Adora had come to some time ago, just after He-Man hand finished blowing wind into the ship's sails. She remained still in an attempt to gather information, but what she had heard stunned her.
He-Man intended to talk with her and let her go. Nothing more. The idea was foreign to Adora, but she immediately recognized the benefit to her. She could gather invaluable information about the resistance and report back to Hordak. With that idea in mind, she pretended to still be unconscious; she wanted to make sure she made it all the way to the rebel camp before "talking."
She heard Teela's sharp voice, though she couldn't make out the words, followed by the sound of the woman's boots stomping up the stairs onto the deck. It sounded as if Teela had walked over to her and stopped. He-Man's heavier step followed more slowly.
"Oh, quit faking already," Teela snapped. "I know you're awake, Adora."
Slowly, deliberately, Adora opened her eyes, raised her head and stared defiantly into Teela's green eyes. The irritation and jealousy there surprised her. Why would Teela be jealous…of her?
Then Adora caught He-Man's exasperated glance at Teela, and it suddenly fell into place. Her eyes narrowed slightly. He-Man obviously already had a soft spot for Adora, as evidenced by their discussion on Beast Island. Teela had evidently determined the same thing. Perhaps she thought Adora was interfering—or would interfere—in their relationship. Adora shuddered inwardly. He-Man might be the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on, but the idea of being with him in any physical way didn't set right in Adora's stomach.
Still, Adora filed the information away for later. She might hate the notion, but if she needed a way to cause dissension among the rebel leaders and escape later, she might have to resort to using her "womanly wiles."
He-Man was now studying Adora with an appraising look on his face, as if he were trying to figure her out. "Any trouble in sight, Bow?" he called without taking his eyes off of her.
"Not yet, He-Man," came the reply.
"Set down outside the woods, then," He-Man requested. Adora's brow furrowed slightly as she listened to the exchange. She couldn't quite figure out the chain of command. Maybe there wasn't one. That would explain the disorganization of the resistance. "I don't want to take Adora anywhere near the camp." He smirked at her.
Adora fumed inside. He had somehow known what she had been hoping for, and he was laughing at her for it. She, a Horde captain! How dare he!
"Go ahead, Force Captain," He-Man goaded her, a challenge in his eyes. "Spit out whatever it is you want to say."
It was almost scary, how well he could read her. Adora's gaze shifted to Teela, who was also staring at her, but with obvious contempt in her eyes. Adora raised her chin. "I have nothing to say to you," she replied coolly, pleased with her even tone.
"Where did you grow up?" He-Man asked abruptly.
"What?" Adora asked, her eyes wide.
"I said-"
"I know what you said, but I hardly think it's any of your business," Adora interrupted him, jerking her body against her restraints. If she could get loose, she'd show him a thing or two, she assured herself.
"On the contrary, I think it's every bit my business," He-Man objected mildly as the ship eased to the ground. He motioned for Teela to go on without him. Teela hesitated, then walked to the others; the group of them began lowering a ramp to disembark from the ship. "You see, everyone has a reason for fighting. That reason often determines what side we're on and why we think we're right. I'd like to understand why someone like you, who deep down has a good heart, would think the evil Horde is in the right."
"The Horde is not evil!" Adora snapped. "My parents abandoned me as a baby. Hordak and Shadow Weaver took me in, fed me, clothed me!"
"And loved you?" He-Man asked quietly, a soft challenge in his voice. His eyes had taken on a look of understanding, though, and Adora realized she had already revealed what he had wanted to know.
"I'm not going to answer any more of your intrusive questions," she growled at him.
He-Man's face darkened slightly and he leaned in closer. Adora pressed herself against the pole, frightened in spite of herself and suddenly aware of how huge he was compared to her. But he merely broke the ropes tying her to the pole and helped her to her feet.
"Come on, Adora. You have some things to learn," he said, sounding as if he pitied her.
Adora narrowed her eyes. She didn't care for his tone at all.
