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Chapter Text

Sangedakru lands - 10^th Moon Full

Heat; steady, heavy, heat. Like a slow suffocation it rises, turning limbs to lead and breath to racking coughs. Klark straightens her back yet again and rises up in the saddle trying to find a comfortable position so she can relax into her horse’s slow walk. Magpie shifts uneasily, her hooves in their leather over-boots are hot and even her rider’s light weight bears down on her spine; she shuffles and twitches trying to relieve a spike of pain from under her saddle. Klark’s gritted eyes blink behind darkened glasses and her tongue passes lightly over cracked dry lips. The linen cloth covering most of her head and face tastes of dirt and sand. The fine grains are everywhere. Looming ahead piled into towering dunes, underfoot in gravelly trails that snake across this sonorous landscape, inside her shirt and she suspects Magpie’s twitches are because some grains have made their way under her saddle. She’ll give her a thorough grooming when they next stop; that should be soon, under a glass she reckons as she looks up to see that the sun has climbed high into the sky and soon it will be too hot to travel at all.

Like all of the travellers in this group she is vigilant. Bandits are common in the borderlands of Sangedakru and although Heda (Commander) Leksa has brought peace between the twelve clans, that doesn’t mean those who seek power or to profit from war and chaos, stop sending assassins. Klark sighs, the number of assassination attempts has increased over the last year and Dax, one of Leksa’s body guards, is in in Polis recovering from a poisoned drink he tasted for Leksa three moons ago. Abi and Klark are confident he will recover but it will take a little more time for him to reach full fitness. Leksa increased her and Klark’s body guards to three each after that attempt. Klark’s gaze constantly scans from side to side, looking for anything that is out of place or unexpected. So far all she’s seen today is dunes and yet more dunes. Ahead of her is the trail and the back of the horse and rider she’s following. You can’t tell who that rider is from their physical characteristics. All of the travellers are wearing billowing robes, all-encompassing headdresses and darkened visors or glasses; she knows it’s Leksa because she can recognise her horse Skyracer, he’s a skewbald and the pattern of white, black and brown on his coat is just about discernible despite the dust.   They trudge on heading for the heartlands of Sangedakru .

A short while later Leksa raises her hand and the group comes to a halt. Gonas (warriors) dismount and pitch the big open sided canopies efficiently and in quick time everyone, horses included, takes cover from the now scorching sun. They’ll stay undercover for about five glasses to avoid the worst heat of the day. Watches will be set and rotated, travel rations eaten and water sipped. Short naps are taken and Klark envies those who, like Leksa, Onya and Raven, can nap at will. The horses are unsaddled and riders carefully brush through the short coats and longer manes. It’s too easy for saddle-sores to develop if the sand is allowed to accumulate amongst the hair and sweat.  Magpie and Skyracer are tended to by their riders and Leksa takes two small apples out of her pocket, so each horse gets a treat.

Heda and Hedatu get a little extra privacy under the canopy with light linen curtains but most of the time these are kept open to allow what little breeze there is to make its’ way to the overheated leaders. Klark finishes grooming Magpie and makes her way onto the patterned carpet laid as a makeshift groundsheet. Onya and Raven, using saddles as back rests, slump in tired heaps besides Leksa who is cutting up more apples to share with Klark and her companions.

As they sit on the finely woven carpet and lean on their saddles a very tall thin dark-skinned woman makes her way under the canopy to join them. They all greet the Sangedakru chief Caris. She has taken the trouble to personally act as guide to Heda and Hedatu as they complete this part of Heda’s Progress through her lands.

“Come Caris sit with us and tell Klark what to expect in Jer.” Jer is Sangedakru’s largest settlement and Klark has already heard many things about it from Gaia and from Marcus Kane, the latter has spent most of the last year in Jer setting up a green-house system that will allow the people of Sangedakru to grow some of their own food. Growing things is difficult in Sangedakru because daytime temperatures are so high that all surface water burns off well before midday; unprotected plants just wither and die. Cactus and some very tenacious grasses are about the only things that can survive.  At night the temperatures drop well below freezing and waking up to your furs covered in ice is not uncommon. Capturing, storing and using the icy water that condenses out overnight is what Marcus has been working on with the kru (group / clan) and the way Caris is smiling as she explains how her people’s staple diet of; cactus, lizards, mice, bats and coyotes has been supplemented by home grown corn, beans and squash; he’s been successful.  But soon conversation drops to a gentle murmur as the heat continues to build and the travellers become drowsy.

When dusk falls they pack-up and resume their journey. Caris leads them at a steady pace, soon the cold will start to snap and she wants to get her party to Jer before the moon sets.

As they ride through the night it’s easy to drop into an unthinking doze and Klark has to work hard to stay alert as Magpie, happier now that she isn’t wearing leather overshoes to protect her feet from the burning sand, walks at a steady amble behind Skyracer. The first new thing that Klark notices is a warm brightness on the northern horizon. Riding under the moon is a monochrome experience of silvery light that flattens the grey sandy landscape into two dimensions; black shadow or white light. Now she can see a yellowish glow and soon enough they are topping yet another dune and looking down onto an immense encampment of hundreds of tents, the whole surrounded by long low structures made of wood, metal and glass. The yellow light is from the many torches and small fires that burn throughout Jer.

They lead their horses for the last league, following Caris as she guides them through the crowded settlement towards her own huge complex of tents. When they arrive at an entrance decorated with colourful cloths and sparkling metalwork the horses are led away to be stabled, groomed and allowed to rest. The escorting gonakru goes with the horses, they will camp nearby. Leksa and Klark along with their six body guards, the Kongeda Bandronas (Ambassadors) Raven and Onya shoulder their saddle bags and are guided into and through the maze of hanging canvas, net and leather that is Caris’ seat of power. As they walk along narrow passages carpeted with well-worn rugs, amongst which Klark recognises some Louwoda-Kilron designs, they pass many side-rooms each containing one or two gonas who tend to small braziers that look and smell as if they are fuelled by dried horse dung. Klark muses, as she struggles to suppress a cough, that there probably isn’t much else to burn in Sangedakru’s bleak territory, wood is definitely hard to find. The Bandronas are all accommodated in the main complex, whilst Onya and Raven are given a large yurt like tent to themselves. Finally, Caris leads Leksa and Klark to a very richly furnished set of rooms, where jugs of steaming scented water stand next to beautifully decorated and worked metal basins. Caris bows respectfully and leaves them to their rest. Tomorrow there will be important meetings and a feast but their duties are complete for today. Gostos organises the guards’ stations and rotations and soon they are left alone. Both women shed their garments carefully, trying to avoid spreading the omnipresent sand around their rooms and then as best they can without a bath clean themselves. Blue cotton towels, that Klark recognises are from the spoils of Mount Weather, are provided and they carefully dry themselves and each other before slipping into thin pants and shirts.  They quickly slide under the thick furs as already the cold is biting. As they snuggle, Leksa rests her head on Klark’s breasts and heaves a happy sigh as she kisses the soft mounds. Klark smiles as she drifts towards sleep.

Sangedakru lands - 10^th Moon Waning Gibbous

Jer is lively in the early morning and Caris and Marcus are there to greet the party after they’ve had an interesting breakfast of corn tortillas served with pan-fried crickets and lizard sauce. Klark knows to avoid overdosing her food with the sauce, it’s fearsomely hot, but she’s never eaten crickets before; they taste a little weird in a crunchy sort of way but they work well with the tortillas. They both arm themselves lightly before walking with their escorts and guards to the outskirts of Jer, where the Bandronas wait for them outside a long low glass-house. Passing through an open-door Marcus takes them inside. It’s full of healthy-looking plants growing in pots that sit in shallow troughs of water.  The whole interior of the glass-house is bathed in a light that is bright but not scorching, diffused as it is through the whitewashed windows. The atmosphere inside is pleasant, neither too dry nor too humid and that control of the environment within the glass-house is, Marcus tells them, the key to a successful crop.  Each glass-house has a group of Guardians whose job is to control the temperature and humidity within that building. They open and close; windows, doors and the sluices that allow the water collected over-night to fill the troughs. They also manage the fires that ward off the night frosts.  Caris explains that the Guardians are given a portion of the crop as pay and so they are keen for it to do well. It’s an impressive set up and Klark finds herself lost in admiration at the artistic as well as technical abilities shown in the construction of the glass-house.  Glass is a valuable commodity within the Kongeda, currently scavenged from old buildings. Before the bombs glass was mass manufactured and very common, but after Priamfaya the ability to make glass was lost. As a result, the windows in the green-houses are made up from shards, slices, even slivers of old glass; that have been fixed into place within frames of wood or metal.  In some of the windows the glass has been arranged into beautiful patterns or even made into colourful figures and narratives. Klark can make out; horses, giant cacti, people in robes, all made out of coloured and shaped glass. It’s beautiful.

The day continues to go well. With Heda and Hedatu meeting many of the important families that control Sangedakru’s few resources. They also visit the horse pens, to admire the hardy ponies and Leksa and Onya have earnest conversations with the breeders about bloodlines and hocks!  Klark and Raven tune them out, horses are wonderful but horse breeding is not their thing. At last, they leave the horses and walk over to the very edge of the settlement where a small stone building is creating a heat haze all of its’ own.  Now Raven takes charge. Her sekens (seconds) Poppy and Rowan arrived ten days ago and have been working hard ever since setting up Raven and Sinclair’s latest project, the solar powered kiln.

The plan is to enable Sangedakru to expand their trade with other krus, so that it has  something other than lizard wine, old broken tek and mercenaries as tradeable currency.

Sangedakru lizard wine is so strong that drunk undiluted it’s poisonous and their gonas have a reputation for stamina, savagery and being a cheap hire! Before the Kongeda included all twelve krus Sangedakru usually allied with Azgeda against Trikru and even within the Kongeda they frequently supported Kwin Nia and her disruptive ideas.  Leksa would never say it to Caris’ face but Sangedakru has effectively been dominated by the larger and wealthier Azgedan kru for many years. Now with Roan focusing Azgeda’s resources on improving his people’s land and living conditions Sangedakru have to survive without the bribes of cheap wood, horse fodder and meat that Nia supplied. The recent successful wars; first against the Maunon (Mountain men) and then the Westerners have supported Sangedakru through the last two years as much booty was awarded to their capable gonas. But in the long-term they need items of value to trade as well as better nutrition. Heda and her advisors, including Hedatu and Raven, looked for solutions and after many long meetings, discussions, searches and research missions progress has been made. The green-houses have been in place for over a year and the first solar kiln was fired up five days ago.

What Sangedakru has in abundance is; sun, sand, limestone and dried out lake and riverbeds. That means that more than anywhere else in the Kongeda they have ready access to the ingredients to make glass. To get the trade up and running they need controllable heat and the skills of glassmaking and glassblowing.  Raven and Sinclair’s solar kilns can provide the heat, over 2000 degrees Celsius of it and Caris sent a kru of her people to Polis so they could learn the necessary glassmaking skills from the old books found in Heda’s library. The kru took classes with and practised alongside;  Raven, Sinclair, Tim Bartlett and Lisa Warren and they also learnt with them how to service and maintain a solar kiln. Now everything is ready to go. Poppy and Rowan successfully fired up the kiln and have loaded it with sand, soda ash and limestone. Today a glassblowing demonstration has been arranged for Heda’s visit. The newly made glass will be blown into bottles, one each for; Heda, Hedatu and all the Bandronas. The bottles will be made in-front of their important audience and each Bandrona will be presented with one that bears the sigil of Sangedakru. Like-wise Heda and Hedatu. After careful cooling the bottles can be taken back home as beautiful and useful samples of Sangedakru’s new trade goods.

The demonstration is spectacular. The glass-blowers or glass-smiths as they call themselves have a real flair for the dramatic. Their demonstration is performed like a flowing dance. The long metal blow-pipes dip into the molten glass and gather blobs of the syrupy liquid that they twist, blow and shape into the kick-up based bottles. The Bandronas, like Klark and Leksa, watch fascinated as the nearly finished bottles are rolled along a smooth metal topped table and a small badge, Sangedakru’s sigil, is embedded into the hot surface of each bottle. All of the watchers murmur their appreciation of the skills demonstrated.

Raven, Onya, Rowan and Poppy will stay in Jer for a moon to ensure the continuing successful operation of the kiln before handing it over to its’ four long term custodians Tim, Lisa, Gam and Belle. Tim and Lisa, two of the original 100 have worked in Polis for almost two years as sekens to a blacksmith and now they want to start a business of their own. Working together with Gam and Belle kom Sangedakru they will make Jer the go-to place for glass.

After the demonstration, sanch (lunch) and a nap break for the hottest part of the day the evening feasting starts. Like all krus who acts as hosts on ‘Heda’s Progress’ the people eat well because the food at the main feast is provided by Heda, so Klark doesn’t have to worry about what she’s eating and as she watches Caris enjoy the company of her houmon (spouse) Phil, she is grateful that she doesn’t have to worry about a kru’s Chief pursuing and flirting outrageously with Leksa either. That’s what she had to put up with in Podakru (and a diplomatic incident was only narrowly averted.) She thinks back a moon to the Podakru visit and as she is prone to do critically assesses her own behaviour and finds it wanting. She sighs and feels her face redden at the memories of that watery place.

Haven – Podakru. 9^th Moon first quarter

It was the first time Klark had spent any real time in Podakru and she’d looked forward to experiencing a new kind of landscape at the great lakes and new dishes to try of freshwater fish. Leksa has visited often, both before and after her ascension as Heda. As she explained to Klark, Podakru is a large and powerful kru that has a long border with Azgeda and a long-term alliance with Trikru. “Your enemy’s enemy, is your friend Klark”.  Podakru’s bloody civil war, after Chief Neva was challenged and killed in solo gonplei (single combat) by his own wormana (general) Solon, was resolved last year with Onya’s diplomatic efforts.  The bonding and joint rulership between Ottwa (Neva’s eldest child) and Solon has been good for Podakru. Excesses at the court have ended, good husbandry of fish stocks has been put into effect and despite the civil war, Ottwa  brought Podakru gonas to the battle against the Westerners last year. They arrived late but served as useful reserves in that desperate conflict.

Heda’s Progress arrives in the Podakru capital Haven on a warm evening in late summer. The two Chiefs Solon and Ottwa are both there to invite Heda and Hedatu to stay in the Salmon Palace. The greetings between the four leaders are formal, but there’s warmth and recognition from Solon who had attended their bonding ceremony last year (Ottwa stayed in Podakru to ensure peace after the recent civil war). The Chiefs personally guide their important guests to their rooms and fulsomely express the hope that they will enjoy their stay in Podakru and find it fruitful.   

The rooms provided are luxurious; there’s a large bed with lovely furs, a deep bathing tub, hot and cold water available almost instantly, beautiful furniture (a mix of things saved from Praimfaya and booty from the Mountain thinks Klark) and some instantly recognisable original paintings by Wilmslow Homer, Paul Klee and Michael Creese. These famous pictures of fish, must have come from the Maunon’s vaults. Klark’s pleased to see such treasures appreciated. That evening the Chiefs invite them to what they call ‘a small private dinner’ and so Klark and Leksa, after they have refreshed themselves, dress smartly but not elaborately before they make their way down, escorted by Gostos, Ryder, Dot and Byrne. Dax is incapacitated in Polis and Penn and Rosa are off duty until later that evening.

They approach heavy double doors that open before them and they are announced into a big room full of people. Klark’s count quickly reaches 50. ‘A small private dinner – What. The. Fuck!’ thinks Klark. She feels Leksa stiffen slightly at her side and then they both walk in, poised and every inch Heda and Hedatu. They eventually discover that the actual dinner is for 12 persons, this mob of people is a form of pre-dinner gathering that has in Ottwa’s breathless explanation. “Over-run a little Heda, so many are excited to meet you.”  

Klark and Leksa are introduced to many of the guests and gently the waves of interlocutors and servers separate the couple. Klark watches as Leksa enters a keen discussion with Ottwa and a number of canoe captains on the use of lines versus nets or traps for salmon. Klark herself finds Solon an attentive host, she is introduced to the healers she plans to visit the following afternoon and some artists who aspire to take their works to Polis. “Can Hedatu recommend which part of the city is best for finding supplies of paint, charcoal and canvas?” 

The guests at the pre-dinner gathering and the dinner clearly got the same message as Klark and Leksa. Dress is smart but not over the top, clearly Ottwa got an entirely different memo. Klark’s not sure how to describe what Ottwa is wearing, other than ‘not much!’ As an appreciator of female beauty Klark can acknowledge that the body Ottwa displays is spectacular. Of medium height Ottwa is slender but finely muscled and with pleasing proportions, if Klark was feeling fussy (and she rapidly becomes so) she would criticise the lack of muscle in those long legs and the flatness of chest. Clearly no one thought to tell Ottwa that Leksa is a ‘boob  girl’ or she wouldn’t have chosen not to wear any kind of breast support. For a bitchy second Klark’s inner demon mutters ‘floppy tits.’ Klark gets her inner demon under control, barely.

By the time the chosen few go into the dining room to actually eat, it has become entirely clear that Ottwa’s plans for the evening are to stay as close to Heda Leksa as humanly possible, preferably sitting in Heda’s lap. She constantly leans, sways, drifts even; into Leksa’s personal space. At the dining table she dominates all of the conversations with Heda, who throughout maintains her stoic Heda demeanour and politely keeps her gaze firmly above Ottwa’s neck at all times.   

At last, the evening ends and Klark and Leksa return to their rooms. Penn and Rosa stand guard outside. As the door closes Klark flings herself onto the bed, she’s tired so speaks gonaslang (Warrior’s language / English). “WTF happened out there?”

Leksa starts to remove some of her daggers and place them by the bed. “We know Ottwa and Solon bonded for political reasons, our scouts report that both of them are known to have lovers.” She starts to shrug out of her formal coat and reaches for the cleansing lotion that removes her face paint. “I know Onya said..” Leksa trails off as she unscrews the lid of the pot.

Klark sits up “Onya said what?”

“That as part of the civil war negotiations she asked Ottwa who she thought was a suitable person for her to bond with and that Ottwa replied ‘Heda’.”

“What! You knew she had her hot greedy eyes on you?”

“Nou (No) Klark! We just …”

Thinking back; Klark’s not proud of her part in that conversation. It isn’t that Ottwa’s the first to try flirting with Leksa. Many women (and men) have made it very clear how attractive they find Heda. Though Leksa’s response to finding one of her own male guards masturbating over her empty bed; with one blow from Viper she sliced off both his hand and his dick, seems to have been effective in disincentivising men from openly approaching her.

Okay that night Klark was tired and Ottwa’s an attractive woman in that slender, slinky, dark way, that always makes Klark feel pale and flabby by comparison and Ottwa seemed so confident in her barely-there dress. Klark’s already feeling low and anxious; at times the Heda’s Progress seemed less a political opportunity and more like putting Leksa’s head above a dangerous parapet. Their visit to Delphikru,  immediately preceding this to Podakru, had been a difficult experience for them both. Delphikru have strange ways and laws, plus their society is dominated by what Klark can only call a form of ‘religious mania’ that focuses on; prophecy, the Flame and of course Heda who is the ‘vessel’ for the Flame. Both of them were almost constantly on edge throughout the three days they had spent in Delphikru territory. Despite this the visit had in fact gone well until at the very end when yet another assassination attempt left three gonas dead, Gostos’ ankle sprained and a loudly outraged Chief Karla kom Delphikru sending her personal guard to escort Heda’s party safely to the border.

Whatever’s bugging Klark, it gets the better of her and she ends up saying some stupid things and cold shouldering Leksa under their furs. They both slept poorly and in the morning Klark felt so bad that she almost apologised for her grumpiness, but Leksa was in full Heda mode almost upon waking and they both had to quickly prepare for another day of diplomatic tightrope walking.

Breakfast was delicious and put both of them into a slightly better mood. The smoked salmon was cut thin and mixed into the richly peppered scrambled eggs; that heavenly  combination was served on lightly toasted bread. Fortified they made their way out of the immense palace and to the lake shore where Ottwa was waiting for them, this time fully dressed, ready to take them on a morning’s fishing trip and if she noticed the slight chill between her guests she was too intelligent to openly smirk.

The birch bark canoe was beautiful. Exquisitely made and decorated it was large enough to take twelve people. Gostos and Penn joined Leksa and Klark sitting in the centre, while Ottwa and her crew paddled the craft swiftly away from the shore. Ottwa was, compared to the previous night, subdued but she still managed to spend a great deal of time close to Leksa who had little chance to move away from her. However, her leadership of the crew, handling of the canoe and prowess at fishing could not be faulted. She was the ultimate professional and the fishing trip was a great success, twelve big trout were caught and landed. Back on shore the fish were cleaned, filleted and cooked for sanch as Klark and Leksa watched; salivating all the while.

That night was the formal Heda’s Progress feast and as they washed and prepared themselves in their rooms Klark decided she needed to make a point and an apology. She spent some time making small adjustments before donning her gown, a beautiful sea-green creation that Leksa had gifted her for the first anniversary of their bonding only a few days before. When she swept into their room and Leksa turned to greet her, she knew she’d got it right. Leksa would never vulgarly ogle Klark’s breasts but her jaw dropped and her eyes came very close to ‘bugging out’. “Klark! Niron (beloved). I will need to carry more weapons to fight off your admirers!”   

Klark who had in effect deliberately weaponised her ‘girls’, smiled. “I will feel entirely safe by your side niron.” She kissed Leksa tenderly and gently rested her forehead on Leksa’s. “I’m sorry niron I was horrible to you last night. I’ll make it up to you….later.” Leksa’s smile could have lit up all of Podakru and as they walked out of their room arm in arm past Gostos and Ryder both bodyguards gave almost indiscernible sighs of relief.

As they walked into the Great Hall of the Salmon Palace the two beautiful woman are greeted with applause, obvious admiration and a look on Ottwa’s face that would have curdled milk. The evening was a great success, food, drink and dancing were all on the menu and enjoyed. And if anyone cared to take notice of the direction of Heda Leksa’s gaze, it could only be said that her bonded attracted a great deal of her attention. There was however one dangerous point in the evening, when Ottwa and Klark almost had a face-off over who was to dance the Bachata with Heda Leksa. Fortunately, Heda mustered her diplomatic skills and muttering a brief apology to Ottwa explained that she must dance with her bonded to celebrate their recent anniversary. They danced the Bachata with a great deal of sensuous ‘hip’ and no one could be left in any doubt that theirs was a bonding of love and sensual enjoyment. Ottwa kom Podakru watches them, her eyes cold with an icy anger.

Sangedakru lands - 10^th Moon Waning Gibbous

While the formal Heda’s feast is in full swing Byrne and Penn make the rounds of Jer’s bars. Byrne is sporting her best ‘I fell from the sky but am trying to look like you’ look and Penn just looks like the enormous Trikru gona that he is. They attract a fair amount of attention as they are clearly of Heda’s party and determined to have a good time. At the fourth bar they visit, a complete dive called The Stinking Lizard, Byrne attracts an admirer that she can’t seem to shake. His name is Rock and he’s tall and thin like most Sangedakru but his hair is extraordinary long and greased into a towering spike. Byrne thinks him revolting and pushy and after he follows them into another bar and won’t take no for an answer it doesn’t take long for a fight to break out. It’s a brief if messy spat, that ends with Rock unconscious and Byrne holding her broken nose. She’s quickly pulled back by the crowd, some of whom have won money on her victory (Sangedakru will bet on just about anything) and lizard wine is drunk by all. Afterwards Byrne and Penn make their way a little unsteadily back to Caris’ tents.

Later that night Klark holds a cold cloth to Byrne’s face. “Brace yourself Grace this is going to hurt. On three. One, two!” Klark twists on two and Byrne’s agonised gasp is short as her nose is jolted back to straightness. Klark smiles. “Well done. Kestra would never forgive me if I sent you home with a crooked nose Grace.” Leksa is standing nearby reading the coded note that Rock pushed into Grace’s shirt as they fought. She beckons to Klark as Murphy always adds a few words addressed to Klark who misses her friend when he and Emori go travelling.

“It’s as we thought niron. Something is happening up north, near the Dead Zone. Murphy and Emori report that more are being born with sickness or abnormalities caused by radiation and that means more Sangedakru are coming south to Jer. I don’t understand why Caris isn’t asking for help. She hasn’t even mentioned the problem.”

Klark leans over Leksa’s shoulder to read Murphy’s scrawl.  

“Hmmm. Could she be ashamed? Frikdreina (those deformed by radiation) are usually left to die as babies. Could she worry that her people will be seen as weak if more are born Frikdreina?”

Chapter Text

Ark Camp  12^th Moon – waning crescent.

High in his watchtower Guardsman Derrik Porter stamps his feet, claps his gloved hands and rolls his shoulders trying to keep the blood circulating and generate some warmth. His coat, a patchwork of synthetics and leather doesn’t stop the lazy wind from going right through him. He shivers as he looks out through the metal grille onto the white undisturbed snow that covers the minefield and scrinching his eyes against the dazzle he looks further out towards the massy trees that make up the great forest climbing up the valley’s sides. Closer to home just beyond the minefield are the stumps of felled trees, their caps of snow make them look like rows of tables draped in white linen. He sighs, it looks so beautiful and in reality is so dangerous. It’s been months since anyone left the camp to hunt, gather or explore. The first hunting party to vanish, did just that. No sign of them was ever found and eventually the Chancellor had declared all four of them dead. Rumours, said to originate from the Chancellor’s Office, started to circulate almost immediately that they had run away to join others like; Grace Byrne, Sgt Briggs and Callie Cartwig, but no-one truly believed they had left voluntarily. Simon Ranger’s wife had only just given birth to their second child, there was no way he would leave them behind. The fate of the second hunting party that failed to return was all too well known. Six hunters, well-armed and with some experience of the woods left at daybreak. The following dawn found their naked, butchered bodies displayed on spikes just beyond the minefield.  After that Chancellor Pulcher forbade anyone to leave the fenced area of the camp. What Pulcher had lauded as the Ark’s independent adjustment to life on the ground, at their own pace and in their own way; had become life in prison, hiding behind a fence.

As Derrik looks down to check on the arrival of his relief, his old friend Guardsman Linden Chambers,  a red fletched arrow slams into the watchtower’s timber post a couple of feet to his right. He startles and drops into a crouch as he scans the woods for any sign of the archer. He can see nothing and no-one, just snow and trees. As no further arrows fly his way he looks at the one buried in the tower’s support. Tied securely to it is a slim packet. He reaches out and breaking the arrow’s shaft snatches the packet and its’ contents, two thin pieces of paper. He starts to read. One is addressed to him! The other to ‘Chancellor Pulcher’. 

Voices call up, asking if he is okay. He stuffs the note addressed to him in his pocket and shouts that he’s coming down with a message for the Chancellor. He quickly scans the note in his hand. It is written in bold well-formed handwriting.

‘Chancellor Pulcher.

We have tried contacting you by radio. You do not reply. You turn our negotiators away from your gates and threaten them with your guns.

This is a warning. You must prepare for an attack on your camp in the next few days. Hundreds of outlaws infest this Valley because news of your refusal to ally with anyone has spread throughout the land and these criminals see you as weak and an easy target. Your fence is strong, high and electrified but an onslaught by the desperate using the machines of siege will overcome your defences.  In the interests of your people and ours (bandits in possession of your tek and guns are a danger to us all) contact us on the radio now so we can form an alliance and fight the bandits together.

Heda Leksa kom Trikru and Hedatu Klark Griffin kom Trikru

The note then has some details about radio frequencies and times. ‘Fuck!’ Is all he can think in response. ‘We are so fucked!’

Derrik makes his way down from the tower and Linden clambers up to take his place. A group of Guards, like him just going off duty, gather round to ask what happened. He tells them that he has to go straight to the Chancellor but will meet them later for lunch in the canteen.

In the Chancellor’s office, probably the warmest place in Alpha Station, Derrik stands at ease while Pulcher unfolds the note and reads it. The Chancellor is a thin ascetic looking man with a face drawn with worry. He reads and then hands the note to Commander of the Guard Morello.

“Can the fence and minefield hold back hundreds Morello?” Morello takes the note and reads it.

“They’re just primitives with swords Chancellor. The mines will slaughter them.”

Derrik takes in a deep breath and decides to take a chance on trying to reason with them. “Permission to speak Sir!” He snaps a salute.

Pulcher looks up at the older Guard. “Granted Porter.”

“Sir, the grounders are uneducated when it comes to tech, electricity and things like that but one thing they do know how to do is fight. If you look at our situation objectively you can see that already we are losing this war!” He sees Pulcher bridle at the word ‘losing’ but plunges on. “Sir, we’ve been under siege for months now. We don’t go outside the fence because we have no control over the Valley and all we have to show for all our advances and tech is the loss of ten hunters and thousands of rounds of ammunition fired without being able to claim that we’ve actually wounded any of the enemy. Morale is low and....”

“Thank-you Guardsman Porter that is all. Leave us!” Frustrated Derrik gives a smart salute and then leaves the office, hurrying to his own quarters. Once inside with the door shut he opens the note addressed to him.

‘Derrik, the bandits are preparing a massive attack on Ark camp. It will be in the next day or so. I think they can get through the fence and minefield using things like big catapults.   

When the attack happens there are some of us out here who will try to help you. We’ll wear red armbands so you know who we are. Do everything you can to prepare for the worst because it’s about to happen.

May we meet again.

Grace Byrne’

About an hour later Derrik meets up with his friends in the canteen. They’re curious about the message for the Chancellor. Looking at the group;  twelve of them sitting around a big canteen table, he ponders the fact that he’s known all of them for years. Up in space they policed a black market (not very successfully as Nygel always seemed at least one step ahead), illicit stills, kids misbehaving, theft of resources and occasional political unrest. Nothing that prepared them for the ground, for war, for seasoned warriors who seem unafraid of death, for brutality beyond their imagining. If Grace is right everything is going to go to hell in a day or so, all of them will face death  Taking a deep breath, he pulls Grace’s note from his pocket. “The Chancellor wasn’t the only one who got a message. Read this and stay calm. We need to plan because from what I saw; the Chancellor and the Commander of the Guard don’t know their asses from their elbows when it comes to this and they’re not going to ask for help even though it’s been offered.” He watches as one by one the men and women read, blench with shock and pass the note on.  When the note is back in his hands he looks up at twelve pairs of eyes, they look scared. He is scared. He swallows the lump in his throat before starting to speak.

“First we need to get word out and guns to everyone with a cool head. They need to be ready to fight and know who our friends are. Tommy and Bette you can arrange discrete access to the armoury, the rest of you get the word around the Guard and anyone reliable.  Weapons need to be distributed and anyone with a gun needs to know about the red armbands.” The twelve sit for a while in shocked silence then there’s a brief exchange about who should or should not be told and armed. Finally, they leave Derrik to finish his meal. He doesn’t feel very hungry and his appetite completely deserts him when Nygel comes to sit at his table.

“We’re fucked aren’t we?” She goes straight to it. There’s never any point in trying to find out how she knows everything almost the instant it happens.

For a second he looks down at the disgusting slop on his plate, not much inspiration there. “Yeah, looks like it. A big attack, very soon and the Chancellor and Morello don’t seem to want to accept help when it’s offered.”

Nygel’s known Porter for years. He’s an honest man, a solid Guard, one she’s run rings round for all the time she’s operated her business. “Anything I can do?”

“Prepare for the worst and if ….  no make that when…. the fighting starts, our friends will wear red armbands. Don’t shoot them.” 

Ark Camp Three days later – 0300 hours (1^st Moon New)  

Derrik’s off shift and should be getting some rest but he can’t sleep for shit. He knows it’s all going to kick off soon. Blizzard conditions over the last two days made daylight hours a white-out, no one can see what, if anything, is happening in the woods. If he was attacking Ark Camp he’d be doing it now, in the dark while the wind has dropped to nothing and a few fat white snowflakes drift lazily in the Ark’s bright security lights. He walks out of his quarters rifle slung and ready. Commander Morello’s warned the Guard that an attack is likely. He doubled each Guard unit’s strength and issued extra ammunition. Engineers are on standby in case the fence needs urgent repairs and boxes of grenades have been stashed by the entrance to each station. Derrik doesn’t know if the Chancellor’s contacted Heda Leksa, he suspects not.

It starts with a shower of huge rocks flying out of the night-black woods and landing with solid crumps in the minefields adjacent to the gates that guard the northern end of the camp. Some strike the fence; it sparks but holds. No attackers can be seen and Morello turns out the whole of the Guard with orders to shoot only in short bursts and if you have a viable target. Ammunition is limited to fifty, thirty round clips each.

Under the rocky assault the land-mines start to explode and the noise awakens the whole camp which is immediately put on lockdown.  Children and non-combatants are moved into Alpha Station.

The next form of attack uses tree trunks that are thrown into the minefields by huge men tossing them end over end like cabers. This gives the Guard targets for their bullets, but each thrower has shield bearers giving cover as the big men run out from the woods cradling a trimmed tree trunk in their cupped hands.  They run to the edge of the minefield and then with huge muscular effort throw the trunks up and over so that they somersault forwards and towards the fence. More mines blow.  Gunfire strafes the shields. Stones and burning missiles are hurling out of the night striking the fence’s supports and watchtowers. The south-east section of the fence comes under attack, more boulders are flung into the minefield and onto the fence. Then again huge men run forward tossing tree trunks. Guards under Morello’s instructions switch their defensive positions to meet this new attack.

Volleys of arrows start to slice through the darkness and swirling snow with deadly accuracy. The Guards take cover and their salvos towards the tree throwers falter. Shouted orders has Guards and armed civilians directing fire back at the tree throwers who have now started to move into the blown minefields and closer to the fence before releasing their projectiles. No-one can see the archers but the archers can see them, more arrows rain into the camp and the casualties start to mount.

A third attack starts. This time the western portion of the fence is targeted. Morello frantically directs Guards to cover that area but it’s too little too late. The biggest boulders and largest tree trunks have been saved for this attack and already the western mine field has blown and the trees and rocks strike the sparking fence with concussive power. An explosion behind the main gate is the overloading of one of the fence’s transformers. Engineers run forward but are met with a hail of arrows, two drop to their knees wounded, a third falls onto his face in the stillness of death.  Now as the fence’s supports start to buckle and whole sections collapse, out of the woods runs a demonic vison of axe, sword, club and shield wielding warriors. They swarm over the dead sections of fence and into the camp.

In the bloody melee Derrik and his unit try to stick together, taking cover behind part of the Mecha station as they pour bullets into the advancing wall of warriors. Linden’s is the first rifle to click on empty with no clips to reload. He pulls out a pistol and keeps firing towards the massed ranks invading the camp.

The noise is phenomenal; screams, exploding mines, tearing metal, grenades, gunfire, the roar of the advancing horde. It’s deafening chaos! Derrik sees Morello fall to an axe, Pulcher looks so frail as a sword cleaves into his chest. Arrows tear death into bodies; Guards, civilian gunners, engineers and grounders. Derrik keeps firing into the pack of warriors coming his way and he slams in a new clip of ammo. Then fear floods his body and makes his knees tremble. The ground beneath his feet is shaking. He and Linden look around, wide-eyed with shock, for the source of the tremors and see row after row after row of huge axe bearing warriors descending upon the camp from the west. Their scarred faces painted white terrify, their movement in disciplined unison makes the ground shake and their war-cry “Azgeda!” makes Derrik's stomach heave.  

Polis 12^th Moon New – 25 days ago.

It’s good to be settled back in Polis, to see her parents and David. To catch up with her apprentices and congratulate them on the improvement in their skills whilst she’s been away with Leksa on the Progress. She misses Raven and Onya’s sass and dry humour, they’re still in Sangedakru. Openly Raven works on the solar kiln but in fact they’re staying longer than the moon’s span they originally planned to liaise with Murphy and Emori as they try to find out what’s happening in the far north. Here in Polis Linkon and Oktavia have made a permanent home and the latter continues to inspire Klark to train hard to maintain the muscle and fitness that over two years on the ground has developed.  

Mid-morning finds Klark sparring with Oktavia, trying to improve her abilities with a sword. Swords have always been Oktavia’s strongest weapon and these days she can stretch Onya and even Leksa when they spar, but Klark’s never found a sword to be her weapon of choice. A gun or a bow works better for her. Leksa, anxious for the safety of her bonded, keeps insisting that Klark works on her skills with blades, both dagger and sword, even if only for defence.

A messenger approaches, Ryder and Penn let him pass and he carefully avoids startling either woman as they clash their practice swords together. “Hod up! (Stop)” Oktavia immediately retreats as Klark notices the messenger and grateful for the break calls a halt to the session.

The messenger bows respectfully to them both. “Hedatu, Oktavia Blake kom Trikru. Heda asks that you both return to the tower. Chief Indra kom Trikru has arrived and a meeting is to be held on the first-floor in a glass’s time. I am to go and fetch Linkon kom Trikru to this meeting as well.”

Oktavia directs the messenger to Albi’s bar where Linkon is meeting up with an old friend, before the two woman, Ryder and Penn set off for the Tower.  They stride purposefully, wanting to use the time before the meeting to wash and change out of their sweaty training clothes.  Klark wonders if she should send a message to warn Abi that she might not make it to the hospital that afternoon. She decides to wait and see.

