by KM Fortune
CHAPTER 4
WILLOW SAT ON A RUG on the floor and sipped the cool water from the canteen Kit offered her. She swallowed and winced. Her throat was raw. Better than the alternative, she thought and looked over where the stranger sat beside Blaze. The others in the clan were giving her a wide berth, and there was a hushed, almost expectant air in the room. People kept sneaking quick glances at the woman who had just saved their leader. They don’t know what to make of it. I’m not surprised. I don’t either. Willow knew she should be dead. The meat had been lodged deep in her throat. Even with Stump pounding her on the back, the object was not moving. There was no coughing it out. She knew of others who had died from the same problem and she remembered it being a horrifying yet quick ordeal. No one could help the person and they eventually passed out and died. Until just now. For some reason, I am still alive. Where did this woman come from?
“How did you know how to do that?” she heard Blaze whisper to the woman.
“It’s common knowledge where I come from,” she replied. “A man named Heimlich invented it.”
Willow started to speak, but it came out as a croak. With a cough, she tried again. “And where do you come from?” she demanded. There was a murmur from the rest of the group. Everyone wanted to know the answer.
The woman looked around the room. It was evident she was uncertain how to respond. Why is this such a hard question? Willow thought, but waited and did not pressure her. She wanted an honest answer and not one forced out of her. Finally, the woman, looking wistfully into the dying fire in the hearth, responded. “I’m from far away,” she said, repeating what she had said before. “A place where everything is different and so much easier than here.”
Again the clan rustled. She heard Twig ask his father. “Pa, is there such a place?” Willow saw Stump shake his head slightly as if uncertain but wanting to believe it. She did not have confidence in what the stranger said. As a young woman, Willow had traveled with her clan of nomads to the far reaches of the high desert. Only impassable mountains or barren desert existed beyond these plains. Still, she looked to Kit, the young girl who roamed for them and scouted every corner of their world.
“Kit,” she said. “Is this place real? Have you seen it?”
Kit looked uncomfortable. She shrunk down into the large dark cloak she always wore as if trying to hide, but Willow continued to stare at her. With a glance at the stranger as if hoping for some help, Kit finally turned to Willow and shrugged. Willow frowned. “So you don’t know?” she asked. Again the girl hesitated. Finally, she shook her head. Willow looked back at the stranger. “Okay then. In what direction is this fantasy place?” The woman stared back at her and did not answer.
THE MAN NEVER SAW THE fistful of razor sharp claws coming. One minute he was filling his canteen from a water barrel behind the parked truck and the next he was looking into the face of a cat mutant. Hector held the man by the throat and drug him over behind the airplane hangar. He smashed him up against the wall and growled low in his throat. The man tried to scream, but could barely breath so only a squeak came out. Hector cocked his head at this stupid decision and lifted the man off his feet, sliding him up the wall. “How about you shut up?” he said. The man wet himself. Hector saw the spreading stain and laughed. “Wow, you’re a piece of work. How do you know I wasn’t going to just let you go?” The man did not answer, but a flicker of hope showed in his eyes. Classic, Hector thought. This guy's an idiot. I couldn’t have picked a more perfect one. “Okay, let’s get down to business. I want information and you are going to give it to me. Right?” Hector said. The trapped man nodded a little, which was a challenge with the paw clamped around his neck. “Perfect. I’ll start simple. What are you guys all so excited about?” The man tried to answer, but could not while smashed up against the wall. Hector sighed and let the man down. He loosened his grasp. Sucking in a ragged breath, the man coughed out an answer.
“We’re after the witch,” he said.
Hector raised his eyebrows. A witch? Well this is new, he thought. “I’m going to need you to explain that,” he said.
The man nodded, suddenly looking a little less afraid of the cat mutant and more afraid of the idea of the witch. “There is a female who escaped from the colony. After she put a devil’s spell on one of our brethren.”
“You’re kidding?” Hector asked. The man shook his head. “It’s true,” he said.
