Chapter 48 – The Embers of Pain

  The underground shelter was quiet, save for the faint sound of running water from the nearby stream. The walls of packed earth muffled the outside world, enclosing them in a small pocket of space barely big enough for two. Despite the cramped quarters, it was safe. Hidden.

  Kaelin sat cross-legged on the ground, a sharp knife in hand as she worked on skinning the rabbit Kana had brought back. Across from her, Kana did the same, though with far less enthusiasm.

  “Ugh,” Kana muttered, wrinkling her nose as she pulled back the rabbit’s fur. “This is disgusting.”

  Kaelin didn’t bother looking up. “You’re the one who insisted on hunting.”

  Kana scowled. “I thought it’d be fun.” She peeled away another section of skin, grimacing. “This is not fun.”

  Kaelin smirked but kept her focus on her own rabbit. The process was messy but necessary. If they wanted to eat, they had to do the work.

  For a while, they worked in silence, the only sounds being the occasional squelch of flesh and the rustling of fur being stripped away.

  Then, without thinking, Kana spoke.

  “My father used to do this all the time.”

  Her voice was different, softer, more distant.

  Kaelin glanced up. Kana’s expression was unreadable, her dark eyes focused on the task at hand, but her usual smirk was gone.

  Something about the way she said it made Kaelin hesitate. “Used to?”

  Kana’s knife slowed. There was a long pause before she exhaled through her nose. “Yeah. Used to.”

  Kaelin studied her for a moment. The way her hands tensed slightly. The way she wasn’t making eye contact anymore.

  Then it clicked.

  “He’s gone,” Kaelin said quietly. It wasn’t a question.

  Kana let out a short, humourless laugh. “Yep.”

  Kaelin didn’t respond right away. She wasn’t good at this kind of thing. Sympathy, comforting words, they didn’t come naturally to her.

  Instead, she kept working, her hands steady as she finished preparing her rabbit. “When?”

  Kana paused, then shrugged. “A few months ago. Right before I started at the academy.”

  Kaelin’s gut twisted. So recently. She hadn't known. No one had mentioned it.

  She set her knife down. “How?”

  Kana’s lips curled into something that might’ve been a smirk if it weren’t so hollow. “Bandits.” She flicked a glance toward Kaelin. “Not exactly a grand story.”

  Kaelin frowned. “Doesn’t have to be.”

  Kana hummed in response but didn’t say anything else.

  The silence stretched between them. It was different from before. Heavier.

  Kaelin turned back to her rabbit, gutting it with practiced ease. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even know if she should say anything.

  Instead, she focused on something she could do – getting a fire started.

  Kaelin set her finished rabbit aside and pulled a bundle of dried vines from her pouch. She had gathered them earlier, knowing they’d be useful. Carefully, she twisted them into a makeshift rope, pulling it taut.

  Kana watched with mild curiosity. “What are you doing?”

  “Making fire.” Kaelin pulled a thick, straight branch from her pile of supplies and tied the vine around it, securing it tightly. Then, she positioned a small, flat piece of wood beneath it.

  Kana raised an eyebrow. “The fuck are you doing? This how you start a fire?”

  Kaelin smirked. “Yea, my mum taught me. Perfect for when you’re out in the wild. Wet or dry, this gets the job done.”

  Kana made a face but didn’t argue.

  Kaelin braced the wood with one hand and began moving the bow back and forth, spinning the drill against the base. Nothing happened for a while, then a yellow glow appeared around the central stick.

  The extra friction generated heat, and soon, smoke curled from the tiny indentation in the wood.

  Kana leaned forward slightly, watching. “You’ve done this before.”

  Kaelin nodded. “No shit. My mum didn’t just teach me this for fun. We used to go camping a few times a year. Even once we stopped I did it every so often. This kind of skill is quite easily forgotten, I thought it might come in handy someday.”

  Kana huffed. “Didn’t think ‘someday’ would mean being stuck in the wilderness with me, did you?”

  Kaelin snorted. “Nope.”

