The Seven Swords of Diya: An Indiana Jones Fan Fiction - Part 2

Chapter 283: Kamchatka Wilderness, Soviet Union, 1960

Kamchatka Wilderness

Soviet Union

1960

Indy filled their canteens, watching Shorty practice with the whip from the corner of his eye. "Not so furious, Shorty. Its less about the shoulder and more about the wrist. Here."

Indy stood up and demonstrated.

Shorty mimicked the movement.

"Keep doing that," Indy smiled. "And stay in that one area."

"Dad...?" Shorty asked.

"Hmm?" Indy sat down in a reasonably stable spot on the ground, watching Shorty.

"Should I tell Lizavet I love her? And I've been thinking about marrying her?"

"Why wouldn't you, Shorty?" Indy asked, looking around the valley. The grass was rich and tall, deep and thick enough to hide predators and he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. His new second sense and ability to see into the supernatural wasn't revealing anything - but decades of adventure had honed his instincts.

"I don't know if I'm ready," Shorty answered. "And I was gone for fifteen years - should it be this soon?"

"Normally... I'd say no. And you'd probably want to date her for awhile to see if the connection is still there." Indy paused, searching the tall grass again. "But..."

The volcano rumbled in the distance. Indy watched the tundra ground ripple again. He traced the movement to the patch of tall grass that he'd been eyeing. Something growled. He couldn't tell if it was an earthquake or something... worse.

Shorty turned toward Indy's silence. "But what?"

"Keep fishing, son." Indy pointed. "What I was gonna say is...." He eyed the young man. It was strange, he could still picture Shorty as a kid. Now Shorty was nearly the same age as Indy had been when he'd met the pickpocket kid in Shanghai. "You're old enough to hear the truth and make your own decisions. So's Lizavet. But this is something you need to ask Lizavet about, because living on the edge of adventure can forge amazing friendships but it isn't always good for deep relationships... or having kids. Although... having kids, being a parent, standing beside Marion watching our daughters and now grandchildren... is one of the most thrilling experiences I've had in my life."

Indy grinned, continuing. "Maybe it's years, maybe it's the mileage - but the older I get the more I realize that it's not history that makes legacy - it's family. And when I say family - it's not always blood relation." He got up and put his hand on Shorty's shoulder. "After India, I should have kept you beside me and gone back to Marion. I might have had a chance to say goodbye to Abner and leave things in a better place than I did. Don't make my mistakes, Shorty."

"You think I should marry her?"

"A man doesn't carry a woman in his heart for 15 years unless there's a reason. She's sweet and shy. But she's willing and capable especially in her bravery. She'll stand her ground and that's what counts. You'll need to protect her sometimes... mostly from things in her past. But I think you should talk to her about that."

The volcano rumbled.

Indy looked up. "Especially with the volcano."

Shorty kept throwing the whip. "You think we'll make it out of here alive?"

Indy watched the sky fill with ash. The wind continued to send it away from them, but it was a constant reminder of fear. "It's on my list to not die... but you know how helpful that list has been."

"Yeah." Shorty was quiet. "How do I ask?"

"Ask what?"

"How do I know how to know if I should ask Lizavet to marry me?"

Indy blinked. "Uh... Use words?"

Shorty stared at Indy. "I don't know what to say."

Indy took a breath. "We're men. Words are secondary to us. It's much easier to show up with flowers or food, fix something or rescue them. But women, they need language.... They need communication. So we have to ask. And it's odd, embarrassing, awful, awkward... and it doesn't get easier, but we get better at it. Or at least less scared."

The volcano rumbled again.

"And frankly, Shorty... we don't have a lot of time. If that volcano blows its top again - we're not going to have a chance in hell for survival. I excavated part of Pompeii. There was a site in South America where a volcano threw ash on a little ancient village and that ash layer was fifteen feet deep. When the Krakatoa volcano blew its top - we felt it in New Zealand and thought it was a bomb going off. Lizavet explained to you the danger we're in. And those earthquakes and rumblings are getting more frequent." Indy stood beside Shorty. "Son - It's better Lizavet know how much you care and what you want for a life together than just guessing and spilling your heart running from lava."

Shorty nodded. There was a tug on the whip. Shorty's eyes lit. "I think I got something!"

"Bring it in!" Indy grinned.

A fish flashed brilliantly, its mouth around the small lure. Shorty threw it over his shoulder onto the edge of the lake.

There was a rumbling.

Indy turned to look at the volcano.

The mountain seemed silent. He bent and picked up the flapping silvery fish.

There was another low rumbling growl.

Indy's eyes traced the half liquified land, expecting to see the wave of rumbling.

Nothing.

But yet - a growl.

A shadow fell over Indy.

Even the fish stopped moving

Indy flicked his eyes upward in horror.

Both the man and the fish had their mouths open in fearful shock.

Shorty stood behind Indy, still tossing the whip on the waters of the lake.

"Dad! I got another fish!" Shorty tossed the fish onto dry land and grabbed it.

"Shorty - stop," Indy warned.

"Why?"

"Bear."

The young man slowly turned around, staring upward, his mouth a gape and aghast, his expression matching Indy's. Their caveman survival brains processed the moment.

"Why is it huge?" Shorty asked, his voice squeaking just a little.

"Kamchatka grizzlies get that way, kid." Indy answered, his throat dry as he measured the bear's height and weight against the boulder that had chased him after he'd stolen the gold idol. "Three meters... Ten feet tall... 650 kilograms... roughly fifteen hundred pounds is... normal for them."

"What do we do, Indy?" Shorty whispered.

Indy slapped the fish to Shorty's chest, pulled out his pistol, stared at the bear, measured the caliber of the gun to the size of the bear and shook his head. He put his pistol back into his holster. "Shorty - do your old man a favor."

"Anything, Dad!"

Indy turned to the young man in complete seriousness. "Run slower than me."