by Beth Reason
Chapter 25
Scarab held Violet tightly on her lap with one arm while she kept the other hand on a loaded weapon. They were in an old bounty hunting transport pushing their way to the border with Kenti and the rest of the team. Another boom sounded, rocking the vehicle, and Scarab smiled. Weevil wasn't kidding when he said The Beast would win.
"Are you sure we're in no danger from that?" Tenet asked, squinting in the early morning sun out across half-harvested fields, trying to see the damage the round had caused.
"As long as we're not relying on electricity," Scarab confirmed for the third time. "Like I said, it's just an electromagnetic pulse to fry the communications systems."
"And power grids and transportation grids and electronic weaponry and..." Kenti shook his head and grinned. "We've crippled them."
Tenet shook his head and frowned. "More than you know."
Kenti saw the look on Tenet's face and bristled. "We didn't start this war," he said defensively.
Tenet sighed. "I know. I just wish things had gone differently."
Wren leaned back and closed his eyes. "Every warrior wishes conflict to be a last resort."
Kenti nodded. "Listen to the Celtie, here. He's right."
Wren didn't even bother to get offended. He was tired and worried. His brothers, both by blood and in arms, were on that front line, and he hoped they were safe. Without communications, the Southland soldiers at the front would attack. At least he would, in their position. They were openly fired upon. Pride alone would move them to charge. He continued his silent prayers to the Mother as the vehicle was rocked by another sonic wave.
Kenti turned to speak with his team and Violet let out a small snore. Tenet laughed softly. "I can't believe she can sleep through this."
"It's been a long few weeks for her," Scarab said. She kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Do you think they changed her?" she asked Tenet quietly, voicing her most terrifying concern.
Tenet shook his head and moved his hand to his wife's knee. "No. She's too much like you."
Scarab snorted and leaned back in her seat. Violet shifted to a more comfortable position, her arm flopping over and her leg sprawled.
"See?" Tenet said, pointing to his daughter's less-than-classy position. "They couldn't turn her into a lady no matter how much they tried."
Scarab turned her head to look at Tenet. She wanted to see the twinkle in his eye. She wanted to see the spark of pure life that was Tenet, to know it hadn't dimmed. She had to know he wasn't changed, either. To her relief, she saw what she needed. "I love you, you know." Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as soon as the words were out, but Tenet leaned over, touching his forehead to hers and not letting her look away, his grin melting her insides even more.
"Took you enough years to say it." He closed his eyes and let the coil of terror and anger that had ruled him for weeks finally release. "Thank you for coming to haul my ass out of there again."
Scarab smiled. "Anytime."
"Let's have this be our last trip south, hm?"
Scarab laughed and shook her head. "As long as he leaves us alone."
"He will," Tenet said firmly. "He'll be too busy trying to cover his ass."
Scarab knew that. "It's why I didn't kill him, you know. I wanted him to suffer and the only way people like that suffer is if they see their world crumble down around them. Now that's real pain."
Tenet opened his eyes and looked at his wife. "That's diabolical."
She grinned with pride. "Thanks."
Tenet wasn't smiling. "I wanted to kill him. I think I would have if that pulse hadn't gone off when it did."
Scarab knew he was being honest. "I'm glad you didn't kill him."
"So he'd suffer."
She shook her head. "No, that's why I'm glad I didn't kill him." She shifted Violet on her lap so she could tuck her gun under her leg, freeing up her hand. "I'm glad you didn't kill him for you." She laced her fingers with his and closed her eyes, letting out a big yawn. "One of us is bad and one of us is good. We won't work if we're both diabolical assholes who want to watch people suffer." She yawned again and started to drift off.
Tenet studied his wife's face thinking about her words. He didn't know if he was glad he didn't shoot his father. He wished he could be. He wanted to still be the Tenet that could let things roll off his back. But sometimes, things left their mark. He knew this was one of those times. He'd have many nights replaying the scene in his childhood bedroom and many fantasies about how good it would have felt to pull the trigger. In the end he simply walked away. Maybe someday he could feel good about that. Maybe someday he could think about the encounter with the same confidence Scarab did. Hell, maybe he'd even feel glad that his father was watching everything collapse, like she was. And maybe that day, he'd feel something other than the deep sadness for all of them they were leaving behind.
