Aspen Vale: A Tale of the Gone

by Lopeman, Kenneth

  It took several more minutes for things to finally quiet down, but they did. “I want to thank you all for coming on such short notice,” said Jake to start things off. “But I’m sure you all knew that something like this was coming. I’m sure you all want to hear the story of what brought Mr. Beaupre here.”

  “The short answer is, the Gone,” said Jay. A murmur rippled through the crowd, but it soon quieted, and it didn’t sound worried. All of them had signed up to protect the town from goners, and many of them had never seen one. They’re probably excited for some real action, Jake realized. Jay was still talking. “… more reinforcements both at the Loop and the bridge posts. I know the Scouts have been manning the bridge into the Ruins for a long while, but I want to add trained riflemen there. There are not a lot of ways the Gone can easily attack Aspen Vale from the east, so we may be able to funnel them there. I want a stout wall built around the School buildings immediately.”

  “Made of what? I’ve heard tales of herds,” said one man. “Wood walls don’t stand up to ‘em.”

  “That’s true,” said Jay. “But we don’t know how the attack will come. The herd that attacked Fort Kenosha came in dribs and drabs at first. As long as they don’t mass, we should be fine. And we’ll stack some hay bales behind the walls, to give them more heft. Ambassador Lefton is on his way to the Ranch now. They need to know what all is going on. Before he left, I asked him to see if the gunsmith can step up production on bullets. I also asked him to prepare charges. If we need to, we’ll blow up the bridge.”

  This time, the murmur that went through the crowd was a bit louder. That bridge was the main travel route of trade goods from both Beyoona Vista and the Jefferson Valley. “Is it really that bad, Kenoshan?” called one voice from the back. The rest of them started clamoring for Beaupre to speak.

  The Kenoshan looked to Jake. At Jake’s nod, he stood and faced the men. “It’s pretty damned bad,” said Kyle. “We were fighting for three days. Our fields are ruined. They took down part of our wall at one point.”

  Curses peppered the room. “Where the blazes did they come from?” one voice called.

  “The Cursed Plains, obviously,” said another. “Where else would there still be herds?”

  “If they’re coming from the east, just blow the bridge now and have done with it,” said the Scout who had been late due to his patrol of the Ruins. “If Kenosha is gone, we don’t need anything from the east. Lord Jezias can have the Ruins. And if there’s no bridge, there’s no need to patrol it to keep stupid kids out.”

  “The Ranchers would never stand for that; how would they get their cattle across for trade?” another pointed out.

  Jake stood and held his hands up in a placating manner. “We don’t know for sure where the herd came from. We don’t even know for sure one is heading our way. All we know is that we should be prepared. One thing I can tell you for sure, though, is that the east is not the only way danger could come from. The Mayor will be announcing later today that Three Ponds fell to the Gone, as well. We beat back the attack, but the village is, for the most part, done for.”

  It was not a murmur that went through the gathered men this time, but a roar. Jake let them go on for a while, then tried to use hand motions to quiet them down. “This is why...” he said loudly several times before they quieted, “… this is why we must prepare the entire town. There’s no telling where that attack came from. There’s almost nothing at the northern end of this valley, but who knows what’s beyond that? And there are the Ranchers to think of, too; how defensible is that town? Will they have to evacuate here if a herd does show up?”

  “Where would they even evacuate too?” called one man.

  “The School Complex is still the most defensible position in the Townships,” said Jay. “If need be, we can get everyone in there.”

  One of the Longshooters stood up. “Beggin’ your pardon, Cap’n, but is there enough room in there? We’ve gotten big lately. There was talk of some folks headin’ up to Sardy, restartin’ it. If you figure on all of them what’s already there, plus the people that have moved outside the School, and all the Ranchers, and whatever folks from Three Ponds come on down when the snow melts…”

  “It’ll be tight,” Jay admitted, “which is why we need to start making plans now, Hoser. What Longshooters aren’t working at the bridge or the Loop, I expect to work on reinforcing the defenses at the School. As far as additional people, might be we can do something with the Arena. The barricade I’m thinking of will need a lot of hay to reinforce it. Then there is a lot of extra room.

