Chapter 5 - Silent Night
"Sorry for not having a proper bed." August stands preparing himself.
Layla shrugs, a small smile gained. "It's okay.", she says softly. "I'm just grateful to have a safe place to stay for the night." She glances around the small room, her eyes lingering on the makeshift bed of blankets and pillows. She moves towards the makeshift bed, adjusting and moving it closer to the wall opposite to the door.
August grabs his sword, its weight familiar in his hand as he stands up from the couch.
Layla asks as she watches August move towards the door, her eyes a mix of curiosity and unease, "What…what are you doing?"
"I'm going to check the perimeter. Stay here, water's in the cooler."
Layla nods, her small frame quivering slightly as she watches his exit. "I will.", she says, her words laced with both fear and trust. She wraps her arms around herself, as if trying to ward off the chill that seems to have settled over the room. "Be careful.", she adds, her voice barely above a whisper.
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A short hop to a roof, his sword gripped tightly in his hand. The cool night nips at his skin, the wind cool while the moon shines down. The roof beneath August's feet is slightly damp from the condensation of the heat of the earlier sun. He moves with practiced stealth across the rooftop, tracing a small perimeter around his safehouse. The village below is bathed in the silver light of the moon, the streets are fairly quiet and still, and some men are still walking around even at this time. He remembers again how he took Layla a mile away from her dilapidated home, the journey in the afternoon using one of the dead men's vehicles to another nearby village. "It was definitely better than letting her stay there.", he thought, the memory already taking reminiscence in his mind.
August scans the rooftops and the street below, catching a glimpse of movement in the distance, his sight of a shadowed figure moving between buildings. His enhanced vision relays more details as he puts his mind to work once again.
"Small, lanky frame. Young boy, no older than ten or eleven. Ragged clothes and carrying a bag over his shoulder, likely scrounging for food and supplies. Movements are cautious but not aggressive, suggesting he's trying to avoid notice instead of seeking confrontation. Overall, nothing major to worry about." The assessment finished as the kid glanced around nervously, before disappearing into the shadows of an alley.
Figuring the area secure enough, August begins to settle himself. The cold is present but he discards it easily enough. The cold isn't the issue, but the pre-teen in the safehouse is a different story. "I saved a girl. Why? I guess she deserved to be saved, yet, but…"August's chest tightens as he feels uncomfortable to where his thoughts are leading him. "The alternative is something I don't want to think about. She's safe dammit, I know it's right. No, it is a fact. But why am I feeli-"
"ENOUGH." The thought is cut off as he tightens his jaw. "Like or not, she does need me. Layla is safe, and that should be all that matters."
He shakes off his thoughts, his shifted focus now on whether or not to continue tracing his perimeter. The perimeter is secure. Every step, jump, and descent, now bringing him back to the safehouse, to Layla.