Free Trader Box Set - Books 4-6: Battle for the Amazon, Free the North!, Free Trader on the High Seas

by Craig Martelle

  But nothing emerged from the Amazon. Skirill circled high overhead while Zyena danced at the edges. G-War sat calmly on the King’s head, despite the Aurochs swinging his horns back and forth, taunting the mutant birds.

  Braden called for everyone to stop firing. He checked on Bronwyn and the children while Micah watched the rainforest. The young girl was starting to relax. The twins both cried because they had heard the Bat-Ravens, too, and they were afraid, even though the threat was gone.

  G-War leapt from Brandt’s head and with the Wolfoids, raced into the trees to look for any survivors, thinking they would tear them apart. Skirill and Zyena flew in the area between the wagon and the rainforest, keeping a close watch, to give early warning should the evil return.

  “Bronwyn, did you see anything?” Braden asked, keeping his voice quiet and calm. The young girl nodded as she rubbed her eyes.

  “They are such horrible creatures! I can’t believe anything like them exists,” her small voice cried even as she powered through the pain in her head and in her heart. The twins snuggled under Braden’s arms and quickly stopped crying. They snuffled and wiped their little noses on their sleeves. The Rabbits moved in close to put furry paws on the children. The twins let go of their father and buried their heads deep in the belly fur of the oversized Rabbits. Bronwyn embraced Patrice and Delavigne. Their pink noses twitched rapidly as they helped her out of the dark hole of the Bat-Ravens.

  “We’ll use what you saw, Bronwyn, to find the Overlords, the masters of the evil ones, and we’ll stop them from hurting you ever again.” Braden looked to the four Rabbits, who nodded in return. The children were in good paws.

  McCullough

  Village McCullough had always been hard-pressed for food, but with the Amazonian War at a critical stage, they had even less time to hunt and work their fields. At least they were loaded with mushrooms, but the trading with the Amazonians was irregular at best. They could only plan future meetings when Bronwyn was around to talk with Zalastar or Akhmiyar.

  They were afraid to go into the Amazon to their normal trading point, especially since the attack on Braden, Micah, and their companions. If that group wasn’t safe, then average villagers stood no chance, even though they were armed with swords and bows.

  When the tired villagers arrived, Mel-Ash, McCullough’s Elder, met them on the road. She warmly greeted the large group and directed them to an area that had been prepared north of the village, with a stream running nearby and a pit useful for a toilet.

  Braden and Micah unhooked Brandt from his harness, and he led the Earthshaker Herd farther north where they could graze the Plains of Propiscius. It was near there that Braden and Micah had first approached Village McCullough. Even traveling with intelligent animals, they were quickly welcomed since they had purged the evil that had befallen the village in the form of its tyrant bloodline.

  The new Village McCullough under the sage leadership of Elder Mel-Ash prospered because of trade, sound leadership, and the addition of many people. The village was larger than it had ever been. They produced more protective material than ever, but less food, because they traded for what they needed. Their Market Square was a place where people conducted the business of trade, something they had never contemplated a mere two cycles before.

  As a favor to Braden and as leaders in building a new world in the south, the villagers of McCullough, both new and old, welcomed the refugees from Coldstream and Greentree.

  The stalls in Market Square became temporary shelters for families. Open spaces were filled with people and the belongings of those designated to remain in McCullough. The rest would continue to Village Dwyer.

  Mel-Ash wasn’t shy about telling the newcomers what needed to be done. She arranged work parties for the fields, for scavenging edibles from the nearby rainforest, for hunting. Braden and Micah would have liked to see the refugees rest before starting to work, but the village needed the food if they were to survive.

  Braden, G-War, and the Wolfoids led the group of Coldstream hunters toward the rainforest. After listening to them crash through the brush, Braden halted the group and instructed them to wait.

  With G-War’s help, Braden downed a young buck and the Wolfoids were able to catch two does. Braden called the hunters to him and turned over the fresh kills for cleaning and return to the village.

