by Saxon Andrew
Harvey looked at the woman and then at Jenak, “Who is this?”
“She speaks your language; ask her.”
Karon heard voices but didn’t see anyone. Suddenly a face appeared and said, “Who are you?”
Karon smiled and answered in Sioux, “My name is Karon Smith.”
Harvey was surprised and said, “Well, welcome to our scout party. I’ll find out why you were brought to us in a moment.” Harvey looked at Enapay, “What did you find out?”
“They are killing women each day.”
“How many?”
“At least six to ten; I expect them to massacre them soon.”
“How many will they kill?”
Enapay looked at Karon, “About two hundred.”
Harvey stared at Karon and blew out a breath slowly. “How many warriors do they have?”
“At least a hundred.”
Harvey considered just leaving but he knew what Andy would say if he did. Harvey shook his head and looked up at the sky. The stars were different from those he knew but he had been watching them while he was on the cliff at night and knew it was about seven o’clock. He turned to Enapay, “I need you to go back and tell Andy what’s happening. Tell him about Karon and let him know that we are going down in the morning so that we can try to save the women. If he chooses not to come, bring back enough arrows for us to take them on.”
Enapay stood and took off his bow and quiver. He picked up a water container and disappeared into the night. Jenak watched him go and shook his head, “They’ll never get here in time.”
Harvey smiled, “Enapay can run all night if needed. He is our best long distance runner. We can’t stand by and do nothing.”
Jenak looked at Karon, “We’re going to need you to help us get the women to follow our instructions. Are you willing to go back?”
Harvey interpreted Jenak’s comments and she nodded. Harvey looked at the scouts and said, “Anchor your ropes. I want all of them ready for the morning.”
The ropes were anchored into the top of the cliff and Harvey said, “Everyone try to get some sleep; you’re going to need it.”
Jenak stumbled a few feet away from the others and felt his muscles cry out in agony. He winced as he lowered himself to the path and he used his quiver as a pillow. His arms hurt too much to lift and rub his aching shoulders. In an hour he was still suffering when he felt something. He looked over his shoulder and saw Karon rubbing his shoulders. She put her finger to her lips and he blew out a breath as she touched a tender spot. He rolled over on his stomach and Karon rubbed his shoulders until they started to soften. She move around and lay down in front of him. She snuggled close and put her head on his quiver beside his. He sighed and in a few minutes, they were both asleep.
• • •
Harvey smiled as he saw the woman go to Jenak and start rubbing his shoulders. She was wise to recognize that he had placed his life in danger to bring her up. He had reservations about making the attempt to save the women but life was a gamble at best. It was worth the effort to try. He looked up at the stars that were strangers and felt sorrow for the loss of so many on the reservation. His wife and son had died of the sickness and he was alone. Whatever had brought him to this time did not do him a favor. He missed his family. Perhaps he would join them tomorrow.
• • •
Enapay arrived at the community at midnight. He repelled down the cliff wall and ran toward the cave entrance. He blew the whistle as soon as he hit the ground and heard Raptors run away. He went to the stone wheel and said, “Anna!”
The following roar woke the cave and everyone went for their weapons. Andy arrived at the door first and rubbed Anna on her jaw. She stopped roaring and he heard, “I need you to open the entrance.”
Andy went to the stone wheel and Anna followed him and put her head against it and pushed the wheel away. Enapay came in and Andy’s face showed instant fear, “Are the others…”
“They’re fine for the moment but they are going to attack two hundred Outsiders in the morning.”
Andy was stunned, “Tell me what’s going on.”
The wheel was rolled back in place as Andy and Enapay walked into the cave.
• • •
Harvey opened his eyes. Someone was coming. He sat up and lifted his bow and pulled an arrow out of his quiver. He pulled it back and saw Enapay jogging toward them. He smiled and saw the scout was weary. The others woke as he sat down heavily on the path.
“That was a rather long run, my friend.”
“I’ve run longer, just not recently.” Enapay took the two quivers stuffed with arrows off his shoulders and said, “Andy is coming with the others and should arrive soon after daybreak.”
“What time did they leave?”
“Around midnight.”
Harvey thought for a moment and said, “They’ll have to move at four miles an hour to get here by then.”
“The first group is coming light. The second will be arriving about an hour later.”
Harvey nodded and saw there was about another two hours before sunrise. “You should rest.”
Enapay nodded and reached inside his camosuit and pulled out a packet. “Andy thought you might want to use the woman you saved to help rescue the others. He sent this for her to wear.” Harvey took the packet as Enapay fell back. He was asleep in less than five minutes.
Harvey looked at Karon as he opened the packet and said, “You should put this on.” Karon took the small suit and shook her head. Harvey said, “You’ll have to undress to put it on; all of ours were the same size.”
Karon looked down the path into the darkness and hesitated, “I don’t want to go alone.” She looked down at Jenak and Harvey told him what she said. He looked at her and nodded. He stood and walked with her into the darkness. The walked thirty yards and Jenak turned his back to her. Karon grabbed him and turned him toward her and shook her head. Jenak saw her fear and tilted his head and smiled. She undressed and Jenak thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She pulled the camosuit on and her body slowly disappeared. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He stared at her and she saw his feelings. She moved forward and hugged him tightly, “Thank you for saving me.”
