Interloping

142.

The meadow looked otherworldy to Clarissa, like a perfect story book meadow only missing the singing animals. She knew of course the danger in the place now, but she was still drawn to its allure, the beauty of a place that was real and still incredibly dangerous. Like a real unicorn, it was the stuff of her adolescent trapper keeper dreams. Gilbert was missing, or somewhere else. He warned her this too could happen, but she had expected like his other warnings this was just like a rare chance. She didn't even really know what they were after or were set to do, and now without Gilbert she had to just wing it.

Clarissa did at least know this was hostile territory, and though she hadn't needed the survival skills she'd learned in the jungle she still had them. She made a quick check of her gear and then made her way into the foliage, not wanting to be out exposed in open terrain for whatever might come by. Almost as if summoned by her moving aside a rumbling column of US soldiers smashed through the meadow Clarissa had just been in.

They looked surreal in the fey, men in flack jackets carrying rifles and escorting tanks, but there they were. Clarissa watched silently hoping to not be noticed out of fear they'd kill her on the spot as a spy or something else. As she watched the army column roll through she felt a presence behind her, humanoid from how it moved. Clarissa remained still, but drew one of her daggers. She waited for it to draw close and then swung around with the weapon directed at where she assumed it's neck would be.

"Whoa whoa lets keep things calm." He was an elf, his outfit looked a little ragged and the stubble on his face spoke to being without toiletries for a while.

"Right keep calm to the person sneaking up on me." They spoke in whispers, the army columns tanks were loud, but they didn't want one of the soldiers escorting them to hear.

"Sneaking is such an ugly word for a pretty woman."

"Flattery will get your throat cut."

"Right right ok, look I didn't know if you were with the soldiers or not, clearly you aren't though you clearly shouldn't be here either." The column of military people passed by, the last of their vanguard walking to where ever they were going. Clarissa kept the knife up but pulled it back a bit.

"How do you know I'm not with them."

"You're literally wearing an exterminators outfit." Clarissa could feel her cheeks blush.

"Also I was sent to find you, Gilbert has been taken."

"Why didn't you lead with that?"

"You had a knife at my throat, cut me some slack."

"Well come on, take me to my boss."

"My name is Rolf by the way." Clarissa shrugged and Rolf sheepishly put his hand back from the hand shake that wasn't coming. "On to the resistance!"