As I try to push the door open, I see the Warriors are getting beat down and the number of mutants is increasing. Slayer looks exhausted. Although she appears to still have some ammunition left, she is now fighting off the mutants with a spear. She fires the gun with one hand and jabs with the spear in the other.
A mutant with six arms begins firing arrows at the women. With so many arms, he is able to load and fire two bows rapidly at the same time. Casper, with lightning animal reflexes, catches an arrow in midair as it flies toward Athena’s chest. The mutant archer fires more arrows at the two of them. Casper swings her bulky sword, cutting an arrow in half in midair before it reaches her face. She catches another before it hits her chest. But one arrow pierces through her arm, and another hits her in the neck. She catches the one in her neck a split second after it hits her, preventing it from going all the way through, but it’s still buried several inches.
Casper continues shredding up mutants with the arrow in her neck. She holds the wound with her free hand, trying to stop it from bleeding too much. Another arrow hits her in the hip and she falls to her knees.
When her friend, Athena, sees this she shrieks with her squeaky voice and clubs through the mutants that try to get between them. She swings her bat so hard that it splits limbs into pieces and grates large chunks of meat from mutant torsos. She hits one man so hard that he breaks in half at the waist.
As the archer closes in on them, rapid-firing his arrows, Athena uses a dead mutant to shield Casper from his attacks. After a minute, the corpse becomes a porcupine of arrows. Athena drops the body, rolls beneath his projectiles, then tosses her club at him. The spiked weapon spins through the air and hits him square in the face, the nails penetrating his brain, killing him before he hits the ground.
As Casper gurgles blood at her motley-colored friend, a bullet hits Athena in the back. She crumbles to the ground and dies at Casper’s feet. The pierced wolf girl looks down at her fallen sister. No fight left in her, she wraps her body around her friend’s corpse and caresses the pink hair on her forehead.
Hyena sees Krall and I struggling to get the door of the van open. She points her gun at us, cackling. But then she realizes that her sisters are trapped in the vehicle as it is consumed by flames. She lowers her weapon and comes to our aid.
With the help of Hyena’s beastly strength, we are able to pry open the door and get the women out. She and Krall help them down one at a time, many of them too stunned from smoke inhalation to move very fast.
When we look out at the fight, we see the Asian-eyed wolf girl’s legs shot out from under her. Only Slayer remains to fight off the horde. She empties the last of her rounds into two mutants with oversized heads. Then she takes on three men at the same time with her spear. Although they have several weapons in their multiple arms, Slayer is able to strike and defend with only her spear. She stabs one through the eye, slices another’s guts out, and trips the third with the pole of the spear.
As she drives the spear into the tripped mutant’s chest, a man on a motorcycle comes up behind her and clubs her in the back with a mallet. She goes down.
When Krall sees her fall, he holds up his gun and charges to Slayer’s aid. As I help the last coughing wolf girl down out of the van, I watch Krall as he stands between Slayer and the mutants and guns them down. Like an expert marksman, he takes out each of the motorcycle riders no matter what their distance. Slayer looks up at him, her face in a state of complete shock, as he takes out a dozen of his own kind to save her.
Hyena and I join him. The three of us form a triangle around the wounded women. Hyena fires at the mutants coming from the back and I take them coming in from the middle. Although I have never fired a weapon before, I do my best to take the mutants down, and need to use all four arms to keep the weapon steady.
Without any ammo left, the mutants retreat. Hyena and I fire at their backs as they flee into the woods, but Krall drops his weapon into the dirt. He’s not interested in killing vulnerable men.
After we’re finished, I notice the silence. The gunfire throughout the woods has ceased. There are no more sounds of battle, only the sound of vehicles moving quickly away from the camp. It’s over.
Hyena looks at me with a smirk. I smile back. Then I realize her gun is pointed at me. I lower my weapon and she takes it, but otherwise she leaves me be. She helps a pregnant woman up from the ground.
Krall and Slayer are locked in a stare. Slayer is back on her feet, in an aggressive stance. She has the gun Krall dropped and is now pointing it at his belly, snarling.
“Why did you do it?” she asks him. Her tone is angry. I don’t think she liked the idea of being saved by a man.
“Because you would have died if I didn’t,” he says.
The black fur covering her entire body stands up in frustration. Krall’s answer was not satisfactory.
“You killed maybe twenty men,” she says. “Just so I would not die?”
Then she bares her teeth at him. I realize that she’s not mad because she was saved by a man. She is mad because Krall’s actions do not make sense to her.
“I had to kill them,” Krall says, “or they would have killed all of you.”
Slayer relaxes her stance. She closes in toward him, almost as if she is preparing to passionately kiss him, or bite his face off.
“I cannot have my Meat fighting like a Warrior,” she says.
She turns her back and looks at her wounded sisters around them. The pierced wolf woman by her feet is still breathing, still wrapped around Athena’s corpse. When Slayer sees them, she looks back at Krall.
“If you can repair Casper the way you did me,” she says to him, “then I will forgive you.”
Krall doesn’t even nod his head in response. He just goes to Casper’s side and gets to work.
