Thunder Moon: Book 2 of the Chatterre Trilogy (Chatterre Triology)

by Jeanne Foguth

  “Otami.”

  Thunder's expression became even more perplexing. “Will he be held responsible for moving the red moon?”

  “I don't know,” she admitted, “but knowing him, if it isn't good, he will find a way to blame me for it.” She started to laugh, and couldn't quit.

  “What is so funny?”

  “Nothing.” She laughed so hard she started to cry.

  Thunder held her close, as if trying to give support. “Please tell me.”

  “Otami spent his life trying to be the best shepherd and soon, there will be no more herd. I spent my life adopting the family I wanted to have, and now they are all either dead or far away. I was thinking how futile everything has been.” Her body shuddered, as her tears of mirth became sobs of regret.

  Thunder gestured to a pile of supplies, which looked suspiciously like explosives. Now, she shuddered for a new reason and Preston's doubts about her choice to follow the handsome healer became so loud in her thoughts that she could barely pay attention to anything else. Why do you trust this – this person? Why do you trust this – this person? Why do you trust this – this person? She didn't know the answer to that, or why the same question wouldn't stop circling in her mind.

  Do you really believe a survivable world exists in the bowels of that ash heap? If this was the portal, which they had spent so much time getting to, then it didn't look positive.

  How do you know the warrior you trust too much isn’t leading you into the bowels of hell? She had no answer for that thought, either. An even older thought penetrated her fear and confusion. Once you've hit bottom, your only way is back up. It had been one of her mother's favorite sayings, but no thoughts had been able to keep her from the recycling chamber on her fortieth birthday.

  Do you really prefer to be dead than an insignificant person in an unknown world? That was a very difficult question. One she didn't have an answer for.

  While Raine fought with her thoughts, Thunder shrugged out of the harness he had made to carry the android, and began to busy himself with the suspicious pile of supplies. She noticed that Tem-aki seemed interested in the project, too, which didn't surprise her. She'd always heard Guerreterre's warriors were an evil bunch of destroyers, so why wouldn't one who proclaimed himself a healer, also be fascinated by destruction?

  Hand in hand, Reed and Coral wandered deeper into the area, which the mooncalf had apparently burned through. Soon, the intensity of her doubts drowned out their voices. Raine didn't know how long Thunder and Tem-aki had been working before she realized that they were setting charges to destroy the mineshaft behind them. She leaped to her feet and grabbed Thunder's arm. “You can not bury us in this awful crypt!”

  “This is not a crypt. It is the Star Bridge and I must blockade it so no more madrox come through to destroy my world.”

  “Whatever you want to call it, you can not blow this up with us all inside.”

  “If I do not, my world is not safe.”

  “From what?”

  “Madrox.”

  “That is ridiculous. Do you know how far away we are from any possible mooncalf?” She threw up her hands. “It was a fluke that one got away from Otami.”

  “Was it?” Tem-Aki asked.

  “Yes!”

  Behind the shield of his helmet, Thunder's expression was sorrowful. “I wish I knew that was certain.”

  Tem-aki held up an instrument, which was similar to one Gornt had used to analyze problems with Nambaba. “I've been getting strange readings on this for the past hour. Do I have time to backtrack and check the old mine?”

  “Why?” Raine and Thunder asked in unison.

  “Because, I don't know what was mined here and whatever it was could affect the explosives.”

  “Be a quick as possible,” Thunder said. Tem-aki nodded and started back.

  When Thunder resumed setting up the charges, Raine demanded, “Didn't you hear what she said? If there is something chemically off, you could kill us all.”

  “Better that than everyone and everything on my world.”

  “I do not want this black hole to be my grave.”

  “Then leave.” He pointed toward where Reed and Coral had disappeared. With no other option, she walked into the dark unknown.

  Chapter 30

  Tem-aki swatted her tricorder. Though it was programmed for her geological project, it was capable of determining other things beside mineral content and the reading for silica was very strange. Even stranger, the reading where Thunder was working showed oxygen and granite, yet two strides up the long incline, the readings changed to ones which she would expect to find in an oxygen-free salt mine.

  Attention totally on her tricorder, she swiftly backtracked. The farther she went, the stronger the silica readings and the hotter she began to feel. Knowing she was exerting herself too much, and needed to conserve her oxygen, she looked up to orient herself and saw a bright golden glow in the distance. She blinked, certain that she was seeing things.

  If she hadn't spent most of her waking hours watching madrox for the past few days, she would not have recognized the color or odd movement pattern. But she had been on Ishdo and realized that Thunder's worst fear was not based in paranoia; it was coming true.

  “We've got to get out of here,” she screamed into her mic. “There's a dragon in the tunnel.”

  Screaming panic reverberated through the speakers.

  “Hurry,” Thunder urged, “I must ignite the explosives!”

  “Just go,”Tem-aki screamed, “I will do it.”

  “You know how?”

  “Of course.”

