Val nods while a goofy grin plays on her face.
"Just what we need," Ryker says. "We don’t think we have a lot of time left, so they’ve been rushing the training. It’s not a great scenario, but at least it’s something.”
Chapter 26 / Mena
Oh we most certainly do have a way out of here. I turn to Jenna, throw her over my shoulder, and run for the back of the enclosed silo. Nearing my first victim, I scoop up his weapon—an ax. I don't intend to fight my way out of the door against an entire village of marauders and rogue Exalted. No, I'm going out the back way.
"Ah!" The ax slices through the old rusty wall of the silo as if it were flesh. I only have to ram my free shoulder into it to bend it back enough to squeeze through the opening. Jenna grunts as her body forcefully bounces on my shoulder as I run. It can’t be comfortable, but I’m faster than she’ll ever be—faster than these marauders and whatever Exalted are left.
After about thirty minutes of sprinting and Jenna crying about her stomach, I set her down. “Oh, Mena!” Jenna squeals and throws her arms around my neck. “I was so scared. Thank you so much for coming for me. I didn’t think anyone would come. I know how important it is for you all to get to Toledo Lake. I’m so sorry that I delayed you all . . . Where are the others?”
“They went on ahead," I tell her. "I knew I’d be able to find you. And I’m the one that should be sorry—I let them get you in the first place. I should have stayed next to our vehicle.”
“No, it was my fault. When you ran off, I got out of the Humvee to snag a gun that someone dropped after they got shot. I figured it was better if they had one less weapon. But, I didn’t know one of those men was ducking behind a nearby car. He put his hand over my mouth and pulled me into that tall grass. You probably wouldn’t have been able to hear me anyway with all the gunfire."
“It’s not your fault. It was my responsibility to keep you safe. I just went crazy for a second. I guess I’m still not used to all these feelings that I’m experiencing. I want to save everyone and make everything right. I want to help my parents and friends, the people of Toledo Lake, Lily, and you . . . And then there's Ryker . . . ” My shoulders fall as soon as I get it all out there. Our conversation is frantic and spoken through short breaths. Though we don't hear anyone in the woods that may have followed us, they could be there—they could be coming.
Before I take off again, Jenna lays her hands on my arm. “I know. It’s a lot to take on, especially when you’ve never had to deal with an emotional element when making decisions. But you’re doing the right thing. Basav and the others will take care of the manufacturer, Lily is in good hands, Ryker is probably already at Toledo Lake and helping them prepare, and I’m sure we’ll figure out some way to help your parents and friends . . ." Jenna's eyes shift to my stomach. She gently touches her fingertip to my shirt. "You're shirt is saturated with blood, Mena. Is it yours? Let me see your stomach.”
I swat Jenna's hand away. "We don't have time for that. It's just a scratch." I argue. Turning my back to her, I say, “Hop on. We’ll get there faster if I carry you. We can’t hang around here forever. I’m sure those marauders will be looking for us.”
“You're not serious?" Jenna has a look of astonishment.
"I'm very serious. Let's go. Now."
"Not until I make sure that your intestines aren't going to be spilling out. Lift up your shirt." She's not backing down. She's got her feet planted firmly in the ground and her small hands are resting on her hips. "Now," she demands.
Reluctantly, I lift my black shirt. She uses the front of her shirt to wipe away some of the blood seeping from my wounds. "See," I tell her. "I'll live."
"Yeah, but these cuts are pretty deep and they need to be cleaned properly."
I back away from her and roll my shirt back down. "Well we can't do that here and if we don't leave now, we may not get a chance to clean them."
Her hands go back to her hips. She looks annoyed now.
"Please, Jenna. I promise, I'm okay."
Nothing. Just glares.
"Okay. You can either get on my back now, or I'm going to throw you over my shoulder and you can ride like that the rest of the way. I know it didn't feel good."
"Fine."
