Deva 2

I was looking up at him,his eyes were looking over my head,as if his ears were alert for
some sound.He swooped me up in one fluid motion and took me inside his tent.He put me on
the bunk bed,"Sleep flat and do not move.I do not want the Colonel seeing you."
I obediently laid back.Was i enjoying this,listening to him like that ??
I shook myself mentally.Although,he looked earnest and shocked when he came to know
about the death of Katherine(my mother),i knew i shouldn't buy in so easily.I waited as he
talked to some guy outside the tent.They were firing in rapid German.
The colonel said,"Major ! I heard you have a fresh captive ?"
"No sir,the fool caught some fair girl and thinks she is one of them."
I recognised his tone as casual,even commanding.The colonel's voice seemed like a squeak
in fron of Jason's rich voice.He stammered too.What was it about Jason's presence that
set everyone,high and low,in sweats ?? Was it his sheer strength or the fiery eyes ??or
commanding voice ??? Ah-his voice.I'd love so much if his voice would command me again.
I shook myself again and tried to think about my future plan.

The tent flapped open and two muffled footsteps entered.The colonel said,
"Major,you know i hate this,but the commander in chief demands swift action."
"Colonel Haggard,You surely know that we cannot hit gold every other day.It takes
time.If the trackers were helpless,how does he expect us to do anything."
"Yes,you are right.But I'm surely in trouble now.I told the trackers you
have a captive."
"Eric!"
"Please forgive me Jason !" The colonel was begging as if Jason were his senior.
"You know Eric how they are-especially Gerald.Do you even know what they shall do
if they found out you wasted 2 days of theirs ?"
"I know Jason ! That's why..." he was sobing now ,"That's why...Jason,I beg you
to come up with something.Please Jason !"
"I'll try." was his prompt and simple reply.
"Jason,you know how they are afraid of you ! Your the only one whom they dare not
try anything on,not so much for the wrath of the high command..but because they are afraid
that..."
"I said i'll TRY ERIC.Now,Please LEave me alone."
"Of course.Of course.You do not know how much i owe you."
"If you think so Eric,help me retrieve the shield."
"I can't do that.What if they find out..?"
"Always the coward,aren't you ? How about i just crush your skull and take the information
right now ?"
I made a noise that sounded much like a squeak.Jason glared in my direction.Eric was
visibly shaking and terrified.He took the opportunity of Jason's distraction and leapt
toward the tent flap,"I will see you later,Major !"
and he sprinted away,until his footsteps faded.
"You know how much trouble i'd have to go though if he would have discovered you ?"
"I thought it was better to save his life."
"I wasn't going to kill him.I would have done it long ago if i wanted to."
I started breathing normally again.
His frown softened and he asked in a strained voice,a voice which sounded forcibly
harsh and indifferent,but i caught a courteous and even gentle tone underneath,
"Have you eaten anything?"
"Not much,but I'm not hungry."
"Of course."
He began pacing his tent,never even glancing at me.I looked at him from time to time.He
looked like a god.His biceps were bulging and made the uniform seem tight for him.I tried
to distract myself from thinking how it would feel to touch his hard biceps and maybe
close my palm around them.I realised i was getting carried away and straightened myself.
He suddenly turned on me.I flinched.He ignored that.
"You have to run away from here.If the trackers are not convinced and decide to check every
tent in the camp,there is no way i can stop them.It is perfectly normal for them to
demand such a search.If you leave in an hour,it will give you a good
head start before they start searching outside the camp."
"Fine,I will stay with a friend."
"No.You cannot STAY.You'll have to go out of the country as soon as possible."
"I do not have a passport."
"There is a blcksmith east of Glasgow.He works undercover for the Army."
"East of Glasgow ? That's where my friend stays !"
"What's his name ?"
"I don't think i should-"
"You still don't trust me do you ?" his face broke into a smile.
"It's not like that."
"Anyway,this blacksmith is Dereon by name.Give him a souvenir and he will fabricate
documents for you.Tell him to make haste."
I was shocked.Dereon? Worked with the Army ? did my mother know this ? She must have,they
were such old friends,well my dad and Dereon were the ones who were friends really."
"I shall,thank you.A lot.You are very kind."
He seemed a bit embarrassed but went on,his voice forgetting to be very stern,"Meet
me here in twenty minutes.Pack some clothes."
"I already have them."
"Fine.Wait here.It's safe here."
"Yes,I can see that.Everyone is scared of you." I smiled at him respectfully.
"And you ?" He asked,curiosity in his voice.His eyes seemed soft,as if caring and
kind.
"Not so much." I'm scared i'll do something stupid when your there in the room,i said to
myself.
"That's good.Anyway..." he went to his drawer and pulled out a small pouch.
"here...take this..Hand some over to dereon and keep the rest for your safety."
"I can't...take this." I said as i realised it was money.
"Natasha,you of all people should not be embarrassed to take money from the army,not
after what has happened with your mother."
A sharp pain tore at my heart as i took the pouch.
"How am i ever going to rest knowing that my mother's killers are loose Jason-sorry,Major?"
"You can call me Jason." He said softly as he came near and his hand caressed my cheek
softly.His body was a mere foot away from my face.I smelt him for the first time.He
smelt amazing,like an exotic flower.I breathed in the pleasant
smell and my hair became a bit loose as i closed my eyes for a moment.
He took his hand away and stepped back,his eyes on the bunk bed above me.I looked away,
embarrassed and tried to fight back my stupid urges.I succeded.Otherwise,I was sure I'd
have made a big fool of myself.

