Lyssa woke to bird song and Abi humming to herself as she tidied up the camp. That was just great the girl was a morning person as well as the chattiest person she’d ever met. She levelled a glare at the girl before she was awake enough to halve the severity of it. Although she doubted its effectiveness when her eyes were barely open and full of grit.

Lyssa hadn’t thought she’d be able to sleep with so many conflicting thoughts keeping her mind busy, but her ability to sleep anywhere had won through.

“Sorry.” Abi smiled, but had the gall not to look sorry at all. Instead she carried on, as if there wasn’t an angry warrior, who she had just woken up, glaring at her.

The warrior had thought she’d done enough to scare the girl last night and drive her away, but here she was cheerfully doing chores instead of running for her life. So much for the guilt Lyssa had felt for yelling at her last night.

The sun was only beginning to rise and the light hadn’t quite made it’s way through the trees yet. She could have slept for another hour, and was tempted to roll over and try anyway.

“Not a morning person?” Abi said as she handed Lyssa the leftover food from last night that she had warmed up over the fire.

Being a morning person alone was enough of a reason to condemn the girl but the offer of warm food saved her from Lyssa’s bad mood.

“No, but I’m guessing you are?” She said around a mouthful of rabbit.

“Yes, but I didn’t really sleep either. I’ve been up for a few hours.” Abi paced in front of the barely smouldering fire. Her eyes were once again looking off into the distance, seeing something only she could see. “I can’t stop thinking about what we should do...”

“There’s no we.” Lyssa cut her off. “You’re going back to your village.” The warrior stayed focused on her food, not looking up at the protest she knew was going to come.

“You can’t…”

“I’m not having you get hurt under my watch.” Lyssa said, raising her voice. She calmed herself by taking a deep breath. “There’s enough blood on my hands already.”

“I know who you are though.” Abi said this as if it held the key to everything. As if this was a secret Lyssa had confided in her, instead of it being the result of Abi snooping through her belongings.

“Be really careful what you say next.” Lyssa brandished the small knife with the rabbit stuck to the end at Abi.

“I’m not threatening you,” Abi said, her voice high with affront, as if the thought had never crossed her mind. “I can help you find your redemption.” Abi sounded so genuine with her wide eyes and hands pressed to her heart that if it was anyone else Lyssa would have thought she was being manipulated. But this was the girl who had rushed to save a boy she barely knew against men that outnumbered and outmatched her.

“There’s only one way I can redeem myself and it’s not here.”

“So you are trying to redeem yourself, like I said yesterday. In that case you need someone in your corner.”

Lyssa groaned as she realised she’d fallen into another trap set by Abi. Yesterday she’d mocked the girl’s romantic notions of warriors and redemption, while today she confirmed enough of it to encourage her. She shouldn’t have important conversations this soon after waking up.

“No I don’t.” The warrior didn’t know which part she was denying but she hoped Abi would just take her word for it. “Go back to your village and I’ll make the bridge safe. You don’t want to see how I’m going to do that.”

“Fine.”

Lyssa turned to look at the girl, surprised at the easy agreement and suspicious of the tone of Abi’s voice.

“Fine?” Lyssa asked in disbelief.

“Yes, I can follow orders.” Abi picked up her pack. “I expect to see you again though. You should pass through my village on your way to wherever you’re going.” With that Abi turned on her heel and marched off down the path like a soldier going to battle.

Lyssa watched her go until she was out of sight. There was no way that girl wasn’t up to something, which meant Lyssa had to put an end to this, before Abi carried out whatever plan she had cooked up. Luckily Abi was on foot and still miles from her village or the river.

The fire had become glowing embers but still gave off a little heat that fought the morning chill in the air. Lyssa smothered the fire with earth and mounted Bouda who was only too happy to be going.

She left the camp soon after Abi did, wanting this over and done with so she could move on. She'd make sure Abi was safe and then she’d go find the war.