‘G, can you tell what’s going on?’ Braden asked using his thought voice.
‘Of course I can,’ the ‘cat replied.
‘Ass! Maybe you can tell me?’
‘Or maybe I won’t. There’s nothing to worry about. She’ll come around. I like that they don’t have any dogs here, but I smell fresh fish.’ Without another word, G-War worked his way through the crowd as surprised shouts followed his passing. He bolted for a cleaning rack and hopped onto it, burying his face in a fresh-caught, half-cleaned fish.
“Hey! Get that cat off there,” someone shouted. G-War’s ears perked up.
‘They know about ‘cats? Ask them! Ask them now where they’ve seen other ‘cats,’ G-War insisted.
‘Yes, but first, tell me, what is Micah’s mom thinking,’ Braden replied, blackmailing the ‘cat.
The Golden Warrior jumped down and ran behind a barrel as an older woman chased him with a broom. Braden smirked as the ‘cat deftly dodged and climbed to the roof. ‘She’s happy and afraid, afraid of what her husband will say when he returns from the sea. But she wants to hold the twins, very badly.’
Micah must have heard the exchange between Braden and G-War as she smiled and held a squirming Ax out. “Hold your grandson, Mom.” Mattie dropped all pretense of anger and hugged him to her, then little ‘Tesh squeezed in. The twins looked like two squashed bugs as their grandmother hugged them to her chest.
Braden leaned to the person who shouted about the cat. “You’ve seen other cats? Hillcats or normal cats? And where?”
“None are as big as that mangy creature. Cornwall down the coast has a bunch of ‘em. I never could stand the creatures. They’re so dirty,” the man said, convinced he was right. G-War harrumphed in disgust at the people who smelled of fish and sweat. The ‘cat took extra care in grooming himself while sitting on the roof, looking down on the crush of humanity. The scars on his sides prevented his hair from laying smooth like it used to, and the bite mark out of his ear added to the impression of a homeless scavenger. Braden sobered thinking of the pain the ‘cat had endured.
G-War was undeterred and singularly focused. ‘Sounds like we’re going to Cornwall,’ he told all of them over the mindlink.
“Come! Come on inside and let us get a good look at you,” Mattie told them, nodding for them to follow as her arms were filled with toddlers. Pulling Max and Speckles by their reins, Braden and Micah followed. The villagers looked at the horses, but with Mattie’s acceptance of her daughter’s return, the villagers welcomed all of them, even the horses.
I hope you’re as welcoming to the rest of our friends, Braden thought to himself.
There’s Nothing to Fear
They were quickly settled into the largest hut in the village where Micah’s parents lived. Two of her four brothers had taken wives and moved out. Her father and brothers were currently at sea fishing.
Micah was relieved that there hadn’t been a war with Cornwall.
Her mother was taken with the grandchildren. Braden and Micah sat, holding hands as they watched her mother carry on a full conversation with them without realizing how they were talking.
“Have you been gone that long?” she asked a second time.
“Just two cycles, mother, but the world out there is different and better and the same. I have so many stories of my life since I left, how I met Braden, fell in love with him, with our companions and how we’ve set up a trade route that crosses all the way to the Western Ocean,” Micah shared excitedly. She wanted her mother’s approval, wanted her to be proud of what Micah had accomplished.
“Companions? Western Ocean? Tell me more,” Mattie started, but then looked sternly at the children. “You shouldn’t interrupt your mother. I’m sure you love your pets, like that cat you brought. What? Not pets, but friends? Of course, you two little sweethearts, whatever you want to call them…” Micah’s mother cooed.
“I think it best if we show you what they were talking about. By the way, you realize that they aren’t talking out loud, right?” Micah asked. Her mother looked shocked, but quickly decided that she didn’t care. Mattie’s daughter had always been special, and she was proud, proud that her daughter had stood up to an arranged marriage.
Braden called for the others. Brandt had been unhooked, so they left the wagon where it was. He was tired of waiting so he ran. The Wolfoids could keep up, but it was too far for the Rabbits, so they traveled more slowly, pushing Aadi in front of them.
