He prayed for Braden and Micah to be successful. He didn’t want to return to the old ways, giving the young Aurochs nothing to aspire to besides grazing the large fields.
The grass might be tasty and healthy elsewhere. With a victory, his people could find that out for themselves.
The Slog Ahead
“Does Akhmiyar have any idea how much farther we need to go?” Braden asked the young girl.
“He says by the end of next turn we should arrive at the outskirts of the stronghold,” Bronwyn replied.
“It’s about time. I’m not sure how much more we can take. Just look at us!” Braden said barely above a whisper. Two of the swordsmen from McCullough had been killed when they were cut off and overwhelmed. Four swordsmen remained, but two were wounded, still walking because they had no other choice. Bounder limped, having stepped on a thorn and then the injury had gotten infected before he told Braden about it, who applied a little numbweed. At least he was starting to get better. Gray Strider had stitches on her shoulder where a spear point slipped through the gap in her armored cloak. She could still use her own spear effectively, as she demonstrated several times since she had been wounded.
The cold-water crocs attacked twice, but as fearsome as they were, they were the easiest to fight off. The group hadn’t gotten into any water that would have contained sharkfish. The group also hadn’t seen any more Bat-Ravens. Zyena constantly watched the branches, looking for their distinctive outlines.
The Rabbits were completely unharmed and healthy, as was Bronwyn. Zyena’s injuries from the Bat-Ravens were mostly healed and she seemed to have learned how fly in the rain, effortlessly weaving between the trees, vines, and foliage. How long had it been? Braden had lost count of the turns.
Akhmiyar had four warriors left as well. Braden was concerned that his group would be too small when they finally reached the Overlords. They knew Braden was coming and probably welcomed his arrival, now that they’d whittled down his so-called army. The group looked like they’d already fought the final battle and lost.
Braden expected the worst was yet to come. He was tired, probably more tired than he’d ever been. They hadn’t gotten much sleep, moving often and spending half the night protecting the others so they could sleep badly. He’d lost skin on his feet to blisters, the wetness having finally permeated his Old Tech boots. His feet suffered and he right along with them.
The only thing that kept him going at such a relentless pace was the thought that Micah was doing the same. If she got there and he was late, then the Overlords could bring the full weight of their minions to bear on Micah’s small group. He had to get there first and they had to be winning the fight to drive the Overlords into the trap that Micah and her group would set up.
In theory. He felt that the timing of the attack was still sound. The forces he expected to bring had dwindled, but maybe they’d reduced the enemy’s numbers by an equal percentage. He struggled to find something positive before him. He hoped, but it was the fear of failure that drove him on.
There were so many things he didn’t know. They slogged ahead blindly, following Akhmiyar without question. Bronwyn had no doubt that the Amazonian was leading them unerringly toward the Overlords.
A false sense of security, he thought. Maybe that’s our secret weapon. If they think they’ve already won this battle, they’ll be vulnerable, somewhere. We just have to find where that is.
Setting up an Ambush
Pik asked if he could go ahead alone because they were close. The Wolfoids nodded, saying they smelled something different, yet familiar. They thought it was the scent of the Lizard Man patrol on the ship, Pik and Dal’s scent.
“The Overlords,” Micah whispered. Pik nodded. Aadi floated nearby, blinking slowly. “What do you expect to accomplish by going up there?”
‘I want to see their patrols, their defenses, the number of people they have. I don’t think they’ll challenge me if they see me walking around. But anyone else, including the Hawkoid, will tip them to our presence,’ Pik said, making his case. ‘Dal will stay here with you in case a patrol appears. He will chase them away.’
‘I don’t know about your plan,’ Micah said in her thought voice. ‘We should prepare an ambush for the time Braden attacks.’
The anxious glances between the companions told Micah what they were thinking. They weren’t sure that Braden was going to make it. They knew how hard their path had been without encountering any resistance. Ending the Overlords would end their control over their minions, the Lizard Men, cold-water crocs, Bat-Ravens, and the sharkfish. Micah sighed heavily.
