Beyond the Glow

Chapter 29

A few others were looking at our group with curious gazes, namely me, I shrink behind Leila, trying to hide from their piercing stares.

"We're almost completely packed up," Euna says, focusing on Leila. "There aren't any extra horses, so it would just be easier for you two to meet us at the next location, " Her angry gaze turned to me, "I guess it's too bad that the guards are no doubt on high alert looking for your magical signature," She shrugs, "you two'll have to walk with us now." With that, she turns away, waving a finger in the air, she yells "Move out! We're taking the long way home!" 

Slowly me and Leila get up, following at a distance, watching her quietly. Euna stopped after a few minutes; talking to a small group of men, "Take Genie girl here, and throw them off our trail before reporting back to me," She said.

"You can't just throw her out there like that." Leila says frowning; and marching towards Euna. I follow slowly, honestly, if it meant I could get out of this crowd and back into action, I was fine with the idea, but I didn't particularly trust Euna, even if Leila liked her. She was so crabby.

Euna shook her head, grimacing like she didn't want to say it to Leila. "We don't have time to argue about this, I can hear them coming already; they must have every source out looking for you two, and a little genie magic is what I need to send them off our trail. We can't just lead them back to base, and I can't really take my group the capital now that every red alert flag they have has been raised." Leila opened her mouth, the hard lines of an argumentative expression forming on her face.  

"Why can't you send me? I have so much more experience, and she was fly-" her gaze darted around, trying to decide if it was a safe thing to say in front of so many ears, "-Running all night from these people. She's probably exhausted!"

"Hey-" I try, attempting to put my piece in on the argument about me they were having here.

"You can't go because I need you to update me on what happened out there, and I apparently need to talk to you about the proper system  for bringing people in from the outside of the organization, or in this case, people rumored to be in league with the King!"

"Hey!" I yell, finally stepping up for myself. "I'm right here! If you want to talk about me, at least include me in the conversation!" Leila and Euna finally turned towards me, Euna with a satisfied, but grim, smirk, and Leila with a disgruntled look, still aimed at Euna.  Now, having their attention, I continued on in a quieter, calmer, voice. "I will go with the scouts, and, before you say anything Le- I mean Poki, I'll be fine. I had to survive on my own for thousands of years. I can make it with three armed men guarding me the entire way."

"You even told her about the names?!" Euna whispered incredulously.

Leila just sniffed, and looked at me. "If that's what you want." She said, I just don't want you to get captured.

 I'll be fine. I roll my eyes. Don't be so over-protective, you saw where that got Mother and Father. A low blow, but I couldn't help it. I could feel the frustration building up, I didn't want to be 'protected' anymore. Especially not by my younger sister, even if she was older than me aging-wise, I had been in this world longer. It might've just been my lack of sleep talking, but I felt like jabbing out at someone. 

But I felt bad as soon as I thought the words. Leila's eyes widened, before her mouth set in a hard line, and she whipped around. "Go then." She tossed over her shoulder, walking into the ranks of soldiers in the camp. "See if I wait for you."

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The forest was silent, holding its breath, as if it could anticipate the urgency of what was happening. I stalk silently through the brush, the three men from the camp hidden around me in what no doubt a much more stealthier places.