by KM Fortune
“I don’t fear her, My Lord,” Samuel replied. “I simply do not understand your interest in her. She’s a wastling. A nothing.” This was not what The Creator wanted to hear. If he could have scowled at Samuel, he would have, but his face was a mask of scars and translucent skin over blue veins. No lips framed his mouth, and his teeth had been removed decades ago. Still, he grunted his displeasure.
“Careful what you say,” he said. “I see great potential in Hannah. I have plans for her which I do not expect you to understand.” Samuel bowed his head accepting his chastisement.
“As you see fit, My Lord,” he said. The Creator was not convinced the man felt any regret for his statement but decided to let it go for now. Instead, he wanted to learn more about the girl.
“Tell me, how did your intelligence testing go with her? Is she as smart as she seems?” The Creator asked. Samuel shifted his eyes away.
“She is adequate,” Samuel replied. “But her vocabulary is limited and her general knowledge of anything beyond the plains is nonexistent.”
“That is to be expected,” The Creator said. “We can correct it. I want her to begin taking instruction immediately. I want her to learn to read especially. With theology as the primary focus, of course. Start with the old Genesis. Let her know our history as a people.” Samuel nodded.
“As you wish,” he said. “I will see to it personally. Might I make another suggestion as well?” The Creator waved his delicate, almost skeletal hand for Samuel to continue. “I want to start her on a hormone treatment. It will help her evolve more rapidly and bring her to maturity much sooner. We use something similar with the clones to develop them quickly.”
“I see no harm in that,” The Creator said. “As long as it does not damage her in any way.”
“Absolutely not,” Samuel said. “She will be fine. I will see to it. I promise.”
Kit had tracked them all day. She was waiting and watching for the perfect opportunity to get one of her throwing stars into the big cat mutant who had kidnapped Raven. The problem was getting close enough. Her accuracy with the small weapons greatly diminished after even a few feet extra. She knew if she moved too near, the beast would see her or even perhaps catch her scent. She had finally decided on the strategy of circling ahead of them.
The plan had worked well, and she was lying in wait, hidden behind a boulder. Everything was perfect. At least up until the band of mutants showed up and got the drop on Raven and the cat mutant. Now she had a problem. Raven was in the grasp of the new cat mutant. Kit could not hear every word he was saying as he taunted the other beast, but she heard enough to know Raven was in serious trouble. The monster could rip open Raven’s throat at any moment. The problem was, Kit knew if she threw her star and killed the cat mutant holding Raven, she would reveal her presence to the other cat mutant. She would no longer be able to sneak up on him to rescue Raven later. Her other option was to wait and see how the situation played out and hope Raven was not harmed. The only thing she knew for certain was she had to choose quickly. Kit crept a little closer.
“Okay, Hector ol’ buddy,” she heard the other cat mutant say. “Here’s what I’m going to do. I’ll count to three, and if you haven’t started talking, I kill this chick and then be on my way. Cool?” Hector’s answering snarl was loud.
“You’ll never make it three steps. I will kill you if you harm her. Count on it,” Hector threatened.
“Hah!” scoffed the other mutant. “You always were such an arrogant piece of work. Up until they kicked your ass out. Hey, are you heading back because your dad is sick? Hoping for a little forgiveness now that he’s on his deathbed?” Kit saw Hector shift his weight and pause. He doesn’t know what the other one is talking about, she thought. The other cat mutant apparently noticed the reaction too. “Whaaaat? You haven’t heard. Oh yeah, your pop is about done with this world. The old king won’t be with us much longer. Your brother is chomping at the bit to take over too,” he said.
“Shut up,” Hector said regaining himself and crouching down to prepare to attack. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” The other mutant laughed.
“Whatever. So, are you going to cooperate or not? Three seconds. One ...” he said as he pulled Raven tighter against him. “Two ...” Kit knew she had no choice. Hector would never be able to get Raven away from the other beast in time. Pulling a star from under her cloak, she flicked it with all her strength and watched with satisfaction as it landed exactly where she aimed. The small but lethal bit of metal struck deep into the soft flesh at the base of the other cat mutant’s skull, no doubt severing his spinal cord.