  She saw a glimpse of his disappearing form, as she got back to the area of strangest readings. It only took a moment to activate the charges and she was a blink from following Thunder, when she realized the Android had been left behind. After heaving it onto her back, she was taking her second step after Thunder, when the charges exploded.

  One minute, she was starting to run, the next, she was falling and bits of rock were exploding all around her.

  Tem-aki put out her arms to break her fall.

  Chapter 31

  Thunder burst onto the high, charred cliff amid an explosion of rock. He stumbled as he veered to his right, finally finding protection behind a semi-charred boulder.

  Panting for breath, and heart thundering with fear, it took several moments before he realized that the dust was settling. He stood up and looked for the others. Slowly, Raine, Coral and Reed emerged from the spots they had taken refuge. Mouth dry, he looked for Larwin's sister, but it soon became obvious that she must still be in the Star Bridge. Hoping that she had not been too close to the blast, or hit by a rock, He squared his shoulders and headed back into the cavern.

  Raine followed him all the way to the solid granite wall that now closed the tunnel. She stooped than brushed some dust aside to reveal the components they had set up to organize the explosives; some portions had been damaged, but for the most part they had survived the detonation. Scowling, he looked for the android, but it had vanished along with Tem-aki.

  Raine looked up at him, her eyes appearing impossibly large behind the visor screen. “Do you think she made it out?”

  “I hope so.” Thunder swallowed. “She must have made it this far. Otherwise there would not have been an explosion.”

  “I didn't see her between here and the cliff.”

  “Neither did I.”

  He wouldn't have thought her eyes could get larger, but they did. “You don't think she ran over the edge, do you?”

  His blood chilled at the thought, but it was the only thing that made sense. “We'll look for her body, as we descend. At least we can do that.”

  Raine nodded.

  “I don't know what I'll tell Larwin. I not only lost his sister, I lost GEA-4 … this is not good…”

  “But at least your world is safe from dragons”

  “True.”

  When they returned to the cliff, Coral and Reed were stan
ding shoulder to shoulder staring in awe at the valley floor far below the sheer granite wall.

  Raine gasped, “How beautiful. There is so much land and so little water. I've heard of this, but never though I’d live to see so much green.”

  Thunder had never thought he’d live to see a world of water, either but he had and it wasn’t the horror he’d imagined. Grateful to be home, he worked the disagreeable clasps on the helmet and yanked it off. 'Do you want to rest here, or begin the descent?” he asked the others. “And I warn you, it is not easy.

  “I think I need to rest,” Coral said, pulling off her ill-fitting flight suit.

  “My lungs are feeling the strain of the thin air,” Reed said, “so I, too, need to rest and acclimate.”

  Raine nodded in agreement and began removing her flight suit. A moment after she took off her helmet, a wave of dizziness hit her so hard that she slumped against Thunder. He quickly grabbed her and helped her sit down.

  “I should have warned you that the air up here was hard to breathe.”

  “Will it be better lower?” Coral asked.

  Thunder nodded.

  Before the sun set, they had found a safe place to sleep. When Thunder fell asleep, he dreamed of slim fingers. Were they a woman’s? His mother? Grandmother? Whoever they belonged to, they were in deep water. He watched the hand for a long time, then fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

  He woke to a familiar, deep rumbling and opened one eye to see Kazza. “Hey big guy. I'm back.” He hugged the mighty cat in greeting.

  The cat placed one huge paw on each of Thunder's shoulders, and dropped its massive head to look him in the eye. Then, as unexpectedly as he’d reared up, the cat twirled and landed back on his paws. “Well?” Thunder demanded.

  “She’s all right?” Thunder asked.

  Kazza purred.

  “Thank goodness. Can we find her?”

  “Are you speaking to that animal?” Raine asked, then released a pent-up breath that she hadn’t realize she’d been holding.

  Thunder put his hand on Raine's shoulder. “Yes, and Tem-aki is well.”

  “How?”

  He shrugged.

  “Where?”

  He shrugged, again. “I don't know, but I will keep looking.

  Raine covered his fingers with her own. “I will do anything I can to help find her.”

  “Thank you, but first, we need to make it down this mountain. Do you feel up to that?”

  She looked across the magnificent valley, which would be her new home and nodded.

  Thunder's fingers tightened around Raine's, drawing her tightly against his side. “For now, I want to eat, then I want go home.” He tipped her chin up, so she looked into his eyes. “I want to find out if you’d like to share those plans with me.”

  She nodded.

  Her heart leaped at the promise in his eyes, then her blood warmed as he lowered his lips to meet hers and seal the pledge.

  ### THE END ###

  I hope you enjoyed Thunder Moon. If so, please leave a review on the book's product page. Reviews are very important to authors, so they are greatly appreciated.

  Thank you!

  About Jeanne Foguth

  Though Jeanne began her career technical writing, her love of romantic-suspense, whether it be present, future or in an unknown galaxy inspired her to write the novels she wanted to find in bookstores. Since marrying, Jeanne and her husband have lived from the arctic to the tropics, as well as from yacht to off-grid mountain home. She loves using vivid colors and flowing shapes in her oil paintings as well as creating edible landscapes. She recently finished preparing previously-published novels for their digital debut, and is now working on new stories.

