6 Chapter 6

Brielle cautiously walks toward the station; distinct conversation can be heard but she focuses her hearing on the destination of the military base.

Within a minute of listening to the people's conversation, Brielle finally found the carriage where it will stop at the military base.

Brielle slowly and cautiously walked toward the carriage, she lifts the cloth that was covering the entrance of the carriage, luckily no one was there yet.

At the corner end of the inside of the carriage, Brielle saw a pile of boxes with clothes on top.

'I could fit in there'

Brielle thought, she looks left and right before going in and covering herself with the clothes while forming a barricade with the pile of boxes, hiding at the corner of the carriage.

She held tightly the fox in her hand, she listens to the conversation outside as she waits.

It took about 20 minutes for someone to enter the carriage, the carriage wobbled as the person enters and sit down.

As the passenger keeps entering the carriage, Brielle's heart keeps beating hard that she could only hear her heartbeat aside from the footsteps.

The white fox who is hugged by her was quiet all the time as if she knew that she needed to be quiet or there will be consequences.

It took about half an hour before the carriage to be full of its passengers, the coachman taps the carriage before heading out.

Brielle observe the surroundings as the minute goes by, she would take a peek outside by lifting the cloth that was covering the roof of the carriage every five minutes.

As a result of her observation, it seems that the carriage has 4 men and 2 women inside the carriage. There are 2 teenage boys among the 4 while 1 teenage girl among the 2 women.

It took about an hour and a half for the carriage to stop, Brielle took a look by opening the cloth but quickly let go as she saw someone passing by.

Brielle's heart began to beat faster, afraid of getting caught but soon calm down when the fox snuggled into her embrace.

Brielle's tense expression softened, she quietly let out a sigh and embrace the fox.

It took about 5 minutes for the coachmen to come back in the carriage and started moving, Brielle's heart started beating furiously again but quickly calm down as time passed with the help of the fox.

As time passed, Brielle started feeling hungry. She quietly took the bread from her bag and cut it in half. She ate the bread and quietly give the other half to the fox.

The two ate the bread quietly, although Brielle still felt hungry, she knew she couldn't eat another more since she'll run out.

The carriage was full of conversation, Brielle could only listen to lighten up her boredom.

Brielle gained knowledge and information on the carriage as they head to the military base.

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"Military base is just across from that farm; I can't stop directly at the base since the soldiers will stop us" the coachman opens the cloth on the entrance and informed the passengers.

Brielle open the cloth that was covering her, she took a peek and saw the passengers leaving.

She took this to her advantage and leave by opening the side of the roof of the carriage, she quietly opens a hole big enough for her to fit.

Brielle got out of the carriage with her hands on the fox, she quickly hid in one of the houses nearby, she hides beside the wall.

The fox on her hand whimpers.

Brielle looks down at the fox, she carefully puts down the fox on the floor. The fox looks at her and tilted its head, it took a step forward and nudge her head on Brielle's ankle before running away.

Brielle could only stare at the fox's departing figure, she stares at the space where the fox just left.

After a while Brielle shakes her head, she turns around and went toward where you enlist for the army.

She walks for a while with her current appearance, due to that, she attracted a lot of attention, and people look at her in disgust.

She ignored the stares that many people give and look straight, then, she saw a long line full of men.

Brielle glances at the end of the line then to the table where the soldiers are, where they enlist the men who are lining up for the army.

Brielle hesitated for a while before slowly walking straight to the end of the line.

Some grown men look at her with disbelief while some look at her weirdly, Teenager boys the same age as Brielle look at her with their eyes widened, they turn their back to stare at her, not hiding the fact that they are rudely staring at her.

Brielle continue to ignore their stares, she slightly lowered her head, and her bangs slightly covered her eyes. Her blue eyes with a look of determination look cold, the sharpness on her eyes added to the cold look on her face.

Some notice the look in her eyes, they were dumbfounded at how can a beggar have a look on their face.

After waiting for a while, it's Brielle's turn to enlist. The soldier who is in charge of enlisting looks at Brielle with a strange look.

"You…which family are you from?" the soldier asks as he looks down, although Brielle's current appearance is hideous, her body and height are opposite from what you see on any beggars.

But before Brielle could answer the soldier's question, the soldier changes his word.

"No, that's a dumb question, let me ask you again, what's your family's work?" the soldier asks again, he looks straight into Brielle's eyes with coldness in his eyes.

"Umm…my family is a farmer" Brielle answered with slight confidence in her voice, she mumbles for a second as she was dumbfounded at the soldier's reaction.

The soldier narrowed his eyes before looking down at his paper, he looks at the paper for a while as if he was checking something before looking back to Brielle.

"Can you read?" the soldier asks, he put down his paper on his desk and look straight at Brielle.

"No" Brielle answer the soldier without hesitation or guilt.

"Then, unfortunately, you can't enlist in the military" the soldier informed Brielle, although his words conveyed sad news his voice didn't contain any sadness or pity.

When Brielle heard his word, her eyes widen. She quickly kneeled in front of the soldier and other people on her back, she put down her head on the floor as she begs.

"Please! Let me enlist in the army! My entire family has been massacred by the enemy and the entire village has also been massacred...!" Brielle beg and beg until she cried, her right-hand clenched to the ground while her left-hand clenched on her shirt.

"This…is the only way I can take my revenge…please! I've traveled for 2 days straight without a rest so I can enlist here! I will train harder so please enlist me! For my family and my village, I'm begging you" Brielle continues to beg as she gives some information to the soldier, she looks up and looks straight into his eyes with determination fuming into her blue eyes that are now flowing with tears.

The soldier looks troubled, he was touched and pitied Brielle after hearing her story but he couldn't decide since he's not the one in charge.

But before he could excuse himself and ask his supervisor or the general, some other soldier already called the general over.

Seeing the general coming, the soldier hurriedly explained as he was afraid of him being misunderstood by the general.

"General Gerard! This is…this child begs me to enlist him in the army when he couldn't since the number of family of farmers is full sir" the soldier stuttered a little before carefully explaining it to the general.

"Oh?" the general whose name is Gerard Whitehead let out a sound, he looks at the soldier before looking at Brielle who is still kneeling with her head looking up at them.

"What's your name kid?" Gerard asks Brielle as he took a step forward toward her, he looks down with tiny interest in her.

"B…Maven Annerson, sir" Brielle almost says her name but she quickly changes it to Maven's name, she looks at Gerard's eyes as she said her "name".