‘Maybe attacking is the best thing to do. We didn’t come all this way to sit back and watch the Overlords attack our family and friends. Go, Pik, and find out what you can. We’ll prepare to attack, but we have to give Braden one more turn. We have to…’ Micah’s thoughts drifted off.
Pik nodded crisply, waited for the others to find shelter, then walked casually forward. He held his head high, using his spear as a walking stick, showing no fear. He continued walking until he was lost from sight. The companions watched, listened, and sniffed the air as they settled in to wait.
Just a Little Farther
Braden fired quickly into the attackers, keeping them from getting too close. The Rabbits were behind him, firing to the sides, and Bronwyn was behind them, cowering from the sounds of battle.
“To your left!” Braden yelled at the swordsmen as they battled a small a group to the rear. One of the women broke off, taking a couple steps to her left to meet the incoming warriors. Her blade whirled before her as she beat the spear tips to the side. With flicks of her wrist, the sword bit lightly into green chests and arms. She refused to move as they pressed in on her, willing to sacrifice themselves to defeat the human.
She wasn’t ready to die. She started to jump and dodge, lining the Lizard Men up for killing strokes. Her movements became too quick to follow, and the enemy fell one by one until the last, realizing he was alone, turned to run. She swept low, cutting through both of his ankles. He fell face first into the mud and using only his arms, tried to crawl away.
The swordsman didn’t revel in the kill, as she stepped onto his spear and drove her sword point through the middle of his back. She jumped aside, ready for the next attack, but there were no more. Her three fellow swordsmen gulped air as they tried to recover from the vicious attack.
One last scream from G-War as he dodged and weaved, keeping two enemy warriors occupied as he slashed them over and over. They fell, as much to his claws as to his unbridled rage. Braden could feel it. Bronwyn rocked herself calm as she crouched behind the Rabbits. She could hear the thoughts of all during the fight. It was wearing her down. Her eyes were hollow and sunken, and her skin took on a gray pallor.
Braden fired until he saw no more Lizard Men, near or far. Akhmiyar had lost two more warriors as the attack came from the front, where the friendly Amazonians continued to lead the group into the deepest part of the rainforest.
Akhmiyar was wounded. Braden used the last of his numbweed on the injury while stitching wounds on all three of the Amazonian warriors. When Braden was finished, he pulled leaves from a nearby numbweed bush and stuffed them into his pouch. They would work in an emergency.
Akhmiyar knew they were near to the Overlords’ stronghold. The enemy attacked with greater frequency the closer they got. They had stopped with the small group ambushes and started attacking with reckless abandon.
“Akhmiyar says they are close. The Overlords are throwing their warriors away as they try to overwhelm us. He believes that they must be afraid, as they are so willing to waste the lives of their followers,” the little girl said emotionlessly. “Akhmiyar is sad at the loss of so many of his fellow Amazonians. He prays for a quick end to the killing.”
Braden cradled her young face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “That means this will all be over soon, and we’ll be able to go home. Brandt has gone south to recover his herd.
Hundreds of Aurochs should be waiting for us, waiting for you to show them how to be free, how to live. They will need you to nurse them back to health from eating the tainted grasses. They will need you.” He saw a small spark of life in her eyes, but it disappeared quickly. Her sadness tore at his heart.
Hers was the purest soul he’d ever met, and he put her into the middle of a battle for humanity, a life or death struggle. He caressed her hair and thought of Micah. G-War purred and rubbed against her leg. She petted him, staring into the distance.
After the short rest, Akhmiyar suggested they find a place to the west to hide while they spent the night. First thing after sunrise, they’d head for the stronghold, find the Overlords, and finish it.
Loper and Sunny were both limping. Ferrer and Brigitte were still in perfect health. The four swordsmen, all injured, were still carrying their swords and claiming they were ready to fight. Zyena seemed strong and the three Amazonians never let an injury hold them back. Plus Braden. It wasn’t much, but it’s all they had.
They followed Akhmiyar as he led them from the battle site to a dense part of the rainforest.