This is an interesting bit of news, Hector thought. The Patrols were looking for a woman. He scratched his chin with his free hand. It was crusted from a deep wound he received days before and the movement stung. He cursed for not remembering and vowed once again to find the girl who cut him and make her pay. Suddenly he wondered if there was any connection. Could this thief be somehow linked to the witch? And what about the person who stole my jeep? he thought. Has to be the witch. It explained a lot. “And you guys figure she is out here somewhere?” he asked. The man nodded again. Fascinating. This could be what I am looking for. A witch would have the power to elevate him once again among the mutants. He just needed to capture her before the Patrols did. Nodding, Hector looked back at the man in his grasp.
“You’ve been very helpful,” he said and then with a quick swipe of his powerful paw ripped the man’s throat out. With a surprised look in his eyes, the soldier dropped to the ground while Hector walked away. The cat mutant was not sure exactly how he would find the witch, but when he did, the rest would be easy.
RAVEN DID NOT KNOW how to respond to the woman’s question and took a long time to answer. Which direction am I from? she thought. How do I explain I’m from another time as well as another place? She knew she could not. “Where exactly are we now?” she said trying to stall but then realizing she would in fact really like to know.
“Nevada,” Blaze answered before the woman with the scar could. “Or at least that is what the old timer’s always called it.” Raven could not believe it. Finally a point of reference, she thought. She knew where Nevada was in the grand scheme of things. The map in her head grew more clear. She was suddenly confident she once lived in California. Which would be to the west.
“Then I’m from the west,” she said feeling triumphant. It felt good to be able to answer. Unfortunately, the other woman did not seem impressed and in fact looked at her with a hint of distrust.
“So you came over the mountains? Alone?” she asked. Raven’s spirits fell. Of course, they think I’m lying, she thought. It would have been almost impossible for a single person to make such a trek and she knew it. Unfortunately, the other option was to try and explain the real circumstances. She knew they were not ready for that information.
“Yes. It took me quite a while,” she said with a hint of a smile. Like over a century, but who is counting. The older woman nodded thoughtfully, but her face still showed a lot of doubt. Raven waited, hoping the questions would soon end. She hated lying, but there was no alternative. Suddenly, a different woman was beside her. She was young and, to Raven’s surprise, looked pregnant although she was barely showing. In her hand was a plateful of food. She timidly offered it to Raven.
“Thank you,” she said in a hushed tone. “For saving Willow.” Not knowing what else to do, Raven took the offering.
“I am glad I was here to help,” Raven said. There were more murmurs from the group. It sounded like everyone was glad she was here to help.
“Thank you, Dawn,” Blaze said from beside Raven. Excited to know another name, Raven smiled at the woman.
“Yes, thank you, Dawn,” she said. The young woman finally looked up and met Raven’s eyes. She gave a slight smile in return before going back to her seat amongst the others. Once she was settled, a man beside her stood up. He was short, but thick through the shoulders and looked strong as an ox. He looked at Willow.
“Willow, I don’t think we should send this stranger away. The road ahead is full of danger and we could use her help,” he said. Others in the group nodded. Raven felt Blaze stand up
next to her.
“I second it,” he said. “We need her with us.” Raven watched as the older woman surveyed the room. The tide had certainly shifted, however, it was obvious the final decision was up to her. Raven held her breath. Her heart pounded with anticipation. She knew she needed these people if she was going to survive. Finally, the woman with the scarred face nodded and turned to Raven.
“My name is Willow. I lead this clan. What do you call yourself?” she asked as if Raven’s answer would be the deciding factor. Raven swallowed.
“Raven Winter,” she said. Willow nodded with a smirk.
“Of course it is,” Willow said and before Raven could ask what she meant by the statement, she turned to the rest of the clan. “Let us welcome Raven Winter. She is now one of us.”
CHAPTER 5
THE TRUCKS PLOWED DOWN the road through a fresh layer of frozen snow. The morning was gray and, riding in the back of the truck, the wind cut into Matthew, even through his cold weather jacket. He was thankful for the mask covering his face. Not only did it help to keep it relatively warm, but it also made him more anonymous. The rumor had at last circulated about his role in letting the female escape from Eden. Only the rushed atmosphere of the morning’s preparation to deploy kept him out of direct conflict. Hostile looks in his direction were everywhere. He knew there would be trouble later, particularly out on the plains when the squad leader was distracted. If I survive today, I will be a lucky man, he thought.
