Most of us long to "Be" but when the path gets too costly, or steep, we take solace in what we "Have." Remove the trappings of what we own and then what is the sum of us?
They were the survivors, abandoned by the allies who swore to protect, in...
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The following day the weather had lifted somewhat, though the wind was still blustery, ensuring it would be a hard, cold ride; but Aurianne impatient to locate her enemies' whereabouts was up early saddling her horse. The hoarfrost crunched under Isabou's sturdy hooves, her eager chestnut mare covering the arid desert easily. The signs of the climatic turmoil lay everywhere to be witnessed. The frozen dead littered the frigid earth, beast, and plant alike. Leafless trees and shrubs dotted the stark landscape, their twisted interlaced branches devoid of the birds and reptiles that had once called them home.
That first excursion yielded little clue as to the location of those she sought, and Aurianne was deeply disappointed. Returning as the evening drew into her modest shelter and the comfort of the fire. Aurianne was weary, but she had no desire to sleep, her dreams of recent evenings making rest seem an unpalatable option. She sat looking into the depths of the burning wood dying to embers until she could keep her heavy-lidded eyes open no longer.
The next day the wind had died completely, and the plains above were lifeless, silent, and still. The young woman had never explored the terrain this far from her village, she noted every landmark no matter how subtle judiciously, lest she lose her way. Aurianne gazed up at the sunless sky, the heavy gray cloud cover still held sway, it had seemed forever since she had seen the sun, moon, or stars, and she missed them.
It was nearing midday when she rode through the ruins of a ransacked village. The settlement had not seen signs of life for a very long time, the blackened timbers and twisted iron silent sentinels, to those who were long gone.
She halted her horse and slid from the saddle, this would be a good moment to rest her ever-eager mare and maybe explore a little. Isabou's breath plumed in the cold, as the statuesque woman gazed about her. Nothing moved, rusted car bodies and old appliances dotted the surrounding landscape. The central well had been pushed in and now appeared unusable. A pity she thought, her mare could have done with a refreshing drink before they moved on.
Aurianne meandered through the twisted and burned wreckage deftly, avoiding sharp metal, twisted wire, and broken glass. A faded child's doll sat on one of the broken buildings' doorstep, and further away a beloved pink teddy bear lay half buried amongst shattered bricks from a collapsed wall.
The shine of the brass of a bullet casing caught her eye, a 30.30 caliber. Shreds of torn clothing and household items scattered willy nilly in the streets; in between the buildings, and spilling from the broken windows.
Much violence had occurred here, and Aurianne inadvertently shivered. Other signs of the long-ago slaughter were still apparent. Stark white bones littered the ground, some charred, most broken and scattered by wild beasts. Aurianne did not have to look too closely to see the majority of the remains were human. A dog skull and what looked like horse bones were lying there as well.
Her mare stamped restlessly tossing her noble head, eager to be on the move, pulling impatiently on the bit. She remounted and let her horse have her wish, the great mare stepped forward deftly avoiding the sharp twisted iron and the charred wood with her immense hooves.
Aurianne was about to ride away when she sighted a disturbance in the cold earth, she reigned her horse about, the mare pirouetting on her hind legs as she turned.
Riding over to investigate further she could discern great scrapes in the earth where it would appear some of the heavy wooden beams had been dragged out and loaded onto a waiting cart. The tracks, deep furrows in the soft sand were still very evident, disappearing further to the south. Aurianne remounted and urged Isabou forward, the mare as always needed little coaxing.
Aurianne was baffled, the plains stretched before her were broken only by the dark iron stone outcrops, and there were no telltale plumes of smoke, or huddles of habitation anywhere to be seen. As she entered the realm of the softer, shifting sands, the tracks evaporated, all she could hope was if she pushed further south they would either resume, or the habitation of her enemies would appear.