HECTOR HAD NO IDEA what was happening. One second his mind was racing with a dozen thoughts about how to save Raven, what was going on with his father, and what might be true or a lie. The next moment, the cat mutant threatening him stiffened, muttered something unintelligible, and then dropped like a stone to the ground. What in the heck just happened? Hector thought. Blinking his eyes to make sure the fading daylight wasn’t playing tricks on him, he stood up from his fighting crouch and looked around. A flicker of movement to his left caught his attention. Seriously! he thought seeing his little nemesis ducking back behind a boulder. “I saw you!” he yelled but then turned his attention to Raven. She was sitting on the ground with her eyes closed. Hector rushed to her and knelt down. “Are you hurt? What are you doing?” he asked not sure why she was just sitting there. Raven opened her eyes.
“I was giving thanks for being alive,” she said looking around, her eyes stopping on the dead cat mutant. “What happened?” Hector stood up and looked in the direction he knew the other woman was hiding.
“Your little friend did something,” he said throwing his voice in the girl’s direction.
“My little friend?” Raven asked standing up and following his gaze. Suddenly the girl burst from cover with her dark cloak flapping in the wind behind her.
“Hey!” Hector yelled as he took off after her. Man, she is quick, he thought. But not quick enough. In another moment he made up the distance and snatched her up. It was all he could do to keep hold as she struggled like a wildcat. “Oh yeah. Now I got you. Time for payback, girlie,” he said as he raised his paw with claws out.
“No!” he heard Raven yell from behind him. “Hurt her and I will never help you,” she said. Hector rolled his eyes.
“Really? Well, what am I supposed to do with her then? She'll knife me the minute I put her down,” he said.
Raven walked around to face him and looked at Kit held under his arm. “No, she won't. We are all going to work together. Can you do that, Kit? For me?” Raven asked. Kit stopped squirming but did not answer. “Put her down, Hector,” Raven said. With a sigh, he put the girl down. How do I know I'm going to regret this? he thought.
Kit immediately turned on him but had not pulled a knife, which he took as a good sign. “Well?” he said to Kit. “Are we cool? You cut me up a while ago, but then you saved our skins just now so I figure we are even.” Kit just stared at him. Hector sighed and looked at Raven. “You sure this is going to work?”
“It will work,” she said moving to put a gentle hand on Kit’s shoulder. “We need his help, Kit.”
Hector frowned. What is she talking about? She's my hostage for crying out loud. “Uh, I think you're confused. You're helping me. Whether you like it or not.” Raven smiled at him.
“We are going to work out a compromise,” she said. “Right after you explain yourself, Prince Hector.”
CHAPTER 12
They made it to a ledge. It was the best place they could find on the run, in the snow, with the howling of the wolves at their backs. Climbing up had been hard. Everyone was tired and cold and the ground was steep. Everyone also knew it was their only chance. By being on the ledge, the group was protected from an attack from behind because of the rock face. It also meant in order for the wolves to engage, the beasts had to come up at them from a slope. Blaze had not understood Willow’s thinki
ng when she first pointed them in the direction of the rocky outcropping and would even have contradicted her if he had the breath. Luckily, carrying Dawn through the knee-high snow had made it too hard to argue and now, as he stood facing out from their position, he was again amazed at his friend’s skills and her leadership. The location could not be more perfect in a pinch. Now if only we had some real weapons, he thought. The best he had been able to muster was a thick, frozen branch to use as a club. His other choice was the large knife on his belt, but he knew if a wolf made it close enough to use that, he would be in real trouble.
Matthew stood a few feet away, also brandishing a frozen branch. Blaze watched as the man scanned the tree line warily. Blaze wished he was facing battle with anyone other than the scientist. Even if he was dressed like one of the Patrols, he was still not combat trained in Blaze’s opinion. I wonder if the guy has even been in a fight? Blaze thought. Before he could dwell on it, the sound of yipping came up from below them. The wolves were close and had to be hiding just inside the trees. Any second they would break cover and the fight would be on. Blaze glanced back at where Willow and Dawn struggled to light a fire. It was not going well and he frowned. He understood why Willow insisted they try building one as wolves were afraid of fire and it could be used to drive them back. Still, the ground was covered with snow and any kindling to be found was wrapped in ice.
