“Maybe, assuming they are even here. Come on!” she said as she moved off to the nearest building and back to the shadows and safety.
As they reached a position close to the wooden wall around the hall, a low building caught the attention of Jonas. He stopped and moved closer to the door though he had to be careful as there were two torches burning gently outside. As he slowly walked further along the shadows moved and a well-armed guard came out.
Jonas and Synne froze, hoping they wouldn’t be detected by the guard. Fortunately, the man appeared to be far more interested in drinking whatever was in his tankard to spot them. Synne and Jonas crept back to the safety of the wall and tried to peek inside. The windows were very small and fitted with thick iron bars. They were raised almost five feet from the ground.
“I’m guessing they don’t want anybody getting out of this place,” said Jonas as he tried to see through the gap but he couldn’t quite reach high enough.
Synne tried to lift herself up but like Jonas she couldn’t quite reach.
“Give me a lift up,” she asked.
Jonas put his hands together and with Synne placing one foot in his palms he easily lifted her up to the gap. Once she reached it, she grabbed the bars with both hands and took some of the weight away from Jonas. She peeked in and at first could see nothing. It was completely dark inside and there appeared to be no torches or lanterns of any kind. As her eyes became accustomed to the low light though, she noticed a number of people along one of the walls. She stared closely before realising that there were scores of people, each of them sitting or lying down and they were chained to the wall. She looked from left to right, noting the other corridors and rooms, each one full of the same numbers of people. She looked down to Jonas.
“I’m coming down.”
As she touched the ground, Jonas moved closer.
“Well?” he asked.
“Prisoners, hundreds of them.”
Jonas, overcome by the excitement and the possibilities the news created forgot to keep quiet and called out much louder than he intended.
“Anybody you can recognise?”
Synne placed her finger to her mouth and Jonas, quickly remembering where they were, came over with a cold feeling that you only feel when something truly awful is about to happen.
“Nobody but it was really dark. Keep your voice down!”
“What are we going to do? This place is crawling with guards and there are only two of us?” asked Jonas as he fidgeted.
As they considered their options, two more guards walked slowly past. One carried what looked like a large hammer on his shoulder whilst the other carried an oil lamp that flickered, casting hard shadows wherever it went. Both men wore the rough clothing that seemed to be the uniform of the many bands of Raiders throughout the Wastelands along the borders of the North.
“Why don’t we…” said Jonas, before being cut off.
“Hey!” shouted a man as he approached the two from a corner.
It was one of the Raiders, and on seeing the two intruders staying low to the wall, he turned to shout. Synne was on him in a flash and with one hand over his mouth, she plunged her narrow but wickedly pointed dagger deep into his throat. Black blood pumped out from the severed artery as he dropped to the ground, gurgling. Jonas ran over and helped pin him to the ground whilst looked suspiciously about for any more signs of trouble. With a final kick, the men went still, the life literally having drained out of him.
Synne lifted herself up and signalled for him to help her drag the body to the wall near the building. He was heavy but between the two of them, they did it quickly. Jonas groaned as he helped move the weight, the pain in his shoulder starting to kick in. With the body now out of the way, they looked about at their options.
“I say we break in now and try and get as many out as we can,” said Synne.
“Are you kidding? We have no food or weapons for them and you saw the ground heading to the South. They will have to run for miles out in the open before they even hit the mountains. What then? The Raiders have the train and mounted warriors. I say we get back and tell the League about what we have found. They must take action,” he argued.
Synne, starting to look angry, grabbed him and pulled him close so that her face was just a few inches away. At this distance, he could see the dark blood still tricking down her pale face.
“My brother, my friends and my people could be in there, I will not forsake them in this place when all I have to do is act. One more day and they could be dead!” she said angrily.
She turned and made her way to the doorway leading into the first building. The main entrance was a covered porch area that led to two large wooden doors. She placed her hand on the left door and applied a tiny amount of pressure. The door started to move and a squeak from its hinges made her stop. She turned to check on Jonas and was glad to see he had followed. She reached down and drew her sword, holding it close to her side whilst keeping her left hand free. Jonas did the same and moved up so he was close to the door.
“Ready?” she asked.
Jonas nodded. With a flicker of her wrist, she indicated for Jonas to open the door. As it swung open, she darted inside. The space was dark and cold and split into two corridors, one straight ahead and the other running from left to right. As she tried to gauge her position, a man lifted himself from a chair that was resting against the wall and in the shadows.
“Jonas!” she cried.
The man had barely reached his feet before she struck the man with a savage punch to the face. The blow struck his nose and cheek, spreading blood across his face. As he stumbled backwards, she followed him down to the floor and placed her knee on his chest.
“Take it easy!” cried Jonas as he moved ahead to restrain her.
“Back off, Jonas, he might have information!”
Turning back to the man on the floor, she applied a little more pressure to his chest before speaking.