  Braden didn’t have enough time to teach these newcomers to hunt. Village McCullough had three women and two men who excelled with the bow and had reasonable woodcraft. They’d have to do the hunting for the whole group. Braden was disappointed in the hunters from Coldstream, but then again, they maintained livestock in the form of a herd of pigs while also working extensive fields.

  The group bringing the hogs from Coldstream had fallen far behind, so Braden had guided them to the north, away from the rainforest. They traveled slowly, but when they arrived in the next turn or two, the pigs would be a nice addition to the diet of the expanded Village McCullough.

  Until then, the hunters would have to find ways to bring home more game.

  Expanding the Trade Route

  When the last of the refugees from Coldstream and Greentree arrived in McCullough, Braden and Micah built a bonfire. Bounder and Gray Strider were bringing back two deer that they’d caught. G-War and the Hawkoids had gone with the Wolfoids to watch for threats while they hunted.

  From when Braden first arrived, the group he now traveled with was probably the single most powerful force on all of Vii. Blasters, lightning spears, and laser pistols gave them a technological edge, but their real power came in working as a tight-knit group. They executed Braden’s plans flawlessly and with intense violence when the situation demanded it.

  That was nothing any of them wanted. But to realize a world living in peace, they had to make war better than the enemy. They knew they had to cut off the enemy’s head. Without the Overlords, the other creatures would disappear into the shadows and leave the civilized world alone.

  To make that happen, the companions had to be in two places at once. They had to defend the humans, the refugees, and they had to travel deep into the rainforest to find the Overlords.

  The first order of business was in getting the refugees settled and the second was to draft some of them to serve as guards because Braden and his companions couldn’t be in two places at once. They only needed to appear like they were in one place, while being someplace the Overlords didn’t expect.

  “I think it’s time,” Micah offered out of the blue. Braden looked at her oddly and shrugged. He didn’t know what she meant. She took a deep breath.

  “It’s time to visit Trent,” she said abruptly. “They have food they can trade. They have people who are willing to work. They have men who know how to fight. I think we add them to the trade route as well as Cornwall, the village to the south. I’m ready to go back home, see my parents. There is a lot to fear on Vii, and they aren’t in that group.” She heard the warm caress of G-War’s purr over the mindlink. The other companions added their warmest feelings, too. They understood the magnitude of Micah’s revelation. They also knew that they wouldn’t let anything happen to her, no matter how the villagers from her former home reacted.

  The most protective of the companions was Braden. He’d been ready to see the Eastern Ocean for quite some time, but hadn’t wanted to push Micah before she was ready.

  “Once we get everyone settled in Dwyer and McCullough, we’ll continue east. I’d like to meet your parents, ask your father’s permission to be your forever partner!” He smiled and they both laughed. “Or maybe they’d just like to meet their grandchildren.”

  He hesitated and looked at the ground. Turning, he met the eyes of each of their companions, who paused their eating. He didn’t say it, but Micah heard his thoughts.

  “How will the villagers feel about them? How will my parents feel? You’re thinking they’ll try to run us off as freaks.”

  “But I didn’t say it,” he countered weakly. “It’s what you
thought before G-War opened your eyes.”

  “Then that’s on them. Look at these two.” Micah reached for ‘Tesh. “How can they not fall in love with them? Maybe we can go in first, on horseback with G-War, Skirill, and Zyena close by. The others can join us later. Someone has to protect us, watch our backs. The Lizard Men can’t touch us in Trent, but there might be other threats. With this group, I don’t think anyone will be stupid enough to try something.” They looked to their stalwart companions and closest friends.

  Brandt stopped grazing and looked back at them, grasses and weeds falling from his open mouth. Bounder’s tongue lolled out of his mouth as he was falling asleep while eating, and his mate Gray Strider looked at the fire with unfocused eyes as she digested her huge meal. G-War licked his paw to scrub his face clean from the fresh deer heart he’d just consumed. Skirill and Zyena perched on a branch above the fire, looking statuesque and regal. They were probably both asleep. The Rabbits were curled in a pile of fur. You couldn’t tell one from the other. Bronwyn and the twins were in among them, only evidenced by their heads sticking out so they could breathe. Aadi floated above, watching and blinking slowly, the fire reflecting in his eyes while the Android repairs on his shell glistened as if wet.

