Chapter 358

At the break of dawn, Luna White and Lily Collins set out carrying a stretcher. The wounded soldier lying on it was deathly pale, his raincoat damp with morning dew. The mountain mist hung thick like an impenetrable curtain around them.

"Watch your step!" Lily whispered, her voice barely audible as if afraid to disturb the silence.

Luna nodded, her fingers gripping the wooden poles so tightly her knuckles turned white. The trail was nearly vertical—one misstep could send them all tumbling down the cliff. The two soldiers at the front bore the stretcher on their shoulders while those at the rear practically crawled. Luna and Lily, positioned in the middle, steadied the wounded while constantly adjusting their balance. Each step felt like dancing on knife's edge.

"Ah!" Luna gasped as a wildgrass blade sliced her cheek. The razor-edged foliage here could draw blood as easily as a knife.

What should have been a four-hour trek took them five. When the camp finally came into view, everyone exhaled in relief. Luna's legs trembled so violently she could barely stand, yet she refused to rest until the handoff was complete.

"You did well," the medic who relieved them patted her shoulder. "Get some rest now."

Nestled between two cliffs, the camp was naturally fortified on three sides. Luna and Lily's tent stood at the innermost section, adjacent to the makeshift infirmary. Both collapsed onto their cots and fell asleep instantly.

Luna dreamed of Andrew Smith standing in sunlight, arms outstretched, his smile brighter than mountain wildflowers. The vision was so vivid it made her lips curve even in slumber.

She woke in the afternoon, rubbing sore arms before hurrying to the infirmary. A line of wounded already waited.

"Bed three needs fresh dressings, bed five requires bandage changes," the doctor said without looking up. "Conserve gauze—our next supply run won't come for twenty days."

Nodding, Luna worked with practiced efficiency, carefully collecting used gauze for sterilization. Sunlight was precious in these mountains—every scrap of fabric had to dry thoroughly to ensure safety.

At nightfall, Luna stood outside her tent gazing at distant peaks. Time here stretched endlessly; a single week felt like a year. She finally understood war's true nature—not just gunfire and explosions, but this daily perseverance, this unyielding guardianship.