The twins each grabbed one of their grandmother’s hands and reached for their parents as they pulled them all toward the door. “What’s this? You want to show me your friends? Okay. Let’s go see them.” They all walked to the open space in the middle of the village where villagers cleaned fish and worked the drying racks. In the short amount of time they’d been inside, life had returned to normal. People were going about their business. G-War was taunting the old lady with the broom who continued to chase after him.
“Would you stop that!” Braden said aloud. G-War made a sharp turn and the older woman almost fell. “I’ve got him. Thank you,” he called to her.
Everyone stopped as they heard the sound of Brandt’s hooves pounding toward the village. People threw themselves out of his way as he slid to a stop, throwing dirt and dust over Braden Micah, Mattie, and the children.
After coughing and spitting out a mouthful of dirt, Braden said, “This is Brandt Earthshaker, King of the Aurochs. And these two are Bounder, Alpha of the Wolfoids, and his partner, Gray Strider. This is my bonded Hillcat. He is the Golden Warrior, a prince among his people.”
Micah put her arm around her mother as the twins pulled the older woman forward. She let go of their little hands so they gave up and ran to Brandt, who dipped his head for them to climb on his face and swing from his horns.
‘We are pleased to meet the mother of the ones who have given our people hope,’ Bounder said over the mindlink. Braden looked down at G-War, who shrugged. He’d made it possible for all of the companions to talk with Mattie. The twins didn’t need his help to talk with anyone, but the others did. Braden nodded his approval.
Mattie’s mouth hung open, a stunned look on her face. She winced when Brandt spoke.
‘Our human companions have saved our lives more times than we can count. They’ve given us our freedom and brought equality to all the intelligent creatures of this planet.’ Brandt bowed as much as he could without throwing the twins from his horns.
‘You need to be proud of your daughter,’ G-War said in his most polite thought voice. ‘She is unequalled as a warrior and strong in her convictions. I suspect she gets both those traits from you.’
“I would have never known such creatures existed. And you can all talk!” Mattie said in surprise, then she laughed. “I guess we live a sheltered life here. Oh! And who are you?” she said as Aadi and the Rabbits arrived.
‘I am Aadi, First Master of the Tortoise Consortium, and I, like the others, cannot express how much Braden and Micah have enriched our lives. We all live because of them,’ the Tortoid stated smoothly.
‘I am Delavigne and this is my mate, Patrice. We have come from the great ship in the sky to live in the open air and help this world learn better farming skills,’ the Rabbit said in her dainty voice. Mattie reached out to scratch her behind her ears. The Rabbit’s pink nose wiggled in pleasure.
“Ship in the sky? Well, now, what can I say to all this?” she chuckled with the enormity of everything she’d just seen and heard.
“You can make them all feel welcome. They are intelligent creatures, our equals, and they are all leaders of their people. There are two more and I promise that’s it.” Micah pointed to the Hawkoids. On cue, they leapt from a high branch and soared toward the village, flaring and landing on a nearby roof.
‘I am Skirill of the Hawkoid Nation and this is my mate Zyena. We are pleased to meet you, mother of our favorite humans.’
Micah glowed as her mother embraced what she’d become. Even thou
gh she didn’t completely understand, she’d seen enough. As Micah had quickly accepted G-War, Skirill, and Aadi, so did her mother. There was never a doubt that G-War was right. He sensed emotions and thoughts at a deeper level than the rest.
The ‘cat rubbed against Braden’s leg. He reached down to scratch him behind his ears.
‘Cornwall,’ he projected to all present in his most emphatic ‘cat voice.
Dad’s Home and There’s Hell to Pay
Mattie introduced the companions to everyone in the village of Trent. People shied away from Brandt because of his size and the Wolfoids because of their fearsome appearance. G-War came to the rescue by playing ‘catch the ‘cat’ where he led them to the Wolfoids, who sat like big dogs. The children quickly grew comfortable and started climbing on the Wolfoids, who were the right size to be ridden by toddlers.
