9.Onward

Scorpi sighed.She hated when this happened..All the trouble she had gotten into to plan a surprise for Leo and now,it was all going to waste..

Damn the General..why couldn’t he just take care of himself?

Leo was in the ammunition tent,getting things ready and shouting orders to the One Army.

Whoever had abducted the General was not going to be spared.

Scorpi shuddered remembering the fate of the man who had dared to sneak into their tents and steal their food.The One Army didn’t forgive.He had been dismembered and thrown to the wolves.The look of sheer horror on his face was something she was sure she would never forget.

Members of the army were filing out into the clearing now in full battle gear.

Bradier was talking now.”We have been hated,looked down at and condemned in every possible way.Though skilled we all are in our respective trades,whether it be looting,forgery,disguise,arson or murder,we never stood a chance out there on our own for too long.It was the General who assembled this army.It was he who brought us together and made us a family.The General gave us new life.For more than half of us,the General is the one who got there on the nick of time,saving us from the midst of public trials, possible hangings and beheadings.The One Army owes everything to the man who gave his everything to us.Today men,we unite against a common enemy..We know very less about him..about his strengths or for that matter,his weaknesses.But we will not let any of that affect us.The General shall be found and the enemy shall regret his doing.To the General.And Victory.”

Bradier raised his sword and the rest of the One Army followed suit.A hundred swords caught the sunlight and gleamed bright.

Scorpi ran up to where Leo was. “Leo,please..I want to help fight the enemy too.You know how good I am with a knife.”

“Dear,it is not because I doubt your skills that I want you to stay behind.I want you to be here,guarding our tents.We wouldn’t want to return and find them all burnt down or something..”

“You know Leo,you haven’t gotten any better at making lame excuses to get things go the way you want them to be..One would think that an year was gonna change that.I’ll stay..but you have to promise me something.”

Leo looked at his wife,wondering what was going on in her mind.

“Tell me Scor,what do you want me to promise?”

“Look into my eyes Leo,and tell me that you will be safely back tomorrow..Promise me that you will find the enemy by nightfall today and bring back your father”

“Scorpi..you know how this works..things don’t always go the way we hope..A promise is..”

“Is it too much to ask for Leo?Is wanting to see you again too much to wish for?”

There was a kind of fire in Scorpi’s eyes..there was determination and beneath it,something more.Which one among fear,uncertainity and love had brought the faint trace of a tear in her eyes?The one that she was desperately trying to hide?

“I’ll be waiting,Leo.Come back soon.Find your father.Do what you have to do.”

                             ***

Three miles away,in a rocky cave of sorts,the General stretched.He chuckled thinking of the reversal of roles.The man who had previously been his captor now lay at his feet,bound by the very same ropes which had bound him merely hours ago.The fellow had put up a good fight.The General had been half tempted to ask him to join the One Army.But then he decided against it.

It was nearing midday and all the General had had nothing to eat.He glanced at his captive..at the scar on his face.He was young..but looked much older.The face of a man who had seen much in life.

The General’s stomach growled and he looked at it disapprovingly. Ambling out of the cave,he took a deep breath and looked around.Feeling a sharp pain on his leg,he looked at it.Only to find a leech which had latched on to his flesh,sucking away.Cringing with disgust,he prodded at with a twig.However,the creature hung on refusing to let go until a long while later when it was full.

I need to eat,the General thought.He was feeling very tired.Looking around,he saw a fruit on a tree and began to climb up.Halfway up,he saw that the fruit was rotten and had maggots crawling in and out.

Damn you creatures,he swore.Well,they would have to pay now..

The General kept climbing up.

                               ***