TOPWL 204

Ssshhh

Late summer rain fell. Water mixed with sweat and rain ran down Yudit’s eyelids and gathered on his eyelashes. Yudit wiped his face and silently drove his horse.

“Are you all right?”

Shane asked in a low voice at his side, maybe worried about Yudit getting rained on. Yudit nodded and said.

“I’m fine. It’s more bearable than I thought. Cool, even.”

The light drizzle cooled the sweat of those exhausted from the march.

“The rain will get heavier soon. It would be better to decide on a place to stay before that.”

Noban spoke in a cautious tone. Yudit judged the time and looked at the gentle hill ahead.

“How about setting camp over there?”

“That should work. It’s high ground, so even if it rains, it won’t flood.”

“Good. Let’s start preparing camp.”

At Yudit’s words, everyone began to move in order. Just as Noban had said, by the time they set up their camp, the rain was already pouring harder.

“Good thing we followed Noban’s advice.”

Yudit stretched his hand out of the tent to check the rainfall and spoke. Noban scratched his nape, looking shy.

“That’s what old veterans are here for.”

“For someone like you, Noban, this is the prime of your years. Thanks to you, I’m learning a lot.”

Shane was coming from afar with food. He carried Noban’s share as well. Since it was the first day, the meal was plentiful. There was soup made by boiling jerky and vegetables, large rye bread, and even warmed brandy.

“The meal is more plentiful than I expected.”

“It’s summer. In the forest, there are plenty of edible greens. We won’t have trouble with supplies for a while.”

“That’s fortunate.”

After finishing the meal and drinking the brandy, he felt heat rise inside him like his insides were burning, and his body temperature shot up. Yudit coughed, and Shane brought him water. Yudit rubbed his flushed cheeks and tilted his head.

“Come to think of it, isn’t it a meeting soon, is it all right to drink?”

“At this level, it’s just water. The amount wasn’t much either. It’s a special treat given because of the rain, so it’s better to drink while it’s offered. Sometimes the cooks have more power than the commanders.”

Noban whispered as if he was sharing a secret. Yudit shut his eyes and finished the brandy. But before long, he felt nauseated. Yudit rushed into the bushes and vomited out the brandy he had just drunk. Shane patted his back as he coughed.

“Are you all right?”

“Mm, I’m fine. Thanks.”

“It would be better if you didn’t drink alcohol from now on.”

“That seems right.”

He hadn’t been this weak to alcohol before. Yudit covered the vomit with dirt, looking glum. Maybe a faint intoxication remained, because his vision swayed. As he shook his head and looked around, he suddenly saw a familiar face. But when he focused his eyes, there was no one there.

“What is it?”

“Mm, nothing. Let’s go back.”

Thinking he must have seen things from fatigue, Yudit returned. Noban was waiting, looking anxious.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have urged you…. Are you all right?”

“Yeah, since I threw it up early, my stomach feels fine. A bit wasteful though…. We need to head to the meeting tent now, right?”

“You should rest a little more. You don’t look well.”

“This much is fine. Let’s go.”

The meeting hall was in the central tent. Most of the people were already waiting. The knight commander of the ducal house, the knight commander of Devlin, and centurions like Darion and Markel.

The meeting tent, for something improvised, was quite cozy. There was a brazier spitting out flames, and thick bundles of parchment stacked on the long table. Since it was a place for higher officers, they had clearly put effort into it. Yudit walked to the top seat and sat down. As everyone looked at him, he opened his mouth.

“Let’s begin the meeting.”

***

The meeting continued until dawn. Yudit dragged his body, heavy like waterlogged cotton, out of the tent. Just as he was about to let himself sink into the thickened rain, a shadow covered him.

“You will catch a cold if you go in the rain.”

Shane opened an umbrella and held it over Yudit. The waterproof cloth umbrella was large enough for two people to use. Yudit fiddled with the umbrella and asked.

“When did you bring this?”

