by Angela White
The convict grimaced inwardly, thoughts bitter. Not that the government hadn't tried hard in some things. While stocking themselves in the days after the War, they'd also dropped trucks and buses of goods at many hospitals for the criminally insane. It had taken well over a year for his fellow inmates to begin starving.
"Rotating form. Rookies follow in place."
The two men stayed as they were while the other four began a steady walk around Alexa as she moved forward. It had little grace, the buried debris impossible to avoid, but it was still neat. When her call came, the rookies were ready. "Full crew rotating watch."
Daniel waved them to places ahead of and behind himself, eyes noting Jacob's careful footing, and they spent the next minutes patrolling around their leader.
"Direction change."
The four senior men spun smoothly, catching the rookies off guard, and firm shoves to the shoulders put them back in place.
"Again."
This time, Jacob tripped over his carefulness and turned it into a roll that put him quickly back on his feet and in line, face red.
"Again," Alexa worked them, eyes guarding as the two new men began to fit with their team.
"Standard form."
This one was easier, the simple V they'd begun the day with, and the two River City males were secretly very glad for the break. The constant rotation was a workout.
Two minutes later, when their breathing had evened out, Alexa spun a finger, "Rotating watch."
2
They continued late into the morning with the blonde calling periodic breaks to keep her men from wearing down, but she didn't take it easy on them, and she watched, evaluating. Soon, she would need to ease their worries of not being able to keep up.
Her other men were as they'd started, every other day of this journey spent so, but Jacob and David were sweaty, disheveled, scraped, and bruised. They looked weak in comparison she thought, hearing the preacher fall and roll again. But appearances were often deceiving in this new world.
Needing to wait until the rookie wouldn't think he was the reason for the stop, Alexa subtly slowed their pace and looked for a spot to make lunch camp.
The ugly ground was becoming more like a swamp the further they traveled. It had rained here today, the dew on decaying trees dripping steadily, but the earth was arid. So much that it had cracked in huge, jagged patterns that resembled windshield shatters after a harsh impact. The trees, for being so damp, also seemed brittle, dust-bound, and the weak branches hung over the two lanes of weed-hidden pavement like a canopy of desperation.
In the distance, it was the same - more trees and road. But appearances were not to be believed, and Alexa held up a hand in that soon-to-be-familiar sign of warning.
Edward and Mark fell into protection detail over the entire group, one moving to the front, one to the back. The other two fighters placed Alexa and the rookies between themselves and the others, creating a barrier from each direction.
"There."
Ahead of them, something moved again, but when the others remained still, so did the rookies. They understood where they'd been placed. If someone got through the other four, the River City men would be Alexa's last defense.
The movement was slow, plodding, and it sent them the very recognizable clip-clop of a shod horse. Behind that came the soft noise of a harness jingle rigged with the tones of goods for sale.
Alexa pointed a calloused finger down and spun it in a fast circle that sent her senior men into action. They formed a crisscross line on both sides of her, and the rest lined up neatly behind. The rows were perfectly straight as the rookies stayed where they'd been put.
Alexa's switch had cleared half of the road and seven sets of hard eyes watched the horse-drawn cart roll closer.
"Potions, charms, spirits," not uttered, but spoken with a rhyming lilt that suggested a carefree innocence. The creature who called them? Not so much.
Alexa felt her army tense as the Troll came into view, and only for the new men, she spoke, "Do what we do. Consume nothing we don't carry now."
"Trolls will steal who you are, your memories.” Daniel instructed from legends, not actual knowledge. “They were swamp-dwellers before, their existence denied, but myth, they are not.”
The red and black, star-carved wagon came within ten yards before Alexa reacted.
"Information for dust," Alexa spoke in a normal tone not meant to carry so far, but the creature driving the solid gray horse agreed eagerly.
"And maybe more, Slayer?"
Alexa shrugged, her voice carrying none of the greed in his gravely tones."Perhaps."
The traveler studied them avidly; vivid yellow eyes rapidly changing color from bright to dark and then back, as if he couldn't keep himself together in his excitement. Dressed in a black robe and boots of the same shade, the tufts of long, bright yellow fur coming from his ears suddenly moved, curled around his thick neck.
"Share camp?" he bellowed childishly.
With his greenish, pockmarked skin, he was a foreign nightmare with hands three times the size of those of a human male. His bushy brows were a deep, blood red, giving his skin the glow of a monster. His pointed nails and fang-like teeth added to the impression.
Alexa nodded easily, surprising only David and Jacob. "Here?"
The troll grinned evilly, "’Tis not man's road anymore."
He extended a massive paw down, making her men tense further. "Jendon."
The blonde shook her head, not smiling, "Will you begin our trading with trickery? I have no need so bad as to tolerate such as that!"
Her statement fell on him like a whip, and the creature cringed back, "Nay, lady. There are so few left as you, my sorry!"
Alexa arched a brow, "And have you seen such as...?"
