The wind made her hijab flutter as the night pressed deep into the woods. Trees towered above Ameera as she sat by the edge of the stream, dipping her ankles into the cold, flowing water.

She hugged her legs, chin on knees. Faint crackle and voices drifted from the base camp nearby.

The trees swayed along the wind, carrying subtle whispers.

A rustle of leaves tore through the silence. Sharp and distinct.

Ameera didn’t freeze. She didn’t flinch.

She got up, brushing her wet feet against the grass.

Moon shone overhead, spilling in streaks of silver moonlight through the foliage. Ameera squinted through the dark barks.

Another rustle.

A dark figure.

“Greetings, General.” A voice chimed.

“Serene.” Ameera nodded.

An elf hopped down from the branches, landing with a dramatic bow, her blonde ponytail trailing behind.

Her eyes lingered on her armor and back at her.

“Gold is a good color on you.”

Serene leaned back against a dark bark, a grin slowly forming across her face.

Ameera didn't smile.

“The Southern border. What happened?”

“Oh, you should’ve seen it with yourself." her emerald eyes gleamed.

“Every ambush compromised. The clan was so fierce! Everything fell into place just as planned!”

She shot an imaginary arrow through her mimicked bow.

“Casualties?” Ameera bent down, picking up her spear.

“None!” Serene jumped into the water running below, “A hundred or so injured. But no deaths. I’m surprised the Council didn’t catch up to us.”

“I threw in some misleads.” Ameera’s voice was quiet. “Faked a few reports. Covered your tracks.”

“You pulled some strings.”

“I broke my rules for you.” She said with an edge to her voice.

Serene sighed, her smile slowly fading.

Ameera was stubborn- always driven by the thought that she was right.

Serene sighed, the dismal expression returning to her face.

“I never asked you to.”

“What else was I supposed to do?” Ameera snapped, ramming her spear into the soil. “Watch the Council drag you into the dungeons and behead you among the townsfolk?”

“Look around me, Ameera!” Serene threw her arms in a wide arc, gesturing into the woods behind her, “Do you see anyone chasing me? Trying to get me in chains?”

“If I shoot a flare in the sky, they would!”

"Admit it. My clan has done more in weeks than the council could do in years!"

"Because you’re being reckless," Ameera replied— her voice clipped and cold. "You're losing your people twice as fast as ours."

"You think I don't know that?" Serene walked out of the water, rage biting at her.

For once, just this once, she hoped she could earn a smile on her friend’s face. Lift her burden.

Yet here she was, glaring daggers at her.

"Those people are the closest thing to a family I have."

"And you were not asked to take the risk." Ameera’s grip around the spear tightened. "Allow us to handle it."

"We'll be dead by the time the council releases an order!" Serene shouted, "General Xyzen died waiting!”

She instantly regretted the moment the words fell out.