by Saxon Andrew
Linnae suddenly pulled an arrow and fired at the target at an incredible speed. It hit the center of the bulls eye and Linnae turned back to Andy, “You taught me this. Now after training so many how to use the bow, Arashi says I am a master of the bow. You’ve taught me the importance of caring for those around you and you’ve shown me that love is much more than what I ever thought it would be. The Community may have been ok if you died; my life would have been a nightmare afterwards. You can’t take these risks. I’m not going to sleep well for a long time.”
Andy went forward and took Linnae in his arms, “I wouldn’t have slept at all if that monster was still out there.” Linnae put her head on his shoulder and cried softly for what could have happened. Andy felt something and saw Anna had put her head next to him. He reached down and rubbed it. Her tail moved back and forth and Linnae laughed through her tears. “She’s glad you made it; she was really frightened when she ran into the cave.”
Andy smiled, “And who did she run to?” Linnae sighed and rubbed Anna’s head.
• • •
That evening a group of people approached Andy and Linnae and Rinkie said, “We’re having trouble choosing a name.”
Andy smiled at the pretty black woman, “What sort of trouble?”
“After throwing around a lot of names like Dinomasters to Beast Killers, nothing seems to say what we’re looking for in a name. Then Glory said something that started us thinking.” Andy nodded for her to go on. “She said that all of us are named after the places we lived. The Romans lived in Rome; the Japanese lived in Japan, the Atlantans lived in Atlantis; Andy, where do we live?”
“All of those countries and continents didn’t exist now. There was one giant continent called Pangaea that started breaking up three hundred million years ago. At the moment that giant land mass is broken into two major continents; Lauroasia is one and the one we’re located on was named Gondwana.”
The rest of the community had started moving closer to hear what was being discussed and they sat down and listened to the exchange.
“Gondwana?”
“Yes; the Americas, South America, Africa, Antarctica, and Australia were part of the continent we’re on right now.”
Glory said, “But when it was all together, it was called Pangaea?” Andy nodded. Glory looked at the others in her group and smiled, “We came here as separate groups and all of us were suspicious of the others. Yet we’ve come together and have learned to trust and like each other.” Glory turned to Andy, “I think we should name ourselves after the single continent that gave birth to all the others; we’ll call ourselves Pangaeans; only we’ll never separate into different groups.”
Andy smiled and Linnae said, “Does anyone else have a name they’d like to offer.”
Erik shouted from the back of the gathering, “I had one but it’s not nearly as good as the one Glory suggested.”
Andy looked out at the gathering and said, “Well, what do you think?” The gathering was silent for a moment and then they started cheering Glory. She was embarrassed by the attention, but very happy her name was chosen. Andy stood up, “We are Pangaeans; nothing will ever divide us.”
Linnae looked around the room and knew a good name was chosen. She looked at Andy and still felt her fear of losing him. The year would be over in four more months. She didn’t know if she could wait any longer to marry him.
Chapter Ten
The six Indians and Jenak practiced jamming the cutters into the cliff wall and jumping down on them. They kept at it for three hours and it was soon second nature to leave the top of the cliff in less than two seconds. Harvey was impressed that Jenak was the quickest. They finally sat down and rested from the exertion. Harvey looked down and waved at the Indians down in the clearing. They saw him and went inside the cave and filled the water containers and food pouches. They came back to the cliff and tugged the rope tied off the top of the cliff wall and Harvey started pulling the supplies up. In thirty minutes, all of the scouting party had their supplies loaded and they set off on their journey. Harvey looked down at the community and smiled. He saw Andy looking at him from the tower but it disappeared from view as they moved quickly along the top of the cliff.
Jenak stopped walking and said, “Something’s happening.” The six Indians stopped and looked down at the forest. Thousands of dinosaurs were running through the trees at incredible speed. Janek looked back toward the community and said, “What the…”
Harvey saw the giant carnivore chasing the fleeing dinosaurs and shook his head, “We need to go back.”
Jenak saw the giant kill an Allosaurus and chase down another and knock it off its feet. It killed the giant carnivore and carried it back to the first one it killed and started dining on both of them. Jenak started shaking his head, “We’ll never make it back in time.”
“What do you mean?” Jenak pointed and Harvey saw the tiny humans running through the forest toward the feeding giant. Harvey heard Jenak say, “That’s Andy, Maxus, and….I’m not sure about who the third one is.”
Harvey said, “It’s Arashi. He was in the tower with Andy.”
They sat down on top of the cliff and had a ringside seat to the killing of the giant predator. Harvey shook his head and smiled, “Well, it appears our leaders don’t lack for courage. It kind of makes our trip look like a walk in the woods.”
Jenak laughed, “If it’s through those woods, I’d rather just stay inside.”
Harvey smiled and looked at the sun, “We need to get moving. We’re going to start running to make up some time. Jenak, try to keep up.” Jenak smiled and stood up. The group began jogging and dropped off water containers every hour. They covered twenty miles by the time the sun was touching the horizon.
Harvey began seeing the light shining into the sky ahead of them and called a stop. “Chatan, you will go ahead and see what lies ahead. Come back if you find trouble.” A short Indian nodded and pulled his camo skull cap over his head. Harvey took his out of his pouch and said, “Put your head pieces on.”
