Light, Glorious Light

Pride Home

"Disarm them," ordered the woman in grey.

Maira assumed a combat stance, the Reavers raised their rifles.

"May, stop!" Akiva said as she put herself between the deadly ends of the guns and her friend. She lowered her voice so that Maira was the only one who could hear her. "They won't hesitate to kill you. Stay calm, and trust me."

"I will say this only once. Comply and avoid unnecessary pain." The grey woman raised her machete for emphasis. The other women laughed nasty laughs that made the hairs on Akiva's neck prickle. Reavers were notorious oath breakers.

The scout and the valkyrie complied, and their gear was confiscated. Their belongings were placed in netting and given into the care of a woman in a red niqab. Everything except for their Armpads. Each was rigged against tampering, and no one dared tinker with them. May watched it all with angry eyes. Akiva feared the fiery haired woman's temper would flare up and make a bad situation worse.

The woman in grey met Maira's stare. She pointed with the head of her blade. "I will cut those eyes out of your head," she threatened.

"Bria doesn't like your friend, Field Mouse," Latisha laughed. "We want them at their best, Bria. No?"

"I will leave her one, Latisha. Then she ca-"

Tentacles snatched Bria around the waist and yanked her backward into the eager grasp of a slavering infected. He bit into her neck as he ripped off her garments. She screamed, and the monster howled. Latisha fired from the hip and the creature's head exploded. More shots followed and the limp body tumbled over the cliff edge, dragging Bria's shouting form after. Akiva watched the woman's wide eyes as she disappeared out of sight, feeling nothing for the abrasive woman who she never knew. The reavers rushed to the edge and fired over the side until they were sure no more of the infected had survived the destruction of the bridge.

Akiva might have attempted to escape, but the woman in red kept a careful eye on the girls from Phalanx. When Latisha gave the order to withdraw it was the red woman that prodded the girls along. Their captors gave consideration to Akiva's injuries and allowed Maira to carry her on her back. They let the valkyrie set the pace, but allowed no breaks and no stops.

After a time the party of eight passed a set of walled off gardens tended by abaya clad women, and guarded by armed reavers. The guards sat upon tall towers which gave them a view of the surrounding landscape. They would have substantial warning if infected ever drew near. It reminded Akiva of Phalanx. Her home was safely behind massive metal walls and guarded by valkyrie manned gun turrets. Neither infected nor bandits could hope to breach their walls.

"Are you seeing this, Kiva? These savages have learned to farm. The Mothers will want to know about this," Maira whispered.

"Don't stare, May. They take it as a sign of challenge."

The reaver town sat on and around a large hillock deep within the waste. It was a dwelling of moderate size consisting of an outer village and inner village. Both were surrounded by seven foot walls. They repelled attacks from infected, wild animals, other reaver clans, as well as valkyrie, and the occasional unexpected visitors.

Women covered from head to toe were chopping down trees in small clusters for lumber and firewood when the small party exited the bush. They looked up from their work to get a glimpse of the visitors as the group crossed the hundred yards of open field between the town walls and the surrounding glade. Akiva kept her head down, trying to avoid those searching eyes. She had far more enemies than friends among The Reavers of The Yellow Sun. No one stared too long, but all took note. Living in the waste was a hard life which taught the importance of taking what you could from whom you could whenever you could. The women were determining whether Akiva and Maira were predators or prey, and at the moment they resembled the latter. Akiva knew there'd been no other refuge to be found in this part of the waste, but wondered if she'd made the right choice in leading May to the Yellow Suns.

Bells heralded their arrival and the gates to the town opened on their approach. Wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters rushed out to greet the returning reavers. It was a communal side of the marauders that outsiders rarely, if ever, saw. Akiva had seen the contrast in her previous dealings with the reavers, but Maira was finding it hard to conceal her surprise. She swore under her breath as the women embraced, and shared news. Akiva thought she recognized a few friendly eyes, but didn't say anything.

"Field Mouse, welcome to Pride Home," Latisha said as she gestured outward.

"Her name is Akiva," Maira snarled. The bandage wrapped reaver stepped in front of Latisha, her eyes intense. May adjusted her grip on Akiva. Akiva tightened her arms around the valkyrie's neck.

"Kiva!"

"I don't think your friend likes me, Field Mouse. I don't think I like her," Latisha remarked. The bandaged woman rested her hand on a curved blade at her side.

"Last time I was here, it didn't have a name," Akiva said. "I think it's bigger too. The Lioness has been busy."

Latisha cocked her head to the side for a pregnant moment then laughed heartily. Akiva hated not being able to see the woman's eyes, it made it hard to read her mood. She took a deep breath and thought a prayer to The Great Mother. Akiva loosened her arms. She kissed Maira on the back of the neck, and willed the woman to relax.

"They're as quick to violence as Mother Maya is to tell a story," Akiva whispered. "Calm, remember?" Pressed against her back, Akiva could feel a portion of tension ease out of Maira's body.

"Latisha!" a large woman in white and brown robes called out.

"Johanna?" Latisha turned, giving her back to Maira. It was an insult among the reavers.

Maira was no reaver, unfamiliar with their ways. Akiva was thankful for that.

"The pale one looks strong, and her red hair will fetch a lot from the wig makers. I'll give you two long rifles and three boxes of ammo for her."

"No deal."

"Okay, six boxes if she's already broken in."

"I'll pay seven boxes," said the red reaver carry Akiva's stuff.

"Again no deal. They're both going to my mother," Latisha explained.

Johanna and the red woman locked eyes for a tense moment before the former relented and looked to the ground. She retreated back to a group of collared women in rags hawking ladles of potable water. She angrily kicked one of the slaves. Johanna dragged the woman to a wooden post and fastened her to the spot with a thick length of chain. The other women continued to barter their wares as if unphased by the sudden violence.

"You can bid on the pale one after The Lioness welcomes them, yes?" Latisha assured the red woman. She gestured for the group to continue uphill towards the town center.

"I'm not interested in laborers right now, and this one looks like she'd bite me if I let her in my bed. I merely wanted to deny Johanna an addition to her stock. She traded me a faulty shotgun last cold season."

"I thought you like it when they bite," commented one of the remaining reavers from their hunting party.

"It's true, it's true," commented the reaver in red. The women all laughed and continued on.

"Last time I was here there were no permanent buildings," Akiva said to Latisha as a crowd of brawling women forced the group to cluster together.

A woman had been caught stealing and members of her hunting party were fighting over who would exact revenge first.

"My mother took your suggestion to heart. Why wander the waste when we can create our own stronghold, no? Maybe one day we will rival Phalanx."

"Not likely," mumbled Maira under her breath. The bandaged reaver turned around with baleful eyes.

"I didn't expect The Yellow Sun to still be here. By this time in the season you would have moved on," Akiva said.

"Of course you didn't or you wouldn't have trespassed," Latisha said. "But you did, and ruined our crops in the process. So much like the field mouse you are."