In the meeting room Klark enters to find Leksa seated at the head of the big long table with; Quint, Kestra, Callie, Linkon and Indra on her left and on the right is:, Mara of the Glens, Azgeda’s bandrona to the Kongeda  (ambassador to the Coalition), Manch bandrona for Boudalan,  Grace Byrne and Oktavia. They all stand respectfully as she enters the room. Leksa smiles at her bonded.

“Mounin (morning) everyone. I’m not late am I?”

“Nou niron (no my beloved) we have not started.”

“Do I need to send a message to Abi that I will not be at the hospital this afternoon?”

“Sha (Yes), I think we have much to talk about.”

Klark ducks out of the room for a moment to ask Gostos to send word to her mom and on her return takes her place at Leksa’s immediate right.

Klark should have known it was about the Arkers. Before they left on the Progress over two moons ago it was already a worry that so many outlaws were making their way to the Valley. Leksa had Kestra and her scouts move their base to Ton DC some six moons ago, when in informal meetings Indra had made known her concerns about the branwadas (fools) who live in the big tin cans and still refuse to trade or ally with anyone.  From a base in Ton DC Kestra could watch the Arkers and the outlaws and if needed protect Ton DC from either or both.

The Arkers’ isolationist stance over the past year has coincided with a significant increase in the number of outlaws to be found within the Kongeda’s borders. There are various reasons for this the most influential being the changes Roan is bringing about within Azgeda.  Roan’s working hard to bring prosperity and sound leadership to his people and that means that many of Nia’s old favourites find themselves facing his justice.  Some are prepared to change their ways; others plot against him and are executed and some fled taking their loyal gonas with them. It’s this last group that is joining up with bandits, nomads  and the clan-less; hiding far in the north near the dead zone or deep in the great forests of Azgeda and Trikru. The Arkers draw them like a magnet with stories about their metal homes, fayoguns (guns), tek and lack of allies. Another source of recruits for the outlaws is the recent upheaval in Boudalan. Felix the bis (beast) is dead, killed by Leksa when rescuing Raven but some of his followers escaped and fled to neighbouring Trikru.

Having started the meeting Leksa asks Kestra to give her report and it’s a bleak rendition, she speaks in gonaslang (warriors language / English) so all can follow. Kestra has three scouts undercover within bandit groups and over fifty more watching from a distance and although concerns had continued to grow about the sheer number of bandits now living in the Valley, what has prompted the meeting today is that they have started to consolidate. Four hundred bandits living within the Valley was worrying enough when they were split into many groups that fought more with each other than anyone else. Four hundred bandits united behind a common leadership is a much more dangerous proposition.

Kestra brings her report to a close. “The problem is worse because the leaders who have brought them together seem to be competent gonas with some skills. They are both from Azgeda, former favourites of Haiplana (Queen) Nia and seasoned campaigners.  They know how to conduct a siege and take a fortified encampment. Maybe they don’t know how electricity, fayoguns and mines work, but they have been testing the Ark camp’s defences over the past moon or so and they have enough experience in making the machines of war that it is likely that they can get through the fence and take the camp.”

Leksa looks round at the serious faces at the table. “What do we know about them other than they are of Azgeda?”

Kestra takes a deep breath before continuing. “We know a little. The elder is Petrus a known associate of Raymond of the North, he escaped the battle when Raymond and Rufus ambushed Haihefa (King) Roan and yourself Heda and it seems he realised then that Raymond’s cause was lost, so he withdrew his gonas and retreated to the far north for a while. The younger is Vance kom Azgeda.”

At the mention of that name Mara startles, raises her head and then her hand and Kestra falls silent. “Vance kom Azgeda was birthed by me.” Everyone looks to the great Azgaden gona, who’s face is now a pale mask. “He was my first-born and Nia took him from us when he was four summers old, a hostage in all but name for my and Caleb’s good behaviour.  She raised him alongside Ontari and a dozen or so children of the most influential of her House Carls. Like Ontari she succeeded in raising him in her own image. He is a ruthless and vicious killer who enjoys inflicting pain, a man without honour, mercy or kindness. Before I was captured by the Maunon I had ceased to recognise him as my son, I have no living children.” The silence stretches and Mara drops her head into her hands. “In my youth I bore three children. My twins Vic and Huron died honourably in the wars with Trikru. When I was younger we were always at war with Trikru.” Mara’s shoulders shrug and Klark can see Leksa, Indra, Quint, Linkon and Kestra tense as their memories are brought to a new rawness.  “They died as honourable warriors in a war, as did so many. At least they died before Nia started her ‘ai laik Wamplei’ (I am Death) campaign that turned all of us;” Mara’s sweeping gesture takes in Indra, Quint, Leksa, Manch, Kestra and Linkon “into dishonoured killers of the helpless and children. Vance was one of Nia’s Captains and it was said that he excelled in those vile raids and gained much power and the Haiplana’s favour. Petrus is another known for his cruelty and vile deeds and not just within that campaign.”

Silence falls as Mara stops speaking, Klark feels the tension in the room ramp up, she’s never heard anyone speak about the ‘ai laik Wamplei’ campaign but all included in Mara’s gesture look pale and shamed. The atmosphere could be cut by a knife. Mara continues. “He is as you say clever and dangerous. If he and Petrus take that camp, all who live there will die and if they get hold of fayoguns there will be many, many deaths both in Trikru and Azgeda.”

The meeting continues all through the afternoon and into the night, food and drink is brought in at intervals. Not many feel like eating but Klark like the others forces something down.

Indra tells them of the Arkers’ stubborness in their isolation. All efforts to broker any kind of an alliance, even simply to trade, have failed. They don’t answer messages sent by any method, not even over the radio. The last attempt to negotiate was only last moon when Callie left her gonakru in the woods and rode unarmed and alone to their gates. She was met with rejection and threats of violence.  

The Valley is now under Vance and Petrus’ control and they are making preparations to attack. All agree a last attempt must be made to warn the Arkers of the immediate danger and try to gain their cooperation and an alliance;  but if that fails Leksa finds herself in a difficult position. As the Arkers are not part of the Kongeda and the Valley has never been claimed by the nearest krus (clans); Trikru or Azgeda, she cannot call on the armies of the Kongeda to protect ‘these strangers in no kru's land’. Any threat they may be to Trikru and Azgeda is indirect and speculative. They talk around the problem for some time until finally Leksa calls for silence.

“As I cannot order the armies of the Kongeda to march to save Ark camp I will ask for volunteers. All of you send word to your gonas as it is Trikru, Azgeda and Boudalan’s outlaws that are the problem. Ask that they choose to help Heda protect those from the sky.”

Chapter Text

Ton DC 12^th Moon – last quarter

Ton DC is at bursting point. The market place is one huge kitchen and the woodland surrounding the village is full of tents of all sizes and methods of construction. The longhouse is jammed full of gonas (warriors) and the Trikru scouts’ equipment; the scouts are away in the forest. Every home in the village has at least three gonas sleeping on the floor. Indra’s house has people sleeping in every room and its central courtyard.

The response to Heda’s call for volunteers brought hundreds to the village. Of those who fell to earth and have lived amongst the grounders all of them, who are currently in Polis or nearby Trikru lands, are here. Bellamy, Sinclair, Jake and Finn drove the two rovers to and from the city for three days non-stop to get them all to Ton DC in time. Mara kom Azgeda has brought her own gonakru from her home in the Great Glens. Manch has brought the Boudalan Royal Guard, forty of the biggest gonas Klark has ever seen, all carrying swords almost as tall as she is. Fifty Trikru scouts were already based in Ton DC and another hundred Trikru gonas from nearby villages have arrived ready to fight. Indra’s put the newcomers under Oktavia’s command. The skaigada (sky girl) is rightly proud to be entrusted with this role. As Indra said; “Oktavia you have proved yourself in battle as a gona, now it is time for you to lead gonas.”  

Having Azgeda, Trikru and Boudalan gonas all in one place is not an easy thing to manage. There have been some fights, but Oktavia, Mara and Manch have crushed the spirits of any who want to brawl about old wars and grievances with punishments so disgusting that infilling latrine trenches is the least vile.

As the small army gathers Leksa and Klark start to put their plans into action. Kestra and her scouts left three days ago to get into position around the Ark Camp and to take Heda’s message to the Arkers’ Chancellor, together with a short note from Grace Byrne to Derrik Porter. They hope Derrik will speak up and that his experience will persuade the Council to be sensible and contact them. Sinclair and Jake have the radio permanently on and tuned ready to receive any message from Ark Camp.

The next day blizzards set in and no one can go anywhere. Hunting is impossible so everyone is eating meals made from preserved foods or trail rations eaten with bread from the big communal ovens. Walking through the village you can barely see your hand in front of your face and ropes are set up to guide people to and from the latrines, log piles, kitchens and Indra’s house. Despite these measures two people freeze to death trying to find their way back to their own tents and Abi, Klark and Charlotte treat several cases of frostbite.

The nights are long and much time is spent under the furs but in Indra’s big courtyard the fire burns bright day and night and people gather to talk.  Klark wanders between groups of her friends chatting with them and blatantly eaves-dropping. She stops by Octavia’s group for a while where Bellamy’s trying to convince Finn to carry a gun, but Klark’s pleased to hear him refuse. Finn is now a good tracker and hunter, he, Harper and Monroe supply meat to a number of Polis’ market stalls, but ever since the battle of the Mountain he has never used a gun.  Klark wanders on past a group talking about siege tactics and as she passes the ale barrel, there leaning against the courtyard’s back wall stand Mara and Indra. Klark walks on when she hears the two are chatting about different techniques for the grafting of apple trees.  

As Klark walks away Callie wanders up to the pair carrying Candra in her arms and all three women grin and pass the giggling child, nearly two years old now, between them. Callie nudges Indra and gives her a speaking look. Indra nods in response. “Hmm Mara, Candra will be ‘taking the Keryon’  (Spirit) in a few moons, Callie and I would be honoured if you would be one of her sponsors.”  Mara looks down at the smiling child in her arms, in part to conceal her surprise. This is a great personal honour and a huge political step. To sponsor a goufa (child) in ‘taking the Keryon’ means you become a permanent part of that goufa’s spiritual and secular life. You would be expected to be involved in the youngster’s upbringing, maybe become her fos (first) if she chose to be a gona. For the Trikru chief to offer this role to her, a prominent Azgedan gona related to the Haihefa (King), is a very clear message to everyone that Trikru and Azgeda stand together; now and in the future.

Mara smiles. “I would be honoured to accept such a role in this little one’s life. But I will have to talk of it with Roan.”

Callie nods. “Of course, we see the politics of such a step and have discussed it with Heda and Hedatu. But you are ‘our’ choice Mara.” They chat on for a while about the wonders of Candra’s birth and Mara cannot help but have some slight feelings of jealousy, the two are so happy together and their little goufa is a beautiful miracle.  Inwardly she sighs, she and Caleb have  always been fond and respectful of each other, but she was so young when they first met and she smiles at her younger self, who thought she knew it all.

As she walks on seeing the two seasoned gonas reminds Klark of something she really wants to know, but is wary of asking about; Nia’s ‘ai laik Wamplei’ (I am Death) campaign. What was so terrible that it led to Vance kom Azgeda gaining favour with Nia but being disowned by Mara and Caleb? Klark sees Gaia coming out of the room Leksa is using as an office, they must have been going through reports from Polis.  Ah Klark thinks, Gaia will know of the campaign without being directly involved in it, perhaps she’s the best person to ask. Klark takes her aside and asks the question.

Gaia’s head snaps up and she glances around to see if anyone is listening. No-one is within earshot Klark had made sure of that before she asked. But that’s not good enough for Gaia, she glares at Klark for a moment, then seeming to reach a decision beckons her to follow as she walks from the courtyard into the house. Klark follows, as Gaia strides swiftly through the building to the front door and snatches up a big bearskin coat and a thick fur cloak. She shrugs into the coat, bundles Klark into the cloak, opens the door and almost drags Klark out into the storm. She holds firmly onto Klark’s hand as she turns an immediate left and feels her way along the outside wall of the house until she reaches a low trap door. She brushes the snow away before pulling it open and she and Klark enter a cellar. The trap door slams shut as the storm continues outside but inside all is quiet and dark. Gaia strikes a flint and lights the small oil lamp that is hung on the wall, she guides Klark to sit on a big box. Then she places the lamp on top of another and sits down. “Why do you want to know about that cursed time? And why ask me?”

Klark wraps the cloak around herself thankful for its’ warmth. “Mara mentioned it when talking about Vance and everyone looked so sad and ashamed that I know no one involved wants to talk about it. I thought you would know about it and not being a gona you wouldn’t have taken part and feel the ‘dishonour’ Mara spoke of.”

Gaia looks into the darkness and chews on her lip for a few seconds. “As Hedatu you need to know about this so that you can understand what Heda Leksa saved us from when she brought Azgeda into the Kongeda (Coalition). Have you thought of asking Heda?”

It’s Klark’s turn to look away. “She has nightmares sometimes and I think ‘ai laik Wamplei’ is part of them. I don’t want to make it worse for her.”

Gaia nods and mutters “Of course.” Then she stands up and walks to the back of the cellar, returning with a long straight sword and a battle axe. She places them on the box next to where she is sitting. “Do you remember that these used to be in nomon’s (mother’s) big meeting room? Displayed on the wall as proud memories of a great Trikru victory.”

Klark nods. “Yes I remember them and wondered where they’d gone.”

Gaia picks up the axe. “This was the weapon of a great Azgedan gona called Huron and this sword was borne by his twin Vic. My nontu (father) took these trophies after a big battle about sixteen summers ago.”

As Gaia speaks Klark tenses when she recognises the names. She almost whispers. “Mara’s twins. Your nontu killed Mara’s children!?”

“Yes he did. In battle. There’s no way Mara doesn’t know this, yet she now considers nomon a colleague, even a friend.  Nontu killed them in honourable battle, he bested them. It was war. Many think that war is just lawless violence and death but gonas have honour as they defend their homes or attack enemies. The bodies of Vic and Huron were treated with respect and burnt on pyres shared with the Trikru who died that day. Their weapons are honourable spoils of war but when nomon knew Mara would enter her home she took them off the wall, she did not want to remind Mara of her loss.”

Klark nods again but is wondering why Gaia has brought this up. Gaia sees her questioning look. “My point is that war has rules that gonas with honour follow. War is brutal, bloody and inevitably involves killing but it does not need to involve dishonour. Yet sometimes it does and when Nia was losing a war about, about … fourteen summers ago she started to break these rules with a campaign so bloody and vicious that she thought Heda Conway and the clan chiefs would concede territory to get her to stop.”

Gaia licks her lips nervously. “War involves raids on disputed or enemy territory as well as big battles. When you raid an enemy’s village you kill the gonas that try to stop you, burn crops, stores and houses. You drive off the livestock and those who are too old or too young to fight. Some villages you will take over and put your own people in to defend the land. Others you will leave in smoking ruins. You will burn on pyres all those who die, to allow their spirits to join the great Keryon (Spirit).”

Gaia looks at the ceiling, visibly gathering herself to be able to continue. “Nia ordered her gonas to kill everyone they found in a village, including the old, the pregnant and the goufas (children) even babes. Before death these victims were to be tortured and dismembered. The village was to be left uninhabitable with its wells poisoned, fields sown with salt and the village’s dead were to be left for the scavengers to pick over and eat.” Gaia stops for a moment overcome with disgust just talking about it.

“And she kept doing it Klark, village after village.  Refusing to enter into any peace negotiations that did not have as a starting point huge concessions of territory from Trikru, Boudalan and Podakru. She boasted Klark that only she had the strength to win this war and that she ‘was death’ ai laik wamplei. She knew that Heda Conway was ill and his Chiefs were desperate to stop her and she taunted them, calling them weak. Finally, Heda Conway and the Chiefs, including nomon, decided that the only thing to do was to fight ‘like with like’ and Trikru, Boudalan and Podakru gonas started to raid Azgeda villages as she raided theirs. It was horrible and without honour, no one who took part in those raids wants to speak of it ever; it is repulsive to any gona of honour to kill without cause; goufas, babies, the old and to leave dismembered bodies to be picked over by the vultures, dogs and other wild beasts.” Klark sees tears in Gaia’s eyes.

“Eventually this horrible tactic worked because Nia’s gonas started to become unwilling to leave their homes vulnerable to such attacks and like any gona they knew that their spirits would be reborn to this world only if their body was whole and complete when burnt upon a pyre. Nia came to the negotiation table and the war ended, but no one who was involved was ever the same.” Gaia’s hand touches the haft of the battle axe, her fingers trace the carved ‘H’. She continues.  

“Vance kom Azgeda was known to be particularly vicious and cruel. The few who survived his raids told of him hunting down goufas like they were deer and other horrors I cannot even say. Our spies told Titus that Mara argued with Nia about this campaign but she was an Azgedan House Carl and even though unwilling she obeyed her Haiplana (Queen). Nia taunted her and Caleb that their son was more worthy of her favour than they were. We don’t know why Nia didn’t kill Mara then, perhaps because she was already a legend amongst the Azgeda or because she was the dead Haihefa Eric’s sister and Roan’s aunt? What we do know is that when Vance’s depravity was openly spoken of and lauded by Nia Mara and Caleb confronted him at the big  festival in Toron. No one knows what passed between parents and child but they both disowned him, though that left them childless. A few years later Nia sent Mara on a mission to the territory of the Maunon and when she did not return no one was surprised. All knew Nia had sent her to die or be turned into a Reaper.”

Gaia watches as Klark takes in her words and begins to worry as she sees Hedatu pale and her face become closed and drawn. Behind her darkening eyes Klark is seeing the children of the Maunon burn with radiation. She is a killer of children and the helpless. In the Old Times she killed them all, in the New Times she and Leksa saved a few but still many died. Was the ‘ai laik Wamplei’ campaign why Leksa could say to her “I have done far worse Klark.” Her mind spins through horrors as she tries to grasp the brutality of the ground when Nia ruled Azgeda and Leksa was just a natblida seken (black blooded second) to a great Trikru gona.

“Klark, Klark?” Gaia tries to bring her back to the present.

When Gaia and Klark return to the courtyard they find Leksa and the others are preparing to move out. The storm has let up slightly and although they can only make headway slowly they need to get closer to Ark camp if they are to have a chance to be there when Vance and Petrus make their move. That will be soon, as word has come from a scout working undercover that they are ready and when this storm abates fully the attack will start. As they muster ready to march each gona ties on a red armband, the sign that they follow Heda Leksa, Commander of the Blood.

The Valley  – 1^st Moon New

They march for a day through snow and sleet, stopping only to eat and take a short break. The next night as they march on the storm passes over leaving behind a cloud free, moonless, starry sky. The milky whiteness gives some light that reflects off the snow but the shadows are long and dark. Mara’s gonakru are at the front, using their bulk and snowshoes to make their way as quietly as possible through the snow whilst leaving a broad track for those who follow. Klark and Abi are at the rear with Charlotte and Bellamy, driving the rovers both of which are packed with medical supplies. The steel wheels of the rovers have been fitted with metal lugs that cut into the icy ground, Klark smiles a little grimly, Jake will be pleased that his recent innovation seems to work well in the snow. 

About a league away from Ark Camp they come to a well-used track that crosses the lane from Ton DC. Here their forces split into three. Mara and Oktavia take their gonas to the right, following the deeply rutted track westward. Leksa and Manch go left travelling east with the big Boudalan Guards treading carefully on the packed ice. Indra and Callie stay with the Trikru scouts as they continue straight on heading south, the skaikru (people from the sky) follow them.

Soon the need for moving quietly is lost as the sounds of battle ahead cover any noise they could make. Explosion after explosion tears through the night, the crack of gunfire and screams of pain add to the noisy fray. Jake can’t see much when the trees close in and the twinkling stars vanish, he just keeps walking forward following Finn, Harper and Monroe, who have their arrows nocked ready to shoot. Then the redness of fire and a white flash of explosives splinters the darkness. Ahead of him silhouetted against the burning tents and buildings of Ark Camp are three huge catapults. He gulps as one of the catapults fires with a raucous snap and flaming projectiles fly up and forward.   Automatic rifles rattle ahead and he hears the twang of bow strings, lifting his head he struggles on, his rifle set to single shot. He’s got to stop those catapults firing again.

Oktavia’s at the front directing her Trikru gonas to fall on the rear of the bandits who are surging confidently towards Ark Camp. When the bandits realise they are under attack themselves it gets bloody, they are experienced fighters who know that defeat likely means death and each of them fights with a focused desperation. Oktavia runs forward her sword slashes into a man’s side and she spins to finish him with a short stabbing action before moving on to where she can take on another and another. In a brief moment of calm, she scans the field of battle looking for where she and her gonas can be of most use. She sees Mara’s gonakru fighting to her left and it’s difficult not be impressed by their coordinated ferocity. They move as one, marching forward in time with their war cry and swinging axes. The ground shakes beneath their stamping feet and if Indra hadn’t warned her of this Azgedan tactic her knees would be trembling, as it is she’s glad Linkon’s by her side and that they are making steady progress towards the fallen fence and the stricken Arkers. She directs her kru to move to the right as she ducks low to avoid a swinging blade. Then her sword is up and meeting that blade with a blow that causes sparks to sizzle into the bloody slush that once was snow. 

Within the fallen fence Leksa and the Boudalans are cutting their way forward into the camp’s centre. She’s always had respect for the Boudalan Royal Guard, they are heavily armoured and fight as if they have not even heard of fear. Slowly and with a kind of steady grace they swing their massive blades in synchronised strikes, almost like scythes cutting corn they slice through their opponents and move on forward, ever forward.  The problem with that tactic is that they are immense slow targets for arrows or quickly moving weapons of any kind. To be a Boudalan Royal Guard Leksa thinks must be a short-lived experience but when they are on your side they are effective at clearing the field of battle, while they still live. Taking advantage of the area that the Boudalans have cleared Leksa, dual katanas slashing, moves into what looks like the camp’s canteen area. She avoids a swinging blade, slams the hilt of her sword into the head of an Azgedan and slashes through his thigh. Blood arcs, she’s hit an artery – good! A high leap has her landing behind her next opponent who she hamstrings and as he falls her blade cuts across his throat. Hearing a blade hiss near her right ear she sways left and turns to meet the sword of a big blonde Azgedan, his face heavily scarred. As he lunges forward he slips on the slush and off balance he can’t avoid her counter attack and the sharp edge of her sword takes his arm off at the shoulder. He judders into shock and her second sword descends onto his neck and he falls blood bubbling from his slack mouth. She surges forward kicking the legs from beneath a Boudalan bandit before his axe strikes the helpless Arker fallen at his feet. Leksa pulls the terrified woman up. “All who wear this red arm band are your friends. Tell your people!” The Boudalan starts to get up. Leksa pushes her blade into his throat.

“Yes. Er Yes! Derrik told us not to shoot those with the red. Ugh!” the woman slumps forward an arrow protruding from her back.

Derrik swings his rifle up and around to find that one of the attackers has fallen into the bloody slush an arrow deeply embedded in her neck. It’s then that he realises that the arrows that once were focused only on the Arkers have in fact been striking the attacking grounders for some time. He shouts to the three remaining in his unit. “We’ve got help coming! Look out for the red armbands!” Boom! Another mine explodes.

Ark Camp  – 1^st Moon New – Mid morning

They fight until the dawning of a pallid wintery sun shows Leksa that her people have successfully defended the camp. At great cost. The disciplined gonas of Trikru, Boudalan and Azgeda systematically search through the fallen to recover their wounded and secure any surviving bandits. They respectfully place all the dead ready for their pyres. Indra and Oktavia have set watches on the perimeter, fires for cooking are being lit and tents erected. The Arkers just mill about until Klark, Callie and Grace take charge and order them to help. Even then some just huddle in mute misery watching, almost resentfully, as their rescuers clear their homes of dead, dying and wounded. Where is the Council for fuck’s sake, did none of them survive?

There are prisoners only about forty of them, some with wounds. The dead number in their hundreds. Leksa after a brief exchange with Klark and Indra (whose right arm is in a sling)  walks towards the entrance of the canteen and there finds Mara, standing with her captain Duram, by the body of the Azgedan man Leksa killed only a glass or so ago. Leksa knows who he is, she did as soon as she saw him lunging towards her. Mara’s son Vance has the facial scars borne by an Azgedan noble of the Great Glens, he also has her colouring, blonde hair, freckled fair skin and her tall big-boned build.  Leksa is familiar with the customary mourning cries of an Azgedan parent. It is one of the few occasions when the stoic people of the cold north allow themselves the heat of openly expressed emotions. Knowledge of the death of your child permits (even expects) you to keen, weep and tear your hair.  Mara stands still, silent and dry eyed as she looks down at Vance’s body. Leksa cannot imagine her pain, she has lost him. Twice.

“Mara!” Leksa feels apprehensive as she holds out her arm in the gona’s salute. She is the killer of Mara’s only surviving child and has taken from her friend any faint hope she may have had of her son returning to her.  Swallowing her own concerns, she speaks of his death.  “I slew him Mara in the battle, he fought with strength and died well.”

Mara looks at her Heda and sees red blood dripping from her armour, black blood trickling down from a wound on her cheek. This woman killed her son. Mara’s arm comes forward and she grasps Leksa’s. This woman is Heda, is Leksa who has become to her as a daughter, when she had no child. The body at her feet is a dead bandit, who once was her son. It’s hard to supress the memories. The great joy his birth brought, a healthy strong child, born out of her affection for her houmon Caleb as well as the need to birth an heir. She was only sixteen and Vance was a beautiful baby. But the sorrows then pile into her mind. Nia taking him away, the glimpses she had, the few times she was permitted to see him in Toron, of an arrogant and spoilt youth. The disgust she felt when his cruelty was lauded by Nia and when he boasted of the Trikru goufas he had slain. Leksa watches the shadows of emotion cross Mara’s face and she grips her friend’s arm a little longer. Her voice is low when she says “You bore him Mara but Nia made him into what he became.”

Mara nods “He did not deserve the dignity of death at your hands in battle Heda Leksa but I thank you for it. What of Petrus kom Azgeda is he dead too?”

Leksa shakes her head. “Petrus has been captured and claims that as an Azgedan House Carl he is entitled to trial by solo gonplei. (single-combat) I am familiar with much of Azgedan law but your advice is welcome. Can we meet in my tent tomorrow to consider this.” Mara silently nods then returns her gaze to the body at her feet.

In the quickly erected medical tent Klark stitches lacerations, does some basic surgery, sets and splints bones, including Indra’s dislocated elbow and lightly supervises Charlotte who is  very competent at cleaning and bandaging wounds. Eric Jackson slips into their team effortlessly, Klark can tell that he’s missed Abi, praise from her mom has him smiling like a goufa. They are a happy team working smoothly until Jake turns up as a casualty. He’s unconscious, covered in blood and his left arm hangs at an unnatural angle. Abi and Klark stutter to a shocked halt whilst Charlotte and Jackson triage him. The Griffin women jolt back to awareness in a few seconds and all but shoulder the others aside as they leap forward. Fortunately, Jackson keeps his cool and takes charge; reminding Abi and Klark that his objective assessment of Jake is what’s needed, not their fears. They stand back apologising but across the tent there passes between them a look. They will do anything to keep Jake alive and bring him back to good health.

With the initial examination complete the treatment plan is to set his shoulder and give him a blood transfusion; the transfusion is supplied by Jasper who is nearest to the medical tent when Klark goes looking for help. He’s willing, healthy and a universal donor. Klark gives him a meaty pasty to chew on as he bleeds. They get to chatting as his blood passes down the tube. Jasper’s happy, he’s found this wonderful girl in Polis, Maya’s her name. She’s a friend of Harper and Monroe and surely Klark’s met her because Maya works at Polis hospital with Abi.   Klark smiles, she’s not going to expose Maya’s origins as one of the few Maunon (Mountain men)  to survive. That is for Maya to reveal in her own time but Klark knows Jasper will still love her, even if Maya clearly isn’t that confident of his response yet.

Jake remains pale and unconscious despite the transfusion. His blood pressure is low though his neurological responses generally are fine, so a head wound is unlikely. Jackson fearing internal bleeding wants to do a full body scan and so Jake is moved onto a stretcher to be taken to the little that is left of the Ark’s medical section in Alpha station. Klark and Abi exchange another wordless glance and Jake is accompanied to medical by Klark, with Ryder and Penn walking alongside the stretcher bearers and Grace Byrne at Klark’s side.  Jackson goes ahead to prepare the scanner and the intimidating group, unsurprisingly, pass without hindrance to their destination.

Inside Alpha station Klark finds the Arkers coalescing into chattering groups variously baffled, afraid and obnoxious.  The remaining Council members are here; Bjorn Zedemski, Petra Ramirez and Zhang Wei and they have started to direct their able-bodied people to help with moving the wounded to the medical tent and their dead to a makeshift mortuary. Grounder dead are to be carried to their pyres. Others are ordered to prepare food and a small team of engineers is instructed to put up safety lines to try and keep people out of the minefields. No one knows how many mines remain live just beyond the wreckage of the fence. The Council are anxious to speak to Klark about what will happen next; Klark focusing on her dad brushes them off. “You need to speak to the Commander. She saved your asses here not me!”

The Council almost trip over each other in their eagerness to get to Heda Leksa, who they can see is speaking earnestly with a very tall scarred warrior.  Gostos and Dax step into their path as they approach and instruct them to wait. The three look at each other and the two body guards and decide to wait. It’s not long before Leksa turns to them. “Councillors what do you plan for your people now?” She gestures to the snowy valley, the piles of dead, the wreckage of the camp.

Her question goes unanswered as the three mutter between themselves about an unprovoked attack and one of the men whines “why can’t people just leave us alone?”

Leksa’s had enough of this stupidity, it needs to end now. “You are not left alone because you are not alone. Up in space you had no neighbours, no enemies, no friends. It is different here on the ground and you need to change. Now! Come with me.” She takes them to her newly erected tent where together with Indra, Callie and Vera Kane (Klark is still with her father) they work out a rough plan to get the remaining Arkers to Polis. Polis has plenty of room for them, they can live close to each other and become a useful part of the city. They will have to join a clan eventually or leave Kongeda territory but they have some time to consider which clan to join.

Quietly Leksa nurses an ambition to create a new clan in the city, Poliskru. Membership of Poliskru to be open to all, even Frikdreina (those deformed by radiation)  and those within other krus. Maybe the Arkers could be the start of this new clan, Leksa muses on this as she strides over to the medical tent to find Klark and see how Jake is doing. When she arrives, she finds Klark in reasonable spirits. The scan confirmed their suspicions that Jake had ruptured his spleen and now he’s in surgery with Abi assisting Jackson as he performs a splenectomy. It’s a fairly straightforward operation that should allow Jake to fully recover within a few moons. They sit side by side, Leksa holding Klark’s hand and wait until Abi appears looking as happy as anyone could be in these circumstances, the operation went well.

The following day sees the Arkers start to work on dismantling what’s left of their home, whilst gonas and surviving Guards secure the perimeter and start to burn the carefully built pyres. There are grumbles, especially from the older Arkers, but there’s a general acceptance that the move is inevitable and they just get on with it. Outside the camp the prisoners await their fate which is being decided by Heda Leksa in her tent.

The senior gonas crowd around Heda’s war table and Klark has an uneasy sensation of déjà vu. Here they are, near the Mountain, in Heda’s tent, looking at maps – again! First they consider the land itself. Its’ currently the territory of no kru. Nobody wanted the Maunon’s leavings and the memories that came with it of Reapers, Acid Fog and Bleedings. It was convenient to Heda to permit the Arkers to stay here and if they’d managed to establish themselves they could have put the valley to good use.  The clans that border the Valley are Trikru and Azgeda and after some pushing and convincing Indra agrees to bring it under her rule as Trikru. Roan when contacted by radio is happy with this arrangement, he has enough on his hands in Azgeda.

The fate of the prisoners is that they are to be branded and exiled to the Dead Zone. Leksa sets out her reasoning in a brief punchy statement. “At the time of the attack neither the camp nor the Arkers were part of the Kongeda and so execution as natrona (traitor) is not the right punishment.”

Klark heaves a quiet sigh of relief, it’s not ‘jus nou drein jus daun’ (blood must not have blood), that is still a long way off, but it introduces the idea of some flexibility in punishments. Indra looks mutinous but stays silent, the others look grave but nod their agreement as Leksa looks at each of them steely eyed.

The prisoners will be taken to the edge of the Dead Zone by Oktavia, who has now been given the rank of Captain and permanent command of a gonakru of fifty Trikru based in Polis. Klark can see how delighted Oktavia is. In these New Times she’s achieved what she always wanted, recognition as an accomplished Trikru gona.

This leaves the fate of Petrus kom Azgeda. Roan never banished him from Azgeda he chose to flee and now he demands his right to trial by combat as an Azgedan House Carl (noble). Mara; to Leksa, Klark and clearly Indra’s dismay is ready to meet him in solo gonplei. She presses her case at the meeting.

“As the most senior Azgedan House Carl present at this battle I am the one who should fight him and I am willing to do so. He is a poisonous bis (beast) and should be put down. If allowed to live he will kill, maim and torture. That is what he does.  My kru; my responsibility.”  She won’t be dissuaded. Her Captain Duram volunteers to fight Petrus but is ordered by Mara to stand down. Leksa is worried that Mara seeks death, her spirit lowered by the actions and death of her child but Leksa’s counter argument that the humiliation of branding and exile will be an even worse punishment for Petrus falls on deaf ears. Mara wants to fight him and will fight him; tomorrow at midday.

The Valley  1^st Moon – Waxing Crescent.  Midday

When Leksa was young and teased for being the smallest of the natblidas she wanted more than anything to grow tall and strong and have big bones and muscles. That didn’t happen and after hard years of being trained by her fos (first) Onya she came to appreciate the effectiveness of her lighter build. Speed, agility, lightning reflexes; coupled with mental quickness and a muscle memory so good that she didn’t even need to see where her blades were to strike a death blow.

Looking across the cleared fighting ring Leksa sees Mara who is everything Leksa wanted to be as a child. Mara kom Azgeda! Who would have thought that Heda Leksa kom Trikru would consider this Azgedan House Carl as family, as a friend, as someone she trusts. Klark, who is by her side, squeezes Leksa’s arm in a discreet gesture of reassurance. She realises what Mara means to Leksa and after her talk with Gaia, Klark knows that much more about what holds these great gonas together. Indra, Onya, Mara, Leksa, Linkon, Kestra, Quint; like Klark in doing their duty and protecting their people, they have done the unspeakable and their actions will never leave them, but they will always do their duty!

Mara selects her weapons, a long-sword and a double-headed battle axe. She looks limber and fit, eager to enter the fray. It is hard to believe that she could die today.

Chapter Text

The Valley  1^st Moon – First Quarter.  Early morning

During the hours of darkness stormy weather had returned and the following morning deep drifts of snow cover the ground, tents, burnt out pyres and wrecked fence. The sky is clear for now but who knows for how long. For once the Arkers manage to make a good impression as they have attached a snow plough to the front of one of their rovers and in quick time clear the snow from the camp’s big central area and then start ploughing the track to Ton DC.  Klark walking towards the medical tents sees Manche and Duram talking animatedly with Nygel in front of one of the parked-up rovers, while Lou an Ark engineer makes explanatory gestures.  Klark turns to her right to see Zhang Wei and Lassiter Potter are walking towards her, she signals to Penn and Ryder to allow them to approach. Wei is the acting Chancellor, appointed by the remaining Councillors and welcomed by Leksa (who had been given the low down by Klark to avoid having either Bjorn Zedemski or Petra Ramirez as Chancellor.)

“How’s your dad Klark? I hear he was hurt in the fighting.” Lassiter’s clearly a little worried what Klark’s response to her question will be and Klark has some sympathy for her, the battle was probably Lassiter’s and many other Arkers’ first close contact with the extreme violence that the grounders are capable of delivering. Hundreds died in the battle and over eighty of them were Arkers.

She makes sure her expression is friendly as she replies. “He’s doing well thanks. We just have to keep him free of infection and persuade him to rest for the time needed to recover.” Klark points.” Are you happy Wei that Nygel seems to be negotiating something with the grounders over there by the rovers? ”

Wei, a tall thin black-haired man who Klark remembers teaching a class in plant genetics, sighs expressively. “She’s one of the few who’ve volunteered to work with the grounders Klark and also she has more experience than any of us in negotiating deals. Of course I’m worried, she’s a criminal! but I’ve warned her that grounder rules and laws are what count here and she must clear anything that uses Ark resources with me.” He shrugs knowing that Nygel really only ever works for herself. What he’s hoping is that for a while at least her interests coincide with those of the Arkers’.

The three of them chat as they walk. Wei’s most immediate worry is his agoraphobic older Arkers who are still reluctant to leave their metal homes.  They agree that Klark and Lassiter will make time to talk to the ‘oldies’ that night.

