by KM Fortune
“What is it?” he asked. Hannah raised her eyes and with utmost seriousness explained. “It’s a raven,” she said. “Just like the name of my new friend. The lady from somewhere else.”
CHAPTER 9
Blaze poked his head out of the trapdoor and was relieved to see the snow had stopped at last. The blizzard had passed. The snow was deep everywhere, and a couple feet of it had fallen into the shelter below him when he pulled down the door. He smiled thinking of it. At the last minute, Blaze had ducked out of the way of the falling mass, and most of it hit Matthew in the face where he waited at the bottom of the ladder. It had been perfect. The moment of satisfaction passed quickly though, and now he was back to business as he took in the situation. At least we can move on at last, he thought and continued to climb out. Pushing through the snow, he looked around and had no idea where they were, but at least the sun was up and shining in a surprisingly clear sky. It was a welcome sight. Behind him, he heard Matthew emerging and looked back to see the other man shaking snow from his shoulders. “Nice one,” he grunted. Blaze shrugged and looked away. Anything he could do to make Matthew uncomfortable worked for him. With a little luck, now that we can move on, the guy will take off. Blaze still did not understand why he was tagging along with them and his presence irked Blaze, particularly because he was so ridiculously resourceful. Over the last two days, through his help, Willow and Dawn were recovering quickly. Even though no one had figured out how to remove the shackles, the ankles were now taped up tightly so they would not chafe.
I’m doing better too, Blaze thought and frowned. It was true. The emergency rations, although not a feast since they spread them five ways, gave him much needed energy. The sleep in a warm space helped too. Truly, the outpost was heaven by comparison to some camps Blaze had survived. But now it is time to go. It was just as well as the resources of the outpost were depleted. Even the excess winter clothing was used up. In some ways, the extra pants, mittens, and boots were the most valuable items in the shelter. By piecing together parts of everyone’s wardrobe, and in addition to the new clothing, the entire group was covered to some degree. Only Twig had refused to put on the black and gray of the Patrols. Blaze saw his point but also knew eventually the boy would learn that survival trumped everything else.
“I think we are good to move on,” Matthew said breaking Blaze out of his thoughts. “I’ll go get the others.” Blaze only nodded and Matthew disappeared down the ladder. While he waited, Blaze considered the group’s next move. Willow had a plan to go to the last known location of a different, bigger clan. Unfortunately, there was no way to know if the people were still there or if they would be willing to offer help. According to Willow, they owed her a favor from something she did years ago yet even she admitted not everyone remembers promises. Only time would tell if their travels would turn out to be worth it.
Raven watched the foamy edge of the wave slide over the warm sand and across her toes. With a smile, she wiggled them and felt her feet sinking deeper. The salty scent of the ocean filled her nostrils and a refreshing breeze rustled through her long, black hair. I should have thrown that up into a clip, she thought pulling a piece of it off her face. Even with the tickle distracting her, it did not detract from the wonderful feeling which filled her. The day was magical in its serene beauty. But where am I? Turning to look, she saw a long wooden pier stretching out into the water to her left. As if a centerpiece, a large, colorful Ferris wheel turned slowly while a couple dozen passengers swung gently in the cars. She could just barely hear their delighted laughter over the sound of the waves. Raven laughed, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief. She was home at last and there were people. Lots of ordinary, everyday people. In fact, the pier was a hive of activity with vendor stalls and street performers. Suddenly wanting nothing more than to run up there and embrace the first stranger she met, she started forward when a voice stopped her.
“No, Raven,” it said and she turned to see who spoke. She saw her father and tears sprang to her eyes.
“Oh Dad, where have you been?” she exclaimed. Realizing it was his face she wanted to see more than any other, Raven sprang forward and hugged him. He returned her embrace for a moment, but then stepped back. He held her at arm’s length.
“We don’t have much time so I need you to listen,” he said. Raven felt a thread of trepidation wind through her. His face was serious and suddenly the warm sun was fading as a cloud passed over it. “Do you know where you are?”