They went into the woods a short distance; just far enough to be safe from the Horde. He-Man promptly pressed Adora's shoulder firmly to force her to take a seat on a log. The rebels made themselves comfortable in a loose semi-circle, though Bow kept his bow and arrow at the ready. Teela stood behind them, studying Adora and He-Man.
"I know this might be uncomfortable, but I'd like for you to tell Adora why you are fighting the Horde," He-Man requested of his new friends.
Teela crossed her arms and leaned against a tree, barely listening as the rebels described the war the Horde had brought to Etheria, how areas of the planet had been stripped of their natural resources, how the people had been enslaved, and villages were completely destroyed.
He-Man kept one hand on Adora's shoulder the entire time, making sure she wasn't going anywhere. His face betrayed only a bit of emotion, but even that showed that he was distressed by what the rebels were sharing. Adora looked defiant at first, then horrified, then defiant again. Teela felt a slight kinship with the Horde warrior. Her wild reactions at finding out the Horde wasn't the wonderful group of leaders she had been told about was similar to Teela's own reactions to finding out He-Man was actually Adam.
Teela frowned slightly. She couldn't let herself get soft towards Adora. It was bad enough that Adam was falling into Adora's feminine traps. Teela's nails dug into her hand. She still couldn't believe that he saw something good in this woman. Even if she was destined for Grayskull's other sword…Teela blew out a breath. That was the problem, really. He-Man believed without question that Adora was the one. Teela didn't. No one could change that much, and even if there was some sort of evil magic at work here, Adora had still been brought up by the Horde, taught by the Horde. She was bound to have some beliefs that wouldn't uphold what He-Man believed, which Teela figured must have a foundation in Grayskull's history or law or something.
Watching He-Man's hand tighten slightly on Adora's shoulder, Teela suddenly wondered what kind of relationship the two of them had. For them to be chosen to wield the swords, there had to be some sort of connection. Or were they just chosen randomly? Teela didn't think so. There had to be a connection. Look at how fast He-Man had taken to her…almost like love at first sight.
Teela's breath caught in her throat at the thought, but she couldn't deny the look on He-Man's face. He was genuinely concerned about Adora, more than he should be for someone he had just met, someone who had whacked him over the head. Maybe he really was falling hard and fast for Adora. In fact, Teela reflected somberly, it wasn't such a stretch for this woman to be Adam's soul mate. It would explain his immediate acceptance of her, why he was so sure he was right on this. And if the two of them were destined to fight evil side-by-side for Ancients knew how long, then surely they would have some sort of bond—an intense bond. Suddenly Teela couldn't imagine anyone else being able to be emotionally closer to Adam than someone who shared his burden.
After the initial thrill of triumph caused by figuring out their connection, a huge weight settled in Teela's chest and a frown embedded itself on her face. She felt suddenly miserable and alone, though she wasn't quite sure why.
To the surprise of both the rebels and Adora, He-Man was true to his word. After everyone had told their story, he escorted Adora to the edge of the woods to let her go. At first they traveled in silence, but before long she began speaking.
"I don't understand why you're doing this," she said, confusion furrowing her brow.
"Because I believe you have a good heart, and that someday, you will see the truth of what's right and wrong," He-Man answered. He watched her carefully from the corner of his eye; he could see she was struggling through years of lies. "But that's something you have to understand on your own. No one can force you to become a champion of goodness."
"But that's what I thought I was," Adora whispered so softly he could barely hear her. He-Man figured she hadn't really been speaking to him.
"I know you have to return to the Horde quickly," He-Man said, careful to keep his voice neutral, "but it might help you to understand things better if you took a little extra time to see what life on Etheria is really like. Don't depend on what the Horde or the rebels tell you. Go see for yourself."
Adora's chin came up, and her eyes hardened in determination. "You're right. I think I will." They reached the edge of the woods. Adora hesitated, looking at He-Man with a self-deprecating smirk and a shake of her head. "I don't know whether to arrest you or thank you."
He-Man grinned cockily at her. "Figure it out later, after you decide which side you want to be on."