Tenet kissed his wife's forehead and turned to watch the landscape pass. There would be time for those thoughts later. They were still in enemy territory a long way from home. As Wren had said twice already, they weren't done. Someday, he'd figure out how to reconcile everything inside. For now, he shut down the thoughts and closed his eyes to get sleep while he could.
They drove through the afternoon and well into the evening before they needed to stop at a hidden Borderland cache for fuel and supplies. As they gassed up the vehicle, Scarab took Violet to use the bathroom, then let her run up and down the rows of already harvested tomatoes. There were no people in sight, and she could not hear the hum of any harvesters. The evening was very warm, and a dry wind blew whorls of dust up into the air. The very stillness was both eerie and familiar and she closed her eyes and tilted her head back to let the hot air blow through her hair.
Tenet brought over some food Kenti had given and he called Violet to eat. "It'll be Summer soon," he said as he watched his daughter play a hopping game over the barren mounds of the growing field. "How will they all migrate?"
Scarab had no idea. She knew Tenet was really starting to think about the implications of the war now. He had gone silent since early that afternoon, and she knew by the far away look in his eye he was wishing there was something more he could have done to help. Personally, Scarab didn't care if all the Southlanders fried in the unforgiving Summer sun. She loved the fact that Tenet did, even after all those bastards put him through. He was still her Tenet. "I'm sure they'll be fine, Tenet."
There wasn't any more time for talk as Violet came running up. "I hopped over seventeen rows," she said out of breath. "And I didn't even fall." Tenet smiled at her and handed over her meal. "It's jerky!" she shouted happily. She took a big bite and grinned. "I never want to see another salad in my life."
"Atta girl," said Scarab, giving Violet a nod of approval.
Tenet held up his hand. "Hold up. Your body needs the vitamins and minerals vegetation can provide..."
Violet rolled her eyes. "I was just kidding, Da."
"Yeah, Tenet," Scarab said sarcastically. "Jeez." The twinkle in her eye made Tenet smile in spite of his worry. He nudged her with his shoulder and they ate their meal in silence while Violet babbled about all the things she was not going to miss eating.
"And there was this jelly crap on everything," she said, rolling her eyes.
Tenet chewed his jerky and nodded. "Tell me about it. The very bane of my childhood. Carrot jellies and onion jellies and mushroom jellies...mushroom!" He put his hand out to Violet. "I promise you I will never again let a jelly cross your path."
Violet giggled and shook his hand. "Deal!"
"Jellies really aren't that bad," Scarab said.
"Oh no, wench. It's far too late in our marriage contract to amend that particular clause."
"I've been thinking for years that the one thing that could spice up our dinner table would be a nice, thick, jiggly, watercress jelly." Scarab's eyes shone with laughter, and Tenet put his jerky down and crossed his arms over his chest.
"If y
ou put a plate of jelly on my dinner table, you'll find yourself in a dress even before the jelly stops wobbling!"
Violet laughed and laughed. "Mumma in a dress? Yes!"
Scarab tipped her head at Tenet in concession. "No jelly, then."
"Aw! C'mon, Mumma. Jelly! Jelly!"
Tenet picked up Violet and whirled her around. "If there's jelly to be eaten, then I won't be eating it alone. You better think carefully, little girl. All that wiggly, wobbly, slippery sludge will be on your plate, too!"
Wren smiled as he approached the family. He felt a warrior's pride at bringing them back together, while still feeling a brother's fear at what they might face. He let them have their moment and when it looked like they had settled down to eat their meal, he joined them, crouching as low as his soldier's uniform would allow. He could not wait to get back in his leathers, that was for sure.
"Kenti has received word that there is fighting ahead." He said the words as casually as possible, so as not to alarm Miss Violet, but saw that Scarab and Tenet both understood the implications. "A different course will be taken."
