Kira dropped back onto her heels; her smile impish. "Just for the record—you make a terrible oshota."
Graydon pulled her hand away from his face to glare. "I do not. I'm great at it."
"Only in terms of your ability to protect. You're absolute shit when it comes to following orders."
That was probably what made him such a great Face. He dominated any situation he was in. Even when he didn't say a word.
The fact he was willing to humor her and take a back seat while she drove the situation was something of a coup.
They'd come a long way from that first meeting.
"Look after the kid while I'm gone, would you?" Kira nodded at Lathan.
Though the wanderer was perfectly capable of looking after himself, you could never be too careful. With a lenacht in the mix, they had to stay on their toes. The Tsavitee had already targeted it once.
"One day we're going to have a talk about your habit of leaving me behind."
"You should compare notes with Finn. He'd love having someone to commiserate with."
Kira walked over to Lathan, fishing the J1N's shell out of his hood.
"Don't think I won't," Graydon warned as Kira shook the drone.
"See you soon," Kira said with one last look at Graydon.
His stance was rigid, the muscles in his body strung as tight as a bow. "You'd better. Otherwise, I'm coming in after you. I make no promises as to what state your friend or their equipment will end up in if that becomes necessary."
"I'll consider myself warned."
Kira tossed the J1N into the air. "Let's go, Jin. Looks like we've got work to do."
The J1N sailed in a perfect parabola. Right before it dropped like a stone, hitting the snow with a thud.
Diesel raised an eyebrow. "You weren't kidding. That's some glitch."
With a frustrated sigh, Kira bent and prodded the drone. Each tap was a little fiercer than the last. Finally, there was a hum as the drone's antigravs initiated.
The J1N lifted off the ground. "The great and mighty Jin is reporting for duty."
Kira grabbed the J1N, turning it so its 'eye' was facing in the right direction. "Let me help you, buddy. There you go."
She cast a smile at Diesel as she patted the J1N for good measure.
Brie moved off into the night without a word, leaving Kira and the J1N to follow.
Nerves flooded Kira's stomach. Her hands developed a tiny tremor that had her primus rising from the place it had been slumbering since they'd started traveling with the lenacht.
Please let Odin have what they needed, Kira whispered silently. Otherwise, they would have come all this way for nothing.
Graydon
Graydon watched the trees swallow Kira and the other two, hating the fact that he was remaining behind. It was going to take everything Kira had to walk back into that ship.
And he wasn't going to be there to ease her burden.
He could follow. It would be easy. These humans and their toys weren't much of a threat. Easily swatted aside.
The problem was that she'd been the one to ask this. Kira asked very little of him. How could he go against her wishes now?
