At dinner, Toby watched his father carefully to see if he was acting like Patrick, but his father seemed alright. Toby ate his dinner in a hurry and he finished at about the same time as his father. Toby knew that his father was going to go out and check on the farm like he always did after dinner, so he quickly asked a question before his father could get up from the table.
"Pa? What's going on?"
"What do you mean, Toby?" his father asked.
"You and Patrick were talking about battles and a militia," Toby replied and he looked up at his mother who stopped clearing the table and remained very still as she watched the two. Toby's father looked around nervously and finally gave Toby a stern, hard look.
"There is danger coming, son," his father said. He stood up and picked some of the dishes off the table. Toby's mother watched for a moment before she picked up the rest of the dishes and carried them into the kitchen. They came back and sat down at the table. They looked worried and his mother looked a little frightened.
"Toby," his father said finally. "There are rumors of war being spread. From what they say the war is getting closer and closer to Farvain. So far they are only rumors, nobody knows anything for sure, but if it is a war, then people will be asked to fight."
"Patrick is in the militia," Toby said as he glanced up at his father and mother. "Does that mean they'll take him away?"
"We don't know. He'll be asked to go, and if he chooses to go, he'll fight."
"You said Grandpa went to fight and he never came back. Why would someone go if they don't get to come back?"
"It's not that they don't get to come back," Toby's father said sadly. "If your Grandpa could come home he would, but he can't. It's not his choice to make."
"He's dead isn't he?" Toby asked in a whisper, almost afraid of the answer.
Toby's father looked sadly at him and nodded his head, yes.
"Del?" Toby's mother asked suddenly. Toby looked up at his mother and saw that she was rubbing the back of her hand nervously. "Have you been called?"
"No, but Patrick said they were calling for volunteers as well as the militia. There is going to be a meeting tomorrow evening in Farvain. I'll go and find out what's going on."
"What if they say you have to go, Pa?"
"I don't know Toby. We'll just have to see what happens."
copyright © 2003 Broken Helix Web Productions All rights reserved
Most recent update: 05 May 03
For more information contact [email protected]
