Northern_Lights_2014

trying not to listen in. I wasn’t the highest ranking thus I was not allowed to know the commands until I was told them by Kaine, who was nodding in acknowledgement. Soon the two left and everyone raced toward the small body in the middle of the floor. “Tsar said that he won but barely. He’s been injured pretty bad and that he won’t fight fer a while. Master Prog is good nough to let him rest til he’s good nough to fight again. But we gotta get him all fixed up like. ‘Parently he tangled with the other young’un for a while before they gained the ‘vantage and nearly killed ‘im. But lil Tor got hold of his dagger and stuck it in the young’un from cell J.” “I wonder when this will end Kaine. We’ve been doin’ this for years with only slavery to sight or death. They’s just young’uns and if they don’t die in battle or the wounds, they die from sickness from these damned cells. You remember how many of our year mates we lost just to the cough. It just started slow before they was gone.” “Aryn we just keep fightin, don’t worry ‘bout what happens less it affects you. Keep your chin down, eyes forward, and ears open,” she said as she ordered the others to use the water bucket to wash Tor down and bandage him. “I think this is the most I ever heard you speak Kaine.” I could only smirk knowing that if she was fine with everything as it was at the moment then I was too. But I knew both of us wanted out of here as soon as we could. We wanted our freedom back. “Yeah well . . . shut up.” Kaine walked over to her spot in the corner of the room and sat back down, one leg straight out the other bent with her arm resting on the knee. Her head bowed once more as she relaxed before her fight in the morning. “Rest. You and I have a busy day tomorrow.” Laying down, head cradled on my arm, I stared at this battle hardened woman next to me and smirked. “G’night Kaine.” “G’night Aryn.” Turning my head up at the ceiling I couldn’t help but smile even though dirt flittered through the air, giving everyone a fine new coat. A new beginning. A new hope. A better future might come to those who fight for it. Back to Contents 24