The Herd
Brandt didn’t bother stopping at Trent or Cornwall. He, two cows, and two bulls, one being Lomen, ran at a steady pace, taking regular breaks to feed as they found grass and bushes to their liking. When they reached Toromont’s Run, the herd was where they left them. They grazed lazily, not taking notice of Brandt and the others.
Lomen’s eyes crossed as he looked at the lush green of the grass. He lost focus and leaned down to take a bite. Brandt rammed him with his shoulder and knocked the young bull off his hooves. Lomen grunted when he hit the ground, waking up from his daydream.
‘We must hurry!’ Brandt told the group as he glared at Lomen. ‘And you, stay next to me.’
They trotted toward the herd, Brandt in front, then two and two, making an inverted V as they approached.
‘Queen! Are you here?’ Brandt asked in his booming thought voice.
‘I am, my King,’ came the quick reply.
‘Good. You are all coming with us, because this grass is bad for you and holding you back in everything. We have a journey of many turns before us. We will move you to the Plains of Propiscius, where you will return to health, and we will grow the herd until we fill the lands with our people,’ Brandt spoke confidently, standing tall and towering over the others.
‘Tomorrow we go. Yes, that okay,’ the Queen said.
‘We will leave now, and that will be better,’ Brandt stated firmly. The Queen sighed and ambled toward him. She took a few steps, then laid down in the grass, head drooping as she prepared to take a nap.
Brandt Earthshaker, King of the Aurochs was incensed. He bugled his displeasure and then bugled more until his throat hurt from his efforts. He ran to those farthest away and with the tips of his great horns encouraged them to run. Eyes wide, they started to panic. The King ran back and forth behind them, driving them toward the mouth of the valley. Others joined the race, then more. The Aurochs who arrived with Brandt saw a stampede approaching. They turned and ran as well. Fear drove the herd forward as if they ran before a wildfire.
It was only Brandt and he was pleased they showed that much energy. He continued pushing them, noting that the Queen had shaken herself awake and was running with the rest, no idea why but running nonetheless.
‘Make sure they turn north when they reach the mouth of the valley,’ Brandt commanded the others, who turned on his order. Two of them ran north to lead the stampede and the two largest of his old Earthshaker Herd stopped and blocked the running Aurochs from turning the wrong way. It only took the first few and the rest followed. They ran out of steam quickly, slowing to a walk. Brandt kept them going until they reached the first stream. He huddled them there and let them drink their fill.
He’d force them to sleep and with the new dawn, they’d continue their journey. He also set up a watch schedule to make sure none of the new herd wandered back to Toromont’s Run.
Brandt looked at the sea of Aurochs and smiled.
Where Have You Been?
Micah was instantly alert. It was nightfall when the casual slopping step of someone approached their position. She raised her blaster, ready to fire. Pik Ha’ar walked into the area, his hands behind him as if taking a stroll around the oasis lake.
He smoothly stepped behind a tree and disappeared in the way of the Lizard Men. Aadi swam over and the two began to talk. The rest of the companions joined them.
‘Where have you been?’ Micah asked, at wit’s end from the long wait.
‘I’m sorry. They hold a rather extensive position. I walked it all, without getting too close to the stronghold itself. We are in a good position here, if they run. This is the most easily accessible route to the south. I have good news, too. While I was “inspecting” their positions, many warriors were pulled out and dispatched to deal with enemy coming from the north,’ he said and waited for their response. Everyone knew what that meant.
Micah slapped the Wolfoids on the back, smiled, and nodded.
“Braden comes,” she said proudly, a glint in her eyes.
‘I could not tell if the Overlords were preparing to leave, but I know where the enemy’s positions are. I believe that if I remove a single sentry, we can all get inside their lines and attack the stronghold ourselves without encountering further resistance. We can end this,’ Pik said confidently.
“We can end this,” Micah replied. The Wolfoids nodded, throwing the ever present water from their hides with every movement. “Tell us what we need to do, Pik, and let us get ready. Go at first light?”
