Lara rose unsteadily to her feet, her legs trembling from the prolonged strain of kneeling on the hard ground. The makeshift bed, an arrangement of tattered blankets and a thin mat, sat unusually low, forcing her to remain in a crouched position for what felt like an eternity.
The dim light flickered around her, casting shadows that danced across the room.
"Bener." She called.
"Can you boil water? Please put it in a canteen."
Most soldiers she saw were using gourds to carry water. She used bamboo tubes. She noticed that the Norse siblings, the lieutenants, and the generals were carrying metal water canteens, which she estimated to carry one liter of water.
"How's my brother," Bener asked from the outside. His voice was laced with worry. He had seen his brother's condition and prepared himself for the eventuality that his brother would not make it.