Alien Courage (Rise of the Empress) (53 page)

 
“You medicine man?”
Teni asked solemnly.

Cassy put her
arm inside Toormis’s arm and rested her head on his shoulder feeling sad at the
hopelessness of the two dying men. “No, Teni. I’m a Warrior like you,” replied
Toormis, “and I traded for this,” he held up the almost empty Confederate first
aide bag with side pockets, zips and fasteners. “Here, take it,” he said seeing
the admiration of Teni over the bag and threw it to him.

Teni caught the
bag and gripped it tightly. His fingers tingled at the feel of the synthetic material.
He clutched the bag to his chest, smiled at Toormis and went quickly to a quiet
spot in the cave to admire his new treasure, particularly the yellow markings,
so neat and beautiful ‘Kit First Aid. Field,’ was written on the side.

Url
stood and
walked over to Brakin and sat beside him placing his hand on his chest. He was
glad to feel the steady rise and fall of his breathing. Brakin opened his eyes
and smiled weakly at
Url
. “Safe now,”
Url
said to his friend.

“Deewa, we
didn’t get her. It was a trap…”

“
Shhh
”
Url
said and put his hand
over Brakin’s face and signalled to Teni who looked up from his bag and then
shoved it in his jacket and ran to the back of the cave. He returned with Deewa
just beginning to wake up from a long sleep she had after eating her first
decent meal in a long time. He placed her
beside
Brakin and Url took his hand off his face.

“Daddy!” cried
Deewa and she wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled close to him
sobbing. Brakin’s eyes opened wide in disbelief and even with great pain moved
his arm in its sling to hold his daughter. He closed his eyes tight as tears
ran down the side of his nose. He murmured a soft song as he rocked her gently
against him and got her under the skin covering him.

Url
and Teni stood
and slowly turned and made their way to the fire. They sat with their villagers
and new friends feasting until they all went to sleep while vicious storm raged
only a few yards away. The rest of the Shihone Warriors that wanted to attack
the Beclin village had changed their minds and had entered the camp just before
the storm. Peter’s talk had influenced them and there was now much discussion
about the welfare of Brakin. He was now looked upon as their new Chief.

The
Administrator woke many hours later and looked around him. The rock ceiling was
black with soot, wafts of smoke drifted up from the remains of the closest fire
to him. A few Warriors huddled near the last of the embers fanning them and
throwing fresh wood on the little flames. He rolled over and half sat up, his
leg and arm were numb from the hard ground. He stretched and flexed his muscles
and wished for hot water and fresh clothes.

Peter leaned
over from a rock he was sitting on and tapped the Administrator on the shoulder.
He turned to see Peter offering him a wooden cup with steam rising from it.
“It’s a local herb, tastes pretty good. They all drink it,” he said indicating
the group of fur clad men gathering around a well tended fire near the entrance
of the cave.

“Thank you,” the
Administrator said accepting the cup and sipping the hot liquid. It tasted like
vegetables and dirt but had an instant stimulative effect. He put both hands
around the cup and sipped it quickly.

“We need to
leave almost immediately. The weather here can trap you.” Peter said softly but
looked intently at the Administrator, who stopped his sipping and lowered his
cup, “yes, what is it Peter?”

“Where are we?”
Peter asked with genuine intent in the question.

“Zion,” the
Administrator replied.

“The name sounds
familiar but I can remember why. Where is Zion exactly?”

The
Administrator sipped his brew, “Zion is a planet belonging to the House of
Irrimus. It is in a system of four planets, one sun and is part of the Greater
Confederacy,” answered the Administrator.

Peter sat
quietly and looked at the men around the fire. “Why do I think it’s
…
Earth?”

“Earth is part
of the Confederacy. It’s just that no House owns or administers it.” The
Administrator answered careful not to originate anything.

“I can’t
remember anything that means anything to me. While I was engaging those Beclin
enemies I had thoughts which mean nothing to me. It seems to me every time I
get into a dangerous situation I have thoughts I cannot explain.” Peter said
looking challengingly at the Administrator, “you look at me often, why?”

The
Administrator felt nervous and his eyes flickered. “You came to us without
warning and I have been trying to understand you. I am just a soldier and I am
grateful you have joined us but I don’t know why you are here. Do you have any
orders?” He said being as military as he thought Earth soldiers might accept.

“No orders that
I’m aware of except I had a thought recently to report back to Irrimus, doesn’t
make sense to me. You mentioned this planet belongs to Irrimus, maybe that’s
why I am here?” Peter said trying to remember something, anything.

“Maybe.
What thoughts
did you have while engaging the Beclin?” The Administrator asked casually but
well aware of the unpredictable nature of Peter’s understanding.

Peter tried to
recall the thoughts but had difficulty. He started to become frustrated at
himself for not being able to remember anything. The Administrator could see
Peter was becoming serious and interjected, “it’s probably too damn cold
anyway. I couldn’t even feel the trigger on these guns let alone be accurate
with one of them.”

Peter brightened
up, “that’s it!” The thoughts I had then were just that! How could I do what I
did? I was just watching what was going on. I didn’t even feel the gun or
anything. It was like someone else was doing it.” Peter said and his facial
features changed with a sudden realisation. He looked questioningly at the
Administrator. “I got the thought while doing what I did, that this ‘Irrimus’
is in trouble and I need to change something or get back there. Does that make
sense to you?”