When they get to the medical tent Lassiter and Wei go to visit some of their people and Klark is directed by Charlotte to a small ‘room’ where Jake has some privacy. As she approaches Abi storms out. Passing Klark she gives her a quick hug and mutters. “Can you make him see sense honey? I’ll come back later when I’ve had the chance to cool down.” Klark opens the canvas flap and asks Penn and Ryder to wait outside while she talks with her dad. She walks in to find Jake, looking pale and tired,  propped up on a couple of furs as he sketches machine parts in his notebook.

“Mom’s upset.”

“Well, I managed to almost kill myself with my own clumsiness, your mom doesn’t approve.” Klark hugs the wryly grinning man carefully.

“What happened dad?”

Jake’s embarrassed she can tell, so she questions him gently, trying to find out how he ended up so badly hurt.  It takes a while but she gets the basic picture.

“So, you were running in almost complete darkness, tripped and fell in-front of a giant catapult just as it was fired? How come you weren’t squashed like a bug?”  Jake doesn’t really know.  He should be dead, he remembers slipping on a patch of muddy ice, his left side hit the catapult’s wheel hard and then as he fell to the ground he heard and saw the massive wooden frame of the catapult heave into the air above him. After that nothing until he wakes up in the medical tent. He instantly regrets trying to shrug his shoulders and gives a hiss of pain.

“Abi’s mad that I came at all. She wanted one of us to stay in Polis with David and it had to be me; because she’s needed here as a medic, you’re a medic and Hedatu and I’m just some clumsy engineer who gets hurt and doesn’t put his family first. But I couldn’t be apart from her Klark, not now she’s...” He stops abruptly and Klark gets an uneasy feeling as she looks into her dad’s wet eyes.

“She’s pregnant again isn’t she? I thought you’d both decided it was too dangerous for her to have another child?”

Jake nods. “Accidents happen and the tea Nyko said usually works didn’t. What can I say, I have super sperm!” Klark feels mildly sick at the thought of that and of anything that involves her parents having sex. Ugh!

“We were going to tell you, then all this happened. We'd talked through the risks and decided together not to abort the child, just make sure she's monitored extra-carefully. Then we had a terrible row about whether she should be here at all, but you know what she’s like if she thinks she’s needed and I had to come too.” Jake looks at his daughter and almost sees the subtle transformation as she becomes ‘Hedatu’.

“You are both to go back to Polis as soon as you can be moved Dad. David needs you both and I want you in the hospital and mom there too. I’ll arrange it.” She stoops to kiss him, “I love you dad!” before walking out of the tent to find Abi and have an ‘interesting’ conversation with her mom.

The Valley  1^st Moon – First Quarter.  Midday

The braids in his beard are tight and neat and his armour clean. Petrus kom Azgeda, House Carl to the court at Toron, stretches his aching limbs. In the days that follow any battle your body is weary and everything hurts. If it’s a battle you’ve lost, you can add leaden spirits to that pain. But he has a chance to fight his way out of this and fighting is what he can do. He’s done it all his life, been trained to do it as; child, youth, man. He knows he’s good maybe not the best but he doesn’t need to be the best. He just needs to win today.  

The tent flap opens and two big Azgedan gonas lead him out into the cold. Petrus smiles, the cold is home and he walks tall and confident as the gonas take him to the centre of the Ark camp and a cleared fighting ring. There on a bench is his sword and dagger. As he picks them up he notices the blades have been cleaned and they shine in the brisk cold light. There’s no trace on them of blood, tissue or poison. He picks them up, other than the cleaning nothing seems to be altered. He takes his time examining them, the blades are sharp, the hilts and pommels look clean but undisturbed. That’s good the feisbona (wolfsbane poison) impregnated into the thickened leather that decorates the cross-guard of his dagger could be useful.

Scanning the ring he sees Azgeda, Trikru and Boudalan gonas packed three deep to watch the fight. He’ll give them something to see! On his right is the Trikru Heda enthroned, with her sky bitch at her side. The Trikru Chief is there too, he smiles when he sees her arm is in a sling. Always good to see Indra kom Trikru in pain.

Across the ring he sees ‘her’, Mara Kom Azgeda, as she speaks to her captain Duram. Tall and graceful her ash blonde hair, held back in crisp braids, is greying slightly. Age (she must be well over forty summers)  and the long bleeding at the hands of the Maunon (Mountain men) must have weakened her. She fought in the battle here too and will be hurting. He can’t see any wounds and she’s moving well; but her muscles will be tight and joints aching, he’s sure of it.

 A big Boudalan steps forward, silence falls as he declaims. “Hashta soulou gonplei, bilaik won hedon noumou: du souda wan.” (In single combat, there is but one rule: Someone must die today.)

Then she turns to face him and he sees her weapons. A sword in her right hand and a double-bladed battle axe in her left. That means she’s going for a quick kill; he’s right she knows she can’t last for a drawn-out fight. In that case he’ll make her work long and hard for his blood. He surges forward to occupy the centre of the ring, he’ll let her run around him for a while and strike the first few blows, see what kind of pace she sets and whether she still has the vigour of her youth.

Sitting between Leksa and Indra Klark can feel the tension in both of them. They’re worried and Klark can see why. Petrus kom Azgeda looks strong, fit, rested and very alert. There’s no hint in his manner of over confidence, carelessness or that he is here just to seek honour in death. Oh no, he’s here to fight hard for his life and he’s an experienced fighter.  

Klark leans forward and behind her hand whispers to Leksa. “Is the axe a good choice?”

“Sha (yes) she has the height, weight and muscle to use it well. I hate them, they are so heavy and I find them clumsy. With Mara’s long arms and power, it is a great weapon. Like a dagger and a shield all in one and look at the haft it’s covered in langets of metal and has a big iron pommel. A good choice.”

Indra leans forward to join in the conversation. “ He’s no fool though and Duram tells me he was trained well. Look he has taken the centre. He’s going to try and tire her out. She needs to conserve her strength.”

They watch as Petrus plants his feet firmly in the muddy ground, the studs in his boots gripping well.

He breathes in the cold air, calms his mind and tries to forget that he’s fighting a legend. He knows that the things said about Mara kom Azgeda can’t all be true. No-one can fly, or become invisible or kill an enemy with just a look! He’s fighting a mortal gona (warrior), one that can bleed and die today!

Mara starts with a furious attack. Her sword and axe fly in complex patterns and Petrus parries and parries, retreats, bends and ducks. Sparks are struck again and again as the weapons clash. Petrus’ blades cross to block the axe as it descends and he tries to twist the haft from Mara’s grip. She releases her grip relying on the leather thong around her wrist as she brings her sword up to catch his left upper arm a solid blow. His armour protects him but he feels the jolt of pain through to his bone.    

Indra leans back and sucks in a breath. Mara’s clearly not trying to conserve her strength, she must be going for a quick kill. It makes Indra uneasy to see Petrus dance gracefully over the mud and ice dodging the cleaving axe and parrying the sword.  But he’s lost the centre, has taken a solid blow to his arm and has retreated a few paces.

Mara prowls forward as Petrus takes a few steps back. He slides his weapons apart, deliberately drawing the blade of his sword over the padded leather cross-guard of his dagger. Mara’s lips draw back into a snarl and her disgust is palpable. “I know who trained you boy, don’t think your tricks will save you.”  Before she finishes speaking she’s attacking again, leading with her sword this time, beating him down with solid blows and using the axe to parry the dagger that he tries to snake past her guard.

Klark leans forward again. “What does she mean by “Your tricks”?”

Indra and Leksa shrug. “Poison maybe? He was trained by Nia’s captain Nestor. A very dangerous gona and skilled with poisons.” The two fighters continue to exchange furious blows.

Klark shrinks back into her furs, the temperature is below freezing and sitting still to watch a fight to the death chills her in more ways than one. Around the fighting ring gonas stamp their feet trying to keep their spirits up and blood circulating. Klark sees Zhang Wei approaching them escorted by Dax. Leksa gestures that he is to take the seat on her left, he does so after making a polite bow. Klark smiles at him, at least some in the Ark listen to herself and Callie when they instruct them on manners and behaviour. Wei apologises for being late, he was held up by his technicians’ concerns about moving the bacterial cultures used in the treatment of sewage in such cold weather and it took a while to put a solution in place. Leksa listens carefully and sympathetically, one of the tek innovations she’s keen to bring to Polis is the Ark’s treatment of human waste. Polis can stink in the summer and its’ ever-increasing population is putting strain on the current system where urine is collected daily by the tanners and solid wastes by wagons taking it out of the city during the night. Wei sits on the fur covered seat and accepts a warm jacket that Dax offers him.

“Thank-you Heda Leksa, Dax. This, er; this looks a desperate fight.”

Leksa nods. “Yes, the leader of the bandits who attacked your camp is from the northern clan Azgeda.  He and the other prisoners were sentenced by me to be banished from Coalition lands but he chose to exercise his right as an Azgedan noble to trial by combat. If he kills Mara kom Azgeda he is a free man.”    

The two fighters are still for a moment assessing each other. They note how deeply the other breathes, is that; bruise, limp or cut hindering their movement or indicative of a burgeoning weakness. They both shuffle their studded boots in the icy slush.

“You won’t last long kriken plana (old woman). Yu gonplei ste oden (Your fight is over).”

A sequence of blows from Petrus has Mara using her axe to block rather than strike and his dagger snags her side to draw blood. But that gives Mara an opening as he lunges forward in follow-through and she smashes the pommel of her axe into his face. His nose bursts like a ripe plum and blood splatters over his face, into his eyes and now he can only breathe through his gaping mouth.  She follows through with a slash to his head that only narrowly misses taking off the top of his skull. Petrus’ agile leap back doesn’t save him from a deep cut to his forehead that adds to his facial injuries.  Now he’s blinded by his own blood and swipes at his face trying to clear his vison.

Mara launches another attack at his head but as she swings her axe in a mighty blow she slips on the icy ground and overbalances. Petrus takes advantage immediately with a blind thrust of his dagger that finds the back of her left knee. Mara grunts in pain as she scrambles away from him and his dagger, still stuck in the back of her leg, is torn from his grip. The watchers gasp and an audible hiss is heard as hundreds sharply draw in their breath.

In her mind’s eye Klark sees her notes on the anatomy of the knee and tries to understand the wound. Blood is not spurting out in arcs, he’s not hit the popliteal artery, but what about nerve damage or if he’s struck the popliteal vein? That dagger’s stuck in something, her femur or tibia seems the most likely. The big tendons are at the side and front of the knee. She could be lucky….

“Jok (Fuck)” Indra mutters. “That must hurt. Keryon (Spirits), she’s pulled it out!”

Horrified Klark watches as Mara, still able to walk on her injured knee, drops her sword and yanks at the dagger stuck in her leg. It comes free, fresh blood flows down her leg.

Petrus still swiping at his eyes runs towards her. She just manages to bring her axe up to block his heavy sword’s swing. Their weapons collide, he two-handedly thrusting the blade down towards her face.  She using her axe’s haft like a short staff to hold him back. Petrus leans further forward as he brings all his weight down onto the sword, pushing as hard as he can towards Mara’s weakened left side. Mara reacts by rolling onto her back and snapping her right leg up; her foot punches into his gut, throwing him up and away. She kicks-up to standing, Klark thinks she must like Leksa have abs of iron, to face him as he lands on his back. He scrabbles quickly to find his feet but she’s ready to takes full advantage with her axe blade swinging at full force, knocking his sword aside and finding its’ home deep in his chest. Petrus’ armour is no protection against the immense power and weight behind that blow. His body spasms and Mara, at last allowing expression to her anger and pain, roars “ai laik Azgeda” (I am Azgeda) as she yanks the bloodied axe out of his gaping rib cage.   

Petrus’ arms have no strength; his sword falls to the ground as his body sways and legs buckle.  Consciousness fades and he crumples falling face down onto the icy blood-soaked ground.  

Cries of “Azgeda! Azgeda!” ring out across the fighting ring and Mara disappears into a sea of bodies as her gonas surge forward to lift her in victory. Duram is jumping up and down in joy and briefly enfolds her victorious leader in a crushing embrace. Mara speaks quietly to her captain.

“Get me to a healer Duram my leg hurts like a bitch!”

Carried aloft by her jubilant gonas in a lap of victory around the fighting ring, Duram is eventually able to get them to bring Mara to the medical tent. Klark’s run ahead and Abi and her team are ready to treat her when she arrives. Her high spirited, if anxious, gonakru wait as Mara is examined. After a few minutes Klark goes outside to reassure them that Mara will be okay, but she does need a small operation on her knee as the dagger chipped one of the big legbones.

The gonakru sit down in the cold to wait. They will not leave until Mara tells them to. Klark understands their concerns and invites Duram inside to take Mara’s orders. There they find Mara watching intently as Abi neatly stitches the cut in her side and covers the wound with a sterile dressing. Then as the local anaesthetic Abi has administered takes effect (Mara had refused full anaesthesia) Mara moves to lie on her belly and Abi swabs the still sluggishly bleeding wound to her knee.

“Klark can you scrub in please and you too Charlotte, I may need you both.” The two young women clean their hands and when they nod that they are ready Abi starts to enlarge the cut.

“Lose the blood!” Klark mops up Mara’s blood. “Thank-you. Two small ratchets and a small forceps please.” Charlotte hands Abi the instruments. The wound is now gaping and Abi can see the femur and the piece of condyle that has been chipped off.

“I’m thinking that it’s best to screw the loose bone back in place girls rather than just cement it. Charlotte I’ll need a drill bit and screw both on the small side, have we got size 9?” Charlotte looks and finds what’s needed. “Yeah, got it. I’ll just put them in the alcohol for a moment.”

“Klark a bit more mopping, then you can help me by putting the screw in.”  Charlotte hands Abi the electric drill. There’s the sound of the drill, a smell of burning bone and the crash of Duram hitting the floor!

Mara huffs out a laugh and shouts to her kru outside. “Jok! Jonas, get in here and pick up the Captain! Sorry Abi I forgot that she’s never good around healers.”

Jonas, a huge gona, bustles in and studiously averting his eyes from his leader’s injury picks up Duram. “Take the gonakru to their tents Jonas. How long will you be Abi?” Mara looks over her shoulder and pales slightly as she sees metal callipers holding her skin open and the drill in Abi’s hand.

“A few more minutes Mara. Klark has to screw the chip back into place. Now if you please Klark.”

Klark leans forward, screw and orthopaedic screwdriver ready and Mara quickly turns her head away feeling slightly sick, no wonder Duram hit the floor.

After Abi supervises Klark’s closing of the enlarged wound she smiles; Klark’s worked hard on her surgical skills and soon she’ll be able to fly solo on almost all orthopaedics. All Mara needs now is a course of antibiotics, some painkillers, rest and her knee partially immobilised for about two moons.

That evening Petrus is burnt, together with Vance, on the battle’s final pyre and Mara kom Azgeda and Heda Leksa say the words of closing that will allow their spirits to return to earth. Quietly Mara prays that her son in his next life will be trained in the ways of peace or war by someone of honour who loves him.

The Valley  2^nd Moon – new. Midmorning.

Ark camp is almost deserted now, with just one skeletal structure remaining inhabited by the last few Ark engineers who are clearing up mines and cutting metal walls into manageable sections to be transported to Polis.

Leksa,  back at the camp to formalise the handing over of the land to Trikru, breathes a little easier now that all of the Skaikru tek is safely in Polis under the control of people she trusts like; Jake, Sinclair, Abi and Raven.  She and Klark have also come to know Zhang Wei and Lassiter Potter a little better, now that they are located in Polis and they seem to be good people.  There have been difficulties, but over the last moon Klark, Gaia and Wei have worked hard to get the Arkers settled with somewhere to live and something to do.

Now the final hand-over ceremonies are complete Leksa and Klark bid a formal farewell to Indra and Callie and a less formal cuddle goodbye to Candra. They’re looking forward to the big party planned in Ton DC next moon for Candra’s ‘taking the Keryon’ ritual.

Klark walks towards Leksa leading Skyracer and Magpie. “Ready to go Heda?” Leksa smiles at her niron (beloved) it’s always good to be heading back home, even if it’s to more meetings with the bandronas (ambassadors), who so far are not taking well to her idea of a new kru (clan), Poliskru. But Leksa has some comfort in the fact that she’s already seen signs that the Sangedakru and Ingranronakru bandronas are coming round to the idea of their traders having dual membership; of their own kru and Poliskru. Just a few more meeting and some progress will be made, she’s sure of it.

They mount up and prepare to leave. Bodyguards move into place around the two leaders. Gostos and Dax ride ahead; Ryder and Penn at either side with Grace and Dot bringing up the rear. A small gonakru of ten follow the group and five more scout ahead.  As they move off they pass a convoy of wagons that is almost ready to start for Polis. The Valley is still a dangerous place, not all of the over 400 bandits based there were killed or captured, so convoys or heavily armed groups are still the norm.

As they ride along the snow-ploughed track Leksa and Klark chat quietly about the need to decide who are to be Aden and Eve’s fos’ (firsts). They are both of the age where their formal lives as sekens (seconds) should start and who is to train them is an important decision. Onya still has Tris for another summer at least and so she isn’t available. Indra is preoccupied with her role as Chief, her new lands in the Valley and her young child. Quint they respect but they both worry that he is, despite him leading the Trikru fayogon kru (gun crew), rather backwards looking politically. Similarly, Tristan is not suitable for a natblida (black-blood) and potential future Heda. Klark suggests Kestra and Leksa nods in approval, she was on her own mental list. They also consider Mara as a potential fos or perhaps Duram. They continue to talk around the subject. Klark has proven herself to have talent for matching fos with seken. Last year she spent a great deal of time with Gaia as she searched for a new seken when Usk became a Fleimkepa (Flame keeper)  in his own right. Gaia appreciated Klark’s help and Klark enjoyed the process so much that she took on the task of finding sekens for a number of the former skaikru based in Polis. Raven was her first choice to be a fos, the skai-genius loves to share her knowledge and is a natural teacher. Klark found Poppy in Polis Orphanage and Raven took to the bright young goufa (child) immediately, but Poppy wouldn’t come without her sister Rowan. Rowan wasn’t presented to Klark as a potential seken by the orphanage, because she was mute.  Poppy spoke for them both, always. Faced with an apparent impasse Klark suggested to Raven that before coming to any decision about the girls she should get to know them a little better. So, she did. Raven and Onya took the sisters to the beach where they made paper boats and planes and under Onya’s protective eye the three of them played football and raced their vessels. Raven was awed by Poppy’s quickness of mind and Rowan's ability to make subtle improvements to their paper ships. She ended up convinced that both girls had huge potential and she took the two of them on as sekens. The relationship has been a great success and Raven is frequently heard to boast of her sekens’ hard work and natural abilities. The two young teens adore their fos, Onya and Tris. The latter two teaching them fighting skills.   Rowan has started to speak a few words to Raven who is optimistic that with time her younger seken will overcome her need to be silent. Both Leksa and Klark are looking forward to getting back to Polis as Raven, Onya and the girls are back from their mission in Sangedakru and they claim to have big news.

A shout of warning from ahead snatches them from their conversational bubble and naturally they draw their weapons. Leksa her swords and Klark her pistol and dagger. Arrows rain down from trees either side of the trackway and both Magpie and Skyracer are hit. Magpie stumbles but Klark flings herself left as her horse falls. Skyracer rears as an arrow pierces his withers and Leksa, who had already started to dismount, is struck by a flailing hoof. Klark watches in terror as Leksa strikes the ground hard and an arrow thuds into the back of her left shoulder.  

The six bodyguards surround their charges, Grace and Dax’ rifles strafe the treeline, Ryder and Penn stand solid between their fallen leaders and any attackers. Gostos and Dot raise their bows and fire towards the dark figures they see moving in the trees. Klark disentangles herself from Magpie’s reins and grabs her medical bag from the fallen horse’s saddle. On her knees she turns the motionless Leksa onto her side; first she sees an egg sized lump on her niron’s forehead but it’s the arrow that scares her most. Recent assassination attempts have all featured poison and if that arrow is poisoned Leksa may die if Klark doesn’t act fast.

Klark opens her medical bag and pulls out her biggest pair of surgical shears. Grace Byrne drops by her side. “What can I do to help Klark?”

“Hold her still while I cut the shaft, then help me take off her coat and pauldron so we can see the wound.”

Grace holds the unconscious Heda as Klark’s shears slice effortlessly through the wooden shaft. Then carefully Leksa’s pauldron and coat are unbuckled and lifted away. Klark glares at the arrowhead piercing Leksa’s flesh. The pauldron’s taken most of the impact, the actual wound is shallow and the arrowhead’s barbs are not caught in Leksa’s skin. Klark pulls the arrow out and sniffs it. Fuck there’s the smell of green herbs and woods, it could be feisbona (wolfsbane) and there’s no antidote. She looks closely at the wound and sees traces of a greenish liquid in its centre. She lowers her lips to suck it out only to be stopped by Grace.

“No Klark, Heda’s orders are that you must never endanger yourself.”

“Fuck you Grace. I’m Hedatu and in charge and I will get suck that poison out.”

“No Klark, Heda’s orders are clear. You must not endanger yourself in trying to save her. I will do it.” Klark’s mind spins trying to work this out. Grace must not die! Leksa must not die! Grace’s head ducks down.

“Stop!” Grace pauses and looks up to see Klark holding a large plastic syringe. With the shears she slices through the barrel just above the hub and pushes the plunger down. She then places the cut end of the barrel over Leksa’s wound and pulls the plunger up. The barrel fills with Leksa’s black blood bringing some of the greenish liquid with it. Klark empties the syringe into a vial and then passes it to Grace.

“Do what I did.” Grace complies, whilst with careful fingers Klark kneads the softness of her niron’s flesh, pushing blood and poison towards the open wound and into the sucking syringe. Four times the syringe is filled before Klark is satisfied that they have removed as much of the poison as they can. She then cleans her hands and the wound with alcohol, before stitching and covering it with a sterile dressing.  Klark takes a deep breath, at least Leksa has a chance if they’ve kept most of the poison out of her bloodstream.

Gently Klark rolls Leksa onto her back and looks closely at the dark lump on her forehead.  “Grace, get me some snow, I want to keep this swelling to a minimum!”

Chapter Text

Polis 2^nd Moon Full

For fourteen days she doesn’t train, conduct meetings with the bandronas (ambassadors) or have sex with her meizen (beautiful) niron (beloved)! Instead; she meditates, reads books on the theories of politics and war, sharpens all her weapons twice - no three times, plays gentle games with David and the youngest natblidas (night-bloods) and allows herself to be subjected to scans, which involve her lying down inside a very noisy tube! Heda is now very tired of having a concussion and this afternoon if the noisy tube tells Abi and Klark that her concussion has resolved Leksa can start to live again.  Thank Keryon (the Spirits) and Klark!

For the past couple of days her healers have advised that she can start to take non-controversial meetings, the kind where her blood pressure is unlikely to be raised or her patience tested.  There are only a few meeting of that nature available to her and so it is Polis’ sewage and drainage services that are on the agenda this morning.  The Tower’s first-floor meeting room is set up and her throne is placed at the head of the large oak table. After Gaia’s new seken (second) Afon kom Ouskejon announces her, Leksa takes her seat and she gestures to the participants that they are to sit and introduce themselves to her and others in the room. The Polis’ Guild of Tanners has sent two representatives to discuss their concerns with any changes in how human urine is disposed of and the local farmers’ co-operative has also sent representatives to ensure that their supplies of manure are not interrupted. Wei, Jake and Raven are there to outline the proposed new system. The meeting starts with a presentation by Raven and Wei. Leksa is fascinated by the idea that tiny invisible creatures eat waste and turn it into various useful things but the many complicated diagrams of blobs, pipes and barrels, are so detailed and so dull that she can really feel her blood pressure drop (it’s almost as effective as meditating) and her head starts to nod. The only entertainment is when Raven’s tek misbehaves and the screen and sound are disrupted by violent hissings and crackles. When eventually it becomes clear that an agreement to explore matters further is close Leksa excuses herself to allow the experts to finalise the details.

Much relieved and more tired than she would like to admit Leksa returns to the Tower’s upper floors, looking for Klark and sanch (lunch). Klark’s been busy since they returned from the Valley. The need to do something about the assassination attempts, now more numerous and regular than when Nia was alive, is urgent. Leksa was too ill to be involved when they first returned to Polis, so Klark and Onya have started things off. Tomorrow, if today’s scan goes well, it is planned that they will reveal to Leksa what they have discovered so far and together try to identify why and/or who is behind them. Onya’s also been working with Gostos and Byrne on their ideas of how to improve Heda and Hedatu’s security, without making either of them look weak or their lives not worth living. As both leaders still live, despite five serious assassination attempts in under a year, the bodyguards can feel they are doing a good job. But the last attempt was much too close for comfort, Heda was struck by a poisoned arrow and a blow from her own dying horse’s hoof rendered her unconscious for some time with a serious concussion. Klark’s speedy actions, extracting the poison and icing the blow to her head, saved her life – of that Leksa has no doubt. 

She finds Klark in the throne room. Inwardly Leksa smiles, the diffused light from the sunshine outside highlights Klark’s bright hair and if it were possible, makes Klark look even more meizen.

“Heda!” She’s been spotted by Gaia and she and all the natblidas stand and bow. Klark turns, smiles and respectfully ducks her head.

“Mounin (good -morning) natblidas, Fleimkepa (Flamekeeper), Hedatu. What have you been doing?”

Aden and Eve, as usual speak up for the natblidas. “We are learning about your last progress through the krus (clans) Heda. Today Hedatu is going to tell us about when you went to Podakru and Delphikru.”

“Beja (Please) continue your studies.” Leksa sits for a while and listens in while Klark and Gaia get the youngsters to tell them what they know about the two krus being discussed. None of the natblidas are from Delphikru or Podakru but Mer (aged about 10 summers) is from Ingranronakru and his family have had dealings with Delphikru traders.  Mer is a quiet goufa (child) and as you would expect from Ingranronakru is obsessed with his young horse Spotty,  a rangy dappled-grey beast. With some encouragement he speaks up.

“Delphikru always drive the hardest of bargains Heda, Hedatu. They have apples, cider, dried fish, corn and beans to kofon (trade) and when they come to kofon their amin (master) chichas (storytellers) travel with them and all nat (night) they tell stories.” The boy’s face lights up as he remembers evenings around the campfire listening to exciting tales. “They sit around the fire to tell stories of the Fleim (Flame) and to chicha (speak) of how clever their Biga-Chicha (Prophet) is, telling of futures that come true and how meizen the hou (house) of the Biga-Chicha is.” He talks freely about the tales, trades and goods that pass between the two krus. Leksa is pleased to see that Gaia is taking notes. Delphikru are long established members of the Kongeda (Coalition) who comply with Kongeda laws on trading and territory and if asked by Heda they will send gonas to fight in Kongeda wars. Internal kru matters they keep to themselves, as they are entitled to do. They share little information about their ways with other krus and although Gaia has a network of spies working in all krus, Delphikru’s is not very effective. What they do know is that Delphikru’s leaders and nobles are wealthy, their gonas are well trained and fight with good quality weapons. Delphikru also sends many traders out to other krus especially those on their borders; Ingranronakru, Podakru, Boudalan and Trishanakru.

At one point in his story Mer frowns, “The gonas of Delphikru are very strict Heda. If anyone from my kru crosses their border without permission and are discovered, they always punish them. Even if it was only by mistake! My ani (aunt) Mila had to give them all her trade goods once when she was found on their ground.”  He chatters on about the stories and trades made by his family. “They really like dappled horses like my Spotty Heda. When he was a foal a Delphikru gona offered my nomon (mother) two cartfuls of apples and three barrels of cider for him. But my nomon said “nou (no), that horse is for my goufa who will be Heda or an important gona one day!” She brought Spotty to Polis for me when you were bonded Heda and the good news about the conclave had spread! ”   

Leksa and Klark both smile openly at this. The parents of natblidas used to be told to stay away from Polis and their goufas, but now that has changed and family visits for the big festivals in Polis are encouraged. One of the most emotional days in Leksa’s life had been a few days after her bonding with Klark, when those of her natblidas who had parents living brought them to see her and Klark. It was a very good day.

They share sanch with the natblidas and Klark describes their time in Podakru and Delphikru, Leksa joins in with a few remarks about the history of the two krus. Then she walks with Klark, escorted by their bodyguards, to the hospital for her scan.

Polis 2^nd Moon Full – the following day – early morning

Dawn’s light spills over the rumpled furs and finds the two sleepy occupants in the process of stretching awake. Klark feels slightly sore but has happy memories of last night’s lovemaking to make her smile. She looks up at the wooden chandelier that hangs above their bed and can’t stop a grin as she remembers last night and Leksa swinging on it in sheer joy and physical exuberance. A giggle escapes, she’s pretty sure she’s unique in being the only woman to ‘eat out’ Heda as she hangs from that chandelier, her thighs over Klark’s shoulders and abs clenching deliciously .

It takes them some time to go through for breakfast and Leksa is already, bouncing with energy and honey cakes, eager to get to the training ring before their long day of important meetings starts.  There’s a knock at the door.

“Sha! (Yes!)”

In walks Raven’s sekens Poppy and Rowan. Leksa looks up to see the two girls dip into a low bow. She likes these two goufas and enjoys seeing how Raven, Onya and young Tris look out for them. A very visible sign of that affection is how the girls are dressed. They look like two mini  versions of Raven. Both are dark haired and wear red jackets, subtly different from each other’s and Raven’s when you look at them in detail, but outwardly they are claimed by the mechanic. Orphaned herself at an early age, Leksa knows how important that sign of belonging will be to those girls.

“Rowan, Poppy, mounin. Os oukous (Nice jackets).”

The two girls’ giggle and Poppy replies. “Sha Heda. Onya got them for us. Now we look so smart, just like our fos. We have a message for you Heda, Hedatu.”

Rowan steps forward and hands a folded piece of paper to Leksa. Leksa reads it through twice and then silently hands it to Klark for her to read.

“Mochof goufas. (Thank-you children). Tell Raven we will do as she asks.”  The two girls scamper out to deliver another note.

Mid - morning

Onya’s long legs stretch out in front of her as she leans back into her chair and sips at the mug of hot tea. Her eyes flick round the room, it’s one she’s familiar with, noting that the single exit is guarded by Gostos himself and she passed Dax, patiently on guard outside as she came in.  It’s an important meeting and they are waiting for Raven who’s late. Onya looks around the crowded table to see that Klark is frowning, Leksa stoical, Gaia seems confused, Abi and Jake look worried.

Raven arrives, she looks exhausted and Onya knows her niron did not come to their bed last night and that her sekens have been working feverishly with her.  Tired and flustered Raven drops the pad and bundle of papers she’s carrying onto the floor. As Onya helps her pick them up she can hear Rowan and Poppy outside as they skip away down the corridor intent on some task or other. Raven nods to Gostos who closes the door as he steps outside to stand guard with Dax.

Leksa leans forward. “Raven, take a few moments to compose yourself. We know you will have good reasons for your actions.”

At Leksa’s invitation Raven sits and Onya passes her a mug of tea. She knows they are all watching her in expectation of something to justify her behaviour and the strange written requests she sent to all of them. And now she’s late to her own meeting. Where should she start? She takes a breath, sips her tea and begins to speak.

“Okay. First things first - why did I ask for the meetings scheduled for today to be cancelled and set up this one in my lab. Leksa er Heda Leksa, I hope you recall the meeting yesterday in the Tower’s first-floor meeting room about sewers and sh… stuff. I could see you were gripped by our amazing presentation; it was fantastic you stayed awake really. I almost passed out from boredom and I was giving the presentation.”

Leksa smiles a little wryly and nods.

“Well, there were some technical problems, I’m sure you remember.”

Leksa nods again.

“I couldn’t understand why both picture and sound kept breaking up. I work to the highest standards, always wanting perfection.” Jake ducks his head in agreement. He knows how much effort Raven puts into the simplest of tasks. “Perfection’s not always possible but that presentation should have been perfect, because I checked and double and triple checked that kit. The projector, files, connections everything was good. Then it all went to shit and I wanted to know why. I considered everything, tested everything again and then as Sherlock Holmes once said. ‘When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’.” At this point everyone is looking confused and Raven’s own remarkable brain is close to short circuiting with tiredness. “Long story short, the meeting room we used yesterday was bugged.”

“What. The. Fuck! Sorry mom!” Klark, Abi and Jake almost physically jump up in surprise. 

“Who, how, how long?”

“What is bugged?”

Leksa calls for order and everyone stops speaking. “Raven, explain “bugged” please.”

Raven explains what she means by ‘bugged’ then continues. “I’ve sent Poppy and Rowan to all the main meeting rooms we use in the Tower to ‘play’ with their new toy, a radio frequency detector (RFD), one I made last night. They should be back this afternoon with a list of bugged and  clean rooms. I’ve also made more RFDs so we can check our own rooms. I didn’t find any cameras.”

At this point it’s noticeable that both Leksa and Klark are blushing bright pink and they aren’t the only ones.

“I know this room is safe and bug free but at the moment I can’t say that about anywhere else. I didn’t remove or damage the bug that I found in the meeting room and Poppy and Rowan are under orders to just ‘play’ in the tower’s meeting rooms and to bring me a list of those the detector reacts to. When they’ve done that I’ll send them on to some other places I think it’s most likely a hostile entity will want to listen in on. I haven’t even thought of anywhere other than Polis.”

It takes a while for everyone to understand what a bug is and what it does. Even though Onya and Leksa had some instruction on tek from Bekka Pramheda and her houmon Maryam the details of how and what a bug can do and how they are detected takes them a while to get to grips with. The nearest thing to bugs they have come across already are the trail cameras and sensors that the Maunon (Mountain Men) used to keep track of the people who ventured near Mount Weather. Gaia has no idea about the technical aspects at all, but with Leksa’s reassurance she trusts what Raven says.

Raven consults briefly with Onya, Jake and Klark and then it’s Klark who lays out their next steps.

“We have some very important meetings scheduled now that Leksa is fully recovered from her concussion. Weird though it seems Leksa the fact you’ve not been able to take meetings for the last couple of weeks may be a good thing.  Todays’ meeting was meant to take place in the first-floor meeting room and we were planning on fully briefing you on everything we have on the assassination attempts. We’re not at the stage of pointing fingers at a likely suspect yet but we are making progress and you discovering the bug Raven has to be factored in.”

Onya agrees. “Sha (Yes) Klark, and what Raven’s just said only makes that meeting and the one about your bodyguards and security Heda even more urgent.”

It’s agreed that Raven’s office is too small for all the participants of the meetings Onya and Klark had originally planned and so Jake and Raven will take a detector each and together with Raven’s sekens find a bigger room that’s bug free. That will take time so they will all return to Raven’s office after sanch to get word about where it is safe to hold a meeting. Raven made six detectors last night; one is with her sekens and she will keep one, the other four are given to Jake, Klark, Gaia and a hastily squeezed in Dax. Raven gives basic instructions on how they are to be used.  The small metal boxes are easy to operate and in a few minutes Raven and Onya are left alone. Onya kneels by her meizen houmon’s (spouse’s) feet. “You wait here niron and rest. I will send in sanch for you and work with Jake to find a safe room.” She kisses the tired mechanic tenderly. Sleepy eyes sharpen for a moment.

“Make sure to check our place. I don’t want any fucker listening in on our bedroom life!” 

The first places Klark checks with the RFD are her and Leksa’s bedroom and sitting room. Thankfully they are bug free but it’s a shock to discover that their private dining room next door has a device carefully hidden under the heavy wooden buffet. Kneeling on the floor, in silence,  they look at the small dull box. Leksa rises gracefully to a stand and after she helps Klark up, they retreat to their sitting room and close the door.

“It looks dirty, as if it’s been there for some time.” Klark speaks first.

 “Sha. It’s a dusty spot, the handmaidens don’t move the big furniture very often.  Once a year they do a big clean just before midwinter, that would be over two moons ago. They would have found it if it had been there then.”

“Would they know it was not meant to be there and tell you about it?”  

“I think so. I’ll have to ask Melissa she’ll know if something was found.”

Both nod, Melissa is the most senior handmaiden, responsible for Heda and Hedatu’s private rooms. Unlike the sweetness of her name Melissa is a scary woman, who makes Indra look like a pussycat. She retired from her role as a Trikru gona when she lost an arm fighting Nia’s Azgeda nearly twenty years ago. Today she can only just bring herself to be in the same room as Mara kom Azgeda without spitting.   She is always armed to the teeth and Leksa knows that Melissa considers herself part of her bodyguard as well as the keeper of Heda’s home in the Tower.  

They grab sanch from the Tower’s public dining room and make their way to the Tek Floor where Raven, Onya and Poppy are waiting. Leaving Poppy behind to direct the others they set off to a meeting room on the 25^th floor. Leksa sprints off up the stairs, racing against Onya and Dax; while Klark, Raven and Penn take the gona powered elevator. Raven switches on the RFD and they are dismayed to see the red light flicker a positive. The elevator is bugged. They start a rather stilted conversation about how to find sekens for Sinclair and Jake and when inspiration dries up on that topic Raven holds forth on why it’s so difficult to power these elevators, but after a while they both slump into a depressed silence while Penn looks silently on and the elevator creaks slowly upwards.

