Stronger than Bone

by Sidney Wood

  Not too far away, Charity and Joszette remained hidden.

  “I think it’s safe to go now Charity,” said Joszette.

  It was two hours since they hid behind the foliage of an overhanging cliff. Charity hated every second of it. She wasn’t afraid of the rebel soldiers they were hiding from. In fact, she was hoping to pay them back for hurting her dog. Right now, all she could think about was finding Cuddles and helping her.

  Charity raced out of the hiding place and ran through the woods the way they had come.

  “Charity!” Joszette hissed. “Be careful! They might still be close!”

  Charity ignored the older woman and raced as fast as her 13 year old legs could take her. She dodged around tree trunks, and leapt over fallen trees. She plowed straight through thin branches and bushes. She fell once, twisting her ankle and scraping her cheek, but she jumped right back up and ran on, favoring her other foot. After a few moments she forgot about her ankle and went back to running strong on both legs.

  “Where is she?” Charity shrieked. “Joszette! She’s gone!”

  Charity frantically searched the area, stooping to look under bushes and fallen trees. “Cuddles! Here puppy!” she called.

  Breathless, Joszette finally caught up to her. She had muddy hands and one side of her skirt was muddy as well. She had obviously taken a spill like Charity.

  Ever conscious of possible danger, Joszette implored Charity to listen quietly for a moment. “If she’s nearby then she’s heard your calls. Listen for a moment, and let’s see if we can hear her calling back to you.”

  “This is your fault!” shouted Charity and she pushed Joszette with all of her pent up anger and worry. Joszette stumbled back and tripped over a root. She made no sound as she fell back and hit her head solidly on the stump where Charity had meant to pick a waxy leafed plant earlier. The older woman laid still, her unblinking eyes staring ahead, partially open and fixed.

  Charity screamed as loudly as she could and dropped to the ground. “Joszette!” she cried. “I’m so sorry! Wake up! I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry!”

  She fell on top of Joszette’s body and rested her head on her bosom. She closed her eyes tightly and prayed, “Oh God, please save her! I need her!” she begged.

  She opened her eyes and looked at Joszette’s beautiful face, now frozen in a horrible caricature of death. She clenched her eyes shut again and buried her face into Joszette’s clothes. “No.” she whispered. “No.”

  After what seemed like an eternity, Charity opened her eyes and raised her head. She jerked back in surprise at the sight of a small, peculiar looking man sitting atop a tan pony. The man was sitting completely still and staring at her silently.

  “Who are you?” she asked suspiciously while wiping the tears from her face.

  “Corazon, I sometimes wonder the same thing,” he said in a soft voice. “What happened to your mother?” he asked pointing at Joszette.

  Charity burst into tears and covered her face with her hands. “It’s my fault,” she said through her sobs. “I’m a monster!”

  Mateo looked over his shoulder and then back to the girl. He let out a sigh and slowly climbed down from his pony. He held the reins in his hand and walked softly over to her. “Corazon, whatever happened, is done,” he said. “Your mother is…in a better place. Is there someplace for you to go? Is your father at home, or do you have any other family nearby I can take you to?”

  Charity shook her head and looked up at him. The small man looked kind and she wanted to trust him. “Do I have a choice?” she thought. She looked at Joszette and fresh tears flooded her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she thought again.

  “There’s no one else sir,” she said. “Joszette was not my mother, but…I wish she was.” Charity choked back more tears and stood up. “My father went to the capital a few weeks ago. Can you take me there?” she asked through moist eyes. Her bottom lip was quivering involuntarily.

  “Corazon, I just came from the capital. My own family and daughters are there,” he said with a comforting smile. “I will happily take you there, but first I am trying to find a man who came by here recently.” He looked over his shoulder again. “There are some bad men trying to find him, and I’m afraid it won’t be long until they come. Have you seen a man with one leg?”

  Charity’s eyes opened wide. “Guy?” she asked. “Are you looking for Guy Martin?”

