Home By Christmas

Chapter Seven - Daniel

They arrived at the training ground in the late afternoon.

Daniel and George scrambled off the back of the waggon, swinging their packs on their shoulders. All around them, the other men jumped off waggons and made their way across the grass towards the barracks. The men chatted and joked amongst each other, teasing each other without a care in the world. Daniel watched, half-amazed that they could all be so excited about heading to their potential demise.

George knocked Daniel's arm and pointed towards the barracks, offering a small shrug on confusion. Without really knowing what they were doing, the two of them headed across the grass in search of their barrack. The barracks themselves were large, white tents that, to Daniel, didn't look all that stable or even comfortable. He already longed for his bed at home before he had seen what they would be sleeping on. Army life certainly didn't prioritise comfort.

After a few minutes of searching, the two of them stumbled upon the barrack that would be their home until they finished training. George pushed open the flap of the tent with Daniel reluctantly following behind. He hated the idea of having to share a tent with men he didn't know, especially as he knew how they would react once they found out about his general reluctance towards signing up. The boys at the village had already been giving him grief for it and Daniel wasn't sure he wanted the same thing from complete strangers.

Inside, three young men had already made themselves at him. Two of them were in the throes of an instance card game whilst the third sat stoic and stone faced in the corner. He didn't appear to be blinking.

"I don't know why I keep playing with you; you always cheat," the red-headed one said. He threw a small hand of cards onto one of the bunks and tossed the other young man a packet of cigarettes. Daniel watched the blond haired one snatch up the cigarettes with a smile on his face.

"It's not cheating."

"Right, if you say so."

"I did say so."

The red-headed man shook his head and turned towards the entrance of the tent where Daniel and George stood. Daniel noticed the slight smile on George's lips. He had been talking about playing cards for the entire journey and it seemed to Daniel that they had been placed in the right barrack. The tent smelt strongly of cigarette smoke as the blond man lit up one of his newly won cigarettes.

It was a smell that reminded Daniel of home.

"We wondered who the other two would be," the red-headed man said. He stood up from his bed and crossed to Daniel and George. "I'm Tommy."

"George." He stuck his hand out. "That's Daniel."

Daniel didn't say anything. He greeted Tommy with a slight nod of his head and readjusted his pack on his shoulder. Despite how friendly he seemed, Daniel didn't think he would have all that in common with the other men in his barrack, especially if their views on war differed so greatly on his own. He didn't want to make friends with the men if they were going to die once the fighting started.

"The card shark is Arthur. Don't play any games with him if you value your money or your cigarettes. He's already taken all my packs."

"Maybe you're just not very good at cards," Arthur said.

"I'm plenty good at cards, you're just a cheat."

"Your excuses are pitiful, Tom, they really are."

Tommy shook his head and turned back to George and Daniel. "Seriously, don't play cards with him."

"I like a challenge," George said. "I'm something of a card shark myself."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He shrugged. "Anyway, the quiet one in the corner is Henry. Kid's barely said two words since we got here, he won't let go of his pack, either."