“Why the secrecy?”

“They...” she pointed at the barracks, “don’t know.”

“Oh.” I snorted. “They don’t?”

“No ... and don’t you be telling ‘em.” “Scoot.”

I scooted.

I have unnatural hearing. Lodging in a dark dungeon for more years than I care to ... or can ... remember heightens the senses one has.

I can hear.

Really well.

So ... the scurry and shushes at the barracks featured in the annals of childhood memory ... and the whispers ... and the twitch of the blackout curtain.

“He’s coming!”

“Get in bed ... cover up.”

“Jannie ... your own bed.”

“Aw.”

“Go ... and be quiet.”

She tripped. Jannie is ... to be kind ... clumsy. Disaster is more like it.

Her awkwardness is one of the reasons ... ok ok ok ... the ONLY reason she is in the last bed. It takes her longer to use the necessary, last one out shuts the door. She disrupts formation. We make sure she’s late.

I opened the door. Such angels all asleep. Lumpy ... but asleep. My footsteps and click of the latch.

I just waited.

“Is he gone?”

“No!, I’m not.”

Several giggles.

The girl closest to the door said, “Well get in bed ... there’s a raid tonight ... and we don’t know.”

“How long have you not known?”

“Three days.”

“And.”

“The armorer replaces our swords with the weighted wood swords.”

“And?”

“Nobody gets killed. Bruised maybe ... but not dead.”

“You take this seriously?”

“You damn betcha.”

“Good.”

About the battle ... bruised is a kindness ... weighted swords hurt. I got the shit pounded outta me ... from behind.

The leaders visited... “That’s why leaders lead from behind.”

They left.

“Fuck!”

“Yes ... as soon as you heal.”

“What made you decide?”

“You’re on our side and didn’t peach on us.”

“All of you?”

“One at a time.”

Jannie didn’t fare well in the night. She was ... again ... in the last bed. She said...”Aw ... all of us at once sounds like home.”