Scarab looked at Wren and felt his fear for the Celtist warriors. "They are fine men in battle, Mr. McKay," she assured him.
Wren gave a nod, then rose to join the rest of the team. If he stayed with his friends, he would not remain strong. He saw a look of confusion on Tenet's face, but he knew Mrs. Lorne would understand and explain. He spent the rest of the break staring north, hoping for the best.
The ground vehicle traveled at a faster rate than the electric transports of Southland had. They drove hard through the night, and By the time the next dawn was breaking, they were very near the border and began passing fields of downed bots. The driver had to slow to carefully maneuver around the useless mechanical army until there was no choice but to stop and allow the team to manually clear the way.
Scarab bent and grabbed one of the dangling lasers from a downed bot and pulled, hurling it behind her out of the way. "That's some weapon he made," she muttered, thoroughly impressed. "Guess he'll expect some kind of medal for this."
"What's a medal?" Violet asked. The bots were light and small and Violet found throwing them to be great fun.
"An award. An accommodation," Tenet explained, chucking the bots two at a time. "It's a present you get for doing something good or brave."
"Can I get a medal?"
Scarab snorted. "For what?"
"I was very good and brave."
Scarab stopped and tipped her head. "Fair enough. We'll get you a medal."
Violet grinned. "Can I show Beddick?"
Tenet sighed. "That's Mr. Beddick, and yes. I suppose if we can find a medal," he said pointedly to Scarab, "then Mr. Beddick would like to see it."
Scarab wiped her brow on her sleeve, then motioned to the metallic carnage around them. "How many hunks of metal did he make?"
Tenet shook his head and went back to work. When the driver determined they could push through the rest, everyone piled back in. The useless metal soldiers thinned and stopped, the ground in front clear and bot-free within only a few more minutes of travel.
"Why is this area clear?" Tenet asked. "I would have thought they'd be right up to the border." Wren frowned and nodded his agreement.
"It was only an advance line," Kenti explained. "It was supposed to be in the front, the first wave of power to protect the human troops."
Tenet frowned. "But we didn't pass any human..." his voice trailed off. If there were no bodies, no signs of humanity, then when the metal bots fell, the Southland soldiers must have pushed ahead. "Oh."
The adults rode in silence, wondering when they'd begin to see soldiers not made of metal that had fallen. They got their answer less than an hour later as the first group of Southland soldiers passed them running the other way, retreating from the border.
"Maybe we should move Violet," Scarab said, seeing the look of terror on the faces of the Southland soldiers.
"I wanna see," said Violet, turning to kneel on the bench and stare out the windows.
Tenet picked her up and settled her on the floor between he and Scarab. "'Wanna' is not a word," he corrected. "And there are some things little girls shouldn't see, no matter how much they might want to."
"But..."
"No buts," Scarab said, pulling her gun out and checking the rounds. The impulses had destroyed their weapons' stun capabilities, and any shot would have to be a potential kill if they encountered trouble.
"Listen to your mother, Miss Violet," Wren said in his best warrior voice.
Violet sighed. "Yes, Mumma."
They rode in silence, everyone tense and on their guard. A transmission came through Kenti's walkie talkie with coordinates for them to meet a group of soldiers who would then safely escort the Lornes across the border. "We're fifteen miles out," Kenti said. They could hear shooting, and he looked to Scarab. "Get down. Cover your girl." He pulled out his gun and locked in the rounds. "Both of you. Down."
"I can help shoot," Scarab insisted.
Wren knew Mrs. Lorne was torn. "This is not a hunt. This is a war."
Scarab stared at Wren for a minute before nodding and sliding to the floor, where Tenet already had Violet positioned on his lap. "You keep your head down, young lady. And stay quiet."
Violet's heart was racing. Her Mumma and Da were scared, and that made her scared, too. She closed her eyes tight and leaned into her Da's chest. When they began to hear gunshots, she burrowed deeper. Mumma put her hand on her back, and Violet turned and flung herself into her Mumma's arms.
