Because Of You

Chapter 5

The trio walked into a compound, one of the scouts bases, out of all the other trainees, they were some of the very few that joined the scouts. But that didn't mean it was a decision that they regretted. Quite the opposite.

"This is where you'll be spending you breakfast, lunch and dinner. Served at 6, 12 and 6. Don't be late, I can't guarantee that there will be food leftover." A scout instructed, it was clear that he wasn't thrilled about giving the rookies a tour.

"Wonder what side of the bed he woke up on." Oruo tried to joke, the only outcome he'd received was a glare from the scout.

"What was that recruit?" The scout targeted, as per usual, Oruo bit his tongue in his panic.

"He was just surprised that the food timings were so efficient." Carmen lied.

Even with her good defence, the scout huffed, he didn't believe that they were talking about food supplies. No, newly claimed scouts were all the same, they thought they were brave, but they were cowards, given time, they'd die out.

"I was wondering how we receive our squads?" The assassin changed the topic, it was something she needed to know anyways, there was no harm.

"After the first few expeditions, a squad leader may take a liking to your skills. Then they will request a transfer. Until then, you'll be squadless." He explained. "But you're in luck, I heard Captain Levi is looking for a squad."

There was that name again, Levi. He'd been promoted to captain over the time she'd been training. If so, he must have improved too. She couldn't let him beat her, or even draw like last time. No, if she was going to kill him, it had to be certain.

"Carmen." Petra nudged her. "We're going to the stables to claim our horses." She said and they followed the instructor to the stables.

Carmen was fond of horses, because they didn't confuse her. They weren't as fickle as humans and she enjoyed brushing their fur with her fingers. It was calming. So receiving her own horse was a bonus that came with the scouts.

"The horses tied to the front of the fence are free, the ones tied to to other side are taken. Chose wisely, this will be your noble steed, they'll get you out of a sticky situation and help you when you need it most. Understand?" The scout ordered and the small group of scouts knew the task at hand, however, it was clear they were all going to go for a horse that either looked decent or was friendly.

On the other hand, Carmen was drawn the a dark grey horse. It may have been tied to the front of its stable, but it couldn't have been more distanced from the other horses.

As soon as anyone approached it, it went straight into a panic, along with the dark brown horse behind it, who followed suit. Together, they were enough to divert the new scouts and old away from them.

"Hello." Carmen greeted the horse, her usual calm voice soothing the creature. Strangely, the horse didn't jump back, the tour guide took notice of this. That horse had been alone for years, it's only companion was the captain and his horse.

Carmen then stroked its nose, the other horse then coming to its side to receive the same treatment. "I'll be damned." The scout said in disbelief. "I've been trying to get this horse to calm down for years. Seems it's taken a liking to you."

"What's it's name?" Carmen asked.

"No name, but the one behind it is Furlan." The scout answered. "It's your job to give him a name, after all, I'm assigning him as your horse." The scout revealed.

Carmen thought. Should she name this horse something random? Or something with more meaning? It wasn't as though she had many memorable moments that didn't involve bloodshed. However, this horse had chosen her, she would honour it by making a name specific to her. Then she got it.

"Bowie." Carmen decided, stroking the horse once again. "From now on, your name is Bowie."

The older scout didn't question it, though he was well aware that she'd named her horse after a Bowie knife. A knife that specialised in skinning and hunting.

"Well, tie it to the opposite side of the fence. We wouldn't want anyone else thinking he's available." He ordered, kinder than he was originally. "Everyone done!?" He then questioned.

"Yes sir."

"Good, let's get you settled into your new rooms. Two beds per room. Pick your roommate."

As predicted, Petra darted to Carmen and Oruo was left to partner with one of the other recruits. He knew it would happen, but it still hurt.

"Dinner is at 6, I warned you earlier about being late." The scout instructed after handing them a sheet of paper with a map to the spare rooms.

It was refreshing to know that orders could be so simple at times, a total counter to the ones she'd been given by the government, and the ones given by Shadis.

"Carmen."

She did it again, zoned out. It was far more frequent, too many changes at once. If she was going to kill Captain Levi, she'd have to think clearly, discard all her ulterior escapes from reality.

"What were you thinking about?" Petra decided to venture into new waters. Most of the time, Carmen explained her thoughts, but it worried Petra when the blonde would think so long and not utter a word after.

"The scouts. I think this may turn out better than I expected." She lied again.