Seeing Raith and Tavion running towards us made my gut pinch tightly. I wasn't sure why, but I felt as though they were coming with grim news. Maybe that was a product of my life the past several weeks, but I felt as though I was anticipating horrible things at every turn.

Our group wordlessly stopped our forward movement, waiting instead for the scouts to reach us. A calm quiet settled on us as we waited.

Within a few moments, the sound of Raith and Tavion's even footsteps and heavy breathing reached my ears. They slowed to a walk about 15 feet from the group, exchanging glances with one another. The look in their eyes set my nerves on edge, and I felt my body prepare-- though whether I was preparing to run or fight, I wasn't sure.

Achlys approached them, the calmest of the bunch, with Iszak close behind her. She had retrieved two water canteens from her travel bags and passed them to the two men. The sound of the water snapping against the metallic lining of the canteen was grating to my ears, and I bit back an annoyed sigh. I wanted to know what was wrong, and I didn't want to wait.

Raith caught his breath first, but turned his eyes to Tavion, waiting for him to explain. Tavion drank another swallow of water, then dribbled a splash on his forehead to cool himself down. The water traced rivulets down his face.

Finally, Tavion spoke, his face strained. "My father is coming this way."

A silence fell over our crew, and a nervous shiver raced down my spine. It was known within the group that Tavion's father was the strategic leader of the rebellion. The fact that a man of his rank and importance was coming to meet our group felt both exhilarating and terrifying. At once, I wanted to impress this man, but I also knew I could never live up to his high standards. Why would he care about our group?

"Do you know why?" Iszak asked, echoing my own thoughts.

Tavion hesitated, then gave a short shake of his head, followed immediately by a shrug. "I'm not certain--" he began, then cut himself off.

Iszak nodded for him to continue, despite of his hesitancy. Tavion sighed. "Well, it could be to greet me coming back, but I've been on missions before and he's never felt the need. So I doubt it's as simple as that. My gut tells me it's something else." Tavion's voice trailed off, and his eyes shifted. I followed his line of sight, noticing that his gaze now rested on Evrynn.

"You think your father has an interest in Evrynn," I stated, fairly confident in my guess.

Tavion glanced at me before dragging his eyes back to Evrynn. He cleared his throat. "Evrynn's father, actually, but a good guess. Evrynn comes from a very high-ranking family. It is rare that someone with his family's political prowess abandons that in favor of the rebellion. However, it's not unheard of. My father is at least somewhat acclimated to high-ranking children joining the cause. So it has to be something beyond just Evrynn. My gut says it's his father, though I guess it could be a sibling." Tavion's voice carried a confident, seasoned air to it, as though he had spent years practicing these types of reports.

I nodded at him. Tavion's assessment made sense, based on my limited knowledge of the rebellion and the COMPOUND. It would be fair that the leader of the rebellion would take a special interest in the family of a high-ranking slicker.

Thinking of Evrynn as a slicker left a bad taste in my mouth. Evrynn was much more than a dirty slang for spoiled, rebellious child. I made a silent promise to myself to never group him in that category anymore. Despite only knowing him for a short time, I instinctively knew that Evrynn was a good man. He would do good things for the rebellion.

A silence fell over our group again as everyone processed Tavion's speech. Evrynn himself seemed withdrawn, and his face looked a paler shade than normal. The color had left his cheeks, and his eyes were tracing hurried patterns in the sand at our feet.

Achlys finally spoke. "Okay. We will continue moving forward until we reach their group."

At her direction, our group started slowly making their way forward. The mood was somber and thoughtful, with everyone turned inward rather than talking amongst each other.

Raith fell in step next to me as we walked, his long fingers twisting into each other in my peripheral vision. The news that the strategic leader of the rebellion would soon be welcoming our group seemed to shake him. Raith seemed the type to not love attention from authority figures. As a medic, he was used to commanding situations, and now, the situation was out of his control. I could tell it was affecting him. Lessi had the same need for control, and she always knotted her fingers together when things felt unstable.

