Chapter 9

{{ Sophie's POV 💫 }}
Sophie couldn't make her legs move anymore. With little choice, she collapsed into a heap at the base of a particularly large tree. She had been moving non stop for a whole day and all through the night, too on edge for any sort of rest.
After a few minutes of heavy breathing and recovery, she managed to pull herself to her feet, using the tree trunk for support. She glanced around the surrounding forest looking for at least a semi-climbable tree. She wasn’t as tall or strong as Coryn, but she had still taught her how to scale a tree, even if the limbs were sparse. She finally settled on one that she deemed good enough and began to haul herself up.
She could only make herself climb for about twenty feet before she situated herself on a branch and closed her eyes, instantly slipping into sleep.
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Sophie opened her eyes to the noon sun streaming in through the thick foliage above. She stretched, cautiously mind you, so as not to fall out of the tree. As she swung her legs off the branch she nearly fell despite her caution.
There, a mere twenty feet below her stood a girl, who was totally unaware of her presence. Sophie had no clue what to do. The first thought to cross her mind was to jump down and run but then she noticed the particularly large knife that the girl held in her hand.
Upon closer inspection, she realized her grip on the blade looked clumsy and inexperienced, but she wasn’t about to jump down onto a girl with a knife, no matter her experience. The girls also had an obvious height difference which could also complicate the situation. Sophie knew she was short, but the girl had to be at least a few inches taller than she was, with dirty blond hair and bronze skin.
If only there was some way for her to get the knife, she thought she might be able to escape. Another helpful skill she had learned thanks to Coryn. Coryn’s odd hunting blades had always intrigued her, so one day she had asked her friend for some knife throwing lessons. Who would have known that she was a natural?
She was just about to start her descent when her foot scraped the bark of the tree and sent bits of dust falling onto the unsuspecting girl. Instantly her head flipped upwards and found Sophie tucked against the trunk. Both girls, obviously startled, sat staring at each other, waiting for the other to make a move.
Finally, the girl blinked and shuffled backward a few feet before speaking, “I know this is going to sound absurd, totally insane, but I swear I won’t hurt you. If you wait just a minute, I’ll leave so you can get down.” She started to turn around when she paused and turned back to face Sophie, “Actually, this is going to sound even more absurd, but do you think you might want to be allies? I know I could definitely use one but um, if you don’t want to then I get it and I’ll leave like I said.”
Her voice was unsure and she looked almost embarrassed as she waited for Sophie’s answer.
“What makes you think I won’t just kill you once I climb down?”
“I mean, I think if you were going to kill me, you probably would have done it already, right?” She sounded less unsure this time and more confident. Sophie could tell that the girl was being naive but something about her made her want to extend her trust.
Worst case scenario, she kills me and puts me out of my misery. With that, she shimmied down the tree and stood a safe distance away from the girl, just in case.
“My name’s Sophie Winters.”
The girl’s face lit up and she stuck out her hand, “I’m Willow Beech, it’s nice to meet you.”

{{ Alexis' POV 🌌 }}
"Don't make a noise, unless you want me to break your neck," Alexis hissed into the unsuspecting girl’s ear. She was small on all accounts so it hadn’t been difficult to grab her and lock her arm around her neck. She had one hand covering her mouth, making sure the girl didn't scream, but her whimpers made it clear that she wouldn’t try anything.
"This is what's going to happen: we are going to walk down to that camp of yours together, just like this. You’re going to grab one of the swords you have laying around and a bag that you’ll fill with supplies. Then, once I have my loot, we’re both going to walk back up here and I’ll see if I feel like killing you. Got it?" Alexis loosened her hold enough for the girl to nod.
Alexis and the girl began to descend into the valley, coming towards the dark side of the camp, opposite the fire and guard. When they reached the stacks of crates, she spotted a long dagger propped up near a sleeping body. With her hand still over the girl’s mouth, Alexis moved them both towards the blade. In one swift movement, she had released the girl, grabbed the knife, and put her back into a chokehold with the knife pressed against her throat.
Although she knew it wasn’t a good idea, she let go of the girl so that she could begin collecting the necessary items. She made sure to stay in the range of the girl as she quietly made her way around the camp, the knife outstretched and ready to draw blood. In a few minutes, the bag had been stuffed, but the girl still held it as if stalling for something; or someone.
By the time Alexis noticed the tall form running down the slope in their direction, the girl had screamed, “Andrew, she’s stealing our supplies!”
She lunged at the girl, knocking her to the ground and snatching the bag that was laying a few feet away. She jumped to her feet just in time to see the other three members of the girl’s party struggling to figure out what was happening. She was about to make a run for it but the glint of a sword caught her eye.
The boy running down the hill had almost reached the camp and one of the girls who had previously been asleep was on her feet. The sword sat on the ground, only blocked by the other contestants.
Alexis was confident in her abilities, so without a second thought, she kicked high, striking a boy in the jaw. He yelped and stumbled backward, colliding with one of the girls and knocking them both to the ground.
The last girl started towards her, fists raised. Alexis laughed. Did she really think that she could beat her with her fists when she held a knife? Her laugh must have taken the girl off guard because her stance faltered. Alexis struck out with the dagger and she felt the metal hit skin. The girl screamed and clutched her arm, blood beginning to seep through her fingers.
With everyone out of her way, she dashed forward, grabbed the sword, and ran off into the darkness.