by Saxon Andrew
Andy saw the huge Cursor bearing down on him and knew it had to be Melody. He was surprised to see someone was in the saddle. In a moment, he knew who it had to be. The giant came trotting up and began caressing her mother. Dinah rubbed her head on her daughter’s neck and both of them started moaning. Andy looked at Melody and said, “That’s a fine Cursor you’re riding.”
Melody was terrified at stumbling up on the one person in the community she wanted to avoid, “Ye, ye, yes she is,” she stammered.
Andy saw her fear and smiled, “Relax, Melody. I’m not going to fall off and curl up in a fetal position. What do you think about how fast she can run?”
Melody tried to catch her breath, “This is the first time I’ve been on her when she ran.”
“Oh. What can you do with her?”
Melody heard Andy’s soft voice and she brought her mind under control, “I can get her to go, stop, reverse, change direction, smell for predators…”
“If you can do all that, why haven’t you taken her out for a run?”
Both of them heard a voice behind them yelling, “Melody, get out of the way!”
Melody looked at Andy, “Lyla thinks it would be too dangerous.”
Andy looked around Melody at Lyla running at her fastest speed holding a blaster, “It appears you have upset your teacher.”
Melody turned around and said, “Yes, it appears I have.”
Andy swore it was Harmony that said it and he smiled. Lyla came running up with the blaster raised and saw Andy. She slid to a stop and said, “Oh crap.” She bent over and put her hands on her knees and tried to catch her breath.
Andy shrugged, “Do you always allow your students to go out unarmed?”
Melody turned to him, “I only took her fifty yards from the pen. She took off when she saw you coming.”
Lyla lifted her head breathing hard, “Exactly that.”
Andy looked at Melody, “How did you like the run?”
“I wasn’t ready for it. I barely managed to grab the saddle and I was frightened out of my wits that if I commanded her to stop I would be thrown over her neck.”
Andy shook his head, “She would have raised her head to give you something to push against. She wouldn’t allow you to come to harm.” Andy turned to Lyla, “When were you going to turn them loose?”
Lyla was standing erect breathing hard and said, “I don’t know. How do you prepare someone to ride the community’s fastest Cursor?”
Andy extended his hand to Lyla and pulled her up behind him. He looked at Melody and tilted his head slightly, “Tell you what. Meet me at the pen at day break and I’ll take you out with Dinah. We’ll run until you get the feel. Once it feels normal, I’ll teach you how to control Melody’s speed.”
Lyla looked at Andy, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Andy looked at her and nodded. Melody immediately started crying. Andy turned to her and said, “It’s ok, Melody, I miss her, too.”
“It’s not that, though I do miss her.”
“If not that, what?”
“I’ve been frightened that you would hate me and the people who worship you would hate me as well.”
Andy rode up closer to Melody and reached up and lifted her chin, “Melody, if I hated you I’d be hating Harmony as well. Seeing you reminds me of all the wonderful moments we shared and I’m sure seeing you in the future will keep those memories alive.”
Melody looked into Andy’s eyes and knew what her sister saw in him. “Are you sure?”
“I am. Let’s go put these Cursors to bed and get some rest.”
Lyla said, “Where have you been?”
Andy looked at her and said, “Finding peace.”
“Did you find it?”
Melody stared at Andy and heard him say, “Yes…I did.”
She tried not to feel it but she looked forward to the morning.
• • •
Lyla went into her quarters and Maxius said, “Back from babysitting.”
“Yes, but my babysitting chores are done.”
“Oh, realllly?”
“Yes, she has a new trainer.”
“Who?”
“Andy.”
“WHAT!!”
Lyla shook her head, “That goofball of a Cursor she was riding saw him coming and took off at full speed to meet him.”
“And she stayed on?”
“Barely. He volunteered to teach her how to handle its speed tomorrow.”
“How did he…”
“He talked with her and didn’t appear to be out of control. I think he’s found peace, Maxius.”
“I pray you’re right. Harvey will want to see him first thing in the morning.”
“He’ll have to wait. He’s taking Melody out at Daybreak.”
“ALONE!”
“Don’t get your uniform in a wad. Either he can handle it or he can’t. We might as well find out now.”
“Easy for you to say. We need him desperately.”
Lyla looked at Maxius and lowered her head, “So does she. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
“What on earth do you mean?”
“Maxius, I’ve spent the last four weeks with her and she has done nothing that would give me any indication that she’s not Harmony. They are so much alike it’s unbelievable. If Harmony fell for Andy hook, line, and sinker, could she be any different.”
“But he can never love her!”
“That’s what he has to discover, my love. Only the fates will make that determination.”
Maxius stared at Lyla and wondered if she was crazy. Once you love to the depth that Andy loved Harmony, there could never be another.
• • •
Melody was at the pen waiting before the sun rose over the horizon. Andy walked up and saw her rubbing her Cursor’s head, “Are you ready?”
Melody looked at him and smiled, “You better believe it.”
Andy took Dinah out of the pen and Melody’s Cursor was not happy at being left behind. She began whining and didn’t stop. Melody looked at the saddle Andy was putting on his Cursor, “What is that?”
