He pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing.
As High General of the Army of Idumea, I must inform you, Captain Perrin Shin, that your behavior in deliberately entering the forest a second time three moons ago—although for noble and commendable reasons—violated the firm admonitions sent to you by General Cush. I hereby officially reprimand you with a strict warning to never reveal your activities that night to anyone else. Not even to your mother. This is not a matter to be celebrated or boasted about, but one to feel great shame and embarrassment, as you undoubtedly do, thus prompting your most remorseful, albeit delayed, confession to me . . .
The High General chuckled the entire time.
---
Captain Shin stared the formal-looking message from Idumea two days later. He held it at arm’s length as if waiting for it to bite.
“It’s his handwriting, isn’t it?” Sergeant Major Grandpy Neeks said, stopping in the process of opening another message.
Lieutenant Karna looked up from the latest announcement he was scanning to look at his commander.
“Yep,” was all that Shin said as he slowly unfolded the parchment.
Karna and Neeks exchanged worried looks as Captain Shin started to read the High General Shin’s response to the report—the real report—of what happened in the forest a season ago.
The men held their collective breath as the captain read, his eyes revealing no emotion until he got to the end. That’s when he finally blinked and folded the letter again.
“Well?!” Neeks nearly burst out.
Shin swallowed. “My father is very disappointed in me. I’ve been reprimanded. I should never brag about that night, nor reveal to anyone else what I did, so that no other commanders or soldiers feel the need to replicate my deplorable actions. He’s so disappointed in me that he won’t even reveal the enormity of my ‘success’ to General Cush or Chairman Mal. Or even my mother. I am officially on notice.”
Neeks scowled. “Notice? Never heard of an officer on ‘notice.’ What does that mean?”
Shin smiled. “Absolutely nothing at all.”
Then he started to chuckle.
---
Two weeks later in the evening of the 89th Day of Planting Season, in the forests outside the small village of Edge, several men stood in a thick stand of trees. All but one of them was dressed in concealing clothing, allowing them to blend into the woods. The one who didn’t was younger than the others, and wore clothing like the villagers.
They had been watching the erratic patrols all evening, trying to predict the pattern. One patrol went by, followed by another. Then another.
Realizing it would be impossible to choose a perfect moment, the young man suddenly nodded once, then darted across the dark, barren field unnoticed.
Tomorrow, the fort at Edge would receive a new recruit.
---
On the 90th and almost last day of Planting Season, Captain Shin jogged up the stairs of the command tower in the late afternoon.
Lieutenant Karna looked at him expectantly.
The captain shook his head. “False alarm. Again. Might as well finish out the day. But I don’t know how she can get any bigger. She bumped into the corner of the table last night and I fully expected to hear a large popping sound.”
Karna chuckled. “You spend over a season helping her to stop the pains, now you can’t get them started again?”
Perrin shook his head soberly. “It’s hopeless. Nothing will scare that baby out.”
“Now, not being a father or married, I won’t confess to knowing anything about children,” Karna began, “but if her expecting is any indication of the kind of baby she’s about to birth, that will be one stubborn, annoying child. Probably a boy, much like his father.”
Perrin chuckled and rubbed his eyes wearily. “That’s what my uncle Hogal said last night! Brillen, I’m not sure how much more of this I can stand. We were up half the night counting the minutes before the pains suddenly stopped. I thought she was going to explode from disappointment. Then the same thing happened at midday meal. I’ve got Corporal Yip patrolling the alley behind the house so she can holler to him if anything happens.”
“Poor Captain,” Karna smiled and patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Maybe this is why people have only two children.”
Shin smiled sadly. “Not for population control, but for sanity preservation! I couldn’t imagine doing this a third time.”
The men chuckled and Captain Shin headed for the command office.
“Sir,” Karna stopped him. “There’s someone in there waiting. Said he wants to be a volunteer for a time. I was just about to go interview him, but—”