The Free Trader of Planet Vii

by Martelle, Craig

  ‘They can also win if they don’t go anywhere near the rainforest,’ Micah interjected. ‘Do you really want to play with their lives?’

  ‘You’re right, lover. We can’t play, but we need to be ready. The alternative is that we count on Old Tech to keep us safe.’ Braden reached under his tunic to feel the scar across his ribs. Max was ambling, but the villagers were keeping up. Those who left White Beach behind were hearty.

  He looked at the individual faces, forcing himself to take in each person’s details. Tall and thin, a scar on his forehead. Crabby, bow legged and sturdy, face tanned like leather. The young boy, Yellowfin, ready with a smile. Hope brought him a new happiness.

  No, Braden thought, he couldn’t play with these people’s lives. Maybe they could practice a spear wall as they got closer to the Village of Bliss. Bliss, Coldstream, and Greentree were close to the rainforest. Braden didn’t know if the Amazonians would attack. The least they could do is help the people to help themselves.

  He couldn’t let anything happen to these villagers. They put their trust in him and the companions. They left their homes because of him.

  ‘We won’t let anything happen to them!’ Brandt’s thought voice boomed in his head. The ground trembled as Brandt snorted and ran a wide circle around the group. ‘See? Is there anything that can get past me? I’m the King of the Aurochs!’ Brandt launched himself into the air, shaking his mighty head.

  ‘If you don’t want a Hillcat clawing your ear to shreds, you’ll settle down.’ G-War’s voice came through the mindlink clearly, cutting Brandt’s playfulness short. Braden and Micah looked closer. The ‘cat was sprawled across Brandt’s head. His orange ears were back, his tail puffed out as he readied himself to be thrown to the ground.

  Brandt snorted in laughter and stopped. He held his head high, then bowed gracefully to the group of humans.

  “Brandt, King of the Aurochs, is showing you that he is here to protect you all,” Micah said in a loud voice. The villagers recovered from their initial alarm at the great beast’s antics. They returned his courtesy by bowing as they passed.

  “Thank you, my friend! We can ask for no one of greater stature to take responsibility for us,” Micah said as she bowed in her saddle.

  Skirill stopped circling high above the group and dove toward the Aurochs. As he accelerated toward the ground, he banked sharply, cutting a tight corner around the group. He completed his circle, then back winged to a soft landing on one of Brandt’s horns.

  ‘What fun!’ Aadi exclaimed as he swam serenely alongside Max. Age and wisdom kept him from any masterful displays of physical prowess.

  Plus, he was a Tortoid, and they didn’t do those things.

  Braden spurred Max forward for a quick gallop to the top of the next rolling hill, where he turned back, the sun shining brightly behind him. The villagers squinted as they looked at the man on his horse, the one who was leading them to new lives, lives filled with the promise of a bright future.

  69 – A Long Road Ahead

  The people of Westerly welcomed the villagers of White Beach with food and friendship. There was no better reception as the villagers had eaten little since they left their homes. The two groups shared laughs as well as harrowing stories of adventure.

  Braden and Micah were the consistent theme throughout all conversations. Strangers with strange creatures came out of nowhere to show them how life could be. As evening approached, the people from two villages gave a hearty cheer for the Traders from Warren Deep. Braden was humbled. Micah felt his discomfort. The crowd grew silent as they waited.

  They wanted him to talk.

  ‘Go ahead, lover. Tell them what their future looks like,’ Micah encouraged him.

  He nodded to her, then found a stump to stand on.

  “Great people of Westerly and White Beach. I thank you both for your kind words and for your willingness to share with each other. Micah and I only opened the door. You walked through it and only you can make your futures.

  “As a trader, I’ve seen that people who work together get further in life. Everyone is good at something. When you trade, you take what you’re good at and share with someone who’s good at something else. Trade is the way we get the most from everyone. Maybe someone makes more or better. That doesn’t matter. What you do and how you do it does.