The Border between Sangedakru and the Dead Lands  2^nd Moon Full

Escorting and then leaving forty branded and banished bandits at the edge of the Dead Zone was the task entrusted to Oktavia and her gonakru and they’ve performed it as efficiently as they could. Heda Leksa was clear, this was not meant to be a death sentence and so the thirty-eight that survived the journey are left with a map that shows them how to find the four secure caches of food and arms that will allow them to make their way into the dead zone and survive.

As they turn to go south Oktavia can feel the spirits of her gonas rising. Linkon rides beside her as they make their way through the chillness of the moonlit night. His healing skills have been invaluable on the harsh journey north and all of the kru have become familiar with Oktavia as their Captain and Linkon as their healer and her second in command. They’ve become a team.

Some glasses later they have to stop as temperatures climb to an unbearable high. Oktavia checks that the watches are set before she and her kru shelter under their canopies.  A panel of solar cells is set out in the sun and as close as she can guess to midday she turns the radio on for her daily call in to Polis.

“Home, this is the Romans can you hear me? Romans out.”

Offa, one of the radio gonas in Polis, is quick to respond. “Sha Romans, we hear you at Home. Out.”

Oktavia starts to recite the Geiger counter readings she’s taken over the last day and Offa notes them down and reads them back to her for checking. When she’s given the final reading Offa reads that back and adds quickly. “Please hold Romans. Home Out.”

Oktavia waits and there’s a short silence before Klark comes on. “Hei Romans. Is everything going well? Out.”  

“Hei Princess. We are good thanks. Have you heard from the Spiders? Out.”  

“Sha, they have tracked your packages and everything seems to be going to plan. Have you had contact with the Wanderers? Out.”  

“Not yet Princess. We hope to meet up with them tomorrow on our next stop. Out.”  

“Can you ask them to make their way Home ASAP. We need you and them here at Home. Home Out.”

  “Will do. Romans Over and Out.”

Although Raven and Sinclair have encrypted the radio transmissions they all use code names for any places, groups or individuals referred to in the calls. On the basis that you can never be entirely sure that someone of hostile intent isn’t lurking around a corner listening to you making a call. The Romans is Oktavia, she can’t shake her attachment to Bell’s old stories of the ancients. Princess is, of course, Klark. The Wanderers Murphy and Emori and the Spiders five Trikru scouts sent to check that the released bandits (the packages) don’t immediately return to Kongeda lands. 

Polis 2^nd Moon Full

They’ve gathered in the smaller of two useable meeting rooms on the 25^th floor. These rooms are usually used by visitors and so are ready stocked with firewood and working stoves. 

In the few glasses since Raven told them of the bug she found in the first-floor meeting room they’ve found six more in or around the Tower. None were found in the hospital or Abi and Jake’s home and it’s no surprise that the Tek Floor (Floor 6) is clear. Now he’s been brought into the loop Sinclair’s made more RFDs and he’s also put together some white noise generators, one of which is placed in the centre of this room. The Tek Floor has been closed off to all visitors, using the excuse that there’d been a spillage of formaldehyde and a clean-up operation is under way.  The first-floor meeting rooms have been shut as well, they are to be cleaned and fumigated as a rat was seen there this morning. Leksa concocted this story with Melissa who is now aware of the ‘bug’ problem and came up with the rat idea. It seems that the old gona is quite enjoying play-acting outrage at such a lapse in housekeeping.

Using a big blackboard Raven lists the floors searched and bugs found.

Used and searched.  Ground to 7. 16 to 26. 60 to 68.

Used not searched. Floors 10 -15 and 50 – 59. Search ongoing.

Unused as burnt out. Floors 8-9  and 27 - 49  

Bugs found

Stable master’s room / tack room – ground level. Box hidden in the rafters. 

1^st floor meeting room (large). Small box under a chest of old papers.

1^st floor meeting room (small). Button mike hidden inside a broken light-fitting.

Elevator – unknown – possibly attached to the roof of the cage.

67^th floor Onya’s office – Button mike hidden behind a wall hanging.

67^th floor Gaia’s office – Small box hidden under a campaign chest containing maps. 

68^th floor Heda’s private dining room. Small box under a large wooden buffet.

When she’s finished writing up the lists Raven returns to her seat and watches them all as they absorb the information. Leksa asks that everyone take some time to think about where bugs have and have not been found. “Then I will ask each of you for your thoughts and we can discuss them. At that point Gaia and Klark will take notes. Then we will pool ideas and any conclusions.”

Raven looks around the tense faces. Abi scribbles onto a pad, so does Jake. Klark looks down at her pad, not writing anything at the moment. Onya and Leksa both pace and Raven is struck with how similar the body language of the former fos (first) and her seken are.  Gaia looks as if she is meditating on the problem. Grace Byrne rubs her hand through her hair and stares fixedly at the tabletop. Sinclair leans back in his chair and stares at the ceiling. Raven herself switches on her electronic pad and starts by bringing to mind the technical limitations of these kinds of device like their; battery life, sensitivity, range, live feed or recording; she makes a few notes.

After about half a glass Leksa clears her throat and suggests that everyone takes a short break before she asks Gaia to start the next stage.

There’s a murmur of chat as everyone starts to move. They variously stretch, grab a drink,  go to the bathroom or start to eat one of the snacks. Raven watches as Leksa picks up a handful of  honeyed corn kernels.  

Soon they’re back in their seats and looking expectantly at Gaia.

“Heda, Hedatu, colleagues what strikes me as strange is that Heda’s throne room, where most important Kongeda business is conducted, is not as you say Raven ‘bugged’.”

Chapter Text

Third Moon Full  –  Kongeda lands

He has a home with good thick solid walls and every day there is food that tastes of healthy earth and the sweetness of rain. When they found him he was lost, naked and hurt and even though they recognised him as of the Maunon (Mountain men) he is allowed to live amongst them, given work to do and someone to follow. Will hums a quiet tune as he walks haltingly through the settlement towards his place of work. His guards walk with him, he is always protected as there are still those who have a grudge against the Mountain. The big warehouse is as usual guarded but they know him and let him by with a quick nod. Inside are racks and racks and racks of tek (technology) that’s been scavenged, stolen or won as booty. Some is in good shape, with power they start to hum with awakened purpose, others are just a mess of; components, wires, boards and disintegrating plastic.

He goes to his work station, turns on the small electric light and puts on his magnifying glasses. He starts to put together another tiny transmitter. He's lost in his work concentrating on carefully gluing components onto the board when a booming voice startles him to his feet.

“Will! …….. There’s no need to bow.”

Will ignores that instruction and bows deeply to the tall clean-shaven man who’s silently made his way to stand behind him.  Rollo has been a constant in Will’s life for over two years. It was Rollo who found him, washed up on a stony river beach, almost lifeless after he had been attacked, stripped and thrown into that river to drown. It was Rollo who bandaged his wounds, gave him some clothes and took him away from that land of horrors. It was Rollo who saw his value and persuaded those who rule that Will was worth saving and using.

It's taken Will over two years to sort through the mass of jumbled up tek in that warehouse so he could catalogue and preserve anything useable. Now for the last three to four moons he’s been making things. Rollo and his powerful friends were very disappointed that Will couldn’t make fayoguns (firearms) or ammunition and it took some careful explaining and demonstrations to convince them that the mass of tek didn’t contain what was needed to make those desirable items.  “So” Rollo had asked. “What can you make that will help the kru (clan) that has taken you in and fed you for the last two years?”

Will’s offer to make lights, cameras, recorders, sensors, binoculars, door openers, projectors, loud speakers and headphones, etc received a luke-warm response until he reminded Rollo of how well the Maunon spied on anyone who entered their territory, using hidden cameras, microphones and sensors. That proved interesting to Rollo and his friends and Will has been busy ever since making, alongside many other items, various covert surveillance tools to order. This little transmitter, powered by a small cell battery is one of many he has made.

Rollo throws a small metal box onto the work station table. “This is the only one we’ve recovered. It stopped working and our agent managed to get at it before the handmaidens did their big clean. We didn’t know they did a big clean for midwinter, we lost five when those jokking (fucking) handmaidens threw them into the Tower’s midden.”

Will straightens up. “That’s a pity. The batteries will last for about four to six moons but then must be recharged or replaced. I’ll check this one over and get it working again. How many are still transmitting?”

“About six, but after talking with our agent that’s about as many as he can cope with at the moment anyway. Listening to all the recordings of what’s said in meetings takes a lot of his time. I’m sending more people out to help him, our bandrona (ambassador)  has only a small entourage and it would not be unusual for her to have a larger household. Our problem is keeping them working in places we can discover important information. How many more can you make? You said that they were easy to make but you have limits.”

Will explains that if they can get the transmitters back to him he can recharge the batteries but that he didn’t have unlimited supplies of; batteries, microphones, resistors and capacitors and couldn’t keep making new bugs. Losing five when the Tower did a big clean is bad news.

“I can put together about a dozen more of these little things and another six receivers that can record what’s said. Then that’s it. I’ll need to get some back to recharge or get more components if you want new ones made.” Rollo looks pensive but unsurprised. Afterall Will is just repeating what he’s said in earlier conversations. He decides to try again with an idea he’s suggested before. “If you let me go to Polis on a trading mission I can spot what I need from the market stalls and be nearby to do repairs or recharge. We lose moons of time bringing them back here.”

As before this idea is rebuffed. Rollo is not going to endanger the one person they have in their kru who knows tek and is loyal to them. All the others knowledgeable about tek are in the thrall of Heda or with Floukru (and no one even knows where Floukru call home).

“Just give me what you can before I start back to Polis in a day or so. You will stay here and work for the Chief who wants more lights and a cold making machine like they have in Polis Tower, she wants ice cream.”

Will bows again “Sha.(Yes)” He’s got the basic components for a refrigerator he just has to work out how to put the thing together.

Ton DC Fourth Moon New - midday

The festive music halts as Callie and Indra walk slowly towards the canopied altar. Gaia is by her nomon’s (mother’s) left side and Abi Griffin is by Callie’s right. Candra toddles between her nomons, who each hold one of her hands. She’s pulling the women forwards; she wants to get to the honey-cakes she saw on the altar earlier when Callie brought her out to say hei (hello) to the tall man with the big smile and a whole plate of honey-cakes! Usk kom Boudalan is still smiling even though he is now dressed in his formal Fleimkepa (Flamekeeper) robes. He makes the small cymbal in his hand ‘ting’ as the family approaches and the crowd falls silent.

“I welcome Candra and Candra’s family to this altar of the Fleim (Flame). Today Candra will take the Keryon (the Spirit) into her life and become part of this land, of Trikru and of the Kongeda.”

Klark holds Leksa’s hand (discretely) as they watch from amongst the Trikru who have been invited, or just turned up, to celebrate this goufa (child) who will likely become their next Chief. Most children of Trikru (a similar ritual is found in the other krus) take the Keryon when they are about 18 moons old. By then they have survived the most dangerous episodes in a small child’s life; the process of birth, teething, their first fevers and the ongoing effects of strong radiation still present on the ground. 

Usk, who has returned early from his first  ‘search’ for natblidas (night-bloods) to conduct this ceremony, asks the assembled crowd whether there are three strong gonas (warriors) ready to come forward and be named as this goufa’s sponsors. Her sponsors will guide and protect Candra throughout her life; be her second family.

The first to step forward is Wormana (general) Onya kom Trikru; wearing full armour, war paint and with Venom’s naked steel drawn. She stalks out of the crowd and stands before them strong and confident as she makes her oath.

“I, Onya kom Trikru swear on the Fleim to you Candra kom Trikru that I will protect, support and guide you through this life; so, you can become a strong gona like your nomon Indra.”

Second to come forward is Grace Byrne. She is dressed as if she just fell from the sky, a skai-gona (sky warrior). Her black Guard uniform is clean and pressed, slung across her shoulder is a Beretta Mx4 Storm. In perfect Trigedeslang she makes her oath.

“I, Grace Byrne kom Trikru swear on the Fleim to you Candra kom Trikru that I will protect, support and guide you through this life; so, you can be learned in lore and tek like your nomon Callie.”

Whispers ripple through the crowd. Klark listens carefully and is pleased to hear that they have a friendly note. Indra, Callie and Grace had debated for days and had asked Heda how Grace should present herself. Should she dress Trikru style? Or a mix of Trikru and Skai? What about the weapon she should carry? A sword, bow or a fayogun (gun)?

They decided on full Skai including fayogun. Honesty, as Callie said, should be their policy and she wants Candra to accept her heritage from the skai because Callie is not ashamed of it. Everyone knows of her origins and even though many don’t know how Candra can be both Indra and Callie’s child they are prepared to accept it.

The whispers die down as a third figure strides forward. She’s wearing a long cloak of grey and white fur and a silver circlet holds back her pale hair above a face that is bare of war-paint, if not scars. Instead of a weapon she carries a well grown sapling, Klark knows it is a young apple tree. The communal intake of breath from the crowd is audible. Klark can’t see any limp or hesitancy in Mara’s gait, she’s healed remarkably well despite having to take a long journey into Azgeda last moon. Mara stands between Onya and Grace as she makes her oath.

“I, Mara of the Glens kom Azgeda swear on the Fleim to Candra kom Trikru that I will protect, support and guide you through this life; so, you can be wise in the ways of peace and growth  like your nomons Indra and Callie.”

If there were whispers for Grace there are murmurs for Mara. There have been rumours, stories and even sightings of the great Azgedan gona in Ton DC in company with Indra, Callie and even Heda! Klark listens very carefully. The murmurs are a mix of fear and optimism. Does this mean, people ask, that the long and bitter wars between Trikru and Azgeda are really at an end?  Overall, Klark feels positive as there’s a discernible hopefulness in these murmurs and if anywhere would have resentment and hatred towards Azgeda it would be Ton DC.

The three gonas stand before the altar and the ceremony continues with Usk breaking bread and slicing a delicious looking venison steak, whilst calling upon Keryon to look kindly on Candra.  But Candra’s bored now, she wanted honey-cakes and not one has been handed to her and now there is delicious bread and roasted meat being offered, but not to her. The few words that are still rippling around the crowd are silenced when her piping voice cuts through Usk’s recitation.

“Ai hongri, Ai enti (I’m hungry, I’m empty!).Nomons ai enti!” The final words have a plaintive tone and the two nomons look down at their goufa who is turning her big dark eyes upwards. Callie stoops to lift the little one up and Indra snatches a honey-cake from the waiting dish, soon Candra is silenced by sweet stickiness and the crowd as a whole watches and smiles.

The celebrations continue into the early evening and Leksa and Klark mingle amongst the crowd, talking to their people about; the ceremony, Candra, the peace, are they wanting goufas themselves (at which they both look like startled deer) and various trading missions. After Candra is safely in her cot the adults sit comfortably around the big fire at the centre of the village.

A newly formed gonakru (group of warriors) called the Ai Op (Watch), whose sole mission is to protect Heda and Hedatu, stand guard. The creation of Ai Op was one outcome of the meetings about the recent assassination attempts.  The existing bodyguards, a team of six, were clearly overstretched and had little time to rest or train. Now there are twelve in the Ai Op under the joint command of Gostos and Grace. All are skilled in the weapons of steel and those of tek. Gostos asked for special lessons from Callie so he could truly be a part of the kru and now he carries, hidden beneath his coat, a Smith and Wesson 44 magnum revolver with 6 1/2 inch barrel. He’s a superb shot.

Settled around the fire and having drunk plenty of good Trikru cider and ale the family chat and gossip. Leksa and Klark relax, there are no bugs here (Raven and Onya checked out Ton DC last moon and Callie now does regular sweeps with an RFD to make sure the village stays bug free) and even though Dot tastes their food and drink there is little likelihood of poison.  

At Leksa’s invitation Duram drops onto the bench beside them. “How is Mara coping really?”  Duram shuffles a little uncomfortably before deciding she can share some of her knowledge with Heda and Hedatu.

“She mourns the loss of Caleb deeply. His death was unexpected and sudden; we only just got back in time for her to say goodbye to him. My nomon told me that Mara was only fifteen summers old when they bonded. They were houmons (spouses) for longer than I have lived. They were known to have great loyalty each to the other.”  

Leksa looks across the fire at her friend. Selfishly she is glad Mara is back in Polis as bandrona (ambassador) for Azgeda and her involvement in Candra’s taking the Keryon has been a strong statement in support of peace. But her friend looks tired and sad, only really her old self when the tiny Candra sits on her lap and entertains everyone as she pulls at Mara’s hair, robes and the circlet that signifies Mara’s noble status as House Carl. Leksa knows that Mara and Caleb bonded to secure the safety of their people and lands. They were the children of neighbouring House Carls and when they united through bonding their lands were safe from the greedy eyes of others like Lance of the Ice Fields or Raymond of the North, who were always looking to expand their fiefdoms.  The Glens (both the Great and the Green) are some of the most fertile land in Azgeda, famous for growing  Snow Apples, hazelnuts and great gonas. Leksa wonders who will hold and protect those lands in the next generation? Roan’s children perhaps, it is rumoured that he is courting one of his gonas Echo. Leksa remembers Echo from her time in Azgeda when Nia and Ontara died and then again after Roan took the throne Echo was present as part of a fayogun kru in the battle against the Maunon. It could be a good match.

The following day there are a few sore heads but as the guests gets ready to set off back to their homes, spirits are high.  Candra, Callie and Indra mingle amongst the riders as they pack-up, the hosts hand out packets of preserved meats to their visitors. As Spring approaches many villages’ food stocks start to run low and Callie and Indra want their guests to leave with full bellies and some supplies for their families back home. 

The party for Polis is ready and having said their goodbyes earlier in the morning they slip away quietly. Ai Op move into their defensive formation and Mara and Gaia join Heda and Hedatu at its’ centre.

Riding at a steady pace Leksa misses her horse Skyracer, killed when they were attacked leaving the Valley on the second New Moon of this year. Loki her current mount is her war horse and he is so tall that it makes talking to Klark on her much smaller pony Magpie difficult. Not that there’s much talking on this journey, yesterday and today are the fourth New Moon of the year and as each of the last five assassination attempts coincided with a new moon everyone is ready for, if not expecting, trouble.

The forest they travel through is awakening to Spring and as Leksa’s eyes scan past the slender dark trunks of maple and conifer she can’t help but notice the fresh greens and browns of buds and shoots. A light rain starts to fall and the riders are grateful for their weatherproof cloaks and hoods. Looking to her left Leksa can see Klark and for just a second her attention slips away from looking for assassins and enjoys the beauty of her bonded, her eyes dark blue in the misty light. Klark looks up for a second and catches Leksa’s glance, she smirks knowingly and both riders guiltily return their attention to the forest.

A male northern cardinal calls off to Leksa’s right and there’s a goldfinch singing full throated a little ahead. Spring sounds that combine with the patter of rain and the sound of hooves striking the earthen track to make a familiar soundscape. One that Leksa knows better than any conversation with friends or the sounds of the city that is her current home. The rain continues to fall, increasing in power as the afternoon approaches. Gostos calls out to suggest a brief stop to rest the horses and have sanch (lunch), Leksa agrees and the word goes around that they will be halting soon.

It's a well-known stopping point on the road between Ton DC and Polis, a little off the main track into an open space that is dotted with old concrete slabs and mounds of broken masonry. From the rusted through signs Klark guesses it was once a gas station on a big highway that’s now lost to trees, bracken and mounds of moss. Riders slip off their mounts and start to open packets of trail food. The horses are led to a stream nearby to drink and rest, while the travellers’ take shelter under an old canopy of reinforced concrete that leans so dizzily one edge touches the ground . Water drips loudly onto an empty metal can and Klark catches sight of a squirrel digging in the leaf mould to her right. Just beyond she can see Penn standing in the woods, on watch.

Conversation is muted, Raven and her sekens have left the group under the canopy to explore one of the heaps of masonry. Goodness knows what they’re looking for. Klark sees Rowan poking listlessly at a piece of rebar and Raven’s talking earnestly. Onya is nowhere to be seen she’s probably checking the perimeter. Sanch is bread and slices of roast venison left over from the celebration yesterday. As food is distributed Raven brings her sekens with her when she returns to get a share.

“What were you looking at Raven, girls?” Klark likes to chat with Raven and her sekens, though usually Rowan stays silent and Poppy talks for them both.

Raven nods encouragingly to Poppy who for once seems reluctant to speak. “Steel Hedatu. Polis blacksmiths are always short of steel and Rolf said it is getting even more difficult to get now the skai people are here.”

Klark looks puzzled. “Why is that?”

It’s Raven who answers as Poppy now stays stubbornly silent. “The Arkers brought steel with them, but they’re so good at working it into big tools that they’ve created a whole new demand for steel. After they saw them in operation all the northern clans wanted snow ploughs. Wei supplied Azgeda alone with twelve and then Trikru, Delphikru, Podakru and Boudalan wanted them too. They used up so much steel that now it’s hard to get and I’m pretty sure Wei, or at least Nygel, is stockpiling it now for the next ‘must have’ tool they create. Now, me and the girls are always on the lookout for steel.”

There’s scarcely even a noticeable disturbance as Gostos walks into the clearing carrying a slumped figure over his left shoulder, Dax follows with another. Leksa and Onya materialise from somewhere, Klark’s not quite sure where from, to greet the two big men. “Success!” hisses Leksa. “They are alive?” Gostos and Dax nod. “Good work, let’s get a move on.”

A feeling of suppressed excitement runs through the whole group after the two men are captured. Now it’s Klark and Abi’s job to keep them asleep for the rest of the journey to Polis. Onya explains to them the blows that knocked them out. Each was struck by an open-handed chop to the left side of the neck. Good thinks Klark, they don’t need to worry about bleeds in the brain and after examining the pair Abi decides she can use Valium to keep them ‘out’ for a day or so. With their prisoners soundly asleep and tied onto spare horses the group moves on.

After a short overnight halt they are back in Polis by the end of the next day. The prisoners are taken to the dungeons where they are stripped, placed in cells far apart from each other, re-dressed in rough cotton pants and shirts and left to wake up. All their possessions are taken to floor 6, the Tek floor, to be examined.

There the two captives’ and their three dead colleagues’ clothes and equipment are all available for examination. Nyko and Abi are at lab benches working on the poisons that were found in vials or painted onto arrow-heads. Onya, Gaia and Kestra are examining the clothing and equipment, trying to discover where these assassins are from or at least where their clothes and weapons were made or traded.

As darkness falls Raven takes a break to get her sekens into their bed. There’s no need for the goufas to stay up late, they will all have a busy day tomorrow. Then there’s the fact that she’s a little worried about the girls, they’ve been quiet and subdued ever since Ton DC. Even Poppy seemed unwilling to speak and Rowan’s been listless and even more quiet than usual.

“Hei goufas, would you like a story for bedtime?  Maybe one about the speed of light, or acids or the big bad positive ions?” This suggestion would usually get an enthusiastic response. The two goufas love stories about science. Raven has even had Jasper in to tell them stories (all PG) about exciting compounds like benzene or the fullerenes. But not tonight the goufas just roll into their bed, they share an enormous pile of furs, saying they are tired. Well now Raven really is worried, what is wrong? She thinks back and can’t remember anything bad or worrying that happened in Ton DC, just Candra’s taking the Keryon and people celebrating the young goufa.

“Hmm” says Raven. “I feel a little tired too. Can I snuggle in with you two for a while, it’s cold tonight and Onya is busy.”  The two girls make a space for her and she takes off her boots and jacket before sliding under the furs, slipping comfortably in-between the two goufas and putting an arm around each. All three wriggle a little to get comfortable and warm.  “Could you tell me a story goufas to help me sleep? Tell me something about when you were small like Candra.” Raven’s always been a little wary to ask about their time in the orphanage, not sure if they would want to talk about it, but tonight she feels that they want her to listen and so she gives them that chance to speak.

She’d expected it to be difficult to hear their story but hadn’t realised quite how like her own it would be. It’s not similar in terms of facts or events but at its’ heart; the abandonment, loneliness and pain, feels remarkably close to her own. Eventually the two goufas sleep and Raven lies with them, awake and with tears falling silently down her face. Before she falls into her own slumber she makes a plan.

A few glasses later Onya and Tris look in on them. They were wondering why Raven had not returned. The three of them, the two girls clinging onto Raven, sleep in a pile. Onya puts a finger to her lips and with Tris silently leaves the three to sleep. Raven will tell her what’s going on in the morning.   

Chapter Text

Polis Training Grounds - Fourth Moon Waxing Crescent – Dawn.

The sword swings at her in a perfect arc and she only just manages to duck backwards beneath the scything blade. Her stomach muscles pull her back up and she nearly lands a blow as the older woman spins to the right and jok (fuck) she’s only just out of reach. They circle each other for a moment both panting with exertion, it’s been an exhausting fight and so far only one blow has actually been landed, she can feel the bruise to her ribs starting to swell under her jerkin. Her sweep to the right is met with a flashing blade and ‘oh jok’  its’ twisting action has her unbalanced, her sword is wrenched away and Heda’s blade is at her throat.

“Hod up (Stop)”  is Indra’s imperious command and both women pull back.

“Heda, excellent form but Oktavia nearly had you when you stepped forward right at the start. You anticipated and committed too quickly. Oktavia I can tell you’ve been training with Linkon, you’ve picked up one of his bad habits. It was sloppy footwork that got you that bruise.”  

The three of them ‘to and fro’ for a while analysing the fight and enjoying replaying its’ key moments. As they rack up the training blades they chat about general matters before Leksa  beckons for Linkon to join them. When he jogs up the talk changes to the upcoming trip to the far north. They all lean against the chestnut fencing as a fresh set of gonas start to train and Leksa takes the opportunity, away from ‘bugs’, bandronas (ambassadors) and their hangers-on to have a private word about the mission that she finally got all the bandronas to support.

“Oktavia, Linkon you’ve seen Sinclair and Raven’s analysis of the readings and samples you got in Sangedakru and from the edge of the Dead Zone. Jasper’s satellite pictures and Murphy and Emori’s information all points to the same thing; a radiation leak from an old power-station or stations in the Dead Zone. The krus (clans) most likely to be harmed by such a leak are Sangedakru, Ingranronakru, Floukru, Azgeda, Delphikru, Trikru and Podakru. The Kongeda as a whole will support those krus when they send your combined gonakru and tekkru into the Dead Zone.  Oktavia, you and Mara kom Azgeda will lead the gonas. Sinclair will lead the tekkru and Luna the fisas (healers) . That’s, all common knowledge; what is not is that Murphy and Emori are already heading back north and will be in place ready to shadow your party when you cross into the Dead Zone. Your mission must succeed as failure could see the Dead Zone extending south and west many leagues. My concern is that those who want to end me as Heda, may try and sabotage this mission to make me and my leadership look weak. So, expect natronas (traitors) to be with and around you. Mara, Luna and Sinclair I trust, no-one else..” Leksa’s shoulders give an expressive shrug as she turns to lead them back towards the tower.

The two young gonas bow and say “sha Heda, (yes Commander),” as Indra looks on at the couple and gives a wry smile. Once she would be the one Heda would send on a mission like this into the inhospitable Dead Zone, she breathes a sigh of mingled chagrin and relief. She’s  glad to miss out on the constant chafing of sand and ever-present thirst but what an adventure these two young lovers will have, she’s almost jealous but not quite. There are a few advantages to being older and having a family at home.

On the sixtieth floor Raven putters around their bedroom as Onya sleeps. This is unusual, by now Onya should be down at the training grounds meeting up with Tris and maybe Poppy and Rowan too, but today’s different and last night was different too. Different at times in good ways, as last night she and Onya had really talked for the first time about their future. The family they want to create, nourish and protect. The place they foresee as where that future unfolds. This kind of talk wasn’t easy for either of them; to speak these cherished dreams and wishes out loud, all serious and without the shield of sarcasm or jokes.  It was a stuttering uneven conversation at first, Raven babbled about family and kids and Onya listened; but then some dam broke and Onya’s dreams of; raising children, tending orchards of apples, breeding horses, had all spilled out and at the heart of them all was Raven Reyes. Then they had both opened their hearts, each to the other and found the joy of shared dreams.

Raven smiles at the memory then looks at her sleeping lover. Onya needs the sleep, the dark part of last night was in anticipating today and what Onya must do to extract information from the captured assassins. She’ll do it, break them with her face a mask of stone-cold cruelty and no one but Raven will know that she will be haunted by dreams that make her cry out into the darkness of their room and her sleep exhausting rather than refreshing.

After spending a glass or so deep in thought as she ‘perves’ the half-naked Onya. ‘Is it perving if you are bonded to the woman you look at lustfully? Hmm,’  Raven hears birdsong starting to filter through the shutters, normally Raven likes to listen to the dawn’s chorus but today she wishes there was a ‘mute’ button as she can see Onya’s sleep starting to dissipate as the raucous kru of skaipekas (birds) sing their hearts out.

Polis Tower - Fourth Moon First Quarter  

Onya hates doing this. Torture is always brutal and nasty, it doesn’t matter that they were sent to kill Heda, their screams still tear at her spirit.  Callie’s drugs helped a little. Relaxed, almost drunk, the two assassins let slip a few key facts. First their names and krus. Second that they were ordered to time their strike with a New Moon. If not this last they were to wait for the next. Thirdly they were given the poison by the man who hired them. They could use the sticky liquid in the yellow vial on arrowheads or in food. Either way it would be deadly.

Then they’d stopped talking and more of the drugs had no effect and it was Onya’s job to get more information and she did. That the five of them worked together as a group, living as bandits or assassins.  That they were based at the trading post at Teesee; where the lands of Podakru and Boudalan join. That they were hired by a tall clean-shaven man who gave them;  their radio together with basic instructions on how to use it, the poison and half their pay, in gold. They didn’t know what kru the hirer was from and he didn’t tell them his name but one of them overheard him talking with his travelling companion, who called him Rollo.

It takes two long days to get these few facts and when the men were broken beyond repair she gave them the gift of a swift death before washing herself in the dungeon’s big water tanks and burning each item of clothing she wore to do this filthy work. With her hair still damp and dressed in clean clothes she leaves the dungeon to meet with Heda and Gaia.

The ground floor of the Tower is crowded with; bandronas, messengers, guards and people seeking an audience with Heda or Hedatu, as Onya sweeps up from the dungeons with an angry flourish. She turns sharply to her left and starts to climb up the Tower’s main staircase. Her shoulders are rigid and her left hand can be seen to grip the scabbard of her sword. Twenty floors up and she can feel her heart pumping blood, strong and steady and her lungs pulling in air. She can also feel herself returning to a state of calm, in another twenty floors her mind will be clear as her body starts to tire. She carries on, occasionally looking at the grey sky over Polis. At floor sixty-seven she leaves the stairwell nodding to a guard as she pushes through the door and walks into a  well-lit corridor, its’ walls draped with tapestries and hangings. The Tower’s elevator is on her left; a quick glance at the dizzying drop through the open doors is quite enough. She strides down the corridor into her private office, where Heda and Gaia sit awaiting her report.

“Onya, did they say anything before their fight ended?” Leksa’s voice is as calm and measured as always.

“Nou Heda.” No-one likes to admit defeat and from her tone you can tell Onya doesn’t. Failure and fatigue colour her voice as she grits out the admission.

“Both of the survivors dead without speech?”

“Sha (Yes).”

“Jok, we needed something from them so we know where to look! Or to even start to look.”

“Moba (sorry) Heda, they chose death rather than dishonour.”

“Come we must speak with Gostos. Gaia come with us he may have news from our agents in the city.”

“Sha Heda”  is the reply from both women. Though Gaia asks for a moment to slip into her own office next door and instruct her seken (second) Afon on the latest reports he is to go through from Azgeda.

A few moments later the three women stride into the stairwell, their silence speaking loudly of frustration. At floor fifty-five (a storage area for salvaged tek) they  come quietly to a halt. Onya places the palm of her hand flat to a glass plate and a well-oiled lock silently allows the heavy windowless door to swing open against her push. This time the corridor is dim with walls of undecorated concrete and again the elevator shaft is to their left, but on this floor its’ doors are welded shut.

The group, huddled around a big table made of packing crates, are some of Heda’s closest advisors. Of course, there’s Indra, Callie, Grace, Klark, Raven, Jake and the handmaid Melissa. In addition are those from the sky who have proven reliable in matters of tek; Monty, Jasper, Colin and Faye Jordan. They all rise to their feet as the three enter the chilly room, there’s no fire in this supposed storage area. At a gesture from Leksa they all sit and hot drinks are passed around from big flasks. With a quick nod Klark starts to speak.

“Before I go through the whole story so everyone is completely up to date I’d like Colin who was a senior chemist on the Ark, to give us the results of some tests Abi and I asked him to run. Colin?”

Colin, a tall slender dark-haired man dressed in a long, stained cotton coat stands and clears his throat nervously.

“Heda, Hedatu, Jake, Ms Reyes um others?”

“It’s okay Colin we can do without the titles today.” Klark’s tone is reassuring.

“Thank-you. Um. I was asked to test a substance that Abi thought gave a wrong result when she ran the usual toxin tests. She wanted to be sure she’d got it right so she came to me. I ran all the tests again and one particular test three times. My findings are as follows.” He clears his throat again. “The substance in the yellow vial is a poison called Muscarine that is found in many mushrooms. I don’t know what you would call them Heda.”

Leksa intervenes gently “Klark showed me pictures of these mushrooms and they include one of our most deadly, the cream funnel.”

“Thank-you Heda. What Abi wanted me to double check was the polarised light test. Do you want me to explain how that test works Heda?”

Leksa knows she can ask Klark later so replies “No, that is not necessary.” He breathes a sigh of relief.

“Great. Okay. What the polarised light test does is tell us whether the Muscarine tested has been extracted naturally from mushrooms or created artificially in a laboratory.  I am entirely certain that this Muscarine was created in a lab. Do you have any questions Heda, folks?”

There’s silence for a few seconds.

“Laboratory? Lab?” It’s Gaia who queries the terms.

“Yes. Good question er Miss. By lab I mean a location with access to standard reagents and compounds and equipment like a centrifuge, balances, aspirators, solvents, microscopes. Things like that…..” He knows he’s lost his audience, most look confused.

Klark rescues him. “Do you know of anywhere on the ground it could be made Colin?”

“Well, it’s quite a tricky to make. It’s not just a case of mixing a few ingredients together in a beaker or anything like that. You’d need quite sophisticated equipment, various ingredients and the knowledge of how to conduct the synthesis.  The Mountain men could certainly have made it in their labs, but not now obviously.  We could have made it on the Ark or in the labs that came down as part of Mecha before they were trashed by the bandits. Here, in Polis Tower we have the equipment on the tek floor but I had a look at our records and stores and we’ve never had (or made) some of the key ingredients like acetylcholine or pure choline, so we couldn’t actually make it here.”

Onya leans forward, Leksa gives her an encouraging look and Onya summarises.

“So, in the past the Maunon (Mountain men) or Ark kru could have made it. They had labs and ingredients. But no one else.”

There’s a moment of silence before Klark asks Colin to sit down. He does. “Faye you kept the records of how everything from the Mountain was divided up between the clans. Did any clan take laboratory equipment or Muscarine?”

Faye refers to her tablet. “No clan other than Trikru took any lab equipment. From my records all the medical and lab equipment we were able to remove before the Mountain was destroyed went by cart and rover to Polis Tower or what is now Polis hospital.  In addition, two stills went to Ton DC., as Jasper and Monty wanted them for distilling alcohol and Chief Indra permitted it. There is no Muscarine recorded as part of the Mountain booty and if you recall Hedatu the Maunon kept excellent records.”

Silence hangs heavy again. That the only likely creators of the poison are Ark kru hovers unspoken .

Leksa breaks the silence. “Klark, Colin; why would Ark kru make Muscarine? Does it have a use other than as a poison?”

Klark responds. “I asked my mom and she said it had some medical uses in the past for digestive disorders and for an eye condition called glaucoma. But they hadn’t used it on the Ark for medical purposes for as long as she could remember. There were better and safer treatments available. I think it’s hallucinogenic but it’s not really known for getting people high.”  Colin agrees adding that in his experience on the Ark Muscarine was never synthesised as there was no point and to make it would be a waste of resources and a ‘floating’ offence.

Callie and Grace exchange a look and Callie takes the lead. “In the Guard we knew illegal drugs were made but that was usually the ‘recreational’ drugs like the cannabinoids, or variants on cocaine or heroin. I’ve not heard of anyone wanting to take Muscarine. Though there was a short-lived craze for psilocybin the ‘magic mushroom’ drug.”

Jasper coughs a small embarrassed cough. “Er. For what it’s worth I never knew of anyone who synthesised or wanted Muscarine.” His father and mother glare at him but say nothing. Their son was once obsessed with drugs and tripping. Now he’s obsessed with his business, tech and his girlfriend.

“Me neither” says Monty, glad that his mother isn’t in the room.