  “They strike fear into the hearts of the stoutest men, you said?” Braden parroted his mate, then turned serious. “Will we be able to kill the Overlords?”

  ‘Depends,’ G-War interrupted without elaborating.

  “And there you have it. We’ll give it our best,” Micah said softly. “Because we don’t know any other way to do it.”

  Peace couldn’t come soon enough for Braden and Micah, so they could spend more nights like this and fewer bandaging wounds, healing from the last fight, preparing for the next, or worse, burying the dead as they had done with their friend Pik Ha’ar.

  Settling the Refugees

  Something Old Tom never wanted came too soon, his forge had been turned into a weapons factory. He made steel tips for arrows, sword and knife blades. He wanted to make plows and tools for farming, trade, but the war enveloped them all. They had to be ready.

  People were everywhere. The final count found close to one hundred and fifty people packed into the confines of Village Dwyer. The resources would be taxed to breaking. The Council of Elder humans exerted control, establishing dictates so the disparate villages could live in harmony.

  By accepting the Council mandates, the various villagers gave up some of their freedoms for security, the first step down the slippery slope. The grumbling began and people like Gravenin of Village Dwyer, the sole remaining brother of the militant clan that ruled before Braden arrived, took advantage and fomented discontent.

  Braden and Micah watched closely to keep things from getting out of hand, but they had the help of the three leaders of Dwyer: Destiny, Fen, and Mick. Braden and Micah couldn’t see the village leaders through the smoke of Old Tom’s forge, but there was something else they wanted to see first: G-War’s triumphant return.

  Before the refugees arrived, G-War planned a special treat for the dog population of Village Dwyer. Flanked by Bounder and Gray Strider, he strolled into the heart of the village, his ‘cat tail held high, flicking slightly as he looked back and forth. It didn’t take long before the pack raced to greet the newcomers. G-War was sickened by the overpowering smell of wet dog, but refused to puke as he was making the statement to end all statements.

  The dogs raced around the rock pile that dominated Dwyer’s Market Square. Out of control, they fell over each as they tried to stop, incensed by the brazen presence of the ‘cat. Many growled as they were confused by the smells and the appearance of the strange canines who walked upright.

  Bounder and Gray Strider dropped to all fours, showed their fangs, and growled back at their diminutive cousins. Their sound originated deep, vibrating the ground as they slowly stalked forward. They barked and yipped in the Wolfoid language. G-War stood proudly between Bounder and Gray Strider, watching. Ears flattened against the dogs’ heads. One, bolder than the others, bolted forward with bared fangs. Almost too fast to follow, Bounder swiped one paw, slapping the challenger into a rolling ball of fur. Bounder jumped to the prostrate dog and lowered his muzzle to bark and spit a mere finger’s-breadth from the challenger’s eyes.

  The other dogs backed away. More Wolfoid barks, and the dogs barked back with wagging tails and bowed heads.

  ‘You will have no more problems with them, my friend,’ Bounder said over the mindlink. The ‘cat strolled forward to test the Wolfoid’s claim. One dog growled, but Gray Strider stared him to silence. The dogs let the ‘cat walk through the middle of their pack. G-War coughed twice and hacked up part of last night’s meal onto the head of a cowering dog.

  ‘All is right with the world, again. And now, I’ll be on my way. I simply can’t stand the smell in here.’ G-War wanted to run away, but having just won his imperial status over the dog population, he wasn’t about to squander it by running. He showed plenty of ‘cat butt as he took his time walking away. The Wolfoids watched him go, chuckling.

  Braden and Micah had unhooked Brandt and settled their wagon by the time the remaining refugees arrived. The group stayed outside the town as Tom’s forge was working overtime making the weapons they’d need to defend themselves. The smoke from his fires blackened the air.