I am looking down at Pippi asleep in the dirt when Slayer comes to my side. She kneels down and brushes the crusty blood from her sister’s freckled face.
Without looking at me, she says, “If you knew what she plans to do with you once she wakes up, you never would have helped save her life.”
Then she stands back up and says, “She’ll only repay you with an agonizing death.”
As Slayer steps away from me, I see a group of wolf women staring down on us from the hill. I recognize two of them as Talon and Nova. When I see Nova, a wave of relief washes over me. I should have known that she could take care of herself.
It looks as though they have been there for quite some time. By the expressions on their faces, I believe they witnessed the end of the battle we just fought. They must have seen Krall and I giving up our freedom in order to save their sisters.
Talon gives me a nod of respect, but Nova shakes her head at me as if I just made the stupidest decision of my life.
The giant wolves smell the blood in the air and can be heard howling. Grandma orders the Warriors to pack up the camp and leave the dead where they lie. I am reunited with Guy in the cage on the back of the pickup truck. Apparently, he did not take his chance to escape. He protected Ashley through the entire fight, guarding her in a nearby barn. He doesn’t say whether or not he had to kill any men in order to protect her. All he says is how disappointed in me he is for not getting away.
Krall stays with the wounded, patching up several wounded wolf girls, including Pippi. Casper seemed to be in pretty bad shape when I left them, but he said she would make a full recovery. He said the wolf women are strong and can heal quickly.
I do not regret anything I did back there. Perhaps I would have been better off if Pippi and Slayer died.
When we leave the camp, half of the Warrior women are lying dead across the field. Many destroyed vehicles are also left behind. I see the large yellow eyes of giant wolves coming out of the woods as we evacuate. Tonight they will fill their bellies with their fallen little sisters.
On the road, Pippi rides her motorcycle up to me at the back of the pickup. Her head is bandaged where a mallet had hit the back
of her skull. She seems fine, although she is riding her bike a little crooked.
She throws a dead rabbit at the cage and its head gets caught between the bars. Her eyes meet mine. An almost friendly smile crosses her face.
“This is for you,” she says, yelling over the engines.
I pull the bloody rabbit carcass into the cage with me to examine it. I have never seen a real rabbit before.
“They said you helped save my life,” she yells. “Take this as a reward.”
“A dead animal?” I say, not sure if she can hear me.
“You’re welcome,” she says.
Then she speeds away.
When I look down at the rabbit carcass, I notice that its blood is still warm. She must have just caught and killed it moments before we left camp. And by the look of the teeth marks, it appears that she caught the thing in her own jaws.
They set up a new camp, by a quiet river in a rocky valley. At the top of the mountain above, there appears to be an ancient shopping center that has been slowly crumbling down the mountain. Half of it is lying in pieces along the bank of the river, the other half is still dangling on the cliff, ready to give way at any moment.
After the Warriors are settled in, they have a prayer for their departed sisters. Then Guy, Krall, and I are brought into the center of the crowd to have an audience with their leader.
Grandma sits on a log with her golden shotgun lying across her lap. She looks us up and down. Ashley, Nova, Talon, Casper, Hyena, Slayer, and a handful of other wolf girls step out of the circle and gather behind us.
“They say you fought like Warriors,” Grandma tells us, nodding at the women over our shoulders. “You protected them, you killed men for them, you healed them, all at the expense of your own freedom. Deeds like this must not go ignored. All of these women have borne witness to your actions and feel that you could be of benefit to our community if you were to become more than just Meat.
“Men have joined the Warriors of the Wild in the past. It is rare, but some men have given their allegiance to us and fought alongside us as one of our own. If you wish it and if your owners permit it, you may become members of our tribe. Your rank will be lower than that of the lowest female Warrior, without any chance of advancement. You will be expected to obey all of our laws. Your punishment for breaking our laws will be more severe than it will be for your female counterparts. If you ever show any sign of betrayal or lack of loyalty, you will be demoted back into property.”
Guy and I look at each other. He seems angry with this outcome rather than pleased. Krall, on the other hand, doesn’t seem very surprised.
“We will take this on a case by case basis,” Grandma says. “Please state your names.”
“Ronald Krall.”
“Guy Togg.”
“Daniel Togg.”
When Grandma hears our names, her eyes light up, she says to us, “You wouldn’t happen to have been related to a man named Steven Togg, would you?”
“Yes,” Guy says. “He was our grandfather.”
Grandma smiles. “Fate is an interesting thing. The first male to ever join the Warriors was your Grandfather. There is much that we owe that man.”
“Is he still alive?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “He died many years ago, but much of his wisdom lives on in us.”
Grandma motions to the little girl. “Ashley, bring your Meat forward.”
The little girl holds my brother’s hand and they step forward.
“Ashley,” Grandma says. “This man protected you and saved your life. Do you wish to free him?”
Ashley nods her head.
Grandma looks at my brother.
“Guy Togg,” Grandma says. “Your grandfather used to speak about you. He used to tell me how frightened you were of wolves. I’d like to know, how do you feel to now be surrounded by wolves?”
She smiles, showing her fangs through her wrinkled black lips.
“There is not a Fry Guy working the wasteland who does not fear the giant wolves,” he says.
