“Seven babies! What about yours, my Prince?” Bronwyn asked.
‘What?’ G-War asked, looking around quickly.
‘When are you going to have little ones?’ she pressed, switching to her thought voice, where she was more comfortable speaking.
‘Are you kidding? I already have these two to look after…’ He nodded at Braden and Micah.
“I feel like I should be offended,” Braden said as the others laughed loudly, squinting in the brightness of the sun.
Micah keyed her radio, “Holly, can you send a Bot to carry our stuff back to New Sanctuary? I think we’ve carried our burdens long enough.” Micah ended her short conversation and put the radio away. Braden noticed that she hadn’t powered it down.
“Yeah, I know. The question is, how can we keep the conveniences from taking over our lives?” she asked.
Braden shrugged. He’d been asking himself that same question since the first time the fabricator delivered a brownie.
The Seven
Braden and Micah led the way, stripping down to the bare essentials. Armor, packs, even weapons lay in a pile on the ground. It didn’t take long before a Development Unit arrived, towing its small farming wagon. The companions threw everything in, and the Bot sped away. They’d been accompanied the whole way by the Security Bots, who continued to hover nearby, so they were as safe as they could possibly be. Even the Wolfoids seemed happy to be free of their spears as they loped on all fours toward the oasis. Pik and Dal kept theirs as they used them as walking sticks.
“I usually can’t read your face, Pik, but if I didn’t know better, I’d say you don’t like the sunshine and you could be miserable out here,” Braden taunted.
Pik turned his head to look at the human. The green skin on his face had already started to turn gray. ‘Yes,’ the Lizard Man said plainly. Bronwyn skipped to him and grabbed his free hand. She looked up at him and they started to talk, privately. Dal moved to the young girl’s other side, shifted his spear to his left hand, and took Bronwyn’s hand. With Pik, they swung her as they walked. It was good to see that Bronwyn was comfortable with the clone of Pik Ha’ar.
Braden hugged Micah closer. G-War walked along in front. ‘Thanks, G, for helping her. You’re the best friend any of us could ask for,’ Braden said sincerely, nodding at the ‘cat from behind.
‘Yes, yes, I know all that. When are we going back to Cornwall?’ the ‘cat answered gruffly.
“Soon, my friend, soon. We can take the horses and travel the eastern road, be there in just a few turns. The world is opened up for us, thankfully. New trade, fish, vegetables, and sweetened smoked pork. I’m pretty sure it will be a while before I eat another one of the Amazonian mushrooms. I’ve had enough of those for maybe the rest of my life.” Micah nodded knowingly. They’d picked a great quantity of mushrooms along their way through the rainforest. Even the Wolfoids had taken to eating them because there was nothing else. Hunting within the rainforest had been nonexistent.
The companions were refreshed by the walk in the sunshine, but they didn’t hurry. It took until nightfall to finally make it to the oasis of New Sanctuary. Ferrer and Brigitte ran ahead of the group to join Patrice and Delavigne and the seven new additions to the Rabbit family, the first to be born away from the ship. With the help of the humans and the Wolfoids, Pik and Dal were half-carried the final stretch and with some care, dumped into the lake where they could let the water work on their skin.
Bronwyn ran ahead to find Ax and ‘Tesh. They hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and she fancied herself their big sister. The Wolfoids figured they’d need ten days of doing nothing for their shredded pads to heal.
The Hawkoids were already perched on branches over the lake, relaxing and watching the world go by after already greeting the twins and getting to know the baby Rabbits. The little ones couldn’t talk yet, but they were delightful to be around. They looked so much like the wild rabbits that Skirill and Zyena considered taking their wild cousins off the menu. They hoped the humans wouldn’t find intelligent ground squirrels, otherwise their diet would become rather sparse.
Someone always pulled Aadi along until they were within sight of the oasis and he insisted the others go ahead. He told them that he would get there eventually and despite his apparent invulnerability to the rain, he enjoyed the dry heat outside of the plains around New Sanctuary.
Braden stripped off his shirt as he entered the oasis, heading directly for the lake to see his children. Micah stopped him and looked him over in a clinical way. “How come you didn’t get hurt during all of that Overlord business?” she asked.
“I think the others were protecting me, even if they didn’t think they were. I always found myself behind them, except on that last run when there wasn’t anyone left. You?” Braden looked at her as she started unbuttoning her shirt, then stopped when she remembered that the survivors from Cygnus VI were around.
“Me, too. I think they made sure that there was always someone between me and the bad guys.” He nodded at her. They didn’t expect it and they would have been firmly against it had they known. Maybe the others did it unconsciously.
“That’s all over now. It’ll be nice waking up knowing that no one is trying to kill us,” Braden quipped. Micah nodded, not as confident as Braden that the statement was true.
She expected the twins to run to them, but they waved and stayed where they were, surrounded by four adult Rabbits. When Braden and Micah arrived, they started to reach for Ax and ‘Tesh but stopped when they saw they each cradled a small Rabbit. Five other babies crawled cautiously around the two toddlers.
