thought of doing so created the excitement in him that she
saw now.
She rolled the bike forward, its motor a quiet purr. “I’ve
made my decision.” She gave him one last look. “The claim
stands.”
Tara didn’t wait for a response, but hopped on her bike,
accelerated and left him standing there.
Arriving back at the house, she set up camp in her bedroom. She propped the landlink on the desk and opened the balcony doors. The fresh air made her feel less boxed in and she’d hear any Gothman bike approaching. Confirming she was still activated, she again searched for Runners in the area.
This is Tara, of the Blood Circle Clan, she typed, after detecting one of the clan leaders on line.
Greetings. This is Jaree, wife to the leader of the Red Star Clan.
Before long, she was deep in conversation explaining to Jaree what to expect when her clan arrived at the north Gothman border.
The Red Star Clan is loyal to Patha and the Blood Circle Clan. Jaree’s typed message appeared on Tara’s screen. You can count on our help if you need us.
Tara worked into the night, briefing clan after clan that had either heard from Patha or from another clan leader. She joined a transmission with several other clan leaders, including Patha who was on his landlink at Reena’s house, and argued the pros and cons of a Runner and Gothman union.
I see you claim two titles now, Patha typed in a private message to Tara, while both of them continued to discuss political issues in the group transmission. You’re not only my heir, but now you’re the claim to the Lord of Gothman?
I need to show that I’m dedicated to helping Gothman. Tara felt her fingers cramp as she hurried to express her point to Patha, while continuing to comment in the group transmission. Runners and Gothman have always believed they were enemies. Sharing news of my claim will help strengthen the alliance.
As the evening wore on, news travelled of the union between the Runners and the Gothman.
Is it true? One of her friends from her clan sent a transmission that popped up on her screen. How have you become the claim to the Lord of Gothman?
The questions from Tara’s clan members were justified. She typed and typed until her fingers were numb and her eyes watered and burned from staring at the screen so long. The Runners needed reassurance, though, that Gothman would now be a formidable ally.
Tara fell asleep before Darius returned that night and woke up with the cool morning breeze blowing through the open balcony doors. She was starving and the walkntalk she’d brought back with her beeped next to her. Getting up and stretching, Tara experienced a wave of nausea. It terrified her that Reena might be right.
Hell and doomed! Now wasn’t the time for a pregnancy. The truth of it was Tara had never given thought to being pregnant, or raising children. She was a warrior. Protecting her people, insuring their freedom, and doing whatever was needed for Runners in general had always been her top priority. The walkntalk beeped again and Tara pressed the flat button on the side, allowing the person to talk.
“Tara?” It was Hilda’s voice. The older woman muttered something to someone else. She then yelled. “Tara, are you there?”
Reena yelled too. “Tara, are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine. What time is it?”
“Oh, for Gothman’s sake. We woke her up.” It was Hilda again. “Reena thinks you’re pregnant. Is that true?”
Tara forced herself to ride out the nausea and hurried to dress. Last night she’d been alone in the house. One glance out the open balcony doors and she knew it was well pass sunrise. She didn’t know who was in the house now. Tara was definitely not ready for two meddling old women to squawk a word like pregnant through a walkntalk loud enough that others around her might hear them.
“I don’t know, Hilda. What did you want?”
“She wants to know what we need,” Hilda said, her voice breaking up when she kept the button pressed and spoke to the background again. Hilda shouted into the walkntalk. “We want to make sure you’re okay. Is my son there?”
Tara was suddenly grouchy and nauseous. She bit back her urge to snap and demand to be allowed to go back to sleep. Tara needed Hilda to believe she was okay or the woman might very likely try contacting Darius with news that Tara wasn’t ready to share. She sat on the bed and found her landlink under the blankets.
“Your son is out with his troops defending Gothman. I’m fine, Hilda. I promise. I don’t want you to leave Reena’s house. Do you have enough food?”