  The wood smouldered, the ember glowing faintly. Kaelin carefully transferred it to a small pile of dried leaves and gently blew on it, coaxing the tiny flame to life.

  A few moments later, the fire flickered to life, casting a warm glow inside their shelter. Kaelin placed it in the makeshift fireplace in order to help remove the smoke produced.

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  Kana let out a low whistle. “Not bad.”

  Kaelin smirked. “Told you.”

  They placed the prepared rabbits on skewers and set them over the fire. The smell of cooking meat quickly filled the air, some might argue this was better than school food. But they’d be idiots.

  Kana leaned back against the dirt wall, stretching out her legs. “It’s a bit flavourless. Got any salt?”

  Kaelin sighed. “I really can’t tell if you’re trying to be funny, or if you’re actually curious.”

  Kana blushed and shouted out defensively. “Course I’m joking!”

  Kana looked down at her food and took another bite before speaking. “You’re actually pretty cool… I don’t forgive you for what happened to Daniel, but I can tell it must’ve been an accident. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you before. I guess anger kinda clouded my vision or something… You know?”

  Kaelin arched an eyebrow. “No… not really… but thanks. Should I take it as a compliment?”

  Kana shrugged. “Take it however you want.”

  Kaelin shook her head but didn’t press the issue.

  For a while, they ate in silence, the crackling fire filling the quiet.

  Then Kana spoke again.

  “You ever lost someone?”

  Kaelin blinked, caught off guard by the question. She hesitated before answering. “No.”

  Kana chuckled under her breath. “Huh. Lucky you.”

  Kaelin poked at her food. “I don’t think luck has anything to do with it.”

  Kana tilted her head. “Nah, maybe not.”

  Another pause. Then, Kana sighed and ran a hand through her dark hair. “It’s weird. One day, someone’s just… there. And then they’re not.”

  Kaelin stayed quiet.

  Kana gave a small, dry laugh. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”

  Kaelin took a bite of her food. “Because there’s no one else to tell.”

  Kana blinked, then smirked. “Well, aren’t you insightful.”

  “You don’t talk about it, do you?”

  “No… No point.”

  “Maybe not.”

  Kana studied her for a long moment, then sighed. “You’re annoying.”

  “So are you.” Kaelin smirked.

  Kana let out a soft laugh. It wasn’t mocking this time. It was… real.

  Kaelin didn’t say anything, just took another bite of her food.

  Maybe they weren’t friends. Maybe they never would be.

  But for now, sitting by the fire, sharing this moment, Kaelin felt a connection.

  ***

  The fire crackled low, its flickering glow casting dancing shadows on the earthen walls of their shelter. The scent of roasted rabbit still lingered in the air, mixing with the crisp night breeze that drifted in from the small crevasse opening. The night was calm, the exhaustion from the day settling into Kaelin’s limbs like lead.

  For once, there was an almost comfortable silence between her and Kana, no sharp remarks, no passive-aggressive jabs. Just quiet, the fire’s warmth stretching between them.

  Kana shifted, breaking the moment.

  "I'm gonna get some air," she muttered, standing and stretching out her arms.

  Kaelin, too comfortable by the fire, waved a lazy hand. “Don’t get eaten.”

  Kana snorted but didn’t reply as she ducked out of the shelter, her boots scuffing against the dirt as she climbed up the crevasse wall. Kaelin barely registered it, too content with the rare peace.

  Until…

  “Kaelin…”

  Kana’s voice was different this time. Not irritated, not bored, but weary, worried.

  Kaelin’s stomach tensed.

  “What?” she called back.

  No response.

  Frowning, she pushed herself up, grabbed her sword, and climbed out of the shelter, following the path Kana had taken.

  When she reached the top, she found Kana crouched low against a tree, eyes narrowed.

  Kaelin crept up beside her. “What’s going on?”

  Kana gestured with a tilt of her head. “Look.”

  Kaelin followed her gaze.

  Through the gaps in the foliage, she saw it, movement.

  Two figures slipping through the trees, their forms nearly blending into the shadows. They moved fast, their steps careful, deliberate.

  Kaelin felt her pulse quicken.

