As instructed, Ava waited until the unit reached her position. It was then and only then that she made her way down from her perch, swiftly following the designated path apart from the controlled burn toward the forests edge with the rest of the troops. Upon arriving, she could see soldiers gathered around the commander, awaiting further instruction. When the final soldier arrived, they were dismissed to the front lines where food and sleep awaited them. To say that she was relieved was an understatement. Days of being confined to the limbs of a tree had made her legs and back sore, and the rations she lived on were hardly satisfying—at least where flavor was concerned. For the most part, she was never far from being full. So, she was eager to get to camp and enjoy the small luxuries they were afforded before they rejoined the battle. She looked up at the commander, smiling a bit at his words before moving alongside him to begin the long journey.<br/><br/>Upon reaching camp, they were greeted by the sight of pitched tents, smaller ones for sleeping and larger ones that provided cover for preparing food and served as a mess hall. Water tanks located in the back promised the likelihood of a shower as well. “I’m going to clean up and then grab something to eat.” She informed him before splitting off, making her way to the makeshift showers where a line was formed. Patiently she while the line crawled forward, moving at the pace of the timed intervals in which the water ran from the shower head; every three minutes. They were given towels and fresh fatigues just before they entered the communal space where only a series of thin shower curtains acted as partitions between one person and another. Ava told herself it would be just like a school locker room, except there were men and a lot less shame.<br/><br/>She pulled the curtain shut and stripped down, tossing her clothes into a bag before turning on the water. She flinched at how cold it was, but she didn’t have time to acclimate. Ava washed swiftly, using the cheap soap to scrub down as quickly as she could before the water turned off. She barely had the suds off her body when the water pressure decreased to a weaker spray, then finally turned off. She wrapped the scratchy towel around her and made her way to a separate area where she strategically changed—so that no part of her was exposed for longer than a second-- and groomed. Clean, but nearly chilled to the bone, the savory scent of stew was calling her name. It was nothing impressive. It was probably canned and warmed over a flame before being served to the masses, but it was leagues better than jerky and other field rations. She could have had seconds, but she wanted to catch up with the commander, wherever he was.