Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  Micah opened the door and walked out, sword in hand, still dripping the blood of the security men. Zeller fanned out to the side so the two women could face off against the men, who looked confused. Their eyes keyed in on the doorway as the government official was bodily hauled out and pushed to the ground behind the two women, illegally armed with swords.

  “Kill them!” the official shouted. Braden wrapped an arm around the man’s neck, kneeled on his back, and pulled with all the strength in his body. The fat man’s neck crushed beneath Braden’s muscled forearm before Braden let him go. The man gasped for air and choked until he fell lifeless to the ground.

  “Never. Interfere. With. Trade,” Braden said deliberately. G-War looked at the group as each person postured.

  ‘You’re going to have to kill them,’ the ‘cat told them all over the mindlink.

  “That’s the plan,” Micah said out loud as she assumed her fighting stance. Zeller mirrored it as they each moved toward their enemy.

  The men pulled their swords, trying to stay together to cover each other’s back as they retreated a few steps. The women spread to the sides and approached the men from opposite directions. But these two women looked like warriors, not farmers or craftsmen. The men were confused.

  The first clang of steel on steel drove the men to action. They were the authority in Whitehorse. Those who disputed that had to die. They blocked the first attacks and counter-attacked. Micah and Zeller easily handled the men’s attacks as they had more room to maneuver. Footwork, along with eye-hand coordination was emphasized heavily in their training. They didn’t fight with a fancy technique. They fought to win. And the men soon realized that.

  A nick on the arm here, a slash across the chest there, and soon the men were panting and gasping for air.

  “It won’t be long now, gentlemen,” Braden said softly to himself. He marveled at how his partner fought while also being afraid at how efficient she was at killing. He wished she didn’t have to. He wished he didn’t have to watch. But he’d made that choice for them when he learned that free trade had been outlawed in the north. All he wanted was fifty water buffalo, but it sounded like they were going to Jefferson City to clear out the nest of Crawlers.

  Micah simply wore the man down. He’d matched her for a brief time and then she pounded his sword out of his hand before slicing him nearly in half. A crowd of people had gathered and watched as the three strangers removed the Provincial Government’s people from their town. Some were angry, some were relieved.

  Micah could have stabbed the other man in the back, but she let Zeller fight her own fight. There was still honor to fight for, and Micah needed Zeller to be confident in her role as a warrior.

  Zeller accidentally crossed her feet and the man pressed his advantage, forcing her to stumble, but she wasn’t as off-balance as she appeared. He was tired and wanted to end the fight. He over-extended his reach. Zeller side-stepped and slashed his arms. The man dropped his sword as she delivered a short stab into his throat. He couldn’t raise his arms to slow the bleeding from the gash. The man fell to his knees as his eyes glazed over, and he collapsed to the ground.

  The final four security men forced their way through the crowd and looked aghast at their dead fellows. They were partially dressed as they’d been roused from their sleep by some citizen sycophant. They had brought their swords, but weren’t ready for what they saw.

  Braden put his shortsword away and drew his bow. The men stood dumbfounded. He killed two of them before they realized they were under attack. One rushed forward, out of control, while the last man turned and fled. G-War bolted from the doorway like an orange arrow. He raced through the crowd after the man while Skirill took wing, diving sharply in front of the man, trying to buy G-War a little more time.

  The Hawkoid raised his claws toward the man’s face as he finished his dive and furiously beat his wings. The frightened man stopped and waved his sword in front of him, while Skirill pulled up short, well out of reach as the Hillcat jumped into the man’s head from behind, wrapping his front paws around the man’s neck and pulling in opposite directions, claws tearing through the soft tissue of the human throat as he jumped to the side, away from the sword’s blade. It took an instant for the man to realize that he only had a few more heartbeats to live. He gurgled the last of his life’s juices.

  Skirill beat his wings hard to gain altitude and fly to the high tree where his mate perched.

