They caught up to the sisters as they turned to another cottage. Tabatha began an apology.
“Having men here threatens her authority. I apologize . . . .”
Mordon reached out, and gently gripped Tabitha’s arm, “There is no need to apologize for Madeline. Simper and I have suffered rebuke from such ladies. Leaving as we did was the best solution.” Tess commented to the men as she led them to the cabin’s door.
“Lizbeth Trost will listen to us. It would be Lizbeth sending us out to retrieve the salt.” She paused, looking around at the women watching them. Nearly whispering she added, “Lizbeth and Madeline are in contention concerning what we should all do. Madeline believes we are all better off hiding in this valley. Lizbeth thinks we need to find others, both men and women, and start rebuilding the kingdom. The other women were initially tending to follow Madeline, but each week passing us by brings more to Lizbeth’s way of thinking.” Tacindra looked up into Mordon’s face, “I want to live a real life . . . it becomes more stifling and lonely in this valley as each day passes.”
Mordon knew exactly how she felt, “Whether we have survived in a tunnel, a cistern tower, or a valley such as this beautiful place, we all need back what was taken from us. Maybe someday we’ll have real cities and villages filled with happier people. At least, I’m hoping for it to be like it was.”
The two men waited on the well-packed earth, just off the small wooden stoop. Tabatha knocked and the door opened immediately. The woman who answered stood in the doorway looking at them with clear blue eyes. Her face was slender and peaceful. She could have been in her late thirties or early fifties. Guessing her age would have been difficult. A grey robe that flared at the bottom fitted her slender body like a glove. Where Madeline’s anger rested on her sleeve, this woman’s calm radiated from her as heat from the sun. Tess spoke to the mildly surprised woman.
“We found them in the valley to the west. They camped with us at the cave. They helped carry the deer Tabby felled this morning without complaint. They have treated us with respect, and speak as gentlemen. Madeline would have nothing to do with them.”
Mordon watched as the woman held up her right hand, stopping the rush of words. She smiled openly at Mordon, and then at Simper.
“That’s enough, Tess. If you two brought them here, I know they are gentlemen.”
The look Lizbeth gave Simper surprised Mordon. When he looked at Simper, he knew he had guessed correctly. They had already come to some agreement between the two of them. Simper was puffing out his chest, standing as tall as he could with a smile on his face. The woman continued talking.
Mordon started to feel a little uneasy when he noted the crowd of woman at their backs. Many of them were carrying tools they could use as weapons. Having to fight through a group of angry women was not what he or Simper wanted to do. There wasn’t a smile showing in the group. Lizbeth spoke once more, touching upon his very thoughts.
“These women will not harm you, so long as you do not harm any of us.” She raised her voice so it would carry across the street, “You are welcome to this house.”
Mordon offered a suggestion, “Perhaps many of these other women would like to hear what we have to tell you.” Nonplused, the woman answered with evenly spaced words.
“There is a meeting place at the end of the village.” Lizbeth raised her voice to include the women, “They wish to share with us all of what they know about the outside. We will meet at the assemblage oak in 15 minutes.” She looked at the handsome older man and smiled, “Come into my home.”
Mordon watched Simper push between the two younger women in his haste to follow Lizbeth. Shaking his head, Mordon spoke softly to the two women on the stoop, “I apologize for my companion. Like all of us, he is starved for something other than what he is used to seeing.” He waited for Tabby and Tess to enter the cottage and then followed, closing the door.
Fifteen minutes later they were all congregated under a lone oak. The limbs of which sprawled out away from the trunk in thick twisted profusion. The girth of the oak was so massive that six people could hold hands outstretched around its span. There was enough room under the thick canopy to house twice the entire village.
Madeline was the only one not present. Forty-nine women found comfortable positions in which to listen to the first men they had seen in two years. Mordon was uncomfortable at first, and then found he was relaxing to the give and take of the curious women. Neither Simper nor he mentioned how Raeah had been changed by Poltarc. They were all glad to hear of the princess’s survival. More than one woman responded to the men’s story with their own. It was proven over and over the trials of these women had been as dangerous as the two men’s. They talked until well pass dark. When it came time for them to disperse, Lizbeth held Simper’s arm.
