Brave.

Isabella looked at the people discussing their strategies while standing at a small distance from them she was thinking her thoughts. There was a barrier standing between her and the other soldiers something she needed to fill.

"Any conclusions?" Isabella called out to the group as they had over 2 minutes of discussion and nothing had come out, to her knowledge.

Thomas spoke out knowing no one in the ranks of the soldiers wanted to work with a nation-wanted criminal even in a dire situation. Held back by their pride where they?

"We are too low on men to hold off a good back the entire Italian vanguard. Even if make a dent in their formation we have those ever dangers white cloaks to worry about." The doors of opportunity to rescue the situation were fading too as if they never were there.

 "Italian Vanguard? Where did they pop out from? Thommy there is too much you are leaving me out on. Just what kind is happening around me?"

Thomas didn't react but the rest of the soldiers's actions such as anguish and others turned around their eyes, they didn't want her to know anything. Isabella knew she had to throw out the big guns.

"Look everybody you might not know but I am a good friend of your highly honourable Corporal Henry Forester. He and I have been friends for longer than any of you have known his name."

"?!"

Now, she had the attention of all the soldiers listening and she continued speaking without letting anyone interrupt her. She was a total stranger no more.

"I might not be a regular visitor in this area but I know all your workings. I know each thief's face if you want to identify them. I even where some of you are stationed along with the guns you had."

She had to change her image at the moment, she had to appear as someone mighty and sharp enough who could conquer the monster against them. For that, she had to build respect in the pack. 

"Out of all the people present here, I believe I am the only one who has taken a white coat in combat. So, believe me, when I saw it, I was your only hope of ever successfully defending this place because Edward was not there to help me. Choose to work with me or die baselessly before the enemy."

Isabella in a loud and blunt manner sends her message loud and clear to the ears of the listeners, in the rain she wants to change the favour of thought towards her.

"So, please tell me what is going on. I want this place to survive alongside me."

 She had to convince soldiers to work for and alongside a criminal, something she knew was not too easy. She believed her words loud and clear would work but they didn't show in the soldier's faces.

The soldiers with more doubts than trust looked at each other's faces confused about what to say or do. However, She had already won the trust of the man she needed.

"The Italian groups of dealers came here from Sicila-" Thomas spoke up.

Isabella had helped her just now and her constant mentions of Edward and the spirit had him convinced. He didn't want to waste any more time as it was spilling away from them.

"The group of criminals came from Italy, in a deal to buy advanced weaponry from here. It was during their exchange did the first bullet came out. Approximately at the same time-"

Thomas was ready to give her information but not everyone was convinced.

"Thomas, stop." Jonas put his arm in front of his shoulder signalling him to talk while he stepped forward to confront Isabella directly. Her raised his lantern to their heads where he could see Isabella's eyes directly.

"I want to confirm something from you directly. How did you kill a white coat? I have seen them from afar running swing towards cutting flesh like a cook slicing ham, how you of such a small and fragile body could even tear clothes." 

Jonas wanted a reality in front of him not an illusion woven by someone with unknown words. Witnessing the enemy's strength he had woven doubts of Isabella's credibility. Her height was lower than Jonas's, and her body from an outside perspective didn't seem to be physical.

"And what is your distinction to ask me so? Jonas." Isabella confronted him.

"My name is Jonas Shill. The rank of senior coordinator of the west wing for the last two years and the second youngest to ever do so. By your words, you should already know me but you don't. So, I have my doubts about whether you are someone so highly speaking is true or not."

Isabella knew he judged her incapable of doing so, why? She believed it was due to her appearance.

"Words so high, yet fallen from the sky. By the methods of your measurement, I think as strong as Orge should control the military and the wise minds with weak bodies should be exiled from the borders. Stop, wasting time and act to prevent your city from burning to the ground something you failed." 

Isabella didn't want to act provocatively but she did, at the words, soldiers began to move forward.

"Those are empty words you are speaking right now. I want to know who did you defeat one of them in a confrontation. You speak in figures every time you open your mouth, tell me how you took down one in with your wise mind or..."

"Or?"

"Tell me how you are related to Corporal Henry by means what the history between the two of you. Submit any one of your claims and You will achieve my support." There were once again two options in front of Isabella as there always were.

"My confrontation with the white coat happened. I was in the hallway of the medical hospital and was sitting on a bench. I was waiting for Edward, who was currently talking to someone. While the first bombs exploded I rushed to Edward's room and saw some smoke coming out of the room-"

Her explanation was listened intently by everyone around her. It was time to prove her mind's power.

"The hallway in the hospital was tight, so I had oil ready on me. Instead of rushing into the hallway, I threw the bottle of oil onto the floor of the hallway assuming an attacker must be inside the hall. I called out to Edward not to run to my side but the noise of someone coming out of the door stopped me."

"Two people came out most probably one towards me and one towards him. The one coming towards me from the smoke was ready with his knife but in the dim of the dark he slipped on the floor in a second, I took that time to throw my 30 kg suitcase at him destroying his balance and drawing him on the floor. Then I stabbed his lower body with my knife killing him."

The story told Isabella outsmarting someone using her skills but it did not seem to convince the people standing in front of her.

"You think you will convince with a made-up story like that. There is no way you can convince him that. It feels like a story a little would conjure up in their mind while playing." He stood unfaced without Isabella's trust; with that, no soldier's trust would come to her naturally.

