“Well spoken, Alexander,” replied Tora. “I will get to my nomination shortly, but first there are few items that need to be made clear to you. You do not feel the pain of your mother’s loss alone. Lavinda was very dear to all of us. And you should feel no guilt. Lavinda was knowledgeable about myrics as most of us are. The guilt associated with her death could be claimed by any one of us who wanted just a few more minutes at this stop or that stop. No, Lavinda would not want any of us to feel guilt at her death, especially you. You were her pride and joy, much as Laman is mine. As to your condition after Lavinda’s death, none of us could have sprung back as you have. To be torn from the woods you love, have both of your parents killed and saddled with a bunch of whiners who just want to go home while you are being attacked by vicious animals is a heavy burden. Alexander Tork, you have kept us alive for three days without losses due to the Yaki. I do not believe that Gathar, gods rest his soul, could have done as well. And you had to do it over our objections. My own son, Laman, idolizes you. I formally request that this village elect Alexander Tork as our village leader.”
Tora sat down amidst cheers. The vote was quick and unanimous. Alex was stunned at the support from the villagers. He was certain that most of them had despised him for dragging them to this cave. Laman and Kyle came over and slapped Alex on the back.
Laman quipped, “Now I will have to call you our Official Fearless Leader.”
“Yeah,” retorted Kyle, “but I hope your mother never tries to praise me.”
Alex laughed. He would never get over the bickering these two friends threw at each other. Alex returned his attention to the meeting. People were offering suggestions for food rationing, sharing guard duty and keeping the fire barricade stoked. Alex was pleased. The villagers not only accepted new duties, but also welcomed them. Each seemed eager to get involved. One little eight-year-old girl, Jo, came over and tugged on his sleeve. Alex recognized her as one of the little ones who hit him with the seed last night.
“Alex,” said Jo, “can’t we just poison these little seeds and shoot them at the Yaki?”
Alex looked at the reeds in his quiver and excitement coursed through his veins. “I don’t think we can poison the seeds, Jo, but you have just come up with a wonderful idea!”
Alex went over to the mouth of the cave and took a reed and a quill out of his quiver. He carefully slid the quill into the reed and took aim at the tree Laman had used for scouting. Alex blew hard and the quill sailed over the fire and struck the tree, its tip imbedded deeply. Jenneva applauded and others turned to see what was happening. Alex explained his variation of Jo’s idea and soon the warriors were gathering the children’s’ reeds. Alex cautioned the group several times about avoiding the quill tips, lest they end up killing themselves. Kyle went back to the myric and finished removing the quills while Laman made up a bunch of small quivers. Nolan relieved Jenneva of guard duty and Jenneva and Alex went back to their spot in rear of the cave.
Alex and Jenneva spent the morning talking about their homes and favorite things to do. Alex discovered that Jenneva was an avid reader and enjoyed walking in the woods. Alex talked about his love of the woods, archery, and horseback riding. Jenneva went to check on Hasra and Alex went to see what the commotion was at the mouth of the cave.
Laman had just jumped down off of the horse he had been standing on. Hanging from the roof of the cave was a long leather strap pieced together from quiver slings. Larc led the horse back to its area of the cave.
“What are you fellows up to?” asked Alex.
“Larc had this great idea,” chortled Laman. “It’s called Kyle’s swing!”
“You twit,” replied Kyle. “Whoever uses that foul contraption won’t be named Kyle. I’m not ready to be roasted yet. No thanks!”
“You probably would never make it over, anyway,” countered Laman. “It’s a swing, Alex. We beat a knife into a crevice and attached the long leather strap to it. This way we can swing over the fire to get our arrows back or climb the tree to see what the Yaki are doing. They’ve been quiet since they took their beating this morning and we figured it might be a good opportunity to replenish our arrow supply. I suppose they are probably feasting on their brethren and won’t be back until they need another one toasted.”
“It looks great,” said Alex, “But I’m not ready to trade you for some wooden arrows, Laman. How do you plan on getting back in?”
“Well,” considered Laman, “I kind of figured I would run and leap at the strap.”
“Nice try,” retorted Kyle. “If you could leap that high, you would be able to just leap over the fire. Remember the Yaki that tried it?”
“Sounds like you have some more figuring to do, Laman,” stated Alex. “Find a way to get back in and I’ll give it a try.”
Alex wandered around the cave. He didn’t like waiting for something to happen. He would have to work on that emotion. He had talked to Jenneva about her composure and she had enlightened him. Her secret was simple. Do not dwell on things that you cannot affect; concentrate on those things which you can do that will make a difference. He looked over at her. She was a beautiful girl. Her long blonde hair came half way down her back and she was tall for her age. She had long slender limbs and a smile that always looked like it was meant especially for you. Her manner was soft spoken and confident. Whenever she wanted to make a point, she seemed to have the knack of making you think it was your idea. Alex liked her.
