Battle Strong by Elizabeth McCready (the ebook reader txt) 📖

come up with according to them. Letting young people like Beth and the other hand-selected members of the Twelve lead gave the adults and more seasoned troops the ability to train more younger people with the same possibility of leading one day.

Beth could feel her eyes growing heavy, she knew that base was still hours, maybe even days away. She looked out the window at the blue sky staring back at her and wondered why the world looked so beautiful. There was so much wrong with the world and yet it had never looked better. Beth slowly closed her eyes, peacefully letting the roars of the ancient bus lull her to sleep.

*~*

Beth grabbed her bags from the bus driver who gave her a solemn nod and carried on back into the bus driving off into the distance. She had slept nearly entire way, spare for the times she had to use the restroom and stops for food in small village markets. Being that she was the only one on that entire bus other than the decorated driver, it was a quiet and spontaneous drive. As she wandered away from the bus, a dark woman in black attire approached Beth.

"I hope I've been dropped at the right place, unfortunately I can't tell because this looks an awful lot like a summer camp brochure I saw at the Quill center once."

"While I can't promise activities you more than likely saw in that brochure, I can promise that this will be something to behold. Hello, I'm Lewisse, you must be Beth."

"Ah, finally! Someone actually gets my name right."

"Come with me, I will show you to your cabin." Before Beth could reply, she started walking. She gathered her belongings and followed Lewisse into a six bunk cabin that was adjacent to a duplicated version. Down a wide, open path, there was a large building with a sign labeled 'Commons Building' with a stable across the path and garden to the right of it. Beth quietly made her way into the bunker where four boys and a girl were already claiming beds. Lewisse stopped before leaving the cabin and turned to Beth.

"I hope you make the best of it, I will not be staying as I have business with the Quill this evening. Good luck, dear." Beth swallowed as the word left the woman's mouth, and waved the her off. The Quill. The group that led her country alongside their king, Beth had always despised them. Half of the things in the country were named after them, and yet hearing the word from the woman's mouth said regarding the actual group made her blood go cold.

"Beth?"

"Noeh!" Beth beamed a smile and ran to the toned teenage boy standing in front of a set of bunks, hugging him as the others stared at them in confusion.

"I haven't seen you in, what, two years? You've obviously done well enough!"

"Same to you. You must've really stepped it up." Beth teased, and wondered what had happened to allow two year fours in the base, that was unheard of in Delahonte.

"Yeah, once I started beating you."

"Yeah right!" Beth narrowed her eyes in banter at her friend.

"Okay, stop with- whatever it is that you are doing. Go outside if your going to behave like children." A girl dressed in clothing too fancy for war snarled, gesturing to the door and playing with her short brown hair. Beth couldn't decide whether her accent was that of the Kravinoff tongue or of the Silvertooth. Maybe even fake. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry, are we disturbing you? Would you like us to leave you in the silent, comforting peace of the knowledge that we all may be dead tomorrow?" Beth asked, progressively becoming more angry.

"Yes. Now out you go, your voice annoys me." The girl paused, "Oh, and your hair appears as though it may have a rat nesting in it." She looked at Beth as if she were an animal.

"I'm sure you have plenty of knowledge on rats." Beth snapped at her tensing her muscles, the last time someone talked like that to her- Well, he got what he deserved to say the least. "And your accent sounds fake as-"

"Beth, you don't want to do that here." Noeh whispered calmly to her, her shoulders relaxed as she took a deep breath. The girl laughed.

"What? Are you going to mutate into xunn or something?" She made a face mocking that of the cave dwelling creatures in the mountains.

"Monsters are a joke compared to what I'll turn into if you say another word." Beth said lowering her voice and balling her hands to control herself.

"The only thing that could be afraid of a thing like you is a rat, but wait-" The girl drew her teeth back pointing towards her hair. Beth raised her fist to swing at her, but before she could make precious contact with her face, Noeh grabbed her and dragged her out of the cabin.

"I hope she's first to die." She uttered bitterly.

"And you ma'am have not changed a bit." Beth shook herself from his strong unforgiving grip.

"I'm aware." There was a long pause before Noeh spoke. 

"Beth, how are you?" He looked worried, as he recalled how angry Beth was that year they were partners.

"I'm fine, I'll be fine."

"Good, why don't you go down to the Commons and get some Quillrons. I saw that they had your favorite when I was down there before you arrived. I'll go in and talk to Melina."

"Good luck. Quill, save her pathetic, incompetent, soul-less self."