Returning his attention back to the base of the slope, he saw the first wolf break cover. It was not as big as he expected but he reasoned it was a scout of sorts and was sent to see what kind of firepower the humans had up on the ledge. “Here they come,” Blaze yelled over his shoulder at Willow. He heard her curse and agreed with her sentiment. Things were about to get ugly. Come on, Twig, he thought. The boy was quick and the distance was only a few miles. How long would it take him? How long has it been? Blaze could not be sure. It felt like forever but he knew they had not plowed through the snow too far off the main trail before stopping at the ledge.
“Keep an eye on him,” Matthew said and Blaze refocused on the scout wolf.
“I see him,” Blaze snapped back just as the thing made a sprint toward the slope. It climbed quickly, almost catching Blaze off guard, but once it was in range, he hit it in the chin with a perfect upswing with his club. The beast recoiled with a howl of pain and rolled back down the hill. Blaze could not help but laugh. “Lots more where that came from,” he said to the back of the retreating animal. As if in answer to the taunt, five more wolves stepped from the timber’s edge. The one in the lead was huge. A massive, almost majestic beast with a coat of silver and white. Lifting its head, he let out a long, loud howl, which Blaze felt all the way to his toes. When the animal was finished, it lowered its gaze and looked straight at Blaze with yellow eyes filled with wisdom. Blaze swallowed hard. Not good, he thought. Definitely not good.
RAVEN AND KIT SAT ALONE at the fire. Hector had left without a word soon after making it and Raven was not sure if he went off to hunt for something to eat for dinner or was gone altogether. He was unusually quiet after the altercation with the other cat mutant. They had traveled along the railroad tracks at a fast pace, with him leading the way this time. His instructions to the two women were simple. They were supposed to keep up and not try any funny business like trying to run away. “If I look back and don’t see you and I have to waste time circling to track you down, you will be sorry. I promise,” he had warned.
“Where exactly are we going?” Raven had asked.
“My home,” he had said and gave no further explanation. In fact, he had avoided any discussion about the odd comments made by the cat mutant and Raven had a bunch of questions. She was smart enough not to press the issue at the moment though. The remark about Hector’s father was not lost on her. If the creature was on his deathbed, there was no time to waste. Suddenly Kit stood up from beside Raven and whirled around to look into the quickly descending night. With a knife already in her hand, she crouched down as if expecting attack. So far, Raven had not heard or seen anything.
“What is it?” Raven whispered. Kit did not seem to hear her. Before Raven could ask again, Hector stepped out of the brush with two jackrabbits in his hand.
“Chill out, little girl,” he said. “It’s just me.” Raven saw Kit relax a little but she did not immediately put the knife away. Hector paused and stared at her. “Don’t,” he said. “I am not in the mood.” Kit slowly put her knife away and sat back down. Hector went back to dealing with dinner. In no time, he had them skinned and roasting. While they cooked, he sat across the fire from Raven and Kit and gazed into the flames. The silence stretched on and finally Raven could not hold back.
“There are no answers in those flames, Hector. Maybe talking about what is going on will help you process,” she said. Hector looked up at her but stayed quiet. She could see the worry he felt reflected in his eyes. “You had no idea about your father, did you?” Raven asked. Hector’s gaze slipped back to the fire. A moment passed. Finally, the cat mutant answered.
“No,” he said. Raven waited for him to continue but he did not. Not satisfied, she pressed on.
“Were we always going to go back to where you call home?” she asked. “Was it always the plan?” Hector nodded. Things were starting to become more clear and Raven sighed. “But I imagine for different reasons. Am I right?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Hector answered as he leaned forward and turned the cooking rabbits. “Nothing has changed.” Raven knew he was lying but let it go. She already knew Hector was not someone to push and, surprising even herself, she did not want to hurt him by forcing him to talk about it. Why do I care about his feelings? she wondered. I’m his hostage and only with him because he forced me to come along. Raven sighed and shook her head, knowing what she thought was not true. Not anymore. He needs me, she thought and knew she would help him. She only hoped, in the end, she could ask for his help in return.
