after unlocked: a sokeefe fanfic

Chapter 83-Sophie

Two Months Later...

"I want to invade."

Sophie surveyed the room, locking eyes with Forkle for a moment, before sweeping her gaze across all the able bodied elves again.

She took a deep breath. "Look, we've all been forced out of our homes." A slight laugh escaped her face; it was a bitter laugh. "We've been separated from our family, our friends. We've been forced to move along with life, all while people are missing, or possibly dying."

Many eyes were downcast, and Sophie wondered when they had become so easily browbeaten.

"I want take it back."

No one answered.

Sophie forced back her panic.

She glanced to her right, where her friends stood. She sought out specific blue eyes, knowing her own brown eyes were revealing every worry she was feeling at that moment. Keefe gave her an encouraging, slight smile. "Breathe," he mouthed.

Sophie exhaled deeply.

She looked back at the others gathered around her. Look at Forkle again.

"You don't have throw your lot in with us," Sophie said softly. "You don't have to trust me. You don't even have to like me."

She heard Stina snort nearby and when Sophie glanced back at them, she saw the others smiling slightly.

Sophie tamped down her own amusement. God, it felt good to try not to laugh, instead of trying to laugh.

"I want my home back." She said simply. She shrugged. "So, yeah, I'll fight for it. Because I'm done running." With that, she stepped on the platform and walked to her friends.

Biana glanced over at the group Sophie had left murmuring amongst each other. "So what do we do now?"

"Now," Sophie said grimly, "we wait."

***

"We have twenty-three volunteers."

Keefe groaned, flopping back onto his cot. Sophie had stopped pacing anxiously, but now she resumed.

"Twenty-three plus me and you guys." She counted in her head.

Keefe beat her to it, and said, voice muffled, "Thirty, give and take the ones who can't even fight."

They all exchanged grim glances.

Sophie rubbed her forehead, dropped her hand. A plan began forming in her head. "Okay. Here's what we're gonna do."

***

"How far do you expect us to get through before we get caught?" Keefe's voice echoed through the tunnel up to her, and Sophie waited until he was closer to answer.

"We're trying to get caught, Keefe." She began walking again and could hear him close at her heels. "We're turning ourselves in, remember?"

"I'm turning myself in," he corrected.

She stopped again, struck by guiltiness. "We can switch roles? I can get caught and you can sneak around."

"Nah." He nudged her forward, giving her a boost at the incline to clamber over the stone inside the tunnel. "I'm good. You're better at stealth anyways."

Sophie allowed herself a small smile. "True."

"Rude."

"You said it first."