The Ashen Rebellion

19 | An argument in the dark

NYSSA LAY IN HER SLEEPING bag, staring up at the tent's canvas ceiling. The dream had left her shaken, the whispers still echoing in her mind. She debated going back to sleep but hesitated, fearing another terrifying dream. The silence of the night pressed in on her, amplifying her unease.

She strained to hear any signs of life among the rebels. Silence. Slowly, she unzipped her sleeping bag and peeked her head outside, using her sword to reflect the moonlight and illuminate the interior of the tent. She scanned their faces, finding everyone accounted for and sleeping, except for... Kael. Her suspicions rose, and her heart dropped.

Nyssa carefully stepped out of her sleeping bag, the chilly night air biting at her skin. She followed the trail of steps in the dirt, the path leading her deeper into the forest. It was even quieter here, more eerie, but she forced herself to push on, trying to make her steps as silent as possible.

A rustle of bushes behind her made her squeal and swing her sword out in startle. Metal clanged against metal, and she found herself slammed against a tree, Kael standing before her, breathing harshly.

''What are you doing awake?'' He breathed in her face, quickly releasing her once he realized it was her.

''Peeing,'' She lied. ''What about you?''

''You pee with your sword?''

''You're the one who taught us to never open ourselves up to a compromising position. I don't know about you, but squatting in the bushes seems rather compromising to me. I mean, just imagine the surprise I'd get if one of the Firelord's men snuck up on me while I was weaponless.''

He didn't answer, looking off to the side, his expression hardening.

She let out a sigh. He had been acting this way ever since she had run off during the mission. Was he really such a control freak that one little mishap had caused him to act so salty hours later? ''Look, I'm not apologizing for what I did.]]

''I wasn't expecting you to,'' He replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

''But you want me to,'' She replied knowingly.

He took a step closer to her. ''What I want you to do is to stop behaving so rashly.''

''Rashly? Is that what you call it? I was trying to save my brother!''

''And in doing so, you jeopardized the entire mission. You put everyone at risk, Nyssa!''

She clenched her fists, frustration boiling over. ''You act like you're the only one who cares about this cause, but you're not. We all care. I care about Jaxon, and I'll do whatever it takes to save him.''

Kael's eyes flashed with anger. ''This isn't just about Jaxon. This is about all of us. Every single person in this camp is relying on each other. Your actions affect more than just you.''

''I know that! Do you think I don't know that?'' Nyssa's voice cracked, the weight of her guilt and fear pressing down on her. ''But Jaxon is my brother. I can't just sit by and do nothing.''

Kael took another step closer, his face inches from hers. ''And what happens when you get yourself killed? Or worse, when you get someone else killed because you couldn't follow simple orders?''

Nyssa met his gaze, her eyes fierce. ''I'm not going to apologize for wanting to save my family. You can't expect me to just—''

''I don't expect you to apologize,'' Kael interrupted, his voice lower now, almost soft. ''But I do expect you to trust me. To trust that I have all of our best interests at heart.''

Nyssa scoffed. ''Is that what this is about? Trust? Because it seems like you're just pissed off that I didn't follow your precious orders.''

Kael's jaw tightened, and for a moment, Nyssa thought he might explode. But then his shoulders sagged, and he looked away. ''You have no idea what it's like to worry about everyone's safety,'' he said quietly. ''Including yours.''

Nyssa's heart skipped a beat. ''Wait, are you saying you were... worried about me?''

Kael rolled his eyes, stepping back. ''Don't flatter yourself.''

She grinned, unable to help herself. ''Kael, were you really worried about me?''

He turned away, his voice gruff. ''I'm going back to bed, we have a long trip home tomorrow. If you were smart, you'd do the same.''

As Kael walked away, Nyssa stood there, replaying their entire conversation in her head. Her heart pounded fast in her chest, and a strange warmth spread through her. But then, realization struck her. Kael had never told her what he had been doing up in the dark.