Micah watched him intently. He saw her and looked away. He knew that she was in his mind. He couldn’t hide the way he really felt. He was afraid for her and for all of them. He wondered who wouldn’t be coming back. What if Micah had to watch Pik die a second time? What if he failed to protect Bronwyn?
He stood up, dizzy from the assault of doubts that bombarded his mind. Micah was there in a heartbeat, holding him. He tentatively reached out, feeling her thoughts. This time, she had no solution to put his mind at ease. She could only tell him that they would do the best they could, but they’d get Holly to give weapons and armor to everyone who would enter the rainforest. Since they were going to be vastly outnumbered, the least they could do was protect themselves. Initially, the hologram was not in favor, but the President left him with no choice.
“For all humanity’s sake, arm the intelligent creatures of Planet Vii!” she ordered. If humanity was to be saved, it would take the combined efforts of Braden, Micah, and their animal companions.
G-War refused to wear his old armor. Braden couldn’t blame him because in the rainforest, his ability to run and jump would be more important than stopping the laser beams they faced on the ship. Braden didn’t push it. He needed G-War at his best.
The Hawkoids also skipped the armor. Flying would be taxing without carrying the extra weight. The Aurochs had no excuses. They needed to be protected from the spears which would inevitably find them. Brandt showed the scars on his great body to emphasize that point.
The Lizard Men would wear the woven protective clothing that they used to make in Village McCullough. Holly was able to fabricate it once he had a sample. Braden and Micah wore the same Old Tech armor that they used on the ship. Braden had Holly make a set of Old Tech armor sized for Bronwyn. He looked at the small set and tears welled in his eyes. “Like a lamb to the slaughter,” he said to himself.
Holly spent a great deal of time with everyone who could fit in the New Command Center to teach them how to navigate within the rainforest. Holly showed images of the tops of the rainforest trees for both routes so the Hawkoids could help them find their way, but much was indistinct. Zyena and Skirill looked at each other, wondering if they would be able to help the companions find the way to their goal. They didn’t want to be apart, but like the rest, didn’t have a choice.
Did any of them have a choice?
They loaded the wagon, hooked Brandt into the harness, draped the protective blanket that looked more like a tent over his back, and prepared to depart. The young bull, Lomen, had to run behind while the rest of them rode in the wagon. They carried water and plenty of food for Brandt to minimize how much they stopped. The plan was to run as fast as he could straight through. If any Lizard Men besides Zalastar and Akhmiyar appeared, they’d keep going. They had no way of communicating with the Amazonians in either case.
Micah was to wait four turns and then depart. The plan was for both groups to enter the rainforest at the same time. Braden expected to be held up as he fought his way south through the enemy. Micah would be in place to intercept the Overlords as they fled from the oncoming forces. If they went west, then Braden and Micah would join forces and follow until there was no place left for the Overlords and their minions to run.
The plan had to be simple because they each had to do their part without the benefit of knowing where the others were or what they were doing. Nerves were stretched thin, but none of the companions snapped at each other. The survivors from Cygnus VI, however, were involved in more than one unhappy exchange. Braden apologized to Dr. Johns, but the leader of the clones understood and told Braden not to worry. He wished the two groups luck as he turned his attention to confirming the latest information they had on the Overlords.
No change.
He suggested they each take a communication device. Braden protested, but Dr. Johns told them as long as they were powered off, the Overlords wouldn’t see them. The enemy would know if the Old Tech was turned on, so it was just for emergencies or when there was no more threat from the Overlords.
They secured the devices in their already stuffed backpacks. Braden gave his partner a long hug and passionate kiss. He looked into her eyes for a long time before they let each other go.
“Why us?” he asked her as he stepped backward toward the wagon and the waiting companions.
“We’re the only ones with the ability to fight this war, so we have the responsibility,” she replied in a tired voice. Ax and ‘Tesh clung to their mother’s legs, not knowing why their parents were sad. Braden nodded and waved to his children, conjuring a smile for them. They both ran to him and he held them close, just for a few heartbeats before the Rabbits stepped in to each take a little hand and lead them back into the oasis.