Adora gave a sharp nod and started walking. He-Man watched her, waiting until she was out of sight before he turned to go back into the Whispering Woods—and very nearly smacked into Teela. He bit back a sigh as he took in her crossed arms and hard stare. "Teela," he greeted her. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."
"Of course you didn't," she replied in a carefully controlled voice. "You were too absorbed in Adora."
If He-Man had been Cringer at that moment, his ears would have perked up. There was something about her tone that said far more than she was letting on, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. It made him want to keep her talking, just so he could figure it out.
"My attention was on her," he admitted casually. "I have to try to help her see the truth of things."
"Are you sure her blue eyes and pretty face aren't just fooling you into thinking she's something she's not?" Teela asked, her tone harder this time.
"It was the sword that chose her, not me," He-Man explained. "It glowed and showed her face in the jewel, Teela. There's no mistake about it."
Teela dropped her arms, and He-Man thought he caught a flash of disappointment on her face before she turned slightly away. "Well, I guess we just need to give her the sword and go home, right?"
"She already has it," He-Man corrected Teela. "At least, she did earlier. I assume she still has it."
"So why are we still here?" Teela demanded. "Let's get off this planet."
"Our job's not finished yet," He-Man countered. "Adora is meant for the same kind of destiny as I, Teela. Until she breaks free of whatever hold the Horde has on her, and truly claims the sword as only she can, we have work to do." He shook his head slightly. "Besides, without that sword, I have no way to contact the Sorceress. We're stuck here."
Teela stared at him a moment with an appraising look in her eye. "You're not upset about that. This is easier for you here, isn't it?"
He-Man smiled in a lopsided manner, feeling a bit of heat creep up his neck. "I'm not and it is," he admitted candidly. "No Skeletor trying to kill me, no family trying to reconcile with me, no friends wondering where Adam is…in fact, it's easy to forget that Adam's gone." He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair.
Teela stepped closer and laid a hand on his arm. His breath caught in his throat as she stared up at him, her green eyes wide with concern. "How are you doing with adjusting?" she asked softly.
He-Man fought the urge to pull her into his arms and… 'Not the way to think of Teela, or any woman,' he reminded himself firmly, interrupting his own subconscious stream of thought about what he'd like to do to her. He forced his attention back to her question. "The time away from Eternia is helping a little," he replied. He glanced around, suddenly realizing it was growing dark in the woods. "We'd better head back."
Teela took her time going back to camp, enjoying the brisk morning air and reflecting on her conversation with He-Man three days before. 'Adam,' she reminded herself again. He had shut down on her when she asked how he was adjusting, and she didn't understand why.
They had been so close growing up, but she had to admit that they'd begun growing apart even before he'd become He-Man. While she had been practicing marching with the boys, Adam had been studying—partly out of choice, partly because his parents and Duncan had believed that a ruler's true power relied on his knowledge, not his might.
It was a good thing that they had had that attitude, Teela realized now. If he had been raised to believe strength made right, then he might never have become He-Man. His mindset would have been wrong.
She smiled to herself as she caught the deep timbre of his voice in discussion with someone. That smile disappeared as she drew closer and saw it was Glimmer he was engaged with. She sat next to him on a log as he earnestly made his case. Bow sat across from them, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"…have here cannot defeat the Horde. You need training. You need allies." Teela wondered how anyone could resist him when he spoke in that tone. It was full of power, knowledge, goodness, hope…it was as if Grayskull had taken all the forces of good and poured them into his voice. She was so lost in her thoughts that she missed him turn to her. "Right Teela?"
"What?" she asked, startled but trying not to show it. Bow looked at her knowingly as she seated herself next to him.
"He-Man was just explaining what he thought we need to do to build up the resistance," Bow explained.
"Oh, of course," Teela said, nodding wisely. "I could help train your recruits."
