The Land Below our Feet COMPLETE

CAPTURE

Souna had woken up before sunrise with a restless mind and tingling extremities. Her fingers brushed the cold site where she knew the Yahurian had been lying down for just a few hours before silently leaving her there alone and heading to tend to the army's ever-pressing matters.

She noticed he had taken the child with him, leaving her with no other occupation than to sulk in her annoying loneliness. Sighing, she got dressed and grabbed her knives, heading outside to the still sleeping campsite.

There was a dim light coming from the main tent where Ussi and his men were surely gathered, discussing their next steps. She pondered letting him know about the excursion she was taking, before deciding against interrupting their assembly and pacing forward.

As she distanced herself from the camp, she began feeling lighter and her mood improved a bit. She walked decidedly to a tranquil spot that she had found the previous evening and, after taking a brief swig of water from a nearby creek, she readied herself to train.

Taking a deep breath, she began warming her stiff body up, her movements becoming more fluid with the passing minutes, muscle memory soon taking control as she practiced the attacks and lunges her late husband had once taught her. She slowly progressed to a more elaborated offensive as she combined a few new tactics that the Yahurian had shown her a couple of days ago, once he was done practicing with Axe.

They were simple upgrades and minor modifications to her previous technique, but they added perfectly to her fighting style. Her maneuvers flowing easily as she focused intently on her routine.

The sun had started to shine, and some sweat had begun forming on her forehead when she sensed it: An almost imperceptible swish dangerously approaching from behind her.

“Close your eyes”- Ussi´s voice replayed inside her head as she recalled the Yahurian´s lesson.

She had been watching as he made Axe work on his tricks. Her eyes fixated on the warrior's precise movements, guiding the kid through the obstacles he presented him with.

-How did you know where I was hiding when you first encountered me on the road? – Souna had asked once the child finished his daily instruction that night – Would you show me how to do that?

The next morning, the Yahurian had started blinding her eyes with a thick cloth, making her listen to her surroundings day after day as he crept silently on her.

Ussi had managed to surprise her every time, his steps impossible to trace. No matter how hard she tried, her weapon always ended up aimed fruitlessly at the wrong side of where he actually stood.

-Close your eyes – He had whispered into her ear one day, leading her to their usual spot – Now focus… Listen to the wind, feel the change of pressure on the ground as I move around.

He had then gone silent and Souna had stilled her breath, her senses sharpening and in full attentiveness. Then she had finally heard it… The almost imperceptible shift of his feet grinding on the dirt.

She had turned to her right, aiming her knife and opening her eyes to find him standing a fair distance ahead from her, his eyes brightening.

-Good! It was not that hard, was it? – He had laughed, gesturing behind her, making her turn around and become aware of the kid that remained motionless in the opposite direction– Yet you still missed Axe… So, try again.

Now, with this impending threat looming over her, she fought the tempting urge to turn around and give herself away. Instead, she shut her eyes and kept her lunges impassive while she went over the Yahurian´s words and perked her attention towards the incoming attacker.

Her alerted mind taking no time to clearly spot the pattern of his advance, her heart beating rapidly with an electrifying rush.

When she was sure of the predictable sequence, she held her breath and resolved to make her move. Rolling and ducking in the fraction of second that she had been carefully timing, just as she was instructed.

Once she was out of the line of sight, he was in hers. A broad grin extending on her face as she marveled at the accuracy of the warrior's teaching.

-Gotcha – She muttered to herself while she patiently waited. Her assailant showing himself a few moments later, his back turned unsuspectingly towards her.

She noticed the firearm hanging from his shoulder, the golden locks tied at the back of his head... And the familiar garments of the enemy's side. Her brain racing at the sight of the lone outsider, wondering how far away the rest of his platoon was.

With these things in consideration, she slowly crept up behind him and swiftly pressed her dagger against his back. Feeling him instantly tense up, his breathing audibly sharpening.

-Freeze! – She stood on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear, driving a second knife towards his throat and hearing him gulp down.

Souna knew that he could not understand her language, but she figured that the feeling of the steel against him was sufficiently self-explanatory... And apparently, that was indeed the case, because the stranger had immediately raised his hands up in the air without uttering a single peep.

In a rapid movement she put her dagger away and stripped him of his weapon, replacing her other blade with it.

-Walk! – She ordered, swiftly c*****g the firearm against his body, and urging him forward.

With a steady pace and the tip of the gun positioned between the outsider's shoulders, she carefully guided him back to the encampment.

A sea of intrigued looks landing on them as Souna drove her catch through the campgrounds, under the astonished eyes of the silent Cahenean men.

-You're in trouble – Golendhar notified her as she walked past him – The Commander has been looking for you left and right for a couple of hours now.

-Well, I have been busy… As you can see - She replied, rolling her eyes at him – So, he is going to have to suck it up.

-Good luck with that – He responded chuckling lightheartedly, nodding at her prisoner – Need any help with him?

-Nay, I got this – Souna said, pressing the barrel of the weapon further into the terrified outsider's back – Just tell your men to keep their eyes open, we don't know if there are any more of these lurking around… So, tell me, where is he?

The muscled, thick-bearded man smirked and tilted his wrapped head towards his right, his eyes nodding at the central tent with an amused look.

-Don't keep him waiting – He advised her in a low voice – He is in one of his moods.

-Yeah… How lovely! – She breathed out, spurring the golden-haired stranger, and teasing him playfully with a smug grin on her face– What you say, Pal? You think we can get a smile out of him?

The Yahurian´s back was turned towards her when she barged through the tent's entrance.

-It was about time you showed up – He muttered tiredly without bothering to face her– Get ready, we are leaving, you've already cost us an hour.

-And I am going to cost you at least another one – Souna retorted calmly, tossing the prisoner towards his feet – Or don't you want to find out what this scumbag is doing here?