Eagle People

by Benton, W. R.

  He returned to his horse, climbed into his saddle, and continued down the long line of death. The arrows are all The Northern Plains People, but I have no idea who the dead are. I've never seen such markings on clothing as they wear.

  He counted a hundred dead men and fifteen women. It was when he was checking a charred and ransacked wagon it struck him, All the males are dead, even the children. The dead females, most of them anyway, are beyond child bearing years. Why were only females taken and men children killed? A good male slave is valuable, unless they were not looking for slaves. If they were struck with small pox as well, maybe they had a large number of women die. If so, they'll use the women as baby machines, to give birth to more and more males.

  He found nothing of value in the wagons, so he mounted and returned to the women warriors.

  Mongoose thought for a moment, after hearing his thoughts, and then said, “They have a smart leader. The wagons and people were all in one long line when they struck, and most were killed in just a few short minutes. It's obvious to me the attackers were in great number, but I think they were looking for breeding stock.”

  “Wives?” Lydia asked.

  “No,” Mongoose replied, “Just what I said. See, in some tribes female slaves are kept in lodges and both married or unmarried men can use them. The idea behind it is to increase the number of children for the clan. While our People would never allow such a thing, among most villages it is a normal practice.”

  “That makes those women whores,” Lydia said, “because they're not married.”

  “First, the women are slaves and have no say in the situation. Second, the women become cold and uncaring, with survival their only thought. They have no choice, not if they desire to live.”

  “I would die before allowing an enemy to mount me like bitch dog in heat.”

  Mongoose shrugged and said, “I'm sure it would be a difficult to accept, but if needed, they'd just call enough men to hold you down. It is rape, only they'll get what they want in the end, so why fight them? Stay strong so when the chance comes, you can kill and get away.”

  “Uh,” Eldon said, “we need to be moving. I don't like the feeling I have sitting here, with all these dead bodies in front of us. This attack happened no later than ten hours ago, maybe closer to six, so let's ride.”

  Out of the blue, an arrow flew by Mongoose's head, just missing her.

  “Ride, North!” Eldon screamed and then kicked his bay in the ribs. The horse shot forward.

  Glancing behind them, Lydia saw a good dozen riders. Moving to Eldon she said, “We have about a bakers dozen on our asses.”

  Mongoose laughed and replied, “Hell, that's only four apiece, why are we running?”

  “Funny, real funny.” Eldon said and then added, “Well run for a bit and then find a place to fight. I never run far.”

  Chapter 14

  ASA AND HIS MEN were gathered in the trees just outside of the Eagle village. It was slightly before dawn and the village was just waking up. They'd seen few men, but many women, which excited the men. Byron was eager to have a go at a woman, one he would keep for a week, and then kill. He saw many in the village that aroused him.

  “Are the men ready?” Asa whispered to Byron.

  “Yes; you will start the attack and they will pour from the trees when you do.”

  “Let it start then.” he replied and stood. With a loud scream he ran from the trees, with his spear held aloft in his right hand. Warriors of the Wolf Clan flowed from the trees, running for the village, with loud piercing war cries.

  When they were about two thirds of the way to the first structure, a long line of male and female archers stepped from behind many of the buildings and released their arrows. Some archers were so efficient, they had four arrows in the air before the first hit the ground. Attacking warriors began to drop and one of the first to fall was Asa, with two arrows buried deep in his chest. The chief screamed and twisted as pain filled his whole body.

  Then the Eagle People opened up with their new secret weapon, and crossbows fired. Warriors of the Wolf were cut down like wheat.

  After the crossbows were fired, Amon, sword in hand, screamed, “Attack!” He then ran for his enemies.

  The two groups came together with a loud crash and hand to hand combat started immediately, and so did the dying. A big warrior ran at Amon, stabbed with his spear, and then screamed as the Eagle ducked below the point of the spear and pushed his sword deep into the soft belly of the warrior. Now walking, Amon decapitated the man as he passed him. Twice more the sword of Amon tasted blood and two men died. The last one was on the ground screaming in pain when the Eagle warrior raised his blade and brought the tip down hard—into the center of the man's chest.

  As the man screamed and wiggled on the blade, Amon heard a man yell, “They're leaving! We have beaten them!”

  Amon stood and called out, “Let them leave, but walk among their injured and make sure all are dead. Those who yet live, kill.”

  “No prisoners!” The yell echoed up and down the line.

  Men walked among those moaning and groaning, and within seconds screams began to fill the air. Blood flowed like a river and not a single blade was clean of a cerise smear.

  Amon walked to Asa, knowing the man was the leader, because the Dog Soldiers, who'd watched all movement of the Wolves, had described the ugly man well. Two Eagle warriors were standing over the man when he said, “Don't kill me, please.”

  Amon said, “I promise not to kill you, if you talk.”

  “I'll tell you anything!”

  “It must be the truth or you will die a slow death.”

  “Please, it will be the truth.”

  “Take him to our shaman and have him looked over. Then, place three guards near him. I want one outside the door and two inside, at all times. Once he has been treated, tie his hands behind his back and his legs together. I and the council will speak to him tonight.”