Jenak had been forced to adjust to only seeing the heads of the Indians. Their camosuits made their bodies invisible unless you were right next to them. He wondered how he was going to keep track of everyone but made a remarkable discovery. Once he put the skull cap on, he could see the others. The eye covering appeared solid but the fine mesh was easy to see through and he could see the others in the scouting party. He was able to see Chatan even though he was a long way ahead of them. The sun disappeared and darkness covered the cliff top. The moon was half full and it provided enough light for them to see their way. The light shooting up into the sky was brighter…and closer.
Harvey told Jenak about the light shining up into the sky and he wondered how he had missed seeing it. Now he understood, the light didn’t shine straight up but at an angle away from the forest and river. One would have to be several miles across the river before they could see the beam. Jenak smiled; that meant they would have to be out on that vast plain at night. That’s not going to happen for a long time.
The party jogged for two hours and Harvey raised his hand and the group stopped and crouched down on the path. Jenak saw Chatan speaking with Harvey and both of them turned and looked at him. Jenak knew there must have been Atlantans at the site they were scouting. Harvey walked back and knelt beside Jenak, “Chatan tells me that he saw a group of warriors with the blue cutters moving a large group of people into the cave.”
“I’m reasonably certain they have either overpowered the others in their cave or have taken prisoners from the one beyond them.”
“What do you suggest we do?”
“Stay away from them unless you can kill them all.”
“Do you think we should kill them?”
“If you don’t, they’ll be coming to kill us.”
Harvey looked at Jenak and Jenak saw he was trying to make up his mind. Jenak said, “What do you need?”
“I need you to go down tonight and listen to
their conversations.”
“How do we do this without being seen?”
“We will lower you and Enapay with a rope two hundred yards back from here. We’ll pull the ropes up and leave you there until the next night. We’ll pull you up at this time tomorrow.”
Jenak smiled, “You don’t know if I can be trusted?” Harvey nodded. “I am a Pangaean now. They are no longer my people.”
Harvey stared at Jenak and then said, “Enapay, you will go with Kohana to scout.” The Indian sitting with Jenak nodded.
Jenak looked around and said, “Who is Kohana?”
Harvey smiled, “You are. I thought we would run you into the path but you kept us with us. Kohana means ’Swift’.” Jenak nodded and moved with the party two hundred yards away from the cave entrance. The two scouts used the rope to move down the cliff wall to the clearing far below. Enapay pulled on the rope and it disappeared overhead.
Harvey looked at the others and said, “Mato and Takado, you will stay here and pull them up if we don’t return.” The two large Indians nodded as Harvey turned and ran away with Chatan and Wahkon.
• • •
Jenak looked at Enapay, “What do you think we should do?”
“We can’t go into the forest; the dinosaurs here are active and I don’t think they’ve learned to fear those in the cave.”
Jenak nodded, “We can’t kill one here. They’ll know someone else was outside.”
“We need some cover.”
“Come with me.” Jenak moved toward the cave and ten yards from the entrance he looked up at the wall and pulled out the heavy and standard cutters. He jumped and jammed the blade into the wall. He solidified it and used the hook to pull himself up to it. He cut a hole in the wall with the standard cutter and jammed the hook in it to keep his balance. He jammed the standard cutter into the wall and stepped forward on it. He used the two cutters to walk up the wall until he was thirty feet off the ground. He pulled himself up and sat on the larger handle and put his feet up on the standard cutter’s handle. Enapay smiled and followed him up the wall. They set the hooks in the wall and held on to them. Enapay looked at Jenak, “This would be a good place to watch them.”
“We’ll have to stand up and stretch to keep from cramping but I don’t think they can see the hooks from the ground. They’re the same color as the rocks.”
“If they do see us…”
“I know; we’re stuck out here in the open. However, I don’t think they’ll see us.”
“What if we have to get down quickly?”
Jenak smiled, “We release the rope on the hook and pull the cutters before we slide down. Cut a longer hole in the rock and jam most of the hook inside it. Just leave the eye with the rope outside the rock.”
Enapay shook his head, “I thought we were the best scouts; you are remarkable in your skills.” An hour later, six Raptors ran by under them. A moment later an Allosaurus came running after them. They were all running with their heads down and passed under the two Pangaeans at full speed. Jenak could have reached out and touched the Allosaurus. He shook his head at how large the creatures were that inhabited the world at this time in history.
• • •
Jenak actually fell asleep with his arm wrapped in the rope and was awakened by voices under him. He looked at Enapay and saw he was awake and watching the people that were filing out of the cave. Jenak looked down and saw the light from cutters glowing in the early morning. It appeared the guards were leading a large group of women out and they weren’t being gentle with them. One guard hit a woman in the back and knocked her to the ground, “Move faster!” The woman struggled to get up as two other women pulled her to her feet and pulled her forward. The guard laughed.
