《When destiny calls》 Chapter 1 An eerie silence filled the room as Joseph Tutt waited for the news alone. The last nine months went like a blur for him that now led to this very moment. ¡°Nurse, how is she,¡± Exclaimed Joseph. He had chewed the fingernails off both his hands. ¡°She is coping sir¡± Said the nurse. ¡°I am proud to inform you that you have a baby boy¡±. Tears of joy filled Joseph¡¯s eyes. His little bundle of happiness has finally arrived after many hours of nervous waiting. ¡°Can I¡­.,¡± Joseph began. The nurse finished his sentence for him. ¡°Go for it.¡± A smile spread across his face as he gently pushed open the door to find his wife fast asleep with the baby in her arms. She did not wake even when Joseph lifted the baby out of her arms and sat on the chair next to the bed. He could see it in the eyes of his son that he would do great things. It was a strange feeling, much like a sign from another realm connecting with him telling him that this child was not ordinary. ¡°I know what I will call you.¡± Joseph whispered. ¡°Niclov¡­Nic Tutt.¡± Nic looked up at his father not understanding a word from his mouth before his eyelids grew heavy and he entered his dream zone. ***If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. A golden carriage limbered up with pristine white horses that were dressed in magnificent headdresses rolled up the small hill in the direction of the home of the Tutt family. The wooden wheels constantly hit the deep potholes that littered the road. At first glance a bystander could easily mistake this carriage as royalty but then again, no royalty would ever enter the low-life areas hours outside the capital of Ranvar. Joseph Tutt was no ordinary bystander. The small dust storm kicked up by the carriage caught his attention instantly. It¡¯s not every day that a carriage pulls up to your front door. The thing that caught his eye was not the wealth displayed but rather the crest on the carriage door. This crest belonged to the family of the Delcroix¡¯s. Joseph has fought under Delcroix for over a decade but now his days of fighting were over. Three hard knocks echoed through the hallway. Joseph Tutt made his way to the door to find a silhouette of a tall man wearing a suite through the side tinted glass. ¡°Mr Delcroix?¡± Joseph was taken aback by the clear importance of the message as it is very rare for Mr. Delcroix to turn up with the message himself. ¡°Mr. Tutt I have a very urgent letter for you. Can I come in?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Joseph answered still startled by the surprise visit. The shoes of Mr. Delcroix echoed off the wooden floorboards as they both made their way to the table. ¡°Everything in this letter is to be kept a complete secret. The whole fate of Ranvar rests on this not getting into the open.¡± ¡°I completely understand.¡± Joseph exclaimed nervously as his palms begin to sweat. Mr. Delcroix placed the envelope containing the letter on the table before making his way back to the front door. ¡°Ranvar needs you Mr. Tutt.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m retired¡± exclaimed Joseph. Mr. Delcroix stopped in his tracks. He lowered his voice as he sees Nic in the cot at the side of the room. ¡°The boy has your eyes.¡± He says. I am sure you would want him to live life in the best way possible.¡± ¡°Look, if you come out retirement just this once ill make sure you are paid handsomely. You can start a whole new life, you and your boy.¡± ¡°I also may have a potential job offer for your wife to work as a maid. The possibility to set your family up for the rest of your life is here. The choice is yours Mr. Tutt.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ think about it.¡± Joseph mutters. ¡°But if I decide to, this will definitely be the last time I step foot in the barracks.¡± Mr. Delcriox makes his way back to the front door. ¡°Everything is in the letter.¡± He says as he opens the door to his carriage. Joseph Tutt picks up the envelope and breaks the ceil. Walking over to Nic, Joseph decides to give the decision a bit of time to think. ¡°Joseph. Was there someone here?¡± Mary, Joseph¡¯s wife asks as she enters the kitchen. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Joseph replies. ¡°Well, he left dirt stains on the carpet.¡± ¡°Mary¡­I have something to tell you.¡± Chapter 2 After recounting the ordeal with Mr. Delcroix, the reaction from Mary was to be expected. As Joseph explained the situation it became ever clearer to him about the role he needs to play in keeping Ranvar safe. ¡°You said you were retired.¡± Mary clearly taken back by the sudden news was left dumbfounded. ¡°For months at a time I would sit at home praying that you would get home in one piece. I can¡¯t even begin to prepare myself for that kind of thing again.¡± ¡°And every time I did come back in one piece.¡± Joseph knew that a decision of this calibre would take some convincing. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t easy for you, believe me it isn¡¯t easy for me either. But this is bigger than just us even with Nic. This is about the lives of everyone in the whole of Ranvar.¡± Mary took a seat. Her eyes fixed on the kitchen table where the letter has been left. Her mind was split in two ways. A life without Joseph would be a life she would not want to be a part of but the promise of a Job could go a long way in ensuring a good education for Nic. Joseph was pacing up and down the kitchen waiting for an answer. ¡°So have you read the letter?