  “It shall be done. On your feet, Wolf.” the biggest of the Eagle warriors said.

  It was an hour after dark and Asa was on the stretcher in the center of the council. Many had called for his instant death, but Amon needed information from the man.

  “I have promised this man if he tells the truth, he will live. If he lies, he will die. He knows things we need to learn.”

  Those members that were older nodded in understanding, while the younger members cried for blood.

  “I gaven him my word and he is my prisoner, so it is my choice. I have done all of this according to the laws of our people.”

  There was some grumbling heard near the rear of the room, so Amon said, “If you have something to say to me, stand and speak to me like a warrior.”

  Rachel stood and said, “I do not think this man should live. He is responsible for the total destruction of one of our villages and tried to do the same here.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay, what?”

  “Okay, now I know your feelings. I have given my word which means something to me, even when given to my enemies. I cannot break my word or then I am no better than he. According to our laws, since he is my prisoner, I may do with him as I wish.”

  Rachel sat back down, but shook her head is disbelief.

  “Now, Wolf, I need some answers. Will you answer me truthfully?”

  “If I am allowed to live, yes.”

  There was another disruption in the council until John, the senior man, said, “The next person that speaks without first asking permission with be thrown from this meeting.”

  “I gave you my word before. If you answer me honestly, you will live.”

  “What do you want to know?” Asa asked, and then groaned from the effort. He had to stay strong; it was his only chance to live.

  “How many men do the Wolf People have?”

  “We had 200, but after this morning, I cannot say.”

  “Is your village on the crooked river? It is the muddy river between the Cave People and Big
River People.”

  “Yes.”

  “Is it your only village or do you have more?”

  “Our only village. We lost many men to small pox, so my idea was to kill all males, capture women, and start spawning children so we could replace the dead men.”

  “Women are not warriors in your clan?”

  “No, women are for making babies and caring for a man's needs.”

  “Oh, then explain to me why so many of your men died from arrows shot by our women warriors?”

  Lowering his eyes, Asa replied, “I cannot say. It is not our custom to allow women to even touch a weapon.”

  “Will you lead us to your village?”

  “No, I cannot turn against my own people.”

  “Aaron, Gideon, and two others, hold him down.” Amon said as he pulled his knife.

  “You told me I could live!”

  “And, I told you the truth. Rachel, come to me.”

  Rachel made her way to Amon and then asked, “What do you want of me?”

  “Take this knife and blind him. In the morning, he is then to be taken one mile from his village, turned toward his people, and then released. He will be given the oldest horse we have.”

  A wicked smile was on her face when she took the knife in her right hand and squatted beside Asa as the men held him down. Two quick pokes of the knife tip, and the Wolf Chief was screaming and jerking. Blood ran down his cheeks as Amon said, “Shaman, care for our enemy. Tomorrow before we release him, we will pray for his recovery and survival. Let him live, so he may tell others that the Eagle Clan keep their word once given. His life has been spared, as promised.”

  The next morning, when Amon visited the shaman, he discovered Asa was gone. He'd been tied to a horse and the Dog Soldiers had released him within a mile of his village. They'd even told him, “Keep the sunlight in your face as you move, and you will return safely to your people. Do not bother the Eagle People again or we will kill you the next time.”

  “You have kept your word.” the shaman said to Amon.

  “Yes, but I never should have given it.”

  “Who can argue the right or wrong of doing what you did? You did return him to his people and alive. You did not break your word. You learned many things we did not know before.”

  Growing uncomfortable with the talk, Amon made an excuse and left the lodge.

  He'd just left the lodge when Gideon neared and asked, “Are we to attack the Wolf People?”

  “Yes, we will do so and within a month. The best we can anticipate is to eliminate all of them, and the least to expect is to seriously hurt them. They are fewer now.”

  Gideon nodded and then asked, “When do you think Mongoose will return?”

  “It will take time for them to go to the Cheyenne Mountain People and return, even without trouble. Let's just hope they can do the trip safely and without the loss life.

  “I agree and pray they have a safe trip. On a different subject, I have seen pictures in books of a different America. Everyone was smiling and sitting at a large table filled with food. It must have been a holy day. I wonder what happened and how the country collapsed.”

  “No one has written about it, not that I know, but the next time you visit the books, look up the Roman Empire and see what happened to them. Some nations in the past have grown so large, they think they control the world. They try to be the world's Dog Soldiers, but the world is too big. Then they take the worlds problems as their own. They give and continue to give, until they must borrow things to give. Then, because they cannot return what they have borrowed, eventually no one will loan them anything. It is only a matter of time after that and they will fall. I suspect, but don't really know, that is what happened, because it happened to the Romans. You need to read about them, and you will learn much.”

  “I can see where people would get tired of giving and never having anything returned.”

  I would tell you about taxes too, but it would only confuse you, he thought, but said, “Read and learn. We must know our history to avoid repeating it in the future.”

  “You are wise for someone so young.”

