Awaken (13 page)

Once, when Ben and me had been real
young, he had challenged me to see who could jump from the highest
rock ledge above the old swimming hole. Never one to back down from
his challenges I had climbed straight to the top, the highest ledge
possible. I had jumped, convinced it was going to be my best dive
ever. Only when I hit the water I hit belly first and it felt like
every breath of air was knocked clean out of my lungs. I couldn’t
breathe, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t think. This is that same
feeling! I watch Finn go over that edge and my body is gone
numb…useless. I can still hear the beasts shrieking off to the side
but it don’t matter. Not anymore…Finn is gone!

I can hear someone yelling, but they
sound so far away. Who’s yelling? I slowly realize that it’s Tater.
He’s yelling Finn’s name, over and over again. It’s like his
yelling somehow wakes me up and my body starts moving again. I push
him out of the way as I run to the edge. I have to see with my own
eyes before I can believe it. Desperately I scan the ground below
fearing for what I will find. I search for Finn’s broken body, my
ragged, panicked breaths loud in my own ears. I keep searching but
he ain’t there. Where is he?

“
Tara…”

The voice is weak and terrified but it
fills me with such relief my knees go numb. There he is….I see him!
He’s sprawled on a ledge jutting out of the mountain, about halfway
down the rocky slope we’re on. Thank gods…he’s alive!

“
Finn!” I yell. “Are you
okay? Are you hurt?”

At first there’s no answer. He’s
blacked out, I think. But then…

“
My leg hurts some but I
think….I think I’m okay.”

I can feel the tears welling up but I
quickly dash them away. No time for tears.

“
Don’t move! I’m gonna get
you up!” I say.

If only I knew how. I look around me
wildly, looking for something….anything to help the boy. Tater by
now has gotten the iron shooter out of my sling bag but it’s just
hanging limply at his side as he stares at me dazed. He don’t need
it, the two beasts have disappeared, which is good. I ain’t got
time to be worried about Cat. My eyes fall onto Winnie’s
saddlebags.

“
Tater you got rope in them
saddlebags?”

“
Rope? Yes. Yes! I have a
rope,” he says and heads for the saddlebags.

He don’t move quick enough for my
liking. At the first yes I head for them, knocking him out of my
way again. I don’t give a care for what else is in the bags, I dump
them on the ground, the contents spewing everywhere. I just want
that damn rope! There! It’s a nice thick cotton rope and I
desperately pray in my head for it to be long enough. I run back to
the edge.

“
Finn,” I yell down. “I’m
gonna make a loop in the rope and lower it down. All you gotta do
is put it round you underneath your arms and we’ll pull you up. Can
you do that?”

“
Yeah…I think so,” he yells
back, but he sounds so frightened.

“
Good boy,” I say. Swiftly I
make the loop in the end of the rope and cross it again to make a
sturdy knot. The other end I tie round my own waist real tight. I
weren’t taking no chances of that rope slipping out of my hands. I
kneel over the edge and start lowering it down. Please be long
enough, I pray. A moment goes by.

“
I got it!” he
yells.

I close my eyes in relief…thank
gods.

“
Okay good. Now be careful!
Don’t move too quick. Put the loop over your head and move it down
under your arms so it’s cross your chest.”

I wait for him to do as I say, holding
my breath. That ledge was so narrow! Just one wrong move, I think.
I can hear Tater behind me muttering, “Oh dear, oh dear, oh
dear…”

“
Okay.” I hear Finn’s
quivering voice from below. So far so good.

“
Now the end of the rope
that’s sticking out, I want you to pull on it ‘til the rope is
tight round your chest. Pull ‘til it’s tight
understand?”

I can feel movement of the rope on my
end as he does what I tell him to, then….

“
It’s tight Tara...I did
it!”

“
Good boy! Now hold onto
that rope ‘cause we’re gonna pull you up now. Hold it tight
Finn!”

I get to my feet. Tater is still
aimlessly pacing but runs straight for me as I motion for him to
grab the rope. I move back and he stands in front of me hanging
onto the line still muttering…or praying, I ain’t sure.

“
Now Tater!” I say and we
start pulling, slowly so as not to hurt Finn. Little by little we
reel the rope in ‘til finally a tuft of red hair comes peeking over
the edge, followed by a pair of huge, frantic eyes. He’s swinging
wildly to and fro and one of his skinny arms reaches desperately
for the rock ledge trying to grab it. I yell at Tater.