"You are just a pleasant little flower, aren't you? So. Pleasant." He teased.

"Shut up."

 

Beth wandered her way down the path to the Commons building, noticing a large wooded area behind it. She searched around, assuming not everyone was there because the other cabin was empty. She traipsed through the woods and explored for a while. She could remember when she was young, how a tradition her and Ander shared was to find a wooded area and locate a stream or pond in or around it during the time of a holiday. That tradition had continued for Beth, he was always a part of her mind. It was part of the reason Beth had turned so cold once he left. While walking through the woods, she saw many animals such as birds, snakes, foxes. But, they didn't hide. 

She had read once that in the Kravinoff Islands, the native animals do the same thing because they aren't hunted. It made Beth wonder where she was. On the ground, she discovered tracks of deer and elk, so with intense curiosity she followed them, finding a lake. She couldn't help but smile as she recalled all of the times her and Ander had done this. Soon she found a log nearby and sat watching the stillness of the water. She stood from her spot within minutes, feeling a twinge of pain in her heart as she thought of the possibility that she may not survive the upcoming days. The words she'd never get to say to Ander, to her mother, to Emylee all filled her mind. She looked out at the water one last time and abandoned the woods, just as the good feeling it offered abandoned her.

 

*~* 

Beth had found an easy path to and from the Lake on the way back. She decided to make note of it in her journal when she returned to her cabin later. Beth glanced into the commons as she slid through the open door. There was a large pantry closet, two large freezing chambers, and a decent sized cooling chamber inside the first large room, the ceilings were high and had windows out of which you could see the clouds roaming the blue skies. She imagined what it must be like at night when the moon is accompanied by millions of beautiful stars. Noeh was in the kitchen leaning on a counter while talking to the three other boys from their cabin. Beth waved before snagging some Oreo ice cream out of one of the freezers, and walked to the boys.

"Hey there tiger, feel better?" Noah asked.

"I suppose, where is the she-devil?"

"Back in the cabin sleeping."

"Winters here already?"

"Funny, but hey let me introduce you to our other roommates, whom I should add are less aggressive for your sake. This is Chaess, Peitre, and Calvenne." They each waved, while Beth managed a smile. "And this not-so-pleasant peach here is Beth."

"Nice to meet you guys." she said with a laugh. "I'm going try to go unpack without waking the beast. Catch you guys later." 

Beth walked towards the door, looking out the window. After taking a second to process, her eyes went wide with utter disbelief and she suddenly shoved her limber body behind the side wall pulling her hood to cover her face. She leaned against the wall trying to be as discreet as possible and continued to eat her Quillron. That's when he walked in. Ander, even more attractive than he was at thirteen years old, waltzed through the door with such unbelievable confidence. 

Beth watched him proudly stroll by, the flex and utter strength lying in his muscles. If only he had known she was here. Once she was sure he wouldn't see, she bolted out of the building. She was breathing so heavily, in total disbelief that he was there. She shook herself from the thought, prodding a gentle reminder that these were all seasoned fighters, and her petty childhood crush dilemma wasn't going to do anything but provoke her into a psychotic episode. Once in the cabin, Beth started the unpacking process, and as soon as she was finished, she climbed into her bed. Joining Melina, the she-devil, in a well deserved hibernation.

 

 

 

 

Chapter Two

The sound of a screaming siren woke Beth from her sleep. She saw every person in that cabin launching up and putting on gear, she followed the same routine. She hadn’t been trained for this yet, she supposed it was one of the drawbacks of being selected as a year four. Year five is typically where specified battle training such as preparation and methodology take place, prior to that is just combat training which mostly hand to hand tactical training and fighting strategies. It made sense, sort of. The majority of soldiers going into war and the advanced bases are in years five or six, rarely year fours. Yet, this year both Noeh and Beth, both year fours were selected for A1, that was unheard of. Beth opened her designated armory closet where her weapons and outer gear were located. She put the gear on her body, eyeing the weapons she could choose from. Beth ran a finger down the string of the sleek brown bow, slinging it and the matching quiver filled with different arrows onto her back. In a last second glance, caught the sight of the two swords that found their places in the sheaths across her shoulders, and finally strapping a belt of throwing knives to her waist. She was surprisingly the first finished and prepared to leave. She felt fierce and ready for whatever would come her way. 

Running to the door, she latched her helmet and mask onto her head, and flew onto the same mothball bus she rode on to get to this place. She