by Jack L Knapp
“Bring them along. If they’re going to be part of us, they’ll have to fight. How about it, you three; are you up for a fight?”
The spokesman for the trio, nodded. “We’ll fight. Can we have more of that meat to take with us? We’ve been short on food for a couple of weeks now. We ate cattail roots, and leaves from a couple of other plants, but if there’s enough of that meat…?”
Margrette nodded. She’d coated a roast with clay, then left it to cook in a pile of coals. The broken clay shards lay near the firepit where she’d broken them, after deciding the roast was done. Now she sliced thick slabs from the meat and passed them out.
Moments later, Matt led his small group southwest, following Marc’s trail.
#
An hour later found them hidden in a hasty ambush. Carlo, largest of the three new recruits and their spokesman, now held Matt’s spear.
Matt kept Carlo and Piotr with him. The other new men were split up, one with Laz and the other with Philippe. Both held borrowed spears, better weapons in a fight than the short swords they carried. Laz and Philippe would watch to see how they reacted if a fight broke out, just as Matt would watch his two.
Unknown quantities, they would not be trusted members of the tribe until they showed what they were made of. And demonstrated beyond question where their loyalties lay.
Matt, Marc, Piotr, and Laz retained their bows. All wore knives as well. The bows would do most of the killing if someone followed Marc’s trail.
Matt spared a thought for Lee…the fact that he hadn’t appeared yet was not a good sign. Wounded, perhaps dead? How would he explain it to Lilia?
Matt worried as the ambushers settled in to wait and watch Marc’s back trail.
Chapter 11
Matt felt a touch on his arm and looked at Carlo. The man nodded to the side; Laz was trying to tell him something.
Matt slowly held both hands out, palms up, to indicate lack of understanding. In response, Laz held up both hands, each with the forefinger extended. Matt nodded and repeated the gesture.
Piotr and Carlo were watching Matt when he glanced at them. Matt signaled with his fingers, two, then pointed to himself as a signal that he expected to act first. The others would remain ready in case they were needed. Piotr and Carlo both nodded understanding.
Matt resumed watching and finally saw what Laz had spotted, two young girls. Barely more than children, Matt guessed their ages between twelve and fourteen years. Best of all, Lee was behind them. He turned as Matt watched, scanning the trail behind him.
Matt stood so that Lee would see him when he turned around.
The two girls stopped, confused. Matt signaled the rest of his ambush party to remain in place while he walked forward.
“I know. You found them and they followed you home.”
“Not exactly, Matt. Anyway, I’m glad to see you. Are you alone?”
“No, I’ve got seven others. Marc warned us and we’ve been watching his trail. The rest are hidden, in case you picked up a tail.”
“I may have, Matt. I hadn’t planned on it, but there were two men chasing the girls. They’re raiders, Matt. They capture people, keep a few as slaves and sell the others. I’ve got a lot to tell you.”
“Why don’t you take the girls to Riverbend Camp and let Robert decide what to do with them? If he has no objection, turn them over to your mother. Lilia will know what they need and they can camp with us.
“Get some food, take a break, and if you think we’ll need them, bring more men back here.”
“I don’t think anyone will be following close, Matt, but they’ll see the two I left and wonder what happened to the girls. Sooner or later they’ll find our trail. I tried to hide our tracks, but I’m sure I missed some. How much longer is Robert planning to stay at Riverbend?”
“Long enough to get the carts finished. Maybe he can hurry things up.”
“I’ll talk to him. The farther away from those people we get, the better. They’ve got more men than we do, maybe fifty or sixty warriors according to the girls.”
“OK, we’ll handle it here. I don’t expect they’ll bring all their warriors until they know what they’re facing. Even then, if they’ve got other captives they’ll have to leave men behind to guard them. How far away is their camp?”
“I didn’t see it, but I’m guessing about two days travel. The girls escaped but hadn’t gotten far when I found them. They’ve got a story you’ll want to hear…that escape took guts!
