Chapter 15: Big Plans

Even this early in their relationship, Emil had learned that if Diana was unhappy it was his lot to be unhappy too. She somehow always made sure of that. Wishing to avoid this fate, he concentrated his energies on figuring out just what had set her off. When he decided he knew what was bothering her, he spurred Charlie and trotted ahead to ride alongside Diana. She continued at a steady pace, staring straight ahead, still sniffling.

"Diana, I do love you," Emil began. "Don't I show you every day? Everything I do, I do to make you happy and to keep you safe."

"If you really loved me, you'd tell me without my having to ask." She pouted.

"If I show that I love you and I treat you with love, why should saying it be so important?" Emil wondered.

"It just is," she sniffed. "You don't understand at all."

"Okay, maybe I don't understand, but I do know this: I love you. I've loved you since that first night I found you. I love the way you look, I love the way you talk, I love the way you think, I love the feel of you and the scent of you, and I always want to be with you."

At this declaration, Diana burst into tears. Emil was now totally confused. He tried another approach. "I'm sorry Diana, please don't cry. I can't stand it when you're unhappy."

"I'm not unhappy," she blubbered, tears streaming down her face. "I just love you so much." She reached to take Emil's hand but the rough trail and the motion of the horses made touching him difficult. "Stop here," she said in a soft voice.

When they had dismounted, she came into his arms and hugged him to her with surprising strength. She raised her face to him. "Am I ugly with red eyes and tears?"

"No," Emil responded honestly. "You're beautiful."

"Kiss me," she demanded in a husky voice.

Their kiss progressed rapidly from sweet and loving to sensual and erotic. "Make love to me now." Diana demanded.

"Here?" Emil protested. "Jacob and his men will be along any minute."

"Now," she asserted. "There's time." Then, without waiting for an answer she drew him down to the lush green grass of the meadow.

They made love with a passion and urgency that surpassed any of their previous experiences together. Within minutes, Diana convulsed in ecstasy and softly cried out Emil's name. At the same time he whispered hers. Later, as they lay together in the lush green grass, while Diana tenderly stroking Emil's face she considered some of the things that Clark's wife Margaret had told her. Margaret was right. Sex was definitely fun. She was also right about the rhythm method. Sometimes a couple just gets carried away.

They made it to Chad's camp in their valley a little before noon. They were heartened to see progress continuing on dwellings and that everyone seemed hard at work. Chad had been notching logs for his new home when Emil and Diana arrived, but upon seeing them he sunk his axe into a stump and walked to meet them.

"I see from the bags on your saddles that you found the mill without problems," Chad greeted.

"We found the mill without problems, but the trip wasn't totally uneventful," Emil replied. "We met three of Luther's men at the mill and had a slight altercation."

"It was a slight altercation if you consider swordplay and knocking men unconscious slight," Diana laughed.

"You had a fight with some of Luther's men? The same Luther who drove us from the city?" Chad exclaimed in amazement.

"The same Luther, but the men are mine now," Emil responded. "They'll be here this afternoon. I'd like to rely on you to take them in, feed them and get them started on building shelters and laying out their own fields."

Chad's face indicated his confusion, so Emil explained, "They're honest men like you, only not so lucky. Luther has taken their families for slaves. I'm going to help them, and they're going to help me. I'm preparing to wage war on Luther and I'll need all the manpower I can muster."

"He has an army of hundreds. It's crazy to even think about going to war against him." Chad protested.

"I have a personal score to settle with Luther, but beyond that I don't think we have much choice. From what you've told me, and what I have now seen, it's clear that Luther and his cult survive only by extortion and pillage. They produce nothing and they destroy the capacity to produce everywhere they go. The only way for them to survive is to keep moving on to new and more prosperous areas... places like this valley."