“This is a training saddle. It has a seat behind mine that you can sit in.”
“Oh.”
Andy finished strapping it one and jumped up on Dinah’s back. He extended his hand and pulled Melody easily up behind him. Melody knew she weighed at least a hundred and twenty pounds and he had easily pulled her up to the tall Cursor’s back with one arm. He was incredibly strong. He nudged Dinah with his knees and she turned away from the pen and started up the beach. “What did you just do?”
“You don’t have to yell verbal commands. A Cursor can be directed using your knees. There are times when roars from predators will drown out your voice and you’ll need to know how to use your legs to direct her.”
“Show me what you did.” Andy demonstrated and said, “Give it a try.”
Melody did and said, “Nothing happened.”
“Dinah will only follow my instructions. Harmony was the only other one she would follow.”
Melody thought for a moment and said, “Change places.”
“What?”
“Change places.”
Andy shrugged and stood up on Dinah’s back as Melody slid forward between his legs. Andy sat down in the rear seat and Melody tapped Dinah with her knees. Dinah immediately changed direction. Melody looked back at Andy and saw the shock on his face. “What’s wrong?”
Andy smiled and slowly shook his head, “It appears Dinah can’t tell the difference between you and your sister.”
“Is that bad?”
“That’s the exact question Harmony asked me when I found Dinah following her commands. It can’t be bad. I’m going to stay back here and hold you in the saddle when we start running. However, first I’m going to teach you how to direct her with your legs.”
Melody smiled and didn’t stop all day. When Andy finally told her how to direct Dinah to run, she nudged her with both legs a
nd the Cursor exploded ahead at full speed. Melody held on with one hand and saw the ground screaming by under her. Andy had his hands on her hips and her blonde hair was whipping in the wind. She raised both hands over her head and screamed her joy. Andy watched her and felt his heart gladden with her. He leaned forward and said, “Take both heels and pull them back along her side.”
Melody turned her head back, “What will happen?”
“She’ll come to a stop. Use her neck to brace yourself.”
Melody jerked both of her heels back and the huge Cursor slid to an immediate stop. Melody reached forward with her left hand and pushed against her neck and managed to stay in the saddle. Andy gripped the rear of the training saddle and easily remained seated. She heard Andy say, “Why did you use your left hand to brace yourself?”
Melody shrugged, “I assume that at some time in the future, my right hand will be holding a weapon. I want to be ready for that time. Let’s do it again.”
Andy laughed, “You’re in the lead saddle.”
Dinah exploded forward and after several hundred yards Melody said over her shoulder, “How do I slow her down without stopping her?”
“Pull back with one leg and tap her on the side you want her to turn with your hand. Keep the hand on her until she is moving in the direction you want and then take it off.”
Melody pulled her right leg back and tapped her hand on Dinah’s left shoulder. The Cursor turned left and kept turning until Melody removed her hand. “This is incredible!”
Andy nodded and said, “Take us back.”
“How do I get her to walk?”
“Put both hands on her shoulder.”
Melody reached forward and Dinah slowed to a walk. Melody put her left hand on her and tapped lightly and Dinah turned toward the pen. When she was moving in the right direction, Melody lifted her hand and Dinah headed toward the distant pen. “How far are we from home?”
Andy shrugged, “About ten miles.”
“WHAT?”
“Dinah can cover a lot of ground in a very short time. That last sprint was five miles.” Andy paused, “Your cursor will cover the same distance in almost half the time.”
Melody turned around and stared at Andy, “You have got to be kidding me.”
Andy shook his head, “Dinah and Melody are the fastest Cursors in the Community. Melody is as much faster than Dinah as Dinah is to the others. I’ve seen her at full speed and it’s really something to behold.”
“When do I get to take her out to run?”
“As soon as you learn to use a weapon to defend her.”
“I’ve never used any kind of weapon. Couldn’t we just outrun predators?”
“Most of the time you probably could; however, Raptors work in packs and they could set up an ambush that she couldn’t escape. It is your responsibility to prevent that happening and to defend her if it does.”
“You or anther warrior could go out with us.”
Andy shook his head, “Melody, you would leave us so far behind that we’d be no help at all. I’m telling you, Melody is a different breed of Cursor. I’m almost convinced she’s a different evolution of her species.”
“Both of us having the same name is a little disconcerting.”
“Not much you can do about that. She learned it from Harmony as soon as she came out of the egg. Just understand that she will only listen to you so anyone else saying it is talking to you and not her.”
Melody nodded and said, “How did you meet my sister?”
Andy chuckled, “I found her under a tree covered by a tarp. She was close to death from dehydration.”
“Where was this?”
“It’s a long way from here. Dinah and I rode for about a month before we stumbled up on her.”
“Why were you so far away?”
“I was exiled from the Community for a year. I went south to look at lands no one had ever visited.”
Melody stared at Andy over her shoulder for a long moment and then said, “Exiled?”
Andy told her about what had happened and everything that followed. Melody asked questions and he answered them honestly. When they were in sight of the wall, Andy said, “It looks like our plan to take Melody out this afternoon will have to wait.”
“Why is that?”