The guards kept the women outside all day as they were called into the cave one by one. One of the guards threw a bucket to the women and yelled, “You know the drill.” Jenak looked at Enapay and wondered what they were doing. One of the women stood up with the bucket and walked slowly toward the river. She reached the edge of the forest and suddenly ran to the river’s edge and filled the bucket. She turned and sprinted away from the River but was taken by a Raptor before she cleared the trees.
• • •
Janek and Enapay watched the women die as the guards made them go to the river. After six had been taken by the Raptors, the guards escorted ten of them down to the river to bring water back to the others. It was clear the Raptors respected the cutters. At the end of the day, one of the guards grabbed a woman out of line and threw her outside the cave. “I don’t like the way you’ve been looking at me. I’ll see you in the morning.” The woman tried to run into the entrance but was greeted by a cutter. She backed out and the stone wheel was rolled into place. Darkness was falling fast and Jenak made a decision. He extended the rope and wrapped it around one of his gloves. He put the cutter in is quiver and saw Enapay shaking his head. Jenak slid down rope to the ground and ran toward the woman who had collapsed outside the entrance. He ran up behind her, grabbed her as she screamed at the top of her voice, threw her over his shoulder, and carried her out of the entrance. One of the guards heard her scream and marveled that the lizards weren’t wasting time charging the entrance.
Karon felt herself lifted and screamed. She closed her eyes and expected to feel the claws and teeth of the animals but felt nothing but being carried. She opened her eyes and saw she was moving over the clearing and there was nothing under her. She started struggling and she was suddenly dropped to the ground. A human face suddenly appeared above her and a moment later another face appeared. She fainted.
She regained consciousness and heard the two men arguing. She looked at them and said, “Who are you?”
Enapay was shocked. She spoke in the language of the Sioux. “How do you know my language?”
Karon was surprised, “I learned it on the reservation.”
“You’re not an Indian; what were you doing on a reservation?”
“My father ran the store. I learned how to speak from one of my friends.”
Jenak looked at Enapay, “What are you talking about?”
The woman’s head jerked around toward Jenak and she started backing away. Enapay said, “He is not one of them.”
“He speaks their language.”
“He’s the one that decided to save you. You should shut up and let us see how we’re going to do that.”
Karon looked at Jenak and saw him look up at the cliff wall. “This is where they’re going to drop the rope. My mark in the rock is here.”
“What are we going to do with her? She can be seen by the dinosaurs.”
I wish we still had the hooks.”
“I have one.”
“What?”
“You should always take a spare.”
“Harvey said we shouldn’t add weight to what we were carrying.”
“Sometimes you have to make hard decisions. How are you going to do this?”
“I’m going to climb up and put her on one of the cutters. We’ll stay on the ground and I’ll pick her up on the way up. Give me one of your cutters.” Enapay handed Jenak the heavy cutter and Jenak jammed it into the wall. “Explain to her that she is going to have to follow me up the wall and stay with me.” Enopay began speaking to the woman as Jenak jammed the second cutter into the wall. She stepped from cutter to cutter with Jenak and was finally twenty feet off the ground. Jenak sank the last hook into the rock next to his heavy cutter and motioned her to sit down on the cutter. Karon slipped past him as he hung from the hook and sat on the long handle of the cutter. Jenak looked down at Enopay, “Tell her to hold on to the hook and try not to fall. Karon listened to Enapay and nodded. Jenak extended the rope from the hook, grabbed it, pulled the two cutters from the rock wall and slid down to the ground.
• • •
Karon saw them put something on their heads and they disappeared. She started to run when she heard the Atlantan speak but she felt the bow the one that the Atlantan who gra
bbed her was carrying. None of the ones that had attacked her cave were carrying bows. She knew they were putting themselves in danger to try and save her.
She didn’t know how long she sat on the rock wall but she heard something hit the wall behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw a rope.
• • •
Jenak pulled off his quiver and bow and handed them to Enapay. “You’ll never make it to the top carrying her.”
“I have to try.”
“Why?”
“She can tell us what we need to know about what is in that cave.”
Enapay nodded and smiled, “That’s a good reason; but not the real one.”
“What, are you a mind reader now?” Jenak walked out from the cliff and swung the rope over the woman. He grabbed the rope with his gloves and climbed up to her. He yelled down, “Tell her to wrap her arms around my neck and get on my back.” Enopay yelled and Karon took a breath and climbed on to Jenak’s back. Jenak began pulling himself up the rope.
• • •
The climb was pure torture. Karon knew half way up that the one carrying her was not going to make it. She could feel his fatigue and his muscles were starting to harden to the point of cramping. She couldn’t let him die. She started to let go of his neck and he shouted, “NO!” She regained her grip and though she knew he was too weak he continued the climb.
• • •
Harvey looked down into the darkness and wondered what was taking them so long. He looked at Chatan, “Someone is on the rope.”
Harvey thought for a moment and said, “Pull them up.”
The five Pangaeans grabbed the rope and started pulling. Chatan said, “There’s more than one on the rope.”
• • •
Jenak felt the rope being pulled and he held on as tight as he could. Karon reached up over his head and gripped the rope in her hands. Jenak felt the loss of weight and he hoped he could maintain his grip. Suddenly, hands were reaching over the cliff wall and pulling them to the top. Jenak croaked, “Send the rope down for Enapay.”