Raven paused and thought carefully for a moment. The beach and the pier were incredibly familiar. It felt like home. So where would this be? she wondered. Finally, through the constant fog of her memories, she knew. “Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles,” she answered with complete certainty. “We came here as a family every Saturday morning so Mom could buy fresh fish.” Her face fell and she moved away from him. He let his hands fall to his side, and waited. “But it’s gone now, isn’t it?” she asked. Her father sighed.
“It is,” he answered. “You’re going to remember this and a part of you will want to return here, but you should not. They dropped a bomb on Los Angeles and those who returned after will not befriend you. No resources remain. I want you to promise me. Do not come here.”
Raven sighed feeling despair threatening to wash over her. This isn’t real, she thought. I’m not really here. She realized she was starting to wake up and forced herself into the dream for another moment. The form of her father was fading quickly. “Wait,” she cried. “If not here, then where? Where do I go?” she asked. Her father smiled sadly.
“When the time is right, you will know,” he said and was gone.
Hector looked out the door of the boxcar and was relieved to see the storm was over. Time to get this going, he thought. A hint of nervous anticipation ran through him. The woman was turning out to be exactly what he needed to get what he wanted. Looking down at his paw, he was again amazed at how well the cut was healing. After days of having it ache, the pain was gone. A healer will be invaluable.
Behind him, he heard rustling and turned to see Raven was waking up. She sat up and looked a little surprised. He watched as she took in her surroundings and then sighed. “Problem?” Hector asked. Raven glanced at him but then looked away.
“Nothing specific,” she said. “But I do have a question. You seem to know a lot of things. Is there any place the nuclear war did not decimate?” Hector raised his shaggy, tan eyebrows at her question. What’s this all about? he wondered but decided to go along.
“Other than here you mean?” he said with a hint of sarcasm.
Raven nodded. “Right. Other than the middle of Nevada. I mean like the coastlines.”
“Ahhh,” Hector said. “So you know about the big oceans?”
“I do,” she replied. “I’ve seen them.” A little surprised by her answer, Hector took a step closer and stopped beside the nearly dead fire in the ring between them.
“Well I don’t know personally, but from what wanderers have reported, most of the land along the water is useless. All the large cities ate it. The one’s inland too. Although I can’t imagine it, apparently anything over a million people was wiped out. Seriously, a million people in one place? Can’t be true.”
“Oh it is true,” Raven said. “Or it was, I guess.” Hector narrowed his eyes.
“We’re not going to do this whole ‘you’re from the past’ thing again, are we?” he asked. Raven just stared at him, not bothering to answer. “Good,” Hector said. He clapped his paws and rubbed them together with anticipation. “So, ready to roll? I want to get some miles behind us today. Places to go, people to meet.”
Raven did not stand up. “Where are we going?” she asked. It sounded a little too stubborn for Hector’s taste and his first instinct was to growl but he checked it. The more cooperative a hostage, the better. Still, the last thing he was going to do was explain his plan to her. Instead, he pointed to the northeast.
“That away,” he said. “I have s
omeone I need you to meet.”
“And if I’m not interested?” she asked. Hector rolled his eyes. Really? he thought. We are doing this now? He was not in the mood. Being cooped up for so long did not sit well with him and, once he refused to let Raven talk about being from the past, she merely sat quietly looking into the fire and would not make conversation. It had sucked.
“Well, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You walk along with me all nice or I carry you over my shoulder whether you like it or not? What would you prefer?” he asked. Raven shook her head in obvious frustration but got up.
“I’ll walk,” she said.
