I Know Places

The things that fell from the sky

He stares at her, wide eyed.
His makeshift dagger pressing harder against her throat. Naalia squeezes her eyes shut, hoping that this pain would be over soon; her death would be quick. Maybe that was weak - she knew that - but right now she didn't care. She had been foolish to checkout the crash site. Even more foolish to go alone. What was she thinking? Only an idiot would do that. I'm not the smartest. She sighs slightly before returning to holding her breath.
Just kill me.
Her eyes squeeze shut even more so, if that was humanly possible.

The strange boy studied her every feature. Surely this poor girl could do no harm to him, she looked much too frail, much too feeble. Something seemed to switch in the boy, he loosened his grip on the dagger, slowly pulling away from the girls throat.
Stupid boy.
Her face tinged with a smile and within seconds the strange boy was in her grasp. His dagger now in her possession and pressed against his throat. She looks away as she pressed harder, dragging the knife from left to right. Trying her best to ignore his muffled screams.

Who are these people? Lia treads carefully, attempting to get a better look at this clan. They were nothing like she'd ever seen. Nothing she's ever dreamed of.
Young, definitely young.
She takes note of the large group of teenagers running a mock of their camp. They ranged from very young to young adult. Perhaps even her own age. 
Yet, childish.
These children - the only way she could describe them - had never had to fend for themselves. Their behaviour confirmed it, their clothing - more so. Impractical and soft, how would these idiots ever survive a night?
She continues to scan the camp. A huge metal contraption centred the site, tents forming in front of and around it.

"Shit," a voice cracks from behind her and she slowly turns on her heals. A young boy shakes about a yard away from her, an odd metal device in hand. He was too shaken to use it, thank the gods. Instead, he stumbles slowly backwards trying to find his voice.
"Gr-grounders!" He screams, running towards his campsite.

"Shit." Lia looks around, making sure no one else has seen her. She had no time to waste, she had to get out of there. No way was she risking another encounter. Lia had already come too close to death for her liking not to long ago. That was enough for one day, she chuckled lightly to herself.

From being young, Lia had a habit of getting into trouble. Whether it was from wandering too far out of the village, using her father's bow or just generally being in the way; getting in trouble wasn't a difficult activity for Naalia.

However, she wasn't able to just hide in her tent whilst things blew over. Not right now. Right now, she was running for her life. Yes, taking on one of them wasn't that difficult of a job. But armed and with back up, she wasn't taking any chances. She liked living, and she intended to do so for a long while.
Lia takes a sharp right at the hanging tree and heads towards her horse. Lux, her ambitious, young shire. He was a loyal friend to her, smart and gentle.

"Let's go, Lux." She pats his neck affectionately, before climbing onto him. A sense of urgency takes over her as she hears movement in the trees not too far behind her.
She couldn't risk staying here any longer.
They had to leave. A hard kick, kick and the two vanish into the darkened woods.

***

"You should've seen it," She falls back onto her bed, "There was so many of them. Not far off a hundred," Yawning, she rubs her eyes, "They all had them things -what are they?- guns? But they were pretty much harmless." She lies, forgetting to mention her earlier conflict with one. Anya nods, barely listening. Instead preoccupied with sharpening her sword.

Anya was the closest thing to family that Naalia had. When her father was killed by reapers, Anya had taken her in, trained her to fight and protect herself. Taught her to be strong.

Anya suddenly turns around to face her, fed up of her constant babble about the sky people, "You are not to go there again," Anya states sternly, "Understand?"
Naalia nods, halfheartedly.
"Lia," she raises her voice, "Do you understand?"
"Yes." Lea spits, rolling her eyes.
"It's far too dangerous. I don't want you to get yourself killed." Anya shakes her head, "They are our enemy, the sent out rockets that destroyed our villages. Do you not realise that?" She sighs, pulling a stubborn Naalia into an embrace, "The commander has yet to decide how we will react, but truth be told, war is on our hands."
"Anya—" Naalia attempts to counter.
"I'm not loosing you as well." Anya states, turning away.

War? Lia sighs to herself. They were only children. War would be immoral. She traces the marks on her lower back. My people no nothing of the word immoral.

When Lia was of age, she was expected to join their clan's army. She was expected to carry on the tradition of fighting for the protection of their clan. The tree clan. She had been forced into this life, and when her father died, she felt she had no choice but to carry on his legacy as a warrior. Of course, it wasn't much of a legacy. A single generation of trikru was hardly a legacy.
Lia traces the sixth mark on her lower back.
Six kills in battle.
She sighs, this wasn't something she wanted to do. She definitely didn't want to be reminded of the lives she had taken.
Six lives.
Six people who probably had families, probably had kids, probably a spouse. Six people who had there lives taken away from them at her hands. She felt so guilty. So inhumane. How could anyone take another's life so easily?

She thinks back to the boy she killed just hours ago. The way the blade sliced through his skin. The way he cried out in pain. Cried out for help.
Why did I kill him?
He let her go. He let her live. He gave her a chance to get away. And instead of showing gratitude for his merciful actions, she slit his throat clean open. She killed him like it was nothing. Like a hunter killing its prey. She showed no mercy to the boy. Boy. He wasn't even a man. He wasn't a warrior. What was wrong with her? She had acted like a cold blooded killer.

My people no nothing of morals, she repeats to herself.