Broken Hero

Chapter 8

Jack's POV

Most of my men probably dreaded when it was their turn for watch duty.  For me, my turn couldn't come soon enough.  It gave me a rare opportunity to look for Elsa.  And to worry.

She was probably in the hands of the enemy.  The chances of her having escaped were incredibly slim.  And even if she had, she would have been using all of her energy to harass the invaders.  Which would have ended in her capture as well.

The night was dark.  The only light was from torches placed at regular intervals on the wall and the sliver of pearl moon high above.  Was Elsa out there right now, looking at that same moon?

Get it together, Jack, I chided myself.  You're a commander, not a lovesick teenager.

A soft scuffing sound reached my ears.  I clutched my sword and moved forward, closer to the edge of the wall and the source of the sound.  I glanced down.

Someone was scaling the wall.  It was difficult to make out details in the faint light but I saw enough to deduce who it was.

"Elsa?" I asked.  The figure slipped down slightly.  That was all I needed.  "Elsa!  Hold on, I'm getting a rope."

I ran to the guardhouse.  A ladder would have been best for helping Elsa up the wall, but a rope would do.  She was alive!  Elsa was alive and free!

It was only moments before Elsa was safely up on the wall.  I couldn't stop staring in open disbelief.  Her uniform was smeared with mud and tree sap.  Her wrists were rubbed raw and her face and arms were scratched.  Her hair wasn't even in its braid.  She had never looked more beautiful to me.

"I can't believe you're here," I said.  She offered a sad smile.

"Me either," she admitted.

"What happened to you?"

"I was captured by the invaders as I ran back to the wall.  I only just escaped."

"I'm so glad you're safe."  I finally noticed how tired she looked.  "Come inside, I'll have a place prepared for you to rest."

I started escorting her to the safety of indoors.  It was then that I realized she was wearing a leather bag on her bag which I didn't recognize.  I didn't ask about it. I was too relieved that she was back and safe in my arms.

All this had made me realize something: maybe it really was time to marry Elsa.

Elsa's POV

Everything seemed surreal. I was walking along the top of the wall next to Jack. There were no Kumachi in sight.  But I knew they were there, watching.  The bag of explosives they had given me weighed heavily on my mind.

I cast a sideways glance at Jack.  He was smiling and talking about something, but I wasn't really paying attention.  I was too tired.  I wanted so desperately to tell him about the explosives and the choice I had been given, but the memory of his discovery of when I was a girl hiding in the army kept popping into my mind. He had looked at me and I had known he was going to kill me. The only thing stopping him was the fact that I saved his life. He valued honor. He valued honor above his own life, his own interests. He would kill me if I turned traitor. His honor and the other soldiers would make him.

"What do you think, Elsa?"

"What?" I asked. Jack was looking at me expectantly as we stood in front of the door into the wall. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said."

"That's ok, I can see you're tired. Let's go inside." He pushed open the door and gestured for me to follow him. I took a deep breath. My life or my country. Would any choice ever seem right?