Scarab blinked in surprise, then looked to Tenet. Violet never turned to her. Tenet was always the one to offer comfort. For a brief moment, she didn't really know what to do. She had a gun in one hand, and a scared child in the other.
Tenet's mouth lifted in a wry smile at the look of utter panic on his wife's face. He reached over and removed the gun, then pulled her hand around Violet's back and patted it into place. "There. That's all you need to do."
"But I should be ready in case..."
Tenet wouldn't let her finish. "And I'm a highly trained soldier, even if it's been awhile." He checked the weapon and moved into a crouch, holding on to the seats with his free hand as the vehicle bounced over the unpaved terrain.
Violet was clutching Scarab tightly. Scarab still felt helpless and confused, but she did what Tenet always had with their daughter and slowly patted her back and whispered calming things. "It'll probably be okay, Violet. Honestly." She shot a terrified look at Tenet, and he nodded and motioned for her to continue. Scarab swallowed, wishing she paid better attention when Tenet had soothed Violet's fears in the past. "Uh, Da is much better with a weapon than you think. Oh! Mr. McKay is on point, that's good. I can't speak to the skills of the others, since I don't really know anything about them, but Kenti seems like he knows what he's doing. They'll put up a fight, anyway."
Tenet had to hold back a smile. That was supposed to soothe a terrified little girl? And yet, for some crazy reason, it really seemed to be doing the trick. Violet snuggled into Scarab's embrace, releasing the death grip she had around Scarab's neck.
"And we've already come so far," Scarab pointed out. "So they have to have some skill."
"They aren't as good as you, Mumma," Violet said firmly.
"Well, no. Of course not. But at least there's a lot of them."
Tenet turned his head and bit his lip hard. As soon as he caught sight of the world outside their safe little transport, all humor faded. Stretched out before him, in front of the mountains he loved and missed, were bodies. Humans. Dead soldiers, not mere chunks of metal. Everyone in the vehicle tensed, and Scarab could only imagine what they were seeing as she kept up her inane babbling, hoping that Violet wouldn't pick up on the horrified vibe that clung in the air around them. The unmistakable smell of death wafted in the open windows, and while the other scrambled to close them, Scarab pulled Violet's collar up over her nose.
"Ew! What's
that smell?"
Scarab's mind raced. "Uh, it's just, um..."
"It's manure," Tenet said, pulling his own shirt up over his nose. "They're planting a quick crop before Summer."
It wasn't manure. Her parents would not be upset if that's all it was. Violet settled back against Mumma and bit her lip to keep from crying. She wanted to be home. She wanted to be home in her own bed away from all the soldiers and the scary sounds of shooting that got louder and louder. Mumma's arms tightened around her and she knew they were in real trouble.
"We'll just sit still and be quiet now, okay? Just like when you go hunting." Scarab felt Violet's nod and held her close, wishing there was any other way to get through to the border.
Tenet watched the grim scene around their transport. It was unlike anything he could have imagined, far beyond what was taught at the Academy. Soldier dressed in the Southland garb were in various states of chaos, anguish, and death. They passed groups who struggled to treat their injured. Others walked in their practiced lines heading south, giving up and running away from the war they never knew how to fight. The worst were the ones that simply sat and stared blankly as the transport rolled by. Their eyes were dead and their faces were pale. Nothing they'd ever learned had prepared them to handle the fighting and the killing. Nothing in their lives was ever that harsh and brutal and as they rode, Tenet felt a frustrated anger build.
"It's not right," he said firmly.
"They asked for it," Kenti said again.
Tenet turned. "You keep saying that, but you're wrong, Kenti." He pointed out the window at a soldier who was too numb to even move out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. "Look at him. Did he ask for this? No," Tenet said, bitterly. "None of them did. They never even had that option. All of these Southlanders are dead because of a sick, twisted, selfish asshole and..."
"Tenet," Scarab said quietly but firmly.
Tenet stopped his rant and looked down at his daughter's wide eyes. He pressed his lips together and turned to stare back out the window. The driver of their transport had to turn to avoid the soldier and as they went by, the man stared directly into Tenet's eyes. "They didn't ask for this," he said quietly. "No one did. They weren't prepared, they weren't trained for a war. Hell, they aren't even trained to handle a real life." He sighed heavily. "They never even had a chance."