Tavion fell into step next to Evrynn, leaving Lexter to bring up the rear.

We continued our slow trek towards the headquarters until the figures of the rebel leadership appeared in the distance.

It was then that we stopped, dropped packs, and started a fire. If we were to meet rebel leadership at the end of a difficult journey, it would be better to do so on a full stomach. Tavion and I quickly started a fire while Iszak and Achlys taught Evrynn how skin the snakes Iszak and I had caught along the route today. Raith sat off to the side, fiddling with his herbs and wearing a slightly distasteful look on his face, once again unhappy with the meat-eating.

The snake carcass spat and popped on the fire after I drizzled on a little oil that Raith gave me. He seemed unhappy to do so, but had no reason to hold onto it any longer, now that we were so close to headquarters again. He even broke out his preserving herbs to use for seasonings, since he would be able to replenish them before the night was out.

As the leadership group approached, we sat around the fire eating hot pieces of snake and listening to the fire pop as it burned the knotted wood. It felt like the last few minutes of calm before the storm.

Once the leadership was in view, Tavion rose to greet them. As the leader of the mission, Achlys followed close behind, ready to give a report or speak for the group if needed.

"Hello, father," Tavion called to the approaching group. The group travelled mostly on foot, with two men riding large animals-- horses, Evrynn called them under his breath with a soft smiled. I wondered if he had a fondness for the creatures. Six horses were riderless, led instead by walking troops.

"Son," Tavion's father acknowledge with a curt nod of his head. Tavion's father sat high on his horse, his posture straight and perfect, his chin raised confidently even with his elevated position. His eyes sparkled in the dimming light, showing both strength and poise. He wore a crisp, clean white shirt with a gold emblem on his left lapel. A similar marking adorned the shirts of the other troops, though less elaborate. Tavion's father's dark skin glowed in the firelight, making him look dangerous. I was both intrigued by him and afraid of him.

Tavion's father dismounted from his horse, passing the cord he used to guide the animal to a nearby troop. He took two steps forward and embraced Tavion fatherly, his physical affection for him belying his short words. It was clear the two loved each other deeply.

They pulled out of their embrace, and Tavion's father turned to Achlys. "Status of the mission?"

"Successful, sir," Achlys responded quickly. "We were able to identify two new recruits, one from inside the COMPOUND inner levels, one who had been living outside the COMPOUND for several years. We vouch for both of them."

"We?" The general responded, raising one eyebrow.

Tavion stepped forward. "Yes, father. All of us will vouch for them. Christian and Evrynn will both be valuable assets to the cause," he responded clearly, meeting his father's eyes.

The general then cast his eyes over to where Evrynn and I stood. I felt as if my skin were crawling with discomfort as being so carefully scrutinized by this man. Discomfort rolled off of Evrynn in waves as well, and I took solace in knowing that I wasn't alone in this moment. Although the attention was unnerving, as least Evrynn shared it with me.

There was a pause as the general eyed us up and down, and I felt his gaze linger on Evrynn, possibly confirming Tavion's thoughts-- the general may have an interest in Evrynn's family. Finally, the silence was broken.

"Are you in need of transport back to headquarters?" The general asked Achlys, his eyes finally leaving Evrynn and myself to turn to the group leader.

Achlys hesitated, but only for a moment. "We are able to continue the journey on foot, but would welcome speedier transportation back to headquarters if it is available."

Tavion's father nodded thoughtfully. "It has been a long mission for you all. Please make use of the additional horses we brought with us-- it will save you several hours of time in your journey. We will leave them staked here tonight for your group to use."

At his words, the troops holding the leads to the animals began to tether the animals down. The ropes allowed them several feet of movement, but kept them contained beyond that. Achlys nodded her thanks at the support.

"Will you be making camp here, tonight, General?" Achlys asked, a slight note of tension in her voice.

"No," the man's voice rolled. "I have duties to attend to back at the headquarters, which cannot wait. But I am happy to leave my troops if you are in need of additional protection," he added, turning his sharp eyes to Tavion.