“
I got the rope…go help
him!”

Tater grabs for the flailing arm while
I keep pulling. Once I see Tater has a good grip on the boy I give
one last tug and we get his body onto solid ground. Tater throws an
arm around Finn and drags him away from the edge. They both fall to
their knees once they’ve cleared the edge, gasping for air. I join
them, grabbing Finns shoulders real tight. A mixture of emotion
starts coursing through me. Relief at his being safe, but I can
feel my anger brewing at his not heeding my words to run. Instead
he had been stupid enough to head right into the path of the
fighting beasts. He had almost gotten himself killed! What the hell
had he been thinking? Why didn’t he listen to me? I want to shake
him ‘til his teeth rattle but, lucky for him, the relief wins
out.

“
Are you hurt?” I ask
gruffly, trying not to let my anger show, and running my hands over
his arms feeling for any injuries.

“
Don’t think so….just my leg
is banged up some is all.” His answer is shaky but at least the
color is coming back to his face now. Tater starts laughing and
does his crazy little clap.

“
Thank the gods for this
glorious miracle indeed! We rescued the boy! We are truly heroes
Tara! Well us and that magnificent cat of yours boy, for without
her we’d probably be in the digestive track of that other beast
right about now.”

At the mention of Cat Finn brushes my
probing hands away and looks ‘round with wild eyes.

“
Cat! Is she okay? Where is
she?” he asks, frantically.

Tater tries to calm him
down.

“
No need to worry my little
friend. Last I saw of your she devil she was chasing that mountain
cat off with its tail between its legs.”

“
Truly Tater?” he asks,
fighting the tears that are now threatening to flow.

“
Cross my heart,” Tater
says. “And as my dear mother used to say…”

“
Tater…shut up,” I say. I
don’t know why I say it, it just comes out of me. The offended and
incredulous look on the half man’s face at my words puts me into a
fit of laughter. I cain’t help it. I ain’t sure if it’s relief or
shock, maybe a bit of both, but I cain’t stop laughing. Then Finn
starts laughing too…and finally Tater joins in. We’re all laughing
uncontrollably. Finn laughs so hard he starts hiccupping which
makes us laugh even more.

“
Well, well boys…seems like
we’ve interrupted a celebration.”

The voice is gravelly rough and totally
unexpected. Instinctively I push Finn behind me and whirl around.
Who spoke I ain’t sure ‘cause there’s about nine, ten men standing
there, watching us. Least I suspect they’re men, they don’t look
like any men I’ve ever seen before. Their faces are marked with
weird stripes of green and black and their hair is all decorated
with feathers and beads and such. They were a peculiar sight
indeed. As scared and surprised as I am, it also fascinates me.
What the hell are they? Even their way of dress is so strange. Oh
they were wearing tunics and trousers all right but their chests
and shoulders are covered with such an array of objects....settler
relics I’m guessing. One of them steps in front of me and my eyes
are instantly drawn to the small, rounded pieces of metal attached
all over his tunic. There’s so many they’re making me dizzy so I
focus on the faded red one with the white lettering. I can barely
make out the fancy writing. C O L A, I think it says. So odd! What
does that mean?

I don’t got much time to think about it
though ‘cause the weapons they are carrying quickly outweigh my
fascination with their clothing. Their shooters are massive, about
twice as long as the one we have and they are pointing directly at
us. In all the hullabaloo of Finns rescue we ain’t heard even a
foot step of their approach. Tater starts cussin’ under his breath
behind me and his next words make me shiver in fear.

“
Damn the gods luck!
Raiders!”

Raiders? Shizen Ben, the old folk were
speaking the truth. They are real!

***************************************************************************

We have been walking for hours feels
like, through the rain, all in a single file…Tater, then Finn then
me. All of us tied together with the same rope we had used to
rescue Finn off the rock ledge. The raiders had thought it
hilarious that we were already tied together, they had a good laugh
at that. At first Tater had tried to reason with them. He had tried
to convince them that we were just poor traders traveling
through….how they had no reason to have any interest in us. How we
had nuthin of value that they could possibly want. They had
listened in silence, then just knocked him off his feet and
proceeded to rob him of his flute, his spyglass, even his hat. The
one to the left of me now was wearing it, off to the side of his
head all cocky like. I glare at him with all the hatred I’m feeling
inside right now but he just winks at me. The mule turd!