Late that afternoon, the Yaki attacked again. This time the boys were ready. The Yaki tried the same procedure that they had used that morning. Several of them would rear as a distraction, while others tried to collapse the barricade. All six boys lined the barricade and carefully began loading quills into their reeds. Alex had been adamant about using the quills; no quick movements were allowed. He did not want any accidents. One by one, the boys chose their targets and let their quills fly. One by one, the Yaki started dropping. After just a few minutes, the pile of Yaki was so large that Alex was afraid the animals might use the pile of bodies to leap over the barricade. Alex started screaming. Larc was the first to catch on and also started screaming. Soon all of the boys were screaming. The attacking Yaki were confused. They backed up warily as if expecting a charge from the cave inhabitants. One Yaki whirled around and headed down the path. Soon they were all gone. Only the bodies remained.
There were no further attacks that afternoon and things were quiet all night. When Alex awoke, Nolan was on guard duty. Alex walked over to the cave entrance and spoke with him.
“Anything happening?” Alex questioned.
“I haven’t heard a thing, but all of the Yaki bodies are gone. It’s spooky that they can move so quietly.”
Alex thought of his last five years in the woods sneaking up on animals, and how much better he had become with practice. “Not really,” he stated. “They have to be quiet to eat. If they are noisy or make the mistake of approaching upwind from their prey, they don’t eat. The number of animals that fled from this pack already would have kept the Yaki fat for a long time. I see that our firewood is getting dangerously low. If this quill trick didn’t work, we’re going to be seeing those Yaki real close up. Get Laman and Kyle. I’m going out on the swing, but I want that large log thrown on the fire when I get ready to come back in.”
Nolan scampered off and soon returned with Laman and Kyle.
“Hey,” Laman chirped, “you’re not going to let me use the swing?”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” remarked Kyle, “it’s safer for Alex to face the Yaki alone than to face your mother if you didn’t make it back.”
“How about you two oafs get that large log ready for my return,” commanded Alex. “Nolan, load your reed just in case.”
Alex swung over the barricade and quickly climbed up the tree. After just a few moments, Alex climbed down the tree and disappeared down the path. Thirty minutes later Laman and Kyle were arguing over whether they should go looking for Alex or not. Forty minu
tes later Alex returned and ran over the large log.
“Get everyone ready,” ordered Alex. “I saw dead Yaki as far as I could see, but not a single one moving! We’re getting out of here as soon as we can. Clear the barricade. Laman, you and Eddie take the horses down to the marsh and retrieve the wagon.”
The cave was full of activity and the sound of cheerful voices was almost deafening. Alex went over to Jenneva and Hasra.
“We’re getting ready to leave,” stated Alex. “Will you come with us?”
“Where are you going?” asked Jenneva.
“The other side of the mountains,” replied Alex. “We either go through the pass or we go around. We may have wiped out one band of Yaki, but there are plenty more around. A hundred Yaki did not cause the stampede my father and I saw. I also saw fresh tracks down by the marsh that couldn’t have been more than a couple of hours old. I think some of the Yaki might have been smart enough not to eat their tainted cousins. I’m not going to subject these villagers to any more Yaki attacks.”
“Jenneva,” said Hasra, “Go with them. I will continue on to River’s Run on my own.”
“No,” Jenneva stated, “I will not leave you here to die. We set out to go to Dawn’s and to Dawn’s we shall go.”
“If you travel with us,” Alex offered, “Hasra can ride in the cart.”
“You will not get through the pass this late, warrior,” said Hasra. “Do not waste your time and energy trying. Head for Bordon. It is your only choice, and take this defiant girl with you, before I am forced to beat some sense into her.”
“Alex,” purred Jenneva, “Thank you for your kind offer, but we must decline. My uncle and I are going in the opposite direction. We must rest before we resume our journey, so we will say goodbye now and wish you a safe trip. Please give our regards to the others as we do not wish to be disturbed any further.”
Alex was shocked. This charming girl had just rudely dismissed him. It seemed so out of character for Jenneva, but Alex had enough on his mind that he did not wish a confrontation with the couple. “Fare thee well,” he replied and left to organize the villagers’ departure.
Within an hour the cart was loaded and the villagers departed. Hasra and Jenneva appeared to be sleeping and no one disturbed them. Alex was sad because he liked both Hasra and Jenneva very much, or he thought he had. Perhaps he never knew the real Jenneva. He remembered her secret and put the sadness out of his mind. He had a village to transport and a long way to go. Bordon was a good two weeks’ walk without any troubles to slow them down. If they ran into more Yaki or the horses went lame, they would be fighting the weather as well as fatigue. He would have to push the villagers hard again. Maybe at the next village meeting they would replace him with someone else, but at least they would be able to have another meeting. Alex worked his way to the front of the line. The trail would soon split and he wanted to make sure they took the proper trail.
Chapter 3
Refuge
The trip to Bordon took three weeks instead of two. There were no further Yaki attacks and the greatest calamity was the wagon tipping over. The villagers were weary, but they were also turning into well-seasoned travelers. Larc, Nolan, and Eddie had really matured and were very helpful during the trip. Alex was able to utilize them as scouts or have them keep the party moving while the older boys went off in search of food. Bordon was in view now and the party would reach the border town in a few hours.
“Laman,” called Alex, “the trail from here to Bordon is fairly straight. Keep the group moving along. I am going on ahead to see if there might be an area of the town where the villagers can camp. We also need to get supplies for the rest of the journey and materials to start our new village.”