Chapter 27 / Ryker
Val seems to have taken over as head trainer since arriving just a few moments ago. She comes alive around the large group of people. She would've made a good trainer back in the Republic, but now that she's off the Pump and can live up to her full potential, she's going to make a great trainer. The villagers are responding to her positively.
Realizing that I'm not really needed since there are so many Exalted here to help train, I decide to join Cap at the far end of the field. He's watching over two villagers as they work. It's only when I get close enough that I see what they're doing.
"Bombs?" I say aloud.
Cap turns to face me. His face is sad. "Yes, we need to do anything we can to keep attackers from entering the villages. They’ll have more Exalted than we do. We have to use every advantage that we can."
"So, is that what happened over there?" I point to the scorched patch of earth in the center of the field. It doesn’t make sense to me to create a weapon that will kill our people.
"There was an accident. We lost a good man, and we won’t let it happen again.” He shakes his head.
“I hope not. Look, I’m going to take a walk—let the scouts know that Mena will be coming soon. That okay?”
“Sure. Sure,” Cap says. “Everything is covered here.”
***
The woods are quiet and they feel empty.
I feel empty.
After telling myself that Mena will be okay, I press forward, heading southwest since that’s the direction she will be coming from. The scout should be close, hiding up in the canopy of a tree. I give three whistles to let him know that a friendly is approaching. After a few seconds, three whistles return my call.
Almost there.
I continue forward, walking with ease, though my heart is heavy. I keep my eyes looking up, into the tree branches, searching for the scout. It's only when he begins to fall that I see him. A loud thud sounds when his body hits the ground, which is followed by a high-pitched whistle.
Pain swallows me when I look down to see an arrow jutting out of my chest.
Chapter 28 / Mena
“Aren’t you tired of carrying me yet?” Jenna asks me while perched on my back.
“No. I’m okay. Besides, I think we’re almost there. Did you see that smoke in the sky a while back? And did you hear those whistles? Bet they have guards around here,” I answer. The forest is dense and muggy. There are no clear paths, so I have to jump and duck while taking care not to smack Jenna’s head on anything.
Having Jenna on my back hasn’t been the easiest run, especially with my injury, but the fact that I’m actually moving forward and not backward is helping me keep a good pace. I’m anxious to see if Ryker and the others made it to Toledo Lake safely. I’m also anxious to be part of a bigger plan—whether that’s helping to train villagers, going to rescue my parents and friends, or maybe even going on a scouting mission to the Third Republic. And then there’s Lily. I will take a day to travel to check on her. Soon.
“Shh!” I tell Jenna. After slowing to a walk, I stop and let Jenna jump to the ground. She has a little trouble getting her balance, as I’m sure her legs are numb. There it is again! Three whistles.
“We’re friends of Ryker!” I shout to the forest.
“Go ahead!” a female’s voice answers. We are left to proceed though we never lay eyes on the female that gave us permission.
Jenna stays put when I venture forward. “Come on,” I say to her.
“Are you sure?” she asks. "Who was that?"
“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Jenna finally joins me, walking right up next to my back. She stays close, especially when we start to hear signs of life. We hear the general
sounds of life in a community . . . and there’s also laughter. It’s a nice sound—one I didn’t know I needed to hear.
The first thing we see of the village is a little wooden shack with a mossy thatched roof. As we walk by, I glance in the window. I pause, gawking at the state of the interior of the home. It’s empty of people, but there is certainly life inside. Brightly colored fabrics fill the small space. It reminds me of my brief time in one of the Ambassadors’ apartments.
“Mena?” Jenna whispers.
I shake my head and smile. “Sorry. Let’s keep going.”
Once around the corner of the wooden structure, we see the entirety of the village. People are coming and going. More wooden houses line a central pathway or street. There are animals milling around and a chicken coop farther down. As we continue to walk, I can feel the heat of a blacksmith’s workspace. Across from the blacksmith's area are tables and what I would think is most of the village sitting and eating. They all stop chatting as one and turn to stare at an oncoming commotion from our right. I follow one man’s finger as he points to a large beast of a man, who is . . . Oh no! He’s attacking another man, who appears to be wounded. Is that Ryker? No!
