"One thousand men. Over a hundred in youth. Their food, belongings and warm clothes left behind when the City was taken. I've been back, they're gone. If they light a fire they'll have to move camp in case smoke gives away their position." Cornelia found herself looking away, from Caleb, as the mood was changed in an instant. It was nice, that he hadn't been against them going to the dance, and if anything he'd even tried to listen a few times, but he had things on his mind. He had a thousand men on his mind and he'd already said that he didn't even know about the women. "The coronation ceremony is in two days. We have to attack before dawn."
"Y'know, I don't see how you can get a thousand men across this much flat land without being spotted! And even with th-" Will cut herself off, and Cornelia swallowed quietly; Caleb's eyes flashing up, though he wouldn't turn to Will.. Something had changed; it did every day. Will and Caleb fought every day; not angry, just.. They kept hitting disagreements and Cornelia had never been so glad to see a girl so stubborn. Will was silent every day; tired, yet restless, and she only seemed to breathe life when she was here - forcing weak smiles, or not bothering at all for herself and the other girls.. Cornelia thought about Elyon every day; she thought about Will, and Phobos, and the war. What if they were hurt? What if they died? What if Elyon died?
"Blunk help plan battle!" Cornelia backed up, as the passling ducked between her and Taranee, and felt a curve in her lips, as Will grinned at him and Caleb rolled his eyes.
"Blunk.. Thanks for your help over the last few months. There was so much we couldn't have done without you, but.." The girl opened her mouth and closed it; trying to find the right words to say, and Cornelia grinned because she knew for a fact that Caleb would've simply ignored the smelly rodent - hoping that Blunk got the gist, and besides.. This was Caleb's time with Will, and the only one who didn't seem to understand that was Hay Lin, though Cornelia was well aware of how shocked the girl had sounded when it had been revealed that Caleb would not be coming to the dance tonight.. Well.. Not that she knew of. It had been a tough blow for the little Asian, when she had finally realized that Cornelia wasn't with the rebel leader. "But.. We can open portals now.."
Cornelia smirked at that, as the passling's face went blank, and a cruel flush of red decorated Will's cheeks because she was too good to really say.. "Face it Blunk, you're not a warrior. You are a scavenger."
Will seemed to blanch; whirling around and forcing her palms against Irma's evil grin, while Blunk turned his nose indignantly, "Godds recycler!"
"We don't want you to get hurt!" It was Cornelia's turn to flush, because she realized in that moment that he hadn't looked so genuinely happy.. Since Will, mostly, and then he rarely had beamed with genuine pleasure for her company.. Though.. Sometimes he'd just laugh, and it wasn't mean.. He was just.. Happy. "Okay?"
The passling sighed at that, but Blunk had always seemed to have a guy-love affection for Caleb, and Cornelia could appreciate that much.. There was something.. Idolizable.. When it came to Caleb. "Hey, it's a pity you don't just have tubes, right under the castle!"
Caleb's head shot up then, and Cornelia turned her head to stare; Hay Lin again messing around with the discarded pieces from Cavigor prison, and their saving of the.. Well, the people who adopted Elyon. She supposed that was one thing, if she had to pick out a flaw in Caleb, though it was only since Will had been.. Well, since she'd been a mess, Caleb had got messy to say the least; his almost obsession for order had been scuffed, and if anything it only revealed his worry for her. "Theé mou.. What if we can? You genius!"
Cornelia frowned, and and Will had cocked an eyebrow, as the boy pulled the tubes animatedly from Hay Lin; Will bending almost eye-level with the map, "You want tubes? Tunnels? I mean, Caleb, Cornelia is good, but-"
"No, no no.." Cornelia had stepped forward at her mention; fully intending to back Will's opinion of 'too much',but Caleb had only pulled Will up by her elbow, and pushed the tubes into place; grasping her shoulder and pointing animatedly with either hand. It was ridiculous how well they collaborated, and Cornelia felt a stab of something every time they were like this; every day for the past week, they only seemed to look more and more quirkily 'right' to her and if anything it made her feel shallow for ever even thinking that Will wasn't pretty enough to be seen. Caleb didn't seem to see anyone else. "The army should be in the forest around here.. And these are portals.."
"Leading into the castle.."
"Invisible to Phobos on our journey to the attack.."
"But we have to change worlds.. Caleb-"
"We make a bridge between dimensions.. Leading the army safely into the castle!" She had frowned for a moment - Will - but she nodded slowly, then with more assurance and Cornelia smiled at the beaming boy. Everything was fitting into place.