***
“All right, girl and boy!” Camella declared, placing her fists on her hips.
Kiethara and Navadar were sitting cross legged in the grass of her clearing, looking up at Camella with expectant and slightly amused expressions. They were gathered like this—not that there were many people to be gathered—for an “official meeting.” Early that morning, when the memory of her moonlit conversation was still fresh in her mind, Kiethara had mentioned that they needed to be prepared. This light reminder had instantly animated Camella into action. With her usual peculiar energy and attitude, she had rocketed off, calling back over her shoulder to meet her back here in the evening.
Now she stood before them, a white cloth holding back her chin length hair and clay streaked on her cheeks. By her feet was an assortment of objects.
“An enemy is looming in the shadows,” she began dramatically. “They are ready to pounce at any moment. In order to keep the fangs of the beast away from our flesh, we must prepare our plans and arm our bodies! Only then can we sink our own fangs into the opposing neck!”
“Hear, hear!” Kiethara called.
Camella grinned, pleased with her response.
“Now, I’ve collected as many items as I thought would aid us in this task. Here, as you can see, we have four bamboo sheaths, one machete—compliments to my grandfather—a rope, a metal pot, a dagger, your sword, and your bow—”
“Hold on,” Navadar interrupted as she pointed to the weapon on his back. “Isn’t that the rope I keep in my saddle bag?”
“I took the liberty,” she grinned, and he rolled his eyes. “Anyway, besides an endless supply of lumber and foliage, that’s all we have. Now, Kiethara, I give the stage to you.”
With a bow, Camella fluidly sank into a sitting position on the other side of Navadar.
“To me?” she asked, her eyes widening.
“Yes, you! I’m the gatherer and you, my dear, are the warrior. Now go up there and tell us how we can use them against Gandador!”
“Well,” Kiethara mused, standing to face them. She bit her lip as she examined the pile at her feet. Aaron’s physical combat training sounded in her head.
You can use anything as a weapon, Kiethara, he had told her. Not just magic. Learn to fight with the land around you.
Kiethara took a deep breath and looked at the land before her. Aaron was right—when was he not?—she could use it.
“The bamboo is good. We can either use it to defend against their weapons, or sharpen them for projectiles.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Camella agreed enthusiastically. “Navadar, get on it.”
“Who gave you the authority to give out orders?” he demanded.
“Why, I did.”
“Of course…”
“Do you two mind?” Kiethara asked in exasperation.
“Apologies! Navadar, shut up.”
“Why don’t you!”
“All right, all right, harp on each other later,” Kiethara huffed, all too used to their behavior. “The pot…hmm…I could make my poison potion to fill it…”
“Oh, and one of us could stay hidden in a tree and pour it down on their heads!” Camella suggested.
“Perfect,” Kiethara grinned. “I bestow that job upon you, Camella.”
“I accept it with honor,” she grinned in return.
“The rope...could we soak that in a potion, perhaps?” Navadar asked.
“Oh!” Kiethara gasped. “That could work!”
“Would we soak it in the poison?” Camella asked.
“I have another concoction that we can inflict on them,” she smiled wickedly. “I used it on Sinsenta once.”
“What does it do?”
Kiethara pulled the ice blue, liquid-filled bottle from her vine belt. “It paralyzes you.”
Both of them gasped.
“That’s really powerful!” Camella exclaimed.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “It’s not a pleasant feeling, either. It lasts for hours, and all the while you can’t move the burning limb.”
“If that were to hit someone’s neck…” Navadar trailed off suggestively.
“Dead,” Camella said matter-of-factly.
“Now, I’m not sure how well this would work, but if we soaked the rope in the potion…” Kiethara picked up the coarse rope and weighed it in her hands. “Then we could lasso it around their necks…”
“We could kill them,” Camella finished quietly.
“I think I know what we will do,” Kiethara took a deep breath. “You two will be hidden with these weapons and potions somewhere in the trees. I’ll be alone. They way when they come—expecting only me—we can surprise them.”
Camella nodded, but Navadar pursed his lips.
“It’s the best way,” she told him.
“How do we know where Gandador will come from?” Camella asked.
“Trust me, he’ll come to wherever I am. All I have to do is wait,” Kiethara sighed.
“Sounds good,” she replied. “What else?”
“Well,” Kiethara hesitated. “I’m not really sure…I mean, we can’t really plan the fight, only what leads up to it.”
Both of them looked very uncomfortable with that idea. Kiethara panicked, afraid she was making their cause seem hopeless.
“Listen, this is better preparation than I’ve ever had,” she told them sincerely. “Using these tactics leaves me no doubt we’ll be able to inflict something on them early in the battle. From there, I can’t tell what will happen. But we have training, we have our strengths, and we have numbers. We just need to build confidence! While we wait for him, we will continue preparing, planning, and building our way to the best we can be! They have nothing on us.”
“I agree!” Camella proclaimed, jumping to her feet, inspired. “We all know what we’re up against!”
“And we all know they don’t stand a chance against the forest,” Navadar added, standing as well. “No one has.”
“Exactly,” Kiethara agreed fiercely.
“Here’s to building Kiethara’s kingdom!” Camella cried.
Smiling, they all grasped each other’s hands, building confidence and unity as they anticipated the onslaught.