Worlds Apart

Cohesion

Maaike and I find ourselves energized by a newfound sense of purpose and relief upon having finally reunited after all this time. It turns out she rejected Eerika's offer to stand beside her sometime during the first night of their march, making up some scheme about joining the ranks of the archers instead before using this excuse to do what she does best and escape the army to come find me. She spends the majority of the drive taking stock of our supplies in the rover and suiting up into her old gear again, the gear she made for herself over the years. Now camouflaged to match the forest, we look like a team again; we look like a family.

This hope does not deter from the dark nature of what is to come by nightfall, however, as she continues to double check our ammo and weapons caches over and over again in order to be sure on what we have. Maybe it would be best to have her verbalize her findings in order to distract her from the dreadful task ahead.

"Why don't you review what you have with me?" I offer, glancing pointedly over to Maaike who just manages to lift her blurred gaze up to my own.

"What?"

"You're getting yourself worked up by distracting yourself with redundant tasks. Tell me what you jotted down and believe what you tell me, okay?"

With reluctance in her gaze, Maaike swallows thickly before echoing, "Okay."

"How many arrows do you have?"

"60 standard; 10 fire; 8 poisonous; 6 explosive."

"Knives?"

"4 throwing knives; 2 daggers; 1 hidden."

"And crafting supplies?"

"Got feathers and wood for standard arrows, cloth and oil for flammable, noxious mushrooms for poisonous, magnesite ore for explosive, and medicinal herbs and tape for field bandages."

"What about grenades?"

"I've already prepped three smoke grenades, two gas can bombs, and four proximity mines."

"It's not likely you'll have any use for the mines. We're entering their territory, remember?"

"Oh, right." Maaike relents, glancing down to check their placement over her makeshift bandolier already filled with explosive weaponry. "But I think I'll hold onto them just in case."

I am about to protest when I glance over to Maaike, noticing her stiff posture and flushed complexion. Both are signs of her anxiousness of what is to come, and it is enough to deter me from nitpicking any further. "Alright."

By dawn we are riding into the dried up, craggy landscape, the occasional pools of emerald water and rock formations hinting towards mountainous region to come that leads straight into the eastern pass into Nocte Cantavit. What truly draws our attention past the yellowing skies and dusted grounds are all the crimson and ebony tents filled with hundreds of wounded soldiers, hundreds of the large, expedition tents lined with torches at every turn. Everywhere we look, dozens of warriors, barons, viscounts, any available uninjured personal are racing around to help assist the medics, and everyone is covered in grime, blood, and sediment; a telling sign that they already marched into the gorge and were ambushed.

"We were too late." Maaike breathes when we exit the rover.

"Just stay calm, okay? We're going to figure this out." I assure her. I reach back to offer a hand her way, one she glances to wondrously before raising her eyes to meet my firm expression.

"Aurora-"

"We're getting through this, Maaike." I state, my hand still raised. "Together."

To this, Maaike releases a low breath before nodding and taking my hand. We walk into the camp looking for some form of authority, and for any of who remain of those we know, but it is hard to detect any signs of either with the chaotic environment having taken suit. All around us individuals push and shove but some stumble in our midst as though they recognize us. One woman actually raises a fist to her heart before nodding her head; a salute to the previous monarch. Both awed and confused, I return the gesture before taking Maaike's hand again to continue working our way through the crowd.