Forged in the Dawn

by Gavin Zanker

  Jordy gave the signal for quiet as they neared the building with weapons drawn. They followed him in, splitting up to search the house for any sign of Cameron. After finding the house empty, they assembled in the kitchen.

  ‘How do we know we’re still on track?’ asked Blanc, holstering her pistol.

  ‘Because the idiot is lighting fires to keep himself warm at night,’ Jordy said as he looked through a cupboard. ‘It’s not hard to track someone when they leave fresh piles of ash every morning.’

  ‘Let’s take a break, I’m dying here,’ Faye said, unshouldering her pack and slumping down on it.

  With no argument, they all followed her lead. Blanc, who had become the unofficial cook of the group, removed a small cooking pot and told Adam to collect pieces of broken furniture so they could light a fire. The large man lumbered away into the next room to do as he was told.

  ‘What’s left to eat then?’ Aiden asked.

  ‘We have some bannock mix left,’ Blanc said, rooting around in her pack, ‘and a little dried meat. That’s about it.’

  ‘Great, more dry bread,’ Jordy said, rubbing some of the dust from his face. ‘Almost makes me wish for some roasted rat from Oldtown. Faye, since we’re going to be here for a while, why don’t you check out back for anything useful.’

  Faye groaned as she picked herself up. She stepped outside through the back door leading to the rear of the house, the door clattering shut behind her. Adam reappeared carrying an armful of splintered wood and dropped it next to Blanc who set to work starting a fire.

  Faye appeared in the doorway a moment later. ‘Hey guys, there’s a barn out back.’

  ‘Break can wait then,’ Jordy declared. ‘We’re checking it out.’

  Leaving their gear in the house, the five of them walked out towards the barn with weapons drawn. The four walls still stood, though many of the wooden panels looked warped and rotten. Taking up position outside, Aiden pulled the large door open while the others advanced inside.

  Daylight flooded into the barn through the open door, shafts of light slicing through the disturbed dust. Cameron was there, a small figure sat on a hay bale in the centre of the floor. He barely looked up at their approach, his head resting in his hands.

  ‘I figured you’d be here soon enough,’ he said.

  The group fanned out around the runaway, though he made no attempt to move.

  ‘Cameron Kent,’ Jordy said, his voice suddenly formal, ‘you’ve been found guilty of breaking your contract with the Seekers. The penalty for desertion is death. Do you have anything to say?’

  ‘I just didn’t want to die,’ Cameron said, his shoulders heaving as tears started to stream down his face.

  ‘Shouldn’t have run then, you idiot,’ Jordy said. ‘You knew the rules when you signed up.’

  ‘Do we really have to do this?’ Faye protested, looking to the group. ‘I mean he’s just a kid.’

  ‘She’s right,’ Aiden said. ‘The boy’s no threat. We could just let him go. No one else needs to know.’

  ‘No balls,’ Jordy muttered. ‘I should’ve guessed you would say that.’

  ‘Cameron’s not stupid enough to show his face in the Rim again,’ Faye said. ‘Why not let him take his chances out here?’

  ‘Because there are rules,’ Jordy replied. ‘There’s a natural order, Faye. Things are supposed to happen a certain way.’

  ‘And who decides that?’ Faye said.

  ‘Simple cause and effect,’ he answered. ‘You make certain choices, do certain things, and you have to face up to the consequences. There’s no running away, things will always catch up with you.’

  Faye frowned, her brow creasing. ‘Look, I still don’t think-’

  ‘Come on, no point dragging this out,’ Jordy said, stepping towards Cameron.

  ‘Please,’ Cameron pleaded. ‘I don’t want to die.’

  ‘Oh come on, don’t beg. Have some dignity at least.’ Jordy looked around at the group expectantly, but no one stepped forward. ‘I suppose I need to do all the real work around here then.’ Jordy levelled his pistol at Cameron’s head. ‘So long, kid.’

  A shot rang out and Cameron slumped sideways, toppling to the floor. Aiden whirled around to see Blanc, smoke rising from her pistol. The team stood in stunned silence, eyes wide with shock. Aiden would never have expected Blanc to do something so extreme, the quiet girl shied away from violence at every opportunity.