"You?" Glimmer asked in disbelief. "I know you fought well against the Horde, but-"
Teela stood, placing her hands on her hips. Her green eyes flashed in anger as she spoke. "I am captain of the Royal Guard and-"
"Teela," He-Man said sharply, standing as well. She caught the warning look in his eyes and pressed her lips together. They hadn't been on Etheria very long; they were still relatively uncertain what to allow their new friends to know about them.
"You're the head of a royal guard?" Bow asked, sounding wary. He and Glimmer rose to their feet, almost hesitantly.
"That's right," Teela said, narrowing her eyes. "I'm trained in hand-to-hand combat, sword, bow and arrow, and other weaponry."
"Teela could teach you a great deal about fighting, if you give her a chance," He-Man affirmed, a note of pride in his voice. Teela glanced at him and he smiled warmly at her, causing her heart to beat irregularly for a minute.
Glimmer swallowed hard. "We would be grateful," she said to Teela. As she spoke, she moved a half-step closer to He-Man, a gesture of possessiveness not lost on Teela.
The captain smiled sweetly. "I would be happy to help," she said.
"Good. While you do that, I'm going to go visit-" He-Man paused and looked at Glimmer. "What was it again?"
"Castle Freeze," Glimmer replied, smiling brightly and making her eyes so huge it was a wonder they didn't swallow the rest of her head. Teela barely refrained from rolling her eyes at the girl's overt effort to flirt with He-Man.
"Right." He looked back at Teela. "The queen is reputed to be a powerful witch, and one that might be swayed to our side."
"Our side?" Teela asked with a trace of sarcasm, but she knew it was a lost cause. They were with the rebellion and would fight with them as long as they were on Etheria.
He-Man grinned at her boyishly. "You were the one who didn't want a vacation, Teela," he reminded her cheerily.
"I'll have to go with you," Glimmer interrupted, clearly not pleased at being left out of the conversation. She reached out and touched He-Man's arm. "My mother is too busy taking care of her people and rebuilding Bright Moon. As her daughter and a leader of the resistance, I should go."
"I agree," he said. "How far away is it?"
"Perhaps a half-day's ride by horseback," Glimmer answered, "depending on how fast you go."
He glanced around. "Battle Cat!" The great tiger came trotting over from behind a tent, and He-Man mounted up. "No time like the present. Ready, Glimmer?" He held out a hand and gave her an easy lift up behind him.
Teela frowned darkly as they waved and took off. He had a sack of supplies on Battle Cat's saddle already, so he must have expected to be leaving on a journey. "Some chaperone you are," she muttered beneath her breath. "Sorry, Your Majesty, your son rode off with a pink-haired woman and came back married." She frowned and caught sight of Bow watching her expectantly. "All right Bow, what weapons do you have?"
He-Man did his best to ignore the fact that Glimmer frequently raised her hands from the saddleback and put them on his shoulders, commenting that her arms were going numb. He had no reason to believe she wasn't telling the truth…except for the odd sigh now and again.
There wasn't a lot of time to talk as Battle Cat ran as quickly and gently as he could, but there was plenty of time to think. He-Man wasn't crazy about thinking today. His mind tumbled over the loss of his sword and identity, to his parents and Teela now knowing the truth, to the shift in his relationship with Teela.
His physical attraction to her was growing stronger. He couldn't deny it. Adam swallowed hard as they passed through fields of flowers, heading for the snow-covered mountains in the distance. He had decided earlier that being He-Man had somehow increased his hormone levels or something, and he'd eventually get used to it. But Glimmer's touch wasn't bothering him at all—at least, not in the same way. It had to be because he was stuck as He-Man. But he didn't know what that meant, how to stop the feelings. Still...if Teela had been riding behind him, holding onto his shoulders like that—Adam broke off that thought and focused his mind elsewhere, but it went right back to Teela again.
He-Man wondered dryly if one of the spirits of the Elders was watching him and laughing right now.
