Chapter 16: A Plan
I frozed, really shocked. Tears were running down my face. I couldn't believe it. This wasn't happening. But why? Why Nod? Why him? I mean, he wasn't the one that saved the forest, it was me. The only thing he did was save Ronin and prevent Mandrake from reaching the pod and destroy it. If anything I should be the one been kidnap, not him. Not Nod. The only thing he did was save Ronin and prevent Mandrake from reaching the pod and destroy it. Was that the reason? Just then a leafmen with red hair approach Ronin. The leafmen put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
" Don't worry Ronin. We will save him, alright. But, were going to have sometime to-
" There's no time. We need to act fast" Ronin order, angry and sad.
" But Ronin we can just go-
" I know that, but we got to think fast. I made a promise, to protect him and I'm keeping that promise. I'm not going to fail him again" Ronin said, full of shamed and regret. Then a tear fall of his face. I wanted to hug him so badly. He has lost his best friend and now he lost his best friend son. I tried to get the thought out of my head, but I couldn't. I was so afraid. Tears keep running down my face. I just... I mean... Why. I couldn't take it any longer, so I covered my face in my hands. Then some hands grab my wrists and took my hands off my face. It was Ronin, he looked at me in the eye.
" Don't worry, we'll get him out of there. " Ronin said, still regret and sadness in his voice. I nodded. I couldn't even speak. I was drowned by what happened. I just can't take it. I mean all those time that we been together, he was happy and I was happy. But now that he is gone, those times keep playing in my head like crazy. I needed some air, to relax. Before I could go to my room, Ronin spoke.
" Listen up. I want every single one of you here, before sun fall. Including you M.K." Ronin ordered. I nodded. " Now go back to Queen Jinny. You'll be with her day and night." Ronin ordered. I nodded. I turn around and walked to Queen Jinny's house. Just when I turned around, I started crying. I couldn't believe it. Why did it have to be him? Why not me? I was supposed to be the one kidnap, not Nod. I tried to keep calm, crying wasn't going to bring him back. I tried to swallowed my tears, but that just wanted me to cry harder. I tooked a deep breath and exhaled deeply. Then I enter to the little violets forest. Queen Jinny was there, with Flora, Grub and Mub. Queen Jinny looked worried and terrified, and so did Flora. Mub and Grub were kind of scared. Then Queen Jinny looked at me, just by seen her made me want to cry again. No, I needed to be strong, even if it hurt me. He wasn't gone...yet. Queen Jinny approach me, along with Flora.
" What happened?" Queen Jinny asked, worried and terrified. Flora was also, but more worried than terrified. I tried to take a deep breath and be strong. But I couldn't. When Queen Jinny asked that question, tears ran down my face. Queen Jinny now looked really worried. So I had to speak anyway.
" Mandrake took Nod... He kidnap Nod" I sobbed. Queen Jinny and Flora gasp. Queen Jinny's eyes turn watery, and so did Flora's. Mub and Grub looked shocked, even with all this, I was shocked that it shocked Mub. Queen Jinny looked at me and hug me. I hug her back, trying to swallowed the tears. I pressed my lips together, that always helped me to not cry, sometimes. It help a little. Queen Jinny and I let go of each other. I wiped the tears off my face.
" Ronin said that I will be staying with you day and night, but he is having another meeting before sun fall, so I will have to leave." I said, still a little sad but calmed. Queen Jinny nodded.
" Alright. Mom can find you a spare bed for you to stay." Queen Jinny said, trying to stay calmed. Flora nodded.
" Yeah, come on M.K. you need to lie down a little, alright" Flora said, while putting a comforting hand in my shoulder. I seriously needed to lie down. I couldn't keep going with all this weight. I needed to relax, to believe. Believe that Nod will survive. I know Nod, and Nod doesn't quick that easy, especially with a boggan.
When we got to Queen Jinny's house, I lied down on the sofa, with my feet on the couch, and Flora brought me a cup of water. I totally needed that. I drank all the water in just one gulp. I put the cup on the coffee table and I lied there, waiting for the sun fall.