  You can always find out what she is working on and/or contact her at:

  Her blog: http://foguth.wordpress.com

  Her web-home: http://www.jeannefoguth.com/

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeannefoguth

  OR follow on Twitter @JeanneFoguth

  Other Books by Jeanne Foguth

  Sci-Fantasy:

  Kazza's Chatterre Trilogy

  Star Bridge

  Nimri, an herbal healer and Chatterer's new Keeper of the Peace, must safeguard her tribe from their bitter rivals. To do this, she must find her 'magic core'.

  Many light years away, Colonel Larwin Atano, an elite Guerreterran Shadow Warrior, fights to save his intergalactic star-fighter. Despite all efforts, he crashes.

  Larwin perceives Chatterre's resources as a means to gain power and prestige and views the planet's inhabitants as a minor inconvenience.

  Nimri believes Larwin is a supernatural Guardian, who will protect her tribe from their rivals.

  Who will survive the coming conflict?

  Thunder Moon

  Thunder Cartwright dreams that madrox (dragons) will invade Chatterre and destroy his world unless the star bridge is closed.

  Raine, a Kalamaran Dragon Shepard, must catch a rogue mooncalf and return it to the herd or face possible death.

  Who will will win and who will die?

  Fire Island

  Tem-aki Atano fell through a rift, when the star bridge was destroyed, and must find a way to survive on an island, which worships destructive madrox (dragons).

  Cameron O'Ryan, must figure out if legend and reality have things in common or merely are stories told to children.

  Meanwhile three dragon eggs are hatching... Will they destroy the island and everyone living on it? Or can they be controlled?

  Fantasy

  Xander's Sea Purrtection Files:

  Latitudes and Cattitudes

  ~ A prequel to the Sea Purrtector Files ~

  This short prequel to the Sea Purrtector Files centers on Xander de Hunter when he is a rising star on Catamondo's kick-boxing circuit, with dreams of becoming a Purrtector.

  After a match in Seattle, he is asked to help find Cha-Cha, a white Norwegian beauty, who is missing.

  With Merlin's assistance, they follow Cha-Cha's trail into the Puget Sound where Xander must face his biggest fear – water.

  The Red Claw

  Dame Esmeralda, the Purrsident's littermate, has been catnapped. Xander de Hunter, Catamondo's Sea Purrtector hurries to Jamaica to help rescue her, even though Jamaica is one of Dogdom's strongholds.

  Could this be a trap?

  Purr-a-noia

  Catamondo and Dogdom's peace treaty is in jeopardy. In Haiti, witchcraft and voodoo seem to be involved in a plot to hex the Purrsident.

  Will Xander be able to restore the peace?

  The Vi-Purrs

  The Daily Mews reports continued violence in the Dominican Republic Purrtectorate.

  Xander discovers that the Moreau situation is still affecting the ability of Catamondo to purrtect cats. Worse, the office of the Dominican Republic's Purrtector seems to be involved.

  Will Xander be able to restore peace?

  Contemporary Suspense/Romance

  Deadly Rumors

  Kelsey MacLennan and Devlin Doran both want to make the world better.

  Doran believes the rumors about the MacLennans dealing drugs, so his goal is to bring them down.

  Kelsey MacLennan wants to make the world better, but her senatorial political campaign turns deadly and rumors abound, when the incumbent must win or be killed by his backers. Devlin Doran's younger sister died of an overdose, so his goal is to prosecute pushers. Rumors abound that the MacLennans are high in the local drug network and he is targeting Kelsey MacLennan.

  Will they be able to separate fact from fiction or will the rumors be deadly?

  Fatal Attractions

  Ariel and Tempest Danner have escaped Tempest's homicidal father for the sixth time in five years. Armed with new identities and disguises, they are determined that Fairbanks, Alaska will be a sanctuary where they can live in peace.

  Stone O'Banyon, their new landlord, has been divorced for three years. All his energy is focused on his job and Dolly, who would never
hurt him.

  The last thing Ariel needs or wants is the attraction she feels for another tall, dark man, who seems hard as the granite he is named for, but the fascination will not go away. Stone isn't any happier with his obsessive thoughts concerning Ariel.

  Things seem calm, then Ariel and Tempest catch sight of the man they had hoped they would never encounter and things turn fatal...again.

  Passion's Fire

  Prior to the blaze that killed her husband, Jacqueline Cardew believed her husband wrote the "fiery messages' she received. Now she finds a new note inside her locked house. Jacqueline suspects her faceless stalker murdered Adam and she is next. She flees north, where she joins Link Gavallan's group on a two week long Alaskan wilderness canoe trip. As they float down the desolate river, she receives another message…

  Instead of finding a sanctuary, has she made it easier for her stalker to trap her?