  G-War strolled back toward the gathering in front of the Provincial Government’s office. A loud meow from a dark corner to the side drew his attention. ‘Well, hello, my pretty!’ G-War cooed. ‘What brings you here…’

  “We need to get out of here before, you know, G-War…” Micah whispered to Braden. She stooped to clean her sword on the dead man’s clothing. Zeller did the same, mirroring Micah’s movements, because she’d never killed anyone before. She had a scared look in her eye. Braden felt sorry for her, but hoped that they could talk before any other enemies appeared. He and Micah, unfortunately, were too used to death. He put his hand on Zeller’s shoulder, trying to comfort her, but she jumped at his touch. He hung his head in shame. Just like Bronwyn. He’d introduced another good soul to the dark side of humanity.

  But he had something to say to the people first before they could lament the past. He stepped to the small platform before the doorway and faced the crowd. He saw every expression, from open hostility to warm acceptance.

  “Hear me, good people of Whitehorse!” he shouted in his best Free Trader voice. “The Provincial Government will soon fall. There is no worse crime against the people of Vii than to stop free trade. Without trade, everything stops and people become dependent on their masters, those who have stolen what should be rightfully traded. This Provincial Government has taken your right to self-determination. They don’t execute the three laws of trade: negotiate, agree, and deliver. Without that, all you have is theft. You’re free now. Our next stop is Cameron and after that, Jefferson City. A world without trade is a world that collapses upon itself.” Braden looked at the crowd as expressions softened. They’d been looking for a champion, but there wasn’t one remaining in the town. Maybe there had been at one point, but the government probably purged anyone who capable of opposing them.

  “Go back to the way things used to be. Traders to the Market Square! Trade among yourselves and be free. I am Free Trader Braden and know this! It is my mission in life to free the north!” The surge of G-War’s emotions threatened to knock Braden from his feet. Micah doubled over, and Zeller rushed to her side.

  Braden recovered quickly. The sound of a horse’s hooves pounding their way out of the village came to him. He nodded and Skirill and Zyena took to the sky, quickly overcoming the rider who whipped the horse into a frenzy as it ran the road north, toward Cameron. The rider crouched low over the horse’s mane as the beast ran, eyes wide in fright at the frantic pace its rider demanded of it.

  ‘C’mon back, Ess, Zee. They’ll know we’re coming, and it won’t change a thing,’ Braden said angrily. He looked from face to face, seeing a friendly smile from the large blacksmith. Braden was instantly happy. He wrapped his bow back over his shoulder and greeted the man, shaking his hand heartily.

  “Thank you for getting rid of this scum. I remember you, Braden. It seems like you might remember me, too.” The man smiled broadly, infectiously. Other townspeople crowded around them, slapping Braden on the shoulder.

  “You repaired the cart and your partner made the casks by which we were able to cross the Great Desert,” Braden said, bowing to the blacksmith. The big man beamed with pride.

  “Cross the Great Desert? But that’s not possible..” The man looked in awe.

  “Let me introduce, Micah, my partner. She’s from the south.” Micah’s hand disappeared into the blacksmith’s massive paw. “And this is Zeller, a Free Trader, also from the south.”

  The blacksmith held her hand as the two stared at each other. Braden grew uncomfortable
and coughed loudly. “I think we need to get going. We don’t want to give them too much time to prepare for our arrival.” Micah grabbed the back of Zeller’s shirt and pulled her after them.

  “When will you come back this way? I have a present for you!” the blacksmith called after them. Braden didn’t know if the present was for him or Zeller.

  “We’ll be back soon, have no doubt,” Braden called over his shoulder, laughing as they worked their way out of town.

  ‘Get ready to go, you guys,’ Braden passed over the mindlink. ‘We’re in a race with a person on a galloping horse. They’ve got a lead, but they can’t run all the way to Cameron. Skirill, Zyena, maybe you two can keep an eye on them for us?’ Braden had changed his mind about letting the government security know they were coming.

  Skirill and Zyena flew north. They followed the road and soon were well above the individual on the horse. Once the companions were out of town, they broke into a run. For all Braden’s bravado, he didn’t want the Provincial Government in Cameron to know they were coming. The fight would be much less intense if they had the element of surprise on their side.

