FRIENDSHIP

Chapter 6: Inexa

I felt terrible.

As Father drove the truck farther and farther away from my cottage and the house became smaller and smaller, I sighed.

What have I done to my friends?

Mother had dozed off, and Father was driving. The two reasons I was here.

"Soldier, you'll drive until we get to the Crossing," the woman I had seen a few times in the army said to my father, her face grim. "I'll take it from there."

Who was she? And why did she have the right to talk to my father like this?

Wasn't he a soldier?

Wait, shouldn't I know who she was?

I had been educated on all army and state matters since I was three! It was a must for a child of someone in the military.

So who exactly was she?

I frowned as I looked at Ibe. The woman had brought her here, maybe she would know.

"Ibe," I whispered in her ear.

Ibe jumped. "Oh, Nexi, yeah?"

"Who is she?" I glanced at the woman.

Arms crossed, the woman glanced at me mildly, golden eyes cold, hood still intact. "I can hear you, girl."

Blush flooded my cheeks. "I'm... sorry?!" I gasped.

"But... who are you, then?" Ibe said.

The woman huffed. "I suppose you'd forget in a few days anyway." She looked out of the bullet-proofed, barred window without another second wasted on us, since we obviously weren't good enough for her.

I rolled my eyes silently and looked at Eina. She hadn't seemed very well when I saw her before.

She looked as though she was holding back tears.

"Eina?" I whisper-yelled. "What's wrong?"

Ibe turned her way too. "Eina?"

"It's... it's nothing..." Eina mumbled. "I'm just... scared to leave Dad here..."

"It's okay you know, Eina? You can go back," I said.

"But, it's worse to leave both of you on the battlefield and go home knowing I've abandoned you!" Eina almost sobbed.

"No, it's not." To our surprise, the woman was the one who spoke. "Sometimes even those with the most loyalty can be cowards in the face of war, and... there is no shame in that."

Her hooded face was still turned to the window. She sounded as though she spoke from experience, a tinge of resignation lingering in her voice even though she was trying to hide it.

I wondered what had happened to her.

Ibe, Eina and I grew silent.

***

"How are you feeling now?" I said to Eina.

She bit her lip. "A bit better."

I checked everyone else.

Somehow, I just felt it was my responsibility to make sure everyone was fine.

Ibe was staring at the air.

Mother and the woman were asleep, but the woman's face was contorted.

Father was still driving.

Alright, everyone was fine. Phew.

Suddenly, I wondered and said, "Father, how long left?"

"A few hours for my shift, and then the oh-so-holy Prima will drive for another few." Father said the woman's part mockingly.

I winced, but replied, "Okay."

Why did he not like her so much?

Because she was a woman?

Or was it something else, something that was worse?

***

Father yawned, raising his arms above his head.

Mother did too in the truck, more politely. "Nexi, be a dear and tell Her Highness to drive." She, like Father, said the title mockingly.

I winced again, nodded and went to the woman. "Hey, wake up," I said, trying to make my voice gentle.

I felt she deserved that, with the nightmares she seemed to be having.

She jumped as her eyes snapped open, her sword pointed at my chest.

I gasped as my heart started pounding frantically and I backed away a little.

She blinked, eyes widening as she lowered the sword and regained her stoic face. "I could have killed you."
"I'm sorry," I gasped. "I was told to wake you. You've got to drive now."

She nodded curtly and got out of the car, getting back in the driver's seat.

Father came back in, this time into the back.

The truck took off again, but I couldn't help but wonder about the enigma this woman was.