Shadows can heal too

Kribirsk

Her red hair clashing among the grim atmosphere, and with her green uniform, there stood a twenty three year old Bianca Taylor. The lieutenant general was strutting around the first army camp, heading to the tent where the second lieutenant was giving a speech she wasn't aware of.

"If this model works," he spoke, "it means a full meal for everyone in this tent next week. It means bullets for your guns, and sugar for your tea"

"How about some whiskey?" a soldier asked

"Some whiskey would be nice, but do stay grounded" replied Bianca. Everyone turned to her and bowed their heads. Her demeanor demanded respect from everyone, and she earned that respect. "Of course, they need our help bringing those supplies back. So I assigned those who will go on the skiff"

"General" saluted the lieutenant. "I thought you were serving at the northern border"

"Lieutenant" Bianca nodded in acknowledgement, "I was, but they need me here, temporarily. I will let you announce the names"

"Sergeant Yure Teplove..." more names were announced, until one of the caught the attention of the lieutenant. "Tracker, Malyen Oretsev!"

Bianca jolted, she wasn't that close with them, but she got to know them in the three weeks she spent in Kribirsk. She knew that their bond was special, and a part of her inner child envied this. While growing up, she never had friends other than Matthias, a part of being hidden underground

"That's it-" announced the second lieutenant, but Bianca interrupted him in the perfect moment

"I apologize for the interruption, lieutenant, but we also need the whole cartography unit to map the rest of the Ravkan borders on the true sea"

"Very well," he turned to the soldiers, "you heard the general, dinner in an hour, come back and line up in rank, dismissed"

As everyone went to the dining hall, Bianca swept off looking for Mal and Alina. Once she found Mal, she pointed her finger to her mouth before Alina could speak and jumped over Mal.

"WHO THE- oh, general"

"There's nobody here and I'm off duty"

"Right right sorry Bianca"

She let out a small chuckle, "anyway, Alina are you alright?"

"I'm alright," she replied, "just a bit scared"

"I'd be surprised if anyone isn't, except for Mr. tough guy" she nudged Mal. "Come on let's go before the grisha decide to have us for dinner"

Everyone was in line for dinner, Mal was off somewhere, Alina stood first, and Bianca was beside her. Bianca liked to be treated like the rest of the soldiers, even though she could be treated as if she's grisha. They were all fighting one war, and the fold isn't going to have mercy regardless if one was grisha or not. When Alina stretched her hand with the plate, the cook stared at her in disbelief.

"What's a Shu girl doing here?" he asked mockingly

"I'm Ravkan, on the cartography team"

"She's half Shu, and orphan" corrected a soldier in line

"Is that an answer?" he responded mockingly. "Back of the line, your friends too"

"I don't know them" Alina motioned to the people behind Bianca, who was biting on her tongue before she would say the wrong thing

'Can we make him decay with the plague?'

'So people can know that the otkazat'sya lieutenant general is a grisha who hid her powers because she didn't want to be ripped away from her family? If we were alone I'll accept but not now' Bianca's thoughts scolded

'Fine, but they'll find out one way or another' shadow groaned.

'I for one agree with shadow'

'Let's just hope that it won't be too soon' Bianca mumbled in defeat.

Bianca shook her head, returning back to reality. Her temper was rising slowly with her jaw clenched, her red hair would sound like fire in the broad daylight.

"Then you go" the cook shouted "Come on! Or else... oh- general" he coughed, while Bianca's grey eyes pierced into his soul.

"The cartographer is Ravkan," she declared. "Now if you value your job I suggest you quit your racist ways and fill in her plate"

'Period'

'Modern feminism'

Bianca smiled to herself. The cook looked taken aback and embarrassed while the soldiers shifted uncomfortably. He hesitantly took Alina's plate and filled it with a glare.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks, I don't know what would I do without you"

"Of course, now let's find Mal before he gets to the grisha tent somehow and gets an invitation to jail"

"You didn't get a plate?"

"Eh," Bianca shrugged, "not hungry"

Alina laughed and followed Bianca. Deep down, Bianca knew that Alina was not okay, this wasn't the first time people would point out her Shu features. If Bianca wasn't the lieutenant general, people would assume that she's Fjerdan right away. She does have her mother's red hair and tall figure and her father's Fjerdan looks after all.

"I'll be back in a minute, I'll pay a visit to the grisha tent"

"Alright, just don't get caught" Alima headed to the top of a small cliff

Bianca headed to the grisha tent with a huge smirk on her face. She pointed her hands together, calling out for her shadows and heart.

She walked slowly into the grisha tent and spotted a bowl of fruit. No heartbeats were near, so Bianca snatched the bowl and was about to make a run, disguised in her shadows.

The element of surprise was getting closer and closer, until Bianca broke its trail and heard a heartbeat of a squaller. The moment she heard the heartbeat, she zoomed away to the corner where Mal and Alina were sitting in.

"HELLO YOU TWO!"

"BIANCA TAYLOR YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME!"

"Shut it drama queen," she slapped Mal's arm, "look at what I got from the grisha tent"

"Fruit?" Alina questioned, laughing

"Yes fruit, now eat up you two before we get caught. We have a long day tomorrow"

"Why didn't you take me with you?" huffed Mal

"Because you'd get an invitation to jail and flirt your way out" replied Bianca with a 'duh' tone

"In my defense, grisha women scare me"

"Sure they do, I saw you flirting with a squaller the other day" A few moments passed before they all burst into laughter