Forever Winter Box Set (Books 5 - 8): A Future Dystopian Survival Series Adventure

by KM Fortune

  “Good job, everybody,” Brody called from the front.

  “That was incredible,” Matthew said. “Just incredible.”

  "Yep," Toby added. "Ride of a lifetime." Blaze had to agree as the sled bumped along continuing to slow. One last rise lay ahead and then they were down. He watched it grow closer and then frowned. The rise looked different than the ones they had shot over during the ride. It seemed to be jagged, and he thought he saw the hint of dark granite rock poking through. Then the realization struck him, and he instinctively dropped his feet into the snow to try and slow the sled.

  "Cliff!" he yelled. "It's a cliff. We need to stop!" He saw the others react and drop their feet into the snow too, but Blaze knew in his gut it was not going to be enough. The lip rushed at them.

  “Jump!” Toby screamed from behind him. Blaze did not have to be told twice. Letting his forward momentum push him, he slipped off the sled and tumbled hard through the snow. Afraid for a moment he would not be able to break his roll, he grabbed at the snow and flailed with his legs. Finally slowing, he flipped on his back and saw their sled, now free of the weight of the four men, race toward the edge of the cliff. Knowing there was no stopping it now, he watched as the vehicle and all their supplies shot over the hump, seemed to hang in the air for a second, and then fell out of sight.

  The Creator looked down over his flock from his special room hidden high above the Gathering Chamber. It was time for the noon prayer and the large space below was filled with hundreds of men in white robes. They knelt on ornate rugs and recited the afternoon prayer. The murmur of their whispering voices floated up to The Creator, and he nodded with approval. Beside him stood Hannah and she gazed down at the men as well. Even though The Creator knew many of his flock would not approve of her presence in the special room for prayer, he liked having her with him. Samuel especially would be upset, The Creator thought with a frown on his lipless face. That follower is becoming more and more agitated every day and beginning to forget his place. What I choose to do is of no consequence to him, for I am The Creator.

  “Why do you have them say the same words every time?” Hannah asked, pulling The Creator’s attention back to the moment. “It must be so boring.”

  The Creator paused. It was a fair question. Using the mechanics of his special chair, he swiveled to look at her. "It was the prayer once taught to me a long time ago, to be spoken at noon, before the midday meal," he explained. "I taught it to my flock as it is a sign of respect for all we have here in Eden."

  Hannah was thoughtful as she considered his response. Finally, she returned his look. The Creator always waited for her to recoil from his appearance, yet she never had. It is as if she does not see my exterior at all, but instead who I am on the inside, he thought, once again impressed by the maturity of the child.

  "Who taught it to you?" she asked. The question caught The Creator off guard. He had become used to her inquisitiveness and even welcomed it, but now he hesitated. The Creator's past life was not something he discussed with his following. Not even his closest advisors. He was simply The Creator, and it was accepted as so. Still, what would it hurt? he wondered.

  “My mother,” he replied and waited for the girl’s response. She tilted her head and smiled.

  “Where is she?” Hannah questioned.

  “She died. A long, long time ago. She brought me here when I was young, not much older than you, and helped start the colony,” The Creator explained.

  Hannah smiled. "So you were once a little boy?" she asked. "Not always The Creator?" The Creator was quiet. He was unsure of where the conversation was headed, and he could not decide how he felt about the line of inquiry. How much do I share with this child? he wondered. Do I take her into my confidence? There was no human still alive who knew about his life Before. After a moment, he realized he wanted to talk about it. It has been so long ...

  “Yes,” The Creator answered. “I was once a little boy. In a different place. In a different world.”

  Hannah laughed, and The Creator had a desire to laugh with her although he was not sure he still could. "Well then you couldn't have been called The Creator back then," she asked with a smile. "That's silly."

