Horde r-3

by Ann Aguirre

  At that point, I explained about the horde on the other side of the river and the governor paled. “You brought them here?”

  “Not on purpose,” Morrow said. “But they would have come eventually, Father. Somehow I don’t think you want to be the last settlement standing.”

  “Not at all,” his father said soberly.

  The older man sprang into action then, organizing the hospitality for his unexpected guests. He sent runners all through the village, seeking volunteers to host a soldier or two. Soon the replies came back positive. So many people were willing to help, no questions asked, and it told me I was right about the spirit of this place. When the families came to show the men to their temporary homes, they glanced at me for permission.

  “Go ahead. I’ll send a message if I need you to assemble.”

  One of the men asked, “Should we treat this as leave time, captain?”

  I nodded. “That’s fine. Be respectful to the locals.”

  It was an unnecessary request; Company D was full of honorable soldiers, who would remember their manners and be thankful for the kindness offered. Before I got my house assignment, however, Fade stepped closer, making it clear we wouldn’t be separated. Tully and Spence had the same idea, and I think Morrow wished Tegan would look at him the same way, but she had wandered off to admire the bone carvings at a nearby stall. I went over to see what had caught her eye and Fade followed, a quiet shadow at my back.

  “It’s called scrimshaw,” the vendor informed her. “My daddy taught me, his before, and so on. We’ve been working at this craft for a long time.”

  Tegan touched a gracefully carved spine. “What is this?”

  “It’s a dolphin, miss. You find them in the open sea. In good weather, the sailors head that way.” The man leaned forward in a confiding manner. “I went on a whaling voyage once. Never was so scared in all my life.”

  “I’d love to see it all someday,” she said dreamily.

  That was where she differed from me. With this war behind us, I could see myself happy here and never wanting anything more. But Tegan had a big, hungry mind that soaked life in like a sponge. She was the smartest person I’d ever met … and one of the strongest. She was also pretty as a spring day with her dark hair and coppery skin, her big brown eyes and her sweet smile. The vendor was clearly charmed as he pressed the carved bone dolphin into her hands.

  “It’s a gift. Keep it.”

  “I couldn’t.” But her fingers were already curving around the pretty thing.

  “She has great skill at doctoring,” I told the man. “If you need any help while we’re here, she’ll be glad to tend you or your loved ones.”

  Tegan gave a grateful nod. I knew her well enough to understand that she’d love to keep the carving, but she didn’t feel right about offering nothing in return. This let her salvage her pride and for the vendor to enjoy the generosity of his gesture. I stepped away from the stall to let them continue their conversation, and as I moved off, I heard her asking about whales.

  A few minutes more wouldn’t hurt anything, I decided. So I passed among the stalls, admiring the shiny items. One woman made adornments like the necklace I had borrowed from Momma Oaks—and all of them glimmered in the sun. I touched a short coil of silver wire, interspersed with brilliant stones.

  “That’s a beautiful bracelet,” the vendor noted. “It would look lovely on you.”

  Fade murmured agreement, something about it being perfect for my wrist. That was his way of telling me what I was supposed to do with it; I didn’t know whether he’d noticed my weakness for sparkly things. I smiled, aware I had no chits to buy it. But I wanted to. Quietly wishing I could, I turned away to find the governor, as I’d wandered off before he could tell Fade and me where we’d be sleeping. My clothes were sticky and uncomfortable, and I hoped our hosts would be kind enough to let me bathe. It was surprising how awful river water felt, drying inside your shirt. From across the market, someone shouted my name.

  I knew that voice—knew it—but it wasn’t possible. It wasn’t. I broke away from Fade on a burst of impossible hope. I shoved through the crowd, running, because I heard it again.

  “Deuce. Deuce!”

  Then I saw him. Stone was tan, like the rest of Rosemere, and his shoulders seemed even broader. He carried a small boy on them, striding toward me with an eager expression. In the Rosemere sunlight, his blue eyes shone brighter, contrasting with his mop of brown hair. Carefully, he set the brat down and then he swept me into a tight hug, smashing all the breath out of me. He’d always been as exuberant as a puppy, unconscious of his own strength.