  G-War loped alongside, emanating feelings of gratification.

  “G! What are you doing to us?” Braden asked as they ran.

  ‘I know not what you mean, shallow human,’ G-War responded.

  Braden decided that he wouldn’t get a straight answer from the ‘cat, so he let it drop. He expected the Golden Warrior to be hungry in short order as well. They had no time to hunt, so the smoked pork would have to do. Maybe in G-War’s current mood, it would suffice.

  When they arrived at the wagon, the Wolfoids already had Brandt harnessed. The humans climbed aboard while the ‘cat jumped into the back with a single smooth leap. Brandt took off while they were still getting settled. He followed the path that Bounder and Gray Strider had scouted while the others were in town. They made a wide loop to the east, then north, and finally west to the ancients’ road that led to Cameron.

  Everything’s Different, but the Same

  The King of the Aurochs slowed to get the wagon from the rougher terrain road to the well-worn path beside the road of the ancients. Once there, the smooth going and a sunny day allowed Brandt to run, almost like he used to. Arnie ran behind the wagon, stretching out to match the speed of the much larger bull.

  Skirill told them that their target had already stopped at a river crossing to water the horse. Brandt added a burst of speed, hoping to catch the rider unaware. Braden watched through the Hawkoid’s eyes as the person turned, looking south. They dragged the horse out of the water and tried to mount, but the horse seemingly didn’t like to be hurried. Brandt rolled up onto the road and Arnie ran to the left side. They’d trap the horse and rider between them. Braden and Micah readied their bows.

  The rider became frantic and when it became apparent there was no escape, the individual waded into the water and tried to swim to the other side. Skirill and Zyena flew in front of the person’s face, crisscrossing before them, tracing lines in the water with their claws. With a deep sigh, the swimmer turned and headed back to shore. Brandt and Arnie helped themselves to a drink while Braden and Micah waited.

  A young girl waded out and stood between them. She looked down at the ground, tears trailing down her cheeks. “Are you going to kill me, too?” she stammered in a small voice. “Like you killed my dad?”

  Micah was crushed. She never thought of the government officials as family men. Braden exhaled loudly, throwing his head back. Bounder and Gray Strider approached as did Patrice and Delavigne. Surprise and shock seized the girl, she started panting, turned blue, and passed out. Braden caught her before she fell back into the water. He carried her to the wagon and gently put her inside. Zeller cradled the young girl’s head in her lap. Micah couldn’t look at her. Braden put his arm around Micah’s shoulders as they walked away.

  “We had no choice and I hate to say it, we’re going to create a bunch more orphans before this is over, and hopefully, the orphans won’t be our own children.” That thought sobered Micah. “Imagine a world without trade? Neither can I,” Braden said as he hugged his partner, letting her work through the anguish that gripped her.

  They heard Zeller’s voice. “Those are our friends. This is Bounder and his mate Gray Strider. This is Patrice and here’s Delavigne. The large Aurochs is Brandt and the other is Arnie.”

  “Can I pet them?” the little girl asked. Micah choked back tears, wondering at the resilience of a child who’d just lost a parent.

  Bounder put his muzzle into the back of the wagon. A small hand reached out and rubbed his neck fur, scratched behind his ears. Gray Strider leaned in next and received the same treatment. G-War rubbed against the young girl, then looked at her intently. The two stared at each other until the realization hit her that he was talking.

  “Ohh,” she said. She closed her eyes and rocked to comfort herself. When she opened her eyes again, they were clear and more aware. “I understand, Golden Warrior. Thank you.”

  The others had no idea what she was thanking him for, but expected it was something that helped her realize peace within a churning mind. Braden was sorry that he had to interrupt, but the longer they waited, the longer that the good people of the north had to live without proper trade.

  “Where were you going, little sweetheart?” Braden asked, trying to sound gentle and caring.

  “My name is Nerise and I’m not going to talk with you. You hurt my dad.” Braden hung his head and turned away. Micah leaned in to pick up where her mate left off.