They rode in silence until they reached the mouth of a river that cut through a wide valley. The pockets of injured soldiers petered out, and as they rode up the bank of the river, it soon became clear why. High up on the steep cliffs that flanked the valley were large turrets protecting the valley. The vehicle stopped and Kenti used the walkie talkie to call for the soldier group that would escort the Lornes through to Carlton.
"You're leaving us?" Tenet asked.
Kenti nodded. "Yep. This is as far as we go. You'll be safe with this team." He pointed toward a convoy of three transports coming in their direction.
Scarab didn't doubt it. The turrets manned by the Borderlanders would keep them safe no matter who provided the escort. She helped Violet stand, then flexed the kinks out of her knees before following her out of the transport. She held her hand out to Kenti. "You're a good soldier, and I thank you for your help in getting my family back."
Kenti gave her a wry smile. "Did I help? Because as I remember it, you were pretty much a one man army."
"One woman army," she said with a twinkle of amusement and pride in her eye. "And don't forget that."
Kenti laughed and gave Tenet a sympathetic look. "I don't know how you do it, but good luck." He ruffled Violet's hair, then turned and barked orders for his team to get back in the transport as the new team pulled up.
Wren tensed for a moment, then pushed by Scarab. He knew the soldier that was coming for them, even if he was clean-shaved and in foreign military gear. "Lendyl!" he said with relief as he clasped the boy's arm. He hesitated only a second before pulling him in for a hug. While Lendyl hugged him back, Wren could already feel the change in him. He was no longer a boy, and even though Wren was sorry for what that meant, he was proud that Lendyl had turned into a true warrior. He pulled back, still grasping Lendyl's arm in a warrior's welcome, and studied his face. "I believe you have seen more than you wished."
Lendyl swallowed hard and gave a curt nod. "The Mother was generous with her assistance. I never faltered."
Wren pressed his lips together. Lendyl's eyes were hurt and tired, and Wren knew that he had killed. "We shall meditate together when the Mother delivers us to safety."
Relief washed through Lendyl. He had been torn up inside for days, wondering how it was he could kill, how he could be a great warrior now, and still feel such pain and misery for doing the very thing he swore to do. Wren seemed to understand, and that alone was a balm on his wounded self. "I am very glad to find you well," he said with sincerity.
Wren gave him a smile and released his arm. He remembered how difficult his first battle was, how much it changed him. If Mordin hadn't been there to guide him through the journey, he wondered what would have become of him. Lendyl had started down the crucial path, and though Wren felt guilty for not being there from the start, it couldn't be helped. Perhaps the fact that he faced the initial steps alone would make Lendyl even stronger.
Lendyl turned from Wren and held his hand out to Mrs. Lorne. She shook it as a warrior, and he no longer felt confused or unsure about the woman. "It is no surprise to me that you recovered your husband."
Wren smiled at Lendyl's jab. Yes, the man would be alright. He was changed, but for the good. He was stronger, wiser.
Tenet gave Lendyl an unabashed grin, with no trace that he was offended in the slightest. "I told you she'd drag me out of the fire." He shook Lendyl's hand and slapped the warrior on the back in good natured humor. "It looks like you managed to keep yourself whole as well."
Lendyl instantly sobered. He turned to Wren. "Takar fell."
Wren's heart skipped a beat and only his years as a leader of uncompromisingly strong men kept him from running to the vehicles and demanding he be brought to the body of his brother. Tenet gasped and Scarab swore, but Wren held Lendyl's gaze. "Was it an honorable death?"
Lendyl shook his head. "You misunderstand. He lives, but his injuries are great. Only the Mother can decide his fate now."
Wren released the breath he had been holding. He turned to Tenet. "You will tend him." He did not wait for a response. He turned and strode to the waiting vehicles, and the others ran after him.
"He is being tended by the army healers," Lendyl said.
