88 Hope, no hope

Waking up as dawn broke,  I looked about. Some of the pack had woken and were tending fires, others were off with their muslin rags, to wash in the paddy fields, others just lay there looking at the colours in the sky.

"I'll never get tired of looking at that, do you?"

He turned toward me and I nodded. "Imagine this being your everyday wake up call. The sounds of birds and trees rustling, breaking the silences." 

I smile at him. In a way he was like me, he preferred outdoors. 

His name was Zǐmò and from what he told me, he and his wife lived in the countryside not far from Chen House. 

They rented a small holding from the estate and raised goats for their cheese and milk. He had a garden where he produced all the fruit and vegetables they needed. So apart from rice, they were pretty much self sufficient. 

We'd sat together many times, comparing lifestyles, and it was interesting how much we learned from each other. 

"Zǐmò, do you think there are a few other farmers here?" I was thinking of the gardens which had been left unpicked and wondered.

"Oh, yes, there are about seven or eight of us who work on the land full time. Why? Do you want them to tend these gardens for our use?" He looked hopeful. It would take his mind of the past year. 

"Do you think it's doable? We have a job to do but also the need to feed ourselves. This seems logical to me. What do you think?"

Zǐmò smiled, "I'll ask about when they wake, or come back. Don't see why not and I would imagine when the garden owners come back, they'd rather see tended fields than fallow ones." 

Xin woke up at last. She'd slept almost fourteen hours; she must have needed it. She was back to her bouncy self once more, "food! I need food! I'm famished." She stopped and looked about, " where did the day go? Is this a new one?"

"It is indeed, Xin. You passed out, twitched, and then, wrapped up in your sleeping skin, you snuggled into Bǎo's arms and stayed there all night." I grinned at how beautifully she blushed. It's not often I saw that side of her. 

It was my turn to laugh, "if I didn't know better, I'd say I've embarrassed you. Little Miss, I'm bright pink, and have hot cheeks to boot!"

With that I collapsed. 

My laughter was maniacal, as more stress left me through the tears of laughter. Each time I tried to stop, I'd look at her and dissolve again,  until my face hurt and I couldn't take it anymore.

She stood watching me, hands on hips, pouting, "you do know I hate you, don't you?"

With that I blew her a kiss and dissolved into laughter again. There was no hope. Not at the moment. 

A meal and a clear up later, a group were ready to venture toward the town. It was time for them to meet with the new Colonel Chen and receive fresh orders.

It was agreed the three heads from each group of eight would accompany Officer Bǎo. That way, any decisions were made as a pack not just as the Alpha.

The rest of us? 

We happily stayed behind. Few wanted to engage with the madness called the town. 

We wanted answers too. Was the Zhang army supporting us or sabotaging us? We’d experience a lot of that whist working at the front and Hao Ying and his fellow officers were coping with it every day. Did they want us here to support us or was there an alternative scheme running; our annihilation? Many of us had the idea we were brought up here for that reason and wondered if there was a land grab going on. One question I wanted to know the answer to, was whether there was any family link between the Zhang family and the Mu family. I had this gut feeling there could well be.

I breathed in, peace and tranquility, at least for a while. 

We'd all worked solidly for almost nine months, going out, hunting the enemy, killing them, then returning, cleaning ourselves of their blood, sleeping, only to do the same the next day.

We needed a break.

As one commented, "if I wanted that level of insanity, I could have stayed where I was. I knew the layout and the enemy. Here? It's starting again."

He was right. 

Some elected to tend the gardens we'd commissioned whilst others went off hunting and scouting.

I thought about home, the little house and the quiet of the pine trees which surrounded it.

We were starting again but from very solid footings. This time we were clear what we were doing. This time we had strategies. This time we were a cohesive force.