Fighting to be Seen

By: Eden Holtz

Analiese Wood’s long hair dipped into her face. She annoyingly swept the dark chocolate

waves out of her face. Her skin was the light color of pale sand, almost glowing in the star light.

It was far past sunset, but she was far from going to bed.

Ana was shorter than most of the girls in her small camp, but not even that could stop her.

Everyone had gone to bed hours ago, so the camp was quiet. Except for the occasional shift from

the night watch.

If anyone asked where she was going, she had a story planned out. No one would stop a

poor girl from going to the healing tents to help in the dead of night with the wounded soldiers.

If she had it her way, she wouldn’t be anywhere near this small camp. She would be on

the front lines, fighting to protect her country from invaders. She had been practicing for years.

Her movements scared a small rabbit lying on the path, which caused it to flee into the

bushes. Ana stopped and watched the small branches rustle from the sudden movement. She

hadn’t seen a rabbit in years.

Most had been driven out by the fires that had been sent through the fields and forests,

destroying everything. No one had been able to keep them at bay. It had been hard enough to

save the camps.

Analiese shook herself and moved forward. The Clearing was just up ahead.
 The Clearing was a large opening, shrouded by thick oak trees. The ground was pounded

down from all the training drills that had gone on here. Ana rolled her shoulders and reached for

a staff that was leaning on the rack. She would have used a larger weapon to practice, but she

wouldn’t risk breaking into the Weaponry Shed to get them.

Even now, after everything that had happened, women were still not allowed to fight.

Analiese had been rebelling against that rule since the war had begun. Her father had taught her

the basics of sparing, but ever since he had been drafted, Analiese had continued her training.

Every day, she would purposely walk past the Clearing and study the movements of the

newly made soldiers. She committed every position to memory. Later, when everyone was

asleep, Ana went to the Clearing to learn the day’s training for herself.

She spun the staff in her hands and swiftly moved through the stances she had

remembered for her hourly trips to the well to get water for the Healing Tent.

Analiese spun through the air, trying out a new flip she had seen one of the new recruits

doing.

“Ah!” Her ankle rolled as she landed weirdly, throwing her off balance. She fell to the

ground, her skin shredded as bright red blood blossomed on her hands and knees like the poppies

that used to grow in the spring.

Now the ground was too destroyed for flowers to grow. Smoke blocking out the sun was

a regular occurrence, making it hard for plants to live. Food was hard to come by, and when it

came, it was mostly reserved for the troops on the front lines.

Father had not known this when the patrols came to take him away.
 “Just think about all the food we will be getting!” He had said, trying to reassure Ana’s

mother that everything would be okay. “I’ll send my pay home to you. Soon you’ll be living like

queens.” Ana still remembered his bright smile, disappearing around the edge of the door.

A few days later, food stopped coming.

The Invaders had destroyed 4 out of the 5 food depots. The last depot was in the far

southeast corner of the country, almost impossible to get as the Invaders crept through the

country, blocking off the food supply.

Food was rare after that day. Mail stopped coming, along with Father’s pay, while

Mother fell into an endless depression.

Everything had fallen to Analiese. Taxes had to be paid. If you couldn’t pay your taxes,

you would be put on the front lines. Ana had been withheld from that fate only because she was a

woman, and women weren’t allowed to fight.

“Stop right where you are!” Ana whipped around at the harsh voice, coming from the tree

line. She searched the shadows for the figure of a person, her staff raised to defend herself.

“Drop your weapon.” The voice slowly commanded. Ana recognized the voice now. It

belonged to Ryan, the main trainer of new recruits. He was a large burly man, only about four

years older than Ana herself. He had been at the small office when Ana finally gave in and

signed up for the Nurse force in the war.

He had been in charge of showing the new soon-to-be-nurses-in-training around the

camp, helping them fit in. Analiese had run into him many times around the camp, and he had

told her off for training with weapons many times.

If it came to that.

She could see his sleek black sword hanging by his side, he was gripping the handle,

ready to pull it out at a moment's notice.

“Wait a second.” He squinted at her face. “I swear, if that is you Analiese, I’m going to-”

“It’s me.” She answered quickly, letting her staff drop, so she was holding it loosely at

her side.

Ryan growled and ripped his hands through his golden hair.

“Why is it whenever I come out here at night, I always find you training? Do I need to

remind you that you could be killed if anyone else found you out here?”

“I’m sorry I can’t help it if I want to fight!”

“Girls aren’t allowed to fight for a reason!” He snarled back.

“Well, it’s a stupid reason!” Analiese yelled. Ryan whipped his head around checking to

see if anyone had heard.

“Okay, look. I’ve found you out here too many times to keep quiet. I have to report you.

I’m sorry. I don’t have a choice.” He lunged forward and gripped her arm in his iron grip.

“What!?” Her eyes widened. “No, you can’t please! I’ll stop, I promise! Just please don’t

report me!” Ana pleaded, prying at his fingers. They wouldn’t budge.
 “It’s my job. I can’t help it. I tried to keep it quiet, I really did. No, I have to do this.” He

muttered under his breath to himself.

“Ryan, please!” He whipped around raising a hand as if to slap her.

And that’s when the screaming started.