* * * * *
Nick walked out of the house with his fingers midway through raking his hair back along his scalp, and a few guards followed behind him at a slight distance. The meetings had gone on all day and night, and he couldn’t remember the last time he had slept more than two hours at a time.
There were just too many people coming. They wanted more help, but none of them had had any idea just how many Ironborn were out there in the world to answer their call. And they weren’t just coming from other parts of Europe, they were coming in from every part of the world that heard about what was happening between them and the Council. And it was all on him. All of it.
He couldn’t bring himself to regret challenging his father for his position, and he certainly didn’t regret beating him to a bloody pulp, but the weight of everything pressing on him was overwhelming. The logistics alone of keeping everyone provisioned and sheltered was a nightmare, and he hadn’t found anyone yet that seemed capable of taking that responsibility off his shoulders completely. He was surrounded by counselors that all had different opinions on how things should run, and he couldn’t decide between them. He just needed a breath of fresh air. And possibly to have someone drive a metal spike through his brain and put him out of his misery. It would have been a most pleasant alternative to his present situation.
Zara was out and about helping with newcomers, directing them to the campgrounds set up as alternate housing for the moment. A few people were bothered by the temporary housing, but they were mainly the newly turned, since everyone else was used to getting down and dirty as wolves anyway. Between directing people, she was playing a game of catch with a group of little puppies, none of which were Ironborn. They came with their turned Ironborn mother and their Earthborn father, both of whom had pledged their help. Zara had a thing for puppies, since they were all so dependent on each other and their parents that they were a little web of cuteness that no Heartborn could ever pass up. It was a moment that made the stress of the greater situation disappear. It was pure innocence.
She had forged enough of a connection with Nick over the course of several conversations that as soon as he came closer to her, the dissonance of his stress and anxiety against the puppies’ laughter was a painful contrast. Nick sought something that was completely contrary to Zara’s nature, the need to be alone, and it was something Zara really could not fathom. He needed space to think, but she could feel his mind spinning in circles in the modicum of solitude that he’d found between buildings.
Zara looked up at him as he came closer and she tossed the ball one more time, which sent the puppies running in the direction where their parents were setting up camp. “You’re doing great, you know. I know that it doesn’t feel that way, but you’re doing better than you think you are.”
He didn’t even open his eyes from where he leaned against a wall, knowing it was her. He’d actually felt her listening to his thoughts, though he wasn’t sure how. “What did I tell you, Zara?”
“I’m sorry.” She said with a defeated tone. She then looked around and nodded to an area where tents were set up, but no one occupied them just yet. “You should be able to find a place to think by yourself over there. If you want.”
Beyond the tents, though, was Aura’s home. It was out by the fence line with the newcomers, who only knew rumors about her and would leave her more or less alone, so he didn’t get any closer to the tents. “I think I’d have to go to Mongolia to find a place clear enough to think at the moment. But there’s probably Ironborn there too, waiting for someone to lead them in a war.”
“These wolves just want a place to belong.” She looked over at the puppies who tumbled around and growled playfully with each other by the entrance of their tent. “They’ll do anything to defend a place where they feel like they can make a home. You’re doing a great job. And you don’t have to do it alone. You know that.”
“Sure feels that way most of the time. You try finding someone who can manage all this. Even finding someone who’s capable of buying tents in bulk without making humans nervous is hard to come by. The Stoneborn joiners are working as fast as they can, and we’ve already cleaned out every sporting goods store from here to…” He was starting on a rant, and he stopped himself with a hand over his eyes. “I’m sorry. But it’s just not that simple.”
“You won’t do anyone any good by keeping all of this responsibility to yourself.” She said quietly as she looked over at him again. “The Council’s fighters will never end. They have connections all over the world. Trying to fight that for your entire life will end up crushing you in the end.”
“That’s not a choice we have anymore. They declared this war when they attacked us on our road home. When they kidnapped Aura.” She could still feel the rush of emotion from him when he said her name, but he didn’t press it further. “Whether we fight this or not isn’t up to me. The only question is how. And where. And when.”
“So what would you say that you’re fighting for, then? Peace? Freedom? To be left alone? You will fight forever for that, if that’s what
