“She’s fine.” Laurie said. “She just doesn’t want to see you go. She has her own way of seeing the world. Now go before I break my promise not to cry and take care of my old man for me.”
Analise hugged Laurie once more and made her way to the basket. Spivey kissed his wife then closed the wicker door.
He hit the lever and blue flames rushed from the burner. The balloon rose and the ropes grew taut. He signaled Laurie and she released the ropes from their anchors. The Valkyrie lifted into the sky and began to drift in a southeasterly direction as he coiled the ropes and hung them on their hooks.
29
Flying High
The highway was a twisting ribbon far below and she could see all the way to the town where everything went wrong. The river was still brown with mud but it was calm and back inside its banks. She scanned it for any signs of the tribe, any signs of smoke or maybe Bert’s head poking above the trees. She didn’t expect to find them hanging around the town, the plan had always been to keep moving, keep headed for Lakota if they ever got separated. It was the only plan that made sense but that didn’t mean they had stuck to it.
Spivey moved the balloon up and down and they circled the town looking for sign before they set off to follow the road. Her tummy flipped every time the balloon dropped in altitude or surged upward to find the right breeze that would keep them moving in the right direction. They’d been adrift for several hours now and she’d seen nothing but empty fields and deserted roads. Ghost towns and abandoned cars stretched along the snakelike highway far below. Small groups of undead staggered along headed to who knows where.
Spivey tried to keep the mood light and taught her how to fly the balloon but it did little to curb her anxiety. She knew there had to be a limit on how far he could go. She worried they wouldn’t be able to find her tribe. He’d assured her that as long as the wind cooperated, they’d keep going. They could always land when it got dark and hole up somewhere and propane was easy enough to scavenge from the farms and small towns that dotted the landscape. She worried about him making it back home. She had felt an instant connection to him and his family and couldn’t bear the thought that helping her might keep him from returning to his family. He quashed her worries and reminded her that he could go any direction he wanted, it was just a matter of finding the right currents.
“What’s that?” she asked and pointed to an arrow on an intersection.
He rummaged around below the seats, pulled out a pair of binoculars and handed them to her.
“You’ve had these all along?” she asked.
“Just remembered them.” He answered her sheepishly. “I never had a need to use them before.”
She focused them on the arrow, a green one made of tree branches and knew it was Donny leaving sign. He was showing her the way.
“Found them!” she shouted and pointed. “Now that we know what to look for all we have to do is follow the trail.”
A half mile later she spotted her name in yellow spray paint in Tobias’ half legible scrawl. Spivey moved up and down, kept the balloon going in the right direction and they slipped quietly along.
It was early afternoon when she spotted movement ahead. It was right at the limits of her vision and blurred by a heat haze coming off the road. Spivey squinted through his glasses but couldn’t see what she was pointing at. It had been a flash of white against the blacktop right at the crest of a hill. Daisy or Popsicle, she was sure. She willed the balloon to move faster. She willed her eyes not to play tricks on her. She had to know. She felt her brother through the connection that twins shared and her heart pounded. He felt close, she couldn’t explain it, but it was undeniable. Anxious minutes passed as the balloon drifted lazily along. The binoculars never left the crest of the hill and she couldn’t wait to pass over it. They would be on the downhill side, going into a valley, she knew it. As they got closer, more of the valley opened up below them and then they saw it. The parade of people and animals spread out for nearly a quarter mile.
Her heart climbed up into her throat. She saw the unmistakable long neck of a giraffe flanked by the white fur of polar bears and the small forms on their broad backs. A pair of black shapes glided along the asphalt far ahead of the tribe. Donny and Yewan running point. One of her savage sisters was surrounded by wolves and another atop a giant bird. She saw Kodiak striding beside Otis as he limped along. Her heart nearly burst in relief.
“Found them” She said and grinned broadly at Spivey.
30
Tobias
Tobias slumped in the saddle but kept looking over his shoulder at their back trail. He was second guessing himself again. Maybe they never should have left her behind. Maybe they should turn back and search. They were getting further and further away and it just didn’t seem right. She was out there somewhere. He was sure he’d have felt it if their connection had been broken. He felt her now, pulling at his subconscious. He didn’t sense panic or pain but joy. She was happy wherever she was.
He tried to keep a strong face for the tribe. Assured them over and over that moving forward was the right thing to do. She would catch them or be waiting somewhere ahead with a hot meal cooked.
Inside though, he was wracked with guilt. He shouldn’t have been so mean to her, he couldn’t get over it. He’d take the words back if he could.
Daisy lumbered along beside him and Popsicle. He hated the sight of her empty saddle and the sad moaning sounds she made from time to time. She was mourning the loss of her adopted cub too.
He felt the wind rustle the beads in his hair and ran his fingers over Kassie’s braid. He wondered if he’d see her again then chastised himself for thinking happy thoughts when he was supposed to be in mourning. Except he didn’t really think she was dead. He swore he could almost hear her voice. He swore he could almost feel her beside him, like she was close enough to touch. He sat up and scanned the road ahead. Nothing but rolling hills and endless miles of blacktop. He looked over his shoulder. Nothing. He felt the tingle of her presence again.
