April Rosevolt
April shrunk away from his approaching hand, anticipating another act of aggression. Surprisingly, he redirected her focus, emphasizing the importance of his next words.
"You're going to stay aren't you? What will that accomplish? Are you not going after Val anymore? You can't take him on your own you know. Or did you forget that he almost killed you several times the other day. Had I not been there you wouldn't be here right now. If you wish to fight a Therian, you must learn to be one. Your fighting as of right now will do you no good at all. I can train you to be better, far better than any soldier here," Touya offered, growing abruptly compassionate. His cold, blue eyes softened their gaze but April was still shaken by all that had transpired. Unequivocally, she stared up at him, a small snarl displacing her pink lips.
“Are you suggesting that my training and experience insofar is inadequate?” she asked, sounding mildly offended. April was far from a stubborn old fool, but the sole suggestion that her decade long service was somehow inferior to whatever Touya had to offer infuriated her. From what she had witnessed so far, the therian lack tactical and strategic acuity. For him, a battle won now could result in a loss in the grand scheme of things, and he would never realize it. What did he have to offer her other than facilitating a means to an end? “Why do you still wish to keep me around? What possible use am I to you if you feel the need to train me? Because you’ve made it abundantly clear that my presence is abominable to you.”
In a fit of rage, she slapped his hand away, unable to bear his humanity. This was hardly the time and place to talk, but at that moment April felt like she would explode if she did not get the expanding guilt out of her chest, “I’ve let my emotions undermine myself for long enough. I was scared Touya, scared of death. So I ditched you in the fields, don’t you understand that?”
The chilling noise of encroaching guards brought her senses back to reality. The former soldier’s body froze along with the breath in her lungs like a rat caught in the act of stealing. This was too soon, far too soon; most of the camp should have been afflicted by the laxatives now. How was it that they had recovered so quickly?
"If you think I'll just leave you here, you're wrong. You're not going to like this, but try to behave for once."
Touya’s sentence was all the warning she got before he bundled her up between his arms. Eyes widening in a state of disbelief, April show stunned amazement at how effortlessly he was able to carry her. She was a soldier of moderate height and well toned muscle, a solid one-hundred and ten pounds, yet he still managed to somehow run with her within his grasps. Any other praise she may have had for him was instantly suspended as the encampment burst into life behind them.
"My people can get through the darkness well enough. We will catch up to them soon," Touya remarked. Noticing they had reached the stables, she prepared herself to be dropped only to be thrown up on the saddle of the closest horse. Before she could give voice to her protest, Touya leapt up behind her and kicked the horse into motion.
They burst out from the stables at a galloping pace, but Touya had a diversionary plan of his own. Forced into the role of a bystander, she watched as he circled around, drawing the guards attention, and then released the horses. Gun fire echoed into the night as guards hurried forwards in the wake of the alarm. Thankfully, it would take precious minutes to calm the terrified stallions, and by that time April and Touya had already melted into the darkness.