The night's chill had settled over the camp.
The feast was over, and people had begun to lean against each other, resting quietly by the fire. Weapons and ammunition had been stored safely, and new guards had taken their places in the towers.
I sat in front of my tent, knees pulled to my chest. Stars glittered in the sky. A few months ago, we couldn't even dream of a night this peaceful.
Rauf came over, carrying two mugs.
— "We did good work, Ömer," he said, handing me one. The mug held some gently warmed wine.
— "Thanks, brother," I said, taking a sip.
The wine warmed us from the inside.
Kudret was a little farther off, joking around with a few of the younger ones, occasional laughter rising into the night.
Though he often seemed like a ruthless man, he knew how to keep the camp's morale high.
We sat silently for a while. Only the crackling of the fire and the distant calls of night birds filled the air. Finally, Rauf broke the silence:
— "I've been watching Süleyman... There's something strange about his bond with his brother. It's like they're both joyful and on edge at the same time."
I nodded.
— "Yeah. Everyone here carries a wound," I said. "Some mourn lost families, others grieve over the pieces of themselves they've lost."
We stayed silent a while longer. Just then, the radio crackled to life. We stood up immediately.
The guard's voice came through:
— "Movement on the north slope!"
We tossed aside our wine mugs and rushed to our weapons. Kudret quickly silenced the young ones and ordered them to prepare.
Everyone took up defensive positions.
The guard, peering through binoculars from the towers, continued:
— "I see five people for now. Don't know if there are more behind them. They're armed."
Rauf came up beside me.
— "What do we do?"
— "Take cover. Let them come closer. Don't open fire unless necessary," I said. But a feeling deep inside told me there was more to this than it seemed.
The group stopped in the clearing outside the camp. One man stepped forward, raising his hands.
— "We want to talk!"
I glanced at Rauf, and he looked back at me. We had no other choice. We walked to the gate with heavy steps, Kudret and two others following.
We stopped a short distance outside the gate, weapons ready.
The man in front was middle-aged, his face weary but determined.
— "We don't want to fight," he said. "We'll work for food and medicine."
I studied his eyes, trying to tell if he was lying.
— "How many of you are there?" I asked.
— "Twelve. Mostly women and children. Five of us came ahead. The others are waiting a bit farther back."
Rauf leaned close and whispered:
— "Could be a trap."
— "Maybe," I whispered back. "But they're already here, at our doorstep."
Kudret chuckled.
— "They don't look like they could run even if they wanted to. You can see the fear in their eyes."
After a short hesitation, I made a decision:
— "Drop your weapons. Then we'll bring the rest of your people in. No one enters armed."
The man hesitated, then nodded and dropped his weapon. The others followed suit.
We sent two men to check. Sure enough, there was a tired and frightened group of people waiting among the trees farther off.
One by one, we brought them inside. We collected all their weapons.
They were exhausted and starving.
We gave them food and showed them where they could rest.
A few young women were taken under the protection of the trained girls under Kudret's command. We had to ensure everyone's safety.
In this world, trust could no longer be given freely.
That night, the camp was more crowded, warmer — but also more tense.
Süleyman came over to us.
— "Commander," he said (he'd given me that nickname), "I know a few of these guys. They used to trade supplies. Don't seem too dangerous."
I nodded.
— "We'll keep our eyes open anyway."
We doubled the guard duty that night.
Rauf and I climbed one of the towers to keep watch.
The wind carried the rich scent of earth. The stars still shone brightly above us.
After a while, Rauf asked quietly:
— "Do you think more people will come?"
— "They will. Word is out now. We have weapons, food... and something even rarer."
— "What's that?"
— "Morale. Sometimes, it's the best weapon you have."
Just then, a flash of light caught my eye across the slope. I squinted.
A flare.
A white burst of light rose into the sky and exploded.
I grabbed the radio immediately:
— "Everyone stay alert! There might be another group nearby!"
The camp snapped into action.
Women and children were moved to safe zones.
Guards scanned the area from the towers.
Five minutes later, a second flare went up — this time red.
Kudret cursed under his breath:
— "That's bad news. Red means attack."
Rauf checked the mechanism of his rifle.
I tightened my grip on the weapon slung over my shoulder.
My eyes swept across the darkness.
An uneasy feeling gnawed at my gut.
Tonight was going to be a long one.
And perhaps, the real war was just about to begin.