  Mick, Destiny, and Fen joined them at the edge of the village, their hands and faces smudged black from being near the forge.

  “We’re sorry about the smoke, but the Council left us little choice. Old Tom is working himself to exhaustion. Is there something you can do, maybe get him to slow down?” Destiny spoke for them all, before the three of them waved and continued past to meet the refugees.

  “I’ll talk with him,” Braden said to their backs, then turned to his partner. “What do they expect me to say?”

  “How about ‘slow down,’ or maybe, ‘we have all the weapons we need, so take a break’?” Micah offered, raising one eyebrow to emphasize her point. Ax started squealing about something and Micah was off like a shot. Then ‘Tesh chimed in. Bronwyn tried to separate them as they fought over something unseen.

  Once the Rabbits got involved, the twins calmed instantly. The Rabbits didn’t tolerate fighting among the children, as each couple had dozens of little ones back on the Resettlement Vessel Traveler and were professionals when it came to breaking up fights. The Rabbits planned on having many more children, once the war was over. Unless the war took too long, of course, because they were still Rabbits at heart, and their genetics gave them certain gifts when it came to procreation.

  The twins were more like Bronwyn than they were like their parents. They could talk with any creature, although they were still only a cycle old.

  When Micah arrived, the wagon was completely silent, but she could hear the conversation as Ferrer and Brigitte, one of the Rabbit couples, scolded the twins.

  ‘Why fight? If there is only one then neither will have it. I think we need to find some nice vegetables and discuss how we want to play our next game. That is important. The rock you both seem to want, doesn’t matter,’ Ferrer said with nose and whiskers twitching. He nodded to Bronwyn who picked up the contested item and threw it from the wagon. Ax tried to reach for it, but Brigitte’s furry paw quickly, but gently. tapped his hand down.

  ‘No one can have the rock. That is our answer when you fight over something. As soon as you figure that out, then you’ll realize fighting will guarantee that you don’t get what you are so willing to fight for. You must learn to share,’ she said in her dainty Rabbit thought voice.

  Patrice wiggled her ears at Micah, letting her know that everything was okay. She called to her children, who both jumped up and toddled toward her, their baby thought voices squealing in delight.

  Micah heard G-War in the background trying to shush them. Bronwyn talked with the Rabbits, while the Wolfoids were asking Braden about where they might be able to hunt. Once food had been mentioned, the Rabbits
became singularly focused on visiting the fields. The Hawkoids had already gone to hunt ground squirrels in the open fields. Micah was amazed she could keep all the conversations straight, but she’d never been alone with her thoughts since she met Braden. She’d gotten used to the voices in her head, and as any person can do, she tuned out the background conversations and listened to one at a time.

  “Okay, you two, come here. Let’s see what trouble you can get into,” Micah said aloud. She lifted each toddler out of the wagon and put them on the ground. Bronwyn jumped down. Although the Rabbits could leap into the wagon easily, they had a hard time getting down. They lined up and put their arms out like the children had just done so they could be lifted out of the wagon, too. This wasn’t as easy as it sounded since the Rabbits were all muscle beneath the soft fur and their heads were just above Micah’s waist. She braced her legs and kept her elbows in as she lifted them out, one by one, lifting with her legs and not her back to deposit them all on the ground. They hop-walked after the children.

  Micah watched the seven of them disappear toward the fields. As long as Bronwyn was with them, everyone would leave the Rabbits alone. They wore harnesses and carried laser pistols, but shooting someone was the last thought in their minds.

  “I have no control of my own children,” she lamented as Braden joined her. They unhooked Brandt so he could run to the quarry and check on his people, grazing along the way. He thanked them in his booming thought voice and jogged away.

  The Wolfoids were headed in the same the direction as the children and Rabbits because deer stayed in the trees near the fields to sneak fresh vegetables when no one was looking. Braden and Micah sauntered away from the crowd of newcomers as Mick, Fen, and Destiny had things well in hand, directing the refugees to various locations around Dwyer where they could make themselves at home, even if only for a short while.