  Mateo shook his head. “I don’t know his name, little one, just that he walks on one leg and he took something that a very mean man wants back. He was right here not long ago. I followed his tracks here to this very spot.” He looked closely at the ground around them. “I think he rested here a little while and then continued that way,” he said, pointing west. Mateo continued to peer closely at the ground and walked a little farther into the bushes. “He walked back and forth at least once, and then he knelt down over here,” said Mateo.

  “I think it is Guy!” she said excitedly. “He knows my dog, and she’s missing! That’s why we were out here. We were looking for Cuddles. I got mad because Joszette made me wait, and when we couldn’t find my puppy I yelled at her and pushed her…” Charity started sobbing again.

  Mateo walked over to Charity in his awkward way, and considered giving her a hug. In the end he just stood beside her and waited. When she was able to get up, he led her to his pony and helped her climb on.

  “I have to bury her,” said Charity in a quiet voice.

  “I will take care of that, Corazon,” said Mateo as he led the pony west. “I want to get you away from this place for now. I promise, I will come back and bury her.”

  Charity watched the little man as he walked in front of the pony with a curious gait. He bobbed up and down as he walked, and his arms stayed down by his sides rather than swinging.

  For the third time in a year her life was turned completely upside down. “Where are you dad? Please find me,” she wished silently.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  (Present Day: 237 Cycles into the Light)

  “Duke Dennison is gathering an Army your Highness,” said his chief advisor. The advisor was a cleric and well versed in politics. To those outside the King’s inner circle, his chief advisor was known as a cruel and poisonous man. The king admired those qualities, and considered him a weapon to use against his enemies at court. He was quickly finding out that enemies were not in short supply for a man in his position.

  “In addition to the faction of defected nobles he swayed to his cause, he has made an alliance with the Rebel army. There are reports that they are massing for a campaign as we speak."

  King Percival Oglefurth slammed his fist down on the table with all his might. He immediately regretted doing so. “Aghhh!” he yelled as he jerked his hand back and massaged it close to his body. “Ow!”

  Kelly turned his eyes away from the pathetic showing by the new King. “God grant us mercy and kill this fool today!” he prayed silently.

  General Collins, the King’s Battle Commander stepped forward. “Your Highness, two things need to happen foremost. We must move our main forces to block the Rebel advance, and we must…cut the head off the snake,” he advised. He stood sharply at attention while he awaited the King’s response.

  Everyone in the King’s Council room stood silent while the King nursed his bruised hand and presumably considered General Collins’ counsel. After several seconds eyes began to shift nervously, as each wondered what the others were thinking.

  King Oglefurth dropped his hands to his lap, suddenly conscious of being watched. “Everyone out but my war council,” he commanded.

  “Finally,” thought Kelly. “The King is growing some balls.” He stood still as several clerics and advisors of lesser position left the room.

  When the chamber doors were closed again, the King looked around the room and said, “The head of the snake…yes, I agree it must come off. What I need to know is, how many snakes must I decapitate? What other serpents lie in wait to bite the heel of
God’s ordained King?”

  No one seemed willing or able to speak immediately, and the King pushed further. “Who else seeks to lay claim to my crown or my kingdom? Speak!”

  “Your highness,” said the King’s advisor.

  King Oglefurth leaned toward his advisor and made a grand show of listening intently.

  “The rumors about this hero resurfacing are growing. It is said the hero of Hidden Valley is the same hero from years gone by. He was first known as the hero of Bloody Draw and then the hero of Bloody Beach.”

  “Tell me about this hero,” said the King with interest. He held out his hand for a glass of wine.

  A servant rushed to oblige as the advisor spoke. “Sire, the story has reached the farthest corners of the kingdom. There is no doubt that this man is rising in popularity, possibly to a dangerous level.”

