ELLIOT RAE
Rae's eyes slowly blinked open, her mind rapidly dispelling the dream she'd been having and replacing it with the walls of reality. Rebellion. Dead king. Rescued heir. Her pale, pink lips twitched into a smile as she recalled the day they'd rescued him. It'd been so risky, most called it a suicide mission; but they returned with no casualties and the rightful heir to the throne. They were heroes.
Flipping onto her back, Rae took a deep, cleansing breath, loving the way the cold air stung her throat. The many blankets that smothered her were incredibly warm, cocooning her in a safe haven away from the war that polluted everything else. She considered staying in bed for a while longer, even though she could hear that most of the others were awake, but then she smelled it - food. Her stomach gurgled in response, longing for something other than the usual wild game and roots.
Slipping from the blankets, Elliot put on her usual garb and plunged her hands into the thick jacket she'd picked up somewhere along the way. After tying up her boots and fastening her sword around her hip, she exited the tent she called home. Running a hand through her black hair, Rae took a moment to observe the people around her. She knew most of them by name, many of them waving as they noticed her. They all seemed...happy. Yes, they were fighting a losing war. Yes, they had a long way to go. But they had won a battle, and it was enough to keep them smiling for weeks.
"El, you're up!" Rae turned her head to see her older brother jogging towards her. "It's about time, little sister." He slung his impressively large arm onto her shoulders, quickly enveloping her in his warmth and familiar smell.
"I couldn't ignore the smell of food much longer," she replied, playfully elbowing him in the ribs. Carson was the brother closer to her in age and they'd been inseparable since they were little. Elliot would give her life for him, and he would do the same for her. It was nice to have someone that you could trust so completely. "Come on, let's get something to eat."
They walked to the large, smokeless fire that many of the others had encircled, soaking up the heat the dancing flames gave off. The smell was strong enough to make Rae's mouth water and her stomach clench in response. She ducked under Carson's arm and grabbed the nearest food, shoveling it down her mouth. "Oh, God." Rae groaned through a full mouth. The new supplies they'd acquired wouldn't last forever, but Elliot couldn't help herself; she just really loved food.