The Eyes Behind the Walls

Chapter Three - Kira

She paced around the room, then dumped the miscellaneous items out from her small, worn down leather satchel. She scrutinized the objects, checking through them once again, before shoving them back in her bag. She closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly before clearing her throat and shaking out her hands.
"Kira, are you ready yet?" he shouted.
"Yes, I'm sorry, I just now finished," she replied as she grabbed her things and trampled swiftly down the stairs.
"Good, we were supposed to have finished five minutes ago, you're aware of that, aren't you?" Dean asked, a glint of annoyance shining in his green eyes.
"Yes I'm aware and I'm sorry. I was checking to make sure I didn't leave anything behind and it took longer than I had previously anticipated."
"Well, he's never going to let you come with us again if you don't come along." He smiled at her as she came running down the stairs.
"Alright, alright. You can stop lecturing me now that I'm here."
"It's my responsibility to lecture you. He entrusted me with you and I'm not about to break that trust. Besides, if I lecture you, you might be more prepared next time," he said.
"Wait, did you say next time?"
She pulled on his sleeve, making him stop walking and face her. She looked hopefully into his dark green eyes, searching to see whether or not he was teasing her.
"Yes, if everything goes well tonight, you will be joining us again next time."
"Really?" she smiled as he nodded his head, "Yes!"
"I'm very proud of you, you finally made it."
"Thank you! I'm so excited I'm not sure what to do with myself." she said as she grinned up at him, "When is the next trip planned for?"
"It's in a few days. And I would suggest that you start walking before he changes his mind," he said as he wandered off.
"Really? That's soon," she remarked, "Why would we be going twice in one week? I don't recall them ever doing that before."
"Well, it's partly because we're low on resources, and also because you have no experience with this and they want to make sure that you learn how to do it quickly and efficiently," he admitted.
They walked out of the building and into the burning sunlight. It shined forcefully upon them, beating them down into the ground, reflecting off of her fair skin. The humid air around them caused their clothes to cling to their bodies, sticking to their skin as they walked. They wandered past the perimeter walls and out into the thick surrounding forest, grateful to once again be protected by the dark tree canopy above. Branches hung low in front of them, causing them to duck to avoid hitting them. She pushed them up and out of her way, marveling at the prickly texture of the wood against her fingertips.
"Oh. Well that makes sense," she acknowledged, breathy in the stuffy air around them.
"It isn't something to worry about it. We'll do even better then, I promise," he said as they caught up to the rest of the group, joining into the small huddle.
"You're late, and quite frankly you're lucky he didn't notice. Just don't make a habit of it, that's a good way to end up back where you came from," John said as he walked past them.
They both laughed quietly as he walked away. He was right, if they had been caught late she might not have been allowed to go later this week, and then all of her hard work would have been for nothing, she thought.
"I told you. If you had only listened to me for once in your life, you wouldn't have made us late," Dean teased.
"It's fine, nobody noticed that we were gone."
"Yes, by some miracle undoubtedly. That was a close call, much too close for my liking," he said, "Kira, this is all you've ever wanted, you have to take this seriously."
She huffed and brushed her hand against the branches alongside the road, feeling the leaves flutter against her fingers as she walked. She tucked her straight dark brown hair behind her ears.
"I am taking this very seriously. I was just a little bit behind everyone else, but I was only late because I was trying to make sure I had everything I might need," she contended.
"Alright, I believe you," he said.
"Dean, you of all people know how much I want this. I've been preparing for this ever since I was born."
"Yes, that's true. Although, I'm not sure that you needed an excuse to practice shooting your bow," he joked, gesturing toward the bow in her hands.
"Yeah," she laughed, " I'm not completely convinced either."
"I'm still not sure why you would want to do this," he stated.
"The adrenaline and thrill of being captured or killed at any minute. It's thrilling, don't you think?" she asked.
"No. No, I don't think that. I would much rather prefer working in the fields or with the blacksmith. At least then I wouldn't have to walk as much or worry about whether or not I'll ever get to return home," he replied grimly.
"Dean, don't think like that, we're both going to be just fine. He chose you for a reason, and not just because you're quicker than most. You're smart, you're observant, and you're a good man. We're both lucky and privileged to be here, remember that."
"Thanks," he said sheepishly.
