Crackle!
The single campfire (lit by Nueluth, of course) softly illuminated the faces of the three soldiers seated around it. Grey smoke flew into the air, obscuring the moon just faintly.
It was awkward. Silent.
Noticing this silence, Rita raised a closed hand to her lips, clearing her throat loudly. She spoke, her eyes closed.
"Ahem… I won't be questioning why exactly you two were fighting, since that is not any of my business. I wouldn't advise it, being that we are in a war, and cooperation is the best thing we can have, but at the same time, quarrels between squad mates can be understood."
Her hand had already left her mouth as she spoke. Both hands were now placed in her lap, and her spear amalgamation was stuck into the ground.
Lunan and Nueluth stared at Rita, then stared at each other.
— She just tried to kill me… maybe that's what's causing this uneasy feeling in my stomach.
Lunan thought, as his eyes met Nueluth's.
— I should've killed him when I got the chance. Disposed of his body, clean and simple. The next time I'll get a golden chance like this… probably during a battle? I'll have to wait and see.
Nueluth thought, as her eyes met Lunan's.
There was no longer a calming chill that stood hairs up and pushed away warmth, like the winter seasons.
It was the 12 day of March, and spring was really beginning to show. Through the warmer breeze, the brighter colors seemed to appear everywhere.
But you couldn't see them in the darkness. Only tidbits, sparks of the colorful spring that were shown at the flickering, wavering light of the fire.
"So, let me understand this correctly. The king felt that our forces were… not efficient. So he sent one person to try and shift the tides?" Nueluth asked, doubting Caelum's intelligence for just a moment.
"Yes… and no. I'm not the only person he's going to be trying to get to join our side. And, miss Nueluth, I believe I'm not one that you should underestimate since that sounds like what you're doing. I was able to restrain you in a short time. You didn't even notice my presence until I revealed myself to you."
"…"
Nueluth couldn't lie. She was right.
"I assume fighting is not the only thing you were sent here to do, right?" Lunan asked, two fingers rubbing his chin. He scooted closer toward the fire, grabbing as much warmth as he could.
Rita nodded.
"I'm gonna train the infantry, as well. Sharpen their swordsmanship, things of that nature," she said, which was weird, since the weapon behind her looked more like a spear than a sword.
"Your accent… it's… unfamiliar. Where are you from, Miss Eustis?" Nueluth asked.
"I don't live near any cities, so my accent is bound to sound a little country," she replied.
Then, it was silent again. After a minute of silence or so, Rita stood up, very quickly. She stepped over the log that was used as a seat, reaching over to grab her bony staff weapon.
"Well, that's all. You two, inform the other generals of if. A command from the king himself. Make sure it's followed through."
She disappeared into the tall trees, hopping from one tree to another. She moved and moved, both Lunan and Nueluth following her movements very keenly, until she disappeared from sight.
— Fast.
They both thought.
Then their eyes met again.
In a single motion, she clutched the sword handle that rested in its scabbard tightly, sliding back in an evasive motion. Specks of dust shot into the air as her foot slid.
Lunan also backed away, in a far less explosive fashion. He held onto no weapons.
After a few seconds, her grip loosened, and her stance changed to a neutral one. She scoffed.
"It really isn't worth it. Killing you now."
She spat out.
Turning around swiftly, she walked back toward the barracks, not turning around again a single time. Lunan stared at her back, then at his feet.
"I can't blame her for wanting to kill me."
He sighed, running fingers through his hair. Holding his head in his hand.
. . .
. .
.
The next day came. With the enhanced morale from the prior victory, the soldiers woke up early, ready to train. And they were all surprised by the unexpected visitors
"I heard that it's the sister of the king, that came here to train some of us!"
"The sister of the king himself…"
"What's royalty doing here?"
"Wow. A royal decided to help in the war effort. Amazing."
"Nueluth van Mahaut is royalty, and she's a general too, isn't she?"
"Most of the generals didn't choose to be generals, and were specially requested."
"I'm suddenly hungry."
An array of questions and a barrage of conversations shot out, surrounding several things but mostly about the grey-skinned woman who stood with the strange weapon in her hand.
She definitely looked like the king, with grey skin, and female. She also appeared to be older, and taller than the king.
On her forehead, there was a bandage.
In a grassy field, a group of soldiers stood around her. The bony weapon latched to her back, but she really swung a simple iron sword, demonstrating swordsmanship.
"… and if the opponent is in front of you…"
"… the most optimal position in…"
"… puts you into a situation where…"
Bringing up soldiers that she could use as test subjects helped her teach the soldiers around her. The crowd grew.
"She's a good teacher. She really knows her stuff."
The bandaged Bastle stared from a distance, listening keenly to what she was saying. After the battle he had lost before, he was of course feeling a little down.
After the battle, he had to rest for the entire day. Even after that, he still needed crutches to walk. It would take a lot of healing for him too.
"Heal quickly!" A fellow soldier said to him. He awkwardly laughed, nodding, and trudging along with his crutches.
Suddenly, he felt a crumpled paper moving around in his pocket.
— I had forgotten about this!
He straightened out the paper against a wall, leaning onto his crutches to gain all the support he could.
The paper contained nothing but words.
'Visit the doctor, east of the barracks. You'll find him in this wooden shed of some sort.'
— When… did I put this in my pocket?
Bastle rubbed his forehead. But, he didn't really care too much about it. He wanted to be healed quicker.