“For all of Vii,” he said under his breath, “for my family.”
Running North
Brandt started out at an easy jog. The wagon bounced and jerked as he increased speed. G-War rode on the King’s head as usual while Zyena flew in front to scout the area. Lomen ran behind the wagon, easily keeping pace. He was smaller and had to take more steps, but he wasn’t dragging a wagon.
Skirill appeared in the sky and circled overhead. ‘We couldn’t do this without you, Ess, or your mate. It’s just like the old days, huh?’ Braden said in his thought voice.
‘Just like the old days, Master Human,’ Skirill replied with a chuckle. ‘They seem so long ago, a lifetime even.’
‘But what a life! Look where we’ve been and what we’ve seen,’ Braden hesitated. ‘Our families. When we get back, Ess, we will ask nothing else from you or Zee until after your hatchlings leave the nest. By then, we’ll have had plenty of time to create a new crisis that only we can fix.’
‘That sounds like the good old days, Master Human,’ Skirill said. They didn’t talk as much as they used to, but that didn’t matter. They both had partners, but they would always be friends of the rare type, standing by each other’s side when the rest of the world ran away screaming.
‘Catch up with Zyena and spend some time with her. It won’t be long until we’re in the rainforest.’ Braden watched the Hawkoid beat hard toward the wall of trees looming before them. Zyena turned and they danced together in the sky overhead. All eyes watched them, appreciating the grace the Hawkoids displayed and the pain they felt as they parted, each running headlong toward danger.
Braden patted his belt pouch, stuffed with numbweed and hairs from Max’s tail. Brandt sped up once he hit the ancients’ road, recently repaired by the Amazonians. He ran solidly through the day and into the night. Lomen started to struggle halfway through the darkness when the rain pounded the hardest. Brandt slowed to let him catch his wind, but he didn’t’ stop. He would show them all what the King of the Aurochs was capable of. Brandt ordered Lomen in front and told him to run as fast as he could, and Brandt would keep up. The young bull accepted the challenge, but he found he was unable to pull away from the bigger bull. He slowed to a walk, and finally stopped, unable to put one hoof in front of another. ‘I sorry, my King. We not start and already I fail,’ Lomen lamented.
‘You have nothing to be ashamed of or sorry for. You challenged me to make it this far, faster than I ever have before. We rest, quickly, and then we run until we leave the rainforest behind us. How far, Braden?’ Brandt asked.
‘I don’t know, Brandt,’ Braden said apologetically. He looked around him. It was pouring. The Wolfoids and G-War were under the wagon’s cover, trying to stay dry. Wet Aurochs dominated the area, ruining the usually clean smell of the rain.
Braden unhooked Brandt from the harness. Braden took the first watch and told the others to sleep. He’d wake Loper when he couldn’t stay awake any longer. It was dark and he couldn’t see anything. Every splash and slap of a tree limb put him on edge. He woke G-War to keep him company, expecting to get insulted, but the ‘cat took it easy on him. He sat silently on Braden’s lap, ears perked and tail twitching as he looked into the darkness.
They staye
d up nearly the entire night, but toward sunrise, he shook Loper awake from his fitful sleep. The Wolfoid lifted his lightning spear and jumped from the wagon. He stood in the rain and watched even though it was still dark, counting on his ears to alert him to any danger. He stayed that way until the sun had risen.
Brandt and Lomen woke with the daylight and a lighter rain, eating heartily as both of them looked stiff, moving jerkily as they tried to work out the kinks from overused muscles. When ready, they hooked Brandt up and accounted for everyone in the wagon. Zyena flew through the rain upward into the canopy, where she worked her way through, bursting through the final leaves into the daylight that rose above the massive trees. She flew in a circle, always keeping her eye on the spot where she left the confines of the rainforest. She didn’t want to lose the group.