¡± Mary finally answered. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about it first.¡± Joseph leaned in and grabbed the letter. He slipped the letter out of the envelope and took a deep breathe before beginning to read out loud. Joseph Tutt As you have been made aware the threat of war is ever increasing. By whom and where is to be kept classified until a later date. Be assured that without the help of as many experienced soldiers, we would be at a clear disadvantage which could lead to catastrophe. The thought of war being spread around the area could leave the small towns around Ranvar in a panic. I cannot stress the importance that this message shall not be spread under any circumstance.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The details would be as follows: Carriages will be parked in the Capital for Military use only from the dates Tuesday to Thursday. Upon arrival to the barracks you will be separated into your battalions. A briefing will follow in the mess hall and the information about this situation will be known to you. Ranvar is in need of any man being to come and defend our homeland. Good luck to you sir Ministry of Military ¡°That¡¯s only a couple of days away.¡± Mary could feel her tears creeping out but stopped herself just in time. Joseph didn¡¯t say anything. As Mary made her way onto the outside porch Joseph continued to stare at the letter. The thought of leaving Mary alone with Nic for an unknown amount of time was tearing him apart. He knew at the back of his head that this was the right decision and that the fate of Ranvar would rest on every able being to lend a hand. Joseph made his way to the bedroom, his head bustling with questions and sadness. He turned to see Mary softly crying outside but thought better to let her get the emotions out rather than talk to her at this moment. As Joseph flopped himself on the bed and dosed off, the sound of Nic waking soothed him and allowed the thoughts to disappear. A nightmare woke Joseph in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. His panting made Mary stir and roll over but she fell asleep as quickly as she woke. As he made his way to the kitchen for a drink the thought dawned that these last few days could be the last time he sees Nic, maybe even forever. At that thought he lost his desire for a drink. Instead he made his way back to the cot bedroom where Nic was sleeping. As light dawned the next day, Joseph found himself on the chair with Nic on his lap. It was unusually loud today as the carriages rolled past the small house. Nic was playing with the letter that Joseph stashed into his shirt pocket the previous afternoon. At seeing this Joseph resumed the thought he had last night. The thought of leaving so soon and being without his small family was like a weight dragging him down as he began to drown in the pool of despair and worry that the news created in him. Getting into a military uniform was always a proud moment for Joseph but as he tried it on again it felt different. He was no longer fighting for Ranvar, but also the family. He had gained a bit of weight since his soldiering days. His boots hugged his feet, Joseph knew that the blisters that would be created will be excruciating. None the less he would have to endure it as the time he has before he leaves is very limited. The last night before his scheduled departure to the capital, Joseph was in deep thought looking straight ahead not fazed by anything. Mary was preparing for bed but stopped at the sight of him. ¡°You should get some sleep. There probably won¡¯t be a lot of time to do so once you leave.¡± Mary knew that rocky times were ahead but decided to show resilience. ¡°There is one more thing I want to ask of you.¡± Joseph kept his eyes straight. ¡°If I don¡¯t return, tell Nic that I died before he was born. It would save a lot of explanation on your part.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that! You¡¯re going to come home.¡± Mary had tears dripping down her cheeks. ¡°Just promise me. I don¡¯t want to be that father that puts everything in front of family. It will make me feel better.¡± Joseph got up and headed toward the bedroom leaving Mary in the living room stunned to silence. ¡°Joseph¡­ I promise.¡± Mary knew that if it ever came to this point she would be living a lie for the rest of her life. Chapter 3 The Capital is always buzzing with people this time of year. Every shop is jammed packed with families from all social classes. Ranvar has kept its tradition of cheap shopping in the end of the schooling term as many shops close through the holidays. Many men dressed in military outfits lined the streets of the capital getting the last taste of home before they leave. Each man had a distinct badge on their shoulder detailing the battalion that they are a part of. Joseph was part of the 32nd battalion, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the area. He was one of the very few to get in due to merit rather than paying his way there so he wasn¡¯t as excepted as the others. He could only imagine how many more incompetent and rich young men would be in his battalion this time around. Joseph didn¡¯t have to wait long to find out. A soldier bumped into the back of Joseph leaving them sprawled on the crowded path. ¡°So sorry about that mate. I¡¯m in a rush to catch a carriage to the barracks. I want to get a seat.