Caged - Unleash the Beast

Chapter 14 - Eight Tribes

Jackie paced outside Holly's house, just moments ago she had heard screams and cries of pain. Now it was all quiet. James and Jake had gone back to her place to get cleaned up whilst her and Rider waited outside.
"He'll be fine." Rider murmured to her, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I know." Jackie sighed as she snuggled into Rider for warmth.
By now, the once warm and inviting summer was now beginning to turn into the crisp warning of autumn. By the time Hayley had opened the door, Rider and Jackie were leaning against the wall asleep. Hayley cleared her throat, but Rider and Jackie didn't stir.
"You can come in now." She said, loud enough.
Jackie shifted herself before rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she woke Rider before following Hayley inside. Inside the house was warm and inviting until they noticed the instruments and utensils laying on the kitchen sink, covered in blood and just waiting to be cleaned. Jackie went around the corner to where Brandon was, blood stained cloths laid on a bench and a fresh blanket covered his neck down. Jackie could see hike breathing which was a relief.
"He's knocked out." Hayley told them.
"Told you his was going to be okay." Rider told near as he out his arm around her shoulders.
"He was very lucky. Who had provided medical care before he got here?" Hayley asked.
"Chief Stone." Jackie replied as she watched Brandon.
"Chief Stone did very well considering his injuries." Hayley commented.
"I will be sure to tell him that." Jackie nodded.
"You should probably get home, its getting late." Hayley instructed them.
"Come on, we will come back in the morning." Rider beckoned her.
Jackie smiled before following Rider outside, Jet had stayed back at the house. Rider helped Jackie up onto Koa, she wrapped her arms around him and slowly fell into a slight sleep. Rider had to wake her when they got back, at first she didn't want too but reluctantly she led the way inside.
"How is he?" Jake asked as he noticed they had come inside.
"He'll live." Jackie replied. "Thanks to Chief Stone."
Lachlan nodded, before leaving to his room.
"Come on, let's get you to bed." Rider beckoned her.
She shuffled up the stairs and allowed Rider to put her in bed. She murmured her goodnight before allowing sleep to take over.