Klark walks to the wall where a number of charts and plans are hung. “Before we get too involved with thinking about who made the Muscarine I’d like to give everyone a bit more background. Heda do you want to say anything before I start?” Leksa shakes her head and so Klark continues. “This is all about six assassination attempts. What makes these attempts notable and what connects them, is first that they all involve poisons and second that all were attempted at the time of a New Moon.” As she speaks Klark starts to pace in-front of the wall. Inwardly Raven smirks, Klark looks remarkably like Leksa as she paces, hands clasped behind her back.  

“The first in this sequence was last year at 2nd New Moon in Polis. A dagger was thrown at Heda as she was training in the woods. Gostos killed the assassin. The blade of the dagger was coated with a substance but it degraded quickly and so we couldn’t identify it. We assume it was a poison.  The second was at the 4^th New Moon. We were travelling to the border with Azgeda. Arrows were shot at Heda from nearby woodland, fortunately they missed. The assassin/s escaped. We retrieved the arrows to discover they were dosed with the poison that can be extracted from the plant water hemlock.  The third attempt was at the 7^th New Moon. We were in Lodz celebrating their summer festival and a flask of Yujleda wine was tested by our body guard Dax who thought it tasted ‘off’. The wine contained taxine a poison from yew trees. Dax was quite ill as a result. The fourth attempt was at the 8^th New Moon. We had just completed Heda’s visit to Dephikru as part of her progress through the clans. Our party was ambushed by bandits using weapons poisoned with spider venom. The bandits were killed in the battle.  The fifth was this year at the 2^nd New Moon as we left the Valley after we had battled the bandits at the Ark. We were ambushed and Feisbona was used on the arrowheads. Heda’s horse Skyracer was killed and Heda was wounded.  A sixth attempt was prevented a few days ago at the 4^th New Moon. We set a trap and captured two assassins alive (three more died in the fighting). We’ve searched through all their kit, which included a vial of poison. This is what Abi and Colin tested and identified as Muscarine that was made in a lab, probably by Ark kru.”

Klark pauses and looks to Leksa who speaks. “Thank-you Klark. As well as the assassination attempts we have another danger to face in the ‘bugging’ of the Tower. That’s why we are holding this meeting here and in secret. Is there a single mind behind these two dangers?  We don’t know but it is important not to blind ourselves to the possibility that we have two clever enemies. Enemies who have access to; Ark kru, many different poisons, well trained assassins, listening tek and natronas (traitors) in this Tower.”

She pauses for a moment for that to sink in. Then continues; “Onya can you tell us what information you did get from the two assassins we captured. Then Raven can update us on what we know about the ‘bugging’ and the assassins’ radio. Then we can decide what we do next.”

After Onya tells them the information she and Callie had extracted from the prisoners Raven unwraps and then pushes a small battered looking metal box into the centre of the table. She sees some noses wrinkle.

“Sorry folks but this smelly little thing was found by my sekens in the Tower’s midden and now I need to buy them both some new pants!” There are a couple of chuckles.  “It’s broken but once it was a working transmitter. We’ve all,” Raven indicates Jake, Jasper, Monty and herself, “looked at it from every angle we can think of to try and find out when, where and by whom it was made. First point:- it’s made from old components that were on the ground when the bombs fell. Second point:- in design and construction it’s very like those used by the Maunon when they spied on your people Heda Leksa. Third point:- it was made by someone who didn’t really know what they were doing. It’s like they made a poor copy of an old Maunon listening device. I’d bet my last bomb that it wasn’t made or designed by a mechanic or engineer from the Ark. As for the radio the assassins had with them. It’s an old Maunon transceiver that’s had a freshly charged battery put in it. ”

Leksa acknowledges the information and gestures for Raven to sit. “Mochof (thank-you) Raven. I really didn’t expect to be talking about the Maunon again. Gaia can you tell us where each of the surviving Maunon are and I suppose we must consider the possibility that Maunon treated by Tsing with Skai bone marrow managed to escape death in battle.

Polis Beach – Fith Moon Waxing Crescent

They’re lucky with the weather it’s a beautiful spring day, warm, sunny and with a slight sea breeze. Poppy and Rowan, sail their tiny boats and run up and down the beach kicking their football, screaming in joy when they manage to score a goal past Onya’s capable goal keeping. This was what they asked for when Raven and Onya had talked with them about them becoming a family and that there should be a special day to celebrate it. Neither girl had hesitated in saying “we want to go to the beach!”

Raven can understand this. It was where it all started, when they left the orphanage and went to the beach to get to know each other. There they’d made little boats, designed and flew tiny planes and kicked a football. So, this is their goufas’ (children’s) idea of joy.

Friends have dropped by to leave gifts and play with the goufas. A dressed down Klark and Leksa are great fun and bring wonderful food. At one point as Raven and Klark lounge back drinking beakers of wine, Leksa and Onya race down the beach each with a child on their shoulders, shouting that the last into the water is a ‘cissy’. There’s so much splashing and screaming that it’s impossible to say who won. So, they do it all over again!  Callie and Indra bring Candra and the gift of a small rowing boat. It’s Tris who tries to teach the goufas how to row, catching many ‘crabs’ in the process.    

Finally, the sun has set, everyone has changed into dry clothes and Raven sets up five beakers in the sand. In each beaker is a rocket. First to be lit is Onya’s. With a hiss it streaks up into the sky and over the sea before exploding loudly into many bright cascades of green sparks. The ‘oohs’ are loud. Then it’s Raven’s turn, her rocket’s sparks are silent when they arch into the sky but each golden spark splits into more and more mini sparks until the sky is lit up with its’ golden showers. Yet more ‘oohs’. Then Poppy and Rowan together light their rockets, these both have red sparks and they explode with multiple loud and satisfying bangs. Finally, there is one rocket left, everyone looks to Raven who lights the last taper and hands it to Onya.

“Goufas this is ‘our’ rocket. It’s called a ‘chrysanthemum’ rocket because it turns the sky into a great big flower.” Raven holds the goufas’ hands as Onya steps forward to light the fuse. Then, dropping the taper onto the sand she moves to stand behind Raven and enfolds her family in her arms.  There’s a few seconds of silence as the blue paper burns. Raven says “Wait for it!” Then the rocket launches with a sharp bang and flies high and higher and higher into the sky. Then the single spark explodes with a big boom and the whole sky is lit up with huge concentric circles of white streaks of light. ‘Ooooooooooh’ 

Meanwhile on the Road to Jer, Sangedakru.

As they reach the top of yet another stark sand-dune, of Sangedakru’s endless stark sand-dunes, Luna yearns for the sea, its’ constant murmur, movement and moisture. “Mmmm.” She smiles a little grimly as she hums and then she finds that the tune of the old sea shanty ‘Spanish Ladies’ has gripped her mind and she starts quietly, under her breath, to whistle it. She’s been riding this gentle mare for days now, thank Keryon Leksa sent her a decent horse or she’d be even stiffer than she already is. It’s been almost a year since she last rode. 

Twisting in the saddle Luna observes her companions and she has to admit Oktavia and Mara lead their gonas well and keep the bubbling tensions between the six krus present in the party contained, or only permitted to be expressed in competitions or bruising games of soccer.  The Tekkru seem peaceful enough, even though the one called Bellamy seems to have an insatiable appetite for women and already two gonas have fought over riding his dick. Their punishment of latrine duty for the whole of the journey out muted their libidos much to Bellamy’s disappointment, whose complaints to his sister were met with a guttural scoff.   The rover descends the sand-dune at a steady pace, they should make the oasis of Jer before the moon sets.

Wick and Bellamy are spelling the driving tonight, they’re keeping the rover’s pace steady to preserve power during the hours of near darkness. Wick’s whining again, jealous of Bellamy’s success at getting laid. Sinclair’s heard enough of his drivel, sick of the two twenty-six-year-old ‘goufas’ juvenile behaviour, he snaps at him to ‘grow up’. Wick subsides and checks the GPS. “We should be at the oasis soon. Looking at the furnace shouldn’t take long sir?”

Being called ‘sir’ makes Sinclair feel old but he’s not felt like inviting the immature engineering apprentice to call him by name. “Yeah, we’ve not had any reports of problems. It’s just a case of checking in with the glass-smiths.”

Arriving at Jer a couple of glasses later the gonas make a temporary camp just outside the oasis town’s boundaries.  They’re a big party of one hundred and sixty gonas. Each of the kru most endangered by the increase in radiation sent thirty gonas, except for Floukru who have brought a medical team of five and a cart of very smelly dried fish. Sangedakru’s thirty gonas will join them tomorrow and they will be led by Caris’ houmon Phil. The expedition will stop here for a few days, picking up supplies for the journey north and making sure that Caris has managed to stock up some of the bunkers nearer the Dead Zone so they don’t have to carry absolutely everything with them. The fear is that despite hunting and foraging they will not find enough food to allow them to live off the land.

The overall leaders of the expedition; Oktavia, Mara, Luna and Sinclair are invited to an evening meal with Caris in her palatial tent. Their second in commands are given free use of Jer’s sweat-houses and Oktavia encourages them to take advantage of the offer. As Linkon is officially her captain she knows he will keep an eye on his ‘colleagues;’ Duram kom Azgeda, Rudolfo kom Delphikru, Marco kom Floukru, Pasadena kom Ingranronakru and Wys kom Podakru.

The evening spent with Caris is very difficult. Luna’s status as natblida is known, as is the fact she fled her conclave. In the eyes of many she is a coward. Oktavia’s feelings towards her are mixed, remembering her from the Old Times and finding her just as annoying in the New Times. Sinclair doesn’t know what to make of her and the dried fish she offers at the meal as a delicacy he finds disgusting and he didn’t manage to school his face to blankness when he first tasted it. Luna looked very offended by his obvious distaste for her gift.  Mara also doesn’t know what to make of Luna. She knows Luna has Leksa’s trust but it is difficult for her to accept without reservation someone who has fled from a fight, even though the circumstances of Luna’s leaving, after she had slain her own brother Apollon, are known to her. She tries to overcome her antipathy to Luna, but she’s not sure she’s managed it entirely. During the meal Caris’ view of Luna is made very plain when she almost cross-examines her about her ‘cowardly departure’ from the conclave and it’s Mara, with Oktavia’s assistance, who tries determinedly to change the subject. When their attempts don’t work she fakes being drunk and  insists on betting on whether she or Caris will win at arm-wrestling. A challenge she knows Caris will not in all honour refuse to meet.   

Mara wins the arm-wrestling, her prize a beautiful silk scarf embroidered with a design of colourful flowers. Very useful to keep the ever-present sand out of her face. Luna stays silent watching and they suspect judging her fellow expedition leaders throughout the meal.

Chapter Text

Jer - Fifth Moon Waxing Crescent

The following morning finds the four leaders and their captains back with their people as they prepare for the journey north and into the Dead Zone. The captains clearly had a good night in the sweat-houses and bars of Jer. Linkon’s nursing a hangover, Wys hasn’t put in an appearance yet and the others emerge from their tents looking a little the worse for wear. Oktavia will catch up with Linkon later, he’d stayed out all last night, to see what he was able to find out about his new comrades, even if it’s just their capacity to drink Sangedakru’s powerful ‘wine’.

Sinclair spends the next glass or two fiddling with the rover as he fixes an issue with the air con, while Monty stock-takes the Tekkru’s various equipment, stores and medications. Wick is away, checking out the solar furnace with the glass-smiths. Luna comes over to help Monty check on the meds and finds that Bellamy is following her about like a lost puppy, is he trying to be helpful? She ignores him and eventually he strolls away to talk with a group of Trikru gonas. At the rover Luna finds Monty in a panic as he searches through the packs of medications checking on their store of potassium iodide pills.

“I don’t understand it,” he says sounding worried. “There should be thirty boxes, I can only find twenty!” Luna helps him search through every cubby-hole, box and cavity in the rover. No more  potassium iodide pills can be found. They call over to Sinclair who walks over with Mara and Oktavia.

“What’s the problem?” Sinclair looks at the haphazard stacks of boxes and bottles.

“I can’t find ten boxes of potassium iodide pills. The plan is that everyone but Luna and Skaikru starts to take potassium iodide as soon as we cross into the Dead Zone. Just a pill a day at the start but when you’ve got almost one hundred and sixty people taking a pill a day you get through lots of pills.”   

“Are you sure they were put onto the rover before we left Polis?”

“I didn’t load the rover in Polis. That was Wick and Bellamy.” Monty looks around for his colleagues. “Ah Bell, did you load the meds in Polis?”

Bellamy looks up from his conversation with the Trikru and comes over. “I did some of it yeah. Wick and I loaded it together. See that’s my signature on the manifest.” He points at the paper on Monty’s clipboard. “There are thirty boxes but we couldn’t fit them all in the rover. We loaded a few on the cart with your fish Luna.” Monty looks relieved; Sinclair, Mara and Oktavia turn a little green even thinking of the fish; Luna grins and walks towards the cart. The fish is starting to lose its’ strong smell as the dry climate of Sangedakru finishes the drying process and so it’s not an unpleasant task to push aside the crates and find the missing boxes. Monty amends the manifest to show the actual location of the boxes.  

Leaving Monty to complete his checks the others walk back to their krus looking pensive as they consider what travelling into the Dead Zone involves. Mara’s thinking with dread about travelling through a land that’s wholly poisoned by the invisible ‘radiation’ and she worries about the effects it will have on her and her gonas. She hates taking medication of any kind and is not looking forward to having to swallow orange pills every-day.

A few glasses later under the shade of open-sided tents Oktavia and Mara gather together all the captains plus Luna and Sinclair. It’s the first time all have met together as Phil and the thirty Sangedakru gonas have only just joined their camp.

As agreed Oktavia takes the lead. She is to be seen as a commander of the gonas from the very start. Mara has seniority but no-one can tell how soon or severely Mara will be affected by radiation and if she has to turn back or becomes too ill to lead, they want Oktavia in charge without any dispute.

Standing straight and in a tone that brooks no dissent Oktavia speaks. “Heda has entrusted me with escorting our Tekkru into the Dead Zone where they will find the cause of the recent  increase in radiation and end it. To assist me in accomplishing this task she has given me command of thirty gonas from each of your krus,  a medical team from Floukru, the experience of Mara kom Azgeda and supplies and equipment from all krus in the Coalition. We will succeed in the task Heda has given us.”

She pauses before continuing. “To avoid any misunderstandings and suspicions arising between our gonas you will ensure that only gonaslang (English) will be spoken. Use of any other language will be punished.”  This is not an unusual order in actions that require more than one clan’s involvement and Oktavia can see that the captains accept it without question. Then she introduces Phil to the group and with his help they check each gonakru’s readiness for and experience of desert travel. The Dead Zone is a true wasteland, with no known oases and very little food. Food they will take with them and some water but each gonakru will have to collect their own water overnight using simple condensation kits. Phil demonstrates how they work. To Oktavia’s surprise Luna is familiar with the process, as she tells Oktavia, in some ways the sea is just a salt water desert. Oktavia takes a few seconds to think that through before shrugging her agreement and grinning at Luna.

Completely lacking in desert experience are Delphikru and Podakru, these two krus live in lands dominated by large lakes of fresh water and so the idea of drinking water only being available through extracting it nightly from the air is new to them. The Delphikru gonas’ captain Rudolfo is eager to learn and readily adopts the suggested system that each night’s watch sets up the funnels and bottles to capture the water. Wys, still recovering from the night before, can’t understand the process or the need and so despite being given the necessary equipment and instructions the expedition leaders anticipate that the Podakru gonas will be thirsty, grumpy and looking to steal water from others.

Late that evening as they snuggle beneath their furs Oktavia and Linkon exchange news. It’s so cold that their breath makes clouds of vapour in the chill darkness of their tent. “Fuck it’s cold and it will only get worse as we go further north. Brrrr.” Linkon’s warmth curls around her back. “Hmm, that’s nice, your news first.”  

“I will start with the best. Duram kom Azgeda is as we know skilled, respected and an excellent captain; she also holds her drink well. I think Azgedan vodka and applejack is almost as strong as that shit Sangedakru call wine. Pasadena kom Ingranronakru is difficult to read. He drinks heavily but can get up the following morning at first light. In the bars he was tight lipped about this mission, as he should be. I find I like him but that is based on feelings not great knowledge. Marco kom Floukru and Rudolfo kom Delphikru also drank heavily, they were looser in how much and who they talked to until Pasadena suggested they be more careful. It will not surprise you that the problem will be Wys kom Podakru. He drank until he fell over and before then he would complain to anyone who would listen. I saw Emori, who was serving in one of the bars, take him aside at one point to try and distract him from whining to all and sundry about how he is doomed to die in the Dead Zone. Not only is he ignorant of how to survive in a desert but he is an angry and frustrated man. The Podakru gonas he leads are his boat crew, not really gonas at all and he and they  think that they have been sent here just to die far away from their beloved lakes and boats. The only person they almost respect is Luna, who is known to have skill in sailing on the ocean.”

They talk for a while about whether sending Wys and his crew is an attempt to undermine the mission through their incompetence. It’s possible, when they are in the Dead Zone a gonakru that is effectively thirsty dead weight could make the difference between success and failure.

Before dawn breaks they set off north. Oktavia sends out Sangedakru and Trikru scouts but leads the main body of the group herself with Luna and Mara at her side. This is the first of many days slogging through Sangedakru’s dry, dull territory and then it will get worse, as at least in Sangedakru there are a couple of oases where they can wash and eat fresh food. Once in the Dead Zone the daily grind will be an unremitting pattern of; rising before dawn, travelling slowly until midday, resting until sunset, moving on until midnight, sleeping until the day starts all over again and as Oktavia said to Linkon “all with sand up your fanny!” Ugh.  

Sangedakru Desert -  Fifth Moon Waxing Gibbous

Beneath the canopy’s shade, but languid with the pressing heat, Luna floats in and out of a restless sleep. The climate and travel combined disrupts her body’s ability to refresh itself and she feels exhausted all the time. She’s not alone in suffering this way, probably only the Sangedakru are managing the daily extremes of temperature without effort. Luna turns onto her side in an attempt to get more comfortable when a body slams down onto the carpet beside her. “Hey Luna, how’s Wick doing?” It’s Bellamy, shirt-front half open and flashing her a wide smile that he probably thinks she will find attractive. Luna shifts on the carpet to observe him as she responds to his question. Her mind drifts a little ….maybe it’s the teeth that the gonas find so attractive about him. He’s got a full set of clean teeth, probably his breath is ok too. Maybe that’s it, the magic sexual ingredient – teeth! Or maybe the rumours are true that skai boys have big dicks! She looks at his package, currently at eye level as he kneels at her side, doesn’t look anything special.

“He’s improving. The cold air system in your rover is slowly bringing his temperature down, the burns to his skin are responding well to the ointment and Monty is a making sure he drinks plenty of water. By the Spirits Bellamy what made him take off most of his clothes and lie in the sun?” For a moment Bellamy looks a little embarrassed.

“Well, I might have told him that grounder girls like a man with a tanned skin and he’s desperate to get laid.”

Luna looks at him blankly and Bellamy knows he’s not making a good impression on the Floukru chief. So, he flexes. It’s almost a habit really when he’s near an attractive woman and he’s annoyed when her response to his body is to burst out laughing. Mara kom Azgeda hearing the unusual sound leans over from her place on the shaded carpet to see what’s made the usually stoic leader of Floukru laugh. “What’s amused you Luna?”

“This boy-child flexed his muscles at me and now he pouts because I laugh at him.”

Bellamy’s had enough and hurries away. “I’m gonna’ check on Wick.”

Mara guffaws and when she catches Luna’s eye they both collapse into peals of laughter. Luna manages a few words between giggles. “I can’t understand what the girls see in him, is it just because he’s got good teeth?”

“Teeth! Is that what it is? I thought the skai boys had big dicks! That’s the rumour anyway.”

“Doesn’t look much in his trousers, I had too good a view of his package just now!”

Oktavia walks over to her fellow leaders to see what’s going on. Mara’s still laughing when she asks. “Is it true Oktavia that skai boys have big dicks or is it just Bellamy?”

“Oh, for fucks sake!” Exclaims Oktavia. “Not that stupid rumour. It is just a rumour and I am not going to even think about my brother’s dick.”

“That’s fair” says a gasping Luna. “I don’t want to think of his dick either.” That’s it, they’re all laughing now, as a bemused Sinclair wanders up.

“Er, is everything okay?”

Mara looks at the serious older man and can’t stop herself. “Is it true skai boys like Bellamy have big dicks?”  Sinclair colours up immediately, he knows grounders are more open about sexual matters but really! What’s he supposed to say?

“ Er, er.” He’d better stick with the facts. “Not true, definitely not true for any sky boy I’ve shared a urinal with anyway and that includes Bellamy.” He sees their impish grins and sniggers and it’s so easy to join in their laughter, at the idiocy of young gonas and ‘children’ like Wick and Bellamy.

A few nights later they’re within two days’ travel of the border with the Dead Zone and camp at one of Sangedakru’s largest oases. The people living there greet them as friends and they’re delighted to see their Chief’s houmon Phil is part of the group. Caris visited them a few weeks back to prepare them for the arrival of Heda’s party and so there’s food, fodder and tents for everyone supplied by the Kongeda (Coalition). The horses are well catered for, blacksmiths are available and they even get a part of the beach to themselves for a welcome drink and washdown. Another area is reserved for filling canteens and the Podakru gonas at last drink their fill of fresh water.

Luna sits on the sandy beach as the sun sets, watching the oasis’ water take on the vibrant colours of the sky. Most of the gonas are enjoying sitting around the cook fires, she can hear singing and someone is playing an instrument, maybe a duduk.  The beach is quiet, she isn’t alone but with water nearby she fears no-one. Slipping out of her filthy clothes and diving into the pleasantly cool water is wonderful. The feel of the water as it slips over her naked skin is heavenly and she can feel her hair almost drinking the moisture in and allowing the dust of many days travel to wash away.

“Hey Luna, fancy some company?” It’s that fool Bellamy, shirt off and starting to undo his pants.

“No, I don’t want your company Bellamy. Go away!” With a powerful kick she swims  towards the centre of the oasis. It’s so good to swim again, she slows to a lazy crawl. In the distance she hears a voice, Oktavia’s she thinks.

“Bell, fuck off, can’t you take a hint like a brick, she’s not interested! Hey Mara let’s swim I need that water!” There’s a splash and as she turns to float on her back she sees Oktavia running into the shallows and there’s the tall, womanly figure of Mara standing bare at the water’s edge, letting down her long ash blonde hair. Luna watches, her throat constricts, ‘jok ai’(fuck me) she’s beautiful. She blinks the water from her eyes, closes down that train of  thought and with a swift somersault dives deep into the oasis’ depths.

Mara walks slowly into the water, enjoying the feeling of wet sand between her toes and of the wavelets as they start to lap at her skin. Seeing Linkon at the edge of the beach she calls out. “Come on in Linkon, the water’s wonderful!”  He doesn’t hesitate, throwing his clothes into a messy pile and launching himself into the water. Soon he and Octavia are swimming side by side, like a couple of otters, sleek and playful. Mara tries not to be envious of their joy.

They have a day of freedom and relaxation at the oasis before the early morning sees them all loading up from the supplies Caris left. The fayogun gonas (there are about twenty across the krus) and tekkru stock up with boxes of bullets, other gonas take jerky, dried beans and corn. The cart carrying Luna’s dried fish (now odourless thank Keryon) is now fully laden with various food-stuffs and needs two horses to pull it when they reluctantly set off north.

The laughter they shared a few days back has broken down some of the barriers between the four leaders and they’ve started to enjoy each other’s company. At one breakfast time Luna reveals her prank with the dried fish at the meal hosted by Caris in Jer. “I know Caris hates me. She’s always reminding anyone who will listen that I fled my conclave and that she thinks I am a coward. She doesn’t do it if Heda Leksa’s present, as she won’t stand for it, but at any other gathering I have to put up with her taunts. The dried fish really is good as a trail food, you’ll see later if we have to rely on it. It keeps well is; light to carry, nutritious and if cooked properly tastes reasonable but no one would call it a delicacy. Then if, as we did in Jer, you eat it uncooked it is utterly disgusting. I wanted to get her and I suppose all of you who I felt were a little unfriendly, to eat it with a straight face. Sinclair your expression was truly hilarious. I thought you were going to be sick.”

“I thought I was going to be sick! It will take some convincing Luna for me to try it again, even if it is cooked to perfection.”

The Dead Zone -  Fifth Moon Full

When they reach the border it’s a glass short of midnight and the full moon rides high in the sky. Oktavia keeps the group moving at a steady pace as they pass the Sangedakru border markers; radiation deformed skulls tied to rusty metal stanchions. These morbid reminders of dead radiation affected nomads casts a gloomy mood over them all as they trek north, carefully following Sinclair’s radiation detector and the secret instructions that Jasper gives over the radio. Very few know of their access to the satellite’s camera and Heda wants to keep it that way. Jasper thinks the source of the problem is a place near what was the City  of Salem, New Jersey. Long ago two nuclear powerplants were built close to each other at Salem and Hope Creek, the latter virtually on the beach of a long narrow bay. Now only ruined buildings and dunes can be seen from the satellite and instead of an open sea bay there’s a sluggish river that flows to the south-east, eventually emptying into the sea.

Before the mission started Luna spoke with Leksa, Sinclair and Jasper and she and they fear for her people on the rig. Living on the rig they survive mainly on the fish they catch, though their diet has improved since Monty and Hannah set up some hydroponic units for them. Will radiation from the leaking plant/s contaminate the fish?  Leksa had Sinclair make Floukru their own radiation detectors and now her people check each catch before they eat it. But what will Floukru do if they lose their refuge in the sea? It’s good of Leksa to say that they can all join the new kru of Poliskru but for some of Luna’s more damaged people Polis will be unbearable.  She sighs deep in thought, will it truly come to that?

As Oktavia scans the horizon, looking for sign left by her scouts or Murphy, Mara on her rangy red horse Pippin rides beside her. The moon is so huge Oktavia feels she could just reach out and touch it if she rides to the top of the next dune and in its’ light the sand takes on a chilly whiteness. “We’ll stop in about a glass and set double watches. Trikru and Ingranronakru are spelled for the first, Azgeda and Delphikru the second.” Mara nods. She’s come to respect Oktavia’s abilities in working with the gonakrus and one thing she really likes about the skaigada is that she gets to know every gona under her command and uses their strengths when she can.  In a low voice she agrees.

“Yes, the horses are tiring under their full loads and Abi warned me that once in the Dead Zone, even though we will take the pills, some of us will start to suffer from radiation sickness within a day or two. Will that include the horses?”

Oktavia gives a gentle pat to her horse’s withers. “I suppose so. Luna and Skaikru should resist the radiation a little longer.” Mara gives her a questioning look. “In space we were always exposed to radiation and without high resistance would not have survived. It’s why the Maunon wanted our bone marrow. Luna because of her blood has an even higher resistance.” Mara’s lips form a slight moue of thought.

There’s a scuffle behind them, a horse has stumbled and together with its Delphikru rider is tumbling down the steep face of a dune. The horse screamed and its’ rider scrambled off, only to find herself sliding inexorably downwards. Luna snatches the jute rope from her saddle and skilfully throws the noose in-front of the scrabbling hands and as the gona grabs hold she loops the loose end around the horn of her saddle and starts to walk her horse backwards taking the strain.  An Ingronronakru gona’s lasso snakes out over the neck of the still rolling horse but he and two of his kru can’t find anything to take the weight of the plunging beast, there’s not even a tree stump to wrap the rope around. Their captain Pasadena shouts “let go”  and with reluctance they do. The horse kicks and somersaults until there’s a sharp crack and it slumps into death then sliding mutely down the precipitous slope. The gonas watch in horror as the limp body, when it reaches the base of the dune a featureless bowl of grey dusty sand, is swallowed whole by a crevasse that silently gapes and then closes. No sign of the horse or its’ load remains.  

Oktavia, fearing the distraction could be taken advantage of by enemies, snarls out orders warning all not to gape at the spectacle but to keep a watch for themselves in this dangerous land. Mara trots to the rover to alert Sinclair of the hold up and Luna finds Rudolfo and two Delphikru gonas at her pony’s croup muttering polite thanks as they recover their companion from her lasso.

The Dead Zone -  Fifth Moon Last Quarter

As they crest the dune Oktavia knows what to expect, Jasper told her in his radio check-in but it’s still a jolt to see the rows and rows of broken solar panels and the metal frameworks that once held them all in place. Her scouts didn’t know how to name what they saw when they reported back and she can hear gasps of surprise from behind her.

The last six days have been tough, so finding a place with some ready-made shade and cover against the coming sand-storm is a blessing. Mara, still hale and healthy, directs gonas to set a perimeter and watches, before scouting herself which frames are sufficiently sturdy to provide cover from the storm. Soon Duram and Rudolfo have their gonas pitching low storm shelters firmly attached to those frames. Luna stakes her claim to half a dozen of Mara’s selected panels as refuges for those gonas already suffering from radiation sickness.

The sickness started on their third day in and Oktavia wasn’t surprised that it’s Podakru gonas that are the first to show symptoms of fever, nausea, vomiting etc as under Wys’ care they are already weak compared to the other gonakrus. Delphikru, Trikru and Azgeda fare better, as do Ingranronakru at the start but only a couple of days later all but five of the Ingranronakru gonas are sick and two are comatose. So far Sangedakru seem unaffected. That radiation sickness would hit the grounders was expected, Abi’s guestimate was that nearly a third would fall ill and have to turn back. That was why such a large party was sent in the first place. The sick gonas who will return to the south must have healthy gonas to care for and protect them on their way back. Murphy and Emori have checked in with Oktavia a couple of times on the radio to warn them that a party of about fifty bandits, some bearing the Kongeda’s brand as outlaws, is on their trail about half a day’s travel behind them.

Mara and Oktavia had decided to take the fight to the bandits before more of their own gonas fell ill, but that was before Jasper warned them about the looming storm. The current priority is to survive that storm, which Jasper estimates to arrive within a few glasses and to last half a day to a day. Phil when he saw the storm on the horizon gave similar estimates and a clear warning that movement during the storm would be dangerous if not impossible. The present plan is to use the old solar farm as shelter during the storm and when the storm is over to immediately send a force back to attack the bandits who pursue them.

All, who can, work at full stretch to secure the storm shelters and help Luna with the sick. Sinclair and the Tekkru storm-proof the rover as best they can. The two comatose gonas are carried on their stretchers into the back of the capacious vehicle and Wick and Monty are instructed about their care.

The storm hits hard with mighty roars and rumbles, the sand bearing winds ripping with such force that even the best secured shelters are vulnerable to the shredding of their tough fabric or stitched skins. Mara, Oktavia, Linkon and Duram take a section of the field each and clutch at the sandblasted metal of the solar-panels’ frames as they crawl, almost blinded by their own protective headgear and goggles, to secure fabric or skins that have started to tear. The medical shelters are the most vulnerable and Mara ties in flapping cloth time and time again before exhausted she crawls inside the last tent in her section, rolling her body on top of a loose fabric edge that threatens to catch in the shrieking wind. Panting she lies on her back in the gloomy shelter, the towering columns of sand reduce the sun’s light to twilight even though it is near noon. With trembling fingers she tries to unwrap her head from its’ protective cocoon of fabric but her hands are shaking too much and she can’t see. She tugs at the cloth, desperate to catch a breath as the dust saturated fabric starts to clog her mouth and nose. Strong hands, gently push hers aside and with quick sure movements the head covering is taken apart and Mara can breathe again. “Mochof, I mean my thanks.” A damp cloth is drawn over her gummed eyelids and then she can make out the strong eyebrows and even features of Luna, as the Floukru medic cleans her face with a gentle touch. Mara breathes deeply, it’s been a long time since anyone's hands but her own caressed her face, but she must not think of such things. Drained of all strength she drops into an uneasy sleep as Luna wets the sleeping gonas cracked lips with a damp cloth.   

Luna had made sure that she had plenty of canteens of water in her section of the shelters.  Keeping her patients clean and making sure they continue to drink at regular intervals is as much as she can do under these conditions.  When the muffled and dust covered figure fell into the tent, rolling on top of the torn fabric Luna had been trying to secure, she was at first startled and then alarmed when she realised the troubled breathing of her unexpected helper. Quickly she undid the linen face coverings to reveal Mara’s lean beauty and as the Azgedan gona slips into an exhausted sleep Luna continues to clean the tired, lightly scarred face and watches for a few moments as Mara’s sleep takes her to where troubles and responsibilities still lurk, if the muttered words and quiet whimpers truly reflect the place of  her dreams.

The storm lashes at their shelters for half a day and it’s the cool of night when the winds drop to nothing and Mara and Oktavia gather forty healthy gonas to attack those who follow them. It’s a mixed group; the ten armed with fayoguns are led by Bellamy, Oktavia has eleven Trikru, including Linkon and Mara commands the rest; a mix of Sangedakru, Azgeda and Delphikru. They set out across the featureless sand, dead-reckoning to where they were half a day ago.

They find their quarry resting under open-sided tents trying to escape the midday heat. There’s a watch set, but the Sangedakru gonas that Mara sends to slither forward slice the guards’ throats in a silent death. Then it’s a messy scrappy fight. Some of the nomads have ancient hand-guns that either shoot massive rounds into the attackers or explode in the hands of their users. It’s a bloody mess with casualties both sides but Oktavia is focused on wiping out those who sought to hunt her people and she succeeds. Only one or two bandits escaped.

There’s almost no wood to make a pyre for the three of their gonas who died or for the dead bandits, so they use any of the bandits’ goods that they cannot or do not want to take with them.  Oktavia lights the pyre of jumbled fabric, wood and skins. She watches as the smoke spirals up, it will smudge for a few hours the clear blue of the sky.

At the solar farm the four leaders sit around a small fire of horse dung trying to agree on when they send the radiation sick gonas back to Jer. They can only do it once, as any group returning home will need protection, care and supplies. Even defeating the bandits that followed them doesn’t make the journey home completely safe, other groups wander through the Dead Zone who would attack a vulnerable convoy without hesitation. Similarly, the group that continues the mission to Salem also needs protection, medics and supplies. The question is, have they reached that point in their journey? The debate is heated, Luna wants to wait another day or two days here at the farm to see if any other gonas develop symptoms. If they do then a larger group can set off for Jer and the number of gonas who will develop symptoms later and who will not be able to be sent back would be smaller.  Oktavia and Sinclair want to send the sick gonas back now and get Tekkru to Salem as quickly as possible. The radiation readings are climbing and they fear that the radiation levels will get so high that even the Skaikru will not be able to remain healthy enough to complete the mission.

Chapter Text

Polis Fifth Moon Last Quarter

As the sun rises Grace Byrne kom Trikru pounds the streets of Polis, her combat boots, twice repaired and she’s desperately looking for replacements, take the strain of its’ many uneven surfaces. At times she’s running over cracked concrete, then it changes to rough cobbles and there’s mud and brick in the mix too. It murders boots. 

Today she’s running through the eastern sector of the city. Past the Tower’s barracks and stables and on into the heavy trades area. If she kept going east she’d run into the tanneries,  downwind of everywhere.  But not today, she’s staying closer to the centre running a pattern that over a ten-day period takes her through most of the inhabited areas of the city. Sometimes she has company, Onya and Kestra like to push themselves with a good run and Heda (disguised in skaigona (sky warrior) kit of black uniform, peaked cap and Kevlar vest – Klark thinks it’s a sexy look!) enjoys running the city to stay familiar with what’s happening and the many changes and enlargements that peace has brought. Today Grace is alone, except for Raven who’s on the other end of the radio, humming some inane song right into Grace’s left ear.

The humming stops. “Where are you now Grace, I’m picking up a signal?”

“I’ve just come down Butcher’s Row and turned south onto the street of smiths.”

“Can you stop for a minute. Re-tie a boot or something?”

Grace stops and fiddles with her bootlaces. There’s silence for a few seconds. “Okay you can start again. Thanks Grace that’s useful, we’ll talk when you get back to the Tower.”

Grace continues her run and as the city wakes up locals shopping at the early markets wave or shout her a greeting. She’s become known; as one of Heda’s Ai Op (Watch), as a skaigona (sky warrior) and as Kestra’s lover. She turns west heading back to the Tower but the smell of new baked bread slows her down as Tilia’s bakery opens its’ doors. Grace stops and waits as Tillia and her son Lupin carry trays of rye bread, sweet rolls and cheese buns out of the bakery and load them into their covered cart.  “Hei Grace!” Tilia tosses her a cheese bun that Grace makes sure she catches. “It’s Kestra’s favourite sheep’s cheese today. You’ll be a lucky gona when you get home.” Tilia’s laughter follows Grace as she grins and sprints off up the hill towards the barracks where in their private quarters Kestra will be preparing breakfast. A warm sheep’s cheese bun will be much appreciated by the Trikru scout and Grace really likes it when she gets lucky.

A few glasses later the Tek Floor of the Tower is a very loud place as Raven, her sekens and Jasper like to play old rock standards on their sound system as they work. With Sinclair and Monty up north and Jake, while he works on the huge sewage treatment project, temporarily based in the first-floor big meeting room, they’ve got the floor almost to themselves.  Jake didn’t want to leave the Tek Floor, but as Heda Leksa said “if they want to ‘bug’ our conversations let them hear lots of talk about skrish (shit).” At that comment Raven guffawed, Heda made a joke!  Then she realised that Heda was merely being brutally accurate and did her best to turn her laugh into a cough. Having the sewage project based on the first floor also keeps the Arkers involved, Wei and Lou, out of their now carefully guarded and off limits Tek Floor.

