[Isalynne]

Nyah was unsure how long she'd been running, but it had certainly been a long, long time.

Even a good mile or so from the Imperial base she had made her hasty escape from, she still thought she could hear their heavy footfalls on the ground behind her, deafening in their military boots. Her heart fluttered in her chest, her lungs blazing. Every inch of her was exhausted. She couldn't afford to stop, though; she couldn't afford to let this slip, not when she'd come so far and tried so hard.

She'd hardly noticed that she'd gotten as far as the swamp until the ground became slick and treacherous beneath her, and she was forced to dive into an abandoned canoe.

[Isalynne]

She allowed herself a brief moment of respite. The heady scent of rot was thick, and the air around her so humid and muggy that it felt like she could swim in it. Nyah prayed that the canoe wasn't the thing that was decaying - it was already luck upon luck that she'd found it, though, and there was even an oar laying next to her on the bottom.

No water appeared to be leaking in. It bobbed uncertainly on the edge of the water, but didn't crumble or begin to sink. Serendipitous. Could she give herself some time to recover and regain her breath here?

There were no thudding sounds now. Just the lonesome croak of a distant frog, the occasional buzz of an insect.

[Isalynne]

How long did she lay there with her eyes closed, focusing on breathing in and out? It could have been seconds - it could have been hours. Her body was not lethargic with sleep when she finally sat up, but was not fully responsive either, still sluggish. Even so, she had to continue. There was no other option.

Her backpack was a small, battered thing, made of faux leather, but in that moment it was the most precious thing in her life. Inside, some papers had been hastily shoved - plans hot from the desk of an Imperial captain, detailing their plans. Vital information for the Purines to garner an insight from.

[Isalynne]

The agreed meeting point was somewhere within the thick trees. Nyah couldn't see clearly even when she squinted - the day was heaving its last breath, darkening the skies above the already gloomy swamp. It would have to be guesswork. Her contact had said that they would not venture too deeply, would try to make it noticeable but not obvious.

What use was that? Those words made no sense when they were put together. Still, she had to trust that they knew what they were doing. She took up the oar, and with a final glance behind her, she used it to push the canoe out onto the water.

[Isalynne]

It was claustrophobic. Even the awareness that she was outside and in an open space did nothing to assist her - Nyah was painfully aware of the overhanging branches, the curtains of moss. The heat and the stench and the ridiculously loud splash of her oar slipping through the water.. it was a lot. A lot to deal with. Almost too much to process.

She could go on. She had to go on. Even as worried, frantic tears began to sting her eyes, she pushed forwards, desperately searching for any sign of life that wasn't amphibian or insect.

[Isalynne]

How long would it take for her to find them? The thought of being stuck and alone, surrounded by things that smelled so potently like death, was nothing short of horrifying. She would rather race back into the Imperial base and be chased a thousand times over than spend a minute more than she had to lurking in the swamp.

"It's okay, I can do this," Nyah muttered to herself in a repeated mantra, hoping that it would bring her comfort. It wasn't doing much, but the sound of a voice, even her own, was somewhat soothing. Something human among the wilderness.

[Isalynne]

Just when she was beginning to lose all hope, Nyah caught sight of something in the distance. The flicker of a torch - the flame illuminated the sickly tree trunks around it. Her heart leapt in her chest, delighted. Thank god. Thank god, she was finally near the end of this nightmare.

Would this be her last mission? Unlikely. The money was too good for her to give it up. Not every one would result in her tracking through the swamp. It was simply an unlucky coincidence that the base she infiltrated was nearby.

[Isalynne]

At last, her canoe bumped against the bank, and Nyah stood up, vaulting out of it and onto land again. The ground was uncomfortably soft under her. That only added to her distress; if she had to leave in a hurry, it would hinder her and leave her vulnerable, even as small and agile as she was.

"I have what you've asked for," She said softly to the figure awaiting her arrival. The backpack was slung easily from her shoulder and into her hand, where she opened the flap and tugged the stack of papers from inside it. "Here. Everything they had."

[Isalynne]

"Thank you," The agent responded. His voice was gruff, almost haughty - he looked at her with vague disdain. Why? It irked Nyah, in all honesty. He wasn't the one risking hair and hide to steal important documents from the enemy. Even if she was a spy for hire, she was a damn good one, and her intelligence had been crucial to some Purine successes.

"Do you know the way out of here?" She asked, suddenly braver. There was no way she was going to be intimidated by some goon looking down his nose at her because she needed money.

"I'll escort you."

[Isalynne]

That was that. The man turned, his movements mechanical and stiff, and began to walk off into the trees, lighting his way with the torch. Nyah tugged her backpack back onto her shoulders as she pottered along behind - she did her best not to focus on where she was treading. All she wanted to do was be rid of the humidity and the stench.

"I hope that helps," She added, almost as an afterthought. In reality, she had little concept of the effects of the war. All she knew was what she'd immediately been told. The man glanced at her, his expression sullen.

"We have far to go."