Then Grandma asks him, “You were a Fry Guy in the walled city?”
“Yes,” Guy says.
“A high ranking officer?”
“First Lieutenant,” Guy says. “The highest rank of uniformed Fry Guys.”
He says this with pride.
“You are the one I worry about most,” Grandma says. “I believe you will always be loyal to the walled city. Because of this, I cannot give you full rights as a Warrior. Your movements must be restricted to the camp. You are not permitted to carry weapons. You are not to go anywhere unescorted. You will have to gain our trust in order to have more freedoms.
“Your function in this camp will be to act as Ashley’s guardian. You will look out for her as if she were your own child. In the future, we might have you look after more children. You will become the nanny of our community.”
When she says Guy will be a nanny, his face contorts into one of extreme concern. A nanny is probably the most embarrassing position you can give to a man like him. Some of the Warriors giggle when they see his reaction.
“Do you agree?” Grandma asks.
Guy hesitates only for a moment. “Yes.”
“Then welcome to the Warriors of the Wild, Guy Togg.”
The Warriors howl.
“Slayer, bring your meat forward,” Grandma says.
Slayer and Krall step forward.
“This man saved your life. Twice. He helped save many lives and he healed many of our wounded. Several of our sisters would not be alive now if it weren’t for him.”
“Slayer,” Grandma says. “Will you free this man and allow him to join our community?”
Slayer looks Krall deep in the eyes. Without breaking her gaze, she says, “This is not Meat. This one acts more like a sister than Meat. I have no use for Meat that does not know its place. He is free.”
She doesn’t stop staring in Krall’s eyes, even when he turns away.
“Ronald Krall,” Grandma says, “you have more medical knowledge than any of the Warriors. Your abilities are far greater than even my own. You will become the doctor of the Warriors of the Wild. Although you have proven yourself a skillful fighter, you will not be allowed to use weapons except in the event of an emergency. Because your skills are unique, you are too valuable to risk losing in battle. Do you agree?”
“Yes,” Krall says.
He doesn’t hesitate for a second.
“Pippi, bring your meat forward,” Grandma says.
Pippi, who was not among the women standing in the circle beside us, comes in from the back of the crowd. She grips my shoulder tightly and brings me forward.
“This man helped save—”
“No,” Pippi interrupts. “I’m not going to let him free.”
“But, Pippi,” Grandma says. “This man helped save the lives of many of your sisters, including your own. Will you reconsider?”
“I already gave him a reward for saving my life,” Pippi says. “I think that is enough. He does not deserve freedom.”
I turn to see Nova stepping forward, as if ready to clobber Pippi. Grandma holds out her hand and Nova ceases her advance.
“Pippi,” Grandma says, “you have always been the most stubborn of us. I cannot force you to give up your property, but I ask you to reconsider. If Daniel is anything like his grandfather, I guarantee you he will be an asset to our community. Please, for me, let him free.”
Pippi looks at me with trembling lips.
“No, he’s my Meat,” Pippi says. “I captured him. He belongs to me.”
“Pippi ...” Grandma pleads.
“No!” Pippi cries.
Grandma sighs and shakes her head.
“Very well,” she says. “I cannot force you to give up your property. However, I still believe the Warriors owe a large debt to this man. Because of this, I am giving you an order to treat your Meat with respect. You are not permitted to physically abuse him. You are not allowed to murder h
im. You are not allowed to rent him out to anyone who might possibly turn.”
“But he’s mine!” she says. “I have the right to do whatever I want with him!”
“You do not have the right to disobey my commands,” Grandma says. “If you disobey my commands you will be stripped of rank and lose all of your property, including your bike, including this man. And if you decide to go against my orders and murder this man, or even attempt to murder this man, you will lose the right to own Meat or advance in rank for as long as you live.”
Pippi does not say another word. She just grinds her teeth and clenches a fist around my shoulder.
As the meeting breaks up, the women who came to our defense congratulate Krall. They only give a slight nod to Guy (except for Ashley, who gives him a hug around his legs) and they don’t even look in my direction.
Hyena and the Asian-eyed wolf girl shake Krall’s hand and pat him on the back with their paws. They say, “Welcome, Sister,” and he laughs with them. Slayer stares him down, still bewildered by his actions. She doesn’t shake his hand or say a word. Casper stays by Slayer’s side. Although she came to our defense, Casper also does not say a word. Perhaps she can’t speak with the wound in her throat or perhaps she is still traumatized by the loss of her sister, Athena.
As Pippi takes me back to the cage, alone, we run into Nova. Pippi and Nova glare at each other, growling under their breaths.
“I’ll be watching your every movement,” Nova says. “If you mistreat him in any way Grandma will find out.”
Pippi flares her nostrils.
“This is all your fault, isn’t it?” Pippi says. “You’re the reason why I can’t use my Meat the way I want to.”
“You’re going to regret not letting him free,” Nova says. “I promise you.”
“He’s my Meat,” Pippi says. “I might not be able to kill him, but I still have control of him. And I say that the two of you are not allowed to speak to each other anymore. If he so much as looks at you again I’ll whip him until he bleeds.”
Warrior Wolf Women of the Wasteland Page 13