  The Creator nodded, thinking back through the many years. “You’re right, Hannah. I did have a name,” he said. “My name was Brian.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Raven walked down the corridor to her quarters. She had excused herself from the queen and Hector's company using the reason of freshening up before lunch. So far the morning had gone well. Queen Helen was very receptive to Raven's request for intervention with the leaders of the Eden. Although it was not usually the cat mutant's concern as to what happened between the nomads and the Patrols, in this case, the queen agreed the little girl should be released. No child should have to endure whatever torment lurked in the halls of the Great Cave. Afterward, Queen Helen had provided a short tour of the small yet elegant palace. Raven was impressed yet also distracted. So far Kit had not made an appearance, and Raven knew there was no way the small woman was still relaxing in her room. Feeling uneasy at the idea Kit was roaming the palace, or heaven forbid, the city, Raven had decided to find her. Now that progress is being made, the last thing we need is an incident between Kit and any cat mutant who offends her, Raven thought.

  Quickening her pace as she crossed the sitting room en route to her own room, she noticed a ripple in the tapestry across from the fireplace. The wind? Raven thought even though she did not feel a breeze. Stopping, Raven stared at the thick fabric as it swung away from the wall and Kit materialized from behind it. "Kit," Raven said in a hushed voice. "What are you doing?" Seeing her, the woman rushed to Raven's side and grabbed her hand to pull her toward the wall. Raven resisted. What is going on? she thought. If there was something behind the curtain, Raven was not so sure she wanted to see it. Everything was going smoothly.

  "No, Kit," Raven said. "I am not sure what you've been up to this morning, but stop. The queen has agreed to help us get Mouse back." Expecting the news to make Kit happy, Raven was surprised when it only made the woman pull harder. Looking into Kit's eyes, Raven could see the girl was upset. With a sigh, Raven relented. They walked across the room, and after Kit looked both ways to make sure no one was coming, she pulled back the tapestry. Raven saw an opening in the wall. It was clearly an entrance to a tunnel, and she was actually not surprised. Palaces were exactly the sort of place where you would find secret passageways. She even remembered reading about corridors built behind the walls of the White House to provide the president and other influential leaders a means of escape.

  Still holding tight onto Raven's hand, Kit started to step into the dark space. Again Raven resisted and Kit looked back at her. Her eyes were pleading with Raven to follow, and after another moment of indecision, Raven gave in and stepped into the dark behind Kit. This is a mistake, Raven thought, and in her heart, she knew the outcome of wherever Kit so desperately wanted her to go would not end well. Not well at all.

  Kit led the way through the dark corridors hidden behind the walls of the cat mutant's palace. It was nearly impossible to see. The candle she carried was nearly gone, but it did not matter. She remembered the way. Thankfully, Raven trusted her and followed without protest. Silence was a must as they traveled past openings to other rooms. In one, Kit was certain she recognized the voice of the queen and Raven had hesitated then. For a moment, Kit wondered if perhaps involving Queen Helen was the right course of action, but then she dismissed it. Without being able to talk or write, there was no way for Kit to communicate her fears. It was best to simply show Raven and then allow her friend to speak for them both. With a tug of Raven's hand, the two women continued.

  After another set of stairs and a couple of turns, Kit was certain she was back at the opening, which was hidden in the wall of the king's bedchambers. Stopping, she motioned for Raven to move closer to the tapestry and listen. At first, there was nothing and Kit worried their frantic trip was for no r
eason. Prince Edward had left the room. What if nothing has happened and I am just overly suspicious? Kit wondered. Or, even worse, what if we are too late? Before Kit could surmise an answer, the sound of a door opening came from the room.

  “Oh, your grace, I did not know you were present,” said a woman’s voice. “I was asked to bring some broth. In case the king was awake.” Kit guessed it was a servant of some kind.

  “Well he is not,” Prince Edward said. “Leave it and get out.”

