by Pj Belanger
into the small thatched huts. No men, she noticed! Perhaps the males were out fishing or hunting. She went over to where they kept small jugs of water. It was universally accepted that water was not to be denied any visitor. She took one of the hollowed out gourds and dipped it in one of the containers, taking a deep drink.
“Howsta, howsta,” she called out her thanks to the huts. She noticed one hut where a woman looked out cautiously. “HIle opsta Copa, ita sicka.” Lio told them she was from down south, from the large village of Copa. “I am on my way to visit my married sister. I was thirsty and saw your village,” she exclaimed in the native tongue.
Slowly, the female who had seen peeking out of one of the huts came cautiously out. “Welcome neighbor from the South,” the woman formally said in the high pitched language of the villagers. “You should not be traveling alone. It is dangerous times.”
“Oh and why so?” she asked her. “I have visited before with no problem.”
“Did you not receive the message from our King.” She pressed forward towards Lio. “He has ordered us to fight the intruders. They are killing us.”
“Killing us?” she tried to sound afraid, “I thought they were moving us to better lands and paying us well. My village is scheduled to go after the harvest season.”
“No, they only pretend that they’ll move us but then they kill us instead!” The other women had come out and stood behind the speaker. “Our men are in Stousa, the King has new weapons for us. We will fight them!” The mothers, holding on to their children, all nodded. “Some of us must die to save the rest.”
“The King, he is in Stousa?” Lio innocently asked. “I do not concern myself with such things, I am looking for a husband.”
All the woman nodded, this was something they could understand. The native village society’s custom revolved around domesticated woman and dominating men. All women married. “You are getting old, my daughter, it is time.”
“Yes, it is time. Thank you, my sisters for the water,” Lio answered and headed back into the forest. She did not want to be in the small village when the men returned.
When she arrived back at their base camp, now dressed in her army clothes, it was all set up. Omomo explained where she’d been. Marg Golip was cleaning her rifle. She, like Lio, lived in the northern hemisphere of Capa. The Sergeant was older than Lio but not by a lot. The soldier was a crack shot, small but tough. “We going to Stousa?” she asked. It was further up the river and was not in their designated area.
“I’m not sure,” Lio told her. “It isn’t scheduled for relocation until the end of the summer.”
“Who’s this King, thought the natives didn’t have a King? Aren’t they loosely connected by tribes with a tribal council?” Tad Lockset remarked.
“They don’t - this King is something new.” Lio grabbed her bag, getting her rations out. She ate in silence. “Let’s scout down river.” She took her celltab bringing up the area map. “Marg and Tad, head up along the river. Roge and Larson come with me, we will travel inland parallel to Marg and Tad.”
The two groups set off, soon losing sight of each other. The forest was thick, almost jungle-like. They had their weapon’s safeties off listening for any sounds. Only the natural sounds of the birds and animals surrounded them. Suddenly a loud screeching could be heard.
“That’s a lobo,” Larson yelled over to her.
Lio knew the sound. She took off toward the sound leaving Larson and Roge behind. When the Lieutenant hit the dense forest the sound seemed to come from everywhere. She stopped getting her bearings. Her ears decided it was coming from straight ahead. Thorns and sharp vines whipped at her body but the soldier ignored them in her hurry to get to the lobo.
Lt. Omomo ran straight into the small clearing almost running into the large squealing animal. She stopped just short of its jaws as the beast stretched its long neck toward her. “Whoa,” Lio told it, “Friend, I’m your friend.” Rolling on her back, she placed her hands up in the air; a lobo sign of submission.
The animal turned from her and again started its lowly cry. She circled around to the other side, seeing the object of its grief. A tall lanky human lay next to the beast. He was obviously dead, his head turned in an unnatural position, his legs sprawled.
The lobo swung its head at her, showing its large teeth, hissing. The lieutenant backed away. The lobo would guard its master until it also died. The animal would not leave. Her heart ached. Lio Omomo had not wanted to leave Lissy either. The medics had come and drugged her. She’d woken up in the hospital half a human.
“Easy girl.” She knew the animal was female by the color of its gray wings. One of the lobo’s wings was opened over its master, trying to protect him.
