The Gate Saga: The Landing

Part Four

The following three months went by rapidly. The cleared area was pushed further into the forest and a wall was built to protect The Expedition from the creatures that called the forest home. As operations to scout and expand began to take precedence over everything else Imbrose found himself spending more and more time with Ember while Colton plotted away with The Seeker. While the time was happily spent, Imbrose began to feel the distance between him and his oldest friend grow ever wider. Where they once spent many a night drinking and talking of old adventures, now Colton always found a reason to return to work.

Shortly after the first buildings were erected, a ship arrived from the homeland with a variable army of automatons. Each automaton was built to perform a crucial task from crafting, to cooking, to guarding. However, they could only be controlled by Ember, since her mother didn't trust anyone else with such a valuable resource.

One evening, Ember and Imbrose sat around a campfire sipping on a stout beverage in companionable silence. Imbrose looked over his drink at his longtime crush, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before she looked away toward the shore.

"Why do you deal with me Ember?", Imbrose asked, breaking the silence.

Ember looked at him a slight sense of annoyance in her gaze, "I don't deal with you Imbrose".

"Oh but you do! I'm annoying, frustratingly impulsive, heavily narcissistic, and terribly arrogant."

Ember arched an eyebrow, "Is that so? How terribly unfortunate that you have such a poor view of yourself." She paused, "Do you know what I see?"

Imbrose watched her, the flickering campfire glittering across her skin.

"I see a man who is thoughtful, brave, and willing to throw himself into any danger necessary to protect the ones he loves." Ember stood and walked to sit next to him, "you are the best person I know, Imbrose Vanderbaan."

They sat there silently for a moment as Imbrose took in her words.

"You know," Ember continued, "I didn't come along on this foolish Expedition for Colton, sure I love him and I want to help him achieve his goal, but I came here because of you."

"You love him huh? I suppose he's got that whole grizzled thing going for him. The guy always had an easier time with women." Imbrose lamented.

Imbrose didn't even see Ember move before he felt the fist impact his gut.

"My gods, mother was right about you. You have got to be the densest man on this planet. Look around Imbrose, am I swooning over Colton right now? No, I'm sitting here next to you. I have always sat next to you, because I have always..." Ember broke off looking away.

Imbrose swallowed, "I've always loved you, Ember. Ever since we were kids my mom brought me to New Eradin to meet you. I haven't been able to see another woman since that day."

Ember laughed, "We were like eight years old! How could you possibly have known what love was back then?"

"All I know is that when I saw you I knew I would never want to be away from you again. I knew that whether you ended up loving me or not I would never stop loving you." Imbrose leaned forward looking into the fire, "you have always been the love of my life, so don't think of me as brave. I have never had the guts to tell the woman I love how I felt."

Imbrose felt a hand brush his cheek as he turned to see Ember looking at him, "You didn't need to tell me you goof, you have shown me in a million ways." Just then Ember leaned in and kissed him deeply.

The warmth of her lips on his was like a small blaze caressing his face, but it did not burn, instead it felt like a warm summer day after an eternity of frigid winter nights.

As their lips parted Ember leaned in close to his ear "It's getting a bit chilly out here, wouldn't you say? Perhaps we should retire for the evening" As Imbrose opened his mouth to speak Ember placed her finger over his lips, "No more talking Imbrose, show me."

The two of them quietly walked back to Ember's small cabin as the sun finally set over the horizon.