“It seems like only yesterday they were the babies, now they have little ones of their own,” Micah laughed. She missed the Aurochs to make the family complete, but the rest were there and she felt at home. They all did.
A New Normal
With the return of the refugees to their home villages and a restart of the trade route, things were getting back to a new normal. Braden and Micah had ridden Max and Pack on the rainforest road to take Bronwyn home, especially since the Aurochs herd had taken residence on the plains north of Greentree and Coldstream. Three-hundred forty-seven strong, they took up a great deal of territory and then there were the incidents.
After two accidental Aurochs incursions into the fields and getting chased away by villagers wielding shovels, they needed someone to help keep the peace. Bronwyn waded into the mix and resolved things in short order. She didn’t think anything about why they were smaller or talked differently. To her, everyone was special, a lesson the adults were trying to learn.
“You need to bring my Rabbit friends up here. They’ll make sure everything grows like it is supposed to. You need to add New Sanctuary to the trade route!” the young girl exclaimed out of the blue. “Braden can get his sweetened smoked pork, and we can get some of the things that we only find there.”
“I’m not sure we can tell anyone about New Sanctuary yet, little sweetheart,” Braden whispered, making sure no one else was near.
“They will find out, and then they’ll be mad that you kept the secret from them. You are going to have to tell them sometime.” Braden sighed heavily. Of course she was right. They’d already told the Council of Elders, but it was time to let everyone know and know that it wouldn’t change anything. There would be no return to the life of the ancients, a life where people were ready to push a button to destroy others.
There was much to do for the people to be ready to accept that the power of the ancients was alive and well. The allure frightened Braden like no living enemy could.
“We’ll manage,” Micah reassured him.
“I know.” Braden chewed his lip before continuing. “With things expanding, we need regular trade using beasts of burden and not the Aurochs. I think it might be time for a trip north to buy horses and water buffalo, maybe even find some settlers. The war took its toll on us. Every life lost was one too many.”
“Never a dull moment, huh?�
�� Micah shrugged. The horses could wait. They had trade routes to expand, and Brandt guaranteed plenty of volunteers from the Earthshaker Herd to help.
‘Cornwall?’ G-War injected loudly over the mindlink. ‘Does no one remember anything about a trip to Cornwall?’
To the love of my life
the sparkle in your eyes brightens every one of my days
Acknowledgments
The summer of 2016 has been filled with deadlines and publications. I’ve kept my head above water because I’m surrounded by some great people.
James M. Ward helped me with Micah’s penultimate sword fight in this story, which helped to make things as realistic as possible. No one survives in this business alone. Having a friend like Jim to look things over is comforting and improves the quality of what we can give you, the reader. You deserve the best we can deliver.
Michael Anderle has been an exceptional mentor and partner as I broke into the indie publishing business. He was honored to have his name as my premier protagonist in this book. Governor Anderle and Michael have nothing in common besides the name. Michael is a great man who has gone well out of his way to help others.
I attended my 35-year high school class reunion this summer (2016). Many of my classmates from so long ago have read some of my books. You were all so kind with your words, and a couple stopped by to tell me in person – Penny Heister Sanchez and Lori Bessler Wissing. You made my day. Thanks to Chris “Shakes” Vogt, Diane Sauegling LaPier, Steve Kann, and Jackie Meyer Thiltgen for setting everything up, finding a gazillion people who didn’t want to be found, and then encouraging them to come. Fun was had by all.
I want to thank some readers by name as they are the ones who we look to when we’re feeling a little down. Diane Velasquez and her sister Dorene Johnson are powerhouse readers, ready for anything I throw at them and always willing to give feedback. Norman Meredith is a new addition to the team and has provided valuable input to me and my process. The following people have also been very kind with their comments. Chris Rolfe, Monique Lewis Happy (also one of my editors), Norman Meredith, and so many more. You great people help make every day that much sunnier.
One last word for my friend, Bill Rough – he helped me with some plot devices on my End Times Alaska – Return and I inadvertently left him out of those acknowledgements. There’s no excuse for that kind of oversight. Bill has always done me right and has an exceptionally keen insight into the human spirit.
Hand drawn map of the norther region of Planet Vii.
Humans and the Intelligent Creatures
The Hillcats (‘cat)
The Golden Warrior – also called G, G-War, and Prince Axial De’atesh, can share his mindlink with others
Fealona – from G-War’s home village
Treetis – A young ‘cat, very much like G-War
* * *
The Humans
Braden – The Free Trader
Micah – The Warrior, Partnered with Braden
Axial & De’atesh – Braden and Micah’s twin children
Bronwyn – Gifted child, able to speak with all creatures
Jocelyn – Governor Anderle’s wife
Dr. Johns – a clone, leader of the survivors from Cygnus VI
Candela & Tanner – the first Free Traders born in the south
Zeller – a Free Trader, from Trent, the same village as Micah
Young Tom – a blacksmith from Whitehorse
Mattie & Caleb – Micah’s parents
* * *
The Hawkoids
Skirill – also called Ess
Zyena – Skirill’s mate, born on the RV Traveler, also called Zee
* * *
The Tortoid
Aadi – First Master of the Tortoise Consortium
* * *
The Aurochs
Brandt Earthshaker – King of the Aurochs
Arnie – Zeller’s partner in trade, pulls her wagon
The Queen – Brandt’s queen that he rescued from Toromont’s Run
* * *
The Lizard Men (Amazonians)
Zalastar – Leader of the Amazonians
Akhmiyar – one of Zalastar’s best warriors and leader in his own right
Pik Ha’ar – Lizard Man from the ship RV Traveler and friend
Tup Dal – Lizard Man from the ship RV Traveler, supporter of Pik
* * *
The Rabbits
Ferrer & Brigitte – a Rabbit couple moved from the ship to Vii
Patrice & Delavigne – a Rabbit couple moved from the ship to Vii
A Helping Paw
“Shoot it!” Braden yelled, waving his arms frantically as the wild boar raced toward his children and the baby Rabbits. An arrow flew from the bow of a young villager whose job it was to watch the fields.