  Telling the boy, “Don’t move, Robin,” he spun me around until the market was a blur around me, just movement and color and my stomach felt sick, but on top of everything, I knew only the fiercest and most incredible joy, as if a secret wish had come true.

  “Is Thimble with you?” I asked, hardly daring to hope. She’d been one of my closest friends in the enclave, a Builder who was always inventing clever things.

  Stone nodded. “She’s at home. I came to offer our loft when I heard there were soldiers in need of shelter. I never dreamed I’d be lucky enough to find you.”

  He let me go long enough to pick up the boy gazing up at me with huge blue eyes. Close up, I noticed the resemblance to my brat-mate, who had been a Breeder down below. “Yours?”

  Stone’s look turned shy as he cradled the child closer. “Yes.”

  “How in the world did you end up here?” I wondered aloud.

  “It’s quite a story, an adventure you might even say.” His handsome face turned serious. “Along the way I wasn’t sure we’d survive, but Thimble always figured it out. I’ll tell you everything over supper.”

  Beside me, Fade cleared his throat, glancing between Stone and me. He didn’t say more, but I heard the unspoken question. Am I invited to this party? If he wasn’t, then I wouldn’t be going either.

  “Do you remember Fade?”

  “Of course. I don’t know if we ever talked down below.” Stone offered his hand, Topsider fashion, and they shook. “I’m Deuce’s friend. Or I was. I’m not sure how she feels about me now. I’ve figured she must hate me and wish me dead, if she survived.”

  The pain and anger of his betrayal felt like a long time ago. So I joked, “If I’d known you were this resourceful, I’d have let you take your own punishment.”

  He flinched. “I know. I’ve been wishing all this time that I could explain … and say I’m sorry. Come with me and give me that chance?”

  “That sounds good,” I said.

  I felt oddly lighthearted as I followed my old friend through Rosemere. Along the way, he greeted the villagers, and a number of them had small gifts and smiles for the boy, who alternately giggled and tucked his face against Stone’s shoulder. He acted more like I’d seen topside sires behave with their brats than anything we’d learned down below, which meant he was better at adapting to circumstances than I had believed. Clearly I hadn’t given him enough credit when I martyred myself, thinking I was the only one strong enough to survive the exile.

  More hubris, Mrs. James would say.

  Stone and Thimble’s cottage was perfect, snug and small, built of the stone they quarried on the island and framed in raw timbers. Their roof was painted mossy green in contrast to the copper of their neighbors, and the front door stood open with my dear friend in the doorway. When she saw me, she dropped the box of tools she was holding and ran. Either her foot was better or she had crafted something to make it appear so because I hardly noticed her limp. We hugged tight and long; and the sun itself seemed to shine brighter, glowing on the white petals of the flowers growing in her window box.

  “How?” she demanded. Then she seemed to think better of the question as she let go of me. “Food, first, I think, then explanations.”

  Thimble looked more mature in her tidy brown skirt and white blouse. She wore an apron to protect it from whatever she had been working on.
With busy hands, she beckoned us into the cool shade of the cottage. I came first, Fade next, and then Stone with the brat. Inside, there were wooden chairs with brightly sewn cushions and a sturdy table, a box full of toys near the door. A ladder stretched to the loft they had promised while a doorway led to the back of the house. There was a fireplace for cooking, and windows cut on either side to let in the light. Shutters would protect them from the elements. For a few seconds, I just admired their home.

  While she hurried around setting crocks on the table, Stone performed the introductions, in case Thimble and Fade didn’t remember each other. Then I said, “Is there someplace we can clean up? The river isn’t as refreshing as it looks.”

  “I should’ve offered,” Stone answered, handing his brat to Thimble.

