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The window was cold against Kaboodle's skin. Every breath fogged the window in a small circle. She couldn't see her reflection, but it must have been bad. She hadn't slept in days.
It had taken 3 days by carriage to get to the town that the train passed through and 30 minutes of trudging through a hastily made path following eroding signs to find the station. She sighed and looked through the hazy window. Outside, trees moved by. It was impressive to say the least, she had never been on such a fast form of transportation.
She shifted slightly, the seat was uncomfortable to say the least. It was wooden and she swore it hadn't been sanded down. It looked as if a single brush might give her millions of splinters, therefore why she sat on her coat. Of course the downside of that was she was freezing. The walls were sanded but paint peeled and the whole cabin smelled of lint and mold.
Her suitcase took up the rest of the bench, she didn't exactly trust the metal bars that held luggage above her after she had accidentally hit the wall and a screw had fallen on her head (Ow).
Her focus was broken as the train lurched to a stop at a station. Gods, it sounded dreadful, like nails on a chalkboard but 10x louder and you could feel it in the back of your throat like you'd just eaten chalk.
She adjusted her messy bun that held her bright blue hair. She hoped she wouldn't have to wash out the dye.
There was movement outside. There must be new passengers. She had the luck of getting her own cabin but she wouldn't be as lucky the more enlisted people joined the train. She just hoped that if she had to share it would be someone with good manners.
It had only been around 3 minutes before there was a knock on the rickety cabin door. And it creaked open.
“Hello.” The voice of a woman. She appeared in the doorway. Long brown hair tied in a braid. She wore a simple skirt and button up with leather boots. Slung across her shoulder was a brown leather bag.
“Is this empty?” She asked pointedly and the bench across from Kaboodle.
“Help you..urself.” Kaboodle’s voice cracked and she had to clear her throat. She hadn’t spoken in a while.
The woman looked up at the rickety racks and did the same thing as Kab, placing her bag on the bench beside her, smoothing out her purple dress as she sat down and looking nervously at the silent girl.
Kaboodle eyed the fabric and looked back at the girl.
“What's some royalty like you doing in a train like this?” Kab tried to make it sound like an actual question but her tone was so low it probably sounded sarcastic. The girl smiled kindly, seeming to not take it personally. Gods, she must look terrible if downright insulting nobility gets her a smile.
“Easiest way, I'm Maddie.” Maddie reached out her gloved hand. She simply reached out and shook once before withdrawing like an animal returning to its nest.
“Kaboodle.” She answered quietly.
“Nice to meet you kaboodle.” Maddie spoke in a friendly voice as she leaned back on the bench, her back hitting the wall with a soft thump.
“Do you know if we stop or are we supposed to sleep here?” Maddie eyed the small cabin, causing Kab to almost let out an exaggerated scoff.
“Here for the long haul.” Kaboodle joked half-heartedly.
“Well, kaboodle. Uh, tell me about yourself?” Maddie said awkwardly. Shifting slightly and adjusting her purple dress.
“Well I come from a pretty broke family, my moms a tapestry maker. But if you ask me she's not all that spectacular. Though, my brothers are on his way to become a renowned carpenter. So that's just fantastic! So of course he had to leave me and my mom to pursue that and he sends us a few coins every month to help us get by with an empty promise of return.” Kaboodle knew she was ranting, and ranting to a stranger was probably bad but when she looked up all she saw was concern and empathy.
“I'm so sorry, that must be really hard.” Maddie said and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.
“Uh,.. what about you?” She said changing the subject.
“Well I come from a pretty well off family and I have a younger sister who's currently working to be an artist. Overall, just spoiled noble.” She had retracted her hand and leaned against the rough walls.
“That's nice, What kind of art does she do?” Kaboodle unknowingly had uncurled herself to sit more firmly on her coat. This change was noticed by Maddie.
“Realism, mostly for other nobles.”
“Interesting.”
“What about you, do you have anything you want to do once this is over?” Maddie questioned.
“Well.. I would like to be good at something.” Kab's hands clenched as she stared at her feet.
“What do you mean? I'm sure you're great at things!” Maddie leaned closer. Trying to decide how she should comfort the troubled girl.
“I want to be better than my brother and I want my mother to see me as more than just a jealous sister.” Kab spoke more softly, her voice cracking.
“You'll do great, this could be a place to have more opportunities than your brother to be better!” She reassured her and Kab seemed to genuinely appreciate it, smiling in a childish way.
“I have a blanket, you can lay it out to protect yourself from splinters and use the coat as a blanket.” Maddie offered randomly.
“Why..?” Kab asked, dreading the answer she knew was coming.
“You look like you're going to pass out, and you're going to need sleep to make it through training.” Maddie pulled out a blanket from her larger bag. It looked very high quality, made from soft sheep, deep purple.