They trudged along silently, listening to the flapping branches knocking together and the birds swaying in the wind. The men in front of them rambled on about frivolous topics, discussing this and that, feigning interest in pointless pleasantries to pass the time. Meanwhile, she fantasized about gliding away with the birds, back to the home she had grown up in.
She'd see the town full of merchants and commoners squabbling over the price of this and the quality of that. She'd see the misty gray sky and the silhouette of the sun shining behind the clouds that never seemed to fade away. The walls of her old home and the roof that leaked water in through the corners each time it rained. The flat field of grass by the armory where she had played knight with the other kids as a child, running around hitting one another with sticks until they bled so much that their mothers forced them to stop. She fantasized that she was there now, wishing she could go back once more. But those days were long behind her, and she was no longer a young, naive girl anymore, trusting the world around her to be gentle and always wearing her heart on her sleeve. She was much more practical and mature now, she thought.
"Dean, do you remember what it was like... before everything, I mean?" she asked.
"I remember bits and pieces. I remember the day they came for us if that's what you're referring to," he replied.
"Would you tell me about it? What you remember."
He sighed, continuing walking for awhile before he responded.
"It was as dreary and ordinary as any other day. We had heard whispers that the King had fallen, and that they would be coming for us next. No one believed the rumors of course, then again, who would believe something that preposterous," he chuckled, "Then they came sweeping through the city, door by door, rounding everyone up. A black cloud covered the entire town, and everyone knew that it was the beginning of the end. That's all I remember from before, and most of it was told to me by my parents. They're the only ones who'll talk about it." he said.
"I don't even remember the day they came, all I remember was my mother's face when
they barged through our door," she replied, her face pulled into a deep frown.
"Why do you want to know?" he asked, "We can't change what happened, as far as I'm concerned, the only thing we should be focused on is trying not to get ourselves killed, strolling about in the open like this."
"I know that. I know that we can't change anything. But you're the only one who'll talk to me about it. I was too young to remember it all, too young to do anything about it." she said.
"You wouldn't have done anything about it even if you were older when it happened, trust me. The Hunters are strong and well trained, much more well trained than any of us, of that I'm certain. And there's loads of them, they had more when they first came to our town than they do now."
"Sometimes I just wonder if we knew what was to come, if we still would have surrendered as easily as we did," she commented.
"It's always easy to think you would've been the one to make change when you've seen the outcome of events," he said, "It's much harder to do so when the future is unclear, and there's a lot at stake. Everyone had family to think about, to protect, and that's what they believed they were doing."
They continued walking as she remained stuck in the past, wondering what might've been. She knew he was right, they didn't know what was going to happen back then, and uncertainty doesn't encourage action. Still, she couldn't help but think about what life would be like without the constant fear of being attacked or captured by Hunters. Without the oppressive grasp of the Elite and their hatred of anything that was different. Without the never ending struggle for resources. War and survival was their only concern, and she couldn't afford to spend any more time daydreaming. Not in a world like this.
#
"Alright, we'll move in at sunset. You should all know your positions, so stick to the plans and we'll be done by the time the sun rises. Now get to your positions and keep quiet and hidden," Taenin said.
They began walking around the compound, encircling it. She crouched behind a tree, blending in with the shrubbery, her nerves shooting higher as the sun crept closer to the peaks of the mountains, peering through the dark clouds covering the sky.
"Are you nervous?" John whispered.
"I can't feel my feet," she replied.
"You're going to be just fine. Everyone is nervous their first time. Just remember what you've been practicing and try not to get yourself killed," Dean said with a grin, chuckling softly.
"Dean, you're really not helping her feel any better about this," John said.
Kira looked down at the ground and ran her fingers through her straight dark brown hair, turning her dagger over and over in her hands.
"He's right, you're not helping."
"Alright, I'm sorry, you truly have nothing to worry about. You're better at this than most of the men here.You've practiced this a million times, just stick to the plans and you'll be fine," Dean said.
"Yes, you're right. I'll be fine, just fine," she said.
The sky melded into a dark grey, rain pouring down on them as they waited patiently, hiding in the shadows, tucked back into the night's cloak. The air tingled and she gripped her bow tightly, going over the plan repeatedly, trying to remember every detail. She jumped at the sound of lightning roaring all around them. They stood up one by one and began creeping forward, her whole body shaking with nervousness.
"It's time," Taenin said quietly as he slowly started climbing up the compound's walls.