𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐰 - ᵇᵉˡˡᵃᵐʸ ᵇˡᵃᵏᵉ

1

The mountain men were evil and the mountain was the worst thing Asha had ever experienced. The months spent in that cage were something she will never be able to forget. And then Asha was freed by a deal the Commander made, and a blonde girl that fell from the sky killed them all. Wanheda, they called her. The commander of death. And so, Asha was able to return to her home, and live her peaceful life as the healer of her village.

Life was calm, until people started hunting Wanheda. Asha didn't really care—she owed her her life, yes, but Wanheda was capable enough to look out for herself even after leaving her people behind—but she did care for the large amounts of people who would come back to the village, scarred and hurt, after trying to capture her and failing in an array of ways. Her village was not large, but there were mostly warriors. And warriors wanted the respect of killing Wanheda and getting her power.

Asha would scold each one as she would press the hot knife to their wounds to cauterize it, and would make them promise to be more careful.

Eventually, three months after the mountain fell, Wanheda was captured by the prince of Azgeda and brought to Heda in polis and now the sky people were a part of the coalition. Asha heard about it from the hushed whispers of the warriors who were lucky enough to travel to Polis when they pleased. Roan is a man Asha once met. She had been young, only 12, but then again he was only 16.

All in all, Asha's life was good—great, even. There was no war in sight, more trade routes were opening, and tensions were easing. But then Heda ordered Trikru to move closer to Skaikru's territory to protect them in case of an Azgeda attack after they destroyed the mountain while sky people were inside.

"I don't understand why you're going. You're not a warrior," Lyra says, sitting cross-legged on top of Asha's bag. "We have no business with those people."

"We do have business with the sky people. They're part of the coalition, my dear sister." Asha replies, sorting through her equipment on the wooden table in their house. "Indra said a healer needs to come, and Nyko isn't here to assist."

The shorter brunette groans and kicks at the floor. The two sisters were alike in many ways—caring, smart, funny—but Lyra was always the hotheaded one, quick to speak her mind without fear of the consequences. Asha used to be like her, but with age, she has become calmer and more collected. Asha can only hope her 12-year-old sister will follow the same path as she grows up.