  “Ambush,” Kana murmured.

  Kaelin’s grip on her sword tightened. “They know where we are.”

  Kana exhaled through her nose. “They must’ve followed the smoke.”

  Kaelin cursed under her breath. “Fuck, I should’ve thought about that.”

  She barely had time to think before something shifted.

  Her vision blurred.

  Ten seconds ahead.

  A hammer, spinning through the air.

  It hit Kana, slamming into her side, knocking her off balance. She crumpled to the ground, she seemed in pain, unable to breathe.

  The vision snapped away.

  The present came rushing back.

  Kaelin looked to her right, and the hammer flew past her head, an orange streak following it like a comet.

  It slammed into the dirt behind her, embedding deep into the earth.

  Kana let out a startled curse, snapping toward the direction it had come from.

  Kaelin, however, barely reacted.

  That was weird.

  But she had more important things to focus on.

  The ambushers were already upon them.

  The first attacker lunged, a spear wielder, their weapon gleaming in the moonlight. They moved fast, thrusting with practiced precision straight for Kaelin’s ribs.

  Kaelin’s instincts kicked in.

  She twisted aside, dodging by a hair’s breadth. The spear sliced through empty air. Kaelin retaliated instantly, bringing her sword up in a quick slash, forcing the attacker back.

  To her left, Kana was already engaged with the second assailant, a dual-wielder, their sharp stone knives flashing in the firelight. They moved like a shadow, striking low, fast. Kana blocked the first swipe with the side of her forearm, layered with a set of makeshift gloves and countered with a wild swing, but the ambusher ducked and pressed forward, relentless.

  The third attacker, the hammer wielder, was still at a distance, pulling another weapon from their belt.

  Kaelin’s focus snapped back to her own fight.

  The spear wielder was quick. They recovered instantly, pivoting into another attack, the spear coming in low toward her legs.

  Her vision flickered.

  Ten seconds ahead.

  A quick feint. A low thrust.

  Kaelin reacted before it even happened.

  She kicked up a chunk of loose dirt with her boot, sending it flying toward the attacker’s face. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to throw them off.

  Kaelin surged forward.

  She slammed the pommel of her sword into their shoulder, making them stagger back with a curse.

  To her left, Kana’s fight was turning against her.

  Kaelin barely turned in time to see the dual-wielder’s knife slicing toward Kana’s ribs.

  Kana wasn’t fast enough.

  Kaelin didn’t hesitate.

  She crashed into Kana, knocking her out of the way.

  The knife missed, carving only through empty air instead of flesh.

  Kana hit the ground with a grunt, blinking up at her. “What the hell?”

  “Focus,” Kaelin snapped.

  Kana didn’t argue.

  She rolled to her feet, her stance shifting, more controlled.

  For the first time, they moved together.

  Kaelin parried the spear wielder’s next strike, pushing them back. Kana, meanwhile, twisted into a counterattack, catching the dual-wielder’s arm and slamming her knee into their ribs.

  The attacker choked out a breath, stumbling. Kana followed up with a brutal kick to the shin. They collapsed with a curse.

  The hammer wielder, seeing their team losing, spat in frustration.

  “Tch. Not worth it.”

  Without another word, they turned and fled into the trees.

  The spear wielder hesitated for only a second before following.

  Silence.

  The only sound was their own heavy breathing.

  Kaelin lowered her sword slightly, watching the treeline. When it became clear the ambushers weren’t coming back, she let out a slow breath.

  “Well,” Kana finally muttered. “That was fun.”

  Kaelin let out a dry laugh, wiping sweat from her forehead. “Speak for yourself.”

  Kana exhaled, rolling her shoulders. Then, she turned, looking at Kaelin, really looking at her.

  Something in her expression shifted.

  “…Thanks,” she muttered.

  Kaelin arched a brow. “For what?”

  Kana hesitated.

  “For saving my ass.”

  Kaelin smirked. “Damn right.”

  Kana rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

  The tension between them wasn’t gone, not completely. But something had clearly changed. Kana was willing to listen. And maybe they’d be able to actually work together.