Braden thought they wouldn’t but they did. Mothers walked alongside keeping their toddlers steady as Bounder walked in a big circle, a miserable expression on his face. Micah stepped in and suggested that the Wolfoids shouldn’t be ridden, but simply petted and loved. Gray Strider smirked as Wolfoids do, tongue lolling while children mobbed her mate, grabbing and holding hands full of hair.
The twins played on Brandt’s horns and everyone loved the Rabbits. Aadi stayed near Braden as the diplomacy had not yet begun. They had two goals for their visit: establish Trent’s place on the trade route and recruit warriors to help with the war. Once there, they realized that those were both secondary. The main reason for their visit was simple: reacquaint Micah with her family.
The village dropped everything they had been doing and prepared a feast. The fishing season had been a good one. The hills didn’t have their best growing season, but there was enough for all. Braden asked the Hawkoids to scout other areas in the hills to the west and north looking for more edible plants and vegetables. They immediately flew away to help the village find more food sources. The villagers watched them go as Braden told them what they were looking for.
Once the tables were set and the center of the village prepared for the feast, the villagers waited for the men to come home. Mattie pulled everyone into a group, telling them that she wouldn’t tolerate anyone who didn’t welcome her daughter and the friends she’d brought with her. They all agreed, having met the group and seen how friendly they were, including how protective they were of Micah. She wished everyone had such friends protecting their children and grandchildren.
Many of the women smirked at the thought of the upcoming battle between Micah’s mother and father. So they waited and talked with the companions while Mattie, Micah, and Braden told the people what was said. When the boat sails appeared in the distance, people started jockeying for positions closer to the water, leaving plenty of space for Mattie to greet the fishermen.
“Is there going to be a fight?” Braden asked, expecting more of a lively argument, but this was shaping up to be a physical contest.
“Oh, yeah it is!” Micah smiled. Braden started inching away until she grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Where do you think I get it from?” she asked. “But my mother has never been this open before. She usually deferred to my father before it came to this.”
“I’m glad we got ours out of the way early in our relationship,” Braden said with a smile, leaning in for a kiss. She had put him in his place early to demonstrate what she could do, how she could fight. They never touched each other in anger, that would be something completely different. By sharing their thoughts, things didn’t get out of control before they could get resolved. Usually partners didn’t communicate well. They didn’t have that problem. Braden couldn’t remember being angry with her.
“Me neither,” she said, listening in to his thoughts as she did. Despite the cycles of trying to improve his skill, it still took an effort. He knew that he was never alone with his thoughts, but didn’t let it bother him. Surrounded by his friends and family, he was well taken care of and appreciated their presence, even if it was deep inside his head.
The men lined the prow of the small boats as they raced toward the shore. They knew something was different by the reception waiting for them. People lined the small slope that led from the beach to their village. Mattie stood in the middle of a horseshoe of people with her hands on her hips.
The fisherman looked to Caleb, Mattie’s husband.
“What the hell? What’d I do?” he asked the man holding the tiller, keeping their heading true.
“I don’t know, Chief, but she looks mad. It must have been a whale of a good one!” Caleb pushed the man until he almost fell out of the boat. The man murmured apologies as they hit the soft sand and continued onto the beach. The four men in the front jumped out and pulled the boat further until it was firmly beached.
“What?” Caleb yelled from the deck of the boat. Fish flopped around his feet as the others started gathering woven baskets to carry them ashore.
“You come down here this heartbeat!” Mattie ordered.
He jumped over the side, landing in the soft sand. He hitched up his trousers, thrust out his chest, and strutted up to her. The entire village watched in rapt attention. Caleb hadn’t noticed any of the newcomers as his eyes were solely focused on his wife.
He stepped up to her and mirrored her pose, hands on hips, feet spread wide.
“Your daughter has returned…” she started saying. Caleb instantly looked around for Micah and once he saw he saw her standing on the bank, he made to storm up the beach after her. He took one step before Mattie tripped him. Micah innocently waved by wiggling her fingers at her father and smiling.