The truck began to slow and Matthew saw they were pulling over near an intersection with the old highway. Soon he would be forced to make an impossible choice. Either he took the rifle they issued him, which rested between his knees on the floor of the truck and went out to hunt the Waste People, or he made a stand and refused. He had no misconceptions about what would happen if he did not obey orders. Dereliction of duty was not tolerated and he would be executed. The question is then, can I live with myself if I do follow orders and shoot to kill?
The truck stopped. The squad leader came around to the back of the truck and lowered the heavy tailgate. “Move it,” he yelled and the men around Matthew stood up and jumped out of the truck. Matthew hesitated. The squad leader noticed. “What the—?” he said. “Get up and let’s go!” Matthew did not move. As the squad leader was about to climb into the truck and confront him, an angry yell sounded from the road.
“Halt right there,” someone shouted.
With a final glare at Matthew, the squad leader turned away. Curious, Matthew stood up and looked to see what was happening. A man was out on the field and he was frantically waving a white cloth over his head. “Don’t shoot,” he yelled. Dressed in mixture of animal skins and mismatched old clothing, it was obvious he was one of the Waste People. Every soldier in the unit was aiming their combat rifle at him. He’s either brave or stupid, Matthew thought and picking up his rifle, he jumped out of the truck to go join the others watching the stranger.
The platoon officer walked forward and the group parted to let him through. He stood at the edge of the road and looked out at the man in the field. “Come forward, heretic,” he said. “I’m assuming that nasty looking rag you are waving is meant as surrender?”
Puffing out plumes of frosty breath into the cold air, the man nodded as he started forward. “Yes, sir, it is,” the man said. “I need to speak with you.” The platoon waited while the man approached. As he drew close, he wisely raised his hands. Matthew looked him over, stopping at his face. A dark purple blemish covered half of it. Even hidden partially by the gray beard, Matthew found it interesting. No clone with such a mark would be allowed to live in the colony. Matthew saw the platoon officer frown and knew he was thinking something similar, but much more loathsome.
“That’s close enough,” the platoon officer said with disgust in his voice. “I don’t want any of your lice hopping on to me.” The man stopped. “Now, what do you want to tell me? And I assure you, it better be impressive. You are betting your life on it.”
The man nodded. Matthew was surprised to see he looked almost smug. What in the world can he think he is doing? Matthew thought. Doesn’t he realize they will shoot him down the minute he speaks his piece?
“I think you will want very much to hear what I have to say,” the man with the port wine birthmark said. “I can take you to the woman you're looking for.”
KIT MOVED QUICKLY ACROSS the plains, running carefully in the direction where the Patrols were last seen headed. Willow and Blaze had sent her out to scout a wide area around the shelter and see if any of the Patrols were roaming nearby. The others in the clan stayed back and packed what items they could carry easily in preparation for the move. Because she had such few belongings, Kit was not concerned about getting her things together. Everything which mattered to her, she either wore or carried on her person. Her throwing stars and knives, her thick moccasin boots, and her warm cloak were with her now. Willow promised she would gather up Kit’s sleeping mat and blanket. The plan was for everyone to be ready to move at dusk. Even though it would make for slow travel through the cold night, it would lend for better cover. South was determined to be the best direction. It would lead them closer to the mountains and upward in elevation, but the other alternatives were not appealing. Only complete desolation was to the east and the territory of the forbidden city was to the north. Raven, the stranger who Kit liked more and more all the time, suggested the cabins where she was last hiding, but it was decided they were too close to the Great Cave to avoid detection for long. Kit had ranged southwest before and nodded “yes” when asked if there was water and some game. The only problem was the lack of any kind of shelter. With a stick in the dirt of the floor, she drew a dismal picture. Few buildings remained and they were wooden shacks which collapsed decades before. Blaze and Willow decided it was where they must go anyway. Makeshift lean-tos would have to suffice in the interim but it would be hard on everyone.
