Chapter 78: Decisions and Divisions

The tension in the air was palpable as the community gathered in the main hall that evening. Gabriella, Andrew, and the council members had called for an urgent meeting to discuss the arrival of Victor Carlisle and his men, along with the demand for taxes from the new government. It had been hours since the strangers left, but the sting of their presence still lingered in the minds of everyone present.

People filled the room, their faces set in grim determination, some anxious, others angry. The soft murmur of whispered conversations filled the space as they awaited the council’s decision. The sense of peace and safety that had come after their victory over the bandits seemed to have evaporated in an instant, replaced by the unease of the new threat hanging over them.

Gabriella sat at the head of the long wooden table, Andrew beside her, and the other council members gathered around. She could feel the weight of the community's eyes on her, waiting for her to offer guidance, to show them the way forward.

“I know everyone is upset,” Gabriella began, standing to address the group. “Victor Carlisle and his men came here today claiming they represent a new government. They say there’s a new president, someone who’s supposedly going to bring order back to the country. And part of that means paying taxes to this so-called government.”

The room erupted in murmurs again, anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

“They’re demanding our food, our resources,” Gabriella continued, her voice steady despite the fury that simmered beneath her calm exterior. “In exchange, they’re offering protection and supplies. But the real question is—protection from what? And at what cost?”

A man in the crowd stood up, his face red with anger. “Protection? We’ve protected ourselves just fine! We don’t need them, or their taxes, or whatever promises they’re trying to sell. This is just another way for people in power to control us.”

There were murmurs of agreement throughout the room, heads nodding in shared frustration.

Andrew, standing now, added, “I agree. We’ve done just fine on our own, even when the world was falling apart around us. We defended ourselves from bandits, we rebuilt after every disaster, and we did it without anyone’s help. But we need to think carefully about how we move forward. This isn’t just about taxes. This is about control. They want to bring us under their authority.”

A woman from the back of the room stood up, her face worried. “But what if we refuse? What if they come back with more men? What if they decide to make an example out of us because we didn’t cooperate? Can we afford to fight them?”

Gabriella took a deep breath, considering the woman’s words. The truth was, they didn’t know how large this "government" was, or what kind of resources they had. They had only seen Victor and his small group of men, but that didn’t mean they were the full force behind the demands.

“We don’t know what they’re capable of,” Gabriella said slowly. “And that’s what makes this so dangerous. We don’t know how many more soldiers they have, or how far their reach extends. If we refuse, we could be putting ourselves at risk.”

Another voice from the crowd, this time an older man with gray in his hair, spoke up. “And if we give in? If we give them what they’re asking for, what happens then? What’s to stop them from coming back next month and asking for more? Or the month after that? We’ll just become their slaves, working to feed and supply them while we starve.”

The room fell silent, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air.

Andrew nodded grimly. “That’s exactly the problem. If we give in, we lose our independence. We’ll be working for them, not for ourselves, and there’s no guarantee they’ll keep their end of the bargain. They’re promising protection, but from what? Bandits? Raiders? We’ve handled those ourselves. There’s no telling if they’d even protect us if the time came.”

Gabriella could see the divisions forming among the people. Some were leaning toward resisting, unwilling to hand over the fruits of their labor to strangers. Others were scared, fearing what might happen if they refused and Victor’s men returned with greater numbers.

“We have to consider all the possibilities,” one of the council members, Miriam, interjected. She had always been the voice of reason in tense situations. “There’s more at stake here than just food and supplies. If this government really is reestablishing itself, they might have resources we don’t. What if they control larger areas of the country? What if we’re just a small piece in a much bigger puzzle? We need more information before we decide anything.”

Gabriella nodded, grateful for Miriam’s level-headedness. “You’re right. We need to find out what we’re dealing with. But I think we can all agree on one thing: we’re not just going to roll over and give them what they want without knowing who they are.”

The crowd murmured in agreement, though the tension in the room remained thick.

A young man, one of the community’s scouts, spoke up next. “Maybe we should send someone to follow them. See where they’re going, who they’re reporting to. If we can find out more about this ‘government,’ we’ll be in a better position to decide what to do.”

Gabriella exchanged a glance with Andrew, who nodded. It was a dangerous idea, but it made sense. They couldn’t make a decision in the dark.

“I’ll go,” the scout volunteered. “I can track them from a distance, see where they’re headed. If they’re part of something bigger, we need to know.”

Gabriella hesitated. “It’s dangerous. You could be putting yourself at risk if they catch you.”

The scout shrugged. “Everything we do these days is dangerous. But we can’t just sit here and wait for them to come back. We need answers.”

Gabriella sighed, feeling the weight of the decision pressing on her shoulders. “Alright,” she said finally. “But be careful. Don’t engage unless you have no other choice. We can’t afford to lose you.”

The scout nodded, determination in his eyes. “I’ll bring back whatever I can find.”

As the meeting began to wind down, the people in the room continued to discuss the situation in hushed tones. Some were relieved that they were going to gather more information before making a decision. Others were still on edge, their fear of what Victor and his men represented gnawing at them.

Andrew placed a reassuring hand on Gabriella’s shoulder. “We’ll figure this out. One step at a time.”

Gabriella smiled at him, though her mind was still spinning with possibilities. “I hope so. I just don’t want to make the wrong decision. If we resist too soon, we could be walking into a fight we’re not ready for.”

“We’ll get through this, like we’ve gotten through everything else,” Andrew said, his voice steady. “Together.”

Gabriella nodded, but in the back of her mind, the worry lingered. The peaceful life they had built was now under threat once again, and it wasn’t clear what path they should take.

As the council adjourned and the people began to leave the hall, Gabriella couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a much larger storm. One that would test everything they had worked so hard to create.