CHAPTER 10
Willow trudged through the snow, relieved to finally be heading downhill after a hard day of walking. Getting back on track to where she wanted them to go had proven to be tricky after the side trip to the emergency outpost, but they had found the way. And that detour saved me, if not all of us. Being a little lost afterward was well worth it, she thought. Luckily there were landmarks which did not change in the mountains. Smoothed rock faces, steep ledges, and the narrow winding trail were all familiar once again. She turned back to make sure the rest of the group were still walking in a line behind her. Seeing them, she thought they were spread out a little more than she normally liked, but at least they were moving. Willow waited while the others closed the gap and looked around. The majestic beauty surrounding her, highlighted by an unusually sunny day, was not lost on her. Not like it was the last time. There wasn’t much beauty in my eyes those days.
Years ago, Willow had walked this same trail on a quest of a whole different kind. Her mind wandered for a moment back to her last trip through the canyon. It had proven to be a treacherous experience, and she nearly lost her life in the process. With an unconscious gesture, she reached up and ran a finger down the ridge of the scar on her face. So much danger, she thought. But the worst was the wolves. She remembered the beasts, large and cunning and how the yellow of their eyes looked as they stared out at her through the snow. A shiver ran up Willow’s spine as she thought of it. “Let’s pick up the pace,” she called out to the rest of the group. “I know you’re tired, but we are getting close.” And we are completely exposed right here if the wolves do come. All she could do was hope the pack she once fought those winters ago was gone.
Hector never saw them coming. He was so focused on keeping Raven moving forward along the railroad tracks they were following, the other cat mutant tackled him completely unaware. Only through years of trained reflexes was he able to roll with the attack and slip out from under the other beast. Jumping to his feet, he spun on his attacker and snarled. The other cat mutant crouched and laid his ears back with a hiss. Wait a minute, I think I know this guy, Hector thought for a second, but before he could figure it out, Raven yelled out for help. Glancing her way but never letting the other cat mutant out of his sight, his heart sank when he saw a second and third mutant had Raven by the arms. They were lowly rats, yet he knew they were still dangerous. Seeing Hector’s dismay, the other cat mutant laughed and stood up.
“Really? You’re that attached to this human?” the cat mutant said. “Or are we just messing up your dinner plans?” The two rat mutants giggled. Seeing an opening, Hector straightened up and laughed too.
“Okay, you got me. Tasty looking, right? But I’m happy to share,” Hector said. He saw Raven blanch out of the corner of his eye but ignored her. He just hoped she would keep her mouth shut. “How about you send your minions there to gather some firewood and we can start the bar-b-que?”
The other cat mutant purred. “I prefer my meat raw, thanks, but let’s take a closer look here.” He motioned for the rat mutants to drag Raven toward him. Hector immediately stepped forward to intercept them.
“Hands off the goods,” Hector growled. The two rat mutants looked alarmed and glanced at each other and then to the other cat mutant for direction. Everyone stood tense for a moment, but finally, they let go of Raven and stepped away. With his back turned to the others, Hector stared into Raven’s eyes willing her to understand she needed to follow his lead. He relaxed a little when she gave him a slight nod. Putting on a big grin, he turned back to the others and pulled Raven forward.
“What we have here is a sweet young female fresh from the wasteland,” Hector said. “The nasty Patrols had her, but I snatched the woman away for myself.” The other cat mutant frowned.
“Those guys have been a real pain in the butt lately,” he said and tilted his head. “Is this why? She looks different.”
“Yeah, she smells different too,” one of the rat mutants squeaked. “Something special here.”
The other cat mutant nodded. “You’re right. Where did you get her exactly?” he asked and took a step forward.
The wolf’s howl was long, deep, and chilled Matthew to the bone. Although on the occasional monthly expedition with his brethren they spotted wolf tracks, he had never seen one of the creatures. The prints in the snow were alarmingly large though. The size of a dinner plate. If these are the same wolves, we are about to have a real problem, he thought and wished for a weapon larger than his combat knife. It was evident he was not the only one in the group uneasy about the sound, which still echoed faintly through the canyon around them. Twig was whipping his head from side-to-side while pulling his mother tighter against him. “Are they close?” Twig asked.