“Who are these people?” she demanded.
“What?” spluttered the man.
“These prisoners, why are they here? Where are they from?” she asked again, putting more pressure on him.
He cried out in pain, the pressure obviously starting to take its toll.
“Workers,” he muttered, “workers for the mine.”
“Why are they chained up? Where are they from?” she said as loudly as she dared.
“Ask them yourself,” he said before struggling again.
* * *
Thrax had been on the move all day yet his stamina was exceptional and he showed no outward signs of tiredness. Though he had stopped for a short number of breaks, he had been on the move for hours. As expected he had met not a soul on his journey, this was hardly surprising though as he had seen nobody in these parts for several years. Only the occasional trader or student would come to him and they would always be from the South. Only a fool would head past the mountains and into the wild lands known to be occupied by the ever-embattled Raiders. Thrax had often wondered why most people didn’t just didn’t leave the Raiders to themselves and their self destructive tendencies. Any truce between them didn’t seem to last more than a few months, sometimes just days.
The road, as expected, had allowed him to slash the time of his journey, by his estimation he could be only an hour away from the Trading Post. The sound of rushing water announced his arrival at the river that divided this section of the land and at one point in the past had stood as a border between territories.
As he walked down the road, he came to a large section that had collapsed into the river. At some point, a bridge had run though this part of the terrain but either the water or some other event had destroyed it and left just large clumps of rock and earth across the river. A series of wooden planks formed a rickety bridge that moved over its length but looked less than safe. As he made to move to the first section, he noticed movement on the other side of the river. He ducked down and as he did, managed to knock a small rock down t
he side of the riverbank. It clattered and bumped before dropping in the water.
“Who’s there?” came a voice on the other side.
Thrax lifted his head slowly so he could get a look at those on the other side. From a pouch on his jacket, he brought out an old, battered pair of binoculars. He lifted them and though the image was slightly blurred, he could now see the strangers. From his position, it looked like there were three of them, two men and a woman plus a mule and a cart. The two older people of the three were standing near the cart whilst the third stood on the riverbank. The closest man was no warrior though he carried a staff that he tried to hold in as threatening manner as he could manage. They didn’t look like trouble, so Thrax lifted himself up though kept a wary eye on the surroundings.
“Just me, what are you doing here?”
The man took a step back, surprised to see Thrax appear from the cover along the riverbank.
“We aren’t looking for any trouble mister, we’re on our way to the South.”
Thrax stood up straight now, starting to relax.
“Don’t be worried, I’m not looking for you. Tell me, why are you leaving the area?”
He started to make his way over the river and the stranger stepped back a few more steps, looking warily at the well-built and commanding figure of Thrax. The planks were not easy to navigate but with careful use of his staff, he managed to cross the river without complications. Once reaching the other side, he stayed a short distance from the group, so as to not frighten them.
“Do you know where the train goes?” he asked.
“The machine on the tracks?” asked the man.
Thrax nodded.
“I’ve never been there but I do know that some of our farmers were taken to work in the mine there. It is some kind of outpost used by the Raiders. We have done our best to stay away from them and keep to our farms which are well away from them.”
“Are you heading back home then?” asked Thrax.
“Home?” replied the man with a snort of derision.
Thrax raised his eyebrow but said nothing. The two people that were standing near the cart approached. The short, plump, woman with the look of a hard-nosed farmer’s wife, moved nearer to him and examined him closely.
“You’re not from around here, I can’t place your accent,” she said.
“I’m originally from the city of Haven,” he said, expecting some recognition.
“Haven? Where’s that?” asked the other man.
“Haven is the greatest settlement south of the Wastelands and ruled by Lord Galan. It is one of the League cities,” explained Thrax, though he suspected these simple folk had no idea what he was talking about.
The three in the group looked at each other and then back to him.
“South? I thought the Wastelands were impassable?” asked the woman.
Thrax turned his head in confusion.
“The South is split into many fiefs and kingdoms, each ruled by an alliance between two great forces, those of the Brotherhood the League. I wasn’t aware there are settlements this far in the North.”
“Well, you’re right now. These Raiders have been fighting in our lands for the last year. They destroyed our last city just a few days ago,” said the woman.
“We just can’t hold them back. At first, they arrived with horses but then they built a fort and put down iron tracks. Every week the steam machine comes back with more warriors and they just keep coming. Only a few of us managed to escape from the attack, we heard some had made it through the Wastelands alive. Is it true then, I mean, about the Southlands?” asked the older man.
“Is what true?” asked Thrax.
“That there are great cities and fields full of fresh food in the old lands,” replied the woman.
“Well, it isn’t perfect but there are cities, farms and food.”
The three looked happily at each other with this news.
“Well, nice to chat with you mister, but we must keep on, we only have so much food to keep us going,” explained the younger man.
“Wait, can you tell me anything else about this land near the track? I am looking for my friends who I think might be at the end of the track,” he asked.