“The Runner, um, Patha, is here. And yes, my dear, I daresay we have plenty of food—even for Torgo.”
Tara dropped the walkntalk on the crumpled sheets, then typed a message to Patha. He wouldn’t like doing it but Tara begged him to keep Reena and Hilda from telling anyone she might be pregnant.
“After all,” she read to herself after she’d finished typing the message. “There’s no proof that I am and a false rumor would do more damage that good right now.” Satisfied, she sent the message.
Nothing in the kitchen looked good. Tara settled on some grape juice. She then returned to her bedroom, sat crosslegged on her unmade bed with her landlink and planned her strategy for the day. She remembered the walkntalk and found it between folds of the sheets. Could she reach Darius on it?
Tara might not have knowledge of such antiquated devices, but she was sure they were not a secured means of communication. How had a nation become so large on such primitive equipment? Wit and brawn – there was no other logical answer.
What information she’d obtained last night led her to believe the Sea People had obtained more sophisticated equipment. Gothman would have to be armed with better weapons than Oldworld technology if they were to survive. Something needed to be done about it immediately. She prayed Darius wouldn’t be too stubborn. She had to take matters into her own hands.
Tara carried her landlink out of the house to her bike. The few guards on duty were alongside the house talking. Darius would have to train his men better. But for now, she was glad they didn’t notice her climb onto her bike and disappear around the other side of the house.
The morning air was cool and the sky a magnificent blue. She travelled north on an obviously seldom-used rocky road heading toward the location indicated on her screen. Half an hour later, she noticed several black trailers coming across the meadow to her west. Within minutes, many motorcycles became visible as well. It was a Runner clan and a rather large one at that. The scouts leading the clan approached her first, and she slowed to greet them.
“Identify yourself, Runner.” The voice was female although with her headscarf and large jacket it was hard to determine her gender if she hadn’t spoke.
“I’m Tara of the Blood Circle Clan.” She scanned the open area as more motorcycles came into view.
The Runner spoke into her comm clipped around her ear and extending to her mouth. The comms were used by most clans, proving the easiest way to communicate while on a bike. Tara knew that one of the black trailers contained the clan’s base unit, and the female Runner was informing those inside the van of her contact.
“I’m to tell you that Redo of the Red Star clan greets you. He’s received your communication and has brought his clan to assist.”
“I’m very grateful to all of your clan for your willingness to help with the Sea People. I’m on my way to meet Lord Darius of Gothman. Will you ride with me?”
The woman spoke into her comm again, then grinned. “Lead the way.”
Darius’ exact location was beyond the oncoming hills. She and the clan began making their way toward him, slowing their pace over the rough ground so the trailers would be able to keep up with them.
Pride in her people grew as Tara rode with a scout on either side of her. The remaining members of the clan rode behind them. She and her fellow Runners were creating history. The noise of their approaching motorcycles— several hundred in all—roared ove
r the hills like thunder, stirring up clouds of dirt like a tornado, and sending tremors through the ground as powerful as an earthquake.
The scout to Tara’s right pointed to a large number of parked bikes, and scores of tents being assembled. They’d arrived at the Gothman camp. As the Gothman became aware of the approaching Runner clan, all hands dropped what they were doing. But while a commotion stirred in the camp, the Gothman warriors had obviously been notified of the Runners’ pending arrival since no shots were fired. Nevertheless, Gothman guards at the edge of the camp pulled their bang sticks and stood alert.
The clan’s warriors accelerated around the scouts, now leading the way, and Tara alerted them to slow down. She stopped the clan within twenty feet of the Gothman. It would appear to any bystander to be quite a standoff, with Runners lined up over a hundred bikes thick and Gothman mostly on foot tense with bang sticks in their hands.
“Hold your clan and wait for my instructions,” Tara told the nearest scout.
She accelerated and parked alongside the Gothman guard who wore the armband of highest rank.