The afternoon was fast passing by, it would be night soon, and inadvisable to be stranded out here on the flats in the cold. Yet she had no desire to turn back as she felt she was close to her enemy. As Aurianne was thinking this she spied the hulking shapes of two wooden carts; sure enough, they were recognizable as the ones from her village, their traces empty, piled high with charred beams. Yet there was no sign of a settlement anywhere.
The young woman drew closer to the ox carts, her usually smooth brow furrowed in bafflement, exercising great caution. There was most certainly no one about so she took a few more steps gingerly forward on her solid mare. She gasped as she suddenly registered the secluded valley, its walls plunging downward, cradling the traces of habitation far below.
Swiftly drawing Isabou away from the sides of the sheer incline lest she be seen, Aurianne secluded the great mare as best she might behind a rocky outcrop some distance from the fissure. She had to hope that none of the savages were up top and would chance to sight her mount. She may have already been spotted, though she doubted this as no cries of alarm carried to her ears; besides it was bitterly cold, and they would not be expecting an attack, surely in this kind of weather.
Emboldened by this, she took the risk to wriggle on her belly toward the side of the cliff face. The valley was deep, much deeper than she had surmised from her first careful glances. There appeared to only be one path down, it was steep and narrow, the upper portion very exposed, she could not hope to descend it in broad daylight.
She took in the circular collection of huts made from shipping containers with tarpaulins for shelters stretched between them and the inviting bonfire fire glowing in the mouth of the large cave. Aurianne had to admit this place had been chosen well, and it would be difficult to gain access. She would have to retreat and think this out with care and precision.
To occupy her remaining time until nightfall the woman edged close to the fall away, careful not to send any telltale stones clattering down below. She lay low hugging the cold earth, feeling the chill cooling her even now. The night promised to be even colder, but she needed to stay and brave its hazards, and in the fast dimming light she could make out the well and noticed a woman drawing water.
Unlike those who had devastated her village Aurianne's vengeance did not extend to the innocent civilians. She would kill the men responsible and leave if she were able, that was all she asked. Deep down though she was sure this mission she had undertaken would be her last. She was only one against many after all. Again she revisited the words of the strange man of her dreams, her simple weapons would kill many but not all? What did that mean? Her aim was steady, her arrows true and sharp, and she puzzled over the phrase which had never left her.
*****
It was an evening as unremarkable as the many preceding it, the plunging temperatures ensuring that all here lived in close quarters. There was little privacy, but as with a very close-knit group of people that had been together a long time, the familiarity had dulled many inhibitions for the most part. The majority of the men had no issue taking a woman to their furs, even while their counterparts sat close by, eating, smoking, or playing dice.
Bennett presiding over his clan wished he had the luxury to do the same, and had instead spent the recent evenings brooding on how he might intend to head off the malcontent he could see on the horizon. The incident over the slaughter of two women taken on the last raid had in hindsight not been one of his better decisions. The few meager rations the women may have consumed paled into naught alongside the resentment it had seeded.
He had already eaten his fill of the stringy beef and was regarding his slave on the floor by his feet. Bennett wriggled his toes in his scuffed black boots that came to his upper calf, despite the fire they felt cold.
Carlos was huddled abjectly in an old army-issue, woolen blanket. For many years now their destinies had been firmly entwined, and it would appear at long last Bennett had finally broken him completely. The cruel man smiled at this realization, he had never thought he would actually see it. However here tonight he knew its truth.
*****
Aurianne descended the treacherous pathway, feeling her way gingerly in the dark, step by slow step. The sharp dead twigs burgeoning with two-inch thorns stabbed at her flesh drawing crimson beads of blood. Ahead of her as she reached the bottom of the path Aurianne could see to the other side, the well-lighted cavern and its inhabitants. Carefully she edged towards the collection of shipping containers, their rectangular black outlines squatting in a rough ring about what she assumed was a central well.