"No, father, there is no need. We will be fine," Tavion answered easily.

I let out a sigh of relief. I could not imagine the tenseness of having the General's personal guard here for the evening. I already had enough trouble adjusting to this small band of people, let alone making space for a full entourage of troops.

The General nodded his head carefully, and turned to remount his horse. He took the guidance cord back from one of his troops before turning his attention back to Evrynn and me. "It was good to meet the two of you. I look forward to speaking with you more. You must both come by my office once you have settled in-- I like to know all of my people."

Without waiting for a response, the General kicked his heels into the sides of his animals, and the beast lunged forward. He was followed quickly by another man on a horse, and the remainder of the troops, who followed behind at a quick run to keep a close distance to the rapidly moving animal.

I let out a large huff of air that I didn't realize I'd been holding, and rolled my shoulders to release some of the tension. A glance showed that Evrynn was behaving very similarly, trying to shed his own nerves at the intense encounter. It seemed we'd both passed our first test for becoming part of the rebellion.

Achlys watched the group disappear into the distance before she turned to face the group. "We'll make camp for the night, and head out in the morning. We should reach headquarters by mid-afternoon," she said, directing the last portion to Evrynn and me. I felt my breath caught in my throat. After years of waiting and wondering and hoping, I was less than a full day away from being in rebel headquarters. My stomach did a dance, but I maintained my external composure and just nodded at Achlys, my mind wondering what the next day would bring.

~

Six hours spent in what Achlys called a saddle left my inner thighs and rear end burning with discomfort. It would be a miracle if I could walk at all tomorrow. My hips ached with each roll of the horses body underneath mine, and my fingers were sore from clutching at the reins, which could be used to slow, stop, or redirect the horse.

The six hours were well worth it, though, when the rebel headquarters came into view. It would have been surprisingly easy to miss had Iszak not pointed it out to myself and Evrynn as we approached. The edges blurred into the hazy sand color, making the whole thing look like an indistinguishable blur. Iszak told us that a complicated system of mirrors and constructed sand domes made the building invisible from above.

It seemed surprisingly small at first glance, but Iszak reassured me that the interior was rather large, however, the majority was not visible from the surface. The rebels had dug extensive tunnels, which had gradually transformed into a vast network of hallways and rooms below the surface. Air was pumped into the rooms and hallways through a special ventilation system. Iszak tried to explain it, but I was hopelessly lost. Evrynn seemed to understand a little bit better, but even he looked confused at the logistics of it all.

As we rode closer, the structure rose out in front of us, and the lines became clearer. It was impressive how perfectly it camouflaged into the background unless you were shown what to look for or got close enough.

Tavion led the way, slowing his horse down to a bumpy two-step, then finally, a relaxed walk. Our horses intuitively followed suit, slowing their pace as we approached the headquarters. My horses sides heaved with deep breaths, and a fine sheen of sweat coated his hair as he flicked away a fly with his tail and let out an irritated snort.

I pat the animal's neck softly, thanking him for his hard work as we came to a full stop. Tavion swung his legs to one side of the animal, then jumped down, his feet landing with a hard thump. He immediately began unstrapping his packs from the animal, who stood waiting patiently. I looked around and saw the rest of the team dismounting from their horses in the same fashion as Tavion, and quickly followed suit.

My feet hit the ground with a painful jolt, sending shockwaves of pain through my legs. "Ah," I let out a soft groan of pain, my hands reaching down to massage my sore thighs and calves. Once the pain lessened, I turned to my horse, giving him another pat on the neck. He nickered softly at me, then shook impatiently, as though reminding me that I needed to take my pack off of him.

I smiled and reached to unbuckle my packs, which were strapped to the sides and back of the saddle through a series of intricate knots and belts. Tavion had rigged the whole thing up for me, so it took me some time to undue his meticulous work. The man was nothing if not thorough.