“Wait . . . I have something important to ask of you.”
Simper gave Mordon a nod, “I’ll catch up with you in a moment.”
Mordon walked with Tess out from under the limbs of the oak and looked up at the sky. Stars were out in abundance; sparkling with scintillating grandeur. The orange hued half-moon was just cresting the eastern summit of the far mountains. The strange light lent an ethereal aspect to the bowl in which the village sat. Crisp and smelling of forest, leafy and full of the aroma of needles, the slight breeze caressed their faces. The enchanting scent of ripe fruit came to them on the gentle wind from the orchards. It was the most pleasant moment Mordon had experienced in a long time. Mordon came to the realization Tacindra had turned to Tess in his mind. Sometime between their first meeting and their walking from beneath the spreading limbs of the oak behind them she had changed from an acquaintance to a friend. He realized, as well, if he had never known Raeah, Tess was a woman he would have felt grateful meeting. How could he have such strong feelings for this woman he had only just met?
Simper came up to him and pulled him away from Tess. “Mordon, boyo, I’ve got some interesting things to tell you.” Simper lowered his voice until it was just a whisper. “Some of the women are going to come to us this night.”
Mordon couldn’t help respond louder than expected, “What?”
Simper kept his voice to a whisper, “Pipe down now, boyo, this is important to some of them. Lizbeth has a head on her shoulders for sure. She knows how empty this kingdom is of folks. She aims to help repopulate Duratia. They’ve got all these women here, and no way to start repairing the damage Poltarc has done to their lives.” With a mixture of embarrassment and excitement in his voice Simper added, “She . . . they . . . want us to help them get started.”
Mordon was shocked. “What of Raeah? We have an understanding between us. Admittedly it is unspoken, but it is there none the less. I’m trying not to love Raeah, Simp. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. I know it’s crazy, my loving something like Raeah. I’m fighting it with everything in me. But am I to just set her aside and bed these women simply because they ask?” Mordon looked down the street at the mass of women walking back to their homes. “How are we supposed to cover all these women? We would both be up all night, and still not done by the time we should be leaving. Talk sense, Simp.” Mordon had a plethora of mixed feelings about what Simper and Lizbeth were suggesting. Even if Lizbeth’s reasoning made sense, he hadn’t come here to become stud to a bunch of women. He almost told Simper he would spend the night on the trail, away from the village.
If he did this, he would have to tell Raeah. The prospect of doing so left him feeling weak. Yet, he knew too there was no obligation to Raeah other than feelings spoken of only briefly that may be false, and probably were. Damn it all to hell . . . he wished Wicliff was here to talk with him.
Two years without a woman, and even here in this hidden valley, Raeah would be with him. Mordon finally sighed. If the Trost woman made sense, then it made sense for him to comply with her suggestion. Mordon took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, “
When is this supposed to take place, Simp?”
“Tess is going to take you back to her place. After that, I don’t know who . . . God, boyo, Lizbeth is taking me first and she is nearly my age. She’s dead serious about what she wants, and what she wants us to do. She feels it is not only right, but necessary.”
CHAPTER 5
Tess’s steps were light and strong as she led Mordon, Simper and their dog along the high winding trail. She felt good about what she had done with Mordon. The child she now hopefully had growing in her belly would be tall and strong, and maybe one day would know his father. They had not made any promises to the other. Their tryst had happened all too quickly to make promises. Two men could not be expected to father so many children as there were women in the village, or to be husband to so many. But what Mordon and Simper had done would be cherished in their hearts. Having children in the village would make hunting and work much more taxing. But having children growing and playing about their village would be God’s gift to any who conceived. She stopped and turned when Mordon softly spoke her name.
“Tess… this way is not the way we came.”