“The two men I killed were following the girls. Maybe they expected a quick rape for their trouble. They got arrows instead.”
“No problems, then?”
“No. Both of them carried spears and some kind of short whip. One had the whip in hand, so I killed the other one first. While whip-man was trying to figure out what happened, I shot him too.”
“Did you recover your arrows?”
“I did. Neither man had a bow, and I checked their hands and arms. Pulling a bowstring builds up calluses and they didn’t have them. They had small pouches but I checked those too, just leather strings but no thumb-ring or finger glove.
“Maybe they only have spears. They might realize those two died from arrow wounds, but I left large cuts where I removed my arrows. Whether the slavers decide they were made by spears or arrows, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
“Easier for us if they don’t realize we’ve got bows. Anyway, take the girls on to Riverbend Camp. We’ll watch here for another hour, then head back if no one shows.
“We’ll need a guard closer to camp, and that’s where I’ll put a couple of guys, probably Laz and Philippe. You set up replacement shifts, say a pair ever four hours. Four hours on watch, eight hours off, then four more. I think half a dozen people will be enough.
“We’ve added some new people to the tribe and I’ll take a shift with one of them. We can use the rest after I’ve had a chance to assess their skills. They’ll need weapons, spears for now but bows too. I’ll talk to Piotr, he should be able to handle that chore. The big guy is Carlo and he can use my spear until we get him one of his own.”
Lee nodded and signaled the two girls to follow him. The three headed away for Riverbend Camp. Matt noticed that one of the two girls was limping and the other was helping support her.
“Philippe, go with Lee, see if you can help that girl. They all look pretty tired, so do what you can. Carlo can remain here with Laz.”
Philippe nodded, put the ready arrow into his quiver, then slung the bow across his back. Hurrying, he caught the two girls and slid an arm around the limper. With his help, the four moved faster and soon disappeared into the woods.
Matt turned back and signaled the rest of his ambush crew to join him for a quick conference.
“We’ll pull back, set up a two-man post closer to camp. I don’t think anyone will be here right away, but we’ll watch another hour anyway. Carlo and Laz, you’ll be relieved in about four hours. You’ll have eight hours off and then you’ll watch again.
“I’ll talk to Robert and we’ll move as soon as possible. Get the rest of the travois converted to carts, pack all our stuff, and we’ll turn north from here.
“You need to know what we’re worried about. Lee said there are about sixty warriors in a camp two days southwest of here. They’re slavers, capturing people and selling them. Some they keep, according to what the girls told Lee.
“He doesn’t think they have bows, so for now I think two men are enough to watch the trail. I’ll take second shift myself, maybe with Piotr or someone else who’s got a bow. You three new guys, we’ll make better spears and teach you how to use them. We’ll provide bows and arrows as soon as we can, but that might have to wait until we reach the next stop. There are a couple of lightweight bows available, the ones we replaced when we made the heavier bows. You can use those for practicing and we’ll get you better ones when we have time. Questions?”
There were none. Matt led the group back toward camp, look
ing for a good location for the guards.
Finally he found what he wanted, a thick bush for concealment and another across the faint trail that would serve the same purpose. The camp was less than a mile away.
“This will work. If someone comes, make sure we’re warned.
“If there are too many, just pull back. Don’t try to be a hero. If you’re sure there are only two or three of them, use your judgment. But the priority is to make sure we know they’re coming. Understood?”
Laz nodded, then gestured for Carlo to remain. Satisfied, Matt left them and led the others back to camp.
#
Matt thought about the wisdom of taking Piotr with him. He wasn’t yet a proven warrior such as Lee, not the bowman that Laz, Marc, and Philippe were. He hadn’t faced dangerous animals, or if he had it had happened before he joined Matt’s camp. Still, Piotr had been the first to spot the men, and he’d acted well after that.