  “Trust is at the heart of every trade. In the north, we have the Caravan Guild that guarantees trade. We don’t need that in the south, because here, when we put our hand to something, we stand behind it. When we shake on the deal, it’s done.

  “There are three Trade Laws: Negotiate, Agree, Deliver. It’s as simple as that. But how do we find others to trade with?

  “The King of the Aurochs has partnered with us. His people are pulling a wagon right now from Dwyer to Coldstream. Soon, the wagons will come all the way here. Westerly will anchor this end of the trade route. You’ll see woodwork like you’ve never seen before. You’ll trade for rope, light and strong, for metal shovels and axes. You don’t even know you need something until you see it. Bring your best. Get the best.

  “We’ve come a long way already. The villages--Dwyer in the east, then McCullough, the Amazonians, Greentree, Coldstream, Bliss, and now Westerly--are all committed to the trade route. We’ve been marking a road for future traders to follow.

  “What does that mean for you? Soon, there will be more wagons and regular trade. I see a wagon coming through every ten turns. I see people learning more about each other. I see you, working, making the most of yourselves, making things better for your families. I see some of you riding in the wagons, being the links that hold this world together.

  “And I see friends, friends at every stop, smiles and greetings when we enter a village. That’s what was missing. Visitors aren’t to be feared, but embraced. We’ve lived with too much fear. I say no more.” Braden ended quietly. No one made a sound. The speech was long for Braden, but everyone listened. The silence continued for a few heartbeats, then the crowd broke into applause. They stood and cheered, moving closer to him.

  ‘Nice speech. I think you have admirers,’ Micah thought, giving Braden a big smile. He nodded to her. They’d be traveling with a large number of people. They’d have to have regular food, water, and bathroom stops. They’d have to find food each day.

  ‘We’ll share the duties, with the villagers, too. Everyone will contribute. You can hunt for us all because no one does it better than you and G-War. Ten turns is all we’ll need. Don’t worry, we have a lot of smart people with us. I think we’re going to learn a lot on this trip,’ Micah added with a final nod.

  “We leave at sunrise. Bring what you have to. Try to carry enough food for the day.” Braden ended awkwardly, waving as he finished. He got down from the stump, but wasn’t able to escape. He was intercepted by the throng, everyone asking questions at the same time. He calmed them down, then went through one by one.

  It was well into the night when he freed himself from the last of the villagers. Many changed their minds back to going with Braden and Micah. According to Braden’s tired mind, he counted forty people, give or take, that would travel east with them. He’d count them at sunrise and then they’d see who was ready to walk across the Plains of Propiscius.

  ‘Hungry…’ was the last voice Braden heard before he drifted off to sleep.

  70 – The Walk to Bliss

  Only thirty-seven stalwart souls stood in the dawn. A few others turned out to wave good-bye. Not good-bye, but good luck. They’d be back. Braden and Micah didn’t wait. They mounted Max and Speckles and turned their noses toward the sun.

  Skirill flew ahead, Aadi swam alongside, and G-War, having hunted during the night, was plump and resting on the King’s head.

  “Why do you let him do that?” Braden asked.

  ‘My friend stood on my back to fight off the Bat-Ravens. He also makes it possible for me to talk with all the companions,’ Brandt replied. ‘Most of the time, I forget he’s up there. He wei
ghs as much as the morning fog.’

  Braden and Micah both looked at the great horns towering over them. Compared to those, everything else was insignificant.

  They looked back at the cart where two new mothers and their three small children rode. There was a limited amount of food and some personal items that would have been too heavy to carry on people’s backs. The villagers from White Beach carried all of their own gear. They had already traveled two days by foot. They had nothing left to put in the cart.

  Braden and Micah determined that routine would serve the group best. They hiked at a steady pace for half the morning, then they’d take a break, shift things about. They’d hike until mid-daylight when they would break again. Then they powered through until early evening. Braden and the companions would race ahead to hunt and build a fire. When the villagers arrived, their meal was cooking.

  Skirill flew back and forth to keep everyone going in the right direction. The King of the Aurochs ensured that the road was passable for their cart.