  “The Arena might also be a good evacuation place if things go south,” suggested Jake. “Herd all the people up into the lofts above those places, kick the ladders out. Pack those rooms tight enough, it’d be hard for the Gone to knock the walls down, and they’re not the best climbers.”

  “Good idea, Jake,” said Jay. “I’ll let you talk to Tom and Marty, see about getting a plan in place to do that.”

  “Sounds like us Longshooters are gonna be busier than the One Legged Man in the story,” said Rory.

  “So are the Scouts,” said Jake. “With the Longshooters manning the bridge, I am going to have every Scout we have out in the wild. We need to keep constant tabs on what, and who, might be making their way through the valley. I want to put a couple men on Wolfe Ridge, watch over the Narrows.” The Narrows were another set of much less preserved ruins to the Northwest, nestled in a relatively narrow part of the valley. After the Narrows, the valley really opened up, and many of the Ranchers used that land for back up grazing area in dry summers. “We’ll use that as a base to scout the northern part of the valley, but I don’t want anyone going any further,” said Jake. “If the shit hits the fan, I want you to be able to get back relatively quickly. Once the snow melts, I want more men posted below Independence Pass. It’s too steep for even a goner to climb down there, so they’ll have to stick to the road. A couple men there would be able to see them in plenty of time, and they can get back to town and warn us. And I want at least a couple guarding the river; if the Gone are on the move again, I want to make sure they don’t wander in and contaminate the water.”

  “Are we going to have enough men to do all this kak?” asked Rory.

  “I’m calling Martinez back active,” said Jake. “And most likely we’ll have some of the fighting men from the Ranch to help us out.” That wouldn’t be many; folks at the Ranch tended to focus more on trade than defense. Most of the cowboys wore guns, but that didn't mean they were good with them. Jake didn’t say that aloud, though. “That’ll help some. But I also want to get the word out that anyone who has ever served is welcome to help if they want. Right now, it’s voluntary. That may change, depending on what the Scouts find.”

  “So Marty is the only one who doesn’t get to choose? He’ll love that,” someone in the back said to a friend. Jake pretended not to hear; he’d cross that bridge tomorrow.

  “Also, we need to start recruiting some of the young people,” said Jay. “I know my grandson is interested. He’s a bit young yet, but at this point we could use all the help we could get.”

  “Jay’s right,” said Jake. “And last night, my boy Seth committed to joining us Scouts. I suppose I should ask now if there are any objections.

  The room was quiet for a moment. Jake was about to move on, until one of the men stood up. “Um… might be there’s something you need to know, Captain,” said the scout who’d come in late. “You know those kids I was telling you about?”

  Understanding hit Jake at the same time it apparently hit Rory. “Oh, Mother’s milk in a teacup!,” the rifleman said, throwing his hands up. Despite the coarse language, he actually sounded amused.

  Jake sighed. “Who was with him? Tommy Harper?” he asked. No one went into the Ruins by themselves. If they did, how could they brag about it later?

  The scout pursed his lips. “Well, him, and his kid sister. And your grandkid, Jay. And Jo Marolt.”

&n
bsp; Rory leaned over on his bench, putting his head in his hands, chuckling. “Well, that’s a regular who’s who, isn’t it?” he said to no one in particular.

  “So, where are the kids now?” asked Jake.

  “Your missus took hold of ‘em, Captain,” said the scout. “By the look on your boy’s face, I think he knows what he’s in for.”

  “Well, bring them in,” said Jake. “Let’s get this out of the way right now.”