  “No, I am not wise, but learned. My father was one of the Learned Ones and made sure I acquired knowledge of many different things. It's made my life easier, I think.”

  “When you go for the Wolf People, I wish to join you.”

  Placing his hand on Gideon's shoulder, Amon said, “You will go, my friend. Now, I must check with the leader of the Dog Soldiers and see if we are safe.”

  Byron was grinning, because Asa had managed to get himself killed, either on the field of battle or as a captive. Let's hope the sonofabitch was captured, because then his death will be slow and with much pain, he thought as he rode toward home. Immediately after they'd regrouped following the disastrous attack on the Eagle People, he'd declared himself the new leader. With him being second in command, no one challenged him.

  This morning open sores were on his penis and they ached. He'd been swallowing whiskey since daybreak and with him the new leader, he knew no one would say anything to him about it either. He pulled the jar, took a long gulp, and thought, I need a woman, a good meal, and some rest. I'm not mentally tired, but my body is worn out. Now my pecker has sores. There has to be a way to cure this disease.

  His thoughts were disrupted by a scout who approached him. The young warrior said, “Byron, our village was attacked and there are no survivors.”

  “What? How can that be?”

  “I'm simply telling you, I saw what is left of the village and bodies were covering the ground. Most lodges have collapsed or been burned. I didn't enter the village, but wanted to report it in case you have a plan.”

  “Plan? I have no damned plan. How far is the village from here?”

  “About two more miles. I saw no one alive or moving, and I watched for over an hour.”

  “Return and wait for us. It is possible we'll have some wounded or maybe some of our people ran away.”

  “I will return.”

  “Wait.”

  Turning in his saddle, Byron called out, “Ora, come to me.”

  Riding to the front of the line, Ora asked, “What do you need of me?”

  “Our village was attacked while we were gone. I'd warned Asa of this, so go and see if you can locate the tracks of any of our people who may have escaped. Go with this young scout.”

  “If anyone got away, I will know. Come, we need to ride.”

  As soon as the two men left him, he called out, “Double our rate of travel. Our village has been attacked while we were gone.”

  As they moved at a fast walk, Byron thought, I told that dumb-shit it was dangerous to leave so few men behind. Now our people have paid for his stupidity. I wonder how many survived, if any. What if all are dead or taken? What will we do next?

  Twenty minutes later, they met the young scout and Ora as they stopped at the edge of the village.

  “Any survivors?” Byron asked.

  “Two or three is all, but the attackers were following them. I suspect they found 'em too, unless they were warriors. We have one man that yet lives, but he'll die.”

  “What injuries does he have?”

  “Gut wound, arrow through his body.”

  “He'll die then.”

  “As I said. We did find an awkward surprise, too.”

  “Oh?”

  “Asa has returned.”

  “How is that possible?” Damn, now I'll lose my new status as the Chief, he thought.

  “I have no idea and his mind is about gone. He kept babbling about his eyes and someone named Amon.”

  Byron shrugged and then asked, “Is something wrong with his eyes?”

  Ora grinned and said, “Uh-huh, you could say that. Both were poked out and he's as blind as a bat in the bright sunlight.” Then, as if reading Byron's mind, the tracker said, “So, you'll remain our leader.”

  Turning in his saddle, Byron said, “Dismount and check the village for s
urvivors.”

  The dead had only been that way for twenty-four hours, but already the smell of death was strong. The bodies, all mutilated, had swollen bellies and flies were thick. Near the first lodge was a young boy of about ten years old, mutilated, and his unseeing eyes reflecting his fear and pain. Byron watched in morbid fascination as big green blowflies walked in and out of the dead boys mouth. One fly walked across an open eye and then entered the youngsters nose.

  Ora neared, leading Asa.

  “Why do you have him with you now? You should be checking for our injured.”

  “Asa,” Ora said, “has something to say to you. Asa, tell him what you just told me.”

  “You, Byron, cannot lead our people. God has punished me, but I can still lead. Now that all have returned, I am the leader.”

  Raising his spear to waist level, Byron said, “No, Asa, you are not fit to lead. Blind as you are, you're more of a liability than a leader. You are of no use to The People.”

  “I demand that you step—”

  Tired, hungry, and not in the mood to listen to Asa's ramblings, Byron gave a thrust of his spear, catching Asa right below his sternum. He pushed until the spearhead exited the blind man's back.

  Asa screamed and then both hands instantly came up to hold the spear. Blood was flowing from his wounds as Byron said, “You're no leader and never have been. You led through fear, not intelligence, only your days on earth are finished now.”

  The old chief fell to his knees, weakened by the loss of blood, and kept saying, “You promised not to kill me.”

  Kicking the blind man onto his side, Byron said, “I made no such promise. I've wanted the satisfaction of killing your worthless ass for years. The wait has been worth it, and it pleases me to see you die.”

  Ora stood grinning, because he had no desire to lead, and was in a position of authority, with little responsibility.

  “Come, Ora, because Asa is dying. We need to check for those that may have survived the attack.”

  As they walked away, Asa was screaming and clawing at the hard-packed dirt.