  Braden and Micah let the children ride with them, in turns. Maybe that was a necessary import from the north to the south. They needed horses for personal travel and for small caravans. They didn’t want to break up the Earthshaker Herd. Braden saw a time in the near future where all of them could be plying the routes at the same time.

  Yes, horses. They had to return north. Braden wasn’t ready, like Micah wasn’t ready to return to Trent. Braden knew for sure that he didn’t want to bring Old Tech, unless he could have New Sanctuary manufacture something that didn’t look like Old Tech but would fetch a good price. He’d need it to trade for a herd of horses and a tent big enough to cover them all as they traveled through the Great Desert.

  ‘Whatcha thinking about?’ Micah asked. Braden looked at her in surprise. She knew what he was thinking about, unless his thoughts were too jumbled to make sense. They rambled, even for him. He laughed to himself. So much to do.

  ‘What do the next couple cycles hold for us, Micah?’

  ‘More than you know, lover. They hold change. Many changes, while much will also remain the same.’

  ‘I’m not following you. I want to go to the Traveler, once Holly says we can. We need to go north, get horses and bring them back. I would like to see your village, and maybe others in the east to join the trade routes. The people with us will help build up Greentree and maybe even Dwyer. We’ll have a smithy and then as young men and women learn, they’ll set up more metalworks, woodworks, and the towns will grow. Maybe the Amazonians can resolve their differences, end their war. That bothers me the most. I’m not worried about the Bat-Ravens. It’ll be generations before they’re a threat again.’ Braden’s thoughts started coming together. He was learning to think far into the future.

  ‘Sounds like a good plan,’ Brandt added. Braden thought he was just talking with Micah, but he never knew for sure. She was good at the thought voice. He used it, but didn’t think about it.

  ‘Clearly,’ the ‘cat said. ‘Maybe you need to listen better.’

  ‘Hey! Can’t a man think to himself?’ Braden smiled, knowing the answer to his question was no, he couldn’t think to himself. Those days were long past. What did G-War mean with that last quip?

  ‘Braden. I’m pregnant.’

  Braden stopped Max and sat there. Sparks appeared in front of his eyes. A loud roaring filled his ears. He felt hot.

  If Micah was a normal woman, she may have worried, but she had the benefit of the companions. She had the benefit of the mindlink. She could see and feel her partner. He had to think through it and then he’d be fine. She knew that a part of him was ecstatic. The part that was confused was his planning side. To him, this changed everything. To her, this changed very little. Hadn’t he been raised on the trade routes?

  ‘When,’ was all he managed to say. She threw back her head and laughed. Villagers nearby looked at her, but their spirits were high and they joined her, not knowing what she found funny.

  ‘I think our first time,’ she answered.

  ‘So you were procreating.’ Aadi had finally joined the conversation.

  ‘I guess so, Master Aadi, I mean Aadi. I guess so.’

  Brandt thundered up to Max and stood with his horns dangerously close to Braden. The Villagers stopped, not knowing why.

  The King of the Aurochs locked eyes with Braden. ‘We shall raise our bulls to be strong, lead this world into the future!’ he bellowed in his thought voice.

  ‘You, too, huh?’ Braden mumbled. Micah was starting to get angry with him. She wasn’t going to allow the men to sit around the campfire lamenting the misfortune of their families.

  Micah spurred Speckles forward. The cart bounced along and the people inside clung tightly. She pulled up next to him. He still hadn’t moved.

  She made a fist and reared back.

  ‘This will be fun to watch,’ G-War announced over the mindlink.

  ‘What? Oh, hey! What are you doing?’ Braden leaned away from her. He heard the companions laughing. Micah pursed her lips. If she hadn’t been pulling the cart, she would have been able to get closer to him and he probably would have already been punched.

  ‘If I may extend my hearty congratulations to you both and you, great King, on your incredible news, on the new additions to our family!’ Aadi said. He was the wise one.