  He led us to a washhouse out back, where Fade and I tidied up. Afterward, we enjoyed their hospitality, the best meal I’d eaten in weeks. Thimble fed us soft cheese and dark bread, fried fish and sliced apples, fresh greens and chopped nuts. Fade and I tried not to be greedy, but after field rations for weeks, we quietly accepted seconds and thirds. As we ate, I told our story and explained how we’d arrived in Rosemere. They were interested in everything Fade and I had to say and concerned about the horde. But with the river as a buffer, the immediate danger seemed remote.

  “I suppose it’s our turn,” Thimble said, once I finished talking.

  Stone covered my hand with his, tentative, as if he expected me to pull away. I didn’t. “Me first. You gave up everything for me, and I let you leave thinking I blamed you. I’m so sorry, Deuce. You have no idea how much.”

  I set down my spoon. “It would help if I knew why.”

  “Robin,” Stone said.

  The brat glanced up from his place on the floor, where he was stacking wooden blocks. “Yes, Da?”

  “He’s why. I wasn’t supposed to pay attention to him after I did my part, but I always knew he was mine. And I loved him. When they said I was guilty of hoarding, I could only think that I’d never see him grow up, never be there for his naming day, and I would’ve done anything to stay with him … even let a friend suffer in my place.”

  Thimble picked up the story, seeming to sense that Stone wanted her to. “And we were both frightened of what was happening in the enclave. We hoped we’d escape reprisal if we pretended to condemn you along with everyone else. It was … cowardly. I’m sorry too.”

  “Did it work?” Fade asked coldly.

  I had never seen such sorrow in my friend’s eyes as she shook her head. Then she told us of the massacre down below—how my exile, along with Banner’s death—led to open insurrection. Silk put down the rebels, but by that time, it was too late, and the Freaks took advantage of the weakness and disorder to sack College as they had Nassau. She shared the rest of their tale then; after she laid the traps and Stone played bait, they escaped to an old-world shelter, accessible through the tunnels. For a time, they stayed there, letting Thimble’s foot heal and Robin recover from the ordeal. He seemed like a happy brat, so it must’ve worked.

  “That was when we named him,” Stone concluded. “I didn’t want to wait until he was older. That seems like you’re asking the world to take your child away.”

  Pain blazed through me when I thought of Twist and Girl26. I’d left people behind, and until this moment, I’d tried not to remember them. Looking at Stone and Thimble, I couldn’t help it. “What happened to Twist?”

  Stone bent his head. “He fell in the initial fighting. Hunters cut him down.”

  That seemed worse than dying to Freaks. For a moment, I remembered the small, weak Builder, who had saved our lives by providing forbidden supplies. We were supposed to leave with no food, no water, but unlike the others, Twist hadn’t been so cruel. Without him, Fade and I wouldn’t be here … and our benefactor was gone.

  “Were there any other survivors?” Fade asked.

  “I heard some as we were leaving, but we couldn’t save them,” Stone answered. “I was afraid a larger group would draw too much attention.”

  Thimble’s expression hardened. “They didn’t help when the Freaks were chasing you. They hid and cried. If not for my traps and your speed, we’d be nothing but bones by now.”

  “So others might have made it out,” I said.

  “Maybe.” Stone shrugged as if he didn’t care.

  I shouldn’t, but Girl26 had no say in how the elders had run the enclave. So I clung to the possibility that she was like Fade—that she’d hidden from the Freaks and crept away quietly. To what, I didn’t know, as by then, the ruins were likely overrun, but a smart girl might find a way to survive, as Thimble had proven.

  “So how did you get from the shelter to Rosemere?” Fade wondered.

  I was curious too. Thimble was clever and Stone was strong, but neither had any experience defending themselves, so I couldn’t believe they’d made such a long journey. Yet here they were in their own cottage, settled in the prettiest village I’d ever seen.

  Stone took up the story. “Eventually the tinned food ran low and we felt strong enough to venture out. So we climbed up. Topside couldn’t be worse than darkness and filth, we thought.”

  “It was so bright,” Thimble said, remembering. “It hurt my eyes, and I was so scared.”

  With easy affection, Stone scooped her into his lap. “We both were. For a time, we wandered and hid. I killed birds and we ate them raw. There were packs of Freaks fighting humans, most of whom wore the same colors.”