The arrow sailed high as the young man panicked, then fumbled with his quiver, trying to get off a second shot.
The boar ground to a halt as a small orange ‘cat jumped in front of Braden’s son Axial and stared down the larger beast. It seemed the two were locked in a struggle that Braden couldn’t hear or understand. He stepped to the side to clear his line of fire and pressed the trigger. A narrow beam from his blaster tore through the side of the wild boar. Both Ax and the small ‘cat dropped to their knees. The toddler grabbed his head.
Micah sprinted past Braden, high-stepping through the fields as two fuzzy white Rabbits, waist-high to her, bounded past toward their own youngsters.
Micah slid to a stop in front of her son and kneeled to better look into the eyes of the nearly two-cycle old boy. The small Hillcat strolled by, pausing to rub its face on the boy’s pants before continuing on. It sat nearby, using its paw to scrub at its whiskers.
Braden arrived and took his place next to his partner. Their daughter De’atesh sauntered up, a fuzzy calico ‘cat following her closely. Ferrer and Brigitte, the Rabbits from the spaceship, were hugging their babies, the first of theirs to be born on the planet.
A Hawkoid flew over them, flaring to allow the Golden Warrior to jump from its back and land softly next to the small orange ‘cat. Skirill beat his wings to gain altitude as he headed for a branch nearby.
“What were you thinking?” Braden asked his son.
‘Klytus and I had him, did you see?’ the boy said excitedly in his thought voice, the headache having mostly passed.
Braden and Micah both turned to look at G-War. The large Hillcat sat and stared back at the humans as he casually licked a paw and washed his face, mirroring the complete indifference of his half-Hillcat son.
Micah let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head at the ‘cats.
“Klytus said it’d be okay that both of them take on a wild boar. Because, Klytus…” Braden said sarcastically, letting the statement hang.
“They are both their fathers’ sons. I doubt we’ll ever be able to leave them out of our sight. Ever.” Micah smiled as she tried to be mad, but she was proud of her children. They were fearless, being raised by a menagerie of intelligent creatures who treated others with equal respect, regardless of whether they had fur, skin, or feathers. They were blind to physical differences.
‘Tesh looked at Micah as Ax, once over the short headache and freed from his mother’s embrace, bolted away. ‘Can we go to the river?’ De’atesh asked clearly in her thought voice. By ‘we,’ she meant herself and her bonded half-Hillcat Shauna.
‘If an adult goes with you, sweetheart,’ Micah answered, looking deliberately at Braden.
He took his daughter’s hand and she skipped as he walked toward the nearby river. Shauna ran along behind, her long hair flowing as she raced to catch up.
Seeing the Trade
Greentree had become prominent as the center of all trade in the south. Braden expected that Dwyer should have been since they had the forge complex and were producing steel implements, items that everyone seemed to be begging for. But the Free Trader lived in Greentree and people flocked to him.
Micah was
the President and people accepted her as such, even though they didn’t know what it meant. She didn’t intrude on their lives and neither did Braden. He was pleasant at all times, giving instruction about trade and reinforcing the need to read and write. He stored numerous blank journals to share with anyone who wanted to ply the trade routes as a Free Trader.
With nearly every daylight, a wagon was coming or going. The village had quadrupled in size, which required a new Market Square with nice stands for any trader to use. People in the village seemed to be in constant motion, tending the fields or picking up Aurochs droppings for fertilizer, because the Rabbits said there was nothing better on Vii or on the spaceship.
Braden was content. He and Micah had not fired their blasters in a full cycle. The children had passed the age of two and continued to grow far more quickly than normal. They looked to be four cycles old and had the ability to talk almost like a teenager. In some ways, it was scary; in others, it made their parents proud, except for all the problems created by having a teenager in a two-cycle old body. Their bonded ‘cats, although young, looked out for them and thankfully called for help when needed.
Braden thought G-War looked especially smug riding Skirill to the rescue of the boys. Still kittens, the half-Hillcats were maturing quickly, too. G-War expected them to be full size after only a few more moons, and then they could protect the human children themselves, leaving Prince Axial De’atesh out of mischief, mostly of their own making.
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