Rebel

River

A/N: Above is what I think River looks like. I drew it myself.
I wake up by someone shaking me roughly.
"River! Get up, we leave in half an hour." I open my eyes slightly. Diana stands over me, a serious expression on her face. I groan and sit up stiffly. I had a nice, long sleep after our rich meal yesterday, but my back aches from sleeping on the hard ground. I reach out an arm and Diana helps me up; I stagger for a second before standing straight. My friend follows me as I exit our tent and walk towards the others who are sitting in a circle, eating a few scraps and discussing our plans. They all nod respectfully when I join them. Mark and Jackie are sitting next to each other - I've suspected a slight affection between the two of them for a while now - and talking animatedly. Keira smiles as I sit down and Diana says something to Connor.
I grab a slice of bread and some leftovers, wanting to get some nutrition before our mission today. When I finish eating, I clear my throat so the others turn towards me.
"So - the plan. We're gonna go along the alleys next to the Main Road towards the small encampment of soldiers. They aren't elites, so if we're quick enough they won't have time to capture or attack us. Remember, stick to the shadows, and, of course, don't kill. You can wound any soldier that gets in your way, but they aren't the main threat. Only the inner group of elites and the President are. We'll sabotage their camp and take away any weapons we can. Wear gloves so they can't track our fingerprints. Try not to be seen. We leave in fifteen minutes." The others nod and stand up to get ready.
Connor stays behind to help me make final preparations. He brings me a small explosive throwing knife which he stole from a soldier a while ago. Connor is our master thief; he's quick and stealthy. I nod my thanks and he moves on to pack small bags for the others. I look at the knife's orange-tinted blade and see my reflection. Long, matted blonde hair. Sharp blue eyes. High cheekbones. My mother used to call me beautiful, when we lived in the city. I probably was. But years of starving, fighting - living on the streets - have made me thin and tired. My hair is messy. I have dark circles under my eyes, and my skin is grimy. My arms are thin and wiry, yet there are a few muscles there from hard work in the streets. My lips are full yet pale.
I stick the knife in my belt and find two spare ones that I place in my boots. Not too practical a hiding place, but I don't want them getting in the way of the explosive one. I get up and walk towards a dirty, ripped overhang; the opening to our camp. Keira walks over a few minutes later, with Jackie and Diana right behind her. Connor and Mark come running towards us.
We're a good team - we have many different talents and roles. Keira is vicious and quick; she uses a gun or a long knife when we go on missions. Jackie is of medium size - he's good at causing distractions with the help of Mark. Diana is quirky yet lovable. At times she's a hopeless romantic, which makes her generally humourous. She's our guard, and she can see almost as sharply as an eagle. She takes in lots of different details. Connor is our spy and thief - he's light on his feet. I'm the leader, the organizer. I make the plans and head missions. I'm quite good with knives.
When everyone is gathered around the exit, I nod and pull back the overhang, exposing the grimy, dark street outside. I slip out, sensing the others behind me. I look up and down the road, then turn to Diana.
"See anything?" I'm pretty sure the street is empty, but I might miss something in the darkness.
"Nope," Diana shakes her head no.
I creep out cautiously, crossing the street and jumping into the shadows on the other side. After walking along the buildings in darkness, we turn into a semi-lit alley. An old man sits in the doorway of a crumbled building. He seems to be sleeping. I jog on the tips of my feet, not wanting to make a sound. I've memorised our route, and after all I've gone this way before to scout out the soldiers' camp. We won't get lost.

After around half an hour of running through alleys, light floods into the street in front of us. I can hear the bustle of carriages and small skirmishes on the Main Road. Soldiers usually march through there like they own the place, but it's too dangerous to attack there - the government inside the wall has cameras everywhere, and the street is well-lit. We don't want to be caught or identified.
"Be careful. Soldiers might walk on this street, since we're next to the Main Road. Don't be seen." I murmur to the others, and they nod.
I crouch behind a pile of crates standing at the side of the road and look between a crack in the wood. A few rebels are pulling carts with stacks of goods, but I can't see any soldiers. I motion to the others to follow me and we cross the openly lit alleyway easily. We turn a right at the end of the alley and I can see the small soldier camp at the end of the road we now stand on. I sneak along the shadows soundlessly and stop a few meters away from the camp, turning to the others.
"Okay, so, Connor will slip in unnoticed and try to steal a soldier uniform so he can easily walk around. Jackie and Mark will cause a diversion at the other side - they'll slip around the camp now - and as soon as the soldiers are distracted, Connor will signal us and we'll come and steal their weapons and destroy their supplies. Try to be quiet and cover your faces so they can't identify us."
Everyone nods, and Jackie and Mark slip on their hoods, casting a shadow over their frail faces. Jackie hitches up his backpack and the two boys fade into the shadows, sneaking around the camp. Connor smirks at me, wraps a scarf around his head partially, and slips through the curtain hanging over the camp entrance. The others and I hang around, waiting for a signal and trying not to be seen by anybody.