Caught in the Crossfire

**Shaira's POV**

The night was advancing, and the camp was bustling with activity. Some opranchi warriors patrolled the area, while others gathered in small groups around the fire, exchanging stories and laughter. Angro and I tried to blend in, keeping up casual conversations with the men to avoid raising suspicions. Yet, every laugh and every glance was a constant test of our composure.

A burly warrior with a scar on his cheek, who seemed to recognize Angro, approached us. “Didn’t expect to see you here, friend. What brings you so far from Zuwua?” he asked with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Then his gaze shifted to me. “And I see you’ve brought company… haven’t seen her around before.”

Angro smiled naturally, though I noticed a slight tightening of his jaw. “We’re on our way to a safe place for the night,” he explained in a relaxed tone. “This seemed like a good spot to rest before moving on.”

The warrior didn’t seem entirely convinced and took a step closer. “These aren’t times to be traveling just for leisure,” he commented, his gaze shifting between Angro and me. “With all the rumors about the eteri movements… you need to be cautious.”

“That’s exactly why we’re here,” I responded, trying to keep my voice steady and calm. “We didn’t want to take any chances in the dark.”

The tension grew with each word, and although the questions seemed innocent, I felt that each look became more probing. The man shrugged, but his curiosity didn’t seem entirely satisfied.

“I suppose you’re right,” he finally said, stepping away to join another group. But not before casting one last evaluative glance in our direction.

Angro gently took me by the arm and led me a few steps away from the group. “We need to stay on guard,” he murmured, his eyes scanning the camp. “They’re not sure about us… we must be careful.”

I nodded, feeling my breathing become heavier. I knew our stay in the camp wouldn’t be easy, but the growing suspicions of the warriors made the situation even more complicated. We were constantly under the watchful eyes of those who could become our enemies at any moment.

As the night wore on, the camp remained lively, with conversations and the crackling of the fire filling the air. Angro and I kept a low profile, paying attention to every detail. My body tensed each time someone approached us, but we tried to act naturally, listening to the fragments of conversations crisscrossing the camp.

A few steps away from us, two warriors were speaking in low voices. Their words were partly drowned out by the camp's noise, but I managed to catch a few fragments.

“…it’s not a normal shipment. They say… it’s weapons stolen from the eteri,” one murmured, casting a nervous glance toward the river. “I don’t like it. If the eteri find out what we’re doing…”

The other warrior interrupted him, frowning. “Shut up, fool. We don’t want everyone to know what we’re carrying. Just do your part and keep your mouth shut.”

The exchange left me uneasy. Angro had heard it too, and a flash of concern crossed his eyes as they met mine. The idea that the warriors were expecting a shipment of weapons stolen from the eteri was more than worrisome. Not only could it trigger a conflict, but it also suggested that someone within the eteri forces was involved. It hinted that the region's ties were more complex than they seemed.

“This isn’t good,” I whispered to Angro, my voice barely audible. “If the eteri find out about this exchange, we could be caught in something much bigger.”

Angro nodded, a grave expression on his face. “We need to be ready for anything. If something goes wrong, we’ll leave the camp as soon as we get the chance.”

As the night deepened, I noticed how the atmosphere in the camp grew increasingly tense. The warriors exchanged wary glances, and some seemed to be on alert, as if expecting something to happen at any moment. The information we had overheard not only worried us but seemed to weigh on the men’s moods as well.

We tried to maintain our composure as time crawled by. Yet, the uncertainty grew within me like a knot in my stomach. I knew the shipment was about to arrive, and with it, the real test. The night was darker than ever, and I felt danger closing in on us, getting closer with each passing second.

The silence in the camp was abruptly shattered by the sound of snapping branches and hurried footsteps near the river. The warriors sprang to their feet, all on alert. A pair of figures emerged from the darkness, struggling to carry heavy crates. The shipment had finally arrived.

The men crowded around the crates, quickly unloading them. From my position, I could see that they were indeed weapons, just as we had suspected. Rifles and ammunition, some clearly of eteri manufacture. My heart pounded with the realization of what that meant: someone within the eteri forces was supplying the opranchi, or perhaps there was some other kind of deal at play.