¡± Joseph paid no attention to what this man was saying. The badge caught his attention instantly. ¡°You¡¯re part of the 32nd?¡±He asked. ¡°Yes just joined. I worked my way up there from the dreaded 16th battalion. The 16th battalion was filled with the youngest most inexperienced soldiers in the whole of Ranvar. It is very hard to work your way out of that hell hole of disorganisation. The man started to dust himself off and offered out a hand which Joseph took. ¡°I see you¡¯re part of the 32nd as well.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Joseph answered. ¡°I worked my way up as well.¡± ¡°We better get going before all the seats on the carriage fill. By the way, my name is Austen. Austen Baker.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Joseph. Joseph Tutt.¡± They shook hands and continued together on their way to the carriages. The line to the last remaining carriages were unexpectedly short and before long, they both got seats next to each other. Usually Joseph would remain quiet and use the last tastes of civilian freedom to rest his eyes. This time however he felt compelled to find out more about Austen. He knew that his best chances of surviving would be due to finding a mate. ¡°So¡­ umm, where did you come from?¡± Joseph was not the type to start good conversations but gave it a shot anyway. ¡°Langdale. It¡¯s about a thirty minute carriage ride to the Capital.¡± As the barracks start to loom in on the horizon, Joseph felt like he had just made a connection with Austen. They talked about their families and their life outside of the military. The bumpy carriage ride finally began to smoothen as they hit the smooth tarmac roads leading to the barracks. This was all too familiar for Joseph and it wasn¡¯t long until the memories started to flood back. He never had a mate that died beside him; neither did he experience the bravery that the newspapers so fondly wrote about. Instead he remembered the chaos that occurs behind the scenes when no officer was watching. It was all too familiar to him, the drunken brawls that occur late at night which was sparked by both the potato grog and the poker cheating. This was only the beginning as Joseph would often get picked on for his poor heritage. In a rare occasion one of the goons would be found out ad charged, mainly punished in front of everyone to see as a hopeful attempt to stop the offenders. The only quiet anyone seemed to get would be the aftermath of a battle where everyone was too tired to move. As the conversation with Austen died down, Joseph could feel the presence; smell the smell of the upcoming hell that they both would face flooded through the vents at the top of the carriage. It really is saying something when they would feel safer on the battlefield than in the barracks itself. The relief of finally getting to stretch their legs was quickly outlived as the drill sergeant smartly strolled into view. Generally this would be the point where everyone would stand at attention but the lack of military action led to a rusty output on the rules. Joseph knew that a spray storm of yelling and spitting would quickly ensue so he made a tactical decision to move to the back of the mob. Austen however was completely oblivious and stayed put at the front, right in the firing line of a fuming drill sergeant. All he could do was watch on helplessly. "Get in line you bunch of misfits!" He was answered by a stunned silence. "Christ! If you are the lot to defend Ranvar we are all doomed. Don''t worry i''ll turn you worthless pieces of skin and bone into real fighting men." A grin spread across the sergeants face as his eyes scanned the men and finally rested on Austen. "Young man. From the 32nd I see. I don''t think I recognise you." "I..I came from the 16th." Austen stammered. The mob behind him erupted in laughter. It wasn''t long until a bunch of witty comments made its way around. Joseph knew that from this point on, life was going to be very difficult for him and especially difficult for Austen. It was no surprise at all when Joseph and Austen were assigned the closest bunk to the toilets. It did not deter Joseph as much as he knew they won''t be doing much sleeping anyway. Just as everyone was beginning to settle, in bursts the sergeants. "Mess hall! On the double!" He left as quickly as he came. A collection of groans filled the bungalow as the men filed out the door. Joseph and Austen lagged behind just to stay in the safe side. As they arrived to the mess hall, General Parker a long server of the Ranvarian army began addressing the massive hoard of men. Joseph wasn''t really listening to what he had to say. It was the same every time. The next four words caught his attention. "We are under attack." Chapter 4 Murmurs soared around the mess hall at the news of war. Joseph who at this point began creeping in the entrance where the men were packed like salmon in a tin. The thought of war though frightening seemed also like an exciting adventure at the same time, reflected off the faces of the new recruits. The older men gave no reaction. War was almost second nature to them. They stood stone faced some with battle scars evident from previous conflict as they waited for further information. Joseph, though expecting this exact predicament still wanted more information but to do this meant squeezing his way to the front. The looks dished out as he bumped and pressed his way through the hoard of men made no impact on him. Before long Joseph successfully made it to the front shortly followed by Austen and a few others. From his viewpoint he could clearly make out the very much aged general, the medals on his chest reflecting the sunlight that beamed through the flaps of the mess hall. He was left standing on one of the tables that was cleared to make room for the men in order for himself to be seen by everyone. ¡°SILENCE!