Chapter 9: Crossroads
Author's Note: I'm making up for the lack of sex in the last chapter by including two scenes in this one. Hope you enjoy!
*****
"So do you think there's any chance Heron might let us keep a portion of the gold?" asked Greg with a sideways glance. "You know, as a finder's reward for the recovery of it?"
Jack rolled his eyes as he began to chuckle at his old friend. "Fat chance of that. Besides, are you forgetting we have our own treasury aboard the
Destiny
?"
Greg scoffed. "That's more or less for our mission though. I meant more like a personal reward. As a way to say thank you for our efforts?"
"I don't think so," said Jack. "I think there's people that need it far more than we do."
Jack chuckled again when his friend didn't respond and assumed a sour look. They were a full day on the western side of Mount Tarpeious, following the route that led down the side of the mountain to the great coastal road. Each of them held the reins of a horse behind them, carefully guiding the worn-out creatures down the path while their precious cargo remained hitched to the wagons behind.
The ascent up the mountain had practically devastated the horses, who were exhausted from hauling the heavy treasury up the steep, narrow paths. Of course, their former owners paid no effort to resting the beasts, preferring to spur them onward in the hope of ultimate reward. For that reason, the horses were in poor shape to continue the descent, so Heron made the decision to walk them for as long as they could. They also rotated the team that were hitched to the wagons in order to keep them fresh, splitting the treasury between them to lighten the load as much as possible.
For that reason, the seven of them cut a more leisurely pace coming down the mountain than they had going up. In the front, like usual, were the three Sorellans—Heron, Nikias, and Elektra. The two younger Sorellans led the way while the king stayed a few feet behind. No one else knew the terrain as well as they, and they were able to pick the best tracks and paths on the way back to Heron's capital.
Just behind the Sorellans were the two Galician women, currently laughing together while in conversation. The noise seemed to carry a full distance back, earning Jack's attention as he focused on the right, the beautiful and mysterious Kat. As if sensing his eyes on her, she half-turned to look back at him, and she gave him a coy smile as soon as their eyes locked. A smile that didn't escape notice from the companion at his side.
"Kat seems to be adjusting to the group nicely," noted Greg while wearing a smirk.
Jack took his eyes off of her and cast them back on the road in front of them. "I rather like her. She's a good addition."
"And it seems she rather likes you." Greg elbowed him in the side. "Well, now she does!"
Jack cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, I know you've seen it just as I have," said Greg with a laugh. "She won't stop looking back here. I see the look on her face. She looks like a teenager with a crush."
Jack turned red. "I can't figure her out. Our conversations seem to run both hot and cold. Especially when it turns back to her past."
"She's useful to have around though," said Greg. "We'd never have known about the Swabian intentions had she not been with us."
"True," agreed Jack. "She has been extremely useful. I'm more worried about what she'll do when we get back to the capital."
"Why? What do you think she'll do?"
Jack shrugged. "I initially only promised to take her that far. Although we have talked about going to Picardy next, nothing has been finalized. I'm curious to see if she'll stick with us or if she goes on her own way once we're back."
"You act like that's a bad thing," said Greg. "There are many people we might never see again. Why is that such a bad thing if it's Kat?"
Jack locked eyes with Kat again. It's almost as if she knew they were discussing her even if she was out of hearing range. She smiled once again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before turning her attention back to Vera.
"I'm not sure if I can explain it. She's got so much knowledge of the Vector that having her around as our guide could be extremely useful. Plus, the more we learn about these Galicians, the more I want to have one around. They seem like fascinating people."
Greg elbowed his side again. "Are we just going to ignore the elephant in the room?"
"Huh?"
"Come on, Jack. She's gorgeous too! I can see why you'd want to keep someone that beautiful around, especially considering she has eyes for you."
Jack coughed awkwardly. "She
is
beautiful. But there's more to her than that. I just have to figure it out."
"By the way she keeps looking at you, I think she'd let you unravel herself. Maybe even her clothes if you're lucky," said Greg.
Jack didn't say anything to that. His mind was too conflicted. It wasn't like he hadn't tried to talk with Kat about deeper matters. It's just that every time he tried, she shut down, preferring to retreat behind her walls of safety rather than expose the bad memories of her life. Sure, it could just take more time, but there was more to Kat beyond just a pretty face. But how long would it take before she let him in?
*****
The most serious discussion of the entire return trip started the day before they reached the coast. It had been nearly five days since they'd come down from the rocky path near the crest, and the track had long since turned back into a proper road as it widened and the grade stabilized. It was on the morning of the fifth day that Jack could finally see the coast once more, just being able to make out the waves in the distance as they crashed ashore.