There seemed no alternate way of returning to the top and her waiting horse. The woman bent on vengeance tried hard not to reflect on the remote likelihood of her leaving this place. She scanned the entire compound, keen eyes sighting through the gloom, she could afford no surprises. There were no dogs she could see. Only a few very gaunt horses grazed and stood, heads down to the side of the valley sheltering as best they might from the cold.
The center of the compound seemed deserted, it was imperative she find a vantage point from where she could launch her attack. There would only be so long to capitalize on her advantage of surprise, every arrow had to count and be delivered with precision.
The ground was far from clean or clear, littered with discarded refuse. Aurianne accidentally kicked the remains of an old tin can, the noise sounded obscenely loud as the item clattered away into a bush.
Fortunately, her quarry continued as before, not registering her presence. Breathing deeply she continued forward, she could see into the well-lit overhang more clearly now, as she edged into the shadows of the cattle truck. She recognized the faces of many in the cave, yes these men were the ones who had decimated her village and life. Golden in their center was the man who had confronted her, the shaggy blond brute caressing what looked to be an underage girl, and Aurianne felt a sharp twinge of revulsion.
Looking up at the sturdy steel cattle trailer Aurianne decided this would be the best place to gain elevation for her attack, climbing it swiftly and sure-footedly. Laying on the length of the cold steel top Aurianne took her time, the site she had chosen was problematic. This trailer was set to one side of the cave and only two-thirds of it afforded line of sight, but there were no better options.
She fretted at the unknown possibilities, would the civilians aid the armed men when she commenced her attack, or would they simply flee? She unslung her bow and drew an arrow from her well-stocked quiver.
"For you Mother." She whispered lovingly, pulling taught her bowstring.
Aurianne was no stranger to battle and had defended her village numerous times against ragged bands of armed invaders. Men just like these. She did not delight in death as these men did, but she would not flinch from it either. The warrior woman stood tall and strong, legs planted wide, bow poised taught ready to unleash her rain of fury.
She sighted the large blond warrior for the first hit, but the squirming girl was in her way, she would have to try for him later, there were easier targets to be had.
The first speeding arrow hit Sean, piercing him right through the chest, he fell to the stone lifeless with a thud scattering the embers from the fire. Fighting men that they were, the warriors did not sit long in shock, but Aurianne was already sending her second arrow toward her intended target. Todd fell next, shot in the shoulder, and lay writhing on the ground.
Aran pushed Maya to the floor with more force than he intended, rising from his furs in a fluid motion, his broadsword already in his hand seeking blood. He heard the missile strike the blackened blade with a metallic thunk and veer off to fall harmlessly to the floor. The great weapon had blocked the clear shot at his heart.
Even in the chaos the warrior had registered the distinctive feathering on the shafts. Aran's heart raced, not because he had just cheated death, but out there in the dark was the woman who had bested him, and he wanted her.
All had witnessed Aran's miraculous escape from the arrow with his name on it, and most were baffled to see that the man instead of going for cover was heading to the rear of the cave in full view of the archer beyond. Bennett and Gareth took the cue covering Aran with sporadic fire from their pistols into the darkness. The other men hunkered down, their hastily gathered weapons at the ready.
Still, the sharpshooter was undaunted, another arrow thudded into the stone just behind him, but Aran made for the smith shattering the heavy chain that tethered him to the immobile stone with his sword, as though it were mere rope. He thrust the large man before him using his great size as a very effective shield, pushing him into the firelight. If Aran had guessed correctly she would halt her fire.
Aurianne felt demoralized, this had not gone as planned. Only one man dead, and one wounded. Aghast at the magnificent blond giant who had avoided her mark completely with his impossible sword parry. However, she lost all her nerve when she sighted Darius, the man who had been the truest Father to her, held firmly in the brutal warrior's grasp. The sword he had stolen from her mother was poised to finish him.
Through the confusion Darius too had identified the distinctive arrows with the flights from ravens, they could be none other than Aurianne's. Aran with the subtlest of gestures motioned to the men to fan out and leave either side of the cave to scour the compound. Aurianne registered this with alarm, she had only moments to retreat before she was cut off completely.
