Laurel watches from the stables as the two ladies walk hand-in-hand down the steps and out of the unguarded gate. He squeezes a soapy sponge into a bucket and washes the dirt from Aurarius's coat.
I can't stop thinking about Flash… the horse says. One minute he was there…the next…gone…just like that…
Death happens when you least expect it. the Gerudo mare grunts from nearby. You're trotting about, going on with your life, then boom! Dead.
"Couldn't you be a little more sensitive?" Laurel shakes his head.
Sorry. My condolences.
Aurarius nods. You too…it mustn't have been easy seeing your tribe's leader go like that…
The mare snorts. My tribe? Did you fail to notice I'm a horse? Stupid colt…
So who is your master?
I have no master now. I just sit here in these stables with no purpose.
"What's your name?" Laurel inquires.
Storm. she brays. That's the name the Gerudo gave me. I'll stand by that name. It's rather menacing.
"Laurel!" the Commander's voice calls from the porch. "Can I speak to you for a moment in my office?"
Laurel drops the sponge in the bucket and obediently meets her inside the lodge. Once he enters the office, she closes the door behind them.
"We don't need anyone interrupting. We have important business to discuss."
"What is it, Ma'am?" Laurel stands to attention with his hands firmly behind his back.
Commander Jet positions herself behind her desk and gazes out of the window at the savanna. A herd of giraffes graze in the sun as starlings soar overhead. She admires her empire with a nod and speaks into the pane of glass.
"Lieutenant Seth went out just as he would have wanted: serving his country with pride. I don't think he would ever have retired, despite what Dakota wanted. He was a soldier at heart, and a soldier throughout. I remember the light shining in his eyes when I appointed him as Lieutenant all those years ago. In truth, he was just a kid, barely past adolescence. Yet inside him, I saw a warrior. I knew I could train him and he would be perfect for the job. Perhaps I made him a soldier? Perhaps it was always there?"
She plods around the perimeter of the room.
"Anyway, Seth has left us for a better place. This means we have a vacancy to fulfil. The post of lieutenant coveted by all the soldiers under my command. A lieutenant must be strong, courageous, loyal, obedient and experienced. All of the qualities I believe you possess, Laurel."
Laurel raises an eyebrow. "Ma'am, are you suggesting…"
"Yes, Laurel." Jet turns to him and nods. "I am offering you the position of Lieutenant, Chief Patrol Officer of the Zinzuri Wildlife Protection Agency."
Laurel chuckles nervously. "While I am honoured to be considered for such a role, Ma'am, I must politely decline your offer."
The Commander frowns. "Decline?"
"Yes, Ma'am." he drops his hands to his side. "You see, I was actually waiting for the right moment to tell you…I'm resigning from my post."
"Resigning?!" she gapes.
"Indeed, Ma'am. I'm afraid I'm simply not cut out for the job. While I have certainly enjoyed my brief period of service under your command, I believe that my services are no longer necessary. Now that the Gerudo have fled, I see no reason for me to remain. The animals can take care of themselves; they proved that. In the meantime, I have a duty to serve Princess Zelda of Hyrule. I must return to my true post of Royal Commander, Commanding Knight of the Royal Hylian Forces."
He unpins the badge from his camouflage shirt and rests it gently on the desk.
"It has been a pleasure, Commander Jet."
Laurel boldly exits through the door, leaving the Commander lost for words.