  Kit saw Raven turn to look at her and she mouthed the words, “Where are we?” Kit held a finger to her lips to indicate the need for complete silence. Raven frowned but went back to listening. After a moment, there was the squeak of bedsprings and a sigh from the prince.

  "What do I do with you, Father?" he said. "If you wake up and see Hector, would you choose him over me? Certainly not, after all he has done." There were more sounds of movement and Kit could tell the cat mutant was up and now pacing. "But what if you do?" The walking stopped, and there was no sound at all. What is he doing? Kit wondered with a sense of dread in her heart. The tone of the prince’s voice was not one of a person grieving, but it sounded more like annoyance. I have to see.

  Pushing the fabric gently, Kit peeked through the gap once again. She felt Raven above her, trying to look too. Now Kit could see more than the king’s headboard. This time she could see the back of Prince Edward as he stood beside the bed and looked down at his father’s sleeping form. The prince was holding something in front of him, which Kit could not see, but her every instinct felt it was trouble. Kit felt Raven grab her shoulder and knew the other woman was afraid too.

  Finally, after a long pause, Prince Edward took a step closer to the bed and leaned forward. “I am afraid I can’t risk it,” he said and suddenly Kit understood what he was about to do. He held a pillow in his paws. Knowing they would certainly be killed if the prince ever found out there were witnesses to the murder, Kit grabbed Raven’s hand and started to carefully back away. She knew the path and escaping undetected would work. Then Raven can explain somehow to Hector what we saw, and we can all leave immediately, she thought taking another step back.

  Raven did not move with her and instead started forward through the opening. No! Kit wanted to scream. Don’t do this! Even if Raven could have heard Kit’s thoughts it was too late.

  “Stop!” Raven commanded as she pushed into the room. “Step away from the bed.” Kit saw Prince Edward freeze in place. The pillow was still in his grasp but not yet over the king’s face. Not sure what else to do, Kit stepped into the room too and drew her knives. She knew the prince would not succumb quietly. After a moment, the cat mutant tossed the pillow onto the bed and turned. When his eyes fell on the two women, Kit saw rage in them, but something else too. It took a minute for Kit to register the second emotion, but when she did, it made her more afraid than ever. It was amusement. The prince grinned and then walked to the door to the room. Yanking it open, he stepped into the hallway.

  "Assassins!" he screamed. "Assassins trying to kill the king!" Kit did not wait to hear more but instead grabbed Raven's sleeve and yanked her with all her strength back across the threshold of the secret doorway. This time Raven did not hesitate, and the two of them ran back the way they had come.

  CHAPTER 6

  Hector stood at the window of his old room and watched lights start to appear in the many dwellings of the city below. Lamps were being lit, workers were coming back from the mines, and families were starting to gather to have dinner. A sense of nostalgia washed over him as he remembered the good times of his youth and his love for his home. The valley, dug from the land long before his people had come to make a metropolis of it, hidden and protected by hills all around, was an almost magical place. He had missed it more than he realized and he was glad to be back. Now I can find a way to make up for my past, Hector thought. The dark days which led to his fleeing could never be erased, but he would work hard to show he was a different and better beast now. At least Queen Helen had appeared to forgive him, and even though he did not know the exact details of her marriage to the king, he was certain her reasons were sound. She was always the level headed one. Growing up together as they had, Queen Helen had been his closest friend and confidant. She knew about his hurts and his joys. If only I could have loved her back like everyone so wanted. Instead, Hector had been reckless and angry. The sudden death of his mother changed him, and there was no love in his heart left for anyone. Not even for the beautiful and kind Queen Helen.

  Turning away from the window, Hector resolved to fix that problem first. He would apologize and try to explain starting right now. As he moved toward the door, it was suddenly flung open. Queen Helen stood in there, and she was clearly upset. Almost frantic, Hector thought as he looked into her worried face. “What’s wrong?” Hector growled, sensing danger in the air.

  “You have to go,” she said and came into the room to stand close to him. “There is no time. Your brother will come for you.”