“Harvey, Maxius, and Mark are waiting for us at the pen.”
Melody looked at the distant wall and squinted, “You can see that far?”
“Trust me, your eyesight will improve once you start flying.”
Melody immediately smiled, “Will you teach me!?”
“I will. But first we need to finish Cursor training and to do that, you have to learn to use a weapon.”
“So I can’t take Melody out until I do?”
Andy nodded, “You can. No one will tell you what you can and cannot do with her but if you really care about her, you’ll prepare yourself to defend her.” Melody blew out a breath and nodded. “Meet me at the wall overlooking the pen at Daybreak and we’ll see what we can come up with.”
“I’ve never used a weapon.”
Andy smiled, “Relax, you might surprise yourself.” Dinah arrived at the pen and Andy said, “Good to see you.”
Harvey looked at Andy as he slid off Dinah from behind Melody and said, “You should have come and talked to me.”
Andy laughed, “Harvey, are you losing your patience in your old age?”
Harvey’s eyes narrowed, “I’m only thirty three.”
Andy nodded, “So you shouldn’t be in a rush.”
“But you know the Destroyers will be coming to look for us. Time is of the essence.”
Andy sighed, “Which way is the wind blowing?”
Harvey, Maxius, and Mark stared at him and finally Mark said, “It’s blowing out of the east.”
“And which direction will the ship we released have to sail?”
Harvey stared at Andy and said, “OK, it’s going to take them some time to get back. But they’ll be sailing here with the wind.”
“How long did it take them to arrive at the site of the battle?”
Maxius said, “About two months.”
“And how long did it take the ships we captured to arrive home?”
Melody listened to the exchange and heard Andy’s respect and love for the three men he was talking with. There was no hint of sarcasm in his voice and they weren’t being offended. Harvey shook his head, “Ok, we have some time.”
Andy nodded, “I want to help Melody learn all the things she going to need to survive. Later on, I won’t have the time to help her. I think Harmony would have wanted me to do all I can for her.”
Harvey looked at Andy and sighed, “When do you want to sit down with us?”
Andy looked up at the sky and said, “We can do that in after sunset.” He rubbed the back of his neck and then looked at Melody still sitting on Dinah. He turned to Mark, “I was planning to do this tomorrow but now is as good a time as any. Melody needs to have a weapon to defend her Cursor when she goes out. Will you go to the armory and bring a selection of weapons stored there?”
“Do you want me to bring a bow?”
“Yes, but you’re probably right about her not being able to use it. Still, I would like to see her aptitude with it.”
Maxius looked up and Melody and swore it had to be Harmony. He turned to Andy, “Do you mind if I watch?”
Andy smiled, “No, by all means join us but don’t tell anyone else. I don’t want a crowd there making Melody nervous. You might take Melody home and give her some time to clean up. We’re both pretty sandy from the ride.”
Harvey looked at Mark, “Make sure you bring a rifle and bullets.”
Andy jerked his head toward Harvey and Harvey lowered his eyebrows. Melody saw the exchange and wondered what had been communicated between them. Something…but what? Andy said, “We’ll meet at the target range outside the southern wall in two hours. Does that meet everyone’s approval?”
Everyone
nodded and he reached up and grabbed Melody by the waist as she slid down from Dinah. She felt her heart rate go up. Andy set her down on her feet and led Dinah toward the river. Maxius said, “Come with me, Melody. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
Melody nodded and heard Melody whining in the pen. She felt so bad for her. But first things first.
• • •
Melody walked to the southern wall with Maxius and Lyla. She saw people she passed smile and wave to her. She liked it here. Lyla saw her smile and could see Melody was starting to relax. That was good. They turned the corner and found Andy and Mark a hundred yards from the targets firing arrows. As they drew close they heard Mark utter, “You have got to be the luckiest son of a Cursor I’ve ever seen. That shot is impossible.”
Maxius laughed, “Get over it, Mark. If you’ve come close to beating him it’s only because he let you.”
Mark looked at Andy and said, “Is that true?” Andy shrugged and Maxius laughed out loud. Mark said, “What’s so funny!?”
“Andy told me when we were teens that he didn’t like shooting alone. He’s let me beat him occasionally to keep me trying. That practice made me a better archer but I can’t come close to matching his skill.”
Mark stared at Andy who was studiously studying an arrow and not looking at him. Melody tried not to laugh but couldn’t help herself. Andy laughed with her and said, “Let’s get started.”
Mark said, “Wait a minute; is that true?”
“Is what true?”
“That you’ve been playing with me.”
“Of course I’ve been playing with you. Firing our bows is really fun…isn’t it?”
Mark growled and Melody said, “Mark, what have you brought for me to try?”
Mark’s attention was taken off Andy and he shook his head, “Don’t think I’ve forgotten this.” But he had. After going over the array of weapons the issue was over.
Melody looked at Andy, “Which one should I try first?”
Andy said, “Let’s eliminate some. Let’s try the bow first.” He picked up a bow and handed it to Melody. He walked up to fifty yards from the targets and said, “Watch how I hold the bow and release the arrow. Notice that I pull the arrow back to the same place on my cheek for each shot.”