The commotion in the camp grew as the warriors began to open the crates to inspect the contents. The air was thick with tension, as if every man was bracing himself for a possible confrontation. A chill ran down my spine as I saw the nervous glances and trembling hands. It seemed that no one was certain about what might happen next.

Suddenly, a cry of alarm rang out. “Eteri soldiers!”

Before I could react, the sound of gunfire filled the camp, and the warriors scattered in all directions, seeking cover. Angro grabbed my arm tightly, pulling me toward the thick of the forest. “We have to get out of here, now!” he shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos.

We ran toward the trees, dodging bullets and the bodies falling around us. The eteri soldiers had arrived without warning, attacking the camp with devastating precision. The sounds of weapons and the shouts of the opranchi warriors echoed in my ears, but my mind focused on one thing only: escape.

We hid behind a large boulder, gasping for breath. Angro peeked out to see what was happening, then looked back at me urgently. “We can’t stay here. They’ll find us. We need to use the chaos to get out.”

I nodded, trying to catch my breath. My body was trembling from the adrenaline and fear. “This way,” I pointed toward a cluster of trees that seemed to form a path. “We can use it to get away.”

We stood up and ran as fast as we could. The camp had become a battlefield, with opranchi warriors and eteri soldiers fighting hand-to-hand. Each step took us farther from immediate danger, but I knew we weren’t safe. The warriors’ glances, the suspicions that had arisen… all of it still hung over us.

As we slipped away into the darkness, an opranchi warrior saw us and began to follow. “Angro! What are you doing?” he shouted, his voice full of confusion and suspicion.

With no time to think, Angro pushed me forward. “Run, don’t stop,” he said, turning to face the man. “I’ll distract him.”

I felt a knot of panic tighten in my chest, but I did as he asked. I couldn’t risk staying behind and being discovered. I ran into the thick forest, hoping Angro could catch up to me soon.

The sound of my own footsteps echoed in my ears, mingling with the distant cries and gunfire still filling the camp. Fear tightened in my chest as I ran through the dense jungle, dodging branches and leaping over roots. My lungs burned from the effort, but I didn’t stop. I knew every second counted, and stopping would mean putting both my life and Angro’s at risk.

As I ventured deeper into the darkness, I heard the sound of breaking branches behind me. A chill ran down my spine at the thought that it could be one of the opranchi warriors, or worse, an eteri soldier. However, before I could react, a figure emerged from the trees and grabbed my arm. My heart leapt when I recognized Angro’s face.

“This way,” he said, his voice strained with exhaustion, pulling me toward a narrow path winding through the vegetation. I followed without hesitation, grateful he had managed to catch up.

We ran in silence, putting more distance between us and the chaos. But even when the sounds of battle began to fade, the feeling of danger didn’t disappear. We only stopped when we were sure no one was following us. We leaned against a fallen log, struggling to catch our breath.

“Are you okay?” Angro asked, his breath still ragged. His eyes scanned my face with concern, and in that moment I knew he had feared the worst.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I replied, though my voice came out weaker than I expected. “And you? Were you hurt?”

Angro shook his head, but the fatigue was evident in his features. “I’m fine. But we can’t stay here. We need to keep moving. Now more than ever, we’re fugitives from both sides.”

The weight of his words fell over me. It was true; we had witnessed something we shouldn’t have. Both the eteri and some of the opranchi warriors had reasons to distrust us, and staying in one place would only expose us to more danger.

“Where do we go now?” I asked, trying to hide the fear stirring inside me.

Angro looked toward the horizon, where the jungle stretched out endlessly before us. “We’ll head south. There’s a safe place I know where we can hide for a while and make a plan. But we have to move quickly.”

I nodded, feeling the adrenaline begin to fade, leaving behind an overwhelming exhaustion. But we had no choice. We had to keep going, despite the fear and uncertainty. Danger was chasing us, but the determination to survive and fight for our freedom drove us forward.

Without saying more, we set off toward the south, disappearing into the darkness of the jungle, knowing that the next battle would not be far away.