“Don’t forget to inquire about some carpentry tools,” added Laman. “If we are going to have to build a village out of the dust, we will need some basic tools at least.”
“I’ll inquire, Laman,” replied Alex, “but I’m pretty sure the town’s people aren’t giving any away today. I’ll see if I can gain some employment for us. We’ll meet when you get to --- Bordon.”
Alex waved goodbye to the caravan and started jogging towards the town. He tried to recall what he had heard about Bordon. He knew it was primarily a border town between the Kingdom of Targa and the Republic of Cordonia. It hosted a small fishing fleet that worked the waters of the Targa Sea and it was the only way through the mountains that was accessible year round.
Alex slowed to a walk as he reached the town. Bordon seemed to have two streets. One well-worn dirt road squirmed along the Targa coast and through the town to a customs checkpoint on the Cordonian border. The other was a short dusty cross street that ran from a group of huts to cross the main road to the fishing docks. The huts appeared to be fairly old wooden structures with thatched roofs. Lining the main road were stores and merchants. Most of the commerce seemed geared to the passing traveler. There were two inns, a blacksmith, and a butcher with fruits and vegetables displayed on tables out front. In addition there was an arms dealer, three taverns, and a large wooden structure named Tulek’s Shipping. There were several other small stores that did not have signs, but Alex assumed one of them must be a medicinal store. At the far end of town by the border were a large wooden stockade on one side of the road and a small stone structure on the other. On a hill overlooking the stockade was a very large stone house with gardens. Between the small stone structure and the sea were a large field and a small wooden shack.
Down the cross street, Alex saw the fishing docks. There was an assortment of old rickety looking fishing boats, several long flat tables used to cut fish and a number of smaller tables that were displaying a variety of sea life, presumably for sale. There was also a wooden building approximately twice the size of the town huts with a fisherman’s net hung above the door. Across the street was the fourth tavern.
Alex ran his hand through his long tawny hair and sighed. He was not sure what he had expected to find in Bordon, but the prospect of finding enough work in the town to supply his party did not look good. He had pushed the villagers for three weeks to get this far, and they needed to replenish their supplies and rest for a while. Alex walked toward the docks and talked with the fishermen. They laughed at his request for work and showed him a rotting pile of fish that hadn’t sold. Undaunted, Alex strode over to the net maker’s hut. A weathered old man sat in a chair with his feet on the table, snoring. Alex closed the door loudly and the old man nearly fell out of his chair. Suffering a string of obscenities, most which Alex didn’t understand, he quickly retreated outdoors.
Having never been exposed to alcohol, Alex decided to bypass the taverns. At the blacksmith’s, he was politely told no. The butcher explained that with winter coming, traffic on the road was down and so were his sales. The first inn, the Boar’s Head, was run by a friendly couple that with their daughter were able to handle all of the work. A young woman ran the second inn, the Wagon Wheel. Even though it was late afternoon, there appeared to be no guests at the inn. Alex inquired about work and the young woman starting crying. Trying to soothe her, Alex inquired about the reason for her distress. The woman went into a long story of how she had come to inherit the inn. She had no knowledge of running an inn and could not understand why everyone chose the Boar’s Head over the Wagon Wheel. Alex wanted to press for work, but the woman would not stop crying or talking long enough for Alex to get a word in, so he turned and left. Alex was beginning to long for the woods where things were simpler. These town people were either outright rude or overly friendly.
He saw his caravan approaching the town, but figured he still had time to try Tulek’s Shipping. He entered the building through the large double doors and saw half a dozen wagons. Out the back door he could see that the company had their own stables. A large bullnecked man who was completely bald approached him.
“Ramor’s the name, lad. What can I do ya for?”
“I’m looking for work,” said Alex.
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��Ya are, now, are ya?” returned Ramor. “And what is it ya do, lad?”
“Well,” answered Alex, “I can do most anything you need, I guess. I mean, that is, that I am willing to do anything you want done.”
“We got no call for laborers,” quipped Ramor. “I see yer carrying a bow. Ya knows how to use it?”
“Sure,” exclaimed Alex, “I can hit a ground squirrel at better than fifty paces. I’m not sure how much better, because they’re not that hard to sneak up on.”
“I’m sure ya can,” doubted Ramor. “We may be looking for some guards next week. Come back then and we’ll see what ya can do.”
Alex stood looking at Ramor’s muscular back as the man strode away.
The villagers were nearing the town now and Alex jogged out to meet them. They looked like a bedraggled bunch, having worn the same clothes for almost a month. The village women had been good about washing everyone’s clothes whenever they had the chance, but that did not help the worn out clothes and shoes that many of them were wearing. Alex had a brief moment of utter despair before he remembered Jenneva’s secret.
“Ho, fearless leader,” greeted Laman. “Where do we park our caravan?”
Alex looked at Laman’s smiling freckled face, and thought quickly. “There is a large field down by the border between a small stone structure and a small wooden hut. We’ll set up camp there. After you lead the group to the camp, meet me down by the sea. I have some thinking to do and could use your counsel.”
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