It was the first time she’d been anywhere on Vii by herself. She’d always had Skirill. Her fear kept her from exploring so she didn’t see anything she was supposed to be able to recognize. She returned quickly through the trees and dropped on top of the wagon. She shook her head, not wanting to speak. The fear in her voice would give her away. She didn’t yet understand that Braden only asked people to do their best and nothing more. He knew that it wasn’t her time yet. When things got hot, he believed that she’d be there for them.
Brandt leaned forward to get the wagon rolling, walking at first but only for a few steps. He started jogging until he could run. When he ran, he ran fast. The road was smooth but they moved at a dangerous speed. Braden wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the King so determined. Lomen struggled to keep up. An all-out run for Brandt was beyond the smaller bull’s capability. He started to fall behind and Braden asked the King to slow down. Brandt walked until Lomen jogged, stopping to walk while still a distance away.
The first spear bounced from the armor protecting the young bull’s side. He looked surprised as he jumped and started running. A barrage of spears rained on him as he ran in a panic. One stuck in his neck, but was thrown off with the gyrations of an Aurochs sprinting. His legs were nicked and bleeding. He was leaving a thin trail of blood behind him as he ran past the wagon and kept going. Braden was going to jump down, but thought better of it as the wagon lurched forward. He aimed his blaster into the trees and fired randomly at the area where the spears had come from. He knew the Lizard Men were already gone and that it was too far away to make a difference.
“Soon, we will cut off the head of your snake and you will thrash about. Then you will beg us for your lives,” Braden yelled toward the rainforest.
The Villages
Brandt helped Lomen set a record getting through the rainforest. The sun was a welcome sight and a chance to take a break and graze. The great beasts walked side by side through the short green grasses where the Amazon met the Plains of Propiscius. Braden hoped that the King told the younger bull that this was the quickest trip ever. Lomen thought he’d failed when he’d actually shown incredible stamina.
G-War took the Wolfoids hunting. Loper and Sunny Day were unlike Bounder and Gray Strider. They didn’t have a desire to hunt. The ‘cat encouraged them, and as they demonstrated with their first kill, they were capable. Braden thought about it and agreed. Capable was all he needed. He wondered how good they were with their lightning spears.
The recharging unit they carried with them worked for their spears as well as his blasters. Once again, he was amazed at what the ancients could do, but appalled at what they actually did: kill each other.
Braden set up a small camp and prepared the fire while he waited for the others.
Zyena killed a ground squirrel and ingloriously ate it in two bites. She’d been practicing flying between the trees during the rain and was completely exhausted. After her short hunt, she perched on the buckboard of the wagon, remaining close to the human. Skirill’s last words to her was that Braden would protect her, even if it cost him his life. With thoughts of her mate to comfort her, she was soon fast asleep.
The Wolfoids dragged a small doe from the tree line. Braden made short work of cleaning it and threw thin strips on the heated rocks around the fire. They would cook quickly while he put the rest on a rough spit. He watched G-War meticulously cleaning his face after eating his favorites out of the gut pile. The Wolfoids flexed and stretched after the workout of running down the deer.
“That was your first kill, right?” Braden asked.
‘Yes,’ Loper replied. ‘I think the Golden Warrior takes a great deal of pleasure in the hunt. He made it easy for us. We are a little older than your average Wolfoid and don’t smell as good as we used to.’
“Are you older than Bounder?” Braden wondered.
‘Oh, yes, by a great deal. I’m afraid my only reference is the ship, so I don’t know how you count time. I only know that we were already mated when Bounder was born. We expect to see four or five more litters before our end comes.’
Braden could only guess how long it took to have a litter of pups. In human terms, did that mean four or five cycles of the seasons? That wasn’t long enough. Braden had just turned twenty-three cycles old. He thought in terms of forty or fifty cycles remaining and couldn’t grasp a shorter life span. He nodded to them as they seemed comfortable with the revelation. He looked to the Hillcat, wondering.
‘Don’t worry about me,’ G-War said into his mind. ‘The way you live? The places you are dragging me to? That is taking years off my life, so if I die before you, it’s your fault.’
