[color=8eafdf][h3]Sonya[/h3][/color]

Near the edges of the camp, a small figure wrapped in emerald greens crouched in front of a dying fire, the dwindling flame casting shadows across the white face of the woman’s mask as the flickering light began its final dance along the remaining dry wood in the pit. Hands outstretched, the woman’s fingers seemed to make small subtle motions as though plucking at unseen threads, each motion swift and with purpose. To the untrained observer it would make for a strange sight, but to a more patient watcher the link between the movements of the hands and the movement of the flame could be noticed.

Deep in thought, Sonya continued with the training exercise. Manipulating the air around the fire, Sonya starved the fire of the oxygen it needed, guiding the air into the flame when it was in danger of going out. Apart from having a more controlled fire, the exercise helped to train Sonya’s responses, acting only with as much force as was needed, when it was needed. Even under her careful control though, eventually the fire had burned through its fuel, the flame quickly lashing out as it shrunk, searching for more fuel before finally giving out, joining the sun in their retreat from the darkness of the night.

Having finished her exercise, Sonya looked up and blinked not having realised how much time had passed. After the commanders attempt, and the word attempt was most fitting, at a rousing speech, Sonya had drifted off to be alone for the moment. Though the gathered group tried to put on a strong front, the illusion of a merry atmosphere, it was clear to all that behind the facade was a growing unease and dread, knowing that not all of them would be surviving to see the sun set once more tomorrow.

[color=8eafdf][i] ‘I spent longer in my own little world than I thought, or perhaps I just didn’t want to return to such dreary undertones’[/i][/color] Sonya concluded to herself, though she had left her old life to escape such fake displays of emotion, even she found it hard to judge the gathered militia given the enormity of the situation before them. Taking a few moments to wander through her memories as the reach of the tree’s shadows grew longer against the setting sun, Sonya stood up from her position and began to wander amongst the camp, both to give her legs a stretch and to satisfy a bit of curiosity

Though this had been called a Militia group, it had a number of exciting individuals that Sonya had been surprised by. The majority were an assortment of those she had become familiar with growing up with, hopefully young men looking to have their name recorded in legends, stout hearted men wanting to defend their land and family and those grim lost souls who had already lost what was important to them already, risking what little they had left. These were the simple folk, driven by simple thoughts and were relatively easy for Sonya to figure out, almost having a small respect for plainly they wore what they thought and wanted on their persons.

But the other ones, exciting and strange to Sonya both made her curious and weary. Off to her right, she could see the priest talking with a man, whose name she had not caught yet. To Sonya both of them were more than they appeared, each had a roughness that no doubt had been earned from trials and tribulations of their past. Taking a moment to briefly ponder on what secrets the two of them might hide, her gaze spied another of the curious ones. By herself, casually atop a large rock in the middle of the camp, sat one of the other mages of this group.

Sonya recalled she had been surprised to learn this small group of 100 had quite a number of mages much like herself, during her upbringing she had met few others, and definitely none of her own age. Pausing she observed as Odessa absent-mindedly watched others drift on by, her face painted with the deep and possibly troubling thoughts. There was a brief moment of hesitation on Sonya’s part, she had never traded more than just customary greetings with this girl, both of them maintaining the construct of expected social edicat. Yet at this moment, Sonya could feel that whatever contemplation Odessa was doing, it would be her honest thoughts.

Decided on her course of action, Sonya made her way over to the boulder that Odessa had taken up temporary residence at. Glancing up at the woman as she regarded her approach, Sonya caught her eyes with her own for but a moment, the strength of her gaze quite impressive despite the somewhat sullen mood that seemed to hang in the air. Caught off-guard by the strength of her gaze, Sonya turned and leant back against the rock to adopt a more relaxed position while she recomposed herself. [color=8eafdf][b]”I can’t help but notice you seem worried “[/b][/color] Sonya spoke, her voice rather soft but it cut through the night air and reached its destination clearly  [color=8eafdf][b]” are you nervous about the battle tomorrow or are you more concerned for the rest of us? “[/b][/color] Sonya asked, wanting to get to the heart of the matter and deciding to fish for the two most likely answers based on what little she had seen of Odessa so far