Chapter 313: Unexpected Reunion
"Captain?" the officer asked, voice tinged with confusion. "What the hell are you talking about? You’re supposed to be in the war council!"
The captain scowled and reached over to cuff the armored soldier like he were a child. "Watch your language! There’s a lady here."
My breath caught in my throat and a shiver ran down my tail. No, it couldn’t be. But as the scarred man turned to me and offered a clumsy bow, apologizing for the rudeness of his men, I couldn’t doubt further. Memories burst out of the cobwebs of my mind, rushing to fill me with an indescribable sense of hope.
As the soldier’s eyes moved between me and the bowing captain, my tail flicked back and forth tentatively. My lips parted in a shallow breath, and I asked, not daring to believe, "J-Jackal?"
Jackal’s head jerked up in surprise, an expression of delight spreading across his face. "Aye, lady. It’s me."
The confirmation stole my voice, leaving me struggling to even breathe. I nodded faintly, unable to take my eyes off the soldier who had fought beside me in that terrible battle within the depths of the Ice Gate. The Last Light Company–the sole surviving force of Brithlite...of course it would be deployed here. Why hadn’t I remembered that?
Jackal’s gaze slid down to Korra, whose breath came in shuddering gasps. He stiffened and glared at his men, driving them all back an instinctive step. "What the hell are–" he coughed and shot me a guilty glance, "–heck are you all doing? Lower those spears or I’ll string you up for insubordination! Joel, stop glaring at me and find a healer. That’s a Crawler bite if I’ve ever seen one, so find Gale."
Joel, the officer who first intercepted us, jumped as his name was called. With an incredulous glance in my direction, he snapped a smart salute and barked an order to his men. Looking just as confused as he, they backed down. Joel called another three names, and several soldiers dashed away looking for a healer.
I patted Fable’s head, soothing his wariness, as Jackal walked toward us. "It’s alright," I whispered, "he’s a friend. He was with me when I first met you, remember?"