Renegade Reborn by J. C. Fiske Read Free Book Online

accept that he’s gone from this world. You need closure, Rolce, to move on. Even if you have to visit that memorial site again, I’ll come with you. We can all do it together. We, we need you at your best.” Glinda said. “The others, they won’t listen to me, but they’ll listen to you. They respect you,”
    “They respect you, Glinda.” Rolce said.
    “Maybe, but, never in a leader position. Like you, I’m no leader either. I’m good at bossing around a few people, but all of us? I know what my voice sounds like. Even I’d get sick of me.” Glinda said.
    “I don’t think that a leader, necessarily, needs to be bossy, all up in your face, Glinda. Bosses boss, and leader’s lead. Ernie and Dave were my bosses, but Narroway, he was our leader. To lead, it, it takes something else. It takes a characteristic that one’s born with. Remember back then, when we were facing down the Holy Chosen, ready to charge into Sandlake City?” Rolce asked.
    “How could I forget?” Glinda asked.
    “I was supposed to lead that charge you know.” Rolce said.
    “You? You were supposed to lead us? But why didn’t you?” Glinda asked.
    “Because, my legs, they just wouldn’t move. I had never been more terrified in my entire life. I was from the best of warrior stock, had the best of training, and, even with all that, I could barely move, let alone raise my voice. I remember hating myself in that moment, feeling like such a coward, and I remember looking around at everyone else. All of them, they had their gazes downward, into the sand, shuffling their feet, doing all they could to control their fear. Even Rake looked beside himself, just, numb, and then, then I looked at him,” Rolce said, pausing, feeling an involuntary smile form. “I looked at Gisbo. He was pacing, back and forth, hands on his hips. He was, impatient. He was like a controlled explosion, just waiting to burst, and his gaze, it wasn’t toward the ground, but straight at Sandlake’s open gates. They didn’t move from that spot as he paced. I never saw anything like it. I knew what needed to be done, so, I walked up to him, and I begged him to lead the charge, to say something to everyone, anything, to get you all going.” Rolce said, pausing again. “It was only then that I saw fear on his face, at the thought of saying a speech,”
    “You mean that sappy crap about what you want your ending to be? If asses could talk . . .” Glinda said. Rolce ignored the comment, lost in the memory.
    “But, it was amazing to me. Here was Gisbo. He has fear, just like the rest of us, but his, its wired differently. It’s amazing to me that he’s afraid of all the things a person shouldn’t be, like, socializing, making friends, doing speeches . . .” Rolce started.
    “Everyone’s afraid of doing speeches, unless they like hearing their own voice, and if they do, they’re officious little craps,” Glinda said.
    “Sure, but, like, socializing, making friends, basic human behaviors? Glinda, he’s terrified of such things, such things you and I do on a daily basis without a worry, but, throw him into a fight, tell him to lead us into battle, to put his life on the line for others, and he’s not just fearless, he’s excited! He has what I don’t, and IAM knows we need him, Glinda. He’s our spark, capable of igniting the best within ourselves. I know he’s still out there, and I will never, ever give up hope. I have faith in what I see, and no matter how much it haunts me, I know there’s a reason for it. When we all rushed Sandlake, it wasn’t necessarily what he said that moved me, it was how he ran at that gate, with that big dumb grin on his face. I dunno, maybe I’m just rambling, but . . .”
    “You are, like you have some kind of man crush.” Glinda said.
    “I know, but, I just refuse to give up on him, or Kinny for that matter. Not after all we’ve been through. I’ll still hang onto it until that vision of him I see comes true. I’m