Larson and Roge came slowly into the clearing. “Oh my god,” Larson exclaimed. He kept a wide berth of the lobo, circling slowly around. “Who is he?” he asked Lio once the Private had gotten a good glimpse of the dead rider.
“Don’t know, not one of the Red Wings. From his uniform I’d guess maybe from the White Wing Squad. They fly out of Fort Unsa. Their home base is several hours away.”
“You gotta kill his lobo.” Larson backed up as the animal swung its head toward him, trying to bite him. Larson jumped back, falling backwards. “Kill it!” he yelled at her.
Roge kept well away. “Why do you have to kill it?” he asked Lio. “They are really valuable aren’t they?’
“They are not only worth a lot but hard to catch. They dwell in the deep jungle far to the south of here. Once a master rider and a lobo bond, it can’t be undone. The lobo will be untrainable. It’s also the humanitarian thing to do as the animal is suffering.”
“Wow,” Roge exclaimed. “What a shame. What happened to yours, Lieutenant Lio?”
It was Larson that answered, “It got hit by stray mortar fire during a training exercise. Some stupid private shot it.”
Lio felt her chest contract at the memory. She took a few steps backward, gasping for air. The memory overwhelmed her; it was like it happened yesterday. The former rider could feel herself falling, falling as Lissy lost altitude. The lobo had pulled itself together just long enough to glide to the ground, saving its master, dying shortly after as Omomo watched helplessly. She heard the two soldiers yelling at her.
“Captain, Captain.” Larson and Roge were calling over to her.
She looked up to see the lobo was almost next to her. Lio didn’t move, her heart was pounding. The former Wing rider could see the red eyes of the creature as the beast looked strangely at her. The animal’s mouth opened showing its large pointed teeth. The lobo bellowed its grief.
She rolled out of the way, as the claw of the beast was reaching for her. Again it bellowed. Roge had his gun pointed, ready to fire. The look on his face was one of uncertain horror.
“Don’t shoot,” Lio yelled over, “you’d only wound it. They have tough skin.”
She got up and walked over to the two soldiers. “We need to get the dead rider out of there.”
“Aren’t you going to shoot it?” Larson looked askance at her. ”You have to shoot it!”
“I don’t have to fucking do anything!” Lio snapped at him. The Private, eyes wide, backed off.
“Go back and get my knapsack.” When he hesitated, Omomo yelled, “NOW!”
He left running. Roge laughed, “He’s scared to death of you, but then most of us are.”
“He needs to grow up,” she growled. The lobo was screeching again but Lio noticed it kept looking at them. It was a large female, much larger than Lissy had been. The large lobos, usually males, carried the men; the animals could handle the weight. She’d never seen such a large female before. Since Lio herself weighed only 150lbs, the former Captain had bonded to a much smaller animal.
The lobo kept screeching, making talking almost impossible. Roge took up guarding the area. She tried to placate the beast, talking softly to it but finally giving up as it only hissed at her. The beast kept squawking, flapping its wing
s, hobbling in circles on its two wobbly tall legs. It then settled down with one of its wings protecting its dead master.
Larson returned, gasping for breath as he handed her the knapsack. She reached into the bottom of the sack, taking out a small plastic box. For a long moment Lio just looked at the container. The lid had Lissy’s name etched into the top. Getting hold of herself, she opened the case, searching through the various medicines that every rider kept just in case. Why she hadn’t thrown the box out, Lio couldn’t explain.
She found the package of vials. Lio walked over to the lobo. I’ll have only one chance, she thought. “Listen both of you, go around the other side, get as close as you can to distract the animal.”
Roge got closer than Larson. He tried to poke the lobo with his rifle. The long neck stretched around, grabbing on to the weapon, tearing it from his grasp. He had the sense enough to let the gun go.”
Lio saw her chance. She plunged forward, stabbing the syringe into the back of the animal’s ear; the only soft spot on the beast. The lieutenant ducked and rolled just as the lobo swung its head back. Still, the jaw got her left arm, tearing her thick combat jacket and undershirt and ripping a long gash in her arm.
Larson ran up to her, “I told you to kill it.” Omomo glared at him as she got a rag out of her knapsack and wrapped her arm, stopping the blood. Lio watched as the lobo dropped its wobbly head onto