Jenak didn’t understand her words but he understood what she was saying. He returned her hug and led her back to the scouts. She took his hand in hers and held it tightly.
They sat down at Jenak’s quiver and Karon looked at Jenak and looked away. Jenak shook his head and put his arm around her and lay back down. She snuggled close and closed her eyes.
• • •
Harvey stayed awake and was surprised to see that Andy and Linnae were among the first to arrive. Harvey stood up and met them fifty yards from the sleeping scouts. “I think we should stay here until daybreak. Why don’t you have a camosuit on?”
“The women are going to need to be able to see someone. I also intend to discuss the situation with the Atlantans once we get the women to safety. I don’t want them to think I’m alone.”
Harvey shook his head, “Well, that should do it. Just make sure you don’t get close to their cutters.”
Andy smiled, “Actually, we discovered getting ready to come here that the cutters won’t cut the material.”
Harvey stared at Andy for a moment and said, “You’re kidding me; right?”
Linnae shook her head, “That’s the only thing that made me quit pressuring him to put a camosuit on. He tried to cut one of the packets with an archery suit in it and the only thing that burned was the packaging.”
“We might need to think about wearing one under the camosuits.”
Andy nodded, “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Didn’t Enapay fill you in?”
“He did but you know more than him.”
“It appears the Outsiders in the cave below us marched overland and killed every male in the other cave. They took the women prisoner and marched them back. Karon told me last night that th
e Royal is deciding which ones he will keep for his fun.”
Linnae’s expression turned angry and Harvey said, “They are killing some of the women every day by forcing them to go to the river unarmed.”
Andy pulled some ropes off his shoulder. Harvey noticed there was a sling at the end of them. “We’re going to try and get the women to the top of the cliff before we confront their troops.”
Harvey nodded, “Wait a moment.” He walked over and tapped Karon on the shoulder. He eyes flew open and Harvey put his finger over his mouth. She nodded and got up without waking Jenak. She followed Harvey over to Andy and Linnae and saw people starting to arrive and sit down beyond them. Harvey said in Latin, “She speaks my language but I also suspect she speaks English as well.”
Andy looked at Karon and smiled, “Do you understand English?”
Karon smiled, “I do.”
“What time do they bring the women out each morning?”
“I’m not sure what time it is but the sun is shining half way down the trees along the river.”
“What are the others doing in the cave when they’re brought out?”
“They’re usually sleeping or getting something to eat.”
Andy nodded and looked at Harvey, “We need to make this happen quickly.” Harvey nodded and they began anchoring ropes to the path at the top of the cliff. Andy looked at Karon, “I need you to provide a diversion.”
“How?”
“Put your clothes on over the camosuit and walk toward the guards. I’ll send Jenak and Chatan down to take them out while they’re trying to figure out how you survived.”
“How will you take them out?”
“We can’t use the cutters or arrows; that would warn the others of our presence. We’ll probably just use old school tactics.” Karon’s eyebrows came down and Andy smiled, “A blow to the head should do it.” The Romans began arriving and Andy looked at Jenak, “You and Chatan should get down to the clearing with Karon.” Jenak looked at Karon putting her clothes on over the camosuit and frowned, Andy saw his expression and smiled, “She’s simply a diversion. You and Chatan will have to take care of the two guards.”
Jenak nodded and waited on Karon to finish dressing. Chatan went down one of the ropes as Jenak grabbed the rope and waited for Karon to grab the rope above him. She smiled and said, “I think I can handle the going down piece of this.” Jenak looked at her and she said, “Harvey, please tell him what I said.”
Harvey interpreted and Jenak said, “It’s better not to take a chance.” Harvey told Karon what he said and she smiled. She grabbed the rope and began moving down the cliff with Jenak staying close all the way down to the ground.
Chapter Eleven
The women were rushed out of the cave in silence. They had learned that any noise would lead to a beating. They gathered in a group twenty yards from the entrance and the two guards sat down on the lip of the cave’s opening. “It would really be nice to be able to sleep late once in a while.” The second guard nodded. “Which ones will we play with today?”
The second guard opened his mouth but then pointed at the cliff wall to the north. The first guard turned and said, “Well I’ll be a burning bridge. How is she still alive?”
The two guards stood and went to meet Karon as she casually strolled toward them. They looked at each other and silently agreed she was going to be the first one sent to the river. Karon stopped ten feet from them and smiled, “I hope you’re having a good day.”
The first guard tilted his head to the left and said, “Why would you wish that?”
Suddenly both guards’ heads snapped forward and they fell face first into the sandy soil. The women watched the guards go down and Karon quickly put her finger up to her lips and said quietly, “Be silent and follow me.”
Karon turned and started walking along the cliff wall to the north. The women were stunned and no one moved. Karon turned around and said, “You’re wasting time; come on!”