It was comforting to him to be back in sight of water. Growing up on the coast, as well as being in the navy, meant there hadn't been many days in his life where he wasn't on the water or near it. The past two weeks spent in the Sorellan interior had been a shock to his system, and he was glad for the return to normality. However, being close to the coast meant a new question had arisen in the group. The question of whether to take the southern path back to the capital or to chase the Swabians on the northern path.
"All I'm saying is that we should try," said Elektra while her father listened on closely. "We know Barak was being paid by the Swabians, and we also know they were going to pick him up on the coast. Now that we're almost there, we should try to intercept them."
On the opposing side, her father began by shaking his head. "The coast is too broad, Elektra. There are hundreds of bays and inlets and just as many villages jotting the coast all the way to the other side of the island. Who knows where Barak intended to meet them?"
"Well, it's obvious he's not going to meet them back on the eastern side of the island," she said while crossing her arms in front of her body. "The easiest path for him would have to be near our current location. They wouldn't have wanted to go far and they had to know we'd be hot on their tail by now."
"Suppose we were able to find them?" asked Heron. "What then? What do we do when a Swabian warship comes looming up the coast only to see that we're the ones standing there and not Barak. What then?"
Elektra blinked. "We could fire off a few warning shots if they tried to land. Otherwise, we could let them know we discovered their plot. They may think twice about any future plans if they know we're aware of their intentions."
Heron shook his head. "I don't think firing off warning shots at the Swabians would do us any good right now. They are more than likely to fire back and then what? We barely have any ships to repel any attacks. We haven't even recovered from our last war!"
"We can't let them plot to steal all of our gold either, Papa," said Elektra fiercely. "We should make an example out of them."
Heron took a deep breath and brought his fingers to his eyes, rubbing them in frustration. Jack listened silently. Both of their points had merit, but he agreed more with the king. Sorella was in no position to get herself into another war so soon after the last one. He thought it wise to show restraint right now unless the Swabians showed even more aggression.
As if sensing his thoughts, Heron turned to look at Jack. "What say you, Jack? Should we go chasing after the Swabians?"
Both father and daughter looked at him expectantly. It was clear both of them expected Jack to take their side in the discussion. And while he liked Elektra's aggressive and assertive stance, he needed Sorella to recover her strength.
"This is one of the few times I have to disagree with Elektra," said Jack quietly, watching as the young woman's face fell to the ground. "If these Swabians are as deadly as we heard, we're in no position to face them just yet."
"They are extremely deadly," interrupted Kat from just behind him. "Their empire has been expanding for the last hundred years. They are the largest power in the Vector. Sorella wouldn't stand a chance against a determined attack."
"We already did once," said Elektra. "We turned away their attack with our ultimate weapon—Sorellan fire."
Kat shrugged. "Then it wasn't a determined one. Swabia is over a hundred times larger than Sorella, and their people number in the millions. They would overrun you if they chose to."
"So that means we should just let them walk all over us?" asked Elektra with an angry stare. "Not even fight back or offer any resistance?"
Jack held up his hands. "Peace, Elektra. That's not what I'm saying. I think what I have in mind, and what your father has in mind, is that we should choose our battles wisely. If we can recover some of our strength, they'll find a more determined enemy."
Heron began to nod. "Exactly, my dear." He put both his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "No one here doubts your martial prowess. You will be an excellent queen someday. I hope that day is a long way off but excellent you will be, regardless. Let us try to rebuild our homeland before we go looking for any more trouble. All right?"
Elektra pursed his lips before nodding reluctantly. Before her father could say anything further, she shrugged herself out of his grasp and walked away from the group. Once she was out of sight, Heron let out a sigh.
"I don't think I'll be winning father-of-the-year anytime soon," he said quietly to Jack.
"She'll be all right," said Jack. "I think she understood what we meant. She's a fierce one though. I can't blame her for wanting to fight."
"Neither can I," agreed Heron. "And if I thought we were in any place to offer resistance, it would be a different conversation."
"You did the right thing," said Jack. "Just give her some time."
"Perhaps once we're back home, it will help the matter," said the king. "We're so close to the city, I feel like I can hear it already."
"It will be nice to sleep in a warm bed again," said Jack. "All this time spent on the ground hasn't done my back any favors."
Heron laughed. "Imagine how you'll feel in another fifteen years. That's me right now." When both men chuckled along together, Heron opened up again. "We'll have to start some preparations. If the Swabians do try anything hostile, we'll want to be prepared."
"I agree," said Jack. "It can't hurt to start the preparations."
Heron sighed. "And here I hoped that we could settle down in a long era of peace. All the longer that idea lasted! With war once again on the horizon, will we be prepared to outlast another conflict?"
"That's the question I ask myself every night before going to bed," said Jack honestly.
Heron nodded. "We only do what we can. No more and no less."
"And prepare," added Jack. "Prepare for what is to come."
