Chapter 15

It was a very subdued group that convened for an early breakfast.

None of them had slept very well and Darcy hadn’t come back. Blaze, in particular, was taking his disappearance hard. Huntress looked at her daughter and knew that she was the cause of Blaze’s suffering. She had not believed that Darcy was their saviour.

She knew that she had taken what Darcy offered but had not fully thought out the consequences. Her primary goal was to make sure her people did not die out as a race. She had won that battle but so far, she was losing the war.

What was the point of saving a people if she hadn’t taught them to be independent and to stand on their own feet? She had lain in bed thinking of every word Darcy had said. She had bridled when he had accused her of being a racist but then realised that he was correct. She had treated the man she loved appallingly.

She had not bothered to welcome the new people he had brought with him. She had sent him to make nice and then showed no appreciation for the fact that once again Darcy had done what she had asked. She was the one who hadn’t stepped back when most of the rest of the people had joined them from the community.

She had run around after the arses of the very people who had not objected to her going into exile yet they had expected her to then save them, once they realised they had drawn the short straw. She had put Chaser in an unwinnable position.

Chaser was fine handling the mundane, but she had expected Chaser to lead in an unwinnable situation and had left her no instructions on what she expected her to do. She had not taught her how to handle it either. Normally she only had to do it for week or two, once or twice a year.

In the weeks she had watched Darcy she had missed one critical fact to Darcy’s leadership. Yes, he was patient, yes, he was a good teacher but she hadn’t fully appreciated how Darcy taught. Darcy didn’t just lead by example he made sure they followed his example.

He showed, he watched, he corrected and then he let them do it again. He praised you when he saw you doing what he had asked; he retaught you if you didn’t. Once set a chore he expected you to do it and he didn’t do it for you.

He questioned why it hadn’t been done, he didn’t accuse or abuse but made you feel that you had let him down and you went and did it and he would smile and thank you and you would keep doing it knowing your efforts were appreciated.

If you didn’t go and do it then he’d ask again, he would point out you were making life difficult for others and how would you feel if they didn’t do their assigned tasks. He’d had quite a few discussions with her about their laws and social norms, acceptable behaviours and punishments.

He had even asked her why she had left her people without solid leadership for two months, but she hadn’t taken the hint. She hadn’t wanted to admit that she had screwed up. That she had not fully thought her actions through and she had let Rollover goad her into a silly action. She was very a selfish woman.

Darcy had mentioned her advisors. She now realised she didn’t use those people the way she should have. She had not given them the responsibilities she should have and tried to make all of the decisions herself.

She had let her people down and now she had to fix her own mess. “Oh, shit!” she said. The others at the table looked at her. “Damn that man,” she sighed in exasperation. She looked around at the table. He had given her advisors so now she needed to use them and most importantly trust them.

Trust, that was why they followed Darcy. That was how he expected her to fix it, he expected her to trust others to also guide her. Bad decisions could be mitigated if you trusted those around to tell you when you fucked up and to help you find a better path.

“I fucked up,” she said to the shock of the table. “All those weeks and I failed to learn what Darcy was trying to teach me.”

Martin had to ask, “What was he trying to teach you?”

“Trust, my love. He was trying to teach me to trust the people I love and respect. All week, you, Chaser, Blaze and Boner have been trying to tell me what I wasn’t doing but I wasn’t listening. That was another lesson I failed to learn.”

“He gave me the tools, you people, to help me become a better leader and I didn’t or wouldn’t listen to what you were trying to tell me. Well, his little speech finally got through to me, apparently, sometimes I need a good smack to the side of my head,” she said.

She then looked at the visitors. “I’m terribly sorry that you had to walk into the middle of my mess. I was rude and didn’t even welcome you here. I was so caught up in my own self-made problems that I failed to see the solution was all around me.”

“So what is the solution?” Chaser asked.

“You, all of you. I failed to appreciate and trust you, people. You followed me even though I know some of you didn’t agree with what I was doing. Boner, what should I have done?”

“Told Rollover to pull her head in and if she didn’t like it then leave,” he answered promptly.

“That’s what my Dame did when Darcy told them the consequences of accepting his gift,” Spike said. “My Dame made sure everyone knew her position. She then led a discussion and made them vote on it. Old Jabber tried to browbeat Hackle here, into going to her side but he refused.”

“He went to Darcy and trusted him to help him. Several of the others then moved to the yes side as a result and we accepted Darcy’s gift. Those that didn’t want it or were not ready were given alternate accommodation but not exiled from the community.”

Spike them chuckled and said, “Darcy gave an even greater gift. I thought he had taken Milly from me but he gave me the chance to get her back and I got Speeder and Goldie as part of the bargain. If I hadn’t trusted and listened to him, then I’d be a very unhappy Dog today.”

“Thank you, Spike. That is the lesson he was trying to teach me but I failed to listen. Well, I’m listening now. I think we do need that community meeting and we need to get a few things sorted out with my people. There a few other changes we need to make as well but we need to make as a people not just by my capricious decisions.”

“Spike, I would love to meet your Dame. I think she could teach me a few lessons too,” Huntress said and smiled at him.

Spike and Shelly both chuckled, and Shelly said, “Oh she is good at teaching lessons. I think that is why she and Darcy got on so well.”

“Yes, I could well believe that. Is she as subtle as Darcy?” Huntress asked.