CHAPTER 13
The wolves came as soon as the sun started to set. Only the leader stayed back as the other four beasts attacked the slope. “Here they come,” Willow yelled as she held her makeshift spear out in front of her. Fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins and she purposefully took a deep breath to calm herself while she watched the animals run up at them. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Blaze and Matthew. Against the other woman’s objections, Willow had insisted Dawn stay behind them and keep trying to coax flames from the smoldering fire. Now it was four against three and Willow hoped she did not regret her decision. Too late to reconsider now, she thought and braced herself as the first wolf came up over the lip of the ledge and raced straight at her.
Jabbing forward with her spear, she caught it on the left shoulder but the hide was thick, and the blade glanced off with only a shallow cut. It was enough to give the beast pause. Seeing a chance to become the aggressor, Willow let out a yell of rage and attacked. Flicking the knife tied to the end of the tree branch out in quick stabs, she drove the wolf back. The wolf snapped at the stick and tried to grab it with its fangs, but Willow was too fast. Finally, with nowhere to go, the animal retreated back over the ledge. Turning in triumph, Willow looked to see how the others were doing. She was surprised to see Matthew had also already forced his wolf to turn and go down the slope. Giving him a quick nod of respect, she looked to Blaze and saw he was still in a battle. Moving to help, she raised her spear, but before she could strike, Dawn screamed. The fourth wolf had her cornered against the rock face. The woman was brandishing a smoldering stick, but it was doing little to dissuade the animal. Without hesitation, Willow raced toward the wolf. Before it saw her coming, she had rammed the spearhead deep in its flank. With a yowl of pain and surprise, it whirled on her. Willow barely had time to yank the blade free before the wolf was snapping its jaws in her direction. It was all she could do to stay out of the way, and she used the shaft of the weapon to block the bites. Only when Dawn stepped forward and clubbed the wolf on the backside did Willow regain h
er footing. With the two women both attacking at once, the animal quickly fell back and after a few more ineffective lunges at them, fled to the bottom of the cliff. Knowing only one could be left, Willow turned to find Blaze and saw, with Matthew’s help, they had sent the last of the attackers off the ledge.
With a bitter laugh at their temporary success, Willow strode to the edge and gazed down at the regrouping wolves. The leader of the pack still stood where he had been, completely undeterred by what happened. Willow knew they would come again soon yet she relished the small victory. Brandishing her spear, she lifted her face to the sky and let out her own howl. The sound echoed as she let her eyes fall back to look into the face of her advisory. “Come on!” she yelled at him. “What are you waiting for?” As if accepting her challenge, the giant wolf stepped forward. Willow nodded. A part of her wanted the thing to come. She wanted to fight it. They had a score to settle. Just as the pack leader started to move and Willow gripped the spear tighter as she waited for the attack, the deep call of a hunter’s horn sounded. It rang through the trees and for a moment man and beast alike froze to listen. The horn sounded again and Willow snapped out of her surprise. “Over here!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. Matthew, Blaze, and Dawn immediately joined in.
Suddenly a flaming arrow came flying out of the trees and landed at the foot of the wolf pack leader. The beast did not flinch but only turned to look in the direction it came from. Even from the distance, Willow could hear its growl of frustration. A second arrow soon followed the first and this time another of the wolves had to dance out of the way of it. The leader only hesitated a moment before he motioned with his head for the pack to retreat. Willow watched as the animals melted into the trees. A moment later, a group of rescuers dressed in thick winter parkas made of animal fur came out into the open. Twig led the way. Willow had never been so happy to see anyone. She watched as the men fanned out to hold the perimeter while Twig raced up the slope. Dawn was there waiting, and Willow smiled with relief as the two embraced. “You did well, Twig,” Willow said and then turned to the group. “Everyone did well.”
