Months later, war came. More specifically, it’s effects finally revealed themselves. A messenger came one day, speaking of a war this country, Tarepar had been having with their neighbour, Eioihen. The two-hundred-harvest war, so long most people save the leaders had forgotten why, meaning only remained in the battles to avenge their fellows, capture enemy cities, and wring surrender from their enemy’s lips.
“Tarepar needs more loyal, able-bodied men to fight for its protection, you have been requested to send a minimum of eight men to serve in House Taheim! Failure to comply within twenty days shall be considered treason!” The man announced, before saying that all chosen were to gather at the larger village of Teasa’s Hope.
The village was quickly abuzz with talk, I learned that it hadn’t been much more than ten harvest since the last conscription, though that had been smaller. It had been a group of volunteers that responded to that call, jumped at it if what I’d heard was right. Few people were left who were capable, and among those few willing had been left.
While farmhands were not specialized enough to be a problem if they went, many were required for the upcoming harvest, and only sons could hardly be sent off to war.
The tavern was much more subdued than usual, treason in this case entailed a loss of protection, from both the enemy, and their own. It seemed highly likely to me that they would be branded as sympathisers and chased off their land, and the enemy was disinclined to be more hospitable. Many were discussing who would be sent off, looking around as they did so, some of the elders had seen war, and their faces held a quiet sadness.
Ivges talked to me about the war, “Rechav, you will be among the candidates, no?” Rechav was my alias, I believe it meant mist. I’d kept everyone’s names as they sounded in my mind, less problematic. “War,” he said contemptuously, “Fighting for spirits knows what after these harvests. Uvner may very well be chosen to die for their pointless cause.” he remarked bitterly, alcohol lubricating his mind and words.
“Isn’t he next to be merchant?” I asked, essential apprentices and professionals were exempt as I recalled.
“Hah, your words are kind, but merchants are chosen, only the most virtuous are allowed, much power is held by that post here, and Revanost is their title until they retire.” He replied, “Come, let us drink to the hope that this war ends swiftly before more see battle and tragedy.”
It was announced the next day, all who were not elderly, only sons or important apprentices were to be gathered, and straws drawn. Women were not to join, this time. I thought it odd that it was mentioned that way, until Alida began to complain about it to me.
“They used to let everyone who was able join,” She bemoaned, “My sister joined up last time, she sent back a letter last week.” The entry of females had been recent, and had ended roughly fifty harvests after its implementation. Interesting. I thought to myself. I’ll ask Raque later.
“What’s her name? What rank is she?”
“Yinea. Rank? Uhh, I think she was infantry captain, a hundred or more soldiers I think?” She replied to me, “Why?”
It was hard to decipher the terms for the army, having no experience myself to their organization, so I loosely assigned the terms. Their organization was certainly different from ours.
“Just curious.” I said. She looked at me in a strange way at that.
Raque hadn’t illuminated this situation after I’d asked him that night.
“Fifty harvests ago the city had decided on equal chances for women to participate in all professions, it passed relatively quickly, some of us even found it odd that it hadn’t been in place before. Why they retracted their action I would not know, I haven’t been anywhere near the city when it happened, and the reasons wouldn’t be disseminated to the general public, too costly.” Raque had replied, taking small sips of beer from a cup in his home.
Why had this man left the city? Nobody comes to nameless places to disappear for no reason. I don’t think I’d ever learn that though, he didn’t seem one to share his stories.
“More importantly, what will you do if you get chosen? It seems like it’d hardly be fair to you.” He asked evenly, almost conversationally.
“I’ll go.” I replied, and noticing his quizzical look I continued. “I think it wouldn’t be much good if I were to refuse, having people accept you as their own means I also have the same obligations. There would be nowhere else for me to go anyway.” I hadn’t familiarized myself with the geography of the land, and wandering around the wilds would probably be fatal.
Raque steepled his fingers, looking curiously at me. “That’s not a normal response for people here. Most would run given your position.” He locked gazes with me. “Are you certain of your choice?” At my nod he commented “Your kind seem very different from us.”
“I don’t believe my kind is very different, I suppose it’s just that I am. Then again, I might just be waiting for a better chance to run.” I said, sporting a dark grin.
[Your actions seem to imply a danger se…]
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Quiet. I snapped, Page acquiesced.
Raque held my gaze a small while longer, deeply in thought. “I believe in your honesty.” He said, and went for bed.
On the third day we gathered in the centre of the hamlet, volunteers came out first. Loran had stepped up, as did two more men, their names I didn’t remember. Loran’s family seemed slightly distraught at his choice, but composed themselves stoically through the proceedings.
Five more. I noted. The hamlet leaders and Raque assembled the straws, five short, and eight long, as that was the total number of eligible people left. Those of us eligible lined ourselves into a row, and Raque stepped forth, carrying the straws in a bag to prevent us knowing which was short or long. I was squeezed around, ending as the fifth man.
The first one hesitated as his fingers brushed the straw, he was scrawny, and his palms obviously clammy with sweat. Swallowing so hard it was audible from my end, he tentatively pulled on a straw. It came free easily, the length of my forearm, he stared at it for a moment, before turning to the leaders, who offered no insight, and to the crowd. Raque had moved on, and the next man snatched his from the bundle in a facade of nonchalance.
