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Nina was tucked into her sleeping mat, her breathing steady and slow as the early morning light filtered through the canopy of the forest. The soft rustle of leaves and distant chirping of animals made for the perfect backdrop to her sleep—a peaceful moment that wasn't destined to last long.
"Nina," a voice whispered urgently.
She groaned, pulling the woven blanket tighter around her shoulders and burying her face in her arms.
"Nina," the voice said again, louder this time, followed by the sound of a foot nudging her side.
"Go away, Lo'ak," she mumbled, her voice muffled.
Lo'ak crouched beside her, his smirk audible in his tone. "Come on, you're not gonna sleep the whole day, are you?"
"That's the plan," she muttered, not moving.
He sighed dramatically, as if he were deeply offended by her refusal to acknowledge his presence. "Nina, wake up! I've got something cool to show you."
"Cool?" she said, finally cracking one eye open to glare at him. "Your idea of 'cool' almost always gets us introuble, Lo'ak."
"That's not true," he protested, grinning. "Well... not always."
She groaned again, rolling onto her back and squinting up at him. "What is it this time?"
He leaned in closer, his golden eyes gleaming with excitement. "The old battliefield. Kiri and Spider found it a while ago, but we haven't had a chance to explore. I figured today's the perfect day. And I need you to come with me."
Nina stared at him, unimpressed. "Why do you need me to come? Can't you and Spider get yourselves lost without me?"
"Because you're the only one who's gonna keep us from actually getting lost. Your nerdy little mind will keep us from getting electrocuted by the old ancient machines," Lo'ak replied, his tone smug. "And besides, you'll love it. It's gonna be fun."
She raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Fun. Right. Because the last time you said that, we ended up caught by your father for sneaking in to the war tent."
Lo'ak waved a hand dismissively. "That was ages ago. This'll be different."
"Sure it will," she said, though her voice carried less bite now.
"Come on, Nina," he said, his voice softening as he leaned closer. "Don't make me beg."
She sighed heavily, rubbing her face with her hands before sitting up. "Lo'ak, this is probably a bad idea. Plus, the battlefield is off limits."
"Yeah I know but we'll be careful, only from a distance." he admitted, his grin widening.
She stared at him for a long moment, his enthusiasm practically radiating off of him. She knew it was a terrible idea. She also knew she wouldn't be able to say no—not to him.