“No, but it is the shortest route from the valley in the direction of Wycot.” Her new feelings for this big man kept her words to a minimum; she did not want Mordon to leave, “The ridge is lower, but the descent is harder. The two of you should have little problem going down the short cliff. There is a rope I can pull back up after you’re down. Another few minutes and we will arrive at the end of the trail.” She would only have this beautiful man for those same few minutes. She knew her heart was going to be torn from her, seeing him walk away. Tess had not wanted, nor planned, to fall so hard for Mordon. Lizbeth’s plan to bring life back to Duratia was accepted by all the women, except Madeline. Not all had wanted children. The few who had lain with the men were those who believed in Lizbeth’s plan but now, Tacindra’s heart would leave with the father of her child.
Mordon plodded on, even though he was sore from the exertions of the previous night. Maybe it was because he had been without for so long that his stamina and excitement kept him responding to each woman. He lost count of the women that lay with him. He had found it difficult to believe they all seemed so grateful. He had to admit, he was indebted to Tess and the others, for different reasons than they had all come to him and Simper. As low as it made him feel he had used them solely for sex. Christ almighty, he was a seasoned soldier. Where did all this guilt come from? Contemplating trying to explain this to Raeah was not something to which he was looking forward.
There had to be more men available other than just the two of them in Duratia. They had survived. There must be others, but where? When this personal war with Poltarc was over, maybe they could spend time finding the other survivors. If they were successful winning Raeah’s freedom, maybe freeing her would free the men in Poltarc’s army. They would have plenty of men to resettle the island, but very few women. It was a problem that might start another battle. Simper called from some distance in the rear.
“Hey . . . hold up a moment. My legs and knees feel as if I’m carrying your load instead of mine.”
Both Tess and Mordon stopped, allowing Simper to come up to them. They sat on a long narrow ledge of stone jutting out from the steep mountainside and the forest floor. For Simper’s sake, Mordon and Tess took time to drink some water and relax a moment. The trail led around a lichen-covered boulder, and disappeared. They could see the land drop away from the trail where it led around the colorful boulder.
Tess lay with her back on the soft moss covering the top of the ledge of stone. Prolonging Mordon’s departure by sharing this ledge, even for a short while, let her contemplate how her body had felt after being with the man. After a moment, she realized thinking such thoughts was only going to make what was necessary even more difficult. She sat upright, “The trail declines along the steep side of the mountain behind us. The mountain beyond that boulder looks as if it had been cut with a sword. The slide happened long ago. There are a few stunted trees, and much tangled brush clinging to the cut, but not much else. It is only a half mile to where the rope is affixed to an iron ring. We don’t often hunt this direction, simply because of the difficulty of hoisting game up to the trail.”
The three of them were enjoying the sun’s warmth when soft voices, and then a hard laugh, came from beyond the wall of natural stone. Mordon and Tess jumped to their feet and peered over the stone abutment. On the other side of the boulders, 15 men were walking the trail in their direction. They would round the boulder narrowing the trail in only a few seconds.
Mordon could see another figure climbing onto the trail from the rope Tess had mentioned. Instantly, he knew it was Raeah. She was moving swiftly up behind the men. He saw horses. These men must have ridden to the base of the cliff. For some reason, she was going to confront these men before stealing the mounts. Poltarc simply wants death, and it doesn’t matter if they are his own men. “Tess . . . you need to take Simper away from here. There is going to be killing, and I want the two of you clear.”
Tess could not believe what she was hearing, “You want us to run when there are devils to slaughter? Those swine out there butchered my husband, and the men and families of all the other women. I intend to do some carnage of my own, and you aren’t going to stop me.”
Mordon understood her feelings, but she now carried his child, “You are with child.”
“Yes . . . and I intend to raise him to fight and live a man’s life. I would not want him to shirk a fight because his wife was with child.”
Mordon looked pleadingly to Simper, “Raeah is coming up behind them, Simp. If she sees us, we will parish with the others.”
