sending dust into the air. A violent coughing attack seized me, jarring me from thoughts I probably shouldn’t have been dwelling on anyway. I reached for my canteen, took a swig, and swallowed. The water was warm, but satisfying. I blinked away the tears in my eyes from coughing and nodded at Captain Nehab as he approached.

“Captain, what are you doing back here?”

“Looking to have a word with you in private, Sergeant. You mind hopping off and walking a bit?”

“No, sir. I could probably use the time to stretch my legs out anyway.”

That wasn’t entirely true. I still had quite a bit more time on the wagon before I’d have to trade spots with someone walking. We rotated spots in order to be fair. However, since several still nursed injuries, those who had healed up took longer shifts walking than others.

We drifted to the rear of the wagons until well out of earshot.

“You know our next stopping point, Sergeant?”

“No, sir.”

“Treetown. Ever heard of it?”

“Can’t say that I have. Pretty dumb name though.”

“I’m from there.”

I winced. “Sorry, sir.”

“Don’t be. It is a dumb name. The town is very small. Named after this giant white birch growing in the town square. I always thought ‘White Birch’ or something like that would have been better.”

“Definitely an improvement.”

Nehab chuckled which made me feel better.

“This must be hard on you to be so close and not be able to stop.”

“That’s what I want to talk to you about, Sergeant. I’m not going on with everyone.”

“But sir, didn’t Balak-”

“Yes, my orders are to see that everyone gets home safely. But I can’t do it. You and I are rare. We’ve been in this thing since the very beginning. I’ve got a family waiting for me just like you. Can you honestly tell me you could pass the place you’ve thought about every day since joining the army and not stay?”

I shook my head. “Probably not.”

“Neither can I. Look, I hate to do this to you, but you’re the most senior officer left among us. You, Dekar, and Ira have the farthest to travel among everyone else. So, it only makes sense to transfer command over to you once we reach Treetown. Can you do that for me?”

I thought about it for a moment. “Sure.”

“Thank you,” said Nehab. The relief in his voice was overwhelming. “I know I don’t have to tell you this, but I’m saying it anyway. After Treetown, continue to stay away from the cities and towns you come across. I’d hate to hear you ran into trouble again.”

“I’d hate to run into it.”

“Good. Let’s catch back up to the others.”

The captain made the announcement to everyone at dinner that the next day would be his last day with us. He transferred command to me. No one objected. I wondered if anyone cared. Maybe they knew me well enough to know I’d do right by them, or maybe they didn’t have an opinion on who they took their orders from so long as someone gave them.

I laughed to myself. What was I thinking? Every soldier had an opinion on who they take orders from. I’d worry about the ones who didn’t.

* * *

Around midday we left the road, turning off onto a dirt path overrun with high grass that we all would have missed had the captain not been with us. He took point and led us into a wooded area about fifty yards off the road.

Hamath nudged me. “Are you sure about this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Us going to Treetown. Seems contradictory to what Nehab has been saying about avoiding places as a group.”

I shared Hamath’s concerns, but Nehab had a good head on his shoulders so I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Well, he said Treetown is so isolated that most people have a tendency to forget about the place. It’s a good chance they don’t share the opinion we keep running into.”

Looking around at the trees closing in on top of us, I understood the captain’s surety of his town’s remoteness.

“But if they do?”

“Well, you heard the captain last night when he was describing the place. They aren’t going to have enough people to attack a group our size even if they don’t want us there.”