“They are,” Willow replied. “But not here yet. We need to hurry. Blaze, carry Dawn.”
Twig immediately protested. “I can carry her,” he said. Blaze ignored him as he stepped over to lift Dawn up onto his back.
“Don’t argue, Twig. There isn’t time,” Willow demanded. “Get out ahead and run. Follow this path as fast as you can and soon you will come to the edge of a frozen lake. Cross it, and if the clan we are looking for hasn’t moved in all these years, you should see the walls of their camp.”
“I’m not—” Twig started.
“Enough!” Willow said as the note of a wolf’s howl sounded again. Matthew could tell it was definitely closer.
“I can go,” Matthew offered, stepping forward.
“Dressed like that?” Blaze scoffed. “One of the Patrols? You’ll be shot on sight.” Matthew had not considered the fact and wondered briefly what would happen when they all arrived at the clan’s camp. Will they let me in even if I am with Willow and the others? he wondered. Before he could think on it longer, Willow barked at all of them.
“We don’t have time for this,” she said. “Twig, go. Now. Everyone else, follow me. We need to get off this path and find shelter. Matthew, go that way and break trail.” As Matthew responded and jumped off the trail, he saw Twig open his mouth to protest. The look Willow gave him clearly changed his mind. With a clenched jaw, he nodded.
“What do I tell them?” Twig asked.
Willow was quiet for a moment and Matthew paused to look back at the woman with the scar on her face. “Ask for the chief. Tell them Willow, a friend of the girl Emilia, needs help. I need to call in my favor. Hopefully, they will remember,” Willow said and then she turned toward Matthew. “Let’s go. Everyone stay together.” Matthew nodded and plowed through the snowbank as another wolf’s howl sounded in the near distance.
Raven hesitated. The cat mutant was walking toward her and her first instinct was to run, but she also knew Hector had a plan. He wants to protect me, even though it is for the wrong reasons. I have to trust him, she thought and resolved to be brave. It was not easy, especially when the other cat mutant licked his mouth as he drew near. It was both frightening and revolting.
Suddenly, Hector moved in a flash and he was on the first of the two rat mutants before the disgusting creature even had time to squeal. Snapping and swiping with his claws, Hector made short work of his victim but not before the second rat mutant had jumped onto his back. Raven started forward to help with the fight, but the cat mutant near her was too quick. He grabbed her and pulled her back up against him with his claws at her throat.
Unable to help herself, Raven let out a cry of alarm.
Hector turned when he heard it and roared. Grabbing the rat mutant clinging to his back, he ripped the unlucky vermin free and gave him a hard shake like a cat with a toy. Raven watched as Hector triumphantly tore out the thing’s throat and then let the body slide to the ground. With a look of pure rage on his face, Raven saw Hector turn and stare at the cat mutant who held her. She felt the beast holding her chuckle. “I thought you looked familiar,” he said. “Didn't come to me until I saw how pissed off you were. I can’t believe it took me so long but I was distracted by this fine specimen here.” He gave Raven a squeeze. Raven held her tongue, knowing anything she said would only make things worse. Instead, she looked at Hector and saw fury in his eyes.
“So what now?” Hector spat out.
“Well, Prince Hector,” the cat mutant chuckled. “It's up to you. Tell me, your highness, what will you give me for her? And trust me, I'm expecting a lot.”
CHAPTER 11
Hannah sat at the short table in the corner of the sitting room in The Creator’s private quarters. Her brow was furrowed with concentration as she used colored pencils to draw a picture. The Creator gazed at her from across the room where he sat. Tubes were attached to different parts of him, and they processed fluids to revitalize his wasted body. It was a ritual which was performed four times a day, and he knew, even if he never dared voice it, these treatments were a key reason he was still alive after over a century.
Beside him stood Samuel. He also watched the girl. The Creator saw the other man frown. It did not please him. “What is it you fear from this child?” The Creator asked. Samuel appeared startled by the comment, clearly being lost in thought.