Nuworld: Claiming Tara

by Fitzgerald, Laurie

  Crator might have sent Tara to him. He hadn’t figured out why though. Gowsky watched Tara’s profile waver from the heat of the flames. She squinted in his direction before returning to her bike.

  She rode the bike slowly until she was next to Gowsky. “Good luck with your Southland.”

  Tara left him in a cloud of dust.

  Gowsky brushed dirt off his face and scrambled for his laser. He fired but to no avail. Her motorcycle disappeared from sight as he stood at the ruined campsite, next to a burning dog, with a disabled groundmobile and an injured shoulder.

  Tara rode due North at high speed well into the night. She mentally tried calculating how long, at this speed, it would take to reach Gothman. Yes, she would go directly to Gothman. Her children were there. She was sure of that. Patha would not oppose Darius in raising his own children, especially if Patha thought their mama was dead.

  It had taken her a day and a half to reach the border with much slower transportation. However, without her landlink she didn’t know the best way to drive north. As she tried to determine her route, Tara’s mind flickered to her children, Patha, Reena, Hilda, Torgo and Syra. And Darius.

  She wondered if he’d claimed another woman. It was a recurring thought she’d had ever since Gowsky had told her how long she’d been unconscious. Or maybe he was having sex with every woman in Gothman. He better get it out of his system.

  Tara imagined Andru and Ana walking. Her pudgy infants would now have legs strong enough to stand on. Which one had taken their first step? Tara guessed Ana would have taken the first step—she was the one who appeared more daring, more curious to check out new things. But Andru would run first, because he had to be fast to take everything from Ana and inspect it. Her heart constricted with pain at how much she had missed in her children’s lives. It was hard to breathe from the pain. With a ragged sigh, she told herself she would see them in less than a quarter-cycle. Then she would work to make them know her again.

  And what of Darius? If he had another woman in his life, perhaps she had attempted to make the children her own. Tara hated the thought. No one else would raise her children. Not even Darius would be able to prevent her from being with her children, no matter what happened when she returned.

  She set up a makeshift camp when she grew too tired to drive safely, tore it down the next day, and continued north without coming across anyone. Late that afternoon, she was riding along a high prairie trying to remember if she had been this way before. The hills and trees grew thicker the farther north she drove, but after traveling for hours, all hills and trees appeared the same. She worried she had somehow altered course, although she still drove north.

  Then she saw it. Ahead in the distance, several trails of smoke filtered slowly up to the sky.

  Tara slowed her bike, her senses alert to an oncoming situation. Her muscles tensed as she readied herself for a possible altercation. The smells around her became more apparent. Any movement to the right or left caught her eye immediately. She heard every bird sing, every rock pop under the wheels of her bike.

  Tara wasn’t familiar with people living this far south of Gothman in Freelander territory. This land had always been uninhabited. There was no reason she would be considered an enemy unless whoever she was approaching feared Runners. Still, caution was in order. Tara veered out of the prairie and decided to approach the camp through the trees bordering nearby hills.

  She was ecstatic when she spotted trailers and parked motorcycles. The black outfits of the men and women walking through camp were a welcome sight.

  Several Runners noticed her approach and pulled their lasers. Their equipment wouldn’t acknowledge her as a Runner without her landlink.

  “Hold it right there,” the closest Runner approached her motorcycle as she slowed within yards of them.

  Tara stopped her bike and held her hands out to show she came in peace but did not speak until questioned. She knew the routine.

  “Runner, where is your landlink?”

  “I’ve been to Southland. It was stolen. I’m lucky to be alive.” She dismounted to show her non-warrior intentions as was customary. “I’m glad to see a Runner clan.”

  “You’re welcome to hear the stories at the fire.” This was the usual greeting offered to a visiting Runner, and Tara smiled her appreciation.

  “I’ve got much to catch up on. I’ve been traveling for awhile.”

  “Come back for the test, have you?” They were walking now, and the two Runners led.

  Tara pushed her bike. “The test?”

  “Well, you have been out of circulation for awhile. No landlink, too. You navigate well.”

  “I wasn’t sure I was, to be honest. What test?”

  “The Test of Wills.”

  Tara stopped walking and stared at the Runner who had just spoken. The Test of Wills was given when the leader of a clan died or stepped down and had no heir.

  “We will be continuing north in the morning. Most clans are headed that way. You’re more than welcome to travel with us. We’ll take you to Rolko, but I’m sure he’ll give consent.”

  As Tara walked, her mind raced with questions. Why was the Test of Wills being offered? What happened to Patha? She remained silent. If she made her presence known after a Test of Wills had been issued, it would stir up commotion among the clans. Tara hoped she would learn more when she listened to the stories around the fire, without having to ask questions.

  Rolko permitted her into the Four-Circle clan as a traveling warrior. This meant she could sleep by the main fire, use their water supplies, be fed during the main daily meal, and if she still had her landlink, use their main board to transmit. To refuse their acceptance as a traveling warrior would dishonor the clan, especially since they were going in the same direction. So even though she would have arrived in Gothman much sooner if she traveled alone, Tara graciously thanked Rolko for allowing her to share her stories.