In an adjacent room Rowan and Poppy are busy working on their solar cells. This time Raven’s set them a multi-phased project. First make a solar cell from scratch, then research how to make the cells weatherproof and robust, finally work on improving their efficiency. Raven faces almost constant calls on her time, she has little or no opportunity for her own research on what must be one of the most important issues for their future, the generation of electrical power. So, she’s getting her goufas to do the research for her and she knows they will come up with something good. She looks in on them every now and then to check on progress and answer sensible questions. Whenever she leaves their project room she is smiling, yet again their unfettered imaginations have amazed her.    

Sipping their cups of hot tea, Raven and Jasper gaze up at a big screen on which is projected a map of Polis. Sections of the city are highlighted and coloured lines snake through the streets; these lines are the routes that Grace runs. Red for Monday, Orange Tuesday, Blue Wednesday etc. They’d caught a lucky break about twelve days ago and that’s given them a chance to be proactive in looking for the Listeners and Grace’s regular runs, she now carries in her backpack an antennae and transceiver, are part of that. Raven highlights another section of the city and Jasper runs a command on his computer that darkens many portions of the map. The two techs look at one another. “It’s coming together isn’t it Jas? Just a few more runs from Grace and a bit of luck and we’ll be able to tag the street those fuckers are hiding in.”  

They’ve all worked hard concealing from the ‘Listeners’ that they know they are being listened to. The meeting rooms still hold meetings but the big meeting room on the first floor is now dedicated wholly to the sewage project and the smaller meeting room can be filled with everyday matters. Disinformation is given out in meetings held in Gaia and Onya’s offices, real talks tend to happen in the training rings, Heda’s throne room or on floor fifty-five. They’ve made progress elsewhere too. The Head Handmaiden Melissa has narrowed down the likely natrona/s (traitor/s) among the handmaidens to within a group of four and deliberately baiting the Listeners by letting slip some information about important gonakru movements has cleared Ingranronakru and Louwada Kilron’s chiefs of involvement.

In investigating the Ark made Muscarine Jake’s had some careful chats with the Arkers’ current leaders Wei, Zedemski and Ramirez and has narrowed down the window of opportunity for grounders to ‘order’ poison from the Arker chemists to the few weeks around the time of Diana Sydney’s trial. Before she was voted out of office and then arrested, Diana Sydney controlled who was able to have any contact with the grounders and she didn’t allow any friendly contact at all, afraid that her attempt to nuke Polis would come to be known. After her arrest, for about the time of a moon’s cycle, trade, communication and general fraternisation was encouraged between Ark and ground.  Then after Sydney’s trial devolved into chaos and violence, Pulcher took power and he closed down contact with the outside again. Finding out which Arkers had contact with grounders during that crucial moon’s cycle has been Klark’s job and for the last two moons she’s spent all the time she can spare away from the Hospital with the Arkers as they settle in Polis.

She’s been a very visual presence helping them find their way around, familiarising them with the laws and ways of the city and talking with them about the new kru that Heda is creating called Poliskru. This morning she’s chatting with a group of the older Arkers, trying to persuade them to run classes for the children of Polis, at a basic level, in technologies like, materials science, genetics and biology. She’s very surprised at the positive response she gets to her idea, up to this point the older Arkers have been apathetic in attitude, spending their time indoors with their thoughts firmly fixed on looking back to their ‘comfortable’ days on the Ark. Today many respond to her suggestion with enthusiasm, ideas and they even start to plan a curriculum! For a while she’s bemused at this change but as she listens she picks up odd phrases;  “Work with youngsters.” “They call them goufas silly.” “We could make a difference”, “I’d feel useful.” Eventually she leaves them, with a promise that she will return soon, as they start to put together plans for what they call Foundation Courses.

Walking back towards the Tower she’s accompanied by her regular Ai Op guards of Ryder, Penn and her old friend Quint. They walk into a crowded market square. One of the many things Klark likes about Polis is that it’s always market day somewhere in the city. Today as they walk through the western sector’s streets it’s mainly fruit, vegetables and preserves that are piled on the stalls but there’s an area filled with hot food stalls with roasted meats, pies and savoury pastries and there are always the snacks of popcorn, roasted sweet chestnuts and baked goods.

“Hedatu I’ve got the freshest honey cakes. You know Heda loves a sweet treat.”  It’s Tillia a master baker and known to make the best pastries in Polis. Leksa loves her honey cakes and all sweet things but today she’s not in Polis and the cakes that Klark cannot resist buying will be eaten by herself, David and Abi (if her fading pregnancy cravings are that way inclined). She turns to make her way to the hospital where; patients, apprentices and her ever hungry and very pregnant mother, are waiting for her. She grimaces as she opens the patched-up doors and sees Jackson in the cavernous entry-hall, arms waving in futile gestures of appeasement, trying to persuade an enormous, agitated Trikru gona (warrior) to relinquish his sword. It’s going to be a very long day.

At midday in Polis the great bell rings to announce to all that it is time for sanch (lunch). Workers set down their tools, sit and unpack their home cooked food or head off to nearby stalls for a pie or filled flatbread. Set in the outskirts of the city’s southern quarter and surrounded by trees and wilderness, the big old house’s walls still stand tall. They’re brick-built with stone finishings and have survived bombs and much weather but weatherproof the old house is not. Not yet anyway. Vincent and his kru of builders work with wood, stone, metal sheets and when they can get them salvaged slates and roof tiles as they bring more of Polis’ damaged buildings into use. This one’s to be a base for a group of traders newly setting up in the city. They’re a wealthy bunch, wanting the best and like him they’d heard rumours of window glass coming into production in Sangedakru but so far it’s just a rumour. Until it’s reality he and his kru make do with wooden shutters and a few tiny, very expensive, windows made of scavenged glass set into lead or wood. The traders drove a hard bargain as you would expect and perhaps slow payment should have been expected too, but today he and the kru stopped work and they won’t start again until the next instalment is paid. It’s a pity the work isn’t complete but a deal is a deal and  builders have to live just like anyone else.

Vincent and his business partners Simon and Leo are to meet their contact for the traders here this afternoon but so far he’s a no show. “Let’s wait inside, if he’s not going to show up on time I want to keep dry.”  They all look up as a sprinkle of rain starts to fall. The back gate’s unlocked and they walk into a partially roofed yard area to shelter from the rain and wait. As they stand they take the time to assess their own work and Vincent walks over to a shutter that’s not set fully square into the frame. He pokes at it, annoyed, this is where Jono was working yesterday and he’s losing patience with the big Ouskejon’s sloppiness. He’s about to wave Leo over to look at this shoddy effort when his attention is taken by a voice he hears inside.

“We can’t handle that volume at the start. We’ll need to keep the tanners’ carts circulating for a few moons.” Then there’s a loud hissing and a crackle and the sound of a pot hitting the floor with a crack and a splosh. Vincent steps back not wanting it to be thought he was eavesdropping.

“Jok, Jok, Jok! (Fuck, fuck, fuck!)”  The door on his right bursts open and Mitch, who they’ve been waiting for, strides into the yard and heads for the water pump at its’ centre. Red faced and clearly angry it looks like he’s wearing the good part of a pint of ale on his smart blue leather trousers.  

With the client’s representative in such a bad mood before the talk even starts it’s not surprising that things don’t go well. The poorly crafted shutter is ‘flung’ at them as one of many reasons for non-payment and Mitch hammers home his dissatisfactions with vigour. Eventually an agreement is reached for a part payment to be made now, so that Vincent and kru return tomorrow to fix the snags. Only if these snags are fixed will the full instalment be paid and then the kru will move on to the final repairs. Vincent, Simon and Leo slouch off down the road. Jono’s in big trouble and likely to be fired, but it wasn’t all his fault and the three partners talk about the need to constantly watch each worker to ensure the high quality of workmanship.

Vincent tunes his partners’ chat out when it switches to soccer, the new game is gathering a following and making bets on the results is becoming a popular form of gambling. No, he’s thinking about what he heard through that badly fitted shutter. Was it a radio?  He’ll chat with Maya at dinner tonight about whether it’s a good idea to tell someone about it.

East Coast

It was a beautiful spring morning when they left Polis. Leksa decided to see how her newest horse Skyborn, the two-year old son of her lost Skyracer out of one of her most promising mares Earthborn, is coming along.  The answer to that question is that he’s a handful. When they set out he’s frisky, disobedient and takes a dislike to Indra’s stallion Storm. He causes smirks all round when he gives Leksa a hard time as he dances along the track, Leksa tugging on his reins trying to get him to walk or trot in an orderly fashion. Onya pokes fun and Indra’s just as bad. But Leksa’s pleased that he’s bearing up to the journey well, even if she needs to keep working on his obedience. By sanch (lunch) he’s calmed down and Leksa enjoys showing off his excellent turn of speed, he can beat Storm by a good margin in a sprint and he makes Onya’s Solar look very slow. But then Solar is an old man now coming up eighteen summers and Leksa knows that Onya has a couple of younger horses in training ready for when Solar is put out to grass.

They travel with Ai Op’s Gostos, Dax, Dot, Rosa, Oscar and Dayton plus a small gonakru of twelve from Ton DC. Their destination is a small cove on the east coast that has not been formally claimed by any kru (clan). There just aren’t enough people on the ground to use all the land emptied by the bombs. This part of the coast has been scouted by Trikru as a potential future settlement but they’ve not got people available to populate it. Indra doesn’t need to expand her holdings of coastal villages. The six she has, contribute fish to her kru’s resources and gonas if needed.  Her concern is that unoccupied lands attract bandits and pirates, so Heda Leksa’s idea of offering Floukru a seaside base on land is attractive to her. They’d be peaceful neighbours.

There are two concerns that have led Leksa to discuss this possibility with Luna and now Indra. The first was raised when Monty and Hannah visited the Floukru rig about two years ago to set up hydroponics systems for the mainly fish eating kru. Monty was horrified at the age of the rig, the obvious corrosion in its’ structure and its’ general state of repair. He spent most of his time there terrified that the whole thing was about to fall into the sea. The Floukru were very amused by his obvious terror and the rig didn’t collapse but he reported his fears to Jake and Sinclair in Polis.  The second problem that Leksa and Luna are worried about is pollution of the sea and its’ fish by radiation.  The fish they catch feed on smaller life that is poisoned by radiation and the poison then accumulates in the fish as they eat and age. Even if radiation was not increasing, because of the leak somewhere in the Dead Zone, having a diet that consists almost entirely of fish is going to be problematic in the long term.

The party makes camp overnight about half a day away from the cove.  Watches are set and Heda’s tent is erected. The hunting has been good and there’s good stew and trail bread for a hearty evening meal.

Onya relaxes by the fire and chats with her old fos (first) while Leksa retreats to her tent to talk to Klark on the radio. Onya’s already had a chat with Raven.

Indra turns their talk to the meeting tomorrow. “This Derrik we will meet tomorrow is Luna’s second in command sha (yes)?”

“Sha and her ex. I’ve never met him but Linkon says he is an abrasive character.”

“That’s all we need in delicate negotiations ‘an abrasive coward!”

Onya smiles, of all the abrasive characters she knows Indra tops the lot. Especially without Callie around to keep her sweet tempered and she still remembers Klark’s despair at how Indra ‘negotiated’ with the Arkers. “Heda will manage him, no problem.”

“Who will Heda manage?” It’s Leksa walking out of her tent, radio in hand. She offers it to Indra who takes it eagerly and with a nod from Leksa retreats to her own tent to ‘call home’.

“Derrik kom Floukru, Luna’s ex. She dumped him a while back when he started chasing the Maunon girl Kelly who went to the rig with the children. Linkon says he’s ‘abrasive’”

“Hmm I didn’t know Luna had finished with him. When Luna said we should talk with him, while she is away up north, I thought they were still together.”

“From what Linkon said Luna should have got rid of him ages ago. Derrik doesn’t like being second to anyone and only Luna can keep him in check.”

The following day Leksa discovers just how abrasive Derrik kom Floukru can be. He sits on the beach while a group of his companions lounge some distance away on what was once a working dock.

“Heda” he gives her a perfunctory nod of greeting from his seat on a large boulder and returns his gaze to the basket of fish he is sorting. Leksa purses her lips, annoyed at his lack of respect. Indra and Onya jump from their horses, haul the insolent fool to his feet and then throw him onto his knees before Leksa who keeps a firm grip on the skittish Skyborn’s reins.

“You will show respect to Heda or die!” Indra holding a knife to his neck is uncompromising and Derrik, carefully, ducks his head more respectfully.

“Moba (Sorry) Heda.”  

It’s an inauspicious beginning and as the glasses pass and sanch is eaten; a sanch of fried fish that Leksa notices are not checked for radioactivity despite Floukru having radiation detectors, his lack of interest in this project is clear. He contributes nothing constructive and seems unhappy with any suggestions she makes. Leksa’s starting to form the opinion that it’s really only worth negotiating with Luna but at the back of her mind there is a concern that Derrik’s influence within Floukru is large. He clearly considers himself important and so do the dozen or so Floukru with him. They follow his instructions slavishly and sit patiently waiting on the dock for him to finish his talk with Heda. Does he represent a small splinter group within Floukru or a substantial body of opinion? Floukru is the smallest of the krus at under two hundred souls, so he doesn’t need many followers for him to be a real challenge to Luna.

His most concerning remarks are made towards the end of the day, after the formal talks have concluded and he and Leksa walk along the dock to meet his companions. It seems he has recovered his confidence and bombast, after Indra and Onya’s physical intervention earlier and as they come closer to his kru he draws himself up to his full height before declaiming.

“Heda I am only here because Luna said I must hear what you have to say. I see no reason to leave our rig because you order it.” Derrik looks for affirmation from those on the dock waiting for him, who nod in agreement.

Leksa recognising a well-rehearsed phrase when she hears one, raises her voice so that all on the dock can hear. “I am not ordering Floukru anywhere. I am discussing making available to Floukru a place to settle on land if all or some of you need or choose to do so. My only condition is that to avoid this area becoming infested with bandits or pirates any decision is made by your kru before the end of next winter.”  At these words Derrik’s companions look confused as if Heda’s statement is unexpected. “That is what I discussed with Luna in Polis.”

After that exchange Derrik hurries his kru onto their boat.  

On the road to Polis Fifth Moon Waning Crescent

They stay overnight in the deserted village and next day they make good time travelling west camping for the night about half a day’s travel from Polis. The following morning the Ton DC gonas are looking forward to a pleasant time in the lively city. At a little after first light the camp starts preparations for breakfast and packing up ready to leave but after a while their activity slows to a stop. They are all waiting on Heda and her wormanas (generals) who stay in her tent. Intently the gonas watch Gostos and Dax, who are on guard duty at the entrance to Heda’s tent and will know first when the order comes to leave.

Inside Heda’s tent the three sit in silence to hear Oktavia’s update. It’s grim listening.

“First the good news  or as near as we can get to that. We have reached what used to be a city called Salem and the power plant here is not leaking. It is powered down and the radioactive material is safe.  Tomorrow we go on to Hope Creek, which Caesar [Sinclair]  says is where the problem must be.” Oktavia takes an audible breath.

“A few days ago, at the solar farm we survived the sand storm, then successfully battled a group who were tailing us. After that we decided it was time to send all the sick back south. Saint Peter [Duram kom Azgeda] and a gonakru under her command went with them for protection.  Romeo [Linkon] is one of the sick.”

Leksa intervenes “ I will send word and gonas will meet them on the border. Romeo is strong and will recover.”

The catch to Oktavia’s voice is suppressed as she continues. “Mochof (Thank-you). All the medics except Moon [Luna] went with them. That left us numbering thirty plus, the Tekkru, Moon, Ash Daun Pakstoka (Snow Wolf) [Mara] and me. We made our way towards Salem. As we entered the remains of that city we were attacked by a horde of nomads. They seemed to have a base or home there. Most were freikdreina, their bodies damaged by radiation but able to function and fight. Nearly all were armed with fayoguns. We lost many and without Ash Daun Pakstoka…...” Oktavia’s voice tightens a little. “I don’t know how she did it, it was as if she was in two places at once. She got behind them somehow and even though she was weak herself; the day before she lost all her hair and now blood drips from her nose all the time, she killed at least twenty of them. That gave the rest of us a chance to fight back and a few of us survived.  There’s eight of us left. Moon, Caesar, Cato [Bell], Ash Daun Pakstoka, Cassius[Rudolfo], Achilles [Monty], Captain Pugwash [Wys] and me. The rover is still working but our horses are gone or dead. Romans over.”

Leksa says a few words in response, all supportive of Oktavia and the survivors before the radio goes silent.

“Jok.” Says Indra. “A horde of nomads with fayoguns and on their home territory. They do well to have eight survivors.”

Onya nods in agreement. “Sha. I hate to say it but Mara was always too good in a dirty fight. We called her Pakstoka then, we hated her, but the name is one of respect she was just so deadly. Is there anything we can do to help them?”

Chapter Text

5^th Moon Last Quarter – Solar Farm Dead Zone

Eventually they had listened to Luna and waited an extra day to see if anyone else started to become sick with radiation.  Twenty did and so Luna’s fear was justified but they couldn’t wait any longer than that one day. The party going south is to be commanded by Duram and Luna puts Marco in charge of the medics. All who are able, help to prepare those going home. Travois are made from a few of the solar farm’s broken panels and foodstuffs, medications and horses are divided between the two groups.

On the day of departure, as always, the heat of the day builds to almost unbearable levels and Luna can feel and hear tempers fraying.  She climbs into the back of the rover to prepare doses of potassium iodide and Prussian blue for all. Her nimble fingers set out the pills and soon her work is complete. Pausing for a moment before going outside into the scorching heat she looks up and her gaze is drawn towards the commanding figure of Mara kom Azgeda who is engaged in heated conversation with her Captain Duram. For the first time Luna sees Duram express anger and dissent towards her leader. Inside the rover Luna can’t hear what they are talking about, but by her gestures and body language Duram is a woman feeling hurt, anger, pain and even for a moment fear.  She seems to be alternating between hurling angry words at Mara and begging her for some boon or favour. Luna drops her gaze when she sees Duram’s tears. That she feels is something she has no right to be privy to.

A little while later with deliberate noisiness she emerges from the rover to find Mara alone, watching an angry looking Duram as she stomps off, leading Mara’s horse Pippin towards the group readying to leave.

“She’s angry.”

Mara, like them all, is wearing layered headscarves to keep the sand from her nose and face and so when she turns to reply it takes Luna a second or two to see into and past the layers of fabric swathing her head. “She has every right to be, yet even in her anger she does not want to leave me behind.”

Luna pauses before replying to take in exactly what Mara has said. “She is angry but not because she must leave?”

Mara’s headscarf falls back a little to reveal more of her face and Luna sees the tracks tears have left on the lightly tanned skin.  “She has been lied to for too long. Caleb and I should have told her the truth three years ago when Duram and I were released from the Maunon (Mountain men) and learned that Nia was dead.” Haunted hazel eyes gaze after the young captain and then Mara’s head hangs in what looks very like shame.

Luna leans back against the side of the rover to give Mara a little more space. “If you have lied to her Mara it would be for good reason, for her own safety perhaps?”

Mara’s eyes snap up to Luna’s and for a second there is coldness in that look. It softens almost immediately. “You are right. If Nia knew who she was she would have been taken from us or killed. But after the Mountain fell we were weak, waiting for ‘the right time’ to tell her, then Vance was killed and Caleb, who wanted to tell her himself died so suddenly. He could scarcely speak when we reached home and then without him, again I was weak, very weak.”

Luna waits, if Mara wants to reveal this truth she will do so, Luna will not push. Mara’s head lifts and her gaze again falls on Luna. “Even in her anger she fears for me, wants me to go home to tend to my apple trees. I tell her no, my place is here to do what I have always done so well and hers is to return to Azgeda and our apple trees and there to come into her true inheritance as Caleb’s child.”

Luna’s stomach drops in shock. Duram is Caleb’s child! No wonder they hid her from Nia but….

Mara slumps down to sit cross-legged on the sand, her shoulders lift almost in a shrug. She looks up at Luna. “Caleb and I bonded not for love or passion but to save our lands. Together our Glens are strong enough to resist any who take power in Azgeda. Even Nia, after my brother’s death, did not dare to encroach on our boundaries. I knew all about passionate love (or so I thought), that was what made my brother a fool for Nia and drove other people to do foolish things. But Caleb and I, we were friends, we liked each other but were not going to fall in love. But he did. Years later he fell in love with a lovely girl called Rian and he told me straight away. I saw how love made him stronger, happier, more himself and I could not deny him that love. In any event I was called to battle after battle, Nia had taken Vance from us and I was never there to care for Caleb, our twins or our lands. Rian gave birth to Duram and that Caleb was her nontu (father) was kept secret, we all feared what Nia would do if she knew the truth. So, we lied to everyone and when Rian died of winter fever Duram was only ten summers old and we cared for her, as a ‘foster’ child. We kept her close, she became my seken (second) and then my Captain.”

Luna lowers herself to sit on the sand next to Mara. “She will be angry that she was lied to for so long, but she still cares for you Mara and if the falling hair that drops from your headdress is yours, she is right to fear for you. You are sick from the radiation and should go back with the others before it is too late.” 

But Mara refuses to go back, she merely shaves her head to avoid the annoyance of falling hair and rides a skinny pony that had been captured from the defeated bandits and sends her beloved Pippin home with Duram.

A little over a day later they are approaching the City of Salem. Over that last day the landscape has changed dramatically. It is still as dry as a desert but instead of traversing endless dunes they make their way through, around and over; the rubble and wreckage of life before the bombs. Oktavia recognises the collapsed metal skeletons of cars abandoned on highways. There are trunks of dead trees standing or leaning by the side of empty cracked pavements and roads. Houses, shops, factories are all distinguishable and often signposted in the tumble of brick and concrete. They cross a sluggish river; Sinclair runs tests to find only low levels of radioactivity. They stop for a couple of glasses to let everybody fill their canteens, wash and allow the horses to slowly drink their fill. 

There are two power-plants to check. The one nearest the city itself was completed only a few years before the bombs fell. It was state of the art in 2030 built close to the city because Becca Franko was trusted to build the safest and best. To get to it they need to pass through the ruins of Salem’s city centre.

Oktavia and Mara send ten scouts ahead and keep the rover and main group of gonas together. As they slowly trek their way through the centre they make the only sounds; the whine of the rover’s motors, the click of horses’ hooves on fractured asphalt and the clink of their bridles, weapons and gear. Shadows are harsh in the bright sunlit streets, empty roofless buildings line the wide roads that are clogged with abandoned cars and rubble; there are even boats, trucks, whole rooves littering the streets making the passable route tight and crowded.  Mara feels like she’s being herded through canyons of debris.

There’s a faint scrape and click, Mara’s already throwing herself off her pony, running for cover and shouting orders to the gonas (warriors) to protect the rover. Without Tekkru, the rover and its’ load of tek the whole mission will fail.  Oktavia’s only a beat behind drawing her sword and running towards the sounds. Then a hail of bullets tears into the gonas, who jerk like puppets as they fall. The fayogun gonas and Tekkru start to return fire but they are pinned down by attackers whose elevated positions allow them to fire down onto them at will.

Oktavia’s only glad that Linkon isn’t here. If the worst happens there’s a chance he is safe. She’s sheltering under what looks like a slab of rebar reinforced concrete, at least it’s unlikely the bullets can penetrate it, though from the noise, chips of concrete and lead flying around her, they are trying their best.

Mara shrugs out of her cloak and tears off the coverings that protect her head and face. She slides under and away from a huge angled beam of metal and belly crawls into an alley that runs between two tall buildings. Coming in from bright sunlight the sudden shade is briefly an impenetrable darkness and so she stays low as her eyes adjust. There they are, a guard, leaning against the wall at the far end of the alley, silhouetted against bright sun, the branwada (fool). She listens for a second for any others. But no, they’re alone. Her throwing knife finds the guard’s throat and with a choked gurgle the figure slumps. She sprints along the alley, retrieves her knife and takes the fayogun from his slack thumbless hand, how did he pull a trigger? The fayogun looks old and dirty, is that rust on the barrel? She takes it anyway and moves on, looking for a way into the tall building from which most of the enemies’  fire seems to be coming .

Climbing a few stairs exhausts her, this is what radiation does to a gona it saps their strength, but she pushes on three floors to the top. On her way up two more guards meet death, like the first they have old looking fayoguns and are freikdreina, one had only one hand, the second one eye . Standing on the final dusty landing Mara looks carefully around the splintered door frame to see three fayogun gonas crouching beside large broken windows. Their attention is wholly focused on the battle below, so her throwing knife and hand axe make quick work of them all.  Then she moves on, there’s another room on this floor and more fayoguns for her to silence.

On the street Oktavia notes the reduction in firepower from one of the buildings and directs her gonas to take advantage of this but there’s still heavy fire coming from across the street. She wriggles from under the slab and sprints to crouch behind a large metal container full of rubble, desperately she looks for a way to get to the enemy that is not suicide.

Mara’s back on ground level, hidden in the darkness of the alley and looking for a good route to cross the street and get into the brown building that is being used by the enemy to good effect. Jok! (Fuck!)A splinter of metal tears into the skin of her cheek, it’s nothing but a nuisance but jok it hurts. She sees her chance, sprints across the street and flings herself through an empty window into a rubble strewn room.  Landing on broken brick and concrete hurts but she rolls then scrambles up to find another staircase, she has more work to do.

As soon as the fighting starts Luna’s tearing opening the emergency medical chest and readying dressings. She’s on the floor of the rover tending to Monty’s bullet slashed calf when both she and he are splattered, in what she later discovers is Wick’s brain tissue. She cleans her face and passes a shocked looking Monty a piece of cloth to wipe his. When he’s patched up she goes to the rover’s rear door and looks out onto a scene of devastation. Dead gonas litter the street. Oktavia’s under a piece of concrete, Mara’s nowhere to be seen, Wys is trapped under his dying horse and Rudolfo is prone behind a low wall, bleeding heavily from a bullet wound to his thigh. She gathers supplies into a pack; cloths, a splint, needle, thread, water and alcohol; and readies herself to dash over to Rudolfo. There’s a noticeable fall in the number of bullets flying about so she goes for it, skidding to a halt by the fading Delphikru captain. She cuts off his trouser leg and applies pressure to both entry and exit wounds, the blood flow has slowed thank Keryon (the Spirits). He is conscious and grunts in pain. She grabs his hands and has him apply pressure while she readies needle and thread. She splashes alcohol onto;  his leg (he screams), the needle and thread and starts to stitch the entry wound shut. He grinds his teeth and continues to apply pressure to the exit wound.

Finally, the fayoguns are quiet and the groans of dying gonas and horses are all that can be heard. Luna walks along the street searching for wounded to tend. Sinclair’s head wound is fortunately just a graze, Wys is badly bruised but, when they get him out from under his horse, is otherwise okay, Oktavia has a few scratches, Rudolfo needs a crutch, so Sinclair starts making one. Wick is beyond help, the neat bullet wound in his forehead makes him look peaceful in death and belies the explosive exit wound that removed the back of his skull. Bellamy is filthy but unhurt. There are many, many dead gonas, bullets to the head or chest ending their lives. Luna looks for Mara and sees her long cloak and head scarves but where is the gona? Bending she picks up the fallen clothes and holds them for a moment in trembling hands. Bellamy’s cry of “Hei Mara?” grabs her attention and she frantically looks around to find the Azgedan. The tall figure walks with faltering steps, out of the gaping hole that was once a rather grand porticoed entrance and down a flight of stone steps. Blood covers almost every part of her. Her clothes could be dyed red, her naked scalp and face have cuts from which blood trickles, blood drips from her nose, her hands are scarlet and the torn leggings reveal flesh that is a mess of bruises and cuts. Luna and Bellamy run to her, just in time to catch her as she falls. “Bring her to the rover Bellamy, I need time to clean her wounds and stitch them.”

During the next few glasses activity is frantic. With Luna engaged with Mara; and Rudolfo and Monty unable to walk, it’s Oktavia, Wys and Bellamy who finish the fruitless search for their own wounded and inspect the enemy dead; finding that nearly all are freikdreina and were killed at close quarters with a knife or axe.  Then with Sinclair’s help they build a pyre for the dead. At least in this mass of rubble there is no shortage of wood. By then Luna is with them; to arrange the bodies of twenty-five gonas and twenty-two enemies on the pyre, to say the final words of closure and to comfort a distraught Oktavia who is taking the loss of so many who were under her command very hard.

As darkness falls and the pyre dies down Sinclair gets the rover moving. It now holds all eight survivors and as much by way of supplies as they can pack into it. Mara remains unconscious, Luna fears that her failure to wake is due to radiation sickness more than to her visible wounds.

As dawn breaks and they approach the atomic plant Sinclair and Monty are fully occupied taking radiation readings, while Bellamy drives and Oktavia, armed with a loathed fayogun, keeps watch out of  the rover’s back window. Sinclair is, if he is honest with himself, disappointed with the place when they actually arrive and Bellamy brings the rover to a halt. It doesn’t look at all powerful or exciting, not what he imagined a nuclear power-plant on the ground would look like. Where are the huge thick concrete containment buildings, water cooling towers and generators? Instead, he’s looking at a big windowless shed. Okay it’s made of concrete and is sealed with massive doors (that are decorated with the infinity symbol of the Commander), that look as if they have withstood attacks by bullets, explosives and battering rams.  But impressive? Not particularly. With a limping Monty as his assistant and Oktavia as bodyguard he walks slowly towards the ‘shed’ a Geiger Counter in his hand. After walking a number of circuits around the big bland building he is finally impressed. This Franko Model 201 nuclear power-plant is not leaking one rad of radioactivity.

In the rover Bellamy fidgets in the driving seat, Rudolfo sleeps on a makeshift cot and Wys helps Luna when an agitated Mara wakes up and starts throwing punches. It takes Wys sitting on her legs and Luna bathing her eyes open, whilst trying to hold her down, for Mara to realise she is with friends. Even with her eyes gummed shut she’d managed to get in a good punch to Luna’s cheek . “Moba er Sorry Luna, Wys; I did not know where I was for a few moments.”

Luna leans carefully over the gona “Mara, we take no offence.” She turns to Wys. “Thank-you Wys can you cook up something. We all need food. This one especially.” She gestures to Mara and Wys nods and steps outside the rover. He has a surprising talent as a cook and Luna’s pretty sure that Sinclair hasn’t even caught on to the fact that he’s been eating the dreaded dried fish for the last two days. Rudolfo snores on, the sedative and antibiotic combination she gave him earlier is an effective one.

Mara raises a hand to Luna’s cheek but stops herself from touching the tender skin. “This will bruise.”

Luna smiles “A bruise is nothing. Please drink Mara you need fluids and food.” Gently she mops away the blood that drips from Mara’s nose and holds a cup to her lips. The gona frowns when she sees her blood on the dampened cloth, she doesn’t remember injuring her nose. Puzzled eyes look to Luna whose whole body reacts to the soft gaze with a yearning to comfort and hold so intense that she has to physically pull herself back.  

“Your body is affected by the radiation. The vessels containing your blood are becoming frail.  Until we are away from this hellish place you will only heal very slowly.” The words ‘If at all’ are not spoken aloud, they don’t need to be.

“Mochof ai…. Luna. It is like the bleedings of the Maunon, you feel your life leave you with the blood.” Tentatively her hand touches Luna’s face. “How can you, a woman of peace, bear to even look at a killer like me?”

Luna catches Mara’s hand in her own and holds it very gently, close to her heart. “I do not judge a gona for being a gona. As a natblida I was trained to kill and was good at it and I… I killed not just enemies but my own brother.”

“Apollon?”

“Sha (Yes) Apollon.”

………………

Fifth Moon Waning Crescent

After her radio check in with Heda, Oktavia feels a little better. Heda did not blame her for the loss of so many gonas and she heard Indra’s words of approbation.

Completely exhausted they stop for a day, parking up inside the safety of the huge fence that surrounds the power-station. In shifts they all eat, drink, sleep and keep watch. Early the following morning they leave the city and head to what was once the coast of New Jersey and the Hope Creek Power Station. 

Away from the city the amount of rubble and debris drops dramatically. There are whole sections of road that the rover can be driven down at speed. What does slow them, time and again is broken bridges over what are now dry riverbeds. But they make progress and soon they are only a few miles from the plant. Sinclair calls for a halt. The radiation readings are climbing so high that even the skaikru will be made ill and Sinclair suggests that he and Monty go ahead alone to see where the leak is and what they can do to repair it. There’s some heated discussion and it’s finally decided that Bellamy will go with them to drive the rover. The five who are to remain at a distance set up as inconspicuous a camp as they can, low earth-coloured canopies and a tiny cooking fire. Rudolfo is familiar with fayoguns and he and Wys take the first watch.

The rover’s motors whine as it pulls away from their makeshift camp.  Sinclair and Monty stare fixedly at their Geiger counters reading off figures. After about a glass Sinclair says. “Pull up please Bell. I think it’s time we put on the suits. We can wait to put on the masks and oxygen for a little longer but we need to be prepared.” All three struggle into their hazmat suits, masks and tanks are put at the ready. “Okay Bell, take us to the centre of the complex. Drop us and come back to this point. Throughout keep an eye on the radio and the G counter. If the counter goes into the red it’s time to put the mask on. Okay?”

Slowly the rover approaches the huge complex. As they reach what used to be double gates, now just twisted metal on the ground,  the counter goes into the red and they don masks and tanks. Slowly Bell takes them through the opening and heads for what looks like the middle of it all. Looking around him Sinclair is awed. “Now boys, this is what I call a nuclear power-station.” Like Sinclair the two young men look around wide eyed. The only thing they’ve seen on the ground even nearly this large is the Commander’s Tower. Soon they’re at the centre of the complex and Sinclair and Monty offload their kit and Bellamy wishes them luck before driving back.

Sinclair takes a couple of moments just to look. It’s got everything he expected. First it’s immense, the site must cover more than four square miles. Second the shattered remains of the huge cooling tower are still impressively massive and tall, as is the fallen dome of what must be the containment building. Their readings have been consistent as they approached the site, the radiation is peaking near the containment structure. They split up each with a G counter and walk around the huge wrecked building. Sinclair clockwise, Monty anticlockwise. Three circuits later they are both sweating buckets. It’s the heat of the daytime, their suits and fear.  They’ve found two hot spots both on the north side of the building. It’s time to try and get inside.

When they’d  walked around the exterior they tried to open a couple of doors both were locked. But as the walls are cracked and mostly fallen it’s not doors they will use it’s just that they need to find a way in that won’t shred their suits. Very carefully they start to climb.

Oktavia and Luna are on watch when the radio crackles. Wys comes over to relieve Oktavia so she can take the call.

It’s Murphy and he sounds worried. “Calling the Romans. Calling the Romans. It’s the Wanderers. Over.”

Murphy and Emori have followed them for most of the journey, usually travelling a day or so behind them. They pose as nomads, keep a very low profile and with Emori’s knowledge of the nomad groups and their ways they manage to stay alive and unmolested.  Their urgent news is that a large group of nomads is starting to gather in Salem. Their leaders talk of following Oktavia and the survivors trail because they want the rover. It’s a very desirable asset and they’re prepared to kill to get it. They’ll be ready to set out in pursuit in two days, scouts are already on the way and Murphy has killed a couple already. He and Emori will be with them in a glass or two, then they can decide how best to proceed.  Oktavia radios Bellamy to put him and the others in the picture.  She also radios Polis, Luna wants to know their quickest route to the open sea.

Chapter Text

Hope Creek Nuclear Reactor 6^th Moon New

Behind the heavy mask Sinclair tries to concentrate on; the angle he’s holding the welding stick, 90 degrees, the distance he is holding it from the metal being welded, 3mm and the steadiness of his pulling and lowering of it as the flux and metal are consumed by the process. Through the blinding sparks he watches as the bubbling metal melds with the steel, there’s only an inch or two to go but his hand is trembling. To counter the tremble, he holds his whole-body rigid to keep the angles just right and uses both hands to pull the arc slowly along the last stretch………  He stops and steps away, the arc dies. That should be it.  Fuck it’s hot.

“Monty, check all four welds please.”

Sinclair staggers back to the box and pushes the button to shut off the power. He flips the welding mask up and slumps to sit on a pile of masonry. Within the sealed hazmat suit sweat streams down his body, he can feel it pooling  at his feet, knees and crotch and dripping down his face and chin.  He’s almost feverish with exhaustion and the hope that his welds pass the tests. He sits and watches as Monty preps the kit.

In a daze he finds himself just staring at the pipe; a cracked pipe. A cracked pipe that leaked a gallon or so a day of radiation contaminated water. The water should have been safely held within the containment tank when the station powered down but the containment tank has a valve and that valve is set into a steel pipe. A pipe that cracked; during praimfaya? (As the grounders call it) or later because of the huge earth and sea movements that the bombs caused? Whatever caused it to crack, Sinclair is beyond caring, his job is to fix it and if these four welds pass, he’s done it.