“I’m Tara of the Blood Circle Clan. This is the Red Star clan, here to assist the Gothman. Inform Lord Darius we await his instructions.”
He yelled to another guard who was standing next to him, and that man turned and ran into the camp toward one of the tents.
Tara didn’t move. The Red Star clan remained parked with the Gothman watching them. Over five hundred people were silent in the meadow. Birds didn’t dare fly overhead. The silence was deafening. Tara wondered if prejudices could be put aside long enough to fight this battle together.
Something rumbled behind her. Tara turned, as did those behind her. Behind the Red Star clan, at the bottom of the hill, another clan approached.
Tara shouted to the Gothman warrior, “Tell your men to hold their position. I will see what clan this is.”
She rode back to the Runner scout, who was already on her comm. “Have the clan identify themselves,” Tara instructed. Ask them to hold their ground and wait further instructions.
Tara turned back to the Gothman at the sound of a motorcycle weaving around the Gothman men. She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Darius.
“Lower your weapons, Gothman!” He bellowed with enough ferocity that his men turned on a dime to face him. “The Runners are here to assist us. Get back to work and get this camp in order!”
His men returned to assembling the tents and preparing the camp for battle, although many kept their eyes on the arriving Runners. Darius accelerated around the Gothman guards and pulled up alongside Tara.
“How many Runners are here?” Darius’ tone was demanding and harsh, although he spoke softly enough only Tara heard.
She glanced at him but he wasn’t looking at her. His tone wasn’t controlling, but instead demanding information as a leader of people would to another. “I don’t have a count, yet. I’ll get one.”
She looked at the scout parked on the other side of her. “Lord Darius wants a count of Runners. How many are there in the Red Star clan?”
“We are two hundred and fifty,” the woman responded and glanced past Tara to give Darius a curious once over. “Two weeks ago, our clan numbered over seven hundred. The Sea People attacked us because they thought we were destroying a field where some opiate plants grow. We were all but destroyed by them. It’s an honor to join the other clans and the Gothman in battle. The Sea People are a no good race of drug addicts. Nuworld is better off without them.”
Tara saw the anger in the woman’s eyes as she spoke.
The woman pressed her hand to her ear, listening to someone through her comm. She then glanced at Tara and smiled. “The Blood Circle Clan is behind us. They number twelve hundred, and Patha sends his greeting to you, Tara.”
Tara’s face lit up. Her people had come. Not that she’d ever doubted Patha. She started to turn back toward Darius when the woman raised her hand.
“Wait,” she said. “Patha is coming forward. His clan will maintain their location until further orders, as will ours. Patha says no further action is to occur until he meets with Lord Darius.”
Patha was not only leader of all clans but loved and respected by all. He’d established the large networking system existing among Runners today when he was a very young man. It was due to Patha’s ingenuity that the clans were able to communicate with each other no matter how far away they might travel. His focus had always been protection of all the clans. It would be tough following in his footsteps.
Tara was proud of Patha, her papa. She straightened when she spotted him approaching the front line of Runners. She glanced at Darius. He too sat tall and watched Patha ride toward them.
“It’s Patha. He’ll want to speak privately.”
Darius nodded but focused on the large man on a larger version of Tara’s bike. Completely covered by Runner attire, and adorned with metals of victory, a muscular man, not quite Darius’s size, drew near. In spike of his headscarf concealing his appearance, Darius saw what he needed to see in Patha’s eyes. Patha never once looked away from Darius. The man looked intelligent, shrewd and incredibly focused.
“Patha, I’m so glad you’ve arrived.” Tara said when Patha stopped, facing them. “May I present Lord Darius.”
Patha looked from Tara to Darius. “I’ll speak with you two alone now.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE GOTHMAN camp was large and well-organized.