  “Where were you going, Nerise?” Micah asked soothingly, as only a mother can.

  “The government office in Cameron. Tell them what happened. Help them to get ready.” She covered her face in her hands and sobbed. Maybe G-War’s gentle ministrations hadn’t been as effective as they hoped, or they talked about something else. The ‘cat rubbed against her chest, purring loudly. She hugged him to her tightly, the look on his face would have made Micah and Zeller laugh if the situation had been different.

  Finally, the little girl let go and G-War quickly excused himself, to avoid an uncomfortable repeat. He still had his ‘cat dignity to maintain. Nerise wiped her nose on her arm.

  “What is your horse’s name?” Zeller asked.

  “That’s Pony, and he’s a good horse! He’s all mine, too,” she said proudly. They lifted her out of the wagon and with each of the women holding a hand, they walked Nerise to her horse, where she let go to grab the reins and nuzzle the horse’s soft nose with her own.

  ‘So, what are we going to do?’ Braden asked over the mindlink. Zeller shrugged. Micah looked at him. ‘Anyone have any ideas?’ Braden asked the companions, suddenly and fiercely missing Aadi.

  Delavigne hopped up next to her and took her hand in his as he offered fresh greens for the horse to nibble on. She looked at the Rabbit, and he flicked his whiskers at her. Pony forced his way closer to headbutt his human and the Rabbit. They both giggled at the horse’s sudden playfulness.

  ‘We would like you to come along,’ Delavigne said in his tiny thought voice.

  “Will you stay with me?” she asked innocently.

  ‘Of course we will. It is our responsibility to protect the small humans. Where is your mother?’ Delavigne asked as his mate, Patrice appeared next to him.

  “My father said she was an enemy of the Provincial Government and he had her sent away. Maybe we can go find her?” the little girl said without making eye contact. Micah’s heart twisted in her throat as she could feel that Nerise knew the truth.

  ‘Weeds, Nerise,’ Patrice started to say, holding the girl’s other hand. ‘What do you do with weeds when they get into your garden?’

  “Pull them, of course,” Nerise replied.

  ‘And then your garden grows better, doesn’t it? That’s what we’re doing here. The Provincial Government is the weed and must be pulled if the garden is to flourish. These good humans will do it, and you will be bette
r for it, although right now it hurts. It must be done. Since coming to Vii, we’ve learned one most important fact. As long as you have trade, you have peace and prosperity. As long as you have good people who refuse to give power to the undeserving, then we are all better off. We have joined Free Trader Braden to restore trade, restore the peace, let the land brighten with new blooms.’

  Braden and Micah looked at each other. That was the most they’d heard from either Patrice or Delavigne in as long as they’d known them. Then they realized that the Rabbits were there for all of Aadi’s lessons with Ax and ‘Tesh. The old guy was rubbing off on them.

  Nerise skipped as the Rabbits led her to the wagon and helped her climb in. Braden tied Pony’s lead to the back gate and they remounted. Brandt was pleased with the new addition to the caravan. He loved human children, finding their thoughts refreshing. Arnie was indifferent to it all.

  The Wolfoids and the Hawkoids considered it business as usual since Braden and Micah had a way of gathering those with pure-hearts to them. The Rabbits put Nerise at ease as Brandt carefully moved the wagon onto the road and crossed the ancients’ bridge, continuing their journey north. The Hawkoids showed them that the road before them was clear.

  The iron fist of the Provincial Government hadn’t only squeezed the life out of trade, it also made the people prisoners in their own homes. Braden’s anger simmered. Had he stayed in the north, he probably would have been one of those taken away. He smiled at the thought of his journey, for it had given him time and the means to return and make a difference.

  “Blasters,” he said. They dug into their packs and pulled out their firepower. If they were going to face forty men, they needed more than the advantage that the companions gave them. If the enemy counted on its use of force to pacify the population, then they’d be met with something even more overwhelming.

  Braden was under no illusion that the Provincial Government was anything other than an enemy that had to be defeated.