Simper grabbed Tess’s arm with urgency, “God’s woman, we need to be someplace else!”
Tess jerked her arm free of the man’s grasp, “If the princess is going to fight all those men by herself, she needs help. We can kill them as they round the boulder.”
Mordon grasped both of Tess’s arms in his hands, “You don’t understand, Tess . . . there are things we did not tell you and the others. You must leave with Simper. Take him up the mountain and wait for me. I . . . I promise to meet you at the top as soon as I can.” He fervently hoped it turned out that way.
Tess didn’t fully understand the concern on their faces, but took Simper by the arm and started up the steep incline; they soon were out of sight amongst the soaring trees. She looked back for Mordon. Wanting him . . . willing him to follow, but now knew it was Raeah he loved. She gritted her teeth, and drew the older man along with her in her attack of the hill. These raw emotions and feelings surging through her mind and body were going to have to be dealt with now, not later. This wasn’t the good bye she had planned for her and Mordon. Realizing she was pulling Simper faster than he could sustain, she slowed, but did not stop. In a hard-determined voice, “You are going to tell me what has happened to the princess. By the time Mordon finds us, I will know everything you know.”
Simper was nearly out of breath. The adrenaline that had surged through his body after hearing Raeah was coming was quickly depleted in this mad rush to the ridge above them. He looked down surprised to see Cutter with them instead of staying with Mordon. Smart dog. “Yes . . . yes . . . only take me to the top on a less steep climb. These old limbs aren’t as strong as they used to be.”
Mordon peered between two boulders, and watched as Raeah approached the last man in line. When she was within 10 feet, she crouched down and drove with surprising speed into the man’s side. She kept her body to the face of the mountain and drove forward; knocking three men over the cliff before anyone turned to see what was happening. The first soldier off the trail struck the rocks below with a sickening thud. Two others joined him in twisted shapes.
The remaining men turned and drew their weapons. When they realized who was attacking them, they roared with anger and charged the lone figure of Raeah. They
called her vile names and laughed, calling her Poltarc’s pet whore. The fourth man died with her knives in his throat. The fifth and sixth died as quickly, but the men kept pushing her back down the trail.
Mordon couldn’t stand watching her fight alone, but what if she killed him as one of them? He leaped from the stone ledge onto the trail, and raced around the boulder. The backs of Poltarc’s soldiers were thirty feet from him, and then three. He crashed into the first man, sending him smashing into the two at his front; two of those men fell from the trail screaming. The screams drew everyone’s attention. Raeah’s and his eyes slid across the others for an instant, and then settled back to the men at their front. The next soldier in line turned and engaged him with a mace. The man was too slow and died with the tip of the Wilson blade embedded in his heart. The following man fought with some finesse; taking a few seconds longer for Mordon to send him over the cliff. Mordon wondered if Raeah recognized him. She was busy with her own work.
Raeah couldn’t believe Mordon would come to her aid. She did not need his help, or anyone’s help with this rabble. Just how was she to stop her killing when her knives found Mordon at the end of the line? She had waited for them to climb to this trail before attacking them. They would be like sheep waiting for slaughter on this narrow trace. If they could have surrounded her . . . but here they stood no chance. Poltarc was near rapture with the blood and deaths she was handing him. But Mordon . . . if he was still there when her knives drew the last of their life’s blood from these others.
Mordon was not deceived by his own audacity. He knew he would have to run before many more died. Mordon stepped back, causing his opponent to follow along the precipitous trail. Another man separated from the few remaining men and followed. Mordon wondered why most of the remaining soldiers chose to fight Raeah. There had to be some motive compelling them to seek her destruction. It was all supposition, but perhaps the two coming after him were less affected by her presence or the powder’s effect surging through their bodies. Mordon kept stepping back until he was nearly at the boulder. Waiting until the burly soldier came up to him, he smiled, “It’s a good day to die, don’t you think?” The man stopped, blocking the other behind him.
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