He was furious. “Let me go!” he howled, trying to get up, but Mattie put her foot in the middle of his back and drove him back into the sand. He rolled sideways, grabbing her foot and twisting. She pirouetted in the air as she fell heavily into the sand.
Caleb sat and then dug deeply as he tried to stand and resume his run up the bank. Mattie hit him behind his knees as she drove her shoulder into him. He collapsed and fell forward. She scrabbled up his body, trying to get him into a chokehold. He flailed his arms, trying to throw her off.
“Isn’t this great fun?” Micah asked with an odd look of satisfaction on her face. Braden could only laugh. G-War was bored and yawned. He nodded to the south.
“What have I gotten myself into?” Braden asked no one in particular. The villagers were getting into the fight. No one chose one over the other, but they cheered the moves and counter moves, appreciating the footwork and leverage that Mattie used to keep her much larger husband on the defensive. Finally, they were both standing and circling each other warily.
Mattie faked a jab, and he ducked. He tried to bull rush her, and she dodged.
“Your grandchildren are up there, too, and they are delightful,” she panted through a sneer. He hesitated, but stayed in his fighting stance. “She also has a war party like none you’ve ever seen before to protect her, her partner, and them. If you best me, you will not beat them.” She stood up and put her hands on her hips.
“Now go up there, say you’re sorry, and meet your family, you big clod!” she shouted.
He looked from his wife to Micah and back. He saw the two toddlers waving at him. “Oh, hell,” he said as he took his wife’s hand and they climbed the bank together.
The Eastern Ocean Anchor
The twins talked him through any reluctance about meeting the companions. G-War helped him to talk with them all, which settled things quickly. He shook Braden’s hand as a father did with the man who wanted to marry his daughter. He tried to crush it. Although Braden was smaller in stature, he had the strength to resist but not overcome the older man. They called it a draw as Micah’s father slapped him on the shoulder.
Caleb wanted to know about the blasters. He knew that his daughter had liberated the one from the chief of Cornwall, but not that others existed. Braden assured him that there were no others available in the south, or anywhere on Vii.
“All kinds
of firsts today,” the large man said. “I’ve never met anyone from the north before. Didn’t even realize people lived up there. I never met anyone who’d seen the Western Ocean. I never met animals that could talk, and look here, you can’t shake a stick without hitting one. And I have grandchildren!” he exclaimed loudly. Another toast and more cheers.
Micah could not have been happier with the reception that her mother made possible. She thanked her in her thought voice. Mattie looked around, brushing past her ear as if a mosquito buzzed nearby. ‘It’s me, Mother. The Golden Warrior makes it possible for us to talk using only our minds. That’s how you’re able to talk with our companions. Our children? Well, they’re special, and they can talk with you directly at any time. No matter, I appreciate what you did for me. We have much to talk about regarding the future of this world.’ Micah was successful in sharing her somber tone in her last statement.
Mattie hurried everyone up, and then just the family retreated to the chief’s hut where they could talk about the war and trade. Aadi joined them as he always enjoyed negotiations and talks of strategy. G-War joined them as he was tired of playing hit the ‘cat with a broom that the old lady insisted on continuing.
Braden stood in the middle of the opening as Micah’s brothers entered and took their seats. Micah stared them all down and then laughed. Braden wondered if she’d always been the happiest child among them. Mattie and Caleb held their grandchildren, nodding at the brothers, hinting at why they weren’t holding up their end like their younger sister. They hung their heads until Micah launched herself into her brothers and all five went tumbling. There was pushing and arm-twisting and then a howl of pain as someone got bitten.
Braden was appalled at how quickly his partner had reverted to her younger self. “Hey!” he yelled. “Your children are watching.” The twins took that as their cue to jump on the pile of adults. Braden rescued ‘Tesh before someone rolled on her, and Mattie saved Ax from the same fate.
Free Trader Box Set - Books 4-6: Battle for the Amazon, Free the North!, Free Trader on the High Seas Page 5