Totem of the Bear - World of Ranicke 1

Chapter 14

One thing that did surprise him was that for the first day and a half they would be moving alongside the puma clan since they had similar locations for the rainy season.  Actually there were a number of clans that used area's close since they were the high spots.  He was walking with Thomas slowly heading towards the next caravan to sing and occupy the kids when it all happened.  For some reason the fates of this world seemed to have it out for him and he was going to have to find them and have a talk with them soon.

Thank god he and Thomas had been passing the chief's wagon when the attack happened.  Jim was looking out on the puma side when what seemed like a huge number of rather raggedy ass bandits came boiling out of the forest on that side.  "Toss me my rifle damn it."  He screamed and Sorrel didn't think before she tossed it at him.  "Attack, puma side, twenty plus minimum."  He screamed and again reacted without thinking.

There was a female and he could see the sling they tended to use for small children on her and his face and eyes hardened.  He was already carrying his axe, knife, and pistol but better to have more than needed.  As soon as he had the rifle he jumped forward and one boot caught a spoke of a wheel and he used it to catapult up to the roof of the caravan and jumped across to the next and moved forward to a good firing spot.

By now whoever they were had already reached the most important caravan and he simply flipped off the safety and started dropping the bandits with three round bursts and the occasional single shots.  Since he didn't have his vest and more Ammo he ran out rather quickly.  There were still more than enough attackers.  The female seemed to be down and bleeding and he didn't really think before he rolled off to top of the caravan and landed on the ground and came up over her body.

Jim didn't know if she was dead or not, or even the child but the axe came out and he snapped it around and took out one bandit.  Moments later a second was taken out and he ran into someone who was as good as he was and by the time he dispatched him his right arm was injured again.  Thank god by now there were more than enough Puma warriors to start chasing the others away.  Even a number of Moran's tribe was there.  Jim had blood all over him but most of it was not his.  "Fucking cowards.  Come back and fight me you fuckers."  He was screaming imprecations in different languages.  One finally turned around and flipped a knife at him.  Jim reacted by reaching over and pulling out his pistol and with a head shot took him out.

"Owe god damn it not again."  The knife was embedded in his right shoulder and it was agony.  Leaving the knife alone he checked the female and she was dead.  The baby boy wasn't and was just bloody though he didn't know that at the time.  He scooped him up and carried him to the healer's tent.  "Take care of him please.  Make sure he lives."  One of the attendants grabbed the boy as Jim went down again.

Lia frowned at Jim and rolled her eyes.  "God not again damn it.  I don't have the time for this."  She picked him up and placed him on a bed as others started coming in and realized it was more than a training accident.  "Okay we are going to need..."  She started tossing out orders as she moved amongst the injured. 

When both chief's showed up and looked at Jim and then her she got the idea.  "He is going to be okay though hating life again."  She frowned at him.  "Tell him to stop this crap or I am going to heal him while awake." 

Moran stood tall.  "White Lady he kept the caravan from being badly damaged by bandits.  This was not his fault."

She didn't even pause as she started working on him.  "Well that was one thing I was planning on talking to you about on the trip.  Just found out about them before we left."  His right arm was well and truly fucked up.  "Zonaia I am going to need your skills as a surgeon.  One of his tendons is almost completely severed and unless sutured before I heal it he will never be able to use that arm again correctly."