  “What do the stories say, exactly?” asked the King after taking a loud slurp of his wine. He was drinking more frequently and more heavily since putting on the crown. It was the subject of many conversations these days. Other vices had been adopted as well. There were rumors of young women visiting his chambers late at night.

  The Battle Commander, General Collins, spoke up. “Your highness, his name is Lynn Hayes. He came up through the ranks as an enlisted man and as near as I can tell, all of the stories are true. He is a genuine hero.”

  “As a private, he led a successful counter attack up-hill against seasoned troops to save his commander,” said another General. “He was promoted to Corporal on the spot. I was Captain of their sister company at the time, and I remember seeing him in the months that followed. I personally recommended him for a commission on two occasions, but they were denied”

  The Battle Commander added, “At Bloody Beach, Sergeant Hayes rallied a beaten and starved platoon of veterans into nothing less than 40 blood-thirsty hounds of hell. In all my years I have never witnessed such ferocity and bravery on the battlefield. Before he took command, those men were decent enough soldiers. On that day, when he stepped in front of those men, they changed. If a man like that were to lead an army…they would be unstoppable.”

  King Oglefurth raised his hand for silence. He drained the wine glass and held it out to be refilled as everyone waited. “So what are you telling me?” he asked. “Am I supposed to be afraid of this man, or am I supposed to admire him?”

  The advisors each traded looks, obviously unsure what to say. Kelly was about to break the silence when the Battle Commander spoke again.

  “Highness, the Army faces a battle like nothing we have seen in decades. This man inspires the troops. Hell, he inspires me! Make him a commander in my Army. Let me give him a battalion and let us see how far we can trust him. If he proves to be a traitor, I can crush him. But if he is loyal and continues to be a hero for the crown…I can use him to win this war!”

  Kelly tried very hard not to smile. Captain Martin and Lieutenant Brente had done a fine job of spreading the rumors throughout the military. Lynn was gaining a following, even at the highest ranks. Soon he would have the full support of the military and a coup would be within their grasp.

  “General, you have my permission. Make this man a Colonel and give him a battalion. Make sure the people and the soldiers know that I have blessed this resurrection. In fact, tell them that Colonel Hayes is my personal Champion! Tell them that he is the hero that will help us crush that traitor Duke Dennison and the entire Rebel army!”

  “Yes your highness,” said the General, bowing. He traded a concerned look with others in the room before hurrying out to do as the King commanded.

  Kelly was awestruck at what had just transpired. The King had just unknowingly ensured his own removal from the throne.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  (Present Day: 237 Cycles into the Light)

  Lynn pulled at the neck of his dress uniform coat and stretched his neck. “Officers and their stupid monkey suits!” he thought. “Give me a sword and a pack over this any day.”

  “Colonel, General Collins will see you now,” said the General’s aide Major Kent with a disapproving look.

  Lynn ignored the Major’s disrespect and walked into the General’s office.

  He marched smartly in front of the General’s desk and presented a salute to his superior officer.

  The General returned his salute from where he sat, and then stood and offered his hand to shake. “Lynn, that’s not necessary in here. Call me James.” He said as they shook hands and each took a seat.

  “I’m not going to beat around the bush here Lynn.” The General began. “These events…your reinstatement and promotion, are political and psychological ploys.” He paused as if to let that sink in. “No one here is denying that you have a gift to inspire troops and win battles, but you have never commanded a large force like this. It’s unconventional to allow it, but…these are unconventional times.”

  He offered Lynn a glass of whiskey, which Lynn accepted. Both men sat quietly and sipped from their glasses.

  “There is a wolf at our front door, Lynn. We are facing war on a larger and more intense scale than we have faced since you were last in uniform.” He smiled as if that were a joke. He paused again and took another sip.

  “I’m giving you a battalion of seasoned soldiers. You’ll be familiar with at least some of them. One of your company commanders is Captain Martin. I understand you two are acquainted from Hidden Valley.”

