They went up the steps together and into the large main room, but stopped just inside the entrance. Like the rest of the village, the room had been largely wrecked, but there were a few tables and long benches that were still intact. The group gathered some of the furniture and set it up near the entrance. Swoop, Gamble, Cass, Wren, and Painter sat around the table with Lil and her escort. The rest of Gamble’s team spread out around the room, standing nearby or leaning against walls in various locations.
The first few minutes were awkward, but as they continued conversation, it started to become clear that these people were all cut from the same cloth. Cass had seen it before. Even when they weren’t on the same side, there just seemed to be a natural bond between warriors.
“They came three nights ago,” Lil said. “In overwhelming numbers. We mounted a strong defense, as we had many times before. But this time…” She trailed off, shaking her head.
“Something changed,” Elan said. “The way they moved. And fought.”
“It was like… I don’t even know how to describe it.”
“Like they were one?” Cass said.
Lil looked at her and nodded. “One being, made from many creatures.”
Gamble and Cass looked at each other. “We’ve seen it too,” Gamble said. “Once in Morningside, and then again the night we left.”
“What about Chapel?” Wren asked. “Is he OK?”
Lil looked at him sadly, and reached over to stroke his hair. She shook her head. “We lost Chapel many months ago. He was taken not long after you left. I’m sorry, Wren.”
Wren’s shoulders went slack and he closed his eyes. His face contorted as he tried to hold back the tears, but little coughing sobs escaped. Cass reached over and pulled his head to her shoulder to hold him while he cried. She noticed Lil watching them with a sweet smile tinged with sadness.
“Where are your people now?” Gamble asked.
“About forty minutes north and a little west,” Lil answered. “There’s a refuge. We’d hoped never to need it.”
“Closer to the Strand?” Wick asked.
“Slightly.”
“And how many are you?” asked Gamble.
Lil shook her head. “Too few.” For a moment, her eyes lost focus, and her jaw clenched. She lowered her gaze to the table and inhaled deeply, trying to regain her composure.
“Eighteen able bodies,” Elan said. “About thirty old, sick, wounded, or children.”
Lil put a hand to her brow. “The children…” Elan put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Lil gathered herself and continued. “We’ve made a few trips back, to recover what we could. We’ll need to get under way again soon. Our numbers are stretched thin as it is. I assume you’ll return with us?”
Gamble exchanged a quick look with Swoop. “We haven’t made any decisions yet,” she said.
“I see. I’m not sure what your options are, but I imagine they’re few. And we could use the help.”
Gamble gave a non-committal nod. “Understood.”
The two women held each other’s gazes for a moment, and then Lil bowed her head slightly. “We’ll let you discuss your plans. But we leave in twenty minutes.” She stood, and her companions rose with her. They moved to the stairs, but Lil paused at the entrance and said over her shoulder, “I hope you’ll do the right thing.” And with that, they headed out to join the others in the village.
Once Lil and the others had cleared the room, the rest of the team gathered around the table to discuss their options.
“Thoughts?” Gamble said.
“Gotta go our separate ways,” said Swoop. “No question.”
“How you figure that?” Finn said.
“You got fifty frightened, dying, and desperate people holed up in some reinforced area we’ve never seen before. All that gear we’re carrying?” He shook his head. “I don’t care how nice they seem now. That’s not a good set-up for us.”
“We could be a lot of help to them, Swoop,” Mouse said.
“No arguing that,” Finn responded. “Just not sure how good it is for us.”
“Our principals are the priority,” Gamble said. “The only question to answer is if we’re more secure somewhere on our own, or if we need to bunk up with these people for a night.”
In the midst of everyone talking, Cass gradually became aware of a growing sense that she had somehow completely lost all control of her own life. Even knowing that Gamble and her team had the best intentions, it grated on her that they were talking all around her, and no one was talking to her.
How had Cass come to a place where she’d allowed others to sit around and decide her fate without even acknowledging her presence? And the more she reflected, the harder it was for her to remember when she’d ever truly been in control. For so long, it seemed like Cass had just been trying to manage the impact of everyone else’s decisions on her and her son.
“If they’ve got a safe place,” Wick was saying, “I don’t care how many people they’ve got inside. That saves us the hard work of trying to reinforce a position in the ninety minutes we’ve got until sunset.”
Able was standing off to one side, observing, as was his way. Sometimes she wondered how he differently he read these situations in his silent world. He somehow seemed more aware than most, despite his deafness. Maybe because of it. Cass caught his eye, and he dipped his head towards her. Acknowledgment.
“We walk in there, I guarantee we walk out poorer for it,” Swoop said.
“I’m sorry,” Cass said, interrupting. All eyes turned to her. “Can someone please remind me at what point I turned over my authority?”
Wick and Finn exchanged glances. Sky dropped his gaze to the table in front of him. Swoop’s jaw clenched at the admonishment. He didn’t care for it, but he wouldn’t challenge her. Wren sat up, moving his head off of her shoulder, and put his hands in his lap.
Gamble held up a hand. “All due respect, Miss Cass–” she started, but Cass cut her off.
“That sentence never ends with the amount of respect actually due, Gamble.” She let it hang in the air for a moment. “I understand that you’re in your element out here. You’re not used to having us tag along. But I would appreciate it if you would at least show us a little respect… in considering that we’re talking about the safety of my son, and that I might have something to say about it.”
“Of course,” Gamble said, but her words were clipped. “Lady Cass.”
“These people rescued Wren before. They cared for him when I could not. Without them, neither of us would be here now. I owe it to them to do whatever I can.”
“Is it worth your life?” Swoop asked flatly.
Cass chewed the inside of her lip involuntarily for a quick moment. Then she answered, “It’s worth the risk.”
“Then let’s quit wasting time,” Swoop said, and he stood up and headed for the door.
“But you’re under no obligation,” Cass added. “I know there’s danger. None of you should feel forced to go with us.”
“We had this conversation already, Cass. It’s not even a question,” Gamble said. “Where you go, we go.” Then she addressed her team. “Saddle up, boys. We’ll move out when our friends do.”