"What's happening?" Shawn whispered, his head peeking out from behind a large supply crate.
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Elise hissed back, her body pressed low against the ground like a startled field mouse. Her hair stuck up with bits of grass from where she had been crawling.
"I feel like I missed something very important," Rita muttered. The Captain crouched beside them with perfect soldierly discipline, but her face was a mask of pure confusion.
The three of them were huddled together in the shadows, their eyes locked on the distant fire where Lyra and Selene stood locked in a battle of words. No blades were drawn, yet the tension between the two women carried the weight of steel.
Shawn licked his lips, unwilling to look away. "This is… well, honestly, this is better than half the tavern brawls I've seen."
"This is insane," Elise muttered. "If they see us spying—"
"Relax," Shawn interrupted, eyes glittering with excitement. "Think of it as reconnaissance."
"Reconnaissance of what?" Rita snapped in a sharp whisper. "Two women arguing? Do you even hear yourselves right now?"
Elise leaned in closer, her voice dropping even lower. "It's not just an argument, Captain. It's about Rory. And if Selene loses her temper—"
Rita frowned. "Wait. How do you know that?"
Elise froze. Her gaze darted toward Shawn for help. Shawn cleared his throat, rubbed the back of his neck, and offered the most unconvincing shrug of his life.
"Well?" Rita pressed.
Before either of them could fabricate a decent excuse, a fourth voice cut through the night.
"Uh, Lieutenant? Captain? El?" Ava appeared, balancing a plate piled high with roasted meat and bread. She blinked at the bizarre scene—three officers crouched in the dirt like guilty thieves—and raised a brow. "What in the King's name are you all doing?"
"Nothing!" Elise blurted, springing to her feet so fast she nearly knocked Rita over.
Ava squinted. "You're spying, aren't you?"
"No!" Elise said again, far too quickly.
Rita folded her arms, her sharp eyes narrowing on Shawn and Elise. Slowly, a knowing grin crept across her face. "Oh, I see. This isn't about Rory, is it? You two think…" She trailed off, her grin widening. "You think the General and the Healer are—"
"What?!" Ava nearly dropped her plate, her eyes going wide. "With each other?" She craned her neck, staring past them to the firelight where Lyra and Selene stood close, faces illuminated in flickering orange and gold.
"Keep your voice down!" Elise hissed, flailing her arms like she could stuff the words back into Ava's mouth.
"But look at them!" Ava said around a massive bite of bread, crumbs scattering down her tunic. "If that isn't a lover's quarrel, I don't know what is."
Shawn coughed into his hand, trying and failing to look dignified. "Now, let's not jump to conclusions—"
"No, let's," Rita interrupted, smirking. "Because it makes far too much sense. The General vanishes for hours, comes back with Selene at her side. They're always whispering, always finding excuses to walk off together. And now—" she gestured toward the fire with an exaggerated wave "—this."
Shawn looked scandalized. "That's called leadership and strategic discussion, Captain, not—"
"Not what?" Ava cut in eagerly, grinning through a mouthful of bread.
Shawn groaned. "Not what you're thinking!"
But even as he protested, his eyes flicked nervously back to Lyra and Selene. The two women were locked in silence now, the firelight painting sharp lines of anger and hurt across Selene's face. Finally, Selene turned away. Her cloak flared as she strode off into the dark, her figure vanishing into shadow without a backward glance.
The little spy group held their breath.
"Well, that doesn't look promising," Ava said through a mouthful of food.
"What happened?" Rita demanded, whipping her head toward Shawn. "You know something. Tell me."
"I…" Shawn hesitated, his eyes fixed on Lyra, who still stood by the fire, shoulders squared, jaw tight. The General's expression was unreadable, a mask carved from stone. "I don't know," he admitted finally. "But whatever it was… it cut deep."
Elise bit her lip, guilt flickering across her face. Rita's sharp eyes caught it, but she said nothing—for now.
The four of them stayed in uneasy silence, watching as Lyra alone fed another branch into the fire, the sparks rising like scattered stars before fading into the night.