I left for Ronin's meeting with Grub, before sun fall. When I walked to the Great Chamber, I couldn't believe my eyes. Every, but every single leafmen was there. Even the trainers. Well, 'Many leaves, one tree'. They really take it seriously. I dont know, but something tells me that mostly this leafmen, and leafwomen, are here because of his father. All of them knew his father, and they couldn't save him, but they will save his son. When I enter, a couple of eyes turn toward me. I recognized one, that was the teen leafmen that mocked Nod. He was cute. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. I could really tell he was pretty sad. He looked almost like Ronin, only that he wasn't full of regret and shamed like Ronin. And I also could tell that he noticed that I was crying. He walked toward me.
" Hey, I'm Chase... Are you okay?" Chase asked, sad and also loss. He also looked like he had cried, just a little. I shooked my head.
" Not really... You?" I asked, sad and depressed. He also shooked his head.
" No... His been my best friend since we were kids, more like brothers. Our dads were friends, you know." Chase said, still sad and loss. By this I wanted to hug him too. Losing a brother, was as bad as losing a parent. I mean, I don't have any brothers, but a kid in my school loss his brother and he never got over it. But this time he was gone to be loss if we don't do anything. " You know, he talked about you all the time" This got me away from my thoughts. I looked at Chase. Was he serious?
" Really?" I asked, still sad and depressed, but a little curious. He nodded.
" Yeah, well to me. He doesn't like that everybody starts mocking him or bothering him with that. So that's when Ronin and I come up." I smiled a little. He gave me also a smiled. " You know he really likes you. I mean I'm surprised cause he never usually had a crush or someone he really liked. He always wanted to be this free guy, he never really was into relationships. But after you left and everything he became a little sad and depressed, that's when he started talking about you. And when you where coming here. Man, that guy was excited. You know you seem like a nice girl and I'm glad that my bro has finally found somebody. Not like the rest of us." I looked at him, I raised an eyebrow.
" You have a girlfriend?" I asked, curious. Even though Nod is gone, talking and thinking about him made me feel better. Especially since his friend seem like a nice guy too. Chase blushed a little.
" Well yeah, but mostly not everybody knows. Only my parents, her parents and some friends of ours." Chase said, he looked a little embarrassed. He was rubbing the back of his neck. This was like a punch to the stomach. He did it almost the way Nod did, almost. That made my eyes watery a little. I tried to relax and tooked a deep breath. I was going to asked Chase something when Ronin spoke.
" Ok, listen up. We lost a leafmen. And you what that means. We are going to take him back with us. Now, I was thinking that tomorrow, before sun fall, we will go to Wrathwood. Now, we are going to sneak in from one of their underground tunnels. That's were Nod might be." At the saying of his name, Ronin's eyes started to sparkle. " Now, I send Finn to try and find information of what the boggans might be doing. Don't worry he will be perfectly safe, he is a good eavesdropper. So when we get the information I will tell exactly what you are going to do. So what do-" Ronin was interrupted by the sound of wings. Everybody turn to looked outside, me included. Then the redheaded leafmen, called Finn, enter. He looked terrified and worried.
" Ronin, I know there plan. Mandrake is having a ceremony. And in honor of that ceremony, he is going to kill Nod" Finn said, horrified and terrified. I gasped. My eyes started to get watery. I tried to keep myself calm, but if I wasn't calm I would have already throw myself to the floor and cry. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. They're having a ceremony in honor of Nod's death. I wanted to run to Wrathwood and get him myself, but that will be risky. I looked at Chase. His eyes were widened and watery like mine. I turned to Ronin and saw his worse look yet. He was full of everything sad. Loss, regret, shame, sadness, terrified, horrified, scared, failure, depressed, broken and worse of all, damaged. His eyes were starting to get watery. He swallowed his tears, took a deep breath, exhaled deeply and spoke.
"How? When? And Why?" Ronin snarled, but you could still hear the sadness.
" They said that Mandrake was preparing this hole that is full of toxic and they were going to drop Nod on it" I covered my mouth with my hand. " And is tomorrow" I gasped. Ronin looked at Finn. He couldn't believe what he was hearing either. I knew what he was thinking. There is no time. We need a plan and to act fast. Ronin pull himself together.
" And Why?" Ronin snarled again. Finn look terrified and also full of regret.
" I don't know. They didn't talked about that." Finn said, full of regret. Ronin looked at Finn.
" Good work, Finn" Ronin said. He took a deep breath and exhaled deeply again.
