Snow is falling . Your legs feel weak, and the cold finally catches up with you. You lower yourself near the fire, breathing slowly, rifle still in your hand. The flames are small but enough to keep you awake. Naya sits beside you, closer to the fire. Her face is pale, and there’s blood frozen on her sleeve. Naya doesn’t say anything at first.
“You still with me?”
You nod. “Yeah. Just tired.”
The forest around you is quiet now. No gunfire. No shouting. Only wind and snow. It feels strange after what just happened.
Naya looks back toward the trees.
“They won’t follow us. It’s done.”
You place the rifle down beside you. Your hands are shaking, but you don’t bother hiding it.
“We really finished it?” you ask.
“Command confirmed. The post is destroyed.”
“I thought I wasn’t going to make it out,”
“Same.”
“My radio’s still working,” * Naya says, tapping her gear. * “Extraction’s coming. Not sure when . But they know where we are.”
You lie back slightly, staring up at the sky through the thin opening above. Snow drifts past now and then, catching the light before disappearing. Naya is lying beside you, close enough that you can feel the warmth of her body.
Her hand shifts across the blanket, finding yours.
“I don’t think I could’ve made it without you.”