“Hum, yes and no. She does let you know that she has a big stick too. Darcy is slyer. He lets your guilt be your own stick. He commented to me once that no one bashed you up better than yourself,” Shelly replied and then looked at Blaze.

“Damn, that man,” Blaze grumbled and then laughed and hugged Shelly. “I can see why he loves you. It seems I too have a few lessons to learn about trust.”

“Yes, I let you down most of all, Blaze. I told you to use him and didn’t understand that my command and your love for me, was going to undermine your trust in him. I’m sorry my daughter. Martin and Chaser, you are the next two I let down. I expected you to love me but I didn’t trust either of you to support me. I expect it is going to take me some time to earn that trust back.”

“So, let’s talk about how we are going to rebuild this community that Darcy has been so diligently trying to save, despite our best efforts to undermine him,” Huntress said.

Darcy was watching and listing from the patio. If they could have seen him, they would have seen a big grin on his face. He had been worried he had gone too far with Huntress the night before. He sighed in relief.

He knew she wasn’t a bad person just misguided. The vambrace would not have gone to her if she were truly unscrupulous. He had loved the little dig Shelly had at Blaze. He loved that girl, but she had dented his heart by not trusting him to know what had truly been going on in his absence.

He had a feeling that Shelly had talked to her a little about her actions. His gorgeous redhead had also wormed her way deep into his heart over the week he had spent with her. She wasn’t Lee but she was his and she did love him, she also suited his nature better.

Sean was a different man from him and far more suited to Lee’s nature. He suspected Shelly would be like Sean and she would be his anchor. Blaze was more like Donny and a nurturer. He didn’t love her any less or any more, just differently to Shelly.

He did wonder how things would have gone if he had met Brindle’s pack first but he assumed, there was a reason why he had been sent to this one. He guessed the location of the transporter had a lot to do with it. Possibly, him turning up the way he had, was required to shock these people, and they may not have accepted him at all if he had just waltzed in as he had with the other pack.

He was debating making an appearance when he became aware that he too was being observed. He turned to look at the youth. He slipped over and sat on the table beside Darcy. He whispered, “Can they hear us?”

“No, they can neither see nor hear us. What can I do for you?” Darcy replied.

“Nothing, I was just watching you. I like watching,” the youth replied.

“Let me guess, you’re Reek?” Darcy said.

“That’s me,” Reek grinned at Darcy. He looked back into the room and then back at Darcy, “So is that what your good at?” At Darcy’s raised eyebrow, Reek qualified, “Tossing in the bees nest and seeing how they react.”

Darcy chuckled, “I like that. No, normally I do what you do. Back on my world, I was taught to be a spy. To watch, to learn how people worked, why they did what they did and then tell other people so they could make the decisions on how to deal with the bad people I normally watched.”

“Sometimes, I had to deal with the bad people. I don’t like killing in cold blood but I’ll protect myself, and those I was charged to protect. My handlers knew this, so they told me to be inventive if I wouldn’t kill. I had to learn other ways to punish those who would seek to harm others.”

Reek nodded, “I like your way. I wish I knew how to do that. Rollover and Grunt need punishing but I don’t want them killed. Any suggestions?”

Darcy frowned and then grinned, “Can you get close to them?”

Reek shrugged, “Sure, they still think I’m spying for them. They are probably still asleep.”

“Ah, you’re a double agent,” Darcy replied. At Reeks frown, he explained, “You are pretending to spy for both sides. That can be a very dangerous game, my friend. However, I believe I know whose side you’re on. Flopear would probably box your ears otherwise.”

Reek chuckled, “She sure would. She pretty much raised me after our mother died. She is a good mother. Boner is lucky to have her.”

“I agree, she is what he needs. I think Boner also knows how lucky he is. See, even now he holds her hand to tell her that he loves and supports her.”

“Yeah, I like him too. He and Romp have taken the younger boys under their control and they love them both, too. They are good and patient teachers, like you.”

Darcy smiled, “Thank you. Well, my little spy, I’m going to equip you for a job. Do you think you are up to it? It will be very dangerous.”

Reek gave Darcy such a big grin that he had to grin back. “I trust you,” Reek said. Darcy wished a few others had but that was beside the point.

He touched Reek and they disappeared.

The committee came to a consensus later that afternoon.

They cleaned up the mess of several meals that had been hurriedly made, in their fever to get the plans complete. Then they went to change for the meeting ahead. Once assembled, they marched behind Huntress to the community hall. They were not surprised to see many of the people sitting around doing nothing.

“You lot, go find the rest, we are having a community meeting in fifteen minutes, tell them not to be late. Move,” Huntress said forcefully. They had raided the storage chests and she was done up to the nines, in what Darcy would call a Grecian style dress.

Shocked out of their lethargy the men at the table she pointed at moved and hurried to meet her command. Huntress looked around and then pointed, “How about we put it there?” she asked the others?

She got nods and Boner moved the small platform to the appointed spot. Romp, Boner, Martin and Spike put the chairs they were carrying on the platform. Martin had the big one and with the help of a bit of levitation, he placed it in the centre. The boys then placed three chairs either side.

The girls carrying the little end tables placed them so one was beside the middle chair and the remainder sat between the other chairs. The others placed the refreshments. They had decided that they saw no reason why they had to be uncomfortable while holding court. The chairs were soft enough to sit in for a time.

Huntress mounted the platform and took her place. Martin sat to her right and Chaser to her left. Spike then sat beside Chaser and Goldie beside him. Twitch sat beside Martin and then Boner.