Monty starts with the first weld, that was made early that morning, it’s cooled to a shiny rippled hardness and his initial visual inspection is a pass. He powers up the ‘eddy current’ probe and starts to move it over the newly made join. He knows Sinclair is watching, almost desperate for the welds to pass. The older man is beyond exhaustion, as the only experienced welder available  (Wick was the other), Sinclair’s spent all day bent over this pipe. They couldn’t afford the time to let him rest, with hostile nomads turning up soon, tonight or tomorrow, they need to get away from here as soon as possible so they can get a few hours travel in before they are plunged into the darkness of a New Moon.

“First weld is good.” Monty moves on to the second, this is the biggest and most vulnerable to defects.  

Bellamy’s back at the packed-up camp with the others, out of his hazmat suit and making the standard checks to be sure the rover is good to go. Murphy and Emori turned up a few hours back, Bellamy’s never liked Murphy and Emori he finds intimidating, so he has mixed feelings about them ‘rocking up’ and joining the group. They’re an asset as competent fighters, especially with guns, but Emori like Mara seems to think Bellamy’s entertaining even when he’s not trying to be funny and she and Murphy just laugh in his face a little too easily. Now they’re standing by a copse of long dead trees talking with Octavia, Mara and Luna, planning their escape route, he supposes.    

He tightens the big nuts that hold the caterpillar tracks in place and is humming an old Beachboys song Surfing USA when the radio crackles. It’s Monty. “Come and get us Bell we’re done.”

Monty and Sinclair hide the welding kit. It’s wrapped in plastic sheeting and together they heave a bent and broken locker, full of partially decayed paper and broken screws, on top of it. If they ever need to come back the kit will be here, likely untouched and maybe even useable. They walk away from the containment building and then out past the big fallen gates. Bellamy’s waiting for them and they ride for about a mile on the rover’s running boards before they reach a spot where it’s safe to strip off their suits. They wedge Sinclair and Monty’s suits under a rock (they’re too contaminated to take with them) and then wash as best they can in very little water.  The two engineers slump in their seats as Bellamy drives back to the camp to pick up the others.

As they drive off everyone is on high alert as their route initially takes them on the road back towards Salem, then Bellamy turns south onto a sandy ridge that was once a metalled road. A mile along that ridge Oktavia and Murphy hop out and walk back to sweep away any traces of their passage. A few hours later as he drives along the broken surface Bellamy can’t help but grin and hum Good Vibrations. He's going to the sea, to a beach with surf, there they’ll find a boat and sail home to Polis.

He drives on the rover’s lights for as long as he can before pulling off the road and into a dry gulch. Outside it’s pitch black with no moon and for the first time in what seems like forever clouds obscure the stars. The rover’s headlights are powerful but with a road that is becoming more hazardous to navigate by the mile and a driver who is exhausted they decide to camp for the rest of the night. They can set off again at dawn.

Wys starts preparing food almost as soon as they stop, deep in the shelter of the gulch they can afford to light a fire. Mara and Emori take first watch, Murphy and Oktavia gather wood, at least that’s plentiful now and very dry and Wys gets the big skillet set up. Sinclair’s still sleeping in the rover and Monty covers him with furs, the temperature has dropped, not as much as usual but it’s still well below freezing. Sinclair wakes briefly to be fed before lapsing back into an exhausted slumber. After doing night chores, all of them bed down, except for Luna, Rudolfo and Oktavia who take the next watch.

Deep in her furs Mara’s not sleeping. She’s feeling better than she has for a while, her nose has stopped dripping blood and her wounds are starting to heal. At last, she feels more alive than dead. She slips into a doze, then wakes when she hears murmurs and shuffling. The watch is changing and she uncovers her head to see an exhausted and cold looking Luna stumbling tiredly across the camp, holding her furs bundled in her arms.

Mara whispers “Hei Luna! You look cold.”

“I am jokking (fucking) cold!”

“Come share.” Mara holds open her furs and for a moment Luna looks at her startled, before shucking her boots, belt and jacket, flinging her furs over Mara and rolling into her open arms. There she finds warmth and a body that is much softer than she expected. But then, if she thinks about Mara’s body and she has thought about it, Mara has meizen (beautiful) breasts and Luna’s head is currently resting against them. Oh jok! Luna stiffens slightly.

“Sleep goufa (child).” Mara’s arms pull her closer, for which kindness she is rewarded with a face full of Luna’s luxuriant hair.

“I am not a goufa!” Luna’s voice is quietly indignant as she turns over to face Mara. “I’m thirty summers old.”

“Kei. You are an adult, who needs sleep!”

“May I kiss you?”

Mara’s brain freezes and her lips form an astonished ‘O’. She manages one word.  “Beja. (Please).”  This quiet plea is answered by a soft touch that first meets a lightly scarred cheek, then finds her lips and the world stops; as her lips are caressed and tasted by Luna’s. For some moments there is nothing else; only Luna; smooth skin under her hesitant fingers’ touch, lips and tongue that excite her whole being, a body strong and leanly muscular with pliant hips.       

“Are you okay?” Luna’s whisper into her ear is low and worried.

“Sha (Yes), very.” Turning fully to face her Luna’s hand reaches up to cup Mara’s face and her right hip slips over Mara’s thigh.  

“I wish I wasn’t so tired and that we were anywhere else ….”

The soft lips return and Luna’s body shifts to cover Mara’s, kisses find Mara’s collar-bone and neck, soon a tired head drops onto her shoulder and the breath from a deep sigh whispers past her ear.  

“Meizen goufa! We must sleep.”   

“I am NOT a goufa!”

What used to be Sea Isle City is still recognisable as a place that used to house and entertain people. Like Polis there’s a grid system of buildings, most of them ruined, but unlike Polis there is no lush growth of trees and shrubs. Instead, sand and dust cover the signs of past human habitation and commerce.  After the battle in Salem, they’re extra careful and stick to streets with low ambush potential, even though the place looks deserted, but then so did Salem. They drive through without seeing anyone and soon they are at the edge of the world. Or so it seems. Polis is built on a big estuary so it’s not that they’ve never seen the sea or a beach; but apart from Luna no-one has seen the open sea, where there’s nothing ahead of you but sea and sky and more sea and more sky! When Monty brings the rover to a stop because to go any further he would need a boat, nine people tumble out onto the beach wide-eyed and agog. Luna just smiles; she’s home.

Their search for a boat starts immediately and it’s not that there are no boats to be found. They are everywhere; smashed into matchwood, whole but perched on top of buildings, rotted to a few planks in the sheltered bays and broken backed and half submerged on the beach. The rover copes well with yet more sand dunes but so many of the bridges that connected the coastal towns and cities are broken that their search is constantly blocked and they have to face the unpleasant truth that a suitable boat may not be found that they can actually get at.

They take a short break for sanch (lunch). Sitting on the beach they have to fend off  bold thieving sea birds, the first wildlife they’ve seen since entering the Dead Zone. Monty wonders aloud whether the birds would taste good, he’s sick of eating trail bars and dried fish. Sinclair suggests a new approach to the boat hunt. Why not move their search away from the sea front, where probably heavy seas, if not tsunami, destroyed any boats moored in the marinas. Instead look inland for a private boat house or a small marina on one of the rivers. Why not shrugs Oktavia, looking at Luna to see if she has any objections. Luna has none so they head back inland.  They drive and at times walk past hundreds of wrecked homes and businesses none of which have been looted. This stretch of coast does seem uninhabited.

In one deserted shop Oktavia sees a display case full of polarised sun glasses and grabs a pair for each of them. A little later Luna and Wys have to be almost dragged out of a fully stocked chandlery with their haul of goods restricted to one bag each. Bellamy finds a clothes shop, most of the stock is decayed to bundles of threads but he discovers a rail of polyester and nylon swimming kit and grabs some skimpy swim trunks.

It's late afternoon and they are reaching the point of no return, soon they must make a decision. They can either stay until tomorrow and risk the nomads finding them or admit defeat, get back into the rover and run.

The fallen sign says ‘Golf Club’, that cryptic message mystifies them all,  but the neighbourhood was clearly once very wealthy with big houses set far apart from each other. These big homes have sturdy outbuildings that when broken open reveal the rusted remains of what must have been expensive cars or motorboats. Oakwood is just such a house. “Try it Bell. We may as well.” Oktavia’s just about ready to call it a day and hightail it out of the city.

The rover rolls to a quiet stop and Sinclair hands Monty the crowbar. “Your turn for breaking and entering.” With a gentle shrug Monty makes his way to the solid looking shed sealed by locked wooden doors. He pushes the crowbar into the central seam and with a crisp snap the lock gives and the door swings wide open.

“Meizen!”

Sea Hunter sits on her metal trailer ready to be towed to the shore. Sinclair reads out her specs from a metal plate riveted to the control panel. “She’s a forty-two foot, seven berth ketch. Fibre glass hull, with main sail and furling genoa.  Electrical outboard engine.” He gets blank looks all round. No one has a clue what he is talking about.

Luna, Sinclair and Wys explore onboard while Murphy, Monty, Bellamy and Oktavia search nearby cupboards and another outbuilding for anything useable, like a set of intact sails. Mara, Emori and Rudolfo wait by the rover on watch. Towing the trailer isn’t easy, the tyres deflated and perished many years ago and dragging it fully laden on its’ metal rims is a noisy and frustrating business, but all that is forgotten when Sea Hunter gracefully enters the water, a grinning Luna and jubilant Wys in the cockpit.  The next few glasses are spent preparing her for sea. Perished cushions, mattresses and foodstuffs are all removed. Medicines, supplies, Sinclair’s tools and tek are loaded on board.  Bellamy starts to unbolt the solar panels from the rover’s roof when he’s stopped by Murphy. “Hold on Bell, you’ve got plenty on the boat and we’ll need them to power the rover.”

“What?” Bellamy turns around confused. He looks to his sister for instructions, she’s in charge here not Murphy. Oktavia’s quick to support Murphy.

“Yeah hold up Bell, Murphy and Emori are staying on to try and negotiate a peace with the nomads.”

“Fuck, are you guys sure?” Bellamy’s shocked. They’ve just spent days on the run hiding  from nomads and now Murphy and Emori are going to try and talk to them!

As they say their goodbyes it’s clear this is something Emori feels deeply about. Her people need to hear the news about Poliskru and how Heda is changing the law for freikdreina (people who suffer from deformities because of radiation). She will use the rover to get their attention and spread the message. Murphy’s along for the ride because nothing will separate him from Emori.

The sun is setting when Sea Hunter’s ‘crew’ get a quick run-down from their captain (Luna) on the dangers of; swinging booms, wet decks, slips and trips and the wonders of the ‘head’ and water-making machine.  Yes, they will be able to shower in fresh water because this machine takes the salts out of brine!  The wonders of tek never-end.   

Onboard Sea Hunter 6^th Moon New

The launch is smooth and they anchor off the beach.  They’ll stay overnight far enough out to sea to be safe but close enough to shore in case things immediately go south for Emori and Murphy.

They pull lots for who gets to use the shower first and the winner is Mara who, after experiencing it, is prepared to sell her best sword (if not her best axe) to get this hot shower tek back to her home in the Glens. As she leaves the tiny cubicle Luna is waiting in the cramped hallway, she’s next for the shower. The ship’s captain gives the clean and sweet smelling Azgedan a look that would ignite snow and they share a kiss that leaves Mara breathless. Luna whispers. “May I visit you later?” and all Mara can do is nod.

In her tiny cabin Mara sits on the narrow bunk and tries to understand what is happening to her. She’s forty-five summers old, was bonded to a lovely man who died less than two moons ago for thirty years, she’s birthed three children, lost them all to death, she shouldn’t be feeling like this because someone kisses her and clearly wants more. She wraps her arms around herself and finds to her mortification that she is crying, with no idea why!  After a few moments she calms, but her mood darkens. Nothing can come of this. They’re of Azgeda and Floukru for joks sake, anyone would laugh at the very idea! It’s just sex, she’s not been sexual with anyone for a long time and is out of practice at feeling attraction. That’s what it is, she’s out of practice with this sex business. She likes sex but has never needed it, never yearned to touch anyone, craved for their body, their taste, their skin, their touch! Not until now!

Oh Keryon (Spirits) could she bear it? To be with Luna and then part from her? Luna must return to Floukru, somewhere in the sea (Keryon only knows where) and Mara must go back to Azgeda; to support the new Azgeda being built by Roan and there’s Duram to look out for and her people in the Glens. She curls into a tight ball and huddles under her furs. Later when she hears Luna’s soft knock she doesn’t respond. There’s a whispered “Mara are you okay?”

Outside the door Luna waits. There’s no response to her knock or whisper and her feelings of anticipation and joy drain away. Leaning her forehead against the thin panel of the door she stifles a sob. Mara’s probably had second thoughts. Sensible thoughts. Floukru and Azgeda…..anyone would think it some kind of twisted joke. She turns away. “Reshop (Goodnight) Mara!”       

Onboard Sea Hunter 6^th Moon Waxing Crescent

Two days later Sinclair, Oktavia and Bellamy would rather face a horde of nomads with blazing fayoguns than spend one more night at sea. They’re huddled in abject misery in Sea Hunter’s largest cabin with a bucket each and Mara and Monty doing their best to keep the buckets emptied and their patients hydrated. It’s not easy. Rudolfo is in the smallest cabin, lashed to the bunk, his injured leg makes moving about the boat in this weather too dangerous.  

The weather broke as the sun rose on their second day. Luna and Wys lower and lash the main sail and point Sea Hunter’s bow as best they can across the wind. If only the wind would blow steadily. Luna orders that all hatches be battened down and everyone but Wys must stay belowdecks. She applies herself to the steering wheel, as she struggles to hold the rudder against the gusting winds.  Wys makes both of them simple harnesses that he secures to hefty cleats, then he moves about the boat as it crashes through waves and troughs, as if they were sailing in a light breeze.

For two days the winds tear at the boat and the two sailors fight the storm as it pushes Sea Hunter at dangerous speeds to the south east, at least they have plenty of sea to manoeuvre in. Exhaustion takes its toll, Wys has been almost overboard twice and Luna’s back is badly bruised from when the wheel pulled her off her feet. Monty and Mara take it in turns to bring food and water to the cockpit’s hatch but Luna doesn’t allow them out from below decks.  It’s too dangerous.

It’s late into the second night of the storm when Wys tumbles into the cockpit and gratefully stuffs the trail bar Luna holds out to him into his mouth. He chews for a while before speaking and then exhaustion slurs his words. “How much longer can this last? On our lakes storms come quick, then go. I’ve never had bad weather last this long.”

“It is hard to say in the dark but I think I saw clear sky to the south so maybe another half day at most. Oh, jok!” Wys follows Luna’s alarmed look. A huge wave smashes into the foremast and snaps it off just above the base and the furled sail, broken mast and boom are thrown onto the deck. One of the forward hatches smashes and water pours in. Wys leaps up and starts to crawl forward as Luna ducks her head below decks to warn them to start the pumps. When she looks back to the foredeck Wys is gone.

She scans the deck desperate to see the Podakru sailor but he’s not there. She looks to where his harness is tied in and sees the line, taut and straining. She yells below. “I need help. Now!” Mara’s head appears at the hatch. “Sha Luna!” Luna breathlessly explains that Wys is overboard but his harness may save him. Can Mara pull him in?

The big Azgedan nods and pulls herself up out of the hatch. Luna afraid of the wild pitch and tumble of the boat removes her own harness and ties it on a protesting Mara. At that moment the fore-boom breaks free from its’ rigging and is thrown backwards. Mara grabs Luna and both of them hit the deck. The loose boom flies over the cockpit, hits the main mast with a resounding crack and vanishes over the boat’s stern into the heaving waves.  The two shocked women get to their feet and Mara starts to pull in Wys’ harness line hand over hand; Luna holds the wheel as best she can, whilst belaying the line Mara pulls in.  Mara’s hands start to bleed, her flesh torn by the harsh synthetic rope but she continues to pull. For a brief moment they see him alive and flailing in the white tipped waves, then he vanishes again as Sea Hunter dips into a deep trough then rears up the steep wall of the next crest.  

Polis 6^th Moon First Quarter

Their reception at Polis docks is very high powered. Heda, Hedatu and all the chiefs of the krus involved in the journey to the Dead Zone are waiting for them in the bright spring sun.  Indra stands next to Solon kom Podakru and Haihefa Roan kom Azgeda is in animated conversation with Karla kom Delphikru and Dakota kom Ingranronakru. Caris Kom  Sangedakru with her houmon Phil, are talking with Heda. Oktavia spots Linkon in the crowd and only just manages to keep her face stoic. Bellamy looks for Gina and his youngest child but can’t see her, she’ll be there somewhere.

On land, still a little wobbly as they adjust to leaving the boat, Oktavia, Mara, Sinclair and Luna as leaders of the gonas, tekkru and fisas (healers) respectively, are congratulated personally by Heda and Hedatu.  The chiefs also come forward to congratulate the leaders and to tell them which of the radiation affected gonas managed to return home safely. Oktavia is particularly glad that so many who were under her charge managed to make it back to Sangedakru. Losing so many in Salem had been a terrible loss and this good news cheers her up.  

After what passes as fulsome praise, Heda Leksa takes Luna to one side to discuss the latest developments with Floukru. The news is bad. Derrik and his followers have effectively hijacked the Rig and are preventing anyone who wishes to live on land at the new seaside village from leaving.

Luna sighs she must leave for the Rig immediately. It was probably for the best that she and Mara never managed to act on their impulses. She looks over to see Mara being hustled off by Roan, it looks like she is needed in Azgeda. It was never going to be possible. As she watches Mara turns to look back, she searches until she finds Luna then the great gona’s eyes lock with hers for a few seconds before she is embraced by her nephew who appears to be introducing her the young gona at his side.

The other survivors make their way off the boat to be greeted by their chiefs.

Indra slaps Bellamy hard on the back and gives Monty a tight smile.  These two have done well, she will be generous in her gifts to them.

Solon kom Podakru takes Wys’ arm in a firm grasp. “Wys kom Podakru I welcome you back to our kru. All sins of the past are forgiven and your canoe is waiting for you on the great water.” Wys’ face streams with tears. He has saved his family from the disgrace brought to it by his sister Metasta. He has a home to go to.

As Luna stands deep in thought by Heda Leksa’s side she is approached by Karla kom Delphikru and Rudolfo.  “Luna kom Floukru I wish to offer you my personal thanks for saving my valued advisor’s life. I don’t know what I would do if I lost my dearest Rollo.”

Chapter Text

Albi’s Bar Polis 6^th Moon First Quarter

Bellamy empties the beaker in one long swallow to prolonged applause from his audience of Trikru gonas. He bows exaggeratedly and calls for more bottles for himself and all his new friends because tonight he’s celebrating.  There’s so much to celebrate. He’s in business now. He can become rich and a respected man about Polis. Yes and he’s a free man, his eyes can scan the room looking for a woman to sleep with without a trace of guilt. He starts to make his way to the big oak bar, where’s that booze?

The doors swing open to let in a raucous group of hunters led  by his sister Oktavia who immediately comes over to embrace him. “Bell I can’t believe it, Indra gave you a truck! It’s just wow, now you can become the transport king of Polis! Is Gina pleased?”

“Gina? Gina who? What are you drinking O?” He sways slightly, as he steps to the side to get to the bar.

“Oh Bell, I thought she was okay with you, you know and other women and little Achilles he looks just like you. I thought you two were going to make a go of it?”

“Seems she’s not okay with it, even though she said she was. I did ask O. I’m always honest. I don’t say I’ll be faithful or stay around. I told it to her straight. I said, I said….  ‘Gina, I like you and having sex with you is great and if you get pregnant with my kid I will own it as mine and help with support but I don’t hang around or ‘do faithful.’ What more could a woman want? I’m honest and support my kids. All of them.”

There’s a moment’s silence as Oktavia hands Bellamy his next bottle of cider. It’s one of Monty and Jasper’s collaborations with Adam of Ton DC. She recognises the decoration on the ceramic bottle,  a simple illustration of three apples beneath which is a fancy monogram of J.A.M. Linkon moves to stand behind Oktavia and rests his head on her shoulder. “Gina’s dumped you huh?”

“Sort of a mutual parting of the ways.” Bellamy slurs. “Oh hey, look who’s here it’s Rudolfo. How are you doing man? What did Abi say about your leg?”

Rudolfo kom Delphikru limps over smiling broadly. “Hey Bellamy, Oktavia, Linkon it’s good to meet up. I miss you people even though it’s only been a day. Fisa (Healer) Abi says my leg is healing okay and that fisa Luna did a good job, but bullet wounds take time. Anyway, I’ve stolen out of my friends’ house to find you. Rumour is that you have a truck all your own now Bellamy? We must do business. Delphikru are doing much more trade in Polis now we have a big new trade house. What are your rates?”

The drink flows freely as Bellamy’s new truck and how to drive it is described in what Oktavia considers to be eye-wateringly boring detail. It’s a Mercedes apparently … yawn… built well over a hundred years ago … yawn…. and converted to electricity by the Maunon. Eventually Oktavia gets fed up with being ignored in favour of a machine and wanders over to sit with her hunting friends.

“How’s he taking it?” It’s Harper, who turns her head to look at Bellamy.

“He’s trying to pass it off as a mutual parting of the ways. Bullshit if ever I heard it.” Oktavia knows she spends too much time worrying about her big brother. Bellamy in the Old Times and in the New seems to make such a mess of things, especially relationships. Yes, he can be brave and do dangerous things, make sacrifices even, but think something through like an adult, or put his own wants to one side? Not a chance, he’s like a big impulse driven baby. “I sometimes wonder if having to look after me so much when I was small and he was young has kind of damaged him. It’s not that he doesn’t know what to do with a baby or a young child, he did pretty much everything for me but he seems sort of stuck now as a boy who just wants lots of sex.”

“Who doesn’t want lots of sex?” It’s Finn leaning into their conversation.

“Sorry Finn this conversation is for adults only. Go away, back to your goufa talk.” Octavia really can’t stand Finn, as long as she’s known him he just fucks girls and leaves, a bit like Bellamy, but without the honesty that Bell thinks makes him a man and a father. She sighs. Her brother is such a dick!

The Tower  Polis 6^th Moon Waxing Gibbous

It’s early morning and after seeing Indra onto the road to Ton DC Leksa sits in with Raven and Jasper as they explain how they’ve used Grace’s runs to narrow the location of the Listeners down to a few streets in the southern part of the city. “We just need Grace to be in the right place at the right time so we can pin it down to one or two houses. We’ve had no luck so far. She has to be running when they decide to connect with their transmitters.” They talk through using Polis’ security patrols instead of Grace, they cover much of the city every day. Leksa will send the captain to talk with them later. 

Walking back up the Tower to their quarters Leksa thinks through all the information they have gathered so far. She, Onya, Raven, Indra and Klark spent part of yesterday afternoon trying to see if they had any real proof that Rudolfo kom Delphikru (known as Rollo to Karla kom Delphikru)  is the same ‘Rollo’ who hired assassins in Teesee to kill Heda, gave them a poison made by Arkers and much gold. After a long afternoon of talk, all they could agree on is that they think it likely he is that Rollo, he matches the physical description, it is an unusual name and the Delphikru bandrona (ambassador) was at the trial of Diana Sydney and so had access to Arkers in the brief time that Arkcamp was open to trade.  But they haven’t nearly enough evidence to satisfy the Kongeda’s (Coalition’s) bandronas and chiefs. They need more proof before they can move openly against Karla kom Delphikru. Because if the hirer called Rollo is Rudolfo kom Delphikru then Chief Karla is behind it, of that Leksa is certain.

To gather that evidence; Raven and Jasper are going to keep working on finding the Listeners and this afternoon Klark is to meet with Nygel. She’s been trying to talk with the Arker for the last fortnight but Nygel’s been away travelling. As the Arkers’ chief negotiator and ‘head of sales’ she’s been on a trip south to Yujleda. Yujleda are a rich kru, with good agricultural land and with Vera Kane and Hannah Young’s help their yields have increased. Now they want improved equipment like, steel ploughs, threshing machines and mechanical balers and Nygel wants to sell them Arker made kit. Careful talks with Wei and other prominent Arkers have revealed nothing useful about anyone making illegal poisons, so Klark’s idea is that Nygel, whose whole life on the Ark was an assortment of illegal activities and who always knew everything that went down on the space station, is the best person to talk to when trying to find out who made an illegal poison to order in Arkcamp and who they made it for.

After sanch (lunch) there’s a light rain shower and Klark walks quickly with her Ai Op (Watch) guards; Penn, Rosa and Oscar into the centre of Polis for her meeting. Nygel’s suggested an Arker run bar Meizen Bluma (Beautiful Flower) as a good meeting place and Klark keen to support Arker enterprises has agreed. Meizen Bluma is off a small side alley that smells of stale beer and this early in the day the bars that make up the businesses in this street are closed. Rosa is walking ahead of them and her collapse is so silent that it takes Klark a second to notice her fall. By which time six masked gonas are on them and Klark doesn’t even see the cosh that knocks her out.

When she comes to she’s bound hand and foot, gagged and not alone. Similarly restrained is a slumped figure with dark curly hair. Klark can’t make out who it is, though she can guess. Shakily, her head feels like it’s splitting, she takes in her surroundings. It looks like a cellar and feels cold and damp,  weak daylight trickles through the slats of a small shutter high up on the wall. Looking up she can just make out the ceiling / floor. It looks new, made of heavy-cut beams that support well-shaped wooden boards that are light in colour and smell freshly sawn. Hmm, yes and there are wood shavings swept into a pile next to her knees. A groan draws her attention back to her companion who’s trying to sit up.

Polis Tower Next day  –  afternoon

Heda Leksa paces in her throne room, Gaia and Onya stand rigidly to attention by the throne she has just vacated. The wounded Ai Op member Oscar is on his knees in front of Heda expecting death. His head is roughly bandaged. Of his two companions Rosa is dead, shot with a poisoned dart and Penn is missing. 

Zhang Wei leader of the Arkers is also on his knees afraid for his life. He’s never seen Heda Leksa look so cold and dangerous. He thinks he has convinced her that Arkers are not involved in Klark’s disappearance. Nygel who Klark was to meet is also missing. Yesterday Nygel arranged a number of meetings, those in the morning she attended but after she was seen at Meizen Bluma by its’ owner Mandy Potter, she disappeared. Nygel had told Mandy to get the bar looking at its’ best because she had set up meetings there that afternoon with some big players. No-one turned up, not even Nygel and dammit Nygel hadn’t said who the ‘big players’ were!

Polis is being searched from top to bottom but so far no sign of Klark, Nygel or Penn has been found.

Onya’s belt vibrates and everyone looks at her. “Moba (Sorry) Heda it is a way Raven can tell me something urgent is happening on the Tek floor. It is called a ‘pager’ she is experimenting with it.”

“What do you need to do about your ‘pager’ Wormana (General)?”

“Go to the Tek floor Heda to see what Raven wants to tell me.”

“Gostos have Oscar taken to the hospital and Wei to a secure room. We will go to the Tek floor together Onya to see what Raven has to say. Where are Grace and Kestra? I want them to meet us there.”

As they walk down the stairs to the Tek floor Onya is hoping with a desperation that verges on fear that this is not just a case of Raven paging her for sex! What Raven would laugh and say is a ‘booty call.’ As the parents of two children their sex life has suffered and Raven has on a few occasions paged Onya when she has time free of the goufas (children) and wants to fuck. In the state Heda Leksa’s in she might just kill them both for disrupting her search for Klark for something so selfish.

Onya almost flings herself through the Tek floor’s door in case her niron is in a compromising position. She breathes a sigh of relief when she sees Raven and Jasper pouring over the map of Polis and chattering excitedly.

“Onya Hei! Heda too. We think we’ve found the Listeners!” There’s a moment of confusion as Gaia, Grace and Kestra all arrive at the same time and everyone crowds around the screen on which the multicoloured map is presented.  “Jas you explain how you know while I handle the graphics.”

Jasper gulps but pulls himself together. Okay, the Commander is looking like the cold killing machine of her reputation but she hasn’t attacked him yet and if someone hurt Maya he doesn’t know how he would react. Gostos slips into the room to stand by the door.  “Um. My girlfriend Maya and I had an important dinner last night. I met her dad Vincent.” He watches as Commander Leksa processes this and clearly a memory is recalled.

“Ah, the Maunon who helped us and Abi gave them bone marrow. No kru would take them so they live in Polis under my protection. Sha (Yes)?” Leksa looks to Gaia and Jasper. Both nod. “Maya works with Abi and is a good nurse and seken (second) to her. Vincent works in the building trade.” Leksa remembers little of them from the Old Times, only what Klark has told her. That Jasper and Maya loved deeply and that after the Mountain he blamed Klark for her death and was very bitter. In the New Times he has done well. He and Monty work with Adam to make new alcoholic drinks (their whisky is excellent), he has become a skilled member of the tek team, his nomon (mother) runs an important transport business in Polis and his nontu (father) Colin works in the Tower with the Tekkru. As a family the Jordans are an asset to Polis and loyal. So are the Vies and Leksa knows Klark was very happy when Jasper and Maya started a relationship, her niron (beloved) felt that a wrong she had done the couple in the Old Times was now redeemed.

“They will be pleased you remember them Heda.” Jasper’s pleasantry is met with a blank look from the Commander. Not in the mood for pleasantries then, gulp.

He coughs, sounding very like his father. “Moving on. We had dinner and Maya asked her dad to talk to me about something he had heard at one of his sites some days back. He told me that he had heard a radio and someone on that radio was talking about ‘tanners’ carts.’ He couldn’t make head or tail of it. He told Maya, who said talk to me but we had to cancel our last date as there was an emergency at the hospital.”

“Where?” The single word from Heda has Raven making the screen flash colours.

“That is where it is interesting Heda. Vincent’s building site is within those few streets we have identified through Grace’s runs and ‘wait for it!’” Onya all but slaps her niron’s head as now is so not the time for humour. Raven looks annoyed, then alarmed as she notices Leksa’s facial expression. “It is the new headquarters of Delphikru’s trading mission.” She makes the relevant property glow red on the map. “There at the western end of the street of smiths.”

Leksa spins to face her gonas. “Gaia take Kestra and guards. Set a watch on the Delphikru bandrona and her staff and Karla and Rudolfo kom Delphikru if they are still in Polis. Onya, Grace with me. Raven the bugs in this tower are to be found and destroyed and radio Indra, I need her and Callie back here.”

Kestra sprints out of the room, Gaia following. Leksa takes one last look at the map before leaving. Onya, Grace, Dax and Gostos follow. Raven and Jasper slump.

“Intense!”

“You’d better believe it. Those Delphikru fuckers are toast. You stay here and get on the radio to Callie, she can probably intercept Indra on her way back home. I’ll get the goufas and your dad. We can collect the bugs we know of and do another sweep just in case. I’d better tell Melissa what’s going on too. ” Raven snatches up a couple of RFDs and her jacket then leaves. Jasper sits up and heads to the Radio Shack where the on-duty radio gona will be waiting.

Arriving at the eastern end of street of smiths the group pauses. Orders are given and then in silence they disperse to approach the property from all sides.  At this time in the evening blacksmiths are closed for business unless they have urgent orders to fulfil. One or two clearly have and from their open doorways can be seen the glow of their forges and hammers can be heard striking sparks that fly into the street. In the shadows a horse standing ready to be shoed stamps its’ feet as silent figures pass it by.

The building is in darkness and silent.  Onya pauses and when she hears the call of a male northern cardinal, repeated twice, she knows that Gostos and Grace are ready at the back. She knocks at the big front door, there’s no reply. She tries the door handle and it opens on silent well-oiled hinges. Unlocked! A trap? Tentatively she pushes the door wide open with her sword’s tip and stands well back, nothing happens. On silent feet she slips into the long dark hallway eyes scanning the gloom for enemies or traps, her ears straining for any sound.

The place is empty of people, they search from attics to cellars finding no-one. What is clear  is that whoever was living here left recently and in a hurry. Merchandise is present in most rooms, half packed into crates or barrels. Some items are broken, including a smashed radio receiver/recorder. Dropped in haste? Thrown to the floor in anger?

Behind the stoic mask of Heda, Leksa is frantic with worry. Ever since Klark was discovered to be missing yesterday evening, she’s tried to understand why Karla kom Delphikru has changed her approach? What is different now, that it has made her so bold or so desperate that she takes Klark?  She must know that it is an act of war against the whole Kongeda! Did she think Leksa wouldn’t find out who’s taken her? Nor that Delphikru traders were the Listeners? Is she going to try and brazen it out?  Or will some ultimatum be delivered in the arrogant prophetic tones favoured by the Delphikru chief? Is Klark still alive or like Nia will Karla kill her love and return her to Leksa in pieces!

Onya speaks to Leksa’s unspoken thoughts. “Whatever her original plans were Heda they  weren’t working. She hires assassins, yet you live. She plants ‘bugs’ to find out information buts get nothing useful from her Listeners and those you sent to stop the increase of radiation succeeded, despite her sending Rollo with them, presumably to sabotage the action. She has changed her plans and in a hurry. What does she gain by taking Hedatu? Especially as she must think we know nothing of the Listeners or who has taken her.”

As she turns to reply to Onya Gostos strides in. “Heda Penn was here. Come see.” They follow him to the back gate. There carved into the post are a few sigils that she recognises. Penn was here, Klark lives and he will follow her wherever she is taken. That is some comfort. Klark is alive and not alone, she has some protection.

It’s Grace who calls to Heda next. She’s standing a few yards away by a water pump, her electric torch lights up the ground. “Heda, these are the marks of tyres from a powered rover or truck that has been here recently. The ground is wet and the tracks quite fresh, less than a day has gone since they were made.”

“Heda!” It’s Dax running out of the house. A small item in his hand. He hands it to Leksa. “This was in the cellar, hidden in a pile of sawdust.”

Leksa looks at the slim gold chain that rests on her palm. Conflicting emotions war in her mind. Klark is alive! This is hers, they each have one the links shaped like tiny acorns.  She was here and alive and conscious. “I must speak with Jake and Abi before we leave for Delphikru tomorrow. Leave a guard on this place and question the smiths about who came and went from here. I will return to the Tower in a glass, call in the bandronas we are at war!”

Leksa’s had many difficult conversations in her life. This talk, with a very pregnant Abi and a fraught Jake, has to rank as one of the worst. They are terrified. Abi, whose pregnancy has been difficult, is resting for glasses daily trying to keep her blood pressure under control and Leksa can almost see it rising the longer they speak of Klark. Jake fears for both wife and daughter and seems relieved when the decision is made for him, that he must stay in Polis near Abi and help in the recovery of Klark through using the satellite to look for a truck that is likely heading for Delphikru.

When Leksa gets back to the Tower Oktavia and Linkon are waiting for her. They have been helping search Polis but have nothing further to report about that. They are here to talk of Bellamy. “Heda we were with Bellamy the night before last in Albi’s bar. I congratulated him on the gift Indra gave him in recognition of his role in stopping the radiation.”

Leksa smiles, Indra has been generous to all of her Trikru who saw that crucial expedition through to success and stopped the leak at the power station. Bellamy got a truck that was salvaged from the Maunon, Monty a new copper pot-still, Sinclair a house in Ton DC and Oktavia a new sword of the finest quality. Leksa approved of the gifts as the service these Trikru (who originally came from the stars) gave to the whole of the Kongeda was great and worthy of reward. 

“At the bar we were joined by Rudolfo and he wanted to hire Bellamy and his truck to take goods from Polis to Delphikru. Kestra’s just told us that Rudolfo is probably the Rollo who hired the assassins. If that is the case Heda he has Bell and his truck. Bell was going round to pick up stuff from their trade headquarters yesterday evening. If they took Klark and left yesterday in the truck they’ll be well on the way to Colum by now.”

Leksa can feel a cold fist grip her heart. It is as she feared, Karla must know that Oktavia would come to her with this information. Karla is using Klark to draw her away from Polis and if Leksa travels to Delphikru territory Karla will have home advantage. Leksa thanks Oktavia and Linkon for the information and asks that they send Gaia and her seken Afon to her.

As Heda her duty is to her people. She must do what is best for the Kongeda. That Karla kom Delphikru is in some way crazed or insane must be the case. Delphikru are doing well within the Kongeda. All, except Karla it seems, recognise that peace under Heda Leksa is benefitting all krus. It is Heda’s duty to protect the Kongeda from those such as Karla who commit acts of war but is it also her duty to risk her own life to save Klark? Leksa knows some will advise her to wait for the armies of the Kongeda to deal with Karla, others will say that an attack on Hedatu without immediate reprisals shows that she is weak and unworthy to be Heda. Either way she will face criticism and so Heda Leksa will do what her heart wants and go to Delphikru for Klark.  Damnation take her head this time!

That night Leksa meditates, she has no hope of sleeping without calming her mind and as dawn breaks an exhausted Indra and Callie arrive in Polis.

