of butterflies, albeit unsuccessfully, telling
herself it was the morning sunlight that was starting to emerge
over the horizon that made him look so handsome.
It was a blatant lie to
herself, but she refused to contest it.
“ Uh,” She
whispered, her focus momentarily disrupted and her voice wavering.
She shook her head. “Yes.”
Another faint snap echoed
in the distance.
“ We don't
have time to delegate this, men.” Harlow said, turning her eyes to
Rawley and Elwin. “You two are some of the best archers in the
camp. It would be best if you took to the trees.”
The two men considered it,
and nodded agreeably.
She turned to Candor, whose
medium build could be intimidating sometimes. “Candor, you're a
great runner, but you're a better climber. Enders and I are the
fastest runners, we'll invade the other teams' territories and lure
them out. After we've got them out, you can go in, take care of
anybody in your way, and steal their flags.”
Candor smiled wickedly.
“So, you want me to knock the others unconscious?”
Harlow shrugged. “If that's
what needs to be done, then yes.”
Snap! The echo of the snapping branch rang
out closer this time.
“ We're good
with this plan?” Enders asked everyone.
All the men nodded, Rawley
and Elwin rushing off to two opposing trees.
“ Let's go,
then.” Harlow said, running off into the deeper forest, Candor and
Enders running on each side of her.
*~*~*
Enders and Harlow walked
carefully in silence as they watched Candor from afar. The three
had decided to split into two groups, so that when the other team
found Harlow and Enders, they wouldn't catch Candor as well. Harlow
had to admit she enjoyed having this small element of surprise on
her team.
The two walked in silence,
careful not to step on any loud twigs and branches.
Enders cleared his throat
quietly, garnering Harlow's attention. She glanced at him, letting
him know that she was listening, before she went back to surveying
the area and keeping a good eye on Candor.
“ Thank you
for saving our flag back there.” He said, a slight awkward tone in
his voice, although he was trying his hardest to sound
casual.
Harlow nodded, trying not
to smile. She thought the tone of his voice was endearing and
sweet. “You're welcome.”
Enders nodded, keeping
silent for a few moments longer.
Harlow kept her eyes on
Candor, as the three of them kept forward at a slow
pace.
Harlow stopped in her
place. She kept her eyes on Candor, who'd stopped and looked to the
treetops.
She tried to perk up her
ears to hear what he must be hearing.
Then, she saw Candor turn
to make eye contact and pointed to the treetops at his
right.
“ He's hearing
something.” Enders said, brushing against Harlow's skin on his way
past her. “Let's go.”
Harlow froze momentarily by
the skin contact, feeling chills on her fingertips and her heart
thumping wildly. She broke out of it quickly and starting making
her way to Candor.
“ What's going
on?” She whispered to Candor.
Candor looked to his right,
holding up his hand. “Listen.”
At first, Harlow heard
nothing, but as a few seconds passed, she heard a faint sound of
laughter.
“ One of the
teams are just over here.” Candor pointed to his right.
Harlow nodded. “We'll go in
and lure them away. When you see us running south, go in and do
whatever needs to be done.” She said, starting to walk away. She
paused and turned back to Candor. “Within reason, that
is.”
Candor nodded.
“Understood.”
Harlow started off in the
direction of the laughter, Enders walking beside her. “You ready
for this?” She asked him.
Enders nodded,
determination written in his hazel eyes. “You bet.”
*~*~*
“ Enders! Go left!” Harlow shouted as they raced
Northward. Arrows whizzed by them from left and right.
Enders looked to her and
nodded as he broke away and bolted toward their designated flag
spot, where their archers waited.
“ Henry!”
Enders
herself it was the morning sunlight that was starting to emerge
over the horizon that made him look so handsome.
It was a blatant lie to
herself, but she refused to contest it.
“ Uh,” She
whispered, her focus momentarily disrupted and her voice wavering.
She shook her head. “Yes.”
Another faint snap echoed
in the distance.
“ We don't
have time to delegate this, men.” Harlow said, turning her eyes to
Rawley and Elwin. “You two are some of the best archers in the
camp. It would be best if you took to the trees.”
The two men considered it,
and nodded agreeably.
She turned to Candor, whose
medium build could be intimidating sometimes. “Candor, you're a
great runner, but you're a better climber. Enders and I are the
fastest runners, we'll invade the other teams' territories and lure
them out. After we've got them out, you can go in, take care of
anybody in your way, and steal their flags.”
Candor smiled wickedly.
“So, you want me to knock the others unconscious?”
Harlow shrugged. “If that's
what needs to be done, then yes.”
Snap! The echo of the snapping branch rang
out closer this time.
“ We're good
with this plan?” Enders asked everyone.
All the men nodded, Rawley
and Elwin rushing off to two opposing trees.
“ Let's go,
then.” Harlow said, running off into the deeper forest, Candor and
Enders running on each side of her.
*~*~*
Enders and Harlow walked
carefully in silence as they watched Candor from afar. The three
had decided to split into two groups, so that when the other team
found Harlow and Enders, they wouldn't catch Candor as well. Harlow
had to admit she enjoyed having this small element of surprise on
her team.
The two walked in silence,
careful not to step on any loud twigs and branches.
Enders cleared his throat
quietly, garnering Harlow's attention. She glanced at him, letting
him know that she was listening, before she went back to surveying
the area and keeping a good eye on Candor.
“ Thank you
for saving our flag back there.” He said, a slight awkward tone in
his voice, although he was trying his hardest to sound
casual.
Harlow nodded, trying not
to smile. She thought the tone of his voice was endearing and
sweet. “You're welcome.”
Enders nodded, keeping
silent for a few moments longer.
Harlow kept her eyes on
Candor, as the three of them kept forward at a slow
pace.
Harlow stopped in her
place. She kept her eyes on Candor, who'd stopped and looked to the
treetops.
She tried to perk up her
ears to hear what he must be hearing.
Then, she saw Candor turn
to make eye contact and pointed to the treetops at his
right.
“ He's hearing
something.” Enders said, brushing against Harlow's skin on his way
past her. “Let's go.”
Harlow froze momentarily by
the skin contact, feeling chills on her fingertips and her heart
thumping wildly. She broke out of it quickly and starting making
her way to Candor.
“ What's going
on?” She whispered to Candor.
Candor looked to his right,
holding up his hand. “Listen.”
At first, Harlow heard
nothing, but as a few seconds passed, she heard a faint sound of
laughter.
“ One of the
teams are just over here.” Candor pointed to his right.
Harlow nodded. “We'll go in
and lure them away. When you see us running south, go in and do
whatever needs to be done.” She said, starting to walk away. She
paused and turned back to Candor. “Within reason, that
is.”
Candor nodded.
“Understood.”
Harlow started off in the
direction of the laughter, Enders walking beside her. “You ready
for this?” She asked him.
Enders nodded,
determination written in his hazel eyes. “You bet.”
*~*~*
“ Enders! Go left!” Harlow shouted as they raced
Northward. Arrows whizzed by them from left and right.
Enders looked to her and
nodded as he broke away and bolted toward their designated flag
spot, where their archers waited.
“ Henry!”
Enders
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