“Show us,” I said, signaling the other to get up to move out.
“This way,” Emer said, putting the arm of one of the more seriously wounded around her shoulders. She continued walking up the alley. The rest of us followed. After a scant distance, we came upon a handcart that someone had left next to the rear of a building.
“Stop,” I said. “Let’s put this woman on the cart.”
Gently, we laid the unconscious woman on the back of the cart. Then I went to Idril, picked her up in my arms, and carried her to the cart.
“I can walk,” she protested.
“You can barely stand,” I said. “If you ride, we can move faster.”
The woman who had helped me bear the woman on the shield took one handle of the two-wheeled cart. I took the other, and we continued walking. After about ten minutes, Emer stopped ahead. I left the cart and walked to her side.
“The gate is there,” Emer said, pointing ahead. “Just beyond the corner.”
“Do you know how many guards are stationed there?” I said.
“Before the city fell to the rebels, we guarded it with four warriors,” Emer said. “I know not how the rebels have chosen to guard it.”
“How does the gate open?” I said.
“There is a chain windlass,” Emer said. “It is an iron-barred gate that raises and lowers when the windlass is turned.”
The women had gathered around us as I spoke with Emer.
“Wait here,” I said. “I will go take care of the guards at the gate.”
“There will probably be at least four,” Emer said.
“I will deal with it,” I said.
“No, I’ll go with you,” Emer said, brandishing a rakir she had taken off a dead guard back at the stockade. “Also, if I may, I will offer a plan.”
“I’m delighted to listen to your plan,” I said.
Once she had explained the plan, I found it an excellent one that I felt confident could succeed. Taking the shield and one of the captured spears, I ran ahead to the next corner. Emer was to wait until I made the first move. That would be her signal to carry out her part in the plan.
Having tied the sheath of the katana to my sword belt, I hefted the spear and shield. Stepping out of the shadows, I strode purposefully toward the gate. Emer had been right about the numbers. I observed four guards, three standing on the ground near the gate, and a fourth above the gate on the parapet walkway.
The guards all turned toward me when they saw me approaching.
“What is your business here?” a guard challenged.
“I’m pursuing a female spy who escaped arrest,” I said. “We lost her in this area.”
“We have seen no female,” the guard said.
At that instant, Emer stepped from hiding into the street.
“Help me!” she cried out to the guards.
“That is the female,” I shouted. “Seize her!”
Two guards immediately ran toward Emer. The third turned to watch. I noted the guard above on the wall was also distracted. Praying my training had been useful, I raised the spear and cast it with all my might. The guard on the walkway was still focused on Emer. My aim was true. The spear took the guard on the walkway on the left side of his chest. He grabbed the shaft of the spear, his eyes wide in utter surprise. After falling back against the parapet for a moment, he toppled headfirst from the walkway and landed on the street.
The guard at my side had already drawn his rakir. Instead, he should have retrieved his spear from where it leaned against the wall. When I pulled the katana, the guard understood his error. He had brought what amounted to a large knife to a sword fight. Still, he gamely sprang at me. Our blades had not crossed twice before I had opened his belly with a slashing stroke. I finished him with a slash to the neck to silence him when he cried out. The guard fell dead at my feet. I looked swiftly to Emer, ready to assist her. I need not have felt concern.
The two guards who had rushed at her it seemed had not expected a lone naked female crying for help to be a threat. When they got to her, they had been unaware of the rakir she had concealed behind her thigh. She had slashed and stabbed them both before either had even seen the sword. When I arrived at her side, Emer was stripping the tunic from one body. To my surprise, she stood and pulled the tunic on over her head. There was blood on it where she had thrust her blade between the ribs of the former owner.
“I tired of being naked,” Emer said with a grin.
“The tunic has blood on it,” I said.
“It doesn’t matter,” Emer said. “None of it is mine.”
We both laughed.
“Go get the others while I open the gate,” I said.
Emer nodded and hurried away. I ran to the windlass, placed my hands on one of the poles attached to it, and pushed. The windlass turned easily. The chain clanked as it wound around the windlass, and the gate rose. By the time Emer had returned with the others, the gate was open. I grabbed a handle of the two-wheel cart, and we all passed through the gate and out of the city.
After traveling south far enough so that the darkness concealed us from the view of anyone on the city walls, I changed our course to the east. Some ten minutes later, I altered our route to the northwest, a bearing I hoped would lead us to Haela’s farm, or near to it.
Some thirty minutes after we had left the city, trumpets blared. Looking back, I saw in the distance burning torches appearing all along the city walls.
“They have discovered their dead at the stockade, the gate, or both,” Emer remarked.
“They will pursue us,” another woman said.
“Maybe not right away,” I said. “With the number of dead, the rebel commanders may assume a band of warriors infiltrated the city. Fearing a trap, they may be reluctant to open the gate and send their warriors in pursuit until dawn.”
“Even so, at our slow pace, the rebels will surely overtake us even if they delay pursuing us until daybreak,” Idril said.
“Not if they delay until dawn and pursue us on foot,” I said. “Ahead less than two legas lies the farm of my recent acquaintance. She has a gardo and a team of veovarks. Soon we will ride north on the paved road towards Thiva.”
