The Ashen Rebellion

21 | A perilous dream

''THALINA?'' TARRY'S VOICE BROKE the silence, disbelief and hope mingling in his tone.

Thalina turned, her eyes widening in recognition. "Tarry?" She whispered, taking a hesitant step forward.

Tarry's eyes widened in shock and then joy. "Thalina?" He cried out, running towards her. They collided in a tight embrace, holding each other as if afraid to let go. 

"It's really you!" He said, his voice choked with emotion. "I thought you were dead!"

Thalina laughed, her eyes shining with tears. "They couldn't get rid of me that easily."

Arjun cleared his throat, breaking the emotional moment. "Uh... hello? Are you gonna introduce us?"

Thalina pulled back from Tarry, wiping her tears and smiling warmly at the group. "Of course. I'm Thalina, Tarry's older sister."

The rebels exchanged surprised glances, then smiled back, relieved to see Tarry reunited with a family member.

Tarry's expression turned somber as he asked the inevitable question. "Did anyone else... did anyone else make it?"

Thalina's smile faded, and she shook her head slowly. "No, Tarry. It's just me."

A heavy silence fell over the group, the joy of the reunion overshadowed by the grief of their loss. Thalina took a deep breath and began to recount her story. "After the FF captured us, they separated us. I don't know what happened to the others, but I managed to escape during a transfer. I've been leading this group ever since, fighting back however we can."

Kael listened intently, his eyes never leaving Thalina's face. "What dangers have you faced?"

"More than I can count," Thalina replied, a steely resolve in her voice. "We've had to be smart, setting traps and creating secret escape routes. But the FF is relentless. They won't stop until they've crushed every last one of us."

She then went into a story about how she had taken out an entire squad of FF soldiers by herself. Shared critical information about the FF. "They had a weak spot in their supply chain. And I knew that if I could hit their convoys, I could cripple their operations.''

Nyssa, standing off to the side, couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as Kael showered Thalina with attention. "You fought off a whole squad of FF soldiers by yourself?" Kael asked, clearly impressed.

Thalina nodded, a proud smile on her lips. "Had to. They cornered us in a ravine. I took them out one by one."

Nyssa felt a mix of admiration and irritation. But then Thalina turned to her, a mischievous glint in her eye. "What about you, Nyssa? Ever had to take on a squad of FF soldiers alone?"

"Not quite," Nyssa replied, trying to keep her tone light. "But I've had my share of close calls."

Thalina's smile widened. "I bet you handle yourself just fine. Maybe you could show me a move or two later?" She winked, and Nyssa realized with a shudder that Thalina might be flirting with.... her?

Kael noticed the exchange and raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Looks like someone's popular," He muttered under his breath.

Thalina led them on a tour of the village, pointing out the makeshift defenses, hidden traps, and secret escape routes they had set up. "We've had to be resourceful," She explained. "The FF is relentless, but so are we."

As they caught up and Thalina introduced the rebels to the rest of the bandits, Tarry made a sporadic decision. "Can we stay the night, Kael? Please? It's the first time I've seen my sister in a long time.''