  It was Lynn’s turn to smile. “Yes, Sir…James, we did some work together up in Hidden Valley.”

  “Good. You’re taking over Major Tisdale’s command, and he ran a tight ship. I’m leaving him there as your Executive Officer, so use his experience. I think he’s professional enough to take this in stride, but understand that even though he was only holding the post temporarily, he’ll see this as a demotion. I don’t think I need to tell you, all eyes are on you now Lynn. I mean that. From the very top down, you will be watched and second guessed at every turn. Now, I’ll do my best to keep your lane clear and let you do your job, but you have your work cut out for you,” said the General. “Get your troops ready for war and smash any hint of rebel activity in your area. Be ready for a call to arms anywhere in the kingdom. Can you do that Lynn?”

  “James, just tell me where I can find my men and I’ll do everything you just asked and more,” said Lynn standing back up. “You have no idea,” he thought as he smiled and shook the General’s hand again.

  On his way out of the building, he stopped at the Major’s desk. “Major, the General said you have my orders and a roster of my officers,” he said.

  Major Kent looked at him with disdain and pushed some papers across the desk toward him. He then went back to work as if the Colonel wasn’t there.

  “Thank you Major,” said Lynn curtly as he took the papers and left. “I’ll remember you,” he said under his breath.

  Two days later, Lynn was riding through the gates of his installation. It was late afternoon and the entire battalion was standing at attention in expectation of his arrival.

  “For pity’s sake,” he whispered to himself. In all there were about eight hundred soldiers and half as many support staff waiting on him.

  He dismounted and walked over to the Battalion Sergeant Major, who was standing in front of the formation and facing him.

  “Colonel, the battalion is formed and ready for inspection,” he said with a sharp salute.

  “I appreciate the thought Sergeant Major, but I don’t need them to be standing out here in formation to measure the efficiency of this unit. Have them get back to work and you and I can have a talk about what I need to know,” said Lynn as he returned the salute.

  “With all due respect sir,” growled the Sergeant Major, “but if you don’t get your gilded ass over there and let these troops look you in the eye while they show you what a real soldier looks like, how the hell can they trust you.”

  Colonel Hayes laughed out loud and slapped the Sergeant major on the shoulder. “We’re
going to get along just fine Sergeant Major.” and he stepped off to inspect the waiting battalion.

  Two hours later, the exhausted battalion was released for the day, and the officers retired to the officer’s mess to meet with the new Colonel. Major Tisdale stood to his left and wore a superficial smile, but Lynn had to give him credit, at least he wasn’t openly hostile.

  “Okay, here we go,” he thought as he prepared to shake things up. “Gentlemen, I’ll keep this short. I have new orders for this battalion, and for the sake of simplicity I’ll just say that we’ll be very busy from now on, and for very good reason. Things are going to happen very fast and there is absolutely no doubt that we will face danger very soon. Because of that, some of you will receive new assignments. I don’t have time to nurse hurt feelings or massage egos. Be men. Be leaders. Be professionals. We have a war to prepare for, and it’s a war I have every intention of winning. That is all. You’ll each receive orders by night’s end. We’ll talk more soon. Good night.”

  One by one, the Lieutenants and then Captains filtered out. Finally Major Tisdale was walking toward the door when Lynn said, “Major. Hold up.”

  Major Tisdale turned back with the same plastic smile and stood in front of his commanding officer.

  “I’ll need all of the records and log books sent from your office to mine this evening, and then you should start packing. I want you off this installation before reveille sounds in the morning.”

  The smile left Major Tizzy’s face and the two men stood staring at each other for a long moment. Finally, Major Tisdale, seeing deadly resolve in the Colonel’s eyes, nodded ascent and turned to leave.

  “One last thing Major, find Captain Brente and show him to his new office before you leave.”

  Major Tisdale nearly tripped as he stepped out of the mess hall door and into the evening air. Lynn chuckled and made a cup of strong coffee. It was going to be a long night.