Ingrid pouted as she stared at the canvass roof of a tent. She’d never been in one before. Tents like these were only ever used during raids, something she never wanted to be associated with. Life in the Gloom was a battlefield in its own right. The sun was close to setting, some dark orange rays filtered through the tent flaps.

Ingrid, Lisse, and Lisse’s posse had rolled up to a tent in the Forest an hour or two ago. Most of them left as soon as they rushed Ingrid into the tent. They didn’t let Ingrid get a good look around either. The inside of the tent was pretty nondescript, the only notable attribute was the large table sitting in the center. It was bare at the moment.

Ingrid could hear the sounds of hurried footsteps outside of the tent, telling her they were in some kind of encampment. She wanted to peek outside, to see what was going on. If nothing else but to have more to report back to Len when she got back to the City. If she got back to the city.

Ingrid readjusted in the uncomfortable chair her hosts so graciously gave her. She looked over to her sister, Lisse, the fox-tailed leader of the forest Ferals, who stood near the entrance on the far side of the tent, maybe twenty feet away, talking with people coming in and out of the tent.

Ingrid tried to lean closer, to get a better listen to what they were saying, but Glenna, Lisse’s right-hand woman, grunted. Ingrid looked at her and rolled her eyes, leaning back.

Yet it was all for show, her ears could perceive her sister’s conversations just fine. But putting on a little show like that made it look like she couldn’t. And that meant they couldn’t stop her. Not that anything of worth was being said. Just updates on how the raid was going. Apparently, the second wave had just ended. That and something about how the pits worked well, but not for as long as they had hoped.

Ingrid could just barely make out the sounds of battle with her enhanced hearing, but nothing of real value. She just knew they were closer to the raid than she wanted to be.

It boggled Ingrid’s mind. Why were they helping in the raid? Ferals never had before; from how the elders speak about the Wilds, Lostock takes enough of a beating from monster attacks on nearly a weekly basis. Nothing as grandiose as the raids for sure, but enough to keep them occupied.

That and the city doesn’t need any help either. For as much as Ingrid hated the leadership in the city, she had to admit, during her lifetime, the monsters never came close to the city.

She tried asking her brooding babysitter about it, but she responded with more grunts, her primary form of communication with those that aren’t Lisse. Real gem, this Glenna.

But loyalty like that can be hard to find. Ingrid turned her head. Well maybe not for Lisse. She always had people following her everywhere, they practically threw themselves at her.

Ingrid snorted, those feelings had no business resurfacing.

Lisse turned and looked over at her, the snort must have been louder than she thought. Lisse gave her a soft smile and a nod. Ingrid ignored it, but that seemed to only fan the flames of her sister’s curiosity. Lisse said something else to the man at the entrance, dismissing him with the soft-spoken words of “Tell me when the light shines,” a code phrase most likely, but Ingrid had no idea what it meant.

Lisse walked up, giving a nod to Glenna. The large red-haired woman stood at attention.

“I kept my eye on her, Ma’am. She tried to listen in on your orders a few times, but I kept her in line.” Glenna said with fierce pride.

Lisse smiled at her. “Great work. Now you may leave. With the final wave on the horizon, I need you to keep M Squad in order. Help Marq, he’d appreciate you being there. Especially when the time comes.” Lisse’s words held a delicate tone.

Glenna’s face hardened for a split second before reverting back to its previous earnestness. “But Ma’am, I’m not sure I should leave you alone with…” She gestured to Ingrid.

“It will be fine. I trust Ingrid, she’s my baby bunny sister after all.”

Ingrid flinched at the phrase. She hated that pet name back when they word kids; she hated it even more now. Ingrid balled her fist, trying her best to avoid showing just how much it bothered her.

Glenna audibly gulped, an action that surprised Ingrid. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Glenna walked over to the entrance of the tent, but when she opened the flap, Lisse called out to her.

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“I’m sorry, my friend,” she said with the utmost sincerity.

Glenna responded without turning, her words filled with more emotion than Ingrid thought possible from the hulking woman, “Aye ma’am.” She breathed in deep, her entire head rising to its max height. “But he chose this. We all chose this.”

She passed through the entrance, leaving Ingrid alone with her older sister. For the first time in decades.

Lisse scoffed, “I love that surly woman as if she were my child, but she can be dense. She had no clue you were listening in on me that whole time. It was some good deception. I’ll give you that, little sister. That pout when she had you lean back. Priceless. Almost exactly like I showed you when we were younger.”

Ingrid squinted at the fox-tailed woman.

“What? Did you think I forgot about how powerful those gorgeous ears of yours are? I don’t know why you hide them away.”

She went to pull the hood on Ingrid’s head back. Ingrid whipped her head away, out of reflex more than anything.