Gaia spends the morning with Heda as she prepares to leave. It is Gaia who will raise the armies of the Kongeda and assisted by Melissa, Oktavia and Linkon guard the natblidas. If Leksa dies in Delphikru Afon, Gaia’s seken, will be with her to retrieve the flame. Indra and Callie will travel to Delphikru to protect Afon in doing this duty.  

Loki has been prepared to her order and at midday she rides out of Polis with a small gonakru and escorted by; Onya, Grace, Kestra, Quint, Dax, Alto, Dayton, Dot, Ryder, Callie and Indra.  They ride to Delphikru’s capital Colum.

Chapter Text

On board Sea Hunter. Atlantic Ocean 6^th Moon Waxing Gibbous

They’d been lucky to get the foremast and boom replaced at Polis’ docks and with Heda’s orders ringing in their ears the stevedores hurry to give Luna everything she asks for by way of stores. Her requests are modest, a measure of sail-cloth, a sack each of fresh vegetables and dried beans, a half side of bacon, some bread.  Sea Hunter and her fishing lines can give them everything else they need. That Sea Hunter is her personal property was made clear by Heda on the dockside. A thank-you for her part in the successful completion of the radiation mission.

‘Them’ are Marco and Luna. The boat can be sailed by two and like Wys Marco is an experienced sailor. It saddens Luna that only the two of them from the Floukru medical team of five are fit and well. Two died from radiation and the third Pat is still suffering from radiation sickness in Polis hospital. Abi can’t be sure that Pat will pull through and is very worried that she will just slip away, overwhelmed by the infections that have taken hold whilst her immune system was so weakened.

Before she and Marco leave for the Rig Luna visits the hospital to find Pat in a bad state. Maya takes Luna onto the ward. “She seems so fatalistic Chief Luna. Somehow we need to lift her spirits and get her to try to resist the infection. The antibiotics are helping but she’s just not got the will left to make that final effort. She just lies there, waiting for death.”

“Hei Pat.” Luna carefully embraces the painfully thin, bald and breathless woman. “Abi says you have a chance to get well, beja (please) old friend do everything she says and fight this illness. You can do it!  This summer I’m going to make a place for Floukru on the land, there’s an empty coastal village that Heda Leksa will give to us and protect if needed. You know that’s what you’ve always wanted, a safe home on land.”

Pat gives her a wan smile.  “Sha (Yes) I wanted a haven from fighting and war and you gave it to me on your metal island Luna. But my heart was always on the land, where I could feel dark earth beneath my feet and see green trees and lovely spring flowers.” Pat’s hand grips Luna’s forearm.  “My Chief if I am destined for death, please take my ashes home to Azgeda. Haihefa (King) Roan is I have heard a merciful man, who although I fled Azgeda will understand that is where my spirit must return.”

Luna holds back tears as she hears her friend speak so and reassures her that if death takes her Pat’s ashes will be returned home. But she’s not giving up on Pat, she continues to exhort her to live, to see and live her dream of a safe place. “I don’t want to return your ashes anywhere Pat. I want you to live; to grow crops, coppice trees and fish with me from the pier on a lazy summer’s day! Beja Pat live!”

Now at the wheel of Sea Hunter and with a brisk wind in the sails Luna can let her tears fall, the sea’s spray will disguise and wash them away. She has a weak moment and wishes Mara was here to hold her as she had done once before. Her tears dry as she looks around the cockpit and remembers the last day they spent at sea. The storm had calmed, an ebullient Wys was recovering from his stormy adventure and below decks Sinclair, Oktavia and Bellamy had stopped puking long enough to sleep. Mara and Monty come on deck to air the cabins and themselves, after being shut below with three sick people for so long. Monty then heads for the shower that Rudolfo has just emerged from and Mara drops into the back of the cockpit and stands, leaning back against the aft lockers, a little behind Luna, who at that moment is every inch the captain and helmsman of her boat, looking with great concentration over the bows at the light sea swell. Mara fidgets with the bandages on her hands.

“I owe you an apology for that first night at sea Luna. I beg your forgiveness for losing my courage.”

Luna loops the rope over one of the wheel’s handles and turns to face a shamefaced Mara. “There is nothing to forgive. I pushed a little too hard I think, you were not ready.”

“Sha, (Yes) I was not ready but I should have told you so, not hidden under my furs when you knocked. Moba (Sorry) Luna.” 

“Nothing would have happened that you did not want Mara. I would not have pushed that hard.”

“Nothing could have happened that I did not want Luna. I want.. I know I want you, but not what that wanting means - to me or to you. I have never had such feelings and I was afraid that if we made love I would not be able to bear parting from you and we must part.”

“Sha, we must part.” They look searchingly into each other’s eyes. “But need it be for otaim (always)?” Luna stops speaking and turns back to grasp the wheel that has just given a sharp jolt against its’ restraint. Her next words are almost a whisper.  “Hold me, even if for this time only.”

She hears a step and then strong arms surround her and she feels Mara’s lips press against her hair. A gentle tug pulls her even closer into Mara’s body and she lets herself fall into her lover, for that is who Mara is, Luna knows it as a certainty and for a moment everything is safe and well. Luna allows her head to fall back, Mara kisses the soft skin of her neck and both women release a breath of surprise at the intense joy that slight connection brings. Then there’s the sound of someone climbing steps clumsily and the cock-pit’s hatch is pushed open by a struggling Rudolfo who leans precariously backwards. Luna steps forward out of Mara’s arms to save him from falling back down the ladder.

That was a few days ago and she can still recall the warm comfort of those arms, but she must use her the strength to focus on what is to come at the Rig and how she must deal with Derrik before she makes a new home for her people on the land. A home she will call Haven.

On the road to Delphikru 6^th Moon Full

Klark’s lying on her side with her arms tied behind her back and she’s packed inside a big wooden crate. There’s been some attempt to give her comfort in that the floor is cushioned with furs and there are holes drilled in the top for air.  Klark struggles to free her hands but it’s no good, Rudolfo knows his business and the knots do not shift.  Before they were put in the crates she and her fellow captive Nygel were told by a grim faced Rudolfo that any attempt to escape or make noise would mean death. First in line would be Bellamy, the driver is completely ignorant of the fact that Klark and Nygel are part of his first commercial cargo. Nygel would be next and Klark would be forced to watch her fellow skai people die and then she would still be taken before Karla kom Delphikru.

From the sounds and motions of the truck Klark knows that they are travelling at some speed so must be out of the city of Polis and driving along the newly repaired road to Colum, nothing moves this fast inside Polis. She’s managed to get some sleep and there’s still light coming into the crate so the sun hasn’t set and Klark feels thirsty but not desperately so. That gives her some idea that they’ve been travelling a while but not overnight. It’s likely to be the evening of the same day as her capture, not the early morning of the next.  But that’s a guesstimate.   More useless struggles bring her back to focus on practicalities and the fact that she needs to think through what the fuck is going on so she can be prepared to face Karla. She organises her thoughts, let’s start with Delphikru, then Karla and finally try and put together why Karla kom Delphikru has chosen to put herself and her kru into such peril. Kidnapping Hedatu is an act of war against the Kongeda and Karla will know that, why has she done it?

She thinks back to last year at the time of the 9^th Moon when Heda’s Progress visited Delphikru’s capital Colum. Not even Leksa knows Delphikru well, they have always been a secretive kru if solid law-abiding members of the Kongeda. They are known to restrict entry to and from their lands even if they trade readily at set trading points. Leksa had only visited Colum once, disguised as a Trikru trader’s goufa (child), when she and Onya were sent on a spying mission by Heda Conway. That was over thirteen summers ago, just before Heda died, when he was worried that Delphikru was being wooed or threatened by Nia into leaving the Kongeda. Leksa said that Colum had changed greatly over those years, most obviously in the physical state of the place and the number of people who live there.

“It was just a mess of destroyed buildings Klark, much worse than Polis. Rubble was everywhere and its’ few people just lived amongst the ruins in tents. Look at it now!”

And Klark looked, first taking in the dazzling processional road they were riding along. Looking down at its’ surface she could see it was made of carefully laid re-purposed materials that had then been painted (or more likely white-washed) white. A whole swathe of admittedly wrecked buildings must have been levelled and the materials reused to form this wide, it would take thirty horses abreast easily, impressive entrance to the city.  Each side of the road is bordered by a head-high dry-stone wall again made of repurposed rubble and white-washed. At its’ end the road widened further to become a broad rectangular plaza that gave frontage to two large buildings.

On the left (western) side was a broken tower of pale stone. The tower rose for about five floors before it was roofed over with rough beams and some untidily laid slates. On the front edge of the roof was a raised platform upon which was set an immense metal bowl.  In the bowl a fire burned that sent flames leaping into the early morning sky. Klark could see figures moving around it as they put on more fuel. On the right (eastern) side was a huge building, that was many times the footprint of the broken tower. It had the look of an old Greek temple, with rows and rows of white columns supporting, a little shakily Klark thought, a pitched roof that was fronted by a brightly painted pediment. Klark had asked their guide, a young woman called Arte, what these buildings were. Arte had smiled proudly as she replied.

“On the left Hedatu is the Temple of the Fleim (Flame), where yourself and the Vessel of the Fleim will be staying. Madrona kom Delphikru is eager to greet you. See she stands by the entrance.” Arte points to a bright figure standing amidst a crowd that clusters by the doors at the base of the tower. “On the right is the hou of the Biga-Chicha (house of the Oracle / Prophet ). It was completed only four summers ago by Chief Tokala and is dedicated to his memory and the god Apollo. Is it not meizen (beautiful) and impressive Hedatu?”

Klark can sometimes be her father’s daughter and as they reach the end of the processional road her engineer heritage come to the fore when she sizes up Biga-Chicha’s pad and as such she finds it beautiful to look at but unimpressive as a safe structure. She’s sure Jake would be shaking his head at the walls, made of brightly painted but precariously balanced re-purposed concrete slabs and the towering columns; some of which are of wood, while others consist of flat stones balanced one on top of the other. She replies diplomatically. “It is meizen.” After all the people of the ground have only just rediscovered how to make mortar and concrete. Her dad and Vincent Vie are spreading the word and skill throughout Polis and Ton DC. Briggs and Rogers, two Guards who escaped the Ark with Grace, are touring the Kongeda as part of a group sponsored by Heda that Raven calls ‘Heda’s Tek for All Roadshow!’  Their demonstrations of the new building materials are proving popular.

Arte seems satisfied with Klark’s answer and with a wide smile takes them to meet Madrona, who along with her robed companions falls to her knees as Heda and Hedatu dismount and approach them.

Thinking back, the first irritation Klark had with Delphikru on that visit was the reference to Leksa as ‘The Vessel’. Madrona and her seken didn’t use that description, they just referred to Leksa as Heda but almost everyone else did. Leksa was introduced to various important people as either ‘The Vessel Heda Leksa’ or more often ‘The Vessel of the Fleim.’ It puzzled and irritated Leksa too. You couldn’t say that the citizens of Delphikru were disrespectful, they threw themselves onto their knees, foreheads to the ground,  whenever Leksa appeared but it was unsettling for both of them when Leksa’s formal title was omitted. After some discussion with Madrona, they politely requested that Leksa be addressed as Heda and after that there was a noticeable attempt to comply. Reflecting on that visit there’s nothing Klark can find fault with in how Madrona, her seken and acolytes at the Temple of the Fleim conducted themselves during that visit or after, so she turns her thoughts to Delphikru’s Biga-Chicha or the Oracle as she thinks of it in her mind.  

Hindsight is of course 20:20 and Klark’s second meeting with Karla kom Delphikru (her first was at her and Leksa’s bonding ceremony almost exactly a year earlier) was unsettling. Heda’s Progress through the Krus (Clans) has as its’ main purpose reinforcement of the Kongeda as an allied group under the leadership of Heda. After the defeat of the Maunon, Leksa had replaced a single purpose with many:- sharing advancements in tek especially health and agriculture, mutual defence against outsiders like the Westerners, mutual defence against insiders like bandits and last but far from least the promotion of trade between the krus. It was a truism that Delphikru loved to trade, many conversations you had with a member of that kru tended to start with the phrase “Can you deal?” or “What will you deal for …….?”.

Karla kom Delphikru it appeared was no different but when she said “What will you deal for moving the capitol of the Kongeda from Polis to Colum?” Both Klark and Leksa were rendered close to speechless.

Leksa recovered first. “What makes you propose that Chief Karla?”

That opened the flood gates and Karla spent the next glass praising her capitol as home to the Oracle called Pythia, known throughout the whole world for wisdom, prophecy and accurate predictions. The Pythic Oracle she said was known from long before Praimfaya (nuclear holocaust), Karla had original writings by greats from the past such as Pindar, Pausanias, Herodotus and Homer that glorified the Oracle and proved the accuracy of its’ predictions. Klark listened aghast only just managing to school her features to sober interest and goodness knows how Leksa managed to keep a straight face as her reading of ancient history was extensive. Karla and presumably her people too, seemed to be under the impression that Delphikru lands were in ancient Greece! Eventually Karla realised her pitch was not being received as she had hoped and for a second Klark thought she saw in the old woman’s eyes a flash of malevolence, hindsight saw it perfectly.

The next morning Karla was all pleasantness and the topic of moving the Kongeda’s capitol was not raised again. What was thrust to the forefront of their day was the Oracle. With great solemnity Karla invited Heda and Hedatu to enter the Temple of Apollo that evening and “within its’ sacred precincts; view the omphalos stone, observe from a safe distance the great chasm of prophecy and have a unique opportunity to see Pythia commune with the god.” They of course accepted and Karla left them in the care of Arte as she had to go and prepare for their visit.  Arte seemed happy to continue to guide them and asked what they wished to do. Leksa said that they wanted to visit a market as she and Klark would like to meet some local people. Arte looked a bit taken aback but complied and they set off to the markets with Grace, Gostos, Ryder and Penn following close behind.

The markets were located to the western side of the great processional way. Here Leksa was able to recognise the old Colum from many years ago. The buildings in this part of the city were little better than piled up rubble, few had a roof and trees and shrubs pushed their way into and tumbled the masonry. In the far west could be seen a few low-level boxy buildings that looked like securely roofed warehouses but the southwestern corner of Colum was what Klark recognised as a slum. If you lived here you were crowded next to your neighbours, had to share resources such as leaky stand-pipes and survive infections and disease brought about through a complete lack of any systematic disposal of human waste. You had to tread very carefully in this part of Colum. The market itself was lively with a mix of foodstuffs and crafts. Colum must have a hinterland that services the city with cheap food, no one looked to be starving. Leksa and Klark spoke with a few of the traders who when they realised who they were speaking to immediately prostrated themselves on the filthy ground before ‘the Vessel’. They had to be persuaded to stand up. Carefully Klark and Leksa talked with them about Colum and its’ impressive processional way and big buildings like the Temple of the Fleim and the hou of the Oracle. These conversations revealed an immense pride in their kru having such great buildings in Colum. They were especially proud of building such a splendid temple on the site of the Oracle, such an ancient and honoured site of prophecy.

Having spent a glass or two in the markets Arte guided them firmly back to the Temple of the Fleim for sanch (lunch).  That afternoon they are again accompanied by Arte and their bodyguards as they walk the streets the eastern side of the processional way. Here they find an area of workshops for crafters; smiths, weavers, carpenters and builders etc. The workshops are sturdy single storey sheds, most have a roof but the paths and alleys around them are a mess of shrubs and rubbish. Leksa comes across a horse waiting patiently at the blacksmith’s and gets into conversation with her owner about his horse’s breeding. As Leksa is an expert on horses the conversation is soon technical and when Arte joins in Klark has the opportunity to wander and starts to chat with a young mother whose goufa is playing nearby. Lisbet’s daughter Coco is a lively sprite and Lisbet is profuse in her thanks to ‘The Vessel who is Heda’ for the distribution of free vitamins. Coco’s older brother suffered badly from the disease of soft bones but Coco is a healthy straight legged child and Lisbet knows this is due to the pills given to all children whose birth is registered at the Temple of the Fleim.

That evening they dress semi-formally, both of them in dark pants, shirts, lightly armoured jackets and sturdy boots. Arte had warned them that they would need to climb many steps within the temple to reach the chasm and see Pythia ‘commune with the god’. They set off walking across the great plaza and that evening the city presents itself well, the warm sun of twilight gilding the surfaces of the processional road and two temples. However, the closer they got to the Temple of Apollo the more Klark wanted them both (and their bodyguards) to be wearing hard hats. No hats were offered, even though the honoured guests stepped carefully around and over many lumps of fallen masonry that littered the great portico. Closer to, Klark could see that what at a distance looked like brightly painted scenes were in fact painted texts, written in gonaslang (English). Not being a scholar of the ancients herself Klark didn’t recognise what they were, but Leksa did and in a low voice she tells Klark. “Some are prophesies and declarations from the ancient Pythian Oracle that was located in Delphi,  Greece niron (beloved).”

Klark is lucky to have an excellent visual memory and so is able to recall many of the texts.

“If you cross the river a great empire will fall.”

“I know the number of grains of sand and the extent of the sea!”

“When the sky falls Pytho will rise”

“I understand the deafmute and hear the words of the dumb.”

“Now your statues are standing and pouring sweat.

They shiver with dread.

The black blood drips from the highest rooftops.

They have seen the necessity of evil.

Get out, get out of my sanctum and drown your spirits in woe.”  

“Mighty Zeus cast a stone from the sky.

Where it lies you find the omphalos of this universe.”

“You ask me for Arcadia. You ask too much I grant it not.”

The quote involving black blood dripping from the highest rooftops gave her the chills but most of the others seem harmless. Hindsight sneaks in again and the quote about the sky falling, which Leksa could not recall from her reading of ancient texts, does seem a little sinister. Maybe? Maybe not?

At the doors to the temple there is an irritating confrontation. The temple guards try to bar entrance to Grace, Gostos, Penn and Ryder. Karla, grumpy at being taken away from her preparations, has to sort things out. As Heda and Hedatu go nowhere without bodyguards, surely Karla as a kru chief can sympathise with the dangers they constantly face, a compromise is reached, that has Grace and Ryder waiting outside while Gostos and Penn accompany their charges into the inner precincts of the temple.

First stop on their tour was a large intricately carved conical stone, Klark and Leksa thought it to be of marble. The omphalos stone, intoned Karla was cast from Mount Olympus by Zeus and wherever it fell would mark the centre of the universe. “It fell here in Delphikru.”  Karla almost whispers the words in what Klark has come to realise is her usual tone, a creepy combination of pomposity and breathiness. Hindsight strikes again thinks Klark! I just thought it a bit comical at the time. Klark remembers viewing the stone with some scepticism that is reinforced when she sees what looks like a brass pipe emerging from the top. She phrases her question carefully when she asks Karla “Chief Karla what is the function of the pipe that emerges from the centre of the stone?”

Karla was clearly prepared for this query. “Mighty Zeus attached a haft to the stone to give him ease in casting it to the ground. It has since been lost.”  Klark nods politely in response and reminds herself that the internal matters of a kru, including religious beliefs, were not for Heda (or Hedatu) to question. They moved on and Arte was right, there were many steps to navigate on their way down to the chasm, Karla led the way. Fuck it was a chasm alright, Klark never that good with heights had felt her stomach churn and was glad when Leksa’s hand slid into hers, anchoring her to the solid steps as they descend. At the bottom of the staircase is a wide platform, from which a rope bridge hangs across the precipitous black void. Torches cast the only light, their flickering allows them to see streaked grey walls that drip with water. Karla stops at the platform’s edge and turns to face her audience.

“Heda, Hedatu we are privileged to see Pythia, the Biga-Chicha as she embraces the god.”

On cue, from the chasm rise vapours that swirl when they meet the thick ropes of the bridge and the torches brighten to reveal a three-legged stool tied into the bridge’s cables, sitting on it is a young girl. She holds a spray of laurel leaves in one hand and in the other a dish of what looks like water, her facial expression could be described as ecstatic but Klark in full sceptic mode at this point thinks she looked drugged and as the musky sweetness of the vapours reaches her nose she thinks she knows how. Klark whispers. “Stay back niron I think the gas may be harmful.”

It had all been very dramatic, the girl burbled gibberish as she chewed leaves and the vapours took effect. Karla listened intently and noted down in an enormous book every word, groan and squeak that emerged from between the girl’s lips.  Klark and Leksa waited patiently until the ‘performance’ ended, at which point they were escorted back up the many steps and into the main body of the temple. There Karla clearly in a good mood, perhaps because of the amount of vapour she had inhaled, was happy to answer Leksa’s carefully phrased questions and explain that she as Chief interpreted Pythia’s utterances and that could take many days of patient thought, readings from the ancient books and inspiration from the god himself in her dreams. Klark kept her mouth shut, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted to say that Karla would not consider rude.

That night back in their very comfortable bed at the Temple of the Fleim the two of them had quietly discussed the situation. A whole kru following a mistaken interpretation of some texts seemed extraordinary but as Leksa said both she, having access to the library in Polis and Klark in the sky where there were many history files, were able to see a much more detailed picture of the world and history than the people and leaders of Delphikru. If they found parts of old texts that referred to Delphi and an Oracle with a chasm etc without geographical and historical context how were they to know that the Delphi referred to was on another continent, where a different language was spoken.

The following day was their final one in Colum and it had been fully taken up with talks about who was responsible for the repairs needed to the road between Polis and Colum and how to increase trade generally between Delphikru and other krus. Those talks had gone very well with firm commitments on road repairs and an agreement that Delphikru would immediately establish a new enlarged trading house within Polis.   

So how thinks Klark has that led us to me in a crate on the way to Colum? Then she has a moment of appalled insight. What if their bedroom in Colum was ‘bugged’ and Karla could hear them. What would the Chief of Delphikru have made of their conversations?

Klark doesn’t have time to consider that further as the truck comes to a halt and within a few moments her crate is unloaded and she can hear Bellamy being directed to leave Delphikru as his job is now complete. He protests a little at the abruptness, he wants to explore the city, but it’s made very clear that foreigners are not welcome to explore Colum, not even the fascinating temples, so he leaves. Klark breathes a sigh of relief, he at least will survive this adventure. She tries to make out what is happening outside but can see nothing. It’s dark, Klark braces herself suspecting that she is about to meet a very angry Karla kom Delphikru.

Chapter Text

Delphikru 6^th Moon Waning Gibbous

“What will you deal for your bonded’s life Heda, Vessel of the Fleim? Over.”

The words are spoken in Karla’s breathy tones but the desired effect of controlled power is ruined by the radio’s crackle. Squeezed into the back of Bellamy’s parked truck Leksa holds up her hand for silence, preventing Onya and Indra’s angry interjections. She can feel her wormanas’ anger and frustration and shares in it.

“Why would I deal with you? Who has proven to be untrustworthy. No-one wants to deal with a natrona (traitor). Over.”

“If you do not deal she will die now and we will have war. She is here with me and one word means she dies. Over.” Leksa knew this threat would come but that doesn’t stop the pain, she has to work hard to control her breathing when she replies.

“How do I even know she is there or alive? Why would I trust you, a natrona who I and my armies will destroy? Over.”

There’s silence for a while, then there’s whispering in the background and another voice is heard. “Er Heda. This is Nygel of the Ark. Klark and I are here, wherever here is. We are bruised but otherwise unharmed.” In the background there are the sounds of a scuffle. Someone whisper shouts “Jok, she bit me!” Then Klark’s voice can be heard.

“No deals Leksa beja (please) no deals for me niron (beloved). Stay safe for your people, they need you Leksa. Jok yu! (Fuck you!)” There’s more scuffling and a choked cough. Karla returns to the microphone.

“As you can hear, Hedatu is with me and able to speak and bite. Over.”

“You cannot win Karla. Your lands and people will suffer when the army of the Kongeda destroys Delphikru and you! Give Hedatu back to her people and Delphikru will not suffer. Over.”

“I care not for winning but for the glory of the god. But you care Vessel of the Fleim! You care for your bonded, you care for your people and if you deal there will be no war! Will you deal? Over.”

Leksa has worked through many scenarios trying to predict what Karla would do or want, this was one of the most likely and she is prepared.

“What do you want Karla? Over.” 

“For you come to Colum and prove that you are worthy of the god and Pythia by completing the labours of an ancient hero. If you are worthy I will release your niron and take my place in history as the Chief who tested the Vessel and found it sound. If you fail to complete the labours you will die and I will be the Chief who tested the Vessel, found it unsound and destroyed it. Another Vessel will be found, one more worthy, one less wedded to the skai people and the poisonous city of Polis.  I will give you a glass to consider this then we will speak again. Over and Out.” The radio goes silent and Leksa sits back on her heels, then looks up at the anxious faces that surround her.

Indra can’t contain herself. “She’s mad, deluded or evil. Maybe all three! What can she gain from this other than your death Heda? Even if you go to do these ‘labours’ there’s no guarantee of Klark’s freedom at the end. It’s madness. We can try and get her back another way. Karla can’t know we are this close to the city, she probably thinks we are still two days away on the road from Polis.” 

They would be two days away by horseback but they had met Bellamy on his way to Polis and he drove them straight back towards Colum saving those he could squash into the truck two days hard riding. Now they are well hidden just outside the city. The rest of the gonakru are still on the road.

“Grace, Quint, Kestra you know your orders. Go. Alto, Dot and Ryder you too.” The two groups of gonas pick up their kit before quietly climbing out of the truck and disappearing into the woodlands.

“They need a day or two at least to get into position. I will continue to humour Karla for the moment.”

As promised Karla radios in and Leksa plays along, negotiating hard for terms that ensure Klark’s safety during her completion of the ‘labours’ and for conditions that ensure her own participation in them is fair. Karla eventually concedes that a gona of Leksa’s choosing will be with Klark during the labours to ensure her safety. Leksa chooses Onya.

At this point Bellamy prompts her that if Karla is referring to the labours of Heracles, he had help with the second, fourth, fifth, sixth and arguably labours eight to ten, so shouldn’t Leksa have help too? Karla seems delighted with his intervention and that someone else is interested in ancient history and there follows between the two a debate about which labours were ‘assisted’. Karla refuses to accept as valid the assistance of gods such as Athena, Apollo or Artemis but Heracles’ nephew Iolaus, Bellamy argues, was known to have helped with the second labour. At his pedagogical best Bellamy refers her to the ancient author Apollodorus and his compilation of mythic works known as The Library at Book 2 Chapter 5. This stuns Karla and for a few moments she is silent.

“Kei, Heda, Vessel of the Fleim if you survive the first labour I will permit assistance with the second. Who do you choose?”

  “Indra kom Trikru.”

Karla refuses to give details of what the labours will be but Bellamy and Leksa between them remember the ten original labours of Heracles to consist of:

1. kill the Nemean Lion,
2. kill the Lernaean Hydra,
3. capture the Ceryneian Hind,
4. capture the Erymanthian Boar,
5. clean the stables of Augeas in one day,
6. kill the Stymphalian Birds,
7. capture the Cretan Bull,
8. steal the Mares of Diomedes,
9. steal the girdle of the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta
10. steal the cattle of the monster Geryo
    
    

The 11^th and 12^th, stealing the apples of Hesperides and capturing Cerberus don’t seem possible even for a mad woman like Karla to try and emulate. In fact, most of them seem impossible to emulate. Best guess is, if she does intend to test Leksa, that she’s counting on the first or second labour to end in Leksa’s death by fair means or foul.

When the radio negotiations are complete they sit for a few moments of tense silence in the back of the truck. “She may not even try to recreate those labours, just kill you as soon as you walk into the place. Delphikru are known to be good archers, though Quint says their fayogun kru was all but useless.” That’s Indra again stating what has to be a real likelihood unless Karla’s madness is all consuming. Leksa, having experienced Karla’s obsession with Colum and Biga Chicha first hand when on her progress last year, considers the madness may run that deep. But even if Karla is that mad what about those around her like Rudolfo and Madrona, could they be contacted and brought to see reason? Or will they be the voices telling Karla to just kill Heda Leksa and not turn the whole thing into a dramatic history lesson.

They wait for a day, no reports come in from their own gonas. Karla radios again. Leksa must enter Colum by dawn tomorrow to complete her first labour or Klark dies.

Colum 6^th Moon Last Quarter Dawn

They are out of time. Leksa shouts down her wormanas’ objections and readies herself. As the sun rises and with Onya on her right and Indra to her left Heda Leksa kom Trikru walks into a silent and still Colum along the newly whitewashed processional way. Her warpaint is freshly applied, her hair carefully braided, she wears the metal cap given to her by Klark with the emblem of Heda secured in its’ mount and her steel ribbed gauntlets. On her back is her great sword viper, daggers are sheathed about her person and a small steel buckler hangs from her left arm.

After exchanging the gonas’ salute with her Heda Indra walks to the left. Coming to a halt in-front of the Temple of the Fleim she stands rigid and ready with her Heda’s weapons. She carries Heda’s spear, her katanas and a full-sized shield. After exchanging the gonas salute with her Heda Onya walks to the right and climbs up to the caged viewing platform where Karla, Klark, Rudolfo and six others wait for her to take up her position by Klark’s side. She is the best Leksa has and may be Klark’s only chance of surviving whether Leksa succeeds in her ‘labours’ or not.

The Rig. Atlantic Ocean 6^th Moon Waning Gibbous

Derrik kom Floukru stands on an upturned crate, he’s been shouting his exhortations and lies across the old helipad at the assembled Floukru for over a glass. Luna is angry and has thoughts she doesn’t really want to own about tossing him into the sea. At last, he winds his perorations to a close. “This place has given us safety for many summers, it continues to give us and our children food and shelter. Why should we be forced to leave it and give up our freedom to a couple of arrogant natblidas who think they have the right to tell us where and how to live.”

He steps down from the crate to cheers and claps of support. Luna immediately jumps onto the crate, she doesn’t want the cheers to gain in volume. She starts to speak.

“My friends of Floukru.” Boos and hisses come from Derrik’s supporters. She’s shouted down and three bulky men start to shove her off the crate. Now she’s really angry. She looks through the milling kru and spots Biga, a huge gentle giant of a man (a little slow in his thinking but a Podakru marlin spike to the head will do that to a gona). With a quick twist she jumps down from the crate, slips through the crowd to Biga and with his nod of agreement she scrambles to sit onto his giant shoulders. “Are you afraid to let me speak Derrik? Will your friends try to push Biga over like they just tried to push me? This from a man sworn to live without violence!”

The crowd goes silent and still, Biga walks back to the crate where he carefully deposits Luna.

“Mochof Biga. I found this Rig and brought every one of you here to find safety and a life without war and fighting. I am not forcing anyone to leave here, neither is Heda Leksa.”

Biga sits down at Luna’s feet and as Boden, one of Derrik’s men pushes forward, Biga’s huge hand comes to rest on his chest effectively stopping him in his tracks.  

  “ Heda Leksa is making us an offer of a place to live.  A village on the coast north of Polis. There we can live, fish and farm in peace. I am going to accept that offer. I want to live on the land again and I hope some of you come with me to make Floukru a kru of the land as well as the sea. Will it be as safe from violence as here? Probably not, but Heda Leksa has offered protection and Trikru, Azgeda and Sangedakru have agreed the land is to be ours. That is all I have to say now. If you want to talk with me I will be in the kitchen preparing the  food I have brought. Tomorrow I will leave with anyone who wants to come and I will return in seven days to see if any others feel the same. Derrik has no right to keep you here if you wish to leave. It has always been our way that anyone can join Floukru and anyone can leave. Isn’t that right Derrik?”

 Derrik can’t do anything but agree with that statement and Luna, carrying her sacks of vegetables, beans and a side of bacon, makes her way to the kitchen to start preparing food. There she talks with anyone who comes to speak with her. Biga stands nearby, as she explains again why testing the fish for radiation is important and easy and as she slices vegetables she answers questions about the village. Does it have houses? There are cottages that need repairs but many have sound walls. Do you have boats? Yes, I have Sea Hunter and a small dinghy. What is the soil like? Thin and dry near the coast but further inland it becomes deeper and richer. Are there any trees? Yes there are mixed woodlands of; birch, rowan, alder, willow, pine, maple and oak.  Does anyone live there now? No, it has been deserted since Praimfaya. Will we still need to test the fish for radiation? Yes, even though the leak has been stopped there is still radiation in the waters and fish. How can we be sure we will be safe and there will be no wars?  This last question is asked again and again. Luna understands their fears and patiently replies each time.

“We cannot be sure, there is no guarantee that war is at an end for otaim (always) but I am ready to take the risk. I cannot live for otaim in a metal box on the sea. I want to go home and try to live in peace on the land.”

The Temple of Apollo Colum 6^th Moon Waning Gibbous

While Leksa and her kru drive back in Bellamy’s truck towards Colum, Klark starts to get to grips with her captivity as best she can.

She’d heard Bellamy drive away and was relieved that he’d been allowed to leave. A few moments later her crate was lifted and carried for a short distance up some steps. When it’s set down and prised open she almost fell out, she had no feeling in her arms or legs, was woozy with dehydration and dazzled by the flaming torches. Big hands lifted her to her feet but she couldn’t stand and walking was just a distant dream, she dropped to the floor like a badly jointed toy and only narrowly missed hitting her head on what turned out to be the omphalos stone.  

“Careful!” It was Rudolfo, sounding tired and tetchy. “She can’t stand or walk branwada (fool) carry her!”  She’s picked up, thrown over a brawny shoulder and carried along poorly lit corridors. She’d tried to keep track of the route and counted turns. Three left then one right, one left, a set of steps, a long straight passage with two windows, another set of steps and then an iron bound door was opened into a windowless cell. She’s set down on the floor, her were bonds cut and then started the agony of returning circulation. For a few moments she was alone and then Nygel joined her in a similar state. Klark couldn’t stand so carefully rocked her body to try to increase blood circulation. The pain was scream-worthy and despite trying her best to bear it in silence she couldn’t stop a few whimpers. After what seems like forever she can rub her hands together and massage cramped muscles. Nygel’s in a similar state, Klark could see tears streaming down the older woman’s face as she struggled with the pain. They’re left alone for a glass or so, it was difficult to assess exactly how long when all Klark had to go on was how far the single candle in their cell had burned down since they arrived. Then the heavy door opened and two guards entered. They put on the floor a small bucket of water and some scraps of linen. Beside it they place a platter of meat, some bread and a ceramic bottle filled with what looked like beer. A big empty bucket was put in the corner. The guards said nothing before they left, the sound of a heavy bar dropping in place on the door followed their departure.  Alone the two women exchanged glances. Klark put a finger to her lips then touched her ear, trying to warn Nygel of possible bugs. Nygel’s eyes widened in surprise but she nodded her understanding.

They talk about whether they should eat and drink what has been provided while Klark searches every bit of the cell she can see and reach. There’s a bug under one of the sleeping shelves. Fuck it, thinks Klark as she smashes it under her boot’s heel. “I think we can talk more freely now.”

There’s nothing they could do to get out of the cell so Klark uses the time to pump Nygel for information. Nygel can’t help with the reasons behind Karla’s behaviour, she knows too little about the ground but she does know about the Ark’s involvement in making synthetic Muscarine.

“When Sydney was arrested and the grounders started to talk to us. It was like every dream I ever had came true Klark. I could trade and not get floated for it. Okay some of the trades were a bit close to the line and could have landed me in trouble, but end up dead for selling a bit of weed or getting my friends in the labs to make something to order - no way! It was just wonderful Klark with huge opportunities for business. For a start almost every grounder that came into the camp, including Chief Indra and her wife Callie wanted to know if we could make bullets and guns for them. I was prepared to supply a few but didn’t want to put too much into possible enemy hands so kept it to a couple of pistols and boxes of ammo. That was for the guy from Blue Cliff, Lewis was his name, after that I just said no we couldn’t make any more. Explosives were popular too, Lewis wanted as much as he could get of that, again I was a bit wary but sold some on the basis that I wanted to start setting up trading relationships. There was an ambassador called Raglan who was very keen on getting free samples of anything and everything and that was what Leda of Delphikru was after too. So, I had a few things made to order. Nothing expensive or too noticeable. Raglan got a few metres of the plastic film we’d used as a canopy to keep people dry during Sydney’s trial and Leda wanted some organic compounds for her medical people. She gave me samples and I got the labs to make a couple of vials of the stuff. Then everything went to shit when Pulcher got elected on a ‘we want to be alone’ ticket. A fucking business disaster I call it. But now we’re in Polis at the centre of everything on the ground and Wei is on board with promoting trade, fabulous! I was on my way to making a mint until this happened. If I ever get my hands on that Rudolfo he’s a dead man. Fucker.”   

Klark listens, a little sceptical about its’ truth.  Keryon (Spirits) knows exactly what Nygel sold to whom and what she thought it was going to be used for, but at least it explains how and who made the Muscarine. It also widens the group of Delphikru involved to include Leda, who was the bandrona for Delphikru under Chief Tokala and continued in that role when Karla came to power.

They decide they may as well use and eat what the guards have brought. It’s that or starve and stay dirty. Afterwards they try to sleep on the few furs that have been left on the sleeping shelves. It seemed like only moments later when the door was opened and guards clatter in to rouse them. Looking up Klark can see it must have been a few glasses as their candle had burnt out. