Why in the name of Grayskull would Adam be needed in the fight against Skeletor? It simply made no sense to Teela. Adam always ran away from a fight, never to one. So why would Orko come rushing for Adam now? And why had Adam left without any hesitation? Just then Teela could hear the villain's cackle through the window. She could tell by his tone he was demanding the Sorceress' surrender of the castle (really, didn't he know how things worked by now? How dense was he anyway?) though she couldn't make out his exact words. Maybe Adam was needed to contact the Masters and her father. No...that's not right. She knew that the Sorceress could contact her father through telepathy. So why would Adam be needed?
Suddenly without warning Teela could feel a great surge of power surround her. Her body felt both incredibly light and oppressively heavy at the same time. Her throat felt blocked, unable to draw in air and yet she felt no immediate need to fill her lungs. It felt as though the power were coursing through her; as though something were summoning it. It reminded her of the time when she had fallen into the abyss. If she closed her eyes she could once again see those strange lights pass through her vision. Only this time she was more than a mere observer; it now felt as though she were a part of it somehow. As quickly as it started, the strange phenomenon was over. She felt the castle shake around her as she listened to the Jaw-bridge lower. Then He-Man's deep timber resonated on the air and the strangest thought occurred to Teela.
What if Adam knew how to contact He-Man?
The thought was simply mind-boggling and for several moments Teela didn't know what to do with the revelation. As the idea began to penetrate her brain she realized that so much of Adam's behavior made sense. If he knew how to contact He-Man then of course he would have to run from a fight to fetch the hero. It didn't explain why he wouldn't come back to help, but there was probably a good explanation for that. Maybe He-Man didn't want the Crown Prince to be on the battlefield or something along those lines. And if Adam were the only one to know how to contact He-Man then it would be absolutely imperative that he be kept safe. She knew Adam could fight; he'd proven that in their training session in Drisdos City. And he could also keep a secret because he had told her as much the night before their mission to Drisdos. Teela fairly thrummed with excitement as she thought about the possibility of Adam keeping He-Man's secret.
Teela was pulled from her musings as the sounds of battle reached her ears and worry began to set in. As far as she knew, He-Man was the only defender Castle Grayskull had at the moment. Orko might be trying to help, but she had no idea what the Sorceress was doing. She could make out the sounds of swords clanging. The fear and worry for her friends and allies that she usually managed to suppress during a fight now clawed at the back of her throat. With no other means of release, Teela felt tears starting to track down the sides of her face and into her ears. This constant need to cry really needed to stop. Had the Masters and her father been contacted? How long had it been? Were they on their way?
Teela once more felt a surge of energy around her, though not to the same all-consuming level as before. She heard a high-pitched scream (female?) from outside and then Skeletor ranting. She concluded then that the Sorceress was fighting as well. Then, faintly at first but growing steadily louder, Teela could make out the sounds of windraiders and skysleds over the battle. The others had arrived! Equal parts relief and greater worry washed through her as she heard the pitch of the battle increase in intensity. How desperately she wanted to be out there protecting her friends! To know there is a battle and not be able to help is bad, but to hear the battle just a few feet away and be unable to help was a thousand times worse!
Finally, after what could have been minutes or hours, the sounds of battle stopped. But who was the victor? Skeletor answered that question when she heard him clearly say, "...next time, you muscle-bound moron!" Teela gave a great sigh of relief. Before she could begin worrying about the casualties, the all-consuming energy surrounded her again and stole her breath away. This time, however, instead of feeling as though the power were being summoned to some unknown focal point, this had the feeling of being dispersed. How she could tell the difference she had no idea, but she could just the same. Would the Sorceress know what it meant? She had seen the woman so rarely despite living under the same roof. Granted, it was a big castle but not that big!
The agony of waiting for word on the outcome of the battle was pure torture and Teela could feel her temper increasing by the second. She felt the rumble of the Jaw-bridge lower and rise once more. Someone had come into the castle. He-Man? Her father? One of the other Masters? And how many other Masters were at the fight? Did her father respond or was he unavailable? What in the name of the moons of Eternia was going on? Suddenly, Adam's face appeared in her field of vision and Teela's fury broke like a tidal wave.
"Where have you been! What happened? How many goons were there? I heard the windraiders arrive. How many Masters responded? Was anyone hurt? How did we win? Where is my father? I swear, Adam, if you don't start giving me some answers..."
Adam's laughter cut her off. "Calm down, Teela. Everything is fine." Seeing her continued glower, he expounded, "Skeletor decided to attempt a brute force invasion again. He-Man was able to hold them off until your father and the other Masters arrived. And before you ask," he added, holding up his hand as she opened her mouth, "I can't tell you why He-Man was here in the castle but it is a good thing he was. Ram-Man, Sy-Klone, Roboto, Mekaneck, and Stratos arrived with your father to help route the villians. Things were pretty intense, but as you can see it all came out well." Teela opened her mouth to ask why he had been needed, but before she could Adam stated, "I'm glad to see that you are okay."
She furrowed her brow in confusion and asked, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"There was some concern that Skeletor found out you were here and not as well as we've made out you were. It's why I hurried back as fast as I could."
"And where were you during the fighting? Why did Orko call you away?"
Adam reached over to the nightstand and picked up the glass of water. He helped her to take a sip as he answered, "The Sorceress' magic is used for defensive purposes. When she launches an offensive strike it weakens her and leaves her vulnerable. I had to make sure she was okay during those moments."
He was lying. Again! She could see it plain as day. He used to stammer and stutter before coming up with a lie, especially after running from a battle or hiding from his weapons training, but he'd become better at covering his tracks. There were times in the recent past when she honestly couldn't tell if he was being truthful with her or not because the stutter was gone. But now she could see he had a new tell. He refused to look in her eyes when he answered. Oh, he was clever in covering the action by helping her, but it was still there. Teela couldn't decided if she was happy she'd figured this out or angry with him for his continual lies, but before she could decided her father entered the room.
"How are you, Heart?" he asked coming up to the bed and pushing her hair back from her face. The queen had been kind enough to take her long hair and weave it into a single braid that now lay on the bed beside her. It was good not to have to wear her tiara while bedridden, but irritating too in that her long bangs would frequently flop into her eyes and she had no way to move them. Teela gazed at Adam, who continued to avoid her eyes, for a long moment before finally turning to answer her father.
"I'm fine now that the battle is over. I could hear it through the window. It was torture having to listen and not be able to help. I didn't know who was out there or how bad things were and all I could do is sit here and worry. I don't like worrying." She finished her rant with a grumble.
Duncan smiled at his headstrong daughter as he continued to smooth her hair away from her face. "I know, Dear One. I often feel that way whenever I send the soldiers out to deal with a threat while I stay at the palace to monitor the defenses. It is a very unsettling feeling."
"Yes, but at least you are doing something!" Teela said sadly, as she closed her eyes. And to her complete mortification she could feel the tell-tale moisture gathering behind her lids. She ruthlessly quashed the need to cry before it overwhelmed her. Crying out of worry and fear was one thing, but crying in self-pity was not to be tolerated!
"Well, take heart, Teela. I am in the finally testing stages for the HoverChaise now. And I understand that Orko and the Sorceress are working on a plan to control your pain while you are in transit. I think we will have you back on your feet very soon."
Teela smiled up at her father and hoped with all her heart that he was right.