  Tara was left alone to move through the campsite after leaving Rolko’s trailer. She immediately walked to the main fire, hoping for food and, if she was lucky, details of Patha’s death. She bit down on the bitter taste of fury. Patha wouldn’t be dead if she had been with him. If he hadn’t denied her leaving with her clan, Tara never would have gone south. As well, if she hadn’t been kidnapped by Gowsky, and had been able to stay in touch with Patha, she would have known if there was trouble. One thing she knew for certain, Patha didn’t die of natural causes. He had been in his prime.

  “Hey, wait up!” The voice came from behind Tara. “I’m Male, Rolko’s daughter.” A girl several winters younger than Tara hurried to join her. “Papa asked me to come get you and offer my hospitality. My trailer’s over here if you’d like to clean up or anything.”

  Male’s trailer was simple. The floors were bare; a wooden tile covered the eating and living area. The countertops were spotless, and two overstuffed matching chairs with a rectangular wooden table between them, provided all the furniture for the small living area. A folding table extended from the wall of the kitchen and a shelf mounted on the free wall of the living area housed her landlink.

  Male pulled a ceramic pitcher out of the small cold box in the wall. Handing a chilled grape drink to Tara, she sat in the one chair at the eating table. She gestured with her cup to the matching chairs. “Sit. Share your stories.” She smiled and pulled off her head cloth, revealing dark curls. “I hear you have no landlink. And that you’ve come all the way from Southland. Where are you going?”

  “North, for the test,” Tara lied.

  “What were you doing in Southland? My papa will probably report you, you know.”

  “Report me, why?”

  “Why? Because it’s forbidden, that’s why.”

  Tara wasn’t sure what to say. What was forbidden? Male saw the confused look in her eyes and squinted at her. “How long have you been without a landlink? You do know Runners are forbidden to enter Southland, don’t you? Patha of the Blood Circle Clan passed the law him
self. That’s why we’re having the Test of Wills. His daughter died down there.”

  Patha was alive! At least, it sounded like he was. If he had officially announced her death, she guessed her login number would be deleted. Tara would need a new number in order to access a landlink, any landlink. How would she explain no login number without revealing who she was?

  “Would you like to contact your family?” Male asked.

  “Would it be all right if I took a shower first?”

  Male jumped up and walked down the six-foot hallway, opening the first door and turning on the light. She entered her room and returned immediately with a thick towel.

  The shower felt incredible. Male had left her alone in the trailer. The landlink was turned off. Somehow Tara needed on that network. Tara decided to walk around the camp. As she approached the main fire, she saw ten to fifteen Runners surrounding it, sipping ale and chatting among themselves. A large woman dipped wooden mugs into a barrel and handed them out. Tara slipped in inconspicuously and accepted the mug of ale offered to her.

  She tried to remember the last time she’d enjoyed this Runner tradition. Gatherings around the evening fire at the end of a day, listening to the old Runners tell their tales of victories and places traveled—these were good memories. She recalled hearing the news from travelers of other clans, enjoying the screams and chatters of the younger children as they ran and played on the outer edge of the circle. These were the parts of her childhood of which she was most fond. This clan made her feel right at home.

  The stories she heard that night shocked her. It was Rolko, himself, who explained the latest conflicts between the Gothman and Runners. Lord Darius wanted to be part of the judging for the Test of Wills. Rumors also circulated that several Gothman wanted to partake in the test. Many Runners had complained loudly to Patha. The test was for Runners only. Rolko assured everyone around the fire that Patha would not allow Gothman participation.

  Tara wanted to say this was true. She knew her papa, and he would want a Runner to succeed him. They had an alliance with Gothman, but she knew he wasn’t ready to integrate the two nations that quickly. Chaos would result if they did.

  Tara was called upon to tell her stories of Southland. She found herself telling the Runners about Crator. She explained that the Southlanders believed that Crator made the planet and all races on it. She told about the Guardians, saying that they brought messages to the people from Crator and could take the form of animals. The Runners loved her stories and applauded as they refilled her mug.

  She sat at the fire well into the evening, sipping the ale and catching up on the tales of the Runners. She felt relaxed, at peace and very much at home as she walked slowly back to the trailer later that evening. In a few days, she would have her children in her arms again. Then there was Darius. Would she make peace with him? She wondered once again if he’d found another woman. What would she do if he had? Probably kill her. Tara giggled to herself and realized the ale had hit her.

  No other woman would be able to prevent her from returning to her life. She hadn’t asked to be gone for six cycles, and she never intended to be separated from Andru and Ana. It tore into her like a jagged warrior’s knife that her children might not recognize her. Every time she thought of how the twins might react to her, the pain from missing them grew even stronger.

  Male was sitting at her landlink when Tara pulled open the door to the trailer. “Did you catch up on all the latest gossip?” Male didn’t turn around as Tara entered.

  “It was great to sit at a fire once again and hear all the stories.” Tara sat in one of the stuffed chairs and glanced at the monitor.

  She leaned forward when she noticed Male had logged onto the Blood Circle Clan site. Tara scanned the screen, trying to see what the clan was broadcasting. She tried to sound nonchalant as she looked over Male’s shoulder. “What are you looking for?”

