The day was getting late and she was starving again. They would be expecting her back soon. Keika turned on her heel and bolted back into the woods, in the direction of the Otani camp. On the way she replayed the day over and over again in her mind. For her, it was like watching a movie; she could replay her entire life, at least from the age of thirteen.... if she had the time. What could she have done differently? How was this all going to end up? Nearing the end of the run, as the sun was also closing on its run for the day, she began to dwell on the words the brothers had said about her in the field. It gave her some time of happiness and a feeling of being mysterious and exotic, even wanted. It was an escape from what she had to do when she arrived at the camp. She had given one performance in the field, now she was going to have to give another one in the camp. The first one had been rather enjoyable, even if not successful. The next performance was very unwelcome and was going to be very, very difficult. The payment in the end for her would be high; she hoped that she could repair everything when it was over.
The groups could not be allowed to meet. They could not even be allowed to know of each other's existence, other than what Eric's unit had already seen. Both of them had identical missions, to scout and secure this valley for their respective nations. Clearly, that alone put them at odds. Edmund was on his first independent command. Father had given him this mission as a reward, a sign that he trusted him... that he was going to be a worthy successor to the throne. She was on her first real mission, an officer only because of the fact that she was an Otani princess. Well, also, of course, because of what she had become. She was destined to lead, despite whatever her own personal wishes might be. Per her father, she was a living weapon and a member of the Otani royal family; she would act in a role that best served the state and the people of Otania.....period.
She knew Edmund; he would take his orders literally. He was actually very much like the impression she had gotten of Eric. He had orders on how to handle refugees ...kindly; we wanted to start off with good relations with anyone who might be living here. Edmund also had orders on how to respond to bandits or thugs, kill them or run them off, but father had said nothing about another military force.
Eric and Devin had already demonstrated that they would respond to an encounter with force instead of trying negotiations first. She feared that the same was true of Edmund. He would see the other unit as an obstruction to his mission and a battle may ensue. If there was a battle... she would be forced to kill them all... Eric's nightmare would become reality. They would stand little chance against her, along with the highly trained Otani unit, and their mission would end a bloody, body part strewn disaster. She shuddered just thinking of it. Keika could not kill those men. They were not thieves, rapist or gang members... they were soldiers, just like her group. It could even end up causing a war between two nations who hadn't had a chance to get to know each other! Battle had to be avoided at all costs.
Her duty was to report the presence of the other unit to Edmund and let him decide how to handle it. That is certainly what father would have told her, but she couldn't, she just couldn't. She worshiped her older brother; they had always been close, especially after mother died. He had constantly looked after her and always had time for her whenever she needed him. He would see this as a betrayal, a lack of trust in his judgment. It was going to hurt him badly when she revealed the truth. And then there would be father himself... she stopped thinking about it. She was fifteen years old, she couldn't live with the memory of those young men's blood on her hands for the rest of her life, and it was as simple as that.
Finally nearing the camp she slowed her pace to a walk, so as to not startle the guard, and entered the small clearing. The guard nearest her, Corporal Greg Bonner, acknowledged her arrival with a nod, she waved in return. The wind shifted and the smell of cooking came to her nose. Ah, she had not missed dinner! Keika was certainly grateful for that. It was fish. The cook and his assistants had went fishing in one of the nearby streams and apparently been very successful.
YOU ARE READING
Firefly Light
خيال علميIn the not too distant future mankind's world has collapsed. The population of, what had been over 7 billion, has been reduced to a tiny fraction of that number. Nature has reclaimed most of what man had built. Time has been turned back to before th...