Isabella took a deep breath and began speaking once again.

"After I killed him, I ran by to aid Edward who was deeply injured due to the surprise attack. He is currently resting due to my medication and recovering to join me later. If not for me, I am sure, the ally your nation has acquired would have lived no more."

"You are still too vague my lady. You don't have your suitcase, not a sign of seriousness in your eyes it feels as if you are enjoying telling me silly gossip about your neighbour. " Jonas did not agree to Isabella's claims even after all he explained.

"So, let it be that way." Isabella had only one way to convince him now.

"You..."

She moved forward to the left pushing away the lantern in Jonas's hands while her left hand reached into her pockets.

 Even before he could pull a stance, With a kick to the knee and Isabella swayed the two of them to the side, she placed her knife an inch away from Jonas's face.

 The soldier witnessed their coordinator getting cornered by a criminal in such that changed their minds about her.

"Cooperate with me and I will work with you. Fight against me and you can see your fate right now. Tit for Tat, as I call it." 

She slowly moved her knife away and took a space distance from every soldier, her observation of the fact that no soldiers were on her back had allowed her to play the move she wanted just now.

Jonas came back walking in a squad with a bitter look on his face, pride shattered by the moment of shame he just witnessed he was in no place to speak. Thomas knew he had to take the initiative.

"Going back to where we were, The Italians seemed to be allied to the white coats and we adopted the theory that they are of the same group that was involved in the death of Foal Zestus. The attackers were rumoured to have white clocks and unmatched crossbow and sword skills. I believe it is more from the same group."

"...." 

"Isabella.... Are you there?"

She nodded but her hair was now feeling goosebumps she was feeling chills in her body. From the person she was faced with and the people she was about to face. With a level of skills, they must have had to injure Edward. She was not going to survive.

Why am I realising it so late!!!!... I am dead. I feel so hungry too!!

"Have you strategised any plans to take them down? We need something grand to pull them off, we are in the losing minority."

"Yes, as we are in the minority, it is important to create a divide among our opponents and most importantly, we have to block their escape, worst case scenario if we all die. They die suffocate and are trapped here."

"Are you thinking about using my idea for this time?"

"Yes, Blocking the bridge is the only way to ensure their escape. I believe their plan is built on the idea that this place is too precious for the kingdom to ever be rendered useless. They believe they will access whatever is locked in the dock house and will be captured within the next morning's interval. I think we will be able to stop them in such a manner."

Listening to Thomas Isabella slowly moved back to small steps, bare movement. It is unobservable at first but it seemingly got even more significant when Thomas stopped speaking.

"Isabella, where are you going?"

"Sh..?" Isabella put a finger on her face, she could her face alerting everybody to be quiet. Her eyes and face were as serious as she could be. 

In the rain, the voice of the footsteps gets more readable and she could hear footsteps that made her special. That was what the soldiers and Thomas thought but...

Come on!, Come on! A few steps and I will run away with Edward this place is not worth it. Mother Elana give me your blessings!!

"?!" ever so suddenly footsteps make noises, loud enough to know that it was a group of 4-5 people running around. A soldier or Italian, all were enemies but she once again changed her mind. 

"Help!! Help!! I'm bleeding. Somebody help!!!" A scream so loud it could be heard three alleyways away even the rain which was now slowing down and the wind had nearly died.

"She ran away!" a soldier cried.

Isabella then jumped inside the building and closed the door. The soldiers instantly readied their guns aiming right at Isabella, ready to chase her and shoot her for betraying them.

"No." Jonas raised his voice instantly stopping them from attacking. 

"But, Sir! She betrayed -"

"No, I know what to do, there is someone nearby. Everybody hides in the alleyways and points their guns at the opening. Two soldiers will stay outside acting as decoy and pretending to run."

Everybody realised what was going on. It was a moment to throw away their pride to win, everybody placed themselves in the alleyways and took positions and soon enough their enemy arrived.

"guardati le spalle!!" The group moved as a whole forming a group with two in the rear and three in the front they entered the alleyway. Wearing velvet coats and hats even in the heavy rains.

"prendili !" They screamed as the two soldiers two pretended to run away.

"!!" They tried to move themselves into the alley.

**** bang bang bang

The bullets rain on the group from all sides shooting them from all sides before the enemy could know what had happened, they were killed and their bodies fell on the floor.

 The soldiers came erupting from all sides, to look and loot the dead bodies they had just killed. It was such a different feeling from them.

"So, easy." but Jonas felt ever so different. The soldiers looked at the corpse with a sad face as they knew they lost a part of themselves but Jonas felt different killing their enemy with such ease without the loss on their side. He knew how their pride destroyed them.

"I told you, The mind is mightier than the sword." The call came from the end of the alleyway where Isabella stood alone in the darkness her shadow cast over the group making her look ever so divine.

"Yes. I agree with you quite clearly now. You are very special." Jonas praised her intelligence and bowed to her as a sign of gratitude.

Isabella began walking towards the group,

Seeing their senior bow the rest of the crew except Thomas bowed, some even kneeled as a sign of gratitude. Seeing the soldiers bow before Isabella felt indifferent too.

As, the blood on her knife dropped one by one, her choice was to stick with the soldiers to make. It was successful she was now the great hound of her pack.

For the first time in her life, She feels Brave...

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Author note- Isabella's birthday is on the 18th of May.