  Jake expected someone to object. This was, after all, an official meeting. But they seemed to understand what Jake was doing. The scout went through the door behind Jake and into the main house. A couple minutes later, he led the five of them into the room, Beth hot on their heels. She was red faced; she had clearly been doing some yelling. Jake suddenly felt the weight of Trigger leaning into him; the dog must have recognized the look Beth had on her face to mean "someone is in trouble." The kids stood side by side in a line, heads down. Jake paced up and down that line a moment. Trig whined when Jake moved away, but went over to sit next to Rory. “Every year, someone gets it into their head to go down into the Ruins,” Jake began. “I know it was just a matter of time before you kids did it. But I know at least one of you has a good idea of what just happened in Three Ponds.” At that, Seth visibly wilted. So did Josiah Marolt. “So, knowing that, you thought that now was a good idea to take the risk?”

  For a long moment, none of the youths said anything. Finally, Tommy spoke up. “Jake… I mean, Mr. Larkin…”

  “Captain Larkin, Mr. Harper” Jake said severely. “This little stunt of yours interrupted a very important meeting. You can at least do me the courtesy of addressing me properly.”

  “Sorry, Captain Larkin,” said Tommy. “I just wanted to say, it’s my fault. It was my idea. I’ve been talking about it all winter. Seth and Jo and John all said that we shouldn’t do it. I made them.”

  “You made them?” asked Jake. “I didn’t know you had that much power, especially not over my own son. I had thought he was a stronger person than that.”

  “Dad, I couldn’t let him go alone. Especially when you said that there wouldn’t be a patrol today to help him if he got into trouble. How was I supposed to know he’d take that as an opportunity?”

  “By using your rutting head, maybe?” said Rory softly. In the hall, though, sound carried, and some of the gathered men chuckled. Seth turned a violent shade of crimson.

  Jake turned to Abby. “And what about you?” he asked. “How did you get involved in this little adventure?”

  The young woman stood a little straighter, and lifted her chin defiantly. “I heard Seth and Tommy talking about it the night Lord Jezias took my grandmother. Neither of them can look out for themselves, so I figured…”

  “That you’d go and put yourself in danger, too,” Jake finished for her. He then turned back to Tommy. “Your father and I had a long talk about you, Tommy. He knows you don’t believe in ghosts or gods. But even if you’re right, the Ruins are not safe. Some of those buildings stand on caverns, ten feet or deeper. Some are filled with water; others are just a straight drop through rotting floors. For all we know, there may still be pockets of goners from the Awakening. What you can’t see in the Ruins WILL kill you. That is why you are kept out.”

  “Captain Larkin, you have to do something!” interrupted John Carpenter urgently. Jake looked to him. Now that the young man’s face wasn’t pointed to his shoes, he could see the real terror in John’s eyes. “Tommy and Seth went into the Rome!”

  “You keep your mouth shut,” said Jay to his grandson, his voice dangerous. “I expected more out of you, too, young man.”

  “But Gramps, you don’t understand! Tommy saw the little boy! Lord Jezias has him marked! We have to do something!” John pleaded.

  A murmur went through the crowd at that. Jake looked back at Tommy. “Is that true?” Tommy nodded, keeping his head down. Jake then looked to Seth. “What about you. Did you see him?”

  “No, sir. Well, kind of. I saw a dark something go behind the bar. It was Tommy that looked,” said Seth.

  “Why the hell did you go into the Rome?” asked Rory. “I’m a grown ass man, and that place gives ME the creeps.”

  “I wanted…” began Tommy, before letting out a long sigh. “Everyone is talking about Jezias this and Jezias that, and how he was taking Grandma, and no one tried to do a damned thing about it. I wanted to go into the Ruins. If Jezias lives there, maybe he would listen to me, maybe he would change his mind. But then Grandma died. So I decided, if something was down there, I’d… I don’t know. Do something. Not just sit around whispering like children in the dark, afraid of some boogeyman.”

  “He knows better now though, Dad. I didn’t see what he saw, but I know he was scared,” said Seth.

  “It was a little boy,” said Tommy slowly. “He was soaking wet. Even the towel he had was soaking wet. He looked at me, and then…poof.”

  “Is he going to die?” asked John in a small voice.