KIT CAME TO A RISE in the land and dropped into a crouch to inch her way to the top and peek over. The road was clearly visible in the near distance and fresh tire tracks showed in dark contrast to the newly fallen snow. She sucked in a breath of concern. They are on the move again, she thought. But what direction? Scanning the terrain to make sure the trucks were nowhere in sight, she ran down to the roadside. She was quick and it was not long before she was standing beside a deep tire tread mark. North, she thought. Back toward the crossroads. If only I knew what they planned to do when they got there. There was only one way to find out. Moving back away from the road to stay hidden, but still able to check on it easily, Kit ran in the direction the Patrol trucks had gone. In her heart, she hoped the evil soldiers had kept going and had business elsewhere, but somehow she knew it was not what they were planning to do. Worried about her people, she ran faster.
WORKING IN ONE OF THE loading bays of the old warehouse, Blaze tied the leather straps to the poles of the sled he was assembling. It had not been used for over a year and it saddened him to know they were leaving a good shelter. Although he would not say the clan prospered here, at least they were out of the elements and no one went hungry. The uncertainty of the days ahead weighed on him. Kit had explained with her crude drawing the way southwest was navigable, but empty. He sighed and tied another strap. We will make due, he thought. Just as we always have. But first, we need to get further away from here. He stepped back and surveyed his handiwork. Satisfied, he turned to go back to the main room when Mouse wandered out to see him. She carried a small bedroll and a ragdoll. Blaze smiled. Even when things seemed the must dire, one look at the little girl brightened his day. “You ready to pack that up?” he asked her as he scooped her up in his arms. The little girl nodded.
“I’m ready,” she said. The serious look on her face made Blaze’s heart ache a little. Even at the age of five, she knew the danger which lurked all around them. She knew all about the Patrols and what their presence nearby could mean.
Blaze smiled to cover his sadness. “We will
be leaving in a few hours. As soon as it is starting to get dark,” he said. “Everything will be okay.” Mouse did not look convinced and squirmed to get down. Blaze let her and took her things to tie onto the travois. She watched him carefully as if wanting to make sure her few possessions would not be lost. Once it was secured, Blaze stepped back and looked at her. “Satisfied?” he asked. Mouse gave a quick nod and then took his hand to go back to the main room with him.
“Will I be able to ride on it?” she asked.
“If you want,” Blaze answered. “Or in a backpack. One of us will carry you.”
“You?” she asked. Blaze smiled.
“If you want,” he said. “Or Stump or Blue.” Mouse stopped and tilted her head to look up at him. Blaze looked down at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Blue can’t,” she said. “He’s not here.” Blaze frowned, the smallest trickle of unease creeping up his spine.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“He’s not here,” she repeated. “I went to ask him a question and all of his stuff was gone.” Blaze blinked, puzzled for a moment and then realization set in. Grabbing Mouse up in his arms, he ran for the main room.
CHAPTER 6
WITH KIT SCOUTING, and Willow and Blaze out of the room working on tasks, there was not much for Raven to do but stay out of the way. She stood near the hearth and watched the activity around her. People were still nervous to come too close, which she knew was to be expected, but now they were friendlier. The entire situation was unusual. And they hardly know the half of it, she thought. The fact she was apparently somewhere in Nevada was intriguing. Assuming this Nevada now was the same as the Nevada she remembered, which luckily she did, then it would explain the impressive mountain range to the west. Those would be the Sierra Nevada mountains. And that would put me in the northwestern corner of the state. It made sense considering her fleeting memory of snow, rock climbing and a fall. Not to mention, Matthew’s explanation of her being frozen for over a hundred years. She shook her head. The whole thing was crazy, and even though it was happening to her, she had trouble believing it. Now she had a point of reference though and she tried to visualize a map of the area in her head. Am I from Nevada? she wondered. It did not feel like it. Frowning in frustration from not being able to remember the details, she turned back to the question of where exactly she was right now. What city would be near here? She remembered the clan mentioning someplace called the forbidden city, which was obviously not the name she knew, but she tried to think what it might have been in her time.