  ‘Blanc…’ Faye whispered, her hand covering her mouth.

  ‘Had to be done,’ Blanc said. She shrugged, then turned on her heel and walked out of the barn. Adam, who had been silent through the encounter, glanced at the unmoving body on the floor, then turned and followed her outside.

  ‘Well, who knew she was hiding some balls,’ Jordy said. ‘What’s wrong, did she take yours Aiden? Hah, I think I’m starting to like that girl.’ He walked out of the barn with a smirk, holstering his pistol.

  Faye was still frozen in shock, staring down at the body of Cameron. Aiden stepped up beside her and looked down as the crimson blood spread, staining the dirt and the strands of dried grass. The shot had been clean at least, straight to the head.

  ‘Come on,’ Aiden said, putting his arm around Faye. He guided her back outside to the sunlight, closing the barn door behind them.

  ‘Well done, lass,’ Jordy said, playfully punching Blanc on the shoulder.

  Blanc remained silent, a faraway look in her eyes. Adam stood close to her, watching Jordy carefully.

  ‘We should start heading back while we still have the light,’ Aiden said, glancing at the sky. ‘No point being out here any longer than we have to.’

  ‘Agreed,’ Faye said, finding her voice again. She kept throwing curious glances at Blanc. ‘We’re too far east.’

  ‘True enough,’ Jordy said, his good mood evaporating and his sneer returning. ‘I’m all for taking down some Ravagers, but I don’t want to bed down here and wake up to one of those freaks slicing my throat.’

  The group returned to the farmhouse kitchen and collected their gear, their break forgotten now. Aiden took up position at the rear and they headed back west towards home and the sinking sun.

  CHAPTER 21

  ‘HAD TO BE Ravagers,’ Faye said, looking around the blackened ruins of the hamlet. ‘Most of these fires look cold. They’ll be long gone by now.’

  ‘Still,’ Jordy said, licking his lips. ‘We don’t know which way they went so we shouldn’t hang around.’

  ‘Shouldn’t we search for survivors?’ Faye asked with a frown.

  ‘No one will have survived this,’ Jordy said, his eyes darting around. ‘Best we move on quickly and save ourselves the trouble.’

  ‘No harm in looking,’ Aiden said. ‘I can check the main house over there and catch you up.’

  ‘Fine, go ahead,’ Jordy said, already walking away. ‘Just don’t lag behind, because the rest of us ain’t stopping.’

  Faye touched Aiden’s arm and mouthed a thank you before following the others as they skirted around the ruins and continued west. Aiden picked his way over the blackened timber and debris of the destroyed buildings. The nearby fields of immature corn still smouldered, sending up an acrid haze of smoke that stung his eyes and throat. He pulled his bandana up over his mouth and headed for the only structure that had not completely burned to the ground.

  As he entered, he was faced with a rafter which had fallen from above smashing through the wooden floorboards. He climbed over it, taking care not to disturb the creaking structure. Rounding a corner, he saw a pair of legs sticking out of a doorway. He crept closer, drawing his pistol. As he neared, he saw a splintered door lying over the rest of the body.

  Aiden saw the sun-browned legs were covered in patterns of scars and burns. Reaching down he touched the ankle carefully with the back of his hand. It was cold. He gently lifted the door, but dropped it instantly when he caught sight of what was underneath. The corpse was missing a head.

  Aiden swal
lowed hard and hopped over the fallen door into the room beyond. Inside were more bodies. A man, woman and child lay huddled together in the corner. Probably the farmers who had lived in the house. Stepping further into the room, he saw gunshot wounds in their heads. A double-barrelled shotgun lay beside the man’s body.

  The family probably locked themselves inside the room when the raid started. When the attackers broke through, the man had shot one of them. But there would have been no defence against the onslaught of a horde. They must have chosen a quick death rather than allowed themselves to be playthings for the Ravagers. The father had shot his wife and child dead, then reloaded to shoot himself. Aiden wondered at the strength required to go through with an act like that.

  Finding himself unable to step away from the disturbing scene, Aiden stared at the bodies. He had seen enough death in the world to be desensitised now, but it still saddened him to see such meaningless death. For a reason he could not pin down, he knew this scene would stay with him for a long time.