Along the way, we were forced to add two more women to the cart. Their wounds and fatigue prevented them from walking further. With the added load, it was even more challenging to pull the hand cart across the stony, sandy ground. But at least we avoided stopping altogether.
The clouds in the night sky thinned enough so that the light of the moons of Vulvar penetrated. Luck was with us. In the distance, I made out the black outlines of the house and outbuildings of Haela’s farm.
Less than an hour after we had escaped Nisa, we arrived in the farmyard outside Haela’s house. I felt as though I could not have pulled the cart another dozen steps.
“Wait here,” I said to the others, as I stumbled toward the front door of the darkened house.
Beating on the door and calling out Haela’s name, I soon heard rustling sounds from within.
“What do you want at this hour?” Haela called from beyond the door.
“Haela, it is Tom Gray,” I shouted. “We need your help.”
After a moment, Haela threw open the door. She stood in the doorway, wearing a nightdress, and holding an oil lamp.
“I thought the rebels had captured you,” she said. “You never met with me in the city.”
“They didn’t capture me, but detained me after a fashion,” I said. “But, none of that matters now. I have the warriors of Thiva with me. We need your gardo.”
“The warriors the rebels captured?”
“Yes, and most are in poor condition. We must get them away from Nisa before the rebels mount a pursuit.”
“Where are they?”
“Out in the yard, near the well.”
Haela followed me out into the yard where I’d left the others.
“By the Goddess Queens,” Haela said after examining the women by the light of the oil
lamp. “Get them in the house. I’ll clean and tend their wounds as best I can and get them clothing.”
“No time for that,” I said. “We must get on the road. Please hitch your team. I expect we have only three hours before daybreak. The rebels will then pursue us.”
Haela nodded. “I’ll hitch the team and bring the gardo around. But, at least bring them what blankets you can find inside the house.”
“I can do that,” I said.
Haela rushed away to hitch the team. I took Emer and another woman into the house.
“Go to the kitchen and collect whatever food you find we can take with us,” I said to Emer. “And, find a vessel for water.”
She nodded and departed. I turned to the other woman.
“Go through the house and get all the blankets you can find.”
The woman nodded and left me.
I went to the washroom. There I collected towels, a bar of soap, and a metal basin. Stopping in the kitchen, I filled the pan with water. Then I took it all outside to the women. Placing the bowl, towels, and soap in their hands, I told them to bathe their wounds as best they could. Emer and the other woman arrived. The woman passed out the blankets she had found. Emer held up a cloth sack.
“I found dried meat, some root vegetables, and bread,” she said. “And, a stone jug which I filled with water.”
“Good,” I said. “Once we get everyone into the gardo, you may pass out the food.”
The women grabbed the towels, wet them in the water basin, and shared the soap. By the time Haela drove the gardo into the yard, they had all cleaned their wounds and washed away the grime from their bodies as best they could under the circumstances.
Haela climbed down from the seat of the gardo. While she rushed inside to change out of her nightdress into proper clothing, Emer helped me load the women into the back of the wagon. We gently lifted the very ill woman and placed her on the floor. She was still unconscious but breathing.
With everyone aboard, Haela returned and climbed to the driver’s seat. I climbed up and sat beside her. Haela released the brake, slapped the backs of the veovarks lightly with the reins, and clucked to them. The gardo rolled out of the farmyard and rumbled along the dirt track toward the paved road. Minutes later, Haela steered the team onto the paved road, and we were headed north, away from Nisa.
“Do the rebels have baacaases?” I said.
Baacaases are equine-like beasts used similarly to the way the people of Earth used horses. I was most concerned about the possibility of mounted pursuit.
“I’ve never seen rebels riding baacaases,” Haela said. “I’ve only seen them on foot or occasionally riding is veovark-drawn carts.”
“That’s splendid news,” I said. “Even at this slow pace, with the head start, they won’t overtake us on foot.”
“The rebel patrols at night are unpredictable,” Haela said. “But once we are a few legas north, if no patrol has stopped us, we won’t have to worry further about it.”
“How many rebels are in the patrols?”
“Usually three or four men,” Haela said.
“If we encounter a patrol and they force us to stop, I’ll take care of it,” I said.
“I thought I heard trumpets sounding in the city earlier,” Haela said. “Tell me, Tom Gray, in the name of the Goddess Queens, what did you do in Nisa?”
“Yes, you heard trumpets,” I said. Then I summarized for her the night’s activities.
“I think the Goddess Queens will not be well pleased,” Haela said. “You’ve made it impossible to return to Nisa to carry out the mission they gave you.”
“Pleasing the Goddess Queens was not my primary concern,” I said. “As I told you, I came to this world to free the woman I loved. I am delighted I could also free the others. Had I captured or betrayed Cooke in some way, the rebels would have slain the warriors of Thiva in revenge.”
“That’s true, I suppose,” Haela said.
“You know you cannot return to your farm as long as the rebellion continues,” I said. “The rebels will track us to your farm and understand you have helped us.”
“It matters little,” Haela said. “Without laborers, I cannot farm. But, there are few spies left in Nisa now.”
