Chapter 12
Sergeant Sheila Adams
After talking to Lieutenant Reqan and hearing about the sacrifice that Azlo made in order to be with me, wait for me had me thinking all night. I could not get him out of my mind. I knew that I was falling in love with him. There was no escaping it. So the next morning, I decided that I would go to him. I would talk to him. I wasn't sure if I was ready to trust him or believe everything he had told me, but I ached for him. I needed to see him. I needed to touch him.
“Lieutenant, I need to speak with the general,” I said as I found Lieutenant Reqan walking around the base camp.
“Sergeant, good to see you. The general is not here,” he said.
“What? What do you mean? Do you mean he is in the village?” I asked.
“No, I mean he is not here in Providence,” he said.
My eyes grew wide. I did not know what to think of this information. “He left us?” I began to panic.
“No, he went on a scouting mission to look for the Clenok army. We intercepted a transmission yesterday; we think it is Clenok. So he went with the scouting party to look for the source of the transmission. He was very stubborn about going even though I told him it was too dangerous for him to go,” he said.
“Yes, it is very dangerous. It was very stupid of him to leave like that to go look for the Clenok army. He is so frustrating. How do you deal with it?” I said getting angry that he was putting himself in this danger. But really, I was angry with myself for being angry at him and separating from him, leaving things the way they were. Now he could die.
“I take it day by day. It isn't easy working with the general. But he is the bravest Veruka I know, besides my king of course,” he said with a wink.
“Which direction did the scout go in?” I asked.
“South of the front gates,” he said.
“Then that is where I will be, at the gates. Please let me know if you hear anything, as soon as you hear it,” I said, and I could not fight back the water gathering in my eyes. He put his hand on my shoulder. “He will be all right, Sheila. He will return to you,” he said. Then he turned and walked away. My worry for Azlo must have been all over my face. I pulled myself together and went to the front gates. I climbed the spiral staircase and took a position in the guard tower. I scanned the sky hoping to see the familiar sight of dragon wings headed toward me. The sky was empty except for beautiful clouds on a bright sunny day. Even the snow on the ground was starting to melt. Spring would be about a month away.
I sat down and felt angry. That damn reckless weredragon! How dare he go on the scout and not tell me. Even if I wasn't talking to him, he could've given me the courtesy of letting me know that he was leaving. Then I would have a chance at least to tell him. Then I would've had the chance to tell him that I couldn't resist him anymore. I wanted him. I wanted to be by his side. I wanted to be in this together. I wanted to be in his bed every night. But most of all I wanted to thank him for saving me. He thought I saved him from this blackness, and maybe I did. But in return, he saved me. Before he arrived, I was losing my mind trying to keep this village infrastructure from falling. I was frustrated all the time that I seemed to be the only one that could make things happen and keep a system going. Defending the village was all on my shoulders, and he saved me from that. I was forever grateful to him. It only made me love him more.
“It's getting dark, Sergeant. Would you like me to take over?” a guard stepped into the tower. I looked around; the sun was setting. I scanned the sky and still did not see a formation of dragons coming toward us.
“No, I am fine. I will be staying here,” I said.
“Understood, Sergeant,” he said as he walked to the cabinet against the wall. He opened it and took out several blankets and tossed one in my lap.
“Thank you,” I said.
He turned around and left.
I waited all night with intense anxiety. I must have fallen asleep at some point. I feltthe sun blazing on my skin. I opened my eyes and the day was just beginning. I stood up and ran to the tower window opening. It was quiet. Not a sound from the village could be heard. I ran out of the tower to the next tower post.
“Any word on the scouting party? Have they returned?” I asked the guard.
“They have not returned, Sergeant,” the guard said.
“Thank you,” I said as I walked out, feeling a heavy weight on my shoulders again. If Azlo died, I could not handle it. I could not handle going through the death of someone I loved again. It would crush me. I walked slowly back to my tower post. But stopped before entering in the sunlight that was beating down on me. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, absorbing the sun. Then I opened my eyes, and the light was bright. I squinted my eyes against it. As my eyes adjusted, I saw dark silhouettes in the sky. Then I could see the wings. A big smile came across my face. A formation of dragon wings was flying toward the gates high in the sky. It was him. He had returned to me, my weredragon lover.