  His thoughts turned to the Ravagers who had committed the attack. Never seeing one until now, he had learned a little of them during his time in the Rim. They surged across the land, consuming everything, leaving only death and blood behind. There had never been a report of them building anything. Never planting crops, or writing books. They showed no regard for the future. Ultimately there would be nothing left for them to destroy, and then true to their nature, they would turn on themselves.

  Aiden’s thoughts were interrupted by a shuffling noise outside. He stalked back through the house turning his head to hear better. He found the back door and stepped outside, but saw nothing. The sun was hanging lower in the sky now and darkness would be falling within the hour. He felt a chill as the wind rushed around him, catching under his jacket.

  He turned to head after the team when another noise came to him. A soft whine this time. He dropped to his knee and looked under the house panels to see a pair of eyes peering out at him.

  Aiden took a few paces away from the house and dropped his pack, using it as a seat. He pulled out some dried meat from a pouch and chewed it slowly. After a moment, a muzzle extended out from under the house, sniffing around. Aiden dropped a piece of the meat on the ground and waited.

  Soon the animal crawled out, and Aiden saw it was a ragged looking dog. He recognised the breed, a border collie with black and white fur. They were traditional working dogs, used on farms for herding animals.

  Aiden spoke to the animal in a low, reassuring tone as it eyed him carefully, keeping low to the ground. Eventually it grew brave enough to approach and snatched the food. It chewed the morsel hungrily and then lay down, ears pricked up as it stared at Aiden.

  Aiden tore off another piece of the dried meat, extending it towards the collie. The dog crawled over slowly, taking the food from his hand. Aiden reached down and patted its head, checking the collar now the animal was comfortable with him.

  ‘So your name is Hitch, eh boy?’

  The dog looked up at Aiden, wide eyed. He must have crawled under the house to hide from the Ravagers. Aiden scratched him behind the ears then stood and shouldered his pack.

  ‘Well, good luck, Hitch.’

  Aiden stood and headed west to catch up with the team. He rounded the building and noticed the dog following him at a distance. He paused and thought for a moment. The others would probably object, but leaving the dog here alone did not sit well with him. He sighed, then turned back.

  ‘You want to come with me?’

  The dog answered with a short bark.

  ‘Come on then,’ Aiden said, patting his leg. The dog bounded to his side, his tongue lolling. Aiden dropped to a crouch and scratched the dog’s ear again. ‘Hitch, right? I’m Aiden. Good to meet you, boy. Let’s stick together then. Maybe we can look out for each other.’

  AS NIGHT FELL, Aiden found the team inside another abandoned farmhouse. The building had all its walls intact, and after Faye boarded up the window, it offered decent shelter. A fire was soon crackling in the centre of the room, casting a warming glow over the walls.

  Hitch was popular with most of the team, especially Adam who smiled broadly as he played with the dog. Blanc ended up calling him away to give the tired animal a break from the constant fussing. On the other hand, Jordy did little to hide his contempt for the animal.

  ‘We shouldn’t be bringing a mongrel like that with us,’ he said as he sat sharpening a knife with long even strokes. ‘It’s a wild beast and could tear our throats out while we sleep.’

  ‘He wouldn’t do that, he’s just a big softy, aren’t you, boy?’ Faye said, tussling the dog’s head. Hitch panted happily at the attention. ‘What do you think, Blanc?’

  Blanc looked over at the dog from her bedroll. ‘As long as it leaves me alone, I don’t care.’ She rolled over making it clear she had nothing else to say.

  ‘Seems like you’re the only one with a problem, Jordy,’ Aiden said, cradling a mug of steaming tea. ‘And since it’s my dog, you don’t get a say,’

  ‘That’s where you’re wrong, you arrogant whoreson,’ Jordy said, rising from his seat. ‘Kane put me in charge of this team. Not you. Me.’

  ‘And this dog isn’t part of your team, is it? So just sit back down and keep your opinion to yourself.’

  Jordy’s face contorted in to a snarl and he leapt at Aiden brandishing the knife. Aiden threw his drink as jumped to his feet, blinding Jordy and causing him to drop the knife. The two men collided, tumbling to the floor. Hitch barked furiously at the fighting.