The Troll bobbed his head furiously, sly gleam coming back into his flickering gaze. "Aye. Gone now, though. Culled the herd and split."
Alexa showed him a scarred hand and slowly took a pouch from her belt. She tossed it gently, but with a curve, and was proud of her men when none of them reacted to the creature's incredibly fast movement. Jendon had jumped, caught it, and stored it in a blur.
Back neatly in place seconds later, they continued the transaction, which was mostly overlooked by the six males, who were nearly in shock. Even for all they'd come through, this was a lot to accept.
"Perhaps those who follow us will not know the words."
The Troll’s eyes shifted in quick flashes - a businessman just hired. "Aye, lady. Without those, they'd go no further."
"Or perhaps you won't," she warned tonelessly. "One is harder than the rest."
Jendon grinned again, huge yellow fangs gleaming. It was a look that brought her men closer in concern. "That would be something to see."
Alexa answered with no delay, "I know where to place my dust."
Satisfied, Jendon’s ugly smile faded, and Alexa motioned for her men to set up full camp, though they had half a day's light left.
Edward and Mark stayed at her side as the others took care of it. She was rarely without a guard. If she fell, so would the quest, but with this… monster in their firelight, she would have two.
Their camp was made within minutes, the rookies able to help with these chores, but Jendon still beat them. His speed as he unloaded things was eerie.
Alexa could feel the tension but didn't offer any comfort. Nerves had to be conquered by them all and paranoia, as well. Some things now carried a clear sense of menace, and the Troll was one of those.
"Will you join us for the meal?"
Jendon shook his large head at her offer, his body piled under him in a barrel shape that hid how tall he really was, "I have no need."
"Our circle, then, tradesman?"
Jendon smiled, more naturally this time. "With honor. Let your men stand while we barter."
The note of greed was unmistakable, and Alexa narrowed her eyes in warning, "Do not violate my hospitality. Save the switch for those who come a
fter us."
Chastened, Jendon nodded, "Aye, mistress. Truly none such as you have I seen, but for the times right after the Death-horse seal was broken. Only one other group."
Alexa's voice was the barest breath. "Safe Haven."
The creature's eyes widened. "You seek those who came before!"
He paused in shock, mouth open to add that it was a fool's quest, perhaps, then snapped it shut instead as Alexa's cool eyes kept his locked.
"Tell me, outcast. I'd know it all, and every pouch of dust I’m carrying will be split between us."
Ignoring the insult, Jendon’s eyes lit up with greed, face harsh in the flickering light of the fire. "Deal."
He put a hand out, and this time, Alexa allowed a brief second's contact that made the creature grimace in distaste.
"No need for that," he whined at the heat, making her men exchange grins.
She shrugged indifferently. "I thought so."
The woman looked at Daniel, who motioned the rookies forward with cautioning words to begin serving the meal.
"Talk now, Jendon."
The Troll did as he was instructed.
"When the seal was broken, we such beings hid further into the bogs and forests, and yet many of us perished beside the humans we had felt a kindness for."
Alexa swallowed a bite of the bitter stew Jacob had prepared, and gestured for Jendon to continue when he paused at her grimace.
"We were content to hide, as we have always done. We survived."
The Troll's eyes widened a bit, the unsettling flicker slowing, "and then the winds arrived, much too early, and they said we - the Undead's exiled defenders - had been recalled into service."
The creature shook his head, voice full of wonder and confusion, "The chains that bound us before became our weapons, and we carry out our new mission even now."
This was said regretfully, and understanding came to the men at Alexa's response.
"Humans."
"The enemy."
Jendon hung his head in shame at the admission, though the males had the sense that it wasn't totally genuine.
"There were attacks," he said, and then his tone changed, filled with horror, "None were spared, not even the little ones!"
"Why were you banished, Jendon?"
Her tone demanded honesty, and he gave it in misery. "I gave safe passage to a child."
His voice broke on the next awful words, "And they brought her back, made me kill her!"
Alexa had no sympathy for his sobs. "Better that you had died instead. There is no forgiveness for such a sin."
Instead of the rage that brutal truth could have brought, there was only profound loss.
"Aye."
The silence was thick, and Alexa looked toward the cart, to his horse asleep in its traces. "May we?"
The Troll nodded, unconcerned, and Alexa met Edward's eye for a brief moment of communication.
The horseman called David over, and as the firelight bartering continued, the two males fed, watered, and rubbed down the strong Appaloosa with quietly admiring hands and tones.
"You became a nomad?"
Jendon's flickering eyes swung back to hers at the question. "Aye. My tribe served the rain goddess, making her potions and comforts. I do the same for those I meet."
Alexa was sure those potions would be powerful. She leaned forward. "Of those you've met, I would hear now."
Unable to resist the tone of command, the Troll began to speak of things Alexa’s men had dreamed of during their time with her.
"‘Twas three full seasons ago when they came through our homelands. The bogs were especially wet, and none of us wanted to leave, not even to carry out the new missions the wind kept delivering. The swamps were perfect, more flooded than we'd ever seen them, and we didn't bother to keep a watch."