"Finish me Aurianne!" The smith unexpectedly shouted into the night.
Aran slapped a hand hard over the man's mouth, so hard he cut his palm on the smith's teeth, He pushed the sword harder into the base of the man's thick neck, beads of ruby blood forming in a line on Darius's flesh. No more arrows sped from the darkness.
With all the grace and athleticism of a deer, Aurianne jumped from the roof of the trailer to the hard-packed ground below, betraying her position. The men heard her, Aran included; shoving the chained man hard to the stone and sprinting after her powerfully. It was imperative he capture her before the others did, she was his.
Aurianne ran for her life. All the years of hunting and playing in the woods had served her well, she was agile and fit, faster than most of the heavy-set men. She spied the welcome clearing before the path mindless of the box thorns, and steeled herself for the hard vertical climb she must make at speed.
Halfway up Aurianne risked a look behind, startled the bare-chested, blond warrior was gaining ground on her even though he had started way behind the others. The scare spurred her on, finding new speed she was almost to the top.
The ground fell out from under her as she tripped and fell on some loose shale, she scrambled breathlessly to her feet, knees cut, thankful she had not pitched over the sheer edge. The terrible visage of the savage man just behind her now, muscles rippling, wild hair flying, and the gold adornments he wore on mass jingling, closing in like a beast of prey.
The fleeing woman made the flat ground. The man was only feet behind her, she heard the hiss of steel sliding from oiled leather as he drew his sword, wincing, waiting for the feel of the cold steel to decapitate her any moment. The blow never came, out of the dark from behind a rock darted a black dog. Aurianne caught sight of it as it passed just behind her, the animal yelping as the man tailing her tripped over the hound, falling with force, his weapon clanging loudly on the stone.
Isabou's dark bulk loomed just ahead. Aurianne made for her faithful mare leaping onto her broad back. Only then did she dare turn to look behind, to see the blond warrior regaining his feet, the black dog nowhere in sight, as she spurred her mount into a gallop. Vowing next time she would plan her retribution with more care.
Aran stood helplessly watching the woman ride away, his great chest heaving, sweat coated his strong body even in this cold, his sword point carelessly dug into the earth, hanging loosely from his grasp. The impetuous young warrior had no breath to spare to utter the strings of profanities his mind was racing with at this moment. The others caught up to him surrounding the blond man, they too staring after the retreating horse's rump and its rider.
Gareth was the first to speak. "That was a woman!" He said incredulously.
Though tired, some of the men laughed.
"Trust my brother to be the one who pursues her hardest," Sven added.
More sniggering laughter followed. Aran shot the men a withering glance obvious even in the darkness, walking a little distance to sheathe his weapon with an angry flourish, he was not in the mood for humor. His bad temper though soon subsided at his leader's voice directed at him.
"Let's return to the fire, we need to talk Aran."
The men returned to the camp below, the smith had not got far chained as he was, and the men subdued him brutally with savage punches and kicks, dragging him to Bennett's place by the hearth. Sven and Gareth standing over him, the beaten man's eyes downcast to the stone.
The camp was in disarray, furs scattered, vessels upturned. Raissa once she was sure it was safe left little Eirik in Maya's care to tend to Todd's wound. Finding she did not have the strength to pull the shaft from the man's shoulder, having to wait for the warrior's return.
Bennett resumed his place by the fireside and motioned Aran to take the seat beside him. The golden warrior did so sitting cross-legged, elbows resting on his knees trying his best to look casual. Inside he was nervous sensing punishment, or at the very least to be made sport of.
Bennett called for drinks, and Lucy brought them without hesitation. The leader sipped the thin wine from his tankard casually as he withdrew the double-sided dagger he always carried from its place in his tall, black boot, resting it in the glowing embers of the fire.