Lisse sighed, but let the matter rest. She sat down in the chair warmed by Glenna. Then she inhaled deeply.

“I’m sure you have a hundred questions for me. And I’d love nothing more than to spend the next week answering all of them, no matter how rough or gritty or shouty they may be. But I can’t right now. Just know that I hated leaving you there. But—”

“Just drop it. I don’t want to hear any of the excuses. I stopped caring about those a long time ago. All I need to know is when I can head home. Some of us have people to take care of. I will not have them think I abandoned them.”

Lisse nodded. “You mean little Macie and Kende, those twins you take care of. Don’t worry, I have someone watching over them.”

Ingrid flashed a panicked look at Lisse. “If you so much as hurt them.” Ingrid’s nostrils flared.

“Ingrid, I would never hurt children. Why would you think that? You know me better than that.”

“No, I don’t!” Ingrid shouted. “I don’t know who the hell you are! I was seven when you left! Twenty years. Twenty long years.”

Lisse just looked at Ingrid, tears building at the edges of her eyes.

Ingrid just turned away, staring at the ground and trying to recompose herself. She wouldn’t show weakness. She’d bury it down like she always did.

The inside of the tent was silent for a moment after the outburst. Plenty of hustle and bustle outside though. But inside, nothing.

“I’m—” Lisse started.

“No, just no,” Ingrid said with a sniffle.

“HEY! Watch where you’re walking! These cursed ferals, I swear. Don’t drop those!” A voice shouted from the other side of the tent. Ingrid recognized it as the wagon driver from the earlier. City-born guy. It reminded Ingrid of what she wanted to ask earlier. A great segue out of the current topic as well.

“Why are you working with city folk?” Ingrid asked. “Why are you fighting with them at all? Since when does Lostock get involved with raids in the first place?”

Lisse wiped her eyes and then looked off toward the tent entrance. Her face, now somber, nodded. She stood up, then lowered a hand down to Ingrid.

“It’s almost time. Come, let me show you.”

Ingrid got off her feet, completely ignoring the outstretched arm. She was tired of looking at the inside of this stuffy tent. And gathering intel would do her some good. Get her head out of this funk.

The source of her funk brought her arm back, and the two walked to the entrance. Lisse pulled the flap open, a forced smile on her face.

“Welcome to Camp Feral.”

Ingrid couldn’t believe her eyes. People ran around the place to and fro, in and out of other tents and makeshift wooden buildings, arms filled to the brim with weapons, armor, and other supplies. But not the kind she saw in Laurelhaven. These pieces of equipment were far more primitive looking, the swords weren’t as straight and narrow, more curved. And twice as deadly. No plate mail or similar armor was in sight. Most of the feral armor was leather or light chain that only protected the soft bits of the body.

She could barely believe it. This was the first time she had ever seen so many Ferals in one place. Real Ferals. Not the beaten down and nearly broken ones of the Gloom. They all looked properly fed. They exuded strength, and probably more importantly, pride.

“Or at least that’s what I call it. I think it’s funny. A dumb name those Laurelites would call us. So why not lean into it a bit.” She said, bumping her shoulder into Ingrid’s.

Ingrid followed after Lisse, who stopped and commented on different tents and such. Ingrid made as many mental notes as she could, but she was worried she wouldn’t remember it all. This information was worth a fortune in the right hands.

Different soldiers, if that’s the right word for them, ran up to Lisse every few minutes, giving some report.

She really is in charge here. That fact hadn’t really sunk in until she saw this. Her elder sister, the crybaby, was actually the leader of the Ferals. Or this warband, at least.

But something was bothering Ingrid. As they walked through the camp, she heard more and more of the fighting from the raid. But they were surrounded by trees. Why weren’t they on the raid field? How far away from the battle were they? It sounded close.

The crow-feathered man, the one that was a part of Lisse’s group when they met with Mort, stopped Lisse. “Ma’am, all preparations are ready. We have reports that Ainsworth has moved. Everyone in the M Squad is ready.”

Ingrid saw Lisse’s face grow dire, but then returned to normal not long after.

“Ingrid. This way.”

They made it to the end of the camp just before the night fell. The sun sat just below the trees. Lisse guided Ingrid to a cliff, but stopped her just before she could see what was at the bottom.

“Before we go any further, I should say this. We are helping in the raid. Just not in the way you think. Please don’t freak out when you see what I’m about to show you. Just know that we…we are doing this for a reason. A good reason. We have to do this. For the good of all Ferals. And even the city folk as well.”

She then let Ingrid walk up to the top. Ingrid looked down. And found a vast group of warriors. Hundreds. Yet none of them wore armor or held any weapons in hand. Only a single bright blue flower.