#
He had been in front, Matt following; instead of Pavel and his companions, they found three strangers.
Piotr called Matt’s attention to what he’d seen and they’d concealed themselves. Piotr had clearly been ready to act, but he’d waited to see what Matt would do.
The men had been walking in single file, cautious but not expecting to encounter two men hidden in the brush.
Matt and Piotr waited. Thicker bushes lined both sides of this partial clearing, the result of trees falling a few years before. The brush had grown up in response to the extra sunlight, an obstacle if the strangers decided to change direction.
When they were about ten yards away, Matt stepped out and held up his hand. Piotr remained concealed, bow ready.
“Going somewhere?”
The three stopped, confused. Finally one answered.
“Maybe. Depends on who you are.”
One of the others stepped up and tugged at the spokesman’s sleeve. He murmured something too low for Matt to hear.
Matt lifted his bow in anticipation. If the three tried to attack…
“He says your name’s Matt?”
“It is. Why do you want to know?”
“We’re hoping to join you. Willie saw you when you brought meat. To the mine, I mean. We used to work there.”
#
The three men, now armed with borrowed spears, waited to see what might be coming along the trail. Because Piotr had reacted correctly, a possible conflict had been turned into an asset. No question, he had unusually sharp eyes. And he’d reacted well, but the only true test of combat ability is combat. Piotr had yet to prove himself.
Perhaps he’d get that opportunity, watching the trail with Matt.
#
Robert was waiting when they got to the camp.
“Did you talk to Lee and the two girls?”
“Yes. Lee says he told you what happened. He hadn’t planned on shooting those two slavers, but they’d caught up to the girls and were about to whip them. Lee was already suspicious, he’d seen a broken spear-point and thought it might be left over from a raid. So when one of the two grabbed the girls and the other reached for his whip, Lee put an arrow into him. He got the other one too. He brought the girls with him and started moving as fast as possible.
“One of the girls was limping. Is she badly injured?”
“I don’t think so. The Wise Woman is with them and she thinks they’re just tired and malnourished. Matt, they’d been whipped before. They’ve got scars on their backs and arms.”
“Lee said slavers, Robert. That’s all we need, a camp of sixty slavers ahead of us, Pavel and the remaining mine guards behind us.”
“Maybe they’ll run into each other, kill each other off. We could do with a few less enemies.”
“No such luck, if there are more of them than the former guards, Pavel will try to join up. No, our best chance is to get moving as soon as possible.”
“I can probably get everyone ready to go by tomorrow morning if we work late tonight.”
“Not a good idea, Robert. We’d need fires after dark, maybe torches. Those can be seen from a long way off.
“Let’s do what we can before dark, and tell Colin to have the kitchen fire out before dusk. Pass the word to everyone, cold camp tonight, no fires, no extra noises. Keep the kids quiet too.”
Robert nodded and went off to see Colin.
“Piotr, get some sleep if you can. We’ll be going out soon, so if you can’t sleep at least try to rest. I’ll come get you in about three hours, we’ll grab something to eat and go relieve Laz and Marc.”
Piotr nodded and headed wearily for his bed.
He’d built himself a small wicker shelter for sleeping and to provide a place for his tools and equipment. Unstringing his bow, he stacked the weapons and was soon asleep.
Matt would have liked to rest too, but it wasn’t to be. Not yet.
He found Lilia and told her what had happened. She’d seen Lee when he came in but hadn’t been able to talk to him yet. Seeing to the needs of the two girls had kept her busy.
“Tell the rest of our people we’ll be moving, probably tomorrow. Get everything packed. No fires tonight, so if you’re going to cook, do it now. We’ll leave when Robert is ready. It might be early. We can haul more stuff on the carts and do it faster. We’ll leave less of a trail too.
“Pack stuff on the bottom that you won’t need right away, put things on top if you expect to need them during the day. We won’t unload anything from the carts at night unless it’s needed. This will save time when we camp and when we leave in the mornings.”
