Part 15
Waiting
Hercules stirred and stood. Stiffly, bending as little as possible, the demigod rose to his feet. Clomping heavily on the leaf-carpeted ground, Hercules crunched his way through the cryptic twists and turns of the forest that had so baffled him only hours earlier.
Throughout this entire process, Hercules' eyes remained closed. His mind was off in the realm of Morpheus. Hercules was sleepwalking, and heading straight for the heart of Orarin's camp.
***
"I knew it!" Iolaus paced angrily through the center of the conference chamber! "I KNEW something wasn't right, and it had to do with Hercules!" He, Theseus and Serena had entered the hinds' hideout at sundown to find a semi-plan formed and a demigod missing. Iolaus had immediately gotten upset about the absence of his best friend. There was something in the air, something his hunter's instincts picked up on. This was about more than just hind's blood, and that foreign god was behind hind. Somehow, Hercules was thrown into the mix as well. That last part Iolaus liked least. He wasn't usually the type to worry, especially not compared to his best friend, but Iolaus couldn't help fearing that Hercules was in danger.
"Are you sure we were right to trust this Hercules?" Serena muttered under her breath to Helaine. "He seems rather impulsive, to run of with no explanation save claiming a rescue that isn't even needed. And the son of Zeus…isn't it because of Zeus' order that we endure these attacks?"
Helaine's generally soft brown eyes hardened as she reprimanded her sister. "It is impossible to judge the son by the father, especially when the former has never even met the latter. Hercules has a protective heart…he tried to take care of too many. Yes, that often leads to hasty decisions, but none are without their faults."
Silently, Willow studied the scene before her. Iolaus now engaged himself in vigorous conversations with his cadet and king comrades, planning their next move. Helaine and Serena held a hushed conference. Kora was with Rhena, inspecting the hinds for any fit/talented enough for a battle. The decision had been made to wait, but mass their strength as well. Something was coming. Many something, some good, some evil. They needed to be prepared.
***
Corinthian soldiers huddled in groups of three or four on the soggy and sandy shore. Fires were not permitted, as the light and smoke were beacons to their location. The men squeezed together and stretched their cloaks tightly about their bodies. Balin strode through the makeshift beach/camp, surveying the state of his men. A few grumbled through their chattering teeth about the cold, but most, despite the weather, were in decent spirits and behind the venture. King Jason was beloved among the entire populous of Corinth. The soldiers believed in any cause their young king believed in, and if nothing else, they definitely wanted to protect him from danger.
The plans for the next morning were much shakier than the men knew. Truthfully, Balin did not have any idea what to do the following day. He and a select group of especially trusted captains had scoured the beach for a trace of where Jason went, but any clues disappeared by the caves. Balin was not willing risk getting lost in the maze of caves just yet. There had to be another way. If only he knew what that way was.
***
Theseus snuck his way through the underbrush. Willow's feelings that a benevolent force drew ever closer had increased in intensity. A council, comprised of Willow, Serena, Helaine, Jason, Iolaus, Lilith, he and Kora decided that someone must be sent to investigate the matter. Theseus volunteered. Since he was a good tracker, he figured he might be able to pick up signs of where this force was. If luck truly was with him, Theseus hoped to find Hercules.
***
Orarin's captains marched through camp, kicking the asleep or dozing soldiers awake. "Attention! Stand to attention! Orarin comes with orders!" Once all the men stood, blinking in the bright firelight, Orarin rode his mighty stallion to the center of camp.
"I have been given new inspiration from mighty Kal!" he bellowed, invoking a hearty cry of 'Hail Kal, mighty Kal!' from his men. "We have idled too long playing games with the golden she-beasts! Get ready! Put on your armor, sharpen your weapons, douse your fires, and prepare to march!" Orarin reared his horse and trotted it in circles around the main camp. "We wait no longer! We attack now!" Another shout arose from the foreign army as they thrust their fists into the air, chanting for war and Kal's honor.
***
Theseus halted. Crunching sounds came from ahead, a little to the right. From the minimal force of the sound, it was probably only a group of two or three people. Theseus pressed his body close to the ground and waited for whomever it was to pass by and reveal themselves. A few minutes later, three men appeared. Their armor was Corinthian. Trembling in a mix of joy and relief, Theseus stood. "Am I glad to see you guys."
***
Day had dawned bright and clear an hour or so before. Balin had sent out a party of his best trackers to search for Jason. Not long after they returned, not with Jason, but with one of his friends from the Academy. This cadet, Theseus, informed Balin of Jason's location, and also everything else that had transpired the past few days on the Isle. Before long, the Corinthian force was preparing to make their way out to the hinds' caves.
Balin paused for a moment and breathed in deeply. The salty sea air blowing off the ocean was tangy and refreshing. 'Today's the day,' Balin thought. 'Today's the day of victory.'