  “The gangs,” Fade guessed.

  Stone continued without prompting. “Eventually we went into a building and Thimble found a useful paper. A map,” he added, as the word came to him.

  “I knew we needed fresh water, so I guided us toward the blue on the page. And that was when we saw the boatmen.” Thimble smiled in recollection; and I grasped how relieved they must’ve been with food scarce, a brat depending on them, and the ruins alight with violence.

  Fade touched my hand. We’d gone to the water too, but there were no boats bobbing on the waves. If we had come earlier—or later—our path might’ve been so different. But maybe our journey happened as it was supposed to, so I could meet my new family and learn to love Fade as he deserved.

  Stone said, “I called out and the fisherman heard me. He told me he couldn’t risk the shallows … and that I’d have to swim to him. So I put Robin on my back and got into the water.”

  A shiver rolled through me. “It’s a miracle you survived.”

  “Only because of Thimble. She found a piece of driftwood and called me back. We used it to float out to the boat, and then we sailed with them up the coast and down the river to Rosemere. They promised us it was safe—”

  “And we’ve been here ever since,” she finished.

  “That’s quite a story,” Fade said.

  “It’s the best kind,” Stone told us, smiling. “Because it has a happy ending.”

  And I brought the monsters here.

  Unprecedented

  After dinner, I stepped outside to clear my head. Fade was eating another slice of Thimble’s honey cake, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the evil on the other side of the river. Stone and Thimble’s story was incredible, and I envied the happiness they’d found in Rosemere. I was tired of killing; I wanted to build too.

  “Wait,” Stone called from the doorway.

  It was dark by then, moonlight shining down. “I won’t go far. And I’ll be back soon.”

  “No … before you go, please say you forgive me, Deuce.”

  Such a small thing. “Of course. You love Robin so much … and that’s the way a sire should feel about his son. I’ve come to realize that the enclave was backward in so many ways.”

  He hugged me tight. “Thank you.”

  “Tell Fade and Thimble I’ll be back soon.”

  “I will. It’s safe here, so feel free to explore.”

  My head whirling, I walked through town, admiring the pretty cobbled streets and the lamps
that lit them. Morrow had been right. This was the most peaceful place, and you could see it in the children’s faces as they played. They didn’t know how it felt to be hungry or frightened.

  I want the world to look this way … or at least the whole of the territories.

  My path led me down to the sturdy pier, where the boats were moored. Men fearlessly sailed up and down the river, casting their nets. During the day, the area was full of fresh fish and people arguing about its worth. By night, however, it was quiet, so I was unprepared for the touch on my shoulder. Reflex took over; as I whirled, I drew my knives and dodged back a step.

  In the moonlight, I made out only a shadowy, hooded figure. It was impossible to glimpse his features, but when he spoke, shivers of dread ran over my skin. “You’re the Huntress.”

  I had heard Freaks rasp out words before, but never with such fluency. Their voices always sounded broken and garbled, as though it hurt them to speak our tongue. But this … how can he be here? My thoughts scattered like frightened fish. At this point, terror should grip me fully, but numbness crept over me instead. My hands trembled and sweat beaded on my brow, but I couldn’t let him have the upper hand.

  So I feigned calm. “I am. Push back your cowl so I can see you.”

  He moved slowly, but as he did, his sleeves fell back to reveal gray skin and taloned hands. Starlight illuminated sharp, savage features. His eyes were inhuman, glowing amber-gold like a cat’s. He might even see in the dark better than me, possibly part of their continued evolution. He appeared young, his body lean and strong.

  “What are you doing here?” I demanded.

  Outwardly I displayed anger, but I was quaking inside. If the monsters had worked out how to cross the water and were mounting an invasion, I couldn’t bear it. Company D had scattered with my permission; I’d thought it best to give them a few days of peace while I decided what to do about the two thousand Freaks camped across the river. But now I had no way to summon them fast enough to defend Rosemere, should that become necessary.