Bloodstream

-chapter 8-

-ren-

It'd only been about a week since they'd left Oleas on their mission to take down Avila and Arcane.

But to Ren, the girl who's currently running on revenge and hatred, it seemed like years.

Much to her advantage, today is their day to strike first. Their plan is rock solid. Everything is in order.

Ren feels great, she feels amazing, she feels relieved. Yet there's that small part of her, the one that had spent years being at Avila's side, that's trying to turn her in Avila's direction. It's too small though, small enough for Ren to ignore.

The soldiers are in a rush. It's a blur of everyone rushing in and out of tents, throwing on gear, and heading to edge of the camp to make their move towards the woods.

The woods is their best shot, it's a long walk leading directly into Arcane territory. From their they've marked entrances they spotted on their last attack, ones that can be used this time if they're still available.

Everything's perfect, down to the last detail.

Ren waits impatiently for everyone else, tapping her foot against the grass and leaning against a tree as everyone slowly but surely gathers behind her.

Much to the satisfaction of Ren, Lee finally stands in front of the group.

"Alright, soldiers. Let's begin."

♢♢

-avila-

As the days passed, my concern regarding Ren seemed to grow larger. The days after our confrontation had been spent worried, then it was nothing but a small concern. Until now. To which it had blossomed into a deep fear, having to mentally prepare for her retaliation.

As Ren's silence grew longer, my patience grew shorter. Training and lessons were spent half distracted, wondering when her and Oleas would strike. Nights were spent sleepless, remembering how things used to be.

Elson was there for me whenever I needed. He'd become like a brother and a best friend all in one. Having him around made me feel more normal.

Today he'd agreed to let me have the day off in an attempt to get my mind off things. He was taking me into the woods today to ride horses. I told him I had no clue how to ride one, to which he assured that it wasn't that hard and that he'd teach me.

"See. Not so bad, right?" He asks, riding slowly beside me.

"I've definitely done things better than this, but I'll admit that it could be going much worse."

"See! That's the spirit!" He grins at me, then leads his horse ahead of mine.

"I'm gonna take you to my favorite spot. It's this clearing with trees and flowers. My father used to take me when I was a kid, it's the most peaceful place I've ever been."

The ride there is longer than I'd expected, but Elson makes it enjoyable. He makes small talk as we go, telling me stories from his childhood and plans he has for the future.

"Here it is!" He guides the horse to a stop, and I do the same.

The clearing is beautiful just like he said. The grass is beautifully green, the trees are strong and tall, and the bushes of flowers are full and healthy. It's nice, it feels safe.

We move to the center of the clearing, and lay down on the grass beside each other.

"You know," He says lifting his hands up towards the sky, "When my dad would bring me here, we'd spend hours pointing at the clouds just randomly blurting out what shape they were in."