I dropped my first pack, then another to ground carelessly, then set to work removing the saddle from the animal per Lexter's quiet instruction. I carried the heavy leather seat to a wooden rack where the others placed their saddles, just inside the entrance to the headquarters. Once finished, I turned back to the horse to see that a troop had taken him by the reigns and was leading him off towards the covered pasture where they kept the horses and allowed them to feed.

I walked back over to where I left my packs and picked them up, slinging the heavier of the two over my shoulders. I cradled Lessi's worn pack in my hands, carefully brushing off the sand that had gathered on the exterior of it during the travels. My pack could be replaced, but Lessi's could not. Not in the way that mattered the most.

Once all of the horses had been led away by troops who seemed to appear from nowhere, our group made its way inside. The cool air of the building surprised me-- how could the space be so much cooler than outside? I could hear air moving, and feel it brushing against my skin in soft whispers. My mind recalled the information Iszak had relayed about the ventilation system-- perhaps that enabled cooler air to flow throughout the infrastructure as well as oxygen, I mused.

Tavion and Achlys led the group down a half-set of stairs into a large, open room. The walls stretched high, the hard-packed sand appearing as stone in a surprisingly orange color. At the top of the walls where slanted windows which let in streaming rays of sunshine. The sunlight partially illuminated the room, but the majority of the light came from shining pillars placed at equidistance around the edge of the room.

Waiting in the room was Tavion's father, the General. He was surrounded in a loose semi-circle with another group of troops, some of whom looked a bit familiar, and some of whom I did not recognize. One I was sure had been part of the group that rode to meet us last night. If my memory was right, he had been the other man on a horse. I was pleasantly surprised to see a few female troops mixed in with the men-- Lessi had explained that the COMPOUND was completely male dominated. It was refreshing to see women in positions of authority here, reassuring me that this group was not the same as those running the COMPOUND.

The General spread his arms in a welcoming posture. "Hello everyone. I wish I could greet you properly with the welcome feast we normally have for new recruits, but unfortunately, things are... escalating." The General paused his speech, his eyes casting over our group.

I sucked in a surprised breath. Were we not going to get even a single moment of rest?

The General continued. "I know you are all exhausted, but I wanted to give you a fair warning. Your stay here will be short-lived. Each of you will be sent back out into the field tomorrow morning. You should take this evening to rest, clean yourselves, and repair or replace any materials you need. I expect you each to be here at sunrise for your assignments."

I swallowed hard, and my eyes met Evrynn's. He looked shell-shocked. This clearly wasn't anything he or I had anticipated. The General must be right: things were escalating. I hadn't been aware that the rebellion was quite so advanced or ready. They must be approaching the last stages of preparation before infiltration. The thought sent a shot of cold through my veins. Could I really do this?

"Dismissed," the General barked, his voice echoing in the hollow room. I stood still, unsure of where I should be going. The world felt like it was tilting slightly, like everything in the room had just moved half an inch in one direction and now everything felt off-kilter.

Achlys came up to me and rested a soft hand on my elbow. I jumped a little at the feeling, then turned my wide eyes to her.

"It'll be okay," she murmured, gently tugging me along. I stumbled over my feet slightly, following behind her. "Let me take you to the dorm rooms. You need to shower, eat, rest, and replace any needed items."

I nodded mutely. Shock still held my tongue captive in my mouth.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Iszak having a similar interaction with Evrynn. Evrynn's eyes looked hollow and dull. I wondered briefly if my own eyes looked that haunted, before dismissing the thought. I was surprised, of course, but I could already feel myself bouncing back. I was strong and capable, and I knew that I would make it through this challenge as well.

Tavion, Lexter, and Raith were huddled together with another man, around Tavion's age. I met the new man's eyes for a few brief moments, their captivating blue dancing in the lighting of the room. The man shifted closer to Tavion, turning his gaze from he as a placed his hand gently on the outside of Tavion's arm. Tavion turned to him, a small smile gracing his face. The two looked happy together.

I was pulled from my reverie by an annoyed noise of frustration coming from Achlys. She urged me along again, and this time I fell in line behind her easily.