I charge forward, leaving Jenna in my wake. Even though my legs are exhausted from the run with Jenna, I push them as fast as they will go. In no time, I’m in the air, leaping onto the horrible attacker’s back. I firmly wrap my arm around his thick throat and squeeze as tight as possible.
“Mena, no!” Ryker shouts. “Mena. Stop.”
When I look up, I see Ryker leaning against a tree for support and staring at me—along with the other fifty or so people that have come rushing forward from the meal tables. Most of them have their mouths hanging open as if they don't know how to help.
“Did he do that to you?” I manage to say while still squeezing the man's throat. "You have an arrow in your chest."
“No, I didn't hurt him. I was helping him.” Az struggles to say below me. Az?
I loosen my hold and lean to the side to get a better view of the Exalted that I’ve climbed upon. “Az?”
“Hey, Mena,” he says as he takes hold of me under my left arm and shifts me around so that I’m dangling in front of him. My feet are hanging several inches above the ground and my shoulders are being pushed up to my ears. This is extremely uncomfortable, and I feel like a child for more reasons than allowing Az to hold me like one.
"What happened to your stomach?" Az and Ryker ask at the same time.
"Why do you have an arrow in your chest?" I counter.
"It's in my shoulder. I'm fine."
"Who did it?"
"Guess you upset some marauders when you stole Jenna back." Ryker turns to Jenna. "Happy to have you back Jenna." Then he turns back to me, "Don't worry. It was only a few of them—they must have all split up looking for you. We took care of it . . . Now, what happened to your stomach? Are you okay?" Ryker says clearly annoyed.
“It's just a scratch." I desperately try to reach my feet to the ground, but Az only lifts me higher. Frustrated, I try to pry his meaty hands off of me. I twist, turn, and huff in defeat. "Please put me down,” I beg him.
Now he’s laughing. I never thought I’d see this day. Never. I can’t help but laugh too.
Chapter 29 / AZ
I can’t help but laugh at Mena. She’s always looking out for everyone. I can’t believe she thought I’d try to hurt Ryker . . . in front of an entire village that adores him.
After putting Mena on the ground, she runs directly over to Ryker and plants a firm kiss on his mouth. When she wraps her lean arms around his neck, carefully avoiding his injury, they stare at one another as if they are the only two people in the world—but they're not. Behind Mena is a citizen who seems somewhat familiar. Ryker called her Jenna. She's a small blonde girl, with a round face and beautiful eyes. She looks gentle and kind, not hard and fierce like Exalted women tend to be. I like that.
Who is she? Why does she look familiar? I need to know.
“Mena, who’s your friend?" I ask, interrupting her emotional reunion with Ryker.
Remembering the girl, Mena goes to her and grabs her by the hand. She pulls her along toward our group. Even though Ryker is in pain, he cautiously embraces her and says, “I’m so glad you’re both okay. We were all so worried.”
“I’m lucky Mena got to me when she did. I think they were selling me,” the girl says with a shiver.
Mena rubs the girl's arm to calm her nerves and introduces her to the group. “This is Jenna, our friend.”
Ryker winces when he pushes himself away from the tree that he was leaning on. “Hey, Cap," he says. "This is the doctor I was telling you about.”
Whispers break out over the crowd that has gathered to eat. Having a trained doctor in the village must be a big deal.
Cap hurries over to our group, and of course, Tommy is close behind. "Tommy, get these two to the infirmary," Cap says in a panic.
When Ryker opens his mouth to tell him what happened, Cap stops him short. "I'll come see you in a minute." I suppose he doesn't want to frighten the villagers with the details until he knows more.
After Tommy leads Mena and Ryker away to have their wounds checked out, Cap sticks out his hand toward the village's new refuge. Jenna just looks at him while he chuckles. He reaches out, grabs her hand, and shakes it furiously. “I’m so grateful to have a doctor join us. So grateful. It’s nice to meet you,” Cap says, eyes glistening.