The two compared their straws, roughly the same length, and turned to the next person, the first nervously, and the second with barely concealed impatience. The third, Uvner, took a deep breath, and drew his straw carefully. Some luck was at hand, good or ill, for his straw was the same. The man next in line was fidgeting, picking at his clothing, his hand hovered over the straws, dipping and bobbing before he finally managed to screw up his courage. Yet again his was the same.
As my turn approached I looked at Raque, who impassively held out the straws. Seeing nothing in his face, I whipped my hand forward, and flicked my wrist, drawing a straw from the group. A gasp arose from the crowd, and I breathed a sigh of resignation, pulling it up to see. The straw was a nice golden yellow, and half the length of everyone else’s. I snorted, then sighed.
I didn’t pay much attention to the proceedings after that, simply fiddling with the straw.
So I really am going out there.
When I looked up, we were being beckoned to the leaders, I could hear the others sigh in relief at their luck, none more so than those ahead of me. The suspense must’ve near killed them. I stepped forward with the rest of those chosen, and we were recorded and told to see Ivges around dawn tomorrow.
Many of us drank that night, some in good cheer, while others sat in their little corners nursing their drinks. I leant against my chair, and sat at my usual corner and ate. Loran was beside me again, he seemed somewhat excited, though he seemed to also realize what he was getting into. He drank another cup of the bitter beer, and talked to me about the army and how it might be like.
“What about Kala? Shouldn’t you have stayed?” I asked, and he turned to me with no small amount of insistence.
“This is bigger than that.” He said, taking another drink. “If we don’t help out because there are people we’re close to, we can’t protect them at all.” He looked away from me, in the direction of Kala’s home, she had gone home early tonight, and mumbled something I didn’t catch.
I couldn’t sleep that night, I never had been a regular sleeper, I tended to run on about six hours of sleep, waking almost immediately once six hours were up, but the insomnia had rarely been as bad as it had been these few months, homesickness perhaps. I sat on one of the hills further out the hamlet, where I could more easily hear the sound of the plains.
I’d been there for maybe an hour before I heard the sound of footfalls as they pattered to a stop behind me. “Sit down,” I whispered, letting the light breeze carry my voice where they had stopped. The grass rustled, and Alida slid up from behind me, halting about a meter away. She sat there, legs folded in front of her, resting her arms on them, she wore breeches and a short-sleeved tunic, not uncommon for her.
We sat in silence a while longer before she spoke her mind. “I’ll be joining with you.” she said, simply. I said nothing, sensing she had more to say. “I trained with my sister, learning to fight, I don’t want to be pushed aside. My sister said many proved themselves capable of fighting alongside the rest of the army, I can’t sit it out when I know I can help, it doesn’t feel right.” She said, leaning forward against her knees as she spoke, staring off into the distance.
“How did you know I was here?” I asked, my gaze focused on the moon as it shifted across the sea of stars.
“You always go in this direction when you can’t sleep, I’ve seen you.” she replied. I hadn’t noticed her presence before, I made a mental note to learn more about tracking and losing tracks later, who knew when I might be pursued.
I sighed, “I can’t stop you, and I won’t, your mother has given her blessing hasn’t she?”
She nodded in reply, “As have some of the other villagers. My sister wouldn’t like it though.” She paused. There were few reasons to tell me, if at all. I suppose it’s because everyone else already knew, I’d expected it of course, she wasn’t the type to stand by if she could help in any way. That’s where we differed somewhat I suppose.
“I see, then so be it. I’ll help in keeping your secret, as I expect everyone else has promised as well.” I turned to her, and forced a tired half smile. “Get some sleep, we wake around dawn as I recall.” If she knew me to be faking, she said nothing, picking herself up and leaving in the direction of the village.
[You don’t believe she should be going?] Page questioned, puzzlement infused into its voice.
I paused. I don’t really care either way. They seem open toward gender equality, but don’t seem to care when they fall into stereotypes because they live as they wish, the roles they take are theirs, no one else’s. It's quite refr.... I realized I had sent some of the other idle thoughts floating in my head, I needed more focus, I gritted my teeth. It’s not my place to judge, and I have no wish to, I simply wish to go home.
I awoke before dawn, though you wouldn’t have noticed by the darkness of the sky. Stars helped in that regard, I’d sat down for a while watching the sky, and learning where the stars were. They didn’t seem to have a North Star, though from how certain constellations, which I’d learned from Loran and Raque, were oriented relative to each other I could make reasonable estimates of the time.
Ivges handed each of us some dried pork, bread, and a water skin. We brought our own backpacks, and weren’t expected to bring any weapons or armour, I figure enough people have died that they can just recycle them, that or we’re being used as fodder, a discomforting thought. Each of us brought our own knife, or in my case knives, as I had managed to get a wood carving knife for my spare time, courtesy of Ivges.
Raque sent me off, handing me an amulet of bone, feathers and wood, deftly tied together to form the shape of a bird. “Good luck.” he said, “May you return safely and victorious.” He turned slightly in the direction of Alida, dressed in ill-fitting male garments that obscured her figure enough. “She may need more help than she thinks.”
I really should pay more attention to that old sage.