The troll's unsettling eyes filled with a longing Alexa understood well. "Their noises drew us out. The screams and pain had become common, but this was a light in the darkness."
"Safe Haven Refugee Camp."
"Aye, lady. Full of the hardest I'd seen until today."
"And they were defended against Nature?"
Jendon’s voice was in awe. "She had no power over them. Anything inside their light was protected."
"How long were they there?"
"Near a week. They spent time in man's city, the one that collapsed, and then they loaded up, went east."
Alexa's voice was soft, thoughtful, "And you watched them the whole time..."
Jendon's flickering eyes lit up as she began to pull pouches from her carry bag. "None of the others cared until the winds found out that we'd let them pass."
His voice trembled, "The Mother tore the bogs apart then with a mighty shake that almost drove us out. And then my shame."
Tears welled again, and Alexa tossed two of the four pouches she had dug out.
His tone changed from sorrow to disbelief, "I cannot accept this."
Alexa’s smile was harsh in the firelight, unforgiving, "In return, you'll stay close in case I have a need of you."
Jendon’s yellow eyes were torn, angry, "For how long?"
Alexa’s voice gave no hope of mercy, "Until I've gotten my dust's worth."
The Troll loathed her in that moment - his greedy nature being used against him - but there was no trace of it in his response, only the proper servitude. "Master."
Magic swirled through the chilling darkness. Brutal and ancient, its streaming green tails coiled around Jendon's huge wrists, as the other end settled snugly into Alexa's grip. Such a bond was unbreakable.
"Bright! Too bright!"
Alexa closed her eyes for a brief second, and her shocked men watched the creature's evil face relax.
"Ahhh..."
"This binding stands. You will come when called."
The Troll dropped his head miserably, but then stared in confusion when she added a third bag of the heavy powder to the stack at his feet.
"Timeless."
Jendon nodded in understanding and made the pouches disappear. "Now?"
"Nay. I would hear more of those who came before."
He paused, considering. "Have you heard the legend?"
Even though she had, Alexa was sure some of her army had not. "No."
In a flash, the Troll had been to his cart and returned with a small harp. On its end was a disheveled looking fairy with golden wings and long, sharp teeth that she bared as she began to pluck the strings. The Troll paid her no notice, but started singing in a surprisingly pleasant voice:
A light in the darkness,
Safe Haven once stood
Sheltering survivors
And serving the good
A place of safety
In a harsh new life
Honor and duty
Among despair and strife
Blazing a path of hope
Safe Haven Refugee camp came this way
Arriving for many
In time to save the day
And then they were gone, vanished
Leaving only traces
The new world slowly moved on
And people forgot their faces
Years passed in hell
Nuclear horror created doubt
That erased from the land
Signs of their route
Safe Haven became myth
A dream and rumor
Scorned or ignored
Treated with humor
Forgotten by most
The signs remain buried
And the people in hell
Remain haggard and harried
But for a few
Ignorance remains
Of the hope that once was
Just after the Final Days
Under the rubble
Carved in the stone
Are the notes of Safe Haven
To lead people home
Unable to stay
They tried to make amends
Guiding survivors
To
a life free of past sins
On a tropical isle
Civilization still exists
Ruled with kindness
Not iron fists
And those left behind scoff
Roll their eyes in denial
While paradise waits
For them to reconcile
There was a silence, thick with unspoken importance, and Alexa found David already watching for her instruction. "Bring a bottle, the red. Put out a standard watch."
The rookie moved to Daniel for what she wanted and was glad the senior man didn't seem upset at the attention. Her invitation to join them had been clear.
"Another song lady?"
"Perhaps later," she answered.
The Troll sat the harp on the dirt next to him, and the snoozing fairy promptly buried her head under her shimmery wings and went back to sleep.
"WHAT WAITS FOR US?"
The command was sudden and jarring, making the small fairy hiss in anger, but Jendon was only mournful.
"Nothing… but trouble for your kind."
Satisfied, Alexa took the bottle from the blacksmith without looking at him. She motioned with her free hand and he sat on her right, keeping his eyes on their surroundings as much as on the creature across the dim flames.
Jendon studied the man, shifty eyes seeing what he had no little the blonde already knew, "You'd use this one?"
Alexa cut him off before the Troll could confirm his suspicions. "Those are not your answers to give, nor your questions to ask."
Jendon flinched from her reproach. "As you say."
Alexa handed her knife to David. "A lock of your hair."
The rookie did it quickly and hid a frown at her next request.
"A piece of your flesh."
He removed it from the back of his leg, not wincing as red drops hissed into the fire.
The Troll took the items from Alexa with obvious approval, stowing them beneath his robes. "Two hours."
Alexa passed a small bandage to David without looking at him. "My thanks."
His look was curious and she permitted it. "As you would."
The blacksmith thought carefully and could feel her approval at his choice of question.
