His Light - General Kirigan (Shadow and Bone)

1.1 The Fold

Ravka. At the First Army camp. 

I walked out of my tent and saw Mal talking to my sister. 

Alina looked at the new ship " That looks new."

Mal "Brand-new. Grisha call it ultralight. Made by their own Fabrikators. It's supposed to be faster."

Alina "What happened to the last one?"

Me "It never came back."

The two of them turned to me. 

Mal nodded "Aurelia "

Alina's jaw dropped "Aurelia"

I smirked "Alina"

She ran over to me and hugged me.

I hugged her back and breathed out relieved "you made it"

Alina let go of me "how long has it been, Aurelia?"

I thought about it before shrugging "couple months"

Alina hugged me again. 

Mal "She never hugs me that way"

Alina let go of me and turned to him. 

He chuckled. 

Suddenly a horn blew. 

I sighed "Let's go"

At the tent. 

Colonel "All right, listen up. I know some of you have been on the road for a week, so I'll be brief. Most of you will continue north to the Fjerdan frontlines. Or south to the Shu Han border. The Second Army, however, has a shiny new solution to our food shortage, and it sails tomorrow for Novokribirsk. If this model works, it means a full meal for everyone in this tent next week. It means bullets for your guns and sugar for your tea."

A man yelled " How about some whiskey?"

The others started laughing. 

Colonel "Yes, that would be nice, but don't hold your breath. Of course, they need our help bringing those supplies back, so some of you will be assigned."

Alina looked at Mal. 

Mal whispered to her  "There's nothing to fear. I will now be selecting names for what I call the 'nightmare lottery.' "

Colonel "For the supply run across the Fold! Sergeant Yure Teplov. Tracker Malyen Oretsev! "

Alina froze surprised "did he...but you're in our unit. "

Mal "It has to be an error. It has to be."

Alina "Didn't sound like an error, Mal."

Colonel "And finally, Medic Nolech Barenovsky. That's it. Dinner in one hour. Come back and line up by rank. Dismissed."

Everyone left. 

Alina "Mal."

Mal crossed his arms over his chest "Well, if it does work, I'll get to visit Ketterdam."

Then he walked away. 

Alina looked at me. 

Night. 

Alina and i were gonna get something to eat. 

The cook looked at us "What's a Shu girl doing here?"

Alina "I'm Ravkan. On the cartography team."