“Lady Selena gave it to me. She said not to let His Highness get rained on.”

“Ah….”

The days he had spent with Selena suddenly came back to him. Was she doing well? In a recent letter she had written that she had begun learning martial arts. She said she had unexpected talent for fighting and self-defense. She had also written that she wanted to go with him to the next battlefield. It seemed she was doing well with Yvonne too. Reading such peaceful letters calmed his mind, so he kept them in his pocket and read them often.

Now that he thought of it, did Shane ever try romance? Yudit suddenly became curious. Maybe he even had a lover. What kind of person would that be? Since Shane was quiet, Yudit thought maybe someone talkative and bright would suit him.

“Shane, don’t you date?”

At Yudit’s question, Shane’s hand slipped and the umbrella tilted to the side. His shoulder became completely soaked.

“I don’t.”

“Have you ever tried?”

Shane furrowed his brows as if searching his memory from long ago, then finally gave one answer.

“I once walked in a garden with my fiancée.”

Could that even be called dating? Yudit tilted his head.

“Anything else?”

“My fiancée died of the flu that autumn, so I never tried anything else.”

“…Sorry.”

“It’s fine. It was a long time ago.”

Feeling he had brought up something he shouldn’t have, Yudit decided to close his mouth. In the silence, the sound of rain slipped in. So that was it. Did he never date again because he couldn’t forget his fiancée? He shouldn’t ask more about it…. Yudit’s eyes softened. Shane seemed to notice and said.

“I don’t have any special memories. My fiancée and I never exchanged a single word.”

“Didn’t you say you walked in the garden?”

“We walked, but we never talked.”

“……”

So that was why Shane couldn’t date… No, he shouldn’t think that. Meanwhile, their lodgings came into view, the four-man tent where Yudit and his guards stayed.

“Then you never had anyone you liked?”

“…….”

“Should I not ask things like this?”

He had asked to lighten the mood because it felt too heavy, but it seemed to have gotten heavier. As Yudit grew sullen, Shane suddenly spoke.

“There is. Someone I like.”

Yudit’s eyes went wide at Shane’s words.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“That’s a secret.”

As he said that, Shane smiled faintly. Shane, who was always stiff, actually smiled. Yudit opened his mouth wide in shock. At the tent entrance, Shane held the cloth open so Yudit could enter easily. Even inside, Yudit followed him around and asked.

“Can’t you tell me?”

“No.”

Shane cut it off firmly and handed Yudit a towel.

“Your shoulder is wet. You should wipe it and sleep so you don’t catch a cold.”

“…You mean your own shoulder, right?”

Yudit’s shoulder had only a few drops on it, but one of Shane’s shoulders was drenched. The umbrella was big enough for two, so why had he gotten this wet?

“This much is fine.”

“No. You wipe too before you sleep.”

Bagon and Darius, who had been following behind at a distance, also came inside. When Yudit met his eyes, Bagon gave an awkward smile and looked away. Bagon had been acting distant with Yudit for some time, ever since the day they were ambushed on the way to Devlin. He must have thought he had put Yudit in danger. But it wasn’t as if he was shirking his guard duty, so Yudit just left it alone. He thought time would solve it.

After wiping his shoulder and washing up, Yudit lay down on the bed to sleep. His body was heavy beyond measure, but maybe because of the excitement before war, sleep did not come easily.

Yudit recalled the topics from today’s meeting. Based on the map drawn by the scout who had gone to Breda Castle, many strategy meetings had been held. Each person proposed one plan, and they decided by majority vote. One of Yudit’s opinions had been chosen. It was to hurl stones with a catapult to distract them, and during that moment, men disguised with grass and trees would approach the wall and climb it. He thought it would be good if everything went according to plan, and he adjusted into a comfortable posture to sleep. From afar, he thought he heard the call of a wood pigeon.

He had just dozed off when someone shook him urgently.

“It’s an enemy ambush!”