‘Yes. First light is best. Even I can’t see a Lizard Man hiding in the dark. I will go first, check to make sure the sentries haven’t moved, then I will create the breach. I will call to you over the mindlink and you will come, exactly along the path I made from here to there. If they have moved, I’ll find a gap, then come back to get you, lead you through where it’s safe. Then we attack the stronghold. From what I saw, it consists of three small buildings of ancient manufacture. They are old, but seem to be functional. They have power like the oasis. Strange lights come from within. Those lights will guide us as we get close. Spare nothing as you approach. If it moves, you must kill it. Only the Overlords and their followers are there,’ Pik ended without emotion.
‘You’ve spent a lot of time with Braden, I see,’ Micah exclaimed. ‘This sounds like one of his plans. Well done, Pik! Well done.’
‘Sleep now. Dal and I will watch. You need your rest. What we all do in the next daylight will determine the course of the war.’
Micah nodded, her earlier anxiety replaced with new concerns. She tried to sleep, but found it elusive as she worried about Braden, Bronwyn, and the rest of the companions. Even without the neural implant, she expected that she’d know if Braden had been hurt or worse, killed.
When she did sleep, her dreams were haunted with pain and sadness from Bronwyn, a stream of images with the blood and horrors of war.
Prepare to Attack
Braden’s dreams were interrupted by Bronwyn’s descent into darkness. She was surrounded by lakes of blood while green-skinned creatures pointed sharp sticks at her. Screaming faces bared their fangs, prophesying her doom.
The little girl tossed and turned, despite Ferrer, Brigitte, and G-War’s best efforts. Bounder and Gray Strider slept like they were dead. Braden worried, until he nudged them and they struggled awake, blinking bloodshot eyes at him. Maybe they hadn’t slept that well either.
Braden could never tell with Akhmiyar. After all this time, he was still unable to read the body language of the Amazonians. If there could be a bright spot in their journey, they had plenty of rations remaining. They recovered food from those who had fallen and still carried a comparable amount to when they started. It was the bleakest bright spot he could think of. Braden was ashamed of himself.
Akhmiyar joined the rest as they ate. He leaned toward Bronwyn t
o ask her to interpret, but decided against it. He stood up straight, looked at Braden, and pointed in the direction of the stronghold. He raised his spear and made a thrusting motion, then waved at the group to follow. Braden put a hand on his arm to hold him up for a heartbeat or two.
The others all looked to him for approval. He closed his eyes and said to himself, For you, Micah, and Ax and ‘Tesh. We finish this war now.
‘Braden? Are you there?’ Micah’s thought voice came through loud and clear to all of them. Bronwyn perked up, her eyes sparkling at the sound of her second mother and revered friend.
Braden held up his hand for all to hold their positions. Bronwyn told Akhmiyar that Micah and her group were near.
‘We are just north of the stronghold. Where are you, lover?’ Braden asked, feeling instantly refreshed and full of energy.
‘We are just to the south of you. Pik has already walked around their lines–they thought he was an Overlord. I’m sorry, we couldn’t bring the Aurochs, but we have everyone else, for better or worse,’ she said.
‘No Aurochs for us either. As for the rest, we have enough,’ was all Braden responded with. He looked at G-War, who nodded to let Braden know he was talking to both groups. ‘Here’s what we need to do…’
With corrections from Micah regarding Pik and Dal’s roles, the plan took shape. Their chances of victory had just vastly improved.
Micah and her group waited while Braden kicked off the attack.
Akhmiyar and his two warriors were a few paces to the front, and Braden followed with the Wolfoids to his side. The Rabbits were behind with Bronwyn between them. The female swordsmen were arranged in an arc around the Rabbits.
Akhmiyar set off at a quick pace, spear point forward. The others had their blasters, laser pistols, and lightning spears ready to fire. The swordsmen held their blades in hand, ready to cut any enemy within reach. Zyena circled through the branches overhead, waiting to dive on an unsuspecting enemy.
Free Trader Box Set - Books 4-6: Battle for the Amazon, Free the North!, Free Trader on the High Seas Page 20
