Waging War | The Amber Duology #1

13 | Regrets and Consequences

Nya never liked being called selfish. Despite her glaring indifference, she often avoided being associated with the word. However, she knew asking Skylor to follow her brother was definitely a risk not worth taking.

How could I be so stupid? She thought, pacing past the beds in the tent, biting on her fingernails. Of course my brother doesn't need protection. He's a soldier for goodness sake.

A few minutes after the alarm went off, Nya had managed to convince Skylor to follow her brother. Of course, she knew she wanted nothing to do with him and they were still bound for a talk at some point, but the thought of her brother being safe and alive was something she wasn't going to pass up on.

"You have to go with him." She had pleaded, her grip tight on Skylor's hand.

The girl looked taken aback by the request. "What? Nya I—"

"Please? I can't lose him. Not again."

She had heard many people say that there was a fine line between nobility and stupidity, Nya liked to think she was standing on top of it, being both righteous and dumb at the same time. However, sending Skylor to her death bed was definitely a heavy swing to the latter.

So while the other trainees were going about their day after training was placed on hold, Nya hid in the tents. The only place she could truly break down.

"What was I thinking asking her to do that for me?!" She was now pulling at the strands of her hair, desperate for an answer somewhere. 

Nya knew she couldn't do it herself, not with her physical condition. But why was Skylor any different? Why did Nya think her best friend of all people could handle heading for the Oni with nothing but the bare minimum of fighting skills?

She said she wanted to go outside the walls. Now she's outside of camp too.

Nya liked to think that she was doing her friend a favor, of helping her live out her dream—despite the obvious churning in her stomach that something was bound to go wrong. What am I gonna do?

She didn't expect the answer to arrive wearing a light blue robe that would stand out in any crowd, with the most distinct fluff of auburn curls, and the dots of little freckles sprinkled over a smooth tanned skin. She also didn't expect it to be very good looking.

"Can I help you?" Nya asked the boy who seemed like he had no sense of direction, placing a hand over her hip.

His electric blue eyes widened at the sight of her. "Oh! I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know where to go, it was all just..."

A loud thud echoed when he hit the ground and Nya was quick on her feet. She kneeled down beside him, shaking his body in a much more aggressive way than she should have.

"Hello? Are you okay?"

Nya didn't know what to do. She had never seen anyone pass out before let alone know what to do about it and she was certainly not giving an ounce of her already limited strength to carry him to the infirmary.

What would Skylor do? She thought, the panic slowly taking over her once more.

She argued with herself—although she might have seemed crazy to anyone who was watching from afar—and decided to figure out what to do after she got him into a more comfortable state. She grabbed his arm, which was covered in sweat even through his thick robes, and pulled him, dragging him along the floor of the tent.

"How can a soldier," Nya panted, a sweat breaking through her forehead. "Weight heavier than rice?!" Of course, she was exaggerating. Nya would never carry a sack of rice, even if she had to.