¡± The command was boomed out by the second- in- charge as the general no longer had the ability to do it himself. Everyone went silent. It was the quietest Joseph has ever heard an army barrack in his many years of experience. ¡°Now I all know that you all are waiting for the rest of the information.¡± The hoarseness of the General¡¯s voice indicated his lack of sleep. ¡°The truth is that I cannot relay that information at this very moment. Spies are all around us trying to gather information and knowledge of what they are facing and to give you all what I know is a massive risk that can end in disaster. I want you all to know one thing. You are fighting for your homeland and no matter how uncertain you are about the leaders and people around you, you will all have to persevere and push through in order for us to keep our freedom. The proper information that you will receive will be given to you only when necessary.¡± ¡°Good luck to you all, and let God be on your side.¡± At this, the General was helped off the table and left through the kitchen exit of the mess hall where a carriage of dazzling proportion was waiting for him. No sooner had the General left, the mess hall erupted with questions aimed to all the men with a powerful standing in the Ranvarian military.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. As all the men crept forward, Joseph found this opportunity to slip out before he would get trampled on. Austen did not catch on oblivious to what was happening until it was too late and he was stuck in the midst of the happenings. Thunderclouds rumbled in the distance as Joseph trudged his way back to his cabin. It was just the beginning of spring so the all the plants were on the verge of flowering. It had been a while since Joseph could just walk and think. Everything was moving so fast and it is at times like these when you have to just breathe. ¡°It¡¯s going to rain.¡± Joseph muttered to no one in particular. Joseph made a sudden decision to take a walk into the woods that surrounded the barracks. He could think of no better time to do it as it was unusually quiet and no one was there to bother him. The trees were only just beginning to grow their leaves back. It was one of the very rare times where someone can see a great distance through the woods as at any other time it would be a dense habitation filled with life and colour. It wasn¡¯t long until a clearing appeared in the eye view of Joseph. It would make an ideal time to write a letter he thought but upon feeling his pockets for a pencil and paper he came up empty handed. He mind was divided between going back to get them from his knapsack and write a letter home or staying at the clearing and rest in silence for a few hours. Joseph slumped down under a giant oak tree decision clearly made. Before long his eyelids began to droop and he was out cold. A sudden chill brought his body back to life. The air was considerably cooler than before and as Joseph wiped his eyes he made the realisation that it was night. Shuddering from the cold, he began his trek back to the barracks. There was only one problem. Without light to guide his way, he was completely unaware of which direction to go. It didn¡¯t bother him that much though and he began walking in one direction. Five minutes passed before he stopped and began making his way back to the clearing again after failing to see the light of the barracks. There was also another problem. In his drowsy state of just waking up he had been walking in an angle therefore losing his bearings of the clearing all together. ¡°Hello?¡± his voice now had a hint of worry in it. Now wide awake Joseph made a determined effort to stick to a direction until he found any sign of life. The bats in the tops of the half-naked trees began making shrieking sounds piercing the night sky with sound. A sudden thought crossed Joseph¡¯s mind. Wolves. Wolves were notorious in the woods of Ranvar and they gave no mercy to anything that stumbled into their line of sight man or animal. The shrieking of the bats began to become more frequent and louder. Joseph suddenly remembered one of the army¡¯s very few useful tips. Animals and birds alike call out to each other when trouble looms. As the shrieking continued Joseph knew that there was only two things that can cause this much anxiety in the bats. It was either him or a wolf. Seconds after this thought a twig not too far from where Joseph was standing snapped. Its distinct sound made joseph freeze. He remained frozen as the rain began to fall. It got heavier and heavier and before long all other noise was drowned out. Joseph took this opportunity to run. As fast as he can in no direction in particular. He zig-zagged between trees and jumped over large sticks. Joseph decided to have a peak behind him aware that in the lack of light he probably won¡¯t see anything. He didn¡¯t as he plummeted to the earth due to a large stick that caught his foot. Now he really was in trouble. Whatever was following him had a free strike. Chapter 5 Joseph waited, curled tight into a ball, eyes shut