Very tall, powerfully built warriors stood all around the edges of the encampment. Metal-clad groundmobiles heavy with artillery looked ominous parked along the northern boundary. Tara spotted two towers constructed from wood with ladders rising to a platform where more warriors were posted. At least three large circles of tents were assembled in the level section of a grassy meadow. Each tent stood well over six-foot tall and blocked her view of the rest of the camp as they rode nearer.
Soldiers ceased their target practice or slinging large hammers that drove stakes as tall as she was into the ground, to stare at the two Runners. Did all these men know she was claimed to their lord? Did they know she was the reason the Runners were here to fight alongside them? If they weren’t victorious, Runners and Gothman would not only despise each other worse than before, they would hate her. Tara would only focus on victory.
Darius pulled his bike alongside a tent larger than the rest and parked. As tall as the tent was, Darius ducked when he led his way inside. Two large screened windows allowed sunlight to naturally light the interior. A heavy tapestry divided the tent in half. Darius stopped at a large table with maps and outlines scattered across it. He sat at a tall-back wooden chair and gestured for Patha and Tara to sit as well.
“Welcome to Gothman, Patha.” Darius’s low, cool baritone rang with pride for his nation. That edge of arrogance that Tara already knew was in the backbone of his personality shone through in his relaxed expression, and in how he commanded the room the moment he draped his body over the chair he sat in. “We are honored to have your men join ours in battle.”
“You’re the son of Lord Jovis.” Patha took his chair at the opposite end of the table and laced his fingers against his muscular stomach. He stared at Darius a moment. “I had dealings with your papa many winters ago. He didn’t care much for Runners. It appears you don’t share your papa’s opinion of us.”
Tara sat very still in her chair. If Darius hated Runners he would have killed her and this union wouldn’t be happening. Patha didn’t speak to hear himself talk. She waited to hear his point. If Patha mentioned Reena’s belief that Tara was pregnant, it would put a hitch in these proceedings. Patha had more sense than that.
“I’m aware of your associations with my papa.” Darius looked very relaxed in his chair. “That was a long time ago. I know you’re Tara’s papa, and Reena is her mama.”
Tara blinked and looked into cool grey eyes. How long had he known Reena was her mama?
Darius wasn’t looking at her, though. He focused o
n Patha. “All warriors in this camp have families. They keep their personal life at home and are here to fight a war. There’s no room for thoughts other than the strategies we need to prepare.”
“If there are no thoughts other than strategy and combat, you turn your warriors into machines,” Patha countered.
“They would become machines if they quit thinking,” Darius said easily. “And machines break down.”
“Very true.” Patha rubbed his chin and looked at the netting over the tent window while he gathered his thoughts. He returned his gaze to Darius. “So, you allow for emotions and personal feelings to be integrated into your strategy?”
“We fight for Gothman. Our nation is powerful, and we are proud of who we are. That is an emotion.” Although Darius sounded as if he spoke from his heart, his expression remained masked, his eyes focused and alert. “And as for personal feelings, a good warrior is always affected by war. I wouldn’t want to fight next to a man who was immune to the blood and death around him.”
A slow smile crossed Patha’s face. He stood and walked around the tent, continuing to look outside. Turning, he removed his headscarf and nodded for Tara to do the same.
“Very good, young man. We’ll review your strategies. I will have one thing made clear first.”
Darius’ expression didn’t change as he watched Patha.
Tara had no idea what was going on in his head at that moment. She was impressed by his manner, though, and hoped Patha was as well.
“Do you want the Runners’ help in this war?” Patha walked to the table and leaned his fists against it.
“Patha, I will accept your assistance in defeating the Sea People.” Darius leaned forward as well and looked Patha straight in the eye. “Now, I’ll ask you a question.” Darius got up and moved behind the chair where Tara sat.
Tara froze, wondering what the question would be. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw a hint of amusement in Patha’s eyes. Tara guessed her papa enjoyed the way Darius reacted to Patha, as if they were equals. Patha didn’t have many people who made that assumption around him. But by rank, the two men were equal.
Nuworld: Claiming Tara Page 17