WARZONE - König

15

The journey north to the exfil location had begun without hesitation, their comfort inside the apartment short-lived. Nadja properly patches all her wounds while Konig quickly swept the top floor apartments for food and supplies. And with their ammo, bellies and backpacks full, they lead the women onwards through the city towards Sector 1 of Al-Mazrah.

The sun was high, and even with the chilly winds, the heat from above had begun to beat down on them. With Konig in lead and Nadja walking amongst the women, she began wiping her sweat from her brow, occasionally taking small sips of water to stay cool as her body was working extra hard to push through the aching in her body.

One of the women digs into her satchel as she notices the exhausted expression upon her face. "Khudh hadha habi." The woman calls out to Nadja, catching her attention as she hands her a simple brown shayla. Nadja graciously takes the long scarf into her hands, looking down to it with a grateful but inquisitive smile as they continue to walk, trying to remember how to wrap it on.

The woman laughs at her confusion, stepping out of the group and stopping Nadja as she takes the shayla back, spreading it over her hair and wrapping it around in layers to protect her head from the sun. And with two tufts of hair exposed with the loose wrapping, the woman steps back to admire her work.

Konig took late notice to their halt, turning around to find the woman standing before Nadja, blocking her face as she stepped back. Curious, he walks closer where revealing behind the woman was Nadja with the headscarf now wrapped over her head and draped over her shoulders. Her black hair complimented the soft brown scarf's color well, and somehow it brought out the beauty in her eyes even more-so.

"Jamila!" The woman expresses with her hands in the air to Nadja, who couldn't help but flash a flustered smile as she spots Konig looking to her. He was caught in a gaze by her smile, an expression that could melt his heart. But as the other women surround her, touching her hair and complimenting her in a language he couldn't understand, he looks down to his watch with worry taking notice of the ticking clock.

Nadja notices, dropping her wide grin and motioning the women to continue, following aside them as they walk after Konig. They were closing in on the edge of the city, all wary of the possible danger ahead. No one knew what to expect outside of the city limits, whether it'd be swarmed with enemies or completely abandoned. And that worry alone was enough to silence the group as they continue, looking out to the distant dry desert with random sprouts of nearly dead bushes.

Soon into their journey they come across a small village, one that showed clear signs of a previous attack as a few of the buildings were in a state of disrepair. Konig lead a quick sweep through the homes still standing, finding nothing more than empty bullet shells and abandoned personal items, though he did come across a med kit. 

Taking out the bandages, he meets back with Nadja who scouted a separate home, showing her his discovery and continuing on past the village. The sun was now falling, the sky lit in a golden orange casting over them as the temperature began to lower. Moving fast to keep with daylight, the women stick close to Nadja, giving her a sense of motherly protection over them, fulfilling her with a purpose that pushed her past her fatigue. 

In the silence of their journey, one of the women finally spoke up, communicating to Nadja in Arabic. 

"Your partner, what's wrong with him?" She asks. 

Nadja furrows her brows in thought as she glances up to Konig, then looking back to the woman as she realized the meaning of her question. 

"Oh, he's just... a mute." She says, deciding quickly what to say. 

The women giggle. "And is he your lover?" 

Nadja's smile immediately vanished as her head shot up towards the women. "No, no it's not like that--we're just comrades. That's all."