Adora headed to the throne room to report in, her new sword in a hidden scabbard on her back. Something told her to hide it from Hordak and Shadow Weaver. Her head was swimming with all she had seen earlier in the week—the kindness of the rebels, and the cruel actions of the Horde soldiers and robots. She had reported in and gone straight to the sick bay when she arrived back yesterday, but the truth was that she was not sick. She was terrified and confused for the first time in her life.
She stopped outside the door and squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds. It seemed as if the closer she got to confronting Hordak and Weaver, the more confused her thinking became. Her memories of what she had witnessed seemed fuzzy. As she stood there trying to clear her thoughts, voices floated through the partly open door.
"We must eliminate this He-Man before he becomes any more of a problem," Hordak fretted. "The fact that he took Adora from us is inexcusable! I'm going to order he be killed on sight."
"But Hordak," Shadow Weaver breathed, "if we could control his mind, his power could be very useful to us."
"You might be right. But you said he knew how to shield his mind," Hordak pointed out in an annoyed tone.
"True. But if we could weaken his will, my spell should work on him," the witch assured him.
"We could have Leech drain his power," Hordak said thoughtfully.
"Draining his physical strength is not enough. We need to attack his willpower somehow," Shadow Weaver countered.
"Hmm," Hordak mused. "I have been experimenting with a new project that does exactly that. It uses the willpower as a source of power. But so far, everything I have put into it has been killed by the strength of the machine."
Adora's jaw dropped open, horror slipping through her at what they were describing. Why had she even come back? She knew the answer. She had hoped that somehow, she was still wrong. She had been angry, and wanted to confront them for the truth. But the truth was that they would simply tell her what they wanted her to believe. She took a step away from the door, but before she could go any further, the door was flung open and black smoke was coming out of Shadow Weaver's hands.
A moment later, Adora's doubts and concerns were gone, and her loyalty was back firmly with the Horde.
He-Man and Glimmer stopped just over two hours into the ride. Glimmer slid off of Battle Cat with a slight moan.
"Sore?" He-Man asked sympathetically.
Glimmer nodded with a grimace on her young face. "Yes. I haven't ridden horses as much as some. This is even harder."
"Battle Cat's armor is pretty uncomfortable if you're not used to it," He-Man said apologetically. "Why don't we rest for a bit and then walk a while?"
Glimmer nodded thankfully and sank onto a soft pile of moss, leaning far back against a rock. They rested in silence for a few moments. It was Glimmer who finally spoke. "So how long are you planning on sticking around?" she asked bluntly, her gaze regarding him curiously.
He-Man shrugged as he broke apart some fruit and handed a piece to her. "Until my mission is completed."
"What mission?" Glimmer asked suspiciously. "Something to do with Adora?"
"I can't talk about it," He-Man said nonchalantly. "I suspect we'll all know when I've been successful, though."
Glimmer's mouth tightened in frustration. "You've expected an awful lot of trust from us these last few days since you arrived."
He-Man raised an eyebrow. "As have you." He held out a hand to help her up. "Glimmer, I am sworn to uphold that which is right, and to protect the innocent." She accepted his hand and rose, looking up into his eyes, trying to figure out his sincerity. "I promise, I will do nothing to harm you or the rebellion," He-Man added softly, in a firm tone that insisted on faith. He turned, nodding his head for her to walk with him. Battle Cat rose, shook himself, and followed behind.
"So where are you from?" Glimmer asked.
"Another planet," He-Man replied. The Sorceress' admonition for secrecy warred with his desire to be open and honest with Glimmer. He glanced at her. "I don't know if telling you the name of it would endanger my mission here, Glimmer. I'm sorry."
Glimmer sighed in frustration. "What can you tell me?"
"Not much," He-Man admitted. He smiled at her. "But I can tell you about my friends." For the next while, he entertained her with stories of Orko and Duncan, and of Fisto's and Man-E-Faces' journeys from evil to good. Then they rode Battle Cat again, finally coming to the mountains…and in the distance stood Castle Freeze, looking ominous in the twilight.
"Well, here goes everything," Glimmer muttered. "Let's hope Queen Frosta will agree to ally her kingdom with us."