Of course it would be, Braden thought and smiled. Leave it to his best friend to bring him back to reality. They could only make the most of the time they had. He was doing his best, so there was no sense moping over an unknown such as what the future held. No matter what or when, he could never be any other place than he was right then. Live for today, plan for tomorrow.
As it was, they had two and a half turns to collect Bronwyn and get back to Bliss to kick off their march into the rainforest. They would eat and take a short rest, and then get going. He intended to stop at Village McCullough, but only briefly. Braden wanted to make it to Dwyer before the sun rose next.
The Aurochs determined how long they stayed. They were exhausted. They slept through the remainder of the daylight and into the night. When they awoke, it was dark, but the moon was mostly full and cast sufficient light to get going. With Brandt hooked up, he started to pull and immediately broke into a trot. G-War rode on the King’s head, helping him see the way ahead. The riders were jostled as the wagon lurched, going faster and faster. Lomen ran to the side, enjoying being refreshed and dry. He felt lighter and easily kept pace with the great King.
It was still night when they reached McCullough so they kept going. Braden tried to talk with Bronwyn over the mindlink, but she didn’t answer because she was probably sleeping. The sun rose as they were halfway to Dwyer and when G-War was finally able to talk with the young girl. She said that she’d be ready to go by the time they arrived. She also let them know that Ferrer and Brigitte were coming with them. Braden tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn’t listen.
As they traveled, Braden told them the story of everything that happened since they left. Bronwyn wondered about meeting Pik Ha’ar. She’d heard the stories and hoped that his soul wasn’t dark like the clones at New Sanctuary.
All the companions gave their warmest greetings to the young girl, including Loper and Sunny. Bronwyn gushed with joy as she talked with them over the mindlink. She loved all creatures, intelligent or not. She was disappointed that Max and Speckles hadn’t come, although she looked forward to meeting the new Aurochs bull.
She was amazed that there were hundreds of Aurochs. That’s when Braden told Brandt that the scientists had discovered a chemical in the grass that was bad for them. Brandt wasn’t surprised.
‘I knew that! So what are we going to do about it?’ the King asked.
‘We’ll bring them here, of course. Look at how big and wide the plains are! So much room for all your friends,’ she told him. Br
aden knew the King of the Aurochs had to be smiling. She was his favorite human and it was her way to call his people “friends.”
‘I think we have no choice, Brandt. Lomen can pull the wagon, so when we leave, why don’t you go get your people, all of them, and bring them here?’ Braden added. ‘You know the way and you don’t have to travel alone.’
Brandt thought it over. His people had moved to Dwyer with the humans. There was no reason he couldn’t do it. He’d traveled once without humans, when he returned through the rainforest by himself while Braden and Micah were on the ship. He never shared with them that he’d been afraid during the journey. The King of the Aurochs knew the fear of loneliness. He wasn’t afraid to fight, but dying alone was the worst thing he could imagine.
But he wouldn’t be traveling alone, as Braden recognized. He’d take the three largest Aurochs with him, two cows and a bull to intimidate the rest of the herd into coming along. He knew they wouldn’t want to leave the attraction of the green grasses, but he was ready for it. Maybe he’d take more of the Earthshaker Herd with him to scare off any and all challengers. He retreated into his own mind as he started planning his trip to save the remainder of Vii’s Aurochs.
When Braden’s caravan arrived, they unhooked Brandt and he jogged away toward his herd. The villagers and refugees crowded around, disappointed that Braden didn’t carry any trade goods. He could only smile at that. It was a Free Trader’s dream to be welcomed at every village by people anxious to see what he carried.
“Thank you all for the warm welcome,” he projected in his trader voice from the back of the wagon where he stood to see above the mass of people. “We come only to kick off our campaign to end the war. We have a few things to do, and then we’ll be off. Brandt Earthshaker will be taking a few of his herd and heading south to collect the Aurochs who graze there. Expect when he returns, he will be bringing hundreds home to the plains!” The crowd gasped and then cheered. They’d grown fond of the massive creatures and knew that when humans worked side by side with the Aurochs, they all accomplished more.
Battle for the Amazon (Free Trader Series Book 4) Page 16