  Before it could go any further, Adam stepped forward and pulled the two apart, standing between them. ‘No fighting,’ he rumbled in a deep monotone.

  ‘Boys,’ Faye said, rolling her eyes. ‘Don’t we have enough to worry about without trying to kill each other?’

  Jordy glared at Aiden with murder in his eyes, then returned to his bedroll in the corner. He lay down, turning over to face the wall. Aiden patted Adam on the arm, reassuring him, and the huge man returned back to his spot beside Blanc.

  Aiden picked up his empty cup and slumped down on his own bedroll. Hitch moved to his side, laying his head on Aiden’s lap. ‘Don’t worry, boy,’ he whispered, ‘you’re not going anywhere.’

  Faye walked across the room, collecting the fallen knife and passing it to Jordy who took it without a word. Then she settled herself down by the boarded window, pistol in hand, drawing her thin blanket around herself tightly.

  ‘I’ll take watch then,’ she said, leaning back against the wall. ‘Everyone else can get some rest.’

  ‘Wake me in a couple of hours,’ Aiden said, nodding at her. ‘You need rest too.’

  She smiled at him gratefully, her face lined with fatigue. Aiden lay back on his bedroll, resting one arm over his eyes and the other over Hitch. With his sore muscles and blistered feet, the journey was taking its toll on him, and he quickly drifted into sleep.

  CHAPTER 22

  ‘AWW, HE’S SO cute,’ one of the Seekers said, throwing her arms around the panting dog. ‘I just want to keep him all to myself.’

  ‘All right, back it up,’ Aiden said. ‘He doesn’t need you getting broody over him.’

  The woman scowled and headed back to her bunk muttering under her breath. Aiden rolled his eyes and returned to unpacking his gear. The team had arrived back at the Dawnist compound an hour ago, and had been settling back into their bunks since. Hitch had turned out to be a hit, with almost the entire barracks taking a liking to him.

  ‘You’re loving this, aren’t you,’ Aiden said to Hitch who was lying on the bunk, looking up at him and panting happily.

  Someone shouted Aiden and pointed towards the end of the barracks. Kane was there, calling for a meeting with the returning team. Aiden headed over, depressed by the events of the trip, but figuring that at least Kane would be content with the outcome.

  ‘Where’s Jordy?’ Kane asked, looking around at the four Seekers.

  ‘I think he he
aded straight for the gym when he got back,’ Faye said.

  ‘Aright, so how did it go?’ Kane asked.

  When no one spoke, Blanc broke the awkward silence. ‘The mission was completed, sir.’

  ‘Good. I know it must have been tough, but you obviously handled yourselves well out there. Faye, run and find Jordy for me. I want a report from him by sundown. The rest of you are dismissed, you can take some well-deserved down time.’

  The team drifted back to their bunks wordlessly. Between the scene in the barn and witnessing the aftermath of the attack on the village, it had been a draining trip. Aiden lay on his bunk to rest, careful not to disturb Hitch who was curled up sleeping.

  A few moments later he heard footsteps halt nearby. He peered over to see Kane at the foot of his bunk looking down at Hitch. ‘I see we have a new face.’

  Aiden yawned widely and propped himself up on his elbows. ‘We passed through a small community on the way back. It had been hit by Ravagers. Hitch here was the only survivor.’

  ‘Another one?’ Kane clicked his tongue loudly. ‘If anyone bothered to listen to me then we’d take the fight to those savages before they murder any more innocent people.’

  ‘You sound like you’ve had experience with Ravagers.’

  ‘You could say that.’ Kane held up his left hand showing his missing little finger. ‘Anyway, pets aren’t allowed in the Seekers.’

  ‘I wouldn’t call him so much a pet as a member of the team.’

  Kane smirked. ‘I don’t doubt a dog would be useful, but animals can be unpredictable.’

  Aiden nodded, looking at the sleeping dog. ‘Yeah, but I like him. The rest of the team do too. Plus he reminds me of myself a bit.’

  ‘If you’re willing to take full responsibility for him, I’ll let you keep him around.’ Kane pointed at Aiden. ‘But if I hear any reports of a misbehaving animal then there’ll be consequences.’