"So tell me Aran. How do you explain your actions of this evening?" It was one of Bennett's deadly open-ended questions.
Aran like these not at all. He gazed up at his elder brother who stood still and impassive, muscled arms crossed over his chest, his expression deadpan. Gareth was all but sniggering. Aran looked from them to his superior, the ice-blue eyes met his vibrant green ones. Aran found it hard to hold his gaze steady, the flogging still heavily etched into his mind, the scars still prominent on his back.
Pig and Dwayne removed the smoldering body of Sean from the hearth, the cave stunk of acrid burning hair and flesh. Todd moaning in the background as he was being treated by Will and Raissa. Bennett smiled a twisted, cruel smile, feeding off his subordinate's fear waiting for the answer.
Aran decided at once he would tell a half-truth and pray it would be sufficient explanation. Knowing Bennett would not hesitate to mutilate him, and even Sven would not come to his aid. He swallowed nervously and committed to his answer. His leader, not a man to be trifled with, even for one as accomplished as he.
"I saw the woman on the roof of the blacksmith in the raid, she was the one shooting at us. I did not know she was a woman though... Until later, much later... when I saw her inside the building with the smith clearly. When the building caught fire I saw her escape from the roof and went after her to kill her."
"Kill her?" Bennett reiterated mockingly interrupting Aran's explanation. "Don't you mean fuck her Aran? That's what you really meant to say, wasn't it?"
The men on hearing this broke into raucous laughter, even his brother joined in halfheartedly. Aran paused, he was not sure how to go on.
The next thing he knew Bennett had his unwelcome hand hard in his groin, crushing his testicles painfully, his leader's face close to his own. The invasion of his personal space was uncomfortable in the extreme, made even worse by the knowledge this man was by preference homosexual. Aran winced wanting to twist free, but he did not dare.
"You, my boy, are ruled by your cock, don't think I haven't noticed it! You could have easily finished off a mere woman, but you spared her to fuck her, and she got away, didn't she?"
Aran opened his mouth in denial only to close it again wordless. Bennett slapped Aran's face hard cutting his inner lip on his teeth.
"I've had enough of your shit!" Bennett spat close to his face spittle flying, his fierce eyes never leaving the object of his fury. "You alone compromised the safety of this camp. YOU cost Sean his life, injured Todd, and gave away our position, and why? All because of your insatiable prick! That's why!" He roared, the large, strong hand continuing to crush Aran's manhood, painful in the extreme.
The next moment he was shoved hard backward, Bennett rose and stood over him. Aran lay prone, looking up, knowing any further explanation would not be needed or listened to.
"I will decide what to do with you later, leave us."
The command was final and brooked no refusal, the young warrior retrieving his fur cape, dismissing himself to the side of the cave and the waiting, fearful Maya. He observed the angry bruise on her face would be very black come tomorrow. He was sorry he had pushed the slight girl so roughly.
The remaining warriors huddled about the hearth as Bennett proceeded to apply the searing hot blade to the smith to loosen his tongue. He wanted to know all about this lone woman who could shoot like Renard and had the nerve to attack them on their home ground.
*****
Aurianne rode hard throughout the night. Isabou willing and strong. She dared not travel immediately to the oasis but opted to ride a distance to the south circling about in the soft sand dunes that would by morning cover her tracks well before it was light. The woman felt her pursuers would not follow too soon, and probably not in the darkness. Their ragged mounts were in no condition to keep pace with hers.
It was light before she rode into the surrounds of the oasis, the herd of horses and cattle were still there, and all in the cave just as she had left it. Aurianne unsaddled her mare wiping the sweat and flecks of foam from her chestnut coat, setting her free to graze with the herd below.
The woman was tired, and for now, there would be time to rest before she planned her next foray. She loosened the tight leather bodice and lay down in the furs, pulling them up about her shoulders. She was very weary, but her mind would not submit to the rest her body so badly desired. All she could think of was how to rescue Darius, if it was not already too late.