Wren made a face as the vehicles lurched forward. He swore in the Celtist language and pounded his fist on the dashboard of the transport. "They dare lay their hands on a mighty Ogden warrior?"
Lendyl turned to Tenet, knowing Wren was beyond listening to reason. "There was no choice. We had no time to summon a healer from a southern sect."
"How badly is he injured?" Tenet asked.
Lendyl shook his head, giving Violet a look.
Wren's hand clenched into a tight fist on his lap. He knew Takar would be foolish, he just knew it. "I told him not to be a hero hunting for glory!" he bellowed. Even Scarab jumped. None of them had ever seen such a display of emotion from Wren, and they didn't know how to handle it.
"I rode with the tactical team lead by the honorable Fratz Gundersson." It was a marvel to those familiar with the Celtist history that Lendyl could give such a title to a soldier. "We cleared the ranks of the machine army." He turned to Wren. "You have never seen such a thing, Wren. The machine soldiers went for miles and miles."
"Yes, we had to pick our way through," Scarab said.
Lendyl grinned then, showing a flash of the excited boy he was when he entered the mission. "They were slain by our hand. Well, not our hand. That machine killer Weevil made. We rode behind them like the wind, and as we passed they fell as if slain by the Mother herself! They hardly had time to fire."
"If your defeat was so great, why does my
brother lay dying?" Wren snapped.
Lendyl turned back to him. "I was not there. We had miles and miles and miles of machines. When we were called back, we had to fight our way through the soldiers. The people climbed over the wall of metal to attack. They should have taken the warning and fled." Lendyl swallowed hard at the memory. "Takar was with the forward assault. He fought brave and fierce. I was not there, but already there are stories told."
A lot of good a story would be if he died, Wren thought, then instantly felt guilty for the very idea. Of course a story would be fitting, perhaps a prayer or even a song. It was the glory every warrior sought, to fall with honor and bravery. If any other warrior lay injured from the battle, even young and innocent Lendyl, Wren would have felt nothing but pride. But Takar, he never should have been a warrior in the first place. Wren should have pushed his younger brother away, insisted he live a more gentle life. He hadn't, and that was a guilt Wren would carry with him forever. He knew Takar would want stories and prayers and songs. It would be the proof he always sought to show everyone he was as strong as any other and as worthy a warrior as the next. Takar would want it, but Wren only wanted his brother to live. Perhaps he was getting too old and soft to be a warrior.
They rode in silence as they followed the river. In just a few minutes, they turned with a sharp bend in the path of the valley, and Carlton loomed before them. "I wish we had known about this valley six years ago," Tenet said to Scarab, remembering their treacherous trek up the side of the mountain they now easily skirted.
"That would have been way too easy."
They stopped at a large gate and the driver spoke with a soldier. In a moment, the soldier made a hand gesture and the gate opened. All around the base were tents, with people walking quickly in and around them.
"What's all this?" Tenet asked, surprised at how quickly the base had changed.
"First aid tents," the driver said, pulling up in front of the large main building. "To treat the influx of wounded."
"Where is Takar McKay?" Wren demanded.
The driver shook his head. "I don't know."
"We'll find him," Tenet said, already leaving the vehicle. He stopped and turned back to Scarab, who motioned for him to go. He pecked her cheek, told Violet to listen to her mother, then took off with Lendyl and Wren to find Takar. He didn't know if he could help, but he'd do everything in his power to try.
"Mrs. Lorne," said Major Krupkie, standing right outside the vehicle door. "I see your mission was a success." She motioned for Scarab to follow her.
"As was yours," she said, stepping out and pulling Violet with her.
Krupkie looked around the busy yard and sighed. "Is it? My mission was never this. My mission was to get them to leave us alone." She shook her head sadly. "I suppose that's just too hard for some people to understand. Come. You'll need to be debriefed. I can find someone to watch the..."
"She stays."
Krupkie opened her mouth, then closed it again at Scarab's look. "Your call. It's going to be very boring."
"For both of us," Scarab muttered. Violet heard and giggled, earning them both a confused look from Krupkie. Scarab cleared her throat. "Lead the way."