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Jackie was woken by Rider who had insisted on her getting up before any of the other Chiefs. At first she wanted to go back to sleep when Rider had first come in, but once Rider had opened the curtains there was no going back to sleep.
"Come on." Rider chuckled.
Jackie playfully hit him, Rider moaned slightly before taking off her bed covers. Jackie curled up into a tight ball before Rider hoped on top of her, Jackie giggled as Rider lifted her out of the bed and placed her on the floor.
"Not to interrupt your love fest, but everyone else is stirring." Jake came in and warned them.
Once Jake had left, Jackie shooed Rider out of her room before getting changed. She opened the door to find Rider was waiting for her, he hurried her down the stairs before following. She dished up breakfast and set the table, once she had finished everyone else came down the stairs.
"What smells so good?" Dylan asked as he took a seat at the table.
"What does it look like?" Lachlan said, rolling his eyes.
"It smells like scrambled eggs, toast and pancakes." Zeke said, as he to took a seat.
"Plenty to go around." Jackie invited them.
Once everyone had eaten their fill, they set out to the training dome. There James was waiting for them.
"Thanks for telling the women that my house needed cleaning." James raised an eye brow at her.
"It was true." Jackie shrugged. "Can you find everything now?"
"No." James moaned as he unlocked the training dome.
"Chief Talon." A familiar voice came from behind them.
Jackie turned around to find Brandon, he was leaning against his big cat and the cut above his head was freshly stitched.
"I thought that you were suppose to be resting? Doctors orders remember?" Jackie commented.
"Hayley said that I could go, as long as I don't do any extensive exercise." Brandon shrugged as he joined them. "I thank you for what you did back there, yesterday."
"No problem." Lachlan shrugged. "Glad to see you back on your feet already."
"Better now, then sitting around doing nothing." Brandon shrugged.
"Come on, let's get this done." Jackie beckoned them inside.
"I got Hayley to set up the paints yesterday." Brandon told her.
"Right, I need someone's big cat." Jackie turned to the group.
"Why?" Lachlan asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.
"Stop asking questions." Dylan moaned before signaling his mountain lion to go over to Jackie.
Brandon placed a hand on the mountain lion and led it away to where the paints were set up. Lachlan roles his eyes as he followed the group to where seats were set up.
"Brandon!" Jackie called him over.
Brandon left the paints to the ladies he has taught and joined Jackie.
"Explain their set plan." Jackie greeted him, as she stood beside the blackboard.
"I was one of them, Jackie here had helped me remember what had happened. I was kidnapped 5 years ago and over those 5 years I experienced something no one should have." Brandon said as he began to draw up a map of the landscape.
"How do we know that your not double crossing us?" Lachlan challenged.
Brandon walked up to Lachlan and looked down on the chief, "They murdered my sister last night and they started a battle that would have killed many. Do you really think that I would go back to them?"
Lachlan had a crease in his forehead, but said nothing more.
"I know their every battle move, their every plan." Brandon continued.
"Ziambe wasn't aiming for me, he was aiming for you." Jackie murmured.
"He also was after me instead of my sister." Brandon whispered back.
"How do we know that they haven't changed their plans?" Zeke spoke up.
"Ziambe and Kaizan would not change their plans. It would take to long and it would be to complicated to change it now. They would have to teach the new plan and that would take over a year. They have been planning this for the past 3 years."
"Our enemy was right under our noses." Dylan murmured, he looked down at the ground.
"Four settings." Brandon moved away from the black board. "Forest, plains, mountains and swamp."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Chief Falcor asked.
"They've planned 4 attacks at the same time." Brandon replied.
"We have to fight in our own strengths." Lachlan spoke up.
"That is where you are wrong. They will use your strengths against you, your weakness will become your strength." Brandon pointed out.
"Lightningrunner Tribe are fast, Rainbreaker Tribe are long distance runners, Thunderheart Tribe are strong and Cloudchaser Tribe are stealthy." Jackie noted.
"Those who are fast have to become stealthy and strong, those who are stealthy and strong have to become fast." Dylan added.
"Now, we are getting it." Brandon nodded.
Suddenly there was a roar from behind them, everyone turned and jumped out of their seats.
"Why is there a lion in here?" Lachlan asked, Ashe took a spear.
"Calm down. That is no lion." Brandon soothed them.
"Remarkable." Dylan murmured. "He looks exactly like a lioness."
"They will make their lionesses and lions look like other big cats. So we will make us look like them." Brandon nodded.
"How do we know that they will use it?" Lachlan questioned once more.
"It is guaranteed. They have already started to use it." Brandon snapped back.
"How long does it take?" Dylan asked.
"With four sets of hands it only takes 5 minutes." Brandon replied.
"I'll send some women over to learn." Dylan nodded.
"So will I." Chief Falcor agreed.
"Fine. I will too." Lachlan rolled his eyes.
"Each tribe will send over a group of warriors to a different tribe every time. The best from every tribe will teach the group how to make their weakness one of their strengths." Brandon said.
"Very well. Tomorrow it begins. We cannot wait no longer." Chief Falcor agreed.
"That is true and so tomorrow it shall begin." Dylan nodded before getting up to leave.
"I thank you all for coming." Jackie nodded as she beckoned them away.
Dylan's mountain lion shook its fur, before joining them. The once painted mountain lion was now clean and free of any speckled paint. Rider and James took the group of Chiefs to the border before returning.
"That was an interesting meeting." Rider sighed as he finally sat down.
"Interesting alright. I can't help to say that Lachlan wasn't himself." Jackie murmured.
"Would you when you found out that your evil sister was still alive." Rider pointed out.
"Yeah, but you would think that he would be, oh I don't know..." Jackie paused.
"Enthusiastic?" Rider shrugged.
"Something just isn't sitting right." Jackie murmured to herself.