“Well yes, that
does,” the Administrator said finishing his drink. “Irrimus is in trouble. It
was taken over by the Trigeals recently and subject to martial law and many of
its leaders were executed or imprisoned.”

“Trigeals?
They invade it
or something?”

The
Administrator didn’t really know what to say next. He had thought the
mentioning of ‘Trigeals’ would have gotten some memory reaction but to get none
made him a little apprehensive but he seized the opportunity. “The Trigeals for
whatever reason decided Irrimus needed to have its freedom removed and we are
trying to work out how to reverse that situation. Maybe you can help get
Irrimus’s freedom back?”

“Are the
Trigeals our enemy?” Peter asked.

“All I know is
that they are the ones who are in control of Irrimus now,” the Administrator
said avoiding answering the question directly. 

“And just what
are you two so chatty about?” Cassy said cheerfully sitting down close to them
sipping a hot brew a Warrior had given her.
“Oh my!
This tastes like tree bark mixed with dirt,” she stated smacking her lips in
disgust.

Peter laughed.
“Keep drinking, it gets better.”

“Well at least
it’s hot,” she said sipping it carefully. “Are we leaving soon?” She asked.

“Yes, as soon as
we are ready. It has stopped snowing and now would be a good time. Is Toormis
ready to go?” Peter asked.

“Not yet but
I’ll get him. He’s still asleep; he was up playing some kind of dice game with
the men half the time we were sleeping,” Cassy said and went over to wake
Toormis.

The
Administrator wanted to keep talking but Peter got up and went over to talk to
Url
who was cleaning his gun. The Administrator was happy
and took it as a good sign that Peter had taken him into his confidence and was
willing to talk with him. The Administrator packed his gear up and was ready to
leave at a moment’s notice.

The camp was
fully awake now and already half the Warriors had left for their village. The
Beclin, although their Chief was killed were capable of revenge attacks. Brakin
and the surviving wounded would have to rest at the camp. Their wives and fresh
supplies would be with them as soon as an escort was arranged.

Url
was still
unsteady on his feet and decided he would need a few more sleeps at the camp.
He told Peter that Sasra and Teni would guide them to the Trading Post and it
took a full awake period of travel.

Brakin called
Url
over to him and Cassy took Deewa to the fire and with
warm water cleaned the little girl up.

Brakin called
the young Beclin boy over to himself and
Url
. Their
discussion was whisper quiet but there was much heated hand and body language
from
Url
.

“You want talk
Beclin, they use boy and kill you,”
Url
said trying to
keep his voice down but not succeeding.

“
Url
, please understand,” Brakin said from his bed of skins,
“a peace with the Beclin would mean no more raiding. It is worth it.”

“No trust them.
But you want give boy back get Sasra do it, no me!”
Url
said firmly and sat back and folded his arms.

Brakin smiled
but signalled to Peter, who came over and knelt beside him. “You have done much
to help our people, your spirit is strong. You are always a friend of Shihone,”
Brakin said with sincerity. Peter nodded his head in appreciation. “You always
trade with us fairly and we know you trade with Beclin. I ask you to get this
boy close to his own country and give him his gun when you get there. I also
give this boy my axe to present to the new Beclin Chief so that we may not have
blood spilt between us again. In the season of the Moibla males fighting I wish
to meet with Beclin Chief and talk peace between our peoples. Will you join us
in our talks?”

Peter smiled,
looked at the boy and winked. The boy blushed nervously at such a Great Warrior
paying attention to him. “What you say is a true path to travel. That path will
always have to be fought for but you have commenced, that is good. It will be
an honour to take the boy to his country, it is on our path. I have given your
offer of joining your meeting with the Beclin my thoughts. I Trade with you
both as it
has
always been and will be. Your first
meeting must be one in which you set your paths together for the future. I will
not interfere or influence it but remember what I did to their Chief. If
something like that ever happens again to the Trading Post I will seek out
those responsible. Good luck to you and your people,” Peter said and stood up,
looked
Url
in the eyes and smiled. Peter tapped the
boy by the shoulder and walked to where Toormis and Cassy were at the other
side of the large cave. Peter stopped and felt the axe swinging on his belt and
returned to
Url
.

“You knew him
didn’t you? Peter said holding the Old Beclin Warrior’s axe in his hand.

“
Ya
,” replied
Url
.

“I saw the
spirit of a mighty bear surrounding that Beclin Warrior as I see it with you,”
Peter said giving the axe to
Url
.
Url
immediately put his hand into a bag on his belt and produced the tooth of the
bear. He thrust it into Peter’s hand, who looked on the tooth with awe, then
put it in his pouch. He grabbed
Url
by the arm, looked
him in the eye and squeezed a farewell to a Great Warrior. He then turned
smartly and walked out of the cave raising his hand in salute to the Shihone
people. Teni, Sasra and the Beclin boy jogged out after him. The Administrator,
Toormis and Cassy waved from the cave’s entrance and turned to join the others.
Deewa ran to the cave’s edge and a little beyond watching them disappear into
the trees.