"Go now,Natasha.I'll take care of the situation here."
I got up and hugged him out of gratitude.He seemed a bit taken aback for a second but
he embraced me nonetheless and grunted softly when i thanked him.
I ran out of the tent,my eyes becoming moist,when i finally reached the forest
near the periphery of the camp.
I ran without stopping.It took me an hour to pass the outer areas of my village.I
stopped.Not to catch my breath.Running was something i never did since always,but I always
saw the girls around me panting and going red as the blood rushed to their faces.I stopped
because i could see the blackened ruin of my house from where i stood.It would take
atleast 20 minutes to go to the house and again come back on the road.Nevertheless,
I ran toward the house.The road was lined with rose bushes and wild gooseberry bushes.
I remembered how such small things made my mother happy.I reached the burnt ruin and
did not waste time to do what I'd come for.I couldn't stand near my burnt house for long
without an abyss opening in my chest.Besides,I had reason Not to wait here for long.
I went around the ruin and stepped over a small pile of blocks that was once
the back kitchen wall.It was almost evening.I hastily began to upturn the burnt articles
with my right foot.I had almost no hope.But It would eat me from inside if i ignored it,
later on,i knew that.Below a metal object whose shape was impossible to discern,my foot felt
a smooth object.It was not brittle.I quickly swooped down and retrieved it.It was the
same thing i was looking for.My mother's diary.Katherine's diary.The one she'd dropped
in the sink.But the sheer thrill that had burst within me soon gave way to overwhelming
dissapointment.It was burnt beyond repair.i couldn't even make out a single word.
Heaving a sigh,i stashed the diary in my bag and got up to leave.The sun hung low in the
west,almost about to hug the horizon.I decided i must move fast.I turned around toward
the east and started running.The faster i got out of this counrty,the faster i could
forget what happened here.I was never much of a courageous person.Always the coward.
I assured myself that Mother would want me to run away as far as possible.It wasn't
sane to oppose these trackers-Jason himself had said it.I tried to reason how it would
only result in my death if i tried to avenge my death.But from whichever direction
i poked the lump of guilt heavy on my mind,i failed to destroy it.Anger welled up
within me.Anger that signified how helpless i felt and actually was.I could
never even get close to bringing justice upon the bastards.Tears spilled from my eyes
incessantly as i ran uphill and towards east.

I passed a lone shepherd with his flock or a villager here and there,but i never
could sight a town anywhere.I knew the way but i was still worried that i must've missed
a turn or something of the sort.I was relieved when i spotted the glint of a water body
to my right,a few yards away.This was surely the stream that was a part of the terrain on the
route to
Dereon's house. I ran faster,my spirits a bit lighter and a faint smile on my face.
The water splashed around me as i ran carelessly through it's shallow stream.The forest
thinned as the slope steepened a bit.The hill which i was climbing was small and i was
on top of it quite faster than I'd expected of myself.The hill had a view of a
cluster of houses.The people who lived here had always called this village as Opola.
I'd always thought of it as a very wierd name.I'd also found it very wierd that
Dereon chose to live in such primitive conditions,when Glasgow could offer much more.That
was until some hours ago Jason told me of his occupation-his undercover status.

It took me 15 minutes to reach the familiar cottage that stood farthest from all others.
It had worn much since I'd last come here.I knocked on the door twice until a tall unfamiliar
man opened the door.His face was irritated.I noticed how his marred face(war wounds i
guessed) turned into suprise and slight malice when he saw me.
"Is Dereon here ?" i asked him reluctantly.
"Yes.I am he."
"But..But..That's not possible.I KNOW dereon."