Several women jumped up and ran toward her and the others immediately followed. They saw a man dressed in a blue and white uniform at the base of the cliff wall and they wondered what was going on. The women gathered around Karon and she grabbed the closest woman and pulled her forward. She wrapped a sling under her arms and pulled the rope. The woman’s eyes grew big as she was rapidly pulled up the cliff wall. She grabbed another woman and put her in a sling as well. The women looked at the wall and then looked at Karon. She smiled and pointed to the ropes. The women rushed forward and began pulling the slings over their heads. There were fifteen ropes and the women waited their turn. Suddenly, twenty more ropes came from the top of the cliff and women were going up at an incredible rate. In less than thirty minutes, all of them were pulled to the top of the cliff.
• • •
Linnae waited on the cliff top and greeted each woman with a hug and pointed for them to move down the path away from the archers that were pulling them up. When all of them were sitting in a group, Linnae smiled and said, “Does anyone here speak English?”
Six women raised their hands and Linnae said, “Please tell your friends that we are going to move you to a place of safety. Before we can leave, we must remove the evil that lives in the cave.”
Renak came forward and repeated what Linnae said in the Atlantan language. The women listened to Renak but watched Linnae pull up something that covered her upper body and put something on her head; she disappeared. They saw a rope start moving and they knew she was going down. They looked closer and saw all the ropes were moving. The women rushed to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the clearing. The only one they saw was the man in the blue and white uniform.
Jenak helped Karon remove her outer clothing and then took off his camosuit. Karon put her hand on his arm and he saw her fear. Jenak put his hand on her cheek and smiled. He put on an archery suit that Linnae had brought with her and he turned and heard, “I’ll keep her with me.” Jenak smiled as Linnae told Karon in English to stay close to her. Jenak took her skull cap out of her hands and pulled it over her head. Karon saw Linnae standing next to her and men were coming down the cliff wall in large numbers; but not as many as the evil ones in the cave.
Jenak put his camosuit in a packet and walked forward to join Andy. Andy was standing beside the two guards and when either of them stirred, he kicked them in the head. Andy saw a head stick out of the cave and look around. He smiled and waved. The head disappeared and he could hear the shouting in the cave clearly. Jenak arrived next to Andy as he said, “It looks like they don’t like guests.”
The shouts grew louder as Atlantan troops began pouring out of the cave and lining up in formation. Jenak adjusted his quiver that was covered in camomaterial and was invisible to the rapidly increasing numbers of troops. He kept his bow pushed behind his back. He looked at Andy and saw him shake his head. “What?”
Andy sighed, “You’re sure we should kill them all?”
“I am unless you have a way for any of them to show they’re not evil.” Andy nodded.
• • •
Herek took the two plates out of the entrance to the cave and didn’t see the women. That was unusual. He looked to the left and then to the right. He saw two men in blue uniforms standing over the two guards. The women were nowhere to be seen. One of the men waved and he raised his hand to wave back and stopped himself. He dropped the plates and ran into the cave yelling, “All of the women are gone and our guards are down. Two men are standing over them.”
The High Royal moved forward, “What are you saying?” Herek repeated what he saw; the High Royal yelled, “Grab your weapons and form up outside!!” The cave was a mad house as the men grabbed their cutters and stormed out of the cave. Two hundred and twenty six armed troops rushed out and formed five lines with forty one warriors in each of them. Once the lines were formed; the six Royals walked out of the cave and stood behind them. The High Royal saw Andy and Jenak and said, “Kneel.” The lines of warriors in front of him knelt d
own to provide the High Royal a clear view. The Atlantans saw one of the guards at the feet of the two men move and the taller one kicked him in the head. The High Royals face turned grim.
Andy said, “Repeat what I say.” Jenak nodded, “One would think that he would have learned by now not to move. I guess you’re dumber here than I thought.” Jenak repeated Andy’s words and the High Royal’s expression changed.
“Are you one of us?”
Jenak said, “I once was…but not anymore.”
“Why is that?”
Jenak looked at Andy and told him what the Royal said, “Answer him.”
“I could no longer be a part of something as evil as what our civilization had become. You’ve only proven it by attacking the other cave and your brutality with those you captured.”
The Royal looked around, “What did you do with our women?”
Jenak translated what the Royal said quietly and Andy smiled, “We’ve sent them where they will be safe.”
The Royal sneered, “There’s no place safe here.”
Andy shook his head, “It appears almost every place is safer than being held here as a captive. We’ve decided to put a stop to your cruelty.”
The King laughed, “And just how are the two of you going to do that?”
Andy said, “I’m going to give you one chance to save your lives; there will not be another. Put down your weapons, step back, and we’ll allow you to live.”
One of the Atlantan captains said, “Please allow my company to go and remove this intolerable slug.”
The High Royal nodded, “Make them die slowly.”
One of the lines of warriors walked out of the Atlantan formation and moved toward Andy. Andy put his hand up and raised it to shoulder height. He held it there and watched the forty one warriors moving toward him. The line did a left turn and formed a line thirty yards in front of Andy and Jenak. The Captain said, “We will try to hold them off long enough for you to escape. You should run now.”