They had taken everything, gone through
every bag. My iron shooter, my bow, my knives, Taters wares. They
had even found Winnie along the way and she was now being led along
just like the rest of us. Finn is limping something fierce on the
muddy trail…he had truly banged up his leg in his fall. I had
pleaded with them to at least let the boy ride on the mule. He was
in pain, I had said, let him ride the rest of the way. All that had
gotten me was a hard slap across the face. Finn had cried out at
this.

“
I’m okay Tara,” he had
said. “I don’t need to ride. Don’t worry about me.”

Brave kid. He was hiding his pain to
keep me quiet. He don’t want to see me get hit again. So I watch
him ahead of me limping and wincing but not saying a word, holding
it all in. I can feel my hatred at these raiders growing inside of
me with every painful step he takes.

I have no idea what direction we’re
moving in. We’re way off the mountain pass we had been traveling
through. Obviously their intention wasn’t to take us through the
mountains but deeper into the mountains themselves. I had tried to
ask Tater if he knew where we were heading but all that had gotten
me was another painful whack between my shoulder blades, this time
with the butt of an iron shooter. It had taken all my willpower not
to spit right in the raiders face, it had been Finns look of
concern for me that had stopped me. So I behave. But I keep
watching. I need to know which way to go once we escape.

So far there ain’t been so sign of Cat,
which was probably a good thing. As brave and strong as she was she
didn’t stand a chance against so many powerful iron shooters. If
she were to attack she could probably take out a couple of the
raiders, maybe more if she wasn’t injured too badly from her tangle
with the other devil cat, but they would take her down for sure. I
know Finn is fearing the same as I’m thinking ‘cause I can see his
head swinging back and forth, checking the hills and woods for any
sign of her. No it was best she weren’t around right now, though
sooner or later she would pick up on our scent. I’m hoping she’s as
smart as Finn says she is and knows to stay away but when it came
to protecting Finn she was like a mama and its cub. I pity the
raider who might raise a hand to Finn if she was anywhere near
us.

The trail we’re walking on now snakes
around the edge of a steep slope and we come out on a rise atop of
a rocky valley. My heart drops at the sight lying before us and the
three of us stumble to a stop. It’s the Raiders camp. There’s
canvas covered shelters and lean-to’s scattered everywhere. The
valley floor is dotted with campfires and more Raiders. They’re
everywhere. So many of ‘em. There must be about a hundred or more!
Finn looks back at me, his eyes wide with fear. I feel the same
fear but I don’t let it show. I just nod at him like it’s going to
be okay. The leader of our captors lets out a loud echoing whoop
and there’s an answering call from the valley floor.

“
Move,” we are ordered, and
we do as told. Our arrival is starting to draw attention so by the
time we reach the camp the Raiders are lined up to get a good look
at us. I’m shocked to see women amongst them, but they’re gawking
and laughing at us just like their men folk. We get prodded and
poked as we are herded through the camp. One of them, I cain’t see
who, snatches my hat from my head and I can hear her pleased
squawking at her new prize.

We’re finally stopped in front of a
canvas shelter, but it ain’t like the others we have seen. This is
a full out canvas shanty with a flap for a door and all. It ain’t
all open like the rest of them. We’re lined up side by side in
front of the flap and the crowd falls silent, all at once like
somebody had given them a signal. My heart is thumping in my chest
and without all the hollering and whooping now I can actually hear
it! We stand there, silent, waiting….I ain’t sure for what and I
don’t know what to expect. Suddenly the flap is thrown back and a
man emerges. No… giant would be a more apt word. He stands about
two heads over me with massive muscled bare arms and a chest so
wide he could probably crush a soul to death from just a hug! His
hair is not decorated like the rest of the raiders but hangs round
his dark face in long odd ropes. On his head he wears a hat unlike
anything I have ever seen. It looks to be some sort of black shiny
metal and there’s a tiny spike sticking straight up out of the top.
A settler’s relic to be sure, I think. His presence is so
overwhelming I can feel my innards clench. Finn unconsciously moves
closer to me so our arms are touching, looking for some form of
reassurance. The man silently regards us for a bit with hooded
eyes. I cain’t read any emotion from him at all. Finally, he
speaks.