Iris

I didn't know what to do. He just disappeared. I wasn't aware a person could do that. He left me there in the middle of a forest with no idea how to find my way back. I couldn't just disappear like he did. I didn't have an elemental Gift. I slowly climbed back down the boulder and walked to the edge of the creek. I scooped water in my hands and threw the water on my face in an attempt to clear my head. I looked around trying to find the direction we came from. I chose a direction and started walking. I wasn't entirely sure that I was going the right way, but I decided that we were on a small island, and couldn't really get more lost than I already was. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I walked for about three hours without seeing any signs of the camp. I was starting to realize that getting more lost was a definite possibility. I decided to keep walking, hoping that I would hit the beach at some point. Four more hours of walking and I was still hopelessly lost. I glanced up at the sky and realized that It was very close to sundown and that I would have to camp here for the night. I looked around the area I was in and found a huge hollowed-out tree that definitely provided enough shelter. And just in time, because five minutes after I sat down, it started to pour. I made peace that I was probably going to be very cold and hungry tonight and layed down to sleep. After a couple of minutes of racing thoughts, I fell asleep. The peace only lasted for a short time because the next thing I knew someone had their hand over my mouth. My eyes opened immediately and I tried to remove the hand. It was rough, strong, and gloved. I tried to sit up but as soon as I did, another pair of arms pinned my arms to my back. I kicked and let out muffled screams against the palm covering my mouth, but they were too strong. I was dragged out of the tree by my hair and I was screaming from the pain. In the split second, before they put a bag over my head, I saw a hawk flying high above us. I got an idea. I felt a tug at the back of my head and reached out to the bird's consciousness. In my head, I whispered attack and the next thing I knew, I heard squawking and then screams of agony and fear. I felt the hands let go of my hair and arms. I quickly took the bag off my head and what I saw was disturbing. The two attackers, a man and a woman in black armor, were writhing on the floor in pain. The hawk had pecked their eyes out. Quickly looked away in disgust. The hawk perched itself on my shoulder. I reached out to the woman's consciousness and demanded her to tell me who they were. "We're recruiters," she said in between groans. I asked another question, "How did you find this island. It's uncharted." She tried to resist, but I tightened my mental hold on her consciousness. "There's a spy. He infiltrated the Guard a year ago. We've known about the island and the camp for months."

"What's his name and rank?" This time she answered immediately, "His name is Fenwick Copeland. Admiral Copeland." I approached the Recruiter without looking at her eyes, or the lack thereof. I bent down next to her and searched her satchel. Inside was a knife, a first aid kit, two pairs of suppression cuffs(handcuffs meant to suppress Gifts), and a map. Lucky for me I knew how to read a map. I ordered both Recruiters to stand up and follow me. They obeyed.

I studied the map. That spy must have given them a lot of information because everything from the mess hall to the control barrack was labeled. Even my barrack. I started following the map and based on where I was, I would get to camp by morning.

* * *

It was five in the morning when we arrived at camp. The hawk had stayed perched on my shoulder the entire way there. I walked into the control room and was met with chaos. Everyone was running around in a panic. I caught little snippets of conversation here and there.

"Did you see it? The hovercraft?"

"The Recruiters found us!"

"We need to prepare for battle now!"

"Send the Guards to search the perimeter."

No one seemed to notice when I walked in, but then Cora locked eyes with me. She saw that I was soaked to the bone in rainwater and that I had bruises all over my body. Then she saw the two figures behind me and her eyes widened, "Guards! Arrest those two Recruiters!" Two Guards rushed forward to arrest them at the same time that the entire room went quiet and all eyes were on me. Cora hurried towards me, with a look on her face that said "What the hell happened to you?" Instead, she asked, "Are you okay?" I looked down at the bruises on my wrist, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little beat up. Listen, I need to talk to you right now."

"No. Right now, we have to get you cleaned up and dry." A Guard walked by and handed her a blanket. She wrapped it around my shoulders. I ripped the blanket off of me and gripped her wrist firmly, "Listen to me, Cora. I talked to the Recruiters and asked them how they found out about the island. They have sent a spy by the name of Admiral Fenwick Copeland. He's been leaking information to them for a year. They know everything about the island, about the Guard, about Hunter and I," I handed her the map, "Just look at this. It shows the entire layout of the island. Do you know who this Admiral Copeland is?"

She crumpled the map in her hand, "I know exactly who he is."