“What about you?” Kab asked, Wasn’t Maddie going to be a soldier too?
Maddie pulled out a pin, it was a gold triangle, metal with a little green animal in the middle, an axolotl. Maddie was a Nurse, not a soldier.
“Ah..” She sighed and took the offered blanket. She stood up and maddie helped her spread it across the bench. She layed back down in a ball. It was comfortable, Kab could barely feel the hard bench through the soft layer of wool. And as maddie covered her with her coat she didn't even try to stay conscious. She simply let the warmth she wished for consume her.
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The warmth didn't last long as Kab was startled awake by another screech as the train stopped at another station.
“Are they letting more people on? All the cabins I walked past were full, do they expect us to stuff three people..?” Maddie sounded troubled and turned as she saw Kab sit up and push the coat off.
“Hm..” Kab hummed as she rubbed her eyes. Her bun was now even messier, parts of hair falling free to reveal just how long it was.
“Morning Kab.” Maddie said happily, handing her a wrapped piece of bread and a small wrapped bit of cooked salmon. She took it and ate as the sound of moving feet and speaking echoed outside.
A knock and then the door slid open slightly. A girl with brown hair peaked her head in. She had a simple pair of pants and a button up shirt covered by a long coat. She looked about the same age as Kaboodle. She carried an old pack over her shoulder.
“Uh im sorry to bother you two but uh other cabins are really full can i stay here..?” She sounded a little nervous.
“Sure,”
“Go ahead!”
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The brown haired girl, Rae introduced herself.
“Nice to meet you guys.” She looked relieved. She had taken a spot on the floor, stuffing her stuff under Kab's bench next to her stuff.
“You're gonna be a soldier?” Kab asked immediately.
“Yup, You?” Rae looked over at Kab and she nodded.
“Not me, I get to take care of your cuts and other wounds!!!” Maddie laughed and the other two smiled.
“I won't be getting a single scratch! I'll be untouchable!!” Kab flexes her muscles.
“Don’t worry I'll visit.” Rae smiled shyly, she was not used to being so welcomed in such a short amount of time.
“I didn't mean it like that!” Kab corrected hurriedly. “I'll still visit but it won't be because I'm all scratched up!”
“Alright.” Maddie chuckled.
The conversation was pleasant, slowly learning little tidbits about each other. Kab didn't like to learn about architecture, Her brother had apparently tried to show her but she had no interest, Maddie liked to dance and was apparently trained in it for several years, and Rae originally lived in a poor village and worked at the farm.
They didn't even realize they had arrived until the train screeched to a stop and the sound of voices and slamming doors reverberated around the halls.
“Were here!? Already!?” Kab jumped up stuffing her shoes back on and adorned her coat. As she did that, maddie hurriedly stuffed her blanket in her bag and Rae grabbed hers and kabs bags tossing it to her. Kab slung it over her shoulder as they made their way into the narrow hall.
It was packed with people all trying to get off the train. The three clung to each other stepping down onto the new platform.
They tried to move a little past the crowds of people all gathering and attempting to navigate.
“Lets make our way over to the booth, get you two registered and into your barracks!” Maddie called over the crowd of people pulling Kab and Rae past people to a collection of booths with people standing in line.
It was suffocating, loud noises of the train and people, everyone shoved each other trying to find some direction. If it weren't for the tight hands Rae and Kab had on Maddie they would have lost her.
“Are you sure this is just ONE of the training camps! It feels like there are thousands of people here!” Rae sounded just as freaked out as Kab.
“Quite.” Maddie spoke calmly as they reached an empty line. Approaching the lady that sat behind the desk she spoke.
“Hello, I've got 2 new recruits here, this is Kaboodle and Rae.”
The lady nodded, scrolling something on 2 pieces of paper and handing them to Maddy then she spoke.
“ID?”
Maddy pulled out the pin and a piece of folded paper. The lady nodded and Maddie pulled Kab and Rae through the gates before others swarmed the line.
“Here.” She turned back, handing Kab and Rae each paper as they walked. It was more quiet now, less foot traffic as people passed by with their own papers.
“This should have your barrack number during your training period, and your names. Keep this on you until you get a proper ID and a squad.
“How do you know so much?” Rae questioned.
“I'm not new, I was transferred. I used to be in the northfront.” Maddie explained and the two nodded in understanding.
“You guys better hurry, wouldn’t want you to be tired on your first day!’ She smiled. Kaboodle charged her in a hug and Rae joined.
“I'll write and visit ok?” Kab said she sounded like she was about to cry, Rae nodded too, tearful.
“Alright.” Maddie gave them a full hug and wished them luck as they hurried off to find their barrack.
As they walked Rae turned to Kab
“Also Kab, your bun has been a mess this entire time i just haven't mentioned it.” Rae said.
“WHAT.”