“I understand, Matt. I’ll see to it.”
“Thanks, Lilia. I’m going to get a couple of hours sleep. Can you wake me in two hours, maybe a bit more? I’ll need to get Piotr up and eat something. We’re taking the second shift watching the trail.”
“I’ll take care of it, Matt. Get some sleep.”
Three hours later Lilia woke him and handed him a mug of hot tea.
“Where’d you get the mug?”
“Sandra made it. There’s clay, and she’s been making things. Be careful, she fired it in the coals and it may not last long. Hold your hand around the cup. But it should work for a while.”
“Did you call Piotr?”
“I did. He’s waiting at the kitchen.”
Matt ate as the two headed out to relieve Laz and Marc.
#
Piotr had thought of a number of questions and he asked them while they the two slipped along the trail.
“Matt, you said these people are slavers? Why would they do that? It means to hold people against their will, correct?”
“That’s it, Piotr. It even makes a kind of sense. There are no laws here and no one to enforce them if there were. Keep your voice down and I’ll explain.
“There are a couple of reasons. If you want something, say a spear, how do you get it?”
“You make it, Matt. I have made my own bow.”
“And you did a good job, Piotr. But suppose you don’t have the skill or the tools to make a fine spear or a bow? You can trade for it, or if you’re strong enough, you simply take it.”
Piotr nodded thoughtfully. “I can understand that.”
“But what do you trade? If you can’t make things, you need something of value you can offer the man who has the spear or bow.”
Piotr nodded again. “You make arrowheads, I make arrow shafts. We trade.”
“Right. I suspect slavery didn’t start that way, but something like that, trade, is what has kept it going after it started.”
“How would it start, Matt?”
“With a war, I think. Doesn’t have to be a big war, just two groups of men who fight.”
“Why would they fight, Matt? There is plenty of room for all.”
“Not everyone sees it that way, Piotr. Say there’s a water-hole where animals come to drink. If two villages want the water hole for hunting, they might decide to fight over it. Or women. One village has women, the other doesn’t. T
here will always be a reason for a fight, whether it makes sense or not.”
Piotr was quiet while he mulled this over.
“So they fight, Matt?”
“Yes. Eventually, one side wins. Do you kill everyone on the other side, or capture them?”
“Well…”
“If you kill all of them, the story gets around. The next time you’re in a fight, the other side fights harder knowing they’ll die if they lose. So I think the winner must capture as many as possible rather than kill them.
“What do you do with them, the captives? Feed them, or put them to work earning their own food? If you find work for them, you’ve just invented slavery. And when you find yourself with more slaves than you’ve got work, you look for someone to trade with.”
“I guess this makes a kind of sense. But won’t people fight harder knowing they’ll be slaves if they lose?”
“Not always, Piotr. Slavery starts in the mind. People have to fear death more than captivity.
“Anyway, we’re getting close. We can talk after we get back to camp. Right now, we need to be quiet.”
Chapter 12
“Robert, do you know where Lee is?”
“You’re Shani, right?”
The girl nodded. She was the older of the two that Lee had rescued.
“He left before daylight this morning; he’s gone to scout the slavers’ camp. He took one man with him, Laz. They’ll be back in a day or two. Do you need something?”
“No. But I don’t know anyone else, just you and Lee and Lilia. I only met Matt for a few minutes.”
“Matt’s at his camp, Lilia too. But if you need help…?”
“No. I just wondered where Lee was.”
“If you need anything, you can ask any of us. Why don’t we go find them? I’ve got a question and I’m sure the two of them will want to know the answer too.”
“What question, Robert?”
“I’m wondering how you escaped.”
“I’ll tell you, if that’s what you want. It wasn’t easy. If they’d caught Bella or me, they’d have raped us again, maybe killed us. They sometimes kill people who run away, and the rest of the time they whip them and cut their leg just above the heel. They always limp after that.”