The Ice Warrior

Chapter 55

Silv wasn't sure how long she sat in the icy snow, feeling empty, but once she gained her senses back, she rose and did her best to help out the injured. After all, it wasn't their fault that Silv was void of any joy she anticipated would arise from their victory.

In the past, when she thought about facing Denis, she always imagined that getting her revenge would make her feel better. It didn't.

It made her feel worse about herself because, for a moment, she forgot all her promises. She forgot all about honor and doing what's right. All she wanted to do was beat Denis into oblivion, erase him from existence as well as all the horrible things he had done.

Unfortunately, that wasn't how the world worked. One cruel action couldn't negate another, and Silv felt grateful to Joe that he stopped her from making the biggest mistake of her life.

Killing Denis wouldn't have accomplished anything. However, making him their prisoner could help them find a way to stay one step ahead of the Government.

"Silv, are you okay?" Joe asked as Silv's lost eyes alerted him to her inner turmoil.

"I'm fine. I'm just embarrassed that I allowed myself to lose control. I should have been smarter," Silv said.

"We all lose control from time to time. No one can fully control their thoughts and actions. The important thing is that you found the courage to come back from it," Joe said.

"Thanks to you," Silv said.

"No, Silv, that was all you. I just broke your focus. You were the one who chose to stop though you could have disobeyed," Joe said.

Silv thought through his words and realized that it was one of the things that made Joe a great leader. He knew how to motivate his soldiers to obey. He understood them better than they understood themselves.

Thus, he could find just the right words to snap Silv out of her rage. However, the ultimate choice of who she would be, a murderer or a warrior, was up to her. She was the one who chose wisely, and it felt good to know that despite everything, she did the right thing.

"Thank you," Silv said.

"No, thank you. Thanks to you, we have a hope of knowing what the Government is up to and how to protect ourselves," Joe said.

Then the slight ringing in Silv's ears alerted Silv to Evanescence's approach. She was still too far away to connect telepathically. However, they could sense each other across a far greater distance than Silv thought possible.

"Evanescence is coming," Silv said abruptly.

"Get ready to move out and make sure that the prisoner is secure," Joe told the others.

"How about Justin and Jamie? Are they okay?" Joe asked, his tone shifting from stern to worried.

"I don't know yet. Evanescence is still too far for me to ask her. For the moment, I can only sense her presence approaching," Silv said.

"I do hope those boys didn't do something stupid like get themselves killed," Joe whispered.

"Don't worry, I am sure they can take care of themselves," Silv said.

"I know they can, but that doesn't stop me from worrying. You'll learn with time that there are things you can't control, emotions you can't stop," Joe said.

It felt to Silv as if he was talking about something else, something different from the current topic, but she had no idea what it was. Thus, she dismissed the odd thought and did her best to focus on Evanescence, to communicate as soon as possible.

The conversation she had with Joe ignited her own worry for Justin, the one human who seemed to care when she wasn't feeling alright. He was the man who listened to what she had to say and seemed to genuinely want to help her.

To her surprise, Silv realized that she cared immensely about his well-being. Thus, she strengthened her thoughts, and soon enough, she could hear Evanescence's whisper in her mind.

"He is okay!" Silv exclaimed joyfully once the ship provided her with all the information.

Only upon noticing Joe raising a questioning eyebrow did Silv realize her mistake.

"I mean, they are okay. Both Justin and Jamie are safely back on the ship," Silv said.

"That warms my old heart.

"Those boys are great, but sometimes they tend to play heroes, and it gets them in trouble, it gets them hurt," Joe said.

"They seem fine, according to Evanescence, but you'll be able to check for yourself soon enough. Evanescence is close now," Silv said.

"Where?" Joe asked.

Silv pointed east of their location, and then Joe could see a slight shimmer in the air as Evanescence lifted the invisibility shield.

The moment the doors opened, they hurried on, carrying the wounded with them. Evanescence had come to signify safety for them. Even the injured seemed to get additional energy to shuffle on to reach their sanctuary.

When they got to the door, they could see two silhouettes waiting there, pacing impatiently.

"Grandpa! You're okay," Jamie exclaimed, running to Joe.

"I am a tough meat to freeze, don't you worry about me," Joe said, hugging his grandson.

Justin, on the other hand, said nothing and ran to Silv, embracing her tightly.

"Evanescence said you were okay, but I had to make sure," Justin said.

"I am fine," Silv said, blushing at Justin's closeness.

Noticing her awkwardness, he broke the hug and started looking her up and down, checking for injuries.

That was when he noticed blood dripping from her knuckles.

"What happened here?" He asked, studying her injury.

"Revenge," she replied.

"Let me take care of it for you," Justin said.

"It's okay, I don't need any help," Silv replied.

"Please," he said pleadingly.

"Fine," Silv said and allowed him to pull her into the ship.

"So do you feel any better now that you got your revenge?" Justin asked the moment they reached a small room where medical supplies were stored.

"Not at all. My grandmother is still dead. Nothing can ever change that. I just wish hurting him had made me feel half as good as I hoped it would," Silv said.

"I never told you this, but I did get to kill the people who murdered my parents," Justin said matter-of-factly.

"And did it make you feel any better?" Silv asked, intrigued by the idea.

"No, it just made me feel like a murderer like I was the same as them. After all, what makes me different if I fight fire with fire?" Justin said.

"Then why did you kill them?" Silv asked cautiously.

"I didn't have a choice. It was in self-defense. When I did it, I was defending my family, what's left of it at least. I didn't even know they were the ones responsible for my parents' death," Justin said.

"And when you found out?" Silv asked.

"I thought I would feel relief, but there was none. I just felt like my hands were covered with blood that I would never be able to wash away," Justin said.

"I am sorry I didn't mean to open up old wounds. I wondered if it would have made any difference if I killed Denis," Silv said upon noticing tears building up in Justin's beautiful eyes.

"It's okay, you needed to know, and I want to help you any way I can. I know how difficult it is to lose someone close to you, how it never goes away. If I can make it easier for someone dealing with a loss, I am happy to do so," Justin said.

"Thank you," Silv said.

Then they hugged each other gently, finding comfort in shared grief and mutual understanding.