  “I’m going to submit the written part of the Test of Wills.” Male glanced up at Tara and smiled meekly. “I don’t expect to win or anything. Papa thinks it would be good experience. You’d have to understand what it’s like to be the daughter of the clan leader, I guess.”

  Tara understood more than she could say. “Why don’t you print one off for me too?” she suggested. “There’s no harm in trying, right?”

  “Sure, as long as we don’t get killed in the confrontation part.” Male groaned. “I can handle the first part of the test, I think. But, I don’t know about the second portion. Papa has never been too satisfied with my warrior skills.”

  “Maybe I can help you.”

  “If you want to take the time. It couldn’t hurt.”

  Male printed two tests and handed one to Tara. She clicked through the information on the Blood Circle Clan and stopped on an article with a large color picture of Darius.

  Tara’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Isn’t he handsome?” Male leaned back and breathed deeply. “I hear he’s an incredible warrior. He was able to defeat Patha’s daughter, Tara.”

  “When did he do that?” Tara asked the question without thinking.

  Male turned to stare. “I guess not everyone follows this news as closely as I do. That’s how he claimed her as his wife. She wasn’t able to tame him, though. So she left.”

  Tara smiled and felt a longing as she stared at Darius’s picture. “Has he found another woman?”

  “No. I hope to see him in person when we arrive at the Blood Circle Clan,” Male said. “I wonder if he’s as good- looking in person.”

  Tara wanted to say that he was much more handsome. She gazed at the picture of Darius on the monitor. Her body warmed as she studied the blond curls and deep gray eyes. She hadn’t realized how much she missed him until that moment.

  She wondered if she could trust him again. But then, only Darius could answer that. He would have to earn her trust through his actions. And that would take time. The longing inside her turned to sexual need and she knew she would offer him that time.

  Darius definitely had his work cut out for him. That is, if he still wanted her as his claim. She decided she might not give him the option.

  At least now she knew she wouldn’t have to kill anyone.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  THE SUNSHINE seemed a little too bright the next

  morning as Tara wiped down her bike and prepared for the day’s journey. She declined breakfast, but eagerly worked on her second cup of coffee. One of the advantages of being befriended by the clan leader’s daughter, not everyone had access to the rare drink. It worked miracles on the dayafters brought on by too much ale the night before.

  “It’s just occurred to me that I don’t know your name.” Tara looked up to see Rolko speaking to her as he and two other Runners approached. “Good morning.” She tried to sound polite as her mind raced for a response. “I’m Leetha,” she decided.

  “Leetha, we’ve brought a landlink for your bike.” He gestured to one of the men with him, who produced a small flat black panel. “Which clan are you from?”

  “The Blood Circle c lan.”

  “Well, we really are taking you home, aren’t we?” He smiled, but the look in his eye let her know he had more to say.

  She stood silently, showing her respect.

  “You violated our law by entering Southland, Leetha. Male has told me you plan to enter the Test of Wills. I can’t permit you to do that. I’ll turn my report into Patha and make him aware of your violation. You’ll have to approach him personally to argue your case once we arrive at our destination, before your entry can be accepted. I’m sure you’re aware of the laws.”

  “Yes, I am. Thank you for the landlink.” Tara remained still until the men were finished with her bike and had left her. Her heart sank. The only way to enter the Test of Wills now was by using her own login number. Furthermore, she knew the second Patha received a transmission saying a Runner named Leetha—from his clan—had just come over the border, her cover would be blown.

 
There was no Leetha in the Blood Circle clan that she knew of. She hoped Patha wouldn’t review the reports from the clans right away. After all, there was a lot going on to distract him.

  Somehow she needed to remain undetected until the Test began. She knew she could prove herself in battle. In fact, unlike Male, she looked forward to that part of the test.

  Tara tested her landlink, and the travel plan for the day appeared on the small screen. They were scheduled to arrive at the Blood Circle clan that evening. This was perfect. Arriving after dark would be to her advantage.

  She shut down the landlink and entered Male’s trailer. Tara already knew the young girl was not there. She’d taken off earlier to help some of the mamas organize their children for the day. It was a job that had often been assigned to Tara when she was that age. Male would be gone for a while.

  She sat down at the landlink and took a deep breath. This would either work or it wouldn’t. She held up her fingers, hesitated for a second, and then typed in her login number. The landlink buzzed, and the proper lights lit up accordingly. Her heart thumped when it seemed to take forever for the network to appear. Male wouldn’t be gone forever. Tara wanted to submit the answers to the written test through the network before she was discovered. Her landlink had never moved so slowly.

  At last, the picture on the monitor flashed and the selection screen appeared. It worked. Her logon number hadn’t been deleted. That meant she hadn’t officially been announced dead. Why then, were they conducting the Test of Wills? She had no time to ponder this mystery but instead selected a blank page and began answering the questions that Male had printed.

  She was familiar with the test but still read over each question carefully. Because the leader of the clans would have to know all the laws of the Runners very well, each test question asked about a particular one. Also required was the origination of laws, which one best suited a particular situation, and how she would interpret several selected laws. Tara typed quickly yet answered each question thoroughly.