  Jake put his hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “You’re not going to die,” he said. “I’ve seen the Soaked Boy myself. Anyone who has ever patrolled down there has. I personally think that seeing the Boy is a good sign; he doesn’t glare or anything. He just looks sad, when I see him.”

  Tommy looked up. “It was like he was lost. That’s the feeling I got.”

  Jake nodded. “Me, too. I don’t know if he is a spirit that broke loose from Lord Jezias, or one of the faerie folk that got trapped in the Ruins during the awakening and couldn’t get back to the tunnels. I don’t think he’s one of Lord Jezias’ creatures. But that doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous. There is a standing order from my predecessor's predecessor to leave him alone unless he asks for help. He has never so much as spoken to anyone that I’ve ever heard. I’m putting you five under it now as well. If I ever catch you down by the Rome again…” Jake didn’t finish the threat. They all seemed pretty well cowed at that point. “Alright, then. Go home, all of you. Seth, you stay here.” Beth hustled the rest of them out.

  Seth, to his credit, raised his head and looked him in the eye. From the look on his face, he knew he was in for it, and he wanted to face it like a man. Jake looked at his son severely. “We know why Tommy went into the Rome,” he began. “Tell me why you did.”

  “I couldn’t let him go in alone, Dad,” said Seth. “If something did happen to him, I wouldn’t have been able to get to him in time. Or maybe I could have. But I couldn’t take that risk.”

  “And if something happened to both of you?”

  At that, Seth looked down at his shoes. “I don’t know. I guess I thought it was worth the risk. It’s easy for one person to get in over their head. If that happens, you’d better hope someone is there with a rope. And if you’re both over your head, maybe you can stand on each other's shoulders to climb out.”

  Jake said nothing for a long time. He then turned to the assembled men. “I am sure you all know what punishment I have in mind for my son. Are there any objections?”

  The room was finally silent. At last, one of them spoke up. “I think he dug his own grave with his mouth there just now, Cap’n,” the man said. The statement was greeted with a chorus of agreeing sounds and nods.

  Jake nodded and turned back to Seth. “Are you ready to hear your fate?” he asked. Seth nodded, squaring his shoulders. “Your punishment,” continued Jake, “is to be inducted into the Order of the Scouts of the Four Townships, effective immediately. Have you anything to say?”

  Seth looked into Jake’s eyes, clearly confused. “But…wait, you’re still going to let me in? After what just...”

  “You are joining a brotherhood dedicated to service,” said Jake, cutting him off. “From this moment on, your life is no longer your own, but belongs to the people of Aspen Vale, the Ranch, Three Ponds, and Sardy Fields.” The fourth township may have been abandoned, but it's memory still had a place in the tradition of the Scouts. “You will work hard every day for the rest of your life,
and you will range far, sometimes for weeks on end. You will give your own life to keep the people of the Townships safe, and you will do it without hesitation. Do you believe you have what it takes to survive this punishment?”

  His son didn’t hesitate. “I do, Scout Captain Larkin.”

  “Then go and join your new brothers, Scout Larkin.” With that, the room erupted in applause, from Scout and Longshooter alike. Seth, looking dazed, went over and took a seat with the others. He was immediately swamped with offered handshakes and claps on the back. Rory and Trig joined them, and Jake thought he could hear his foul mouth friend congratulate his son on being the biggest godsdamned idiot in the room, and what an accomplishment that title was. Trig, for his part, simply presented himself for petting.

  Jake went over to stand by Jay. “Do you remember what it was like to be young, and to CRAVE adventure?” he asked the Longshooter Captain.

  Jay didn’t answer directly. “I’m surprised you still let him join. Especially if the danger is as bad as Mr. Beaupre says it is.”

  “If it’s as bad as he says it is, we’re going to need everyone,” said Jake. “I’d rather see him trained in time. With whatever time we may have.”

  Jay nodded. “Then it’s time I should put some of John’s energy to use, too,” he said thoughtfully. At that, Jake could only nod.