“They don’t want to be there, that is the home of the worst clan of them all. I’ve not seen it, but I’ve heard that is where they build and make the steam machines and mine in the ground.”
“Do you know how I can get inside?”
“Hmm, well, if you turn left and follow the river it will take you to the east side of the place. You will smell it before you see it. Follow the black smoke and it will take you there. I would say no more than an hour. A few months ago, one of our town’s boys managed to escape on a small boat on the river. It flows eastwards but it will be easier that way than going to the gate on the main entrance.”
The small group returned to their cart and prepared to move on. Thrax took a sip of water and looked ahead along the river and into the distance.
“I hope your friends are okay, the Raiders are animals,” said the woman as they moved away.
Thrax returned his flask and with one last look at the group, he continued on his journey to the North.
* * *
Jonas was in the centre of the first large room and stood in stunned silence as he looked up and down at the rows of prisoners. They had tied and gagged the guard near the doorway, so they could keep an eye on him. Synne had already spoken to the first few prisoners and had unlocked their chains using the keys taken from the guard. As Jonas watched, he noticed movement outside the main door and moved quickly to the wall, so as not to be seen. He hissed quietly to get Synne’s attention. She finished with the prisoners and crept slowly over to him.
“What’s the problem?” she asked quietly.
There’s movement outside. Have you found out how often they change the guards?”
“The next guard is due at sunrise, so that will be in about two hours, roughly.”
“What have you found?” he asked her.
“Well, so far all of these people are from the villages and farms along the borders. Apparently, those chosen for use in the military have been taken further north to some kind of military camp. The rest of the Haven prisoners are being kept in the next building along. The trouble is, they have another two guards in there.”
Jonas looked less than impressed.
“So we know they have prisoners here, what are we going to do?”
“The man over there says the Raiders have captured two engineers that they use to keep the train running. They keep them both at the fortified compound inside the settlement.
“So? You believe him? He would say anything for us to help him out of here. He could be worse than the Raiders for all we know!” exclaimed Jonas.
“No, I don’t think so. He sounds terrified, said his brother was a blacksmith. They took him to make tools in the workshops before he tried to get away. They killed him a week ago and then killed another ten as punishment for defying them,” she said with venom in her voice.
“Now, if we could break out the engineers, they could control the train and we could take the prisoners out on that.”
Jonas almost laughed at the plan before moving closer to her. His expression changed from feigned amusement to slight anger.
“Synne, are you serious? You want to break out two of them, plus all these prisoners and get away on the train without anybody noticing? What if there is a problem with the train, or what if it is too slow to get away from here before the Raiders are on us?” he asked sarcastically.
“Well, I thought you might help,” she replied with a wicked grin.
“I’m not joking with you, Synne.”
“I know you aren’t and neither am I. I say we take a dozen of them with us and move to the other end of the settlement. We can start a fire or something to keep them busy. Once they are occupied, we’ll split into two groups, one to get the engineers and the other to get the prisoners down to the train
. We keep it simple and do this thing one stage at a time. Right now we have surprise on our side,” she explained.
One of the men recently released by Synne moved up to them. He was gaunt but there was fire in his eyes at the chance to do something.
“I heard you talking. I work in the storage areas where they keep all the chemicals. If you get me and a couple of others there we could start a fire of the size you’ve never dreamed of,” he said with glee.
Synne looked back to Jonas who after a short pause nodded in agreement.
“Okay then, what is your name?” she asked.
“Eric,” replied the man.
“Okay, Eric, I want you to release everybody else in this building and tell them to be ready. Keep them here and make no noise. Wait till we return and if anybody else comes in here, other than us, just pretend you are still tied up, understood?”
Eric nodded as she handed him the keys.
“What about the diversion?” he asked.
“We’re going to the other prison building, we need to get the rest of them unlocked. We’ll come back for you after that. I’m not leaving without everyone and we’re going to need that diversion of yours,” she said.
Eric smiled and turned back to the rest of the prisoners, many of whom were leaning forward, eager to hear what was going on. Synne moved back to Jonas.
“Let’s go and check on the others, then we need to work out this plan!”
As they made to move, Jonas reached out and held her back.
“What about the guards?”
Synne withdrew her curved blade and held it in front of her.
“I think it’s time we introduced ourselves to them,” she said with a smile.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The darkness outside was already starting to fade. It wouldn’t be long now before the sun rose. From his position about half a mile from the compound, Thrax had an excellent view of the place. He had also worked out the main entrance in from the south and the rail tracks that led back to the valley. The waterway entrance however was unguarded, exactly as described by the three travellers he had met previously. The narrow river passed directly through the settlement and it was the only point he could see where there was no kind of palisade or fortified entrance. The only real problem was that it was out in the open and the approach would expose him to the views from the walls to the north and south of the waterway.
Champions of the Apocalypse Page 11