" We are going to sneak in to Wrathwood tomorrow before sun fall. Now we are going to be divided in four groups." Ronin pointed to a group of leafmen. " Group 1: 10 archers, guarding and protecting us from the sky." Ronin pointed to another group of leafmen. " Group 2: 10 leafmen, they are going to the underground tunnels and see if Nod is there, if not you will wait for the signal of attack." Ronin pointed to another group of leafmen. " Group 3: 15 leafmen, you will be guarding Wrathwood entrance and if we are noticed, you will be the first to attack. You will give the signal to Group 2." Ronin pointed to another group of leafmen, Chase and Finn included. " Group 4: 7 archers and 8 leafmen, You will be on the roof of Wrathwood, in the shadows. You will protect me. If anything is going to happen to you, Group 1 will have your back. Now, I know some of you want to help me, but this time is my duty. If Group 2 doesn't find Nod, then I will have to go alone. Now, M.K. You and Grub will stay with the Queen until we-
" No" I interrupted. They all looked at me, surprised. " I'm going" Ronin looked at me surprised.
" M.K. you can just go there is too dangerous you could-
" And why did you wanted me to train, huh." I interrupted again. " You said that I needed to train to defend myself, but I know you did it because you didn't have so many leafmen. You're gonna tell me now that all that training was a waste of time" I said, almost screaming. Ronin took a deep breath.
" I know that, but Mandrake knows that we will go for Nod and that gives him a chance to come here and get the Queen. I think that's the reason he kidnap Nod." Ronin said, you could hear the sadness in his voice when he says ' Nod'. Then I remember the reason I had. I don't think Mandrake will attack like that, I mean Nod said it himself 'Don't you think Mandrake will want her killed so that he can take over the forest. He knows that as long as M.K. lives, the less chance he gets to take over the forest.' But this time, Mandrake thinks is Nod. I needed to tell Ronin.
" No" I said. Ronin looked at me, confused. " That's not the reason." Ronin looked at me, curious and surprised. He gave me a look that I knew what it meant, proceed. " Nod save your life Ronin and, along with you, prevent Mandrake from taking the pod and helping the pod bloomed and saved the forest. But what Mandrake doesn't know is that it was me. If he knew, he would have already come here and killed me or have the same thing there doing to Nod. They took the wrong person. Nod is there because of a mistake that Mandrake made. I should be the one there, not him. And like it or not, I'm going. They don't know it was me, but the longer they think is Nod… the less chance we got to save him." I said, full of courage. I knew it will be a risk and I might get killed, but I'm part of this world, stomper or not stomper, I'm part of it. Ronin didn't know what to say, so I spoke for him. " Many leaves, one tree." I said. Ronin looked at me, surprised but touched at the same time. Then he took a deep breath.
" Fine, your coming with me. But I'm going to need another leafmen to guard the Queen." Ronin said. Just then, a leafmen approach. I recognized him, he was the one that took me to my room. If I'm correct, he is in Group 3. I just hope they will be ok without one leafmen. He put himself in front of Ronin.
" I will be honored to take care of the Queen. They Queen is very loyal to me, I think that will enough since she trust me." The leafmen said, full of courage. Ronin nodded.
"Very Good, Joah. Now everybody go to sleep. I want everybody here at noon. We will repeat the plan and prepare ourselves before sun fall." Ronin said. Everybody said ' Yes sir' And left. Ronin walked toward me.
" I know why you're doing this, but you know you don't have to." Ronin said. I could he was worried, but I knew why. Nod always wanted me safe, not to fight the boggans. I looked at Ronin.
" I have to do this. I was train for a reason and I'm not wasting that reason." I said. Ronin still wasn't convinced. This truly hurts my heart to say, but is true. " I lost my mom, and I couldn't save her. I loved her with all my heart. I'm not going to lose someone I love again" I said, with courage but also with sadness. Ronin looked at me, surprised but sad. I knew what he was thinking. Nod told me that he really loved Queen Tara, and he loss her. He knew exactly how I was feeling. I admit that I love Nod, more than I ever loved a guy. Ronin considered this for a second.
" Alright, but you are going to follow my orders and always stick by my side." Ronin said.I nodded. " Well, I guess you're now a leafmen."