Chapter 71: Meeting The General 2
Lara’s sharp gaze swept across the dimly lit war tent, noting the twelve men huddled around a long, makeshift table. Their weathered faces, the weight of command etched into their features, left no doubt—they were the generals of the Northern army. A crude diorama of the Alta-Sierra mountain range sat at the center of the table.
The heavy canvas walls of the tent blocked out the late afternoon sun, leaving only the entrance to spill a thin stream of light into the oppressive space. The air was thick with tension, the scent of sweat and the odor of people who hadn’t showered for days clinging to her nostrils.
Her gaze landed on a man with a commanding aura standing at the head of the table. His broad frame controlled the space without effort. He was studying the diorama with furrowed brows, the weight of unseen burdens pressing upon his shoulders.
She felt something tugged at her heart. Was it the familial bond of a daughter to a father?
She thought that she could not recognize him.
She thought that she would feel nothing.
But she was wrong.
While her body was his flesh and blood, her mind and soul were in no way related to him. ’So what is this tightness that I felt in my chest?’ Lara’s emotion was in turmoil as she asked silently.
Her gaze lingered on him. From her vantage point, his face was partially obscured by an unruly wisp. His unkempt hair, copper-brown like hers, cascaded down to his shoulders.
He was half a head taller than the tallest man in the room and must be in his early forties. His presence was towering like an immovable mountain. His broad shoulders and muscular build made him appear carved from stone, a warrior forged in the fires of battle. A short beard traced his jawline with deliberate precision, neither unruly nor refined, a perfect balance of control and recklessness.
As if sensing the weight of her stare, the man looked up—his piercing gaze locking onto hers before it turned into a look of confusion.