THE STORM WITHIN

Lena's POV As Nyla and I negotiate the woodland, the air smells strongly of pine and damp ground. Every stride seems more committed than the one before it. We have enough uncertainty; now is the moment to recover our power. "I've been thinking," Nyla replies, her voice almost above a whisper. " About everything that has transpired. I do not want to merely survive going forward. I want to rebel back. Surprised by her sudden will, I look at her. The shy girl who used to question herself is disappearing to be replaced by someone tough and merciless. "That's the spirit," I say, grinning despite the strain in the air. "We require fire." For us, though, what does that mean? With her eyebrows wrinkled, Nyla asks. "How do we even start?," one wonders. We start by locating Daniel and Elias, I say, brushing back a branch. "Our biggest opportunity for organization is from them. We must have a strategy; we cannot accomplish it by ourselves. Nyla nods, and will shine from her. Her manner of holding herself and the way her eyes sparkle with intent show me her shift. She asks, looking around as though expecting someone to leap out at any moment: "What if they're still looking for us?" I halt and fix her in the eye. Then we will be ready for them. Long enough we have been on the run. We ought to flip the script. We advance, the road meandering among the deep woods. The sunshine dances about us barely penetrating the canopy above. Every darkness seems as a reminder of the threats we must avoid. "What if we can't find them?" Nyla speaks softly, and there is a trace of uncertainty. We shall, I say, steadfast in our belief. "We only have to believe in each other and ourselves. Recall our shared overcoming of challenges. I have a sense that something is awry as we stroll. The air seems motionless, the woodland too quiet. The planet seems to be waiting for something, as though it is breathing. Do you, Nyla, feel that? I pause in my tracks and inquire. She looks around and says, "What do you mean?" "It seems incorrect." Like the quiet before a storm, I say, looking about for any indication of threat. Her voice a little above a whisper, she says, "I don't like it." My heart races when suddenly a rustling sound disrupts the quiet. I turn wide-eyed to Nyla. "Did you hear that?" Indeed, she says, her voice shaking. A person leaps from the underbrush before we can respond. Daniel is here; his face shows both urgency and relief. Lena! " Neyla! Here you are! "Daniel! " I cry out, relief pouring over me. "We searched for you!" He inhales and looks over his shoulder. We have to go. The men of Adam are approaching. Already scouting ahead in search of a safe path is Elias. "What about you?" Concern written on her face, Nyla asks. "I'll catch up," he says, staring around tensely. But time is not something we can squander. They hardly lag behind. I nod, pulse racing through me. Guide the path. We follow Daniel as he threads through the woods. Though he is obviously disturbed, his eyes reflect my own fire. It is evident from his personal battles. "Have you heard anything regarding Adam's intended actions?" Trying to catch up with his huge strides, I inquire. "Just bits and pieces," he says, his tone sober. "But he seems to be organizing something significant, something that might turn all around for us. We have to halt him. "What do you mean?"? Nyla queries, her interest aroused. Urgent, lacing his words, Daniel says, "There's talk of him gathering allies, people who will help him take control of the region." "We will be outnumbered if we do nothing quickly." I get a knot in my gut. "So, what is our plan??" "We first have to locate Elias and reorganize," Daniel replies. Then we will choose our next action. We must be strategically minded. The air changes once more as we venture more into the forest. Like a coiled spring about to break, I can sense the strain building. Every crack of a branch sends shocks of terror through me, but I refuse to show. At last we arrive at a little clearing where Elias waits, his eyes darting across the treeline. Relief floods his face as we get ready. He glances up. "You made it!." "We have to move quickly," Daniel replies, sounding urgent. "Adams's men are closing in." Elias nods with a sobering look. "I have been scouting the neighborhood. Not far from here is a little cottage. Though abandoned, it should give us some cover. Feeling the weight of the circumstances descending on us, I say, "Let's go." I could feel the anxiety returning as we headed toward the cottage. But this time things are different. It's dreadful of failing my pals, not only of being caught. I am counting on them, hence I cannot disappoint them. We hurry into the cabin when we arrive. The air smells like damp wood and dust, and is stale. As we settle in, the walls groan and I can't get rid of the impression that we are under observation. Pacing the little area, Daniel says, "We need to lay low for a while." "We might have an opportunity if we can decide on our next action." "What if they come upon us here?" With apprehensive eyes darting around, Nyla asks. "We'll handle that should it arise," Elias says, his voice firm. "We should now concentrate on our controllable factors." I consider each of them, feeling the weight of their expectations. "We have to work out how to foil Adam's intentions. We cannot sit here waiting for him to move. Daniel nods with a sobering look. "I concur. Information is what we need. We must learn his gathering schedule and approach as well. "Do you suppose we could enter his camp?" With a quivering voice, Nyla asks. "It's dangerous," Elias replies, crossing his arms. But if we can come near enough to compile intelligence, it could provide the edge we require. "We cannot just run in without a plan," I say, heart pounding. We must be clever about this. Frustration clear in his motions, Daniel runs a hand through his hair. "We are not privileged with time. Adam picks greater power the longer we wait. Nyla looks at me, doubt shining in her eyes. Lena: What do you suppose? Breathing deeply, I consider our choices. "We should separate, in my opinion. One of us can survey Adam's camp while the others get ready for the worst. It's worth a try if we can learn without endangering ourselves right now. "I'll go," Daniel says with resolve. "I know the neighborhood really well. I can approach closely without drawing attention. "No, you cannot go alone," I say, horror sweeping over me. "It's quite dangerous." "We have no time to argue about this," he says. "We will have the benefit we need if I can get in and out fast." "I'll go with you," Nyla says with sudden resolve. "If necessary, I can help them to be distracted." "Nyla, it's too risky," I say, worrying tumbling over me. "I'm tired of being scared, Lena," she says, staring straight ahead. "I want to defend our future. I like to change things. I get a wave of respect, yet terror grips my heart. "If we are doing this, we do it collectively. Nobody travels alone. Together we will work out a strategy. Elias nods in unison. "Let us pause to develop a plan. Our emotions cannot color our judgment. Gathering in a circle, I can sense responsibility weighing down on us. This is our time to recover our future and change things. "We will have to design distractions to hide Daniel and Nyla's motions," I say. "While they search, the rest of us might make noise away from the camp to deflect focus." Elias says, "I can get some from the woods." "I'll search for anything that might help us deflect attention." "We have to be ready for anything," Daniel says, staring squarely ahead. " Adam won't be expecting us to retaliate. Our advantage will come from that. As we go over the schedule, I see unity developing between us. Since this trip started, we have all developed quite a lot. Strength and will are replacing the doubt and fear that used to define us. At last, we complete our plan and I can sense the weight of the occasion sinking in. I say, my voice firm, "This is it." "We do it together wherever next comes. Whichever the result, we remain one. Their resiliency in their eyes calms me. We are choosing to fight back against the darkness threatening to overwhelm us, not only survive. I find a storm building inside me as we get ready for the next round of our trip. The tempest of doubt, anxiety, willfulness.