  Braden finally internalized the message. He was going to be a father and they were going to be parents. The child would be raised by all the companions. What child wouldn’t want that? He smiled, thinking back on the joys of his childhood. He jumped off Max and pulled Micah off Pack into his arms. Her eyes sparkled as they embraced each other and their future.

  He let her go and looked at the gathered villagers. “We’re pregnant!” he shouted. The villagers cheered and pressed in to hug and shake hands. Then they quieted down and stood there, looking at each other.

  “Well, shall we continue? We have a great deal of daylight left. I think we’ll reach Village Bliss in another two turns?” He avoided the Old Tech. One turn or three turns, it didn’t matter. He urged everyone forward and the group started walking again, slowly at first, but then with a purpose.

  ‘Will he have his mother’s ability to mindlink?’ Braden asked G-War, who seemed to know most about these things.

  ‘Thank the heavens they both will. More like Bronwyn and less like you.’

  “Both?” Braden and Micah exclaimed out loud.

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” Micah asked G-War sharply.

  ‘It was unimportant. Before you ask, a boy and a girl, both are already quite loud with their thought voices. It’s getting to be a great deal of noise, so if you would, please get your children under control. Hungry. Tired. Hungry. Warm. It’s incessant.’

  “Ass!” Micah said aloud. ‘Those are my children!’

  ‘OUR children,’ came five voices in unison. The warmth of their commitment washed over her.

  ‘We approach the area of the Amazonian attack. Be sharp!’ Skirill cautioned.

  Instantly, they were alert. Brandt ran forward under Skirill’s direction to leave a trail further north than the last time they passed. Braden urged the villagers to quicken their pace. They needed to prepare defenses, just in case.

  He gave Micah a proud smile, and then bolted ahead. He had to hunt and find a place they could defend. Brandt joined him, jogging easily to keep pace with a galloping Max.

  71 – Traders’ Rest

  Skirill suggested the edge of a stream, not far away, but due north. They changed direction under the Hawkoid’s guidance and soon arrived. It wasn’t a stream at all, but a wide river. It came from the north and turned east where Braden and Brandt stood, before splitting into multiple branches that headed south into the rainforest. They had crossed those on previous trips without issue. If they had to cross at this point, it may not be possible. The river’s flow was strong. Max and Brandt waded side by side into an eddy pool where they both drank deeply.

  Sparkles from t
he sun reflected from fish scales. Braden shaded his eyes. There were fish and plenty of them. There were twenty fishermen who would soon arrive, and they would get their chance to provide for the group and to teach a little about fishing to the rest.

  The riverbanks were heavy with trees and bushes. G-War, perched on Brandt’s head, confirmed that there was game to be had. With that thought, the ‘cat ran down the Aurochs’ back and jumped onto dry land. He quickly disappeared into the undergrowth.

  “This looks like the place, my friend. Can you dig a hole for the outhouse? There will be no house, of course…” Braden laughed at his own joke. Life on the road was rough. Women and men traveled together. They enforced personal space, and no one was allowed to look while others relieved themselves. It was important in keeping the peace. When they arrived at the end of this journey, everyone needed their dignity intact.

  Braden hobbled Max on the riverbank where he could graze on the thick, green grass. With his bow in hand, he joined G-War where he enjoyed flushing a pair of wild boar. He took one with a close shot, but the second he took down while it was running and some distance away. He was proud of that shot. The wound on his chest had finally healed to where he felt no pain, felt no limit to his draw on his recurve bow.

  Braden was still cleaning the first hog when the villagers arrived. Two from Westerly immediately relieved him of the cleaning duties. Others went to work finding deadfall for the fire. But the villagers from White Beach, they watched the river flow, mesmerized by the sight of fish. Once they decided, they lined up along the beach and turned to using their tridents to spear the fish.

  Micah had to stop them once they landed more than the group needed.

  “We’ll smoke the hogs to give us a supply of meat to take with us.” Braden told those preparing the spit. The fishermen said that their catch could also be smoked. They’d show the land-locked folk how.

  The competition for best meal commenced. A number of the farmers headed into the woods to look for edible tubers and plants. They returned shortly after finding success.