Chapter 36 - Knowing Places, Acting Accordingly

The other troops watched Ella, Jake, and Lucy follow the commander around the camp, their looks a mixture of wonder and anxiety, Ella's pulse raced in her chest, the adrenaline from the fight still pumping through her veins, the tension in the air was obvious. He shut the door behind them as they entered the commander's office, creating a reverberating noise that filled the little space. Leaning against his desk, he turned to face them, his countenance unreadable. “How dare you? How dare you cause such ruckus in my camp? That was reckless” he scolded them, facing Lucy and Jake, his voice deceptively calm. “All of you” he added and turned his gaze to face Ella. “And you, although you did a good job fighting, it remains a disadvantage to the army that you cannot change. Why did you keep it from us?” the commander asked her. Ella forced a swallow as her thoughts raced to come up with a response. Her voice was hardly audible above a whisper when she lied, "I didn't think it would mat