  Hector felt a sudden surprisingly intense ache in his heart. "Is it father? Is he dead?" he asked. Queen Helen grabbed Hector's arm and started to pull him toward the exit.

  “Much worse,” she replied. “It’s the women who arrived with you. They just tried to assassinate the king. Now come!”

  “They what?” Hector said as he resisted her urgent attempts to move him. “I don’t believe it.”

  "Oh, it is quite true," said Prince Edward from the open doorway. Both Hector and Queen Helen turned to look at him. He was surrounded by guards, and there was a gleam of triumph in his dark eyes. "And I have no doubt you hired them to do it, brother," he said. Hector stepped forward and glared at Prince Edward through narrowed eyes.

  “You can’t be serious,” Hector warned.

  “I have never been more serious,” Prince Edward said with a wave of his paw at the guards. “Take him to my dungeon.”

  As cat mutants armed with spears moved toward him, Hector crouched and flexed his claws. “Just try,” he growled. Suddenly, Queen Helen stepped between the two groups.

  "No," she commanded. "You will stand down. Hector can be confined to his quarters until everything is straightened out. I am certain he is innocent, and this is somehow a mistake." The guards paused and looked uncertain. Tension filled the room, but finally, Prince Edward nodded.

  “For now,” he said with menace in his tone. “But there will be no escape this time, my brother. I can promise you that.”

  Matthew tromped through the deep snow and searched in the fading daylight for any part of the men’s supplies. After the sled went over the cliff, it had rolled for a long distance, spewing articles as it went. So far, Matthew’s best finds were two unbroken waterskins and his spear. Not that I really know what to do with it, he thought as he used it to poke through the icy crust and see if he could feel any resistance. There was nothing, and he stopped to take a deep breath and scan the white landscape around him.

  He could see the other three men in the distance, but soon it would be dark, and he worried any of them could become disoriented in the little light. Time to make camp with what we have, he thought, although he knew it was not really his call. Blaze was the unofficial leader, and Matthew was smart enough to concede. The young man was much more experienced surviving in the wasteland, even if his temper could make his decisions a little unpredictable. Blaze was in a foul mood now too. Although there was not a physical altercation between him and the twins, there was plenty of shouting. The loss of the sled and the many useful things on it was a problem, but Matthew did not think anyone was to be blamed exactly. Regardless, he had stayed out of it and let the three of them wind down before suggesting they start searching for anything left. Now Matthew hoped the others were luckier than he was and someone found the tent. The temperature was dropping quickly and sleeping exposed on the packed snow would make for a long night.

  Turning to make his way to Blaze, he saw one of the twins start to wave his arms over his
head. Please let this be good news, Matthew thought and veered in the man's direction. The others followed suit, and they soon all arrived to see what was so important. Pulling down the scarf which masked the lower half of his face, Brody let out a plume of steam. "Good news, boys," he said. "Found the tent." Matthew closed his eyes to say a small thank you prayer and then hesitated. He was suddenly not certain who he would be praying to exactly. Do I give thanks to The Creator? Somehow the idea made no sense now that he was among the nomads. What would Raven do? Thank the universe at large? The concept was new to him but felt right and with a smile behind his own scarf, let his thoughts flow out in thanks. They would not freeze this night at least, and he was grateful.

  "Well done, my brother," Toby said giving his twin a slap on the back. "I found one of our packs, so we will not only sleep well but with a little food in our bellies. How did everybody else do?"

  Matthew held the waterskins. “Water to wash it down?” he asked. Brody stepped closer and took a harder look at the skins. He let out a whoop of pleasure.

  “Heck no, that’s not all water. The darker skin is wine. We will be fine for sure,” he said.

  “You brought wine?” Blaze snapped. “As a supply?”

  “Aw, come on,” Toby replied. “Let’s just all be friends again. Wine is important. Even when it’s Brody’s lousy concoction.”