“Uh, you’re welcome,” Jenna replies. Her voice is sweet too.
“I’m Az.” I shove my hand out toward her. It shakes a little.
“Hi Az,” she says as her hand slowly tightens around mine. They are softer than anything I’ve ever felt. I give her an awkward smile.
“Well Jenna, I bet you're hungry. Help yourself. Eat up and enjoy the evening.” Cap waves toward the outdoor cafeteria. "I need to go have a talk with Ryker now."
"Shouldn't I go help them first? Do you have any medical equipment or medicine?" Jenna asks.
"Don't worry. Tommy and his mother are taking care of them. We're used to dealing with these sorts of wounds."
"Are you sure?" Jenna pushes.
Cap turns to Jenna with a friendly smile. "We don't have the resources you're used to in the Republic. We use a lot of natural remedies. Our healers will show you when you're ready. Rest up. There's plenty to do later."
Worried about the small blonde girl being left to her own devices in this strange new place, I offer her my help. “Jenna, I bet you’re tired. Have a seat. I’ll go get you some food.”
The mealtime crowd has already come and gone. Only a few remain finishing their plates of warm food. I'm able to get some beef, carrots, and bread for Jenna right away. She won't have to wait to fill her empty stomach.
Jenna smiles as I place the plate of food down in front of her. She found a spot to sit down at one of the wooden tables. Surely, Ethan, Val, and the others are back at training by now. It's strange that I don't even consider leaving Jenna to join them. I don't think they'll miss me if I’m a little late.
“Thanks,” Jenna says as she looks over the plate of food. She pokes the smoked beef with her fork. I can’t help but smile when she screws her face up.
“It’s good,” I tell her. “Trust me.”
“Yeah?” she says and then takes a huge bite. The Republic never smoked their meats. I thought it was strange the first time I saw it too. “Mmm,” she mumbles as she chews.
“So you’re a doctor? Which Republic are you from?” I ask her.
Once her mouth is empty, she answers, “I’m from the same place you are. I’ve even done a few of your physicals before.”
“Oh.” I feel like an idiot. “I’m so sorry. I . . . don't remember that. I felt like you were familiar, but couldn't place you.”
She chuckles. “It’s okay. I know you were on the Pump. Besides we all look the same to you guys, right?”
“Well, yeah, you did . . . when I was on the Pu
mp. But you certainly stand out now,” I admit.
When her cheeks and neck flush, she turns back to her food and begins prodding at her cooked carrots. “So what do they have you doing here?” she finally asks, changing the subject.
“Some of the Exalted are training the villagers in archery. You know, in case something happens with the other Republics.”
“You’re training regular people, like me, to shoot?” she asks dumbfounded.
“Sure. Truthfully, I think it's a crazy idea, but their determination is something else. Their hearts are stronger than any Exalted could ever be physically.” That is my answer. The truth. These people have amazed me.
Jenna looks a little sheepish. “Do you think I could learn to shoot too? I mean—I know they’ll probably need me to do medical related work, but I'd really love to try it. Mena had to rescue me from those marauders and rogue Exalted—I’d really like to not have to rely on someone else to save me.”
This girl is even more amazing than I first thought. I don’t even care that she’s not Exalted . . . In fact, I like that she’s not. She’s perfect.
“Of course you can come, but the archers were selected from the group, so they may not want you joining in.” When her face falls, I quickly add, "But I could show you some other time, when they're not on the training field."
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I’ll walk you over there after you eat, so you can watch."
“Great,” she says with a look of genuine thanks.
Chapter 30 / Ryker
"Ryker, seriously. I'm fine."
"No, you're not. Look at all this blood." How Mena even managed to make it back here without passing out is beyond me—and she carried Jenna the whole way. "It's time for someone to take care of you now."
United (Exalted Trilogy: Book 3) Page 8