waiting for the inevitable. The rain now soaked his khaki clothes making him shiver immensely. He laid in that position for what seemed like an eternity but nothing came. The only sound was the rain hitting the leaves on the ground. The coast seemed clear, but you can never be too sure. Every slight sound would make Joseph jump and scrunch tighter in his ball position. He moved. Slowly, making sure that he made as little sound as humanly possible. The thought of wolves still bounced around in his head. With the darkness still looming, Joseph made a very slow and careful trek to the base of a big tree. He had a decision to make. Stay until dawn where light could possible guide his way back to the barracks or, try again to find the right direction in the pitch dark. If unsuccessful the result could end badly for either plan of action. Hypothermia could be a big issue as the rain is showing no sign of slowing down if he were to stay until dawn. The possibility of running into wolves or other dangerous creatures while walking blindly in the dark was another issue. Two decisions, freeze or be mauled, freeze or be mauled. The words repeating in Joseph¡¯s head as he weighs the pros and cons. The trees though baron and naked could at least provide a little bit of cover from the raging storm above. To him, it was the best option he had, not wanting to venture into any more creatures of the night. The dense clouds in the night sky covered all light from the moon and stars making Joseph¡¯s next task of finding any lightly damp or dry sticks to lay on the trunk of the tree he was at. That way the mud that was beginning to build would at least have a little less of an impact on his body temperature. Though shivering and worried to the core, Joseph somehow managed to fall asleep dreaming of the warm bunk he will have when he returns. The sound of voices stirred Joseph from his slumber.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Jo¡­¡± as the voices got louder he could make out his name. ¡°Joseph!¡± He snapped back into reality sopping wet and as pale as a ghost. He looked down at his hands to find them so wrinkled that they began to bleed under the nail. As his eyes adjusted to the daylight, Joseph made out a figure. He let out a cry as he felt the pain in his hands when he wiped his eyes. The figure in the horizon must have heard as the sound of footsteps thundered on the slush of mud and soaking branches as it headed toward joseph. Not knowing whether this was a man or a dangerous animal, Joseph instinctively turned the other way and started to run. The faster he ran the more unstable he got and as he made his way away from the figure he was bumping into tree trunks with every step. The exhaustion from the lack of sleep to a sudden chase made him collapse in a heap of mud. The last memory was his name being called by an unknown voice before all consciousness drained away. *** The warmth from the bed was comforting. Joseph, eyes still closed started to feel around his surroundings with his hands. Was he dead? ¡°A bed.¡± He concluded as his hands felt the sheet under him. It was quiet. Very quiet, too quiet for an army barrack. His eyes opened slightly. And then a little more to find a figure staring at him. Alarm filled his body as the blurriness of his vision cleared to find that it was a nurse. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Quite an adventure you came back from.¡± She said. Her voice was soothing to Joseph and his body re-entered its relaxed stage. ¡°A few visitors came to see you but you were still completely out of it.¡± Joseph couldn¡¯t remember anything taking place from the moment he passed out to now. His body ached from all possible places and moving was done with great pain. ¡°Try not to move. You have quite a few nice bruises.¡± The nurse reminded Joseph of Mary. It felt so long since he last saw her even though it was just yesterday. ¡°Mary.¡± Joseph muttered barely audible. ¡°No I¡¯m not Mary, my name is Kathy.¡± The nurse replied. ¡°I need to write to Mary. Tell her I¡¯m alright.¡± Joseph was a bit louder this time around. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know about any of this yet. The army is hardly known for its delivery of messages. But if you still want to I could help you write one.¡± The nurse responded. Joseph gave a small nod. He closed his eyes again as he heard the nurses footsteps echo away on the concrete floor to find a pencil and paper. Not long after, she returned. Joseph whispered the things that he wanted to say since his voice was still very weak. The nurse wrote it down not a peep coming from her. ¡°Okay that¡¯s all.¡± He said ¡°Let me read it to you Joseph.¡± Dear Mary You probably have not heard about my antics here at the barracks but I am still alright. Decided to have a bush walk and it didn¡¯t turn out well. Nothing to worry over though, just a few nice bruises. Life here is only going to get harder as time goes on. We did not much extra information about what is happening but you can rest assured that I will keep as safe as I can. I hope that Nic is doing alright. Give him a few extra hugs and kisses from me. I will keep you posted with everything that continues to happen. Love Joseph Next chapter coming soon --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I will be continuing the story very soon-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. 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