He swiveled to his left. Fallow fields and strips of woods. Same thing they’d been looking at for weeks. The feeling was stronger, and he caught a wisp of sound on the wind. The bears stopped plodding along and raised their heads, sniffing the breeze. He saw it then and was too dumbfounded to anything but stare for a moment. A black and yellow balloon floated lazily towards them on a downward trajectory. His sister was standing in the basket with a huge grin on her face. He leapt from Popsicles back and yelled her name as he took off running to intercept the balloon when it touched down. Popsicle and Daisy passed him on either side at the sight and scent of their cub and he cursed them for not stopping to pick him up.
The rest of the tribe shouted greetings and as one they thundered towards the girl whom most of them had already given up for dead.
31
Reunited
The basket had barely touched the ground before Analise unlocked the door and climbed out. Spivey watched with a little concern as she limped directly into the path of two charging polar bears with her arms spread wide. They were being chased by a wild-eyed boy who was undoubtedly her twin brother. The tattooed boy sprinted to catch up and let out whoops as he drew closer.
His concern turned to wonder as the polar bears surrounded the girl and lavished her with their long tongues. They moaned in pleasure at the taste and smell of their lost cub. She kissed their noses and wrapped her skinny arms around their massive heads and whispered softly to them. They were like big, overgrown puppy dogs.
Tobias pushed through the bears and wrapped his sister in a gentle hug when he saw the bandages under her armor.
“I’m not gonna break dummy.” She said and pushed him away playfully.
“I’m sorry I was such a jerk.” He said.
His brow was furrowed with internal angst. Apologies didn’t come easy for him but it was obvious he meant it.
She laughed. “So, what else is new? You’ve always been a jerk.” She soft
ened the words as she wrapped him in a bear hug.
The rest of the tribe hurried in and welcomed her back. Tears and laughter flowed and the questions came faster than she could answer them.
Donny stood back panting as the others swarmed her. He and Yewan had run the farthest and the big cat was rubbing against Analise’s legs wanting her attention as the wolves jumped and tried to lick her face. The man inside the basket had eased the door closed and stood watching animals he’d only seen on TV or at a zoo licking and pawing at the girl, happy to see her. Bears and panthers. Wolves and an Ostrich. It was unbelievable, the end of the world really had happened. The lion had lain down with the lamb and little children led them all.
Donny couldn’t put his finger on the feelings coursing through him. Joy at seeing her alive. Anger at her limp and the bruises on her body. He should have been there to protect her. She should have never been separated from the tribe. He vowed that he would never let her down again. Despite the bruises and bandages, she was radiant. Her hair was radiant and shiny, almost glowing in the sunlight. Her pale skin was clean, not covered by the ever-present dirt that coated the rest of the tribe. Her eyes a vibrant glacier blue and sparkling with tears of happiness. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and stepped forward as Harper let her go.
Analise looked at the boy who stood tall and proud. His cheeks were in full blush as she met his eyes. He was so strong and handsome in his armor. A rock that never wavered in his commitment to the tribe. A warrior that was always in the forefront of the battle. A hunter who never failed to provide and he was hers. She knew it without a doubt. She rushed forward and when they met her, he didn’t think about what he was doing, he was so happy to see her he swooped her up in his arms. He felt the heat rush through his body as she pressed her lips to his and ignored the whoops and catcalls from the rest of the tribe. Nothing else mattered at that moment for the two of them. If it took almost drowning and being lost for days for him to finally work up the courage to show that he liked her, she figured it was worth it. In a world full of nothing, they had found everything in each other.
Tobias bumped past Otis as he approached them. His face was an unreadable mask. Donny set her down gently and met the boy’s eyes.
“That’s my sister.” Tobias growled.
“Remember that whole being a jerk conversation we just had?” Analise asked
Donny’s face lit up in surprise when Tobias wrapped him in a hug and lifted him off his feet and spun him around as he’d done Analise seconds before.
Tobias grinned at him as he let Donny go. “Take care of her, or answer to me.”
Donny nodded once. It was enough to cement the bond between the warriors.
“I guess half a jerk is better than all jerk.” Swan said as she gingerly hugged her sister, mindful of both their injuries. “Glad you made it, I knew you were too tough to kill. Who’s this?”
Spivey had staked out the balloon and observed the tribe after the animals sniffed at the basket and lost interest. They were just as Analise had described them. Wild and savage looking but clearly dedicated to one another. He was still amazed at the fact that these children had managed to survive on their own for all of this time. He took in their long hair, braided and adorned with ornaments. Feathers, beads and jewelry were woven into it. Their armor was much like Analise’s. Some was repurposed plastic guards from various sports, some was thick, boiled leather and some was metal. Most of them wore furs of some sort and they all bore the scars of close quarters battle. The dark-haired girl with the wolves was wearing a splint on one arm. He could see the line of sweat on her brow from the injury that had to be causing her endless pain yet she endured as she welcomed Analise back into their group. He marveled at the strange new world they lived in where the dead walked the earth and humans ate each other. A world where a band of feral children met the new reality and didn’t give up. They had forged something special, something unheard of. Like flowers through a crack in the sidewalk, they had blossomed and found a way.
The pale boy approached him. High cheekbones and dancing blue eyes hinted at a mischievous streak. The scars and tattoos showed the warrior side of the young man. He held out his hand to greet the boy but the kid ignored it. Instead he stepped in close and looked in Spivey’s eyes.
“I don’t know who you are,” He said. “But thank you.”
Tobias wrapped him in a crushing hug that surprised him with its strength. He patted the boy on the back.
“Call me Spivey. Your sister is very special Tobias. She touched me and my family deeply. I’m glad we got the chance to know her.”
Tobias stepped back and very solemnly said. “I owe you a debt I cannot repay. I prayed to Odin and he sent you to return my sister on the wings of a Valkyrie.”
“No, you don’t owe me anything.” Spivey said. “We just did what was right.”
Tobias reached up and untied one of his braids. He slid a diamond ring free from his hair and held it out. “For your family.”
Spivey took the ring and dropped it in his shirt pocket. It would have been immensely valuable once, but now it was just a shiny rock. The sentiment behind it is what gave it value.
“My wife will love it. Thank you.”
The rest of the tribe gathered around him with praise and questions. The female polar bear licked his face while the giraffe sniffed at his hair. It was the strangest thing and he wished Sara could witness it.
“Feast!” Tobias yelled. “We must feast the return of my sister and the hero who brought her!”
“We don’t have any food and unless motor mouth over there,” Swan gestured at Donny, “can manage to hunt something. Otherwise, it’s whatever we have left from the ice cream truck.”
“That’s not exactly true.” Spivey said. He reached in the balloon and pulled out the food basket Laurie had sent.
Cheers went up from the tribe. Blankets were spread and a small feast was shared between man, beast and children.
Spivey was little intimidated at first, it wasn’t every day a panther stared at you until you gave her a bit of your sandwich. He wiped crumbs from his shirt and stood. “I have to be going. My own tribe is waiting at home. It was a pleasure to meet you all. If the wind currents cooperate, I’ll be telling my wife and daughter an amazing tale tonight over dinner.”
Analise hugged him once more and kissed his cheek. “I’ll never forget you.”
“Better not.” He kissed the top of her head. “You know where to find us. All of you can have a place there if you change your minds.”
She nodded and stepped back. He climbed into the basket and made his preparations. Tobias and Donny loosed the anchor ropes at his command. Spivey hit the lever on the burner and the balloon rose gracefully in the air. The pups chased it for a while until the Valkyrie was far across the field and high in the sky.
32
Tribe
Analise’ return to the tribe reinvigorated the spirits of the children. Tobias fussed over her like a mother hen, making sure her every need was catered to. She quickly tired of his hovering and told him to get away before she stabbed him.
She was content to sit in the saddle atop Daisy, stroke her fur and watch the silent countryside pass by. The songs of distant birds, the occasional chattering of a squirrel and the click of claws on the pavement were the only sounds in the silent world. Occasionally a screen door would creak back and forth on its rusting hinges or a loose piece of tin would rattle in the breeze but the world was quiet for the most part. Electric lines drooped on poles, cars sat dust covered in driveways and lesser creatures scurried to hide from the predators as they passed.
She talked quietly to Donny about her ordeal and how much she had missed them all. Especially him. They talked about the nameless man and wondered who he’d been. What he’d done to be sorry about. They had no answers and would never find any. It would remain a mystery. He was happy to walk alongside her and pleased in the acceptance the tribe had shown of their feeli
ngs for one another. The end of the world had taken away everything from so many but it had given him everything he’d ever wanted.
Despite their wounds, the tribe made good time. Houses and abandoned cars were more frequent the further south they traveled. Scavenging became easy and Donny’s spear flew true when a young buck ventured under the tree where he and Yewan waited.
Otis milked his sore shoulder for all the attention it was worth. His limp seemed to get worse when someone was watching but the bear was healing quickly. Kodiak had removed his stitches and the wound was a healthy shade of pink. The days passed pleasantly as they cut through the empty lands and the winding roads. A small horde of undead scented them and came hissing out of a field, hungry for flesh. They were slow and broken, walking nonstop for a year in all kinds of weather had worn them down. They got tangled up in a barbed wire fence and Swan sent her wolves to kill. The rest of the tribe watched from a distance, glad they didn’t have to get dirty.
Swan scratched at the splinted bandages on her fractured arm. It was sweaty, smelled bad and itched to no end. She muttered curses under her breath as the pain radiated outward from the injured bone. She practiced tossing her left-hand tomahawk at fence posts along the road and one of the wolves would happily retrieve it on the rare occasion she missed. She worried how the wound would affect her aim once it healed and tried not to think about it. She wasn’t bad with her left hand but she was much more confident with her right. Her bow was still in the woods by the corpse of Diablo. In the confusion, she hadn’t thought to send someone after it. It irked her that Donny was providing all the fresh meat. He hadn’t teased her, he probably wasn’t keeping count of his kills, but she was. By her score, he’d have to have a serious run of bad luck once she got healed or she’d never catch up.
The Feral Children | Book 3 | Nomads Page 16