“You’ve done your part, Haela,” I said. “You’ve taken enough risks. I salute your courage.”
“Thank you.”
“My mother is Anax of Thiva,” I said. “I will speak to her about you when we arrive. She will repay you for helping us tonight.”
“That would be appreciated,” Haela said. “Though I am happy to help, I have little money to support myself in Thiva.”
Both of us fell silent as the veovarks continued to plod north at a steady pace. Some three hours after we had left the farm, the life-giving star of Vulvar broke above the peaks of the Emigas mountains to the east. There had been no signs of rebel pursuit, and no rebel patrols had molested us. Haela estimated we had covered about six legas as a team of veovarks travel at an average speed of around two legas per hour.
“We’ve long since passed the farthest point I’ve ever seen a rebel patrol,” Haela said. “Soon, I must stop to rest, feed, and water the veovarks.”
“Good,” I said. “I’m ready to stretch my legs, and I want to check on our passengers.”
A few minutes later, Haela steered the team off the road onto a dirt track that led us to a small running brook with grass beside it for the veovarks, which are herbivores, to eat. Beside the stream, I helped her unhitch the team so the beasts could feed and water. Haela told me they also required at least an hour of rest before we could continue.
I walked back to the rear of the gardo and climbed inside. Most of the women were asleep. Emer woke with a start when I brushed against her on my way to check on Idril.
“Where are we?” she said sleepily when she recognized me.
“About six legas north of Nisa,” I said. “We had to stop to tend to the veovarks.”
“How much farther to Thiva?” she said.
“We should arrive there before midday tomorrow.” Haela had informed me it was around twenty-nine legas to Thiva from her farm near Nisa.
Emer nodded. “We have only food enough for another meal. We will have no rations for tomorrow.”
“Is the jug empty?” I said.
“Yes.”
“I’ll fill it in the stream before we go,” I said, picking up the stone jug.
“There is a stream here?” Emer said.
“Yes, water for the veovarks.”
Emer stood up and rummaged around until she found a towel and the bar of soap I’d taken from the farm.
“I will bathe,” she said with a grin. Then she climbed out of the gardo.
I found Idril still sleeping. I touched my hand to her brow and frowned when I discovered she was feverish. It seemed her condition had worsened. She did not wake at my touch, and I had no wish to disturb her. Before climbing out of the wagon, I checked on the gravely ill woman. She also was feverish and still unconscious. She was breathing, but in short, reedy gasps. I hoped she would survive the journey.
Emer was still splashing in the stream. I walked to a tree where Haela sat with her back against it. I sat down on the ground with my back to the stream to allow Emer her privacy. I would fill the jug when she finished.
“None of the others wished to bathe?” Haela said.
“They are sleeping,” I said.
“That one is enjoying it,” Haela said.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” I said. “The rebels didn’t allow them to wash. It has been weeks perhaps since Emer felt clean.”
“I’ll hitch the team in about twenty minutes,” Haela said. “I know a place ahead where we can camp for the night.”
“With water?” I said.
“Yes, there is a stream there also.”
“Good, maybe the others will wish to bathe when we arrive there,” I said.
“How are they?”
“Most seem to su
ffer only fatigue,” I said. “The unconscious woman is no better. She is feverish, and her breathing is labored. Idril, the woman I’ve spoken of, also seems in worse health. She is also feverish.”
“They must only hold out another day,” Haela said. “We will be in Thiva tomorrow before midday. In the city, doctors can treat their conditions.”
Emer walked by wearing the stolen yellow tunic, drying her hair with a towel.
“That was refreshing,” she said with a grin. “Though the smell in the back of the wagon will now seem even less pleasant.”
We all laughed.
“Perhaps the others will want to bathe when we stop to camp for the night,” I said.
“I plan to encourage them to do so,” Emer said, walking back towards the gardo.
Sometime later, Haela got up to hitch the veovarks, and I went to the stream and filled the jug. I returned it to Emer, and we spoke for a while until I heard Haela climbing to the wagon seat. I joined her there. She steered the team toward the paved road, and soon we were rolling once more towards Thiva.
We continued north the rest of the morning and early afternoon. With each passing lega, I felt more confident the rebels had long since abandoned any pursuit. By the tenth hour, taking into account making stops every two hours to care for the veovarks, we had covered about eighteen legas. That is when we stopped for the day.
It seemed we could have continued traveling until dusk, but Haela had pushed the team harder than she would have because of the poor condition of our passengers. She told me she usually would not ask over twelve legas per day from a team of veovarks. If pushed too hard, veovarks might either pull up lame or balk and refuse to continue.
Again, Haela found a suitable site for our overnight camp near a running brook. After watering the veovarks, this time, she removed the harnesses from them and staked them for the night. The restraints allowed them to graze and rest but prevented them from wandering away.
Except for the unconscious woman, the others bathed, including Idril. She was still feverish, but it seemed her condition had improved from the hours of sleep. Afterward, several of the women washed the unconscious warrior using the towels and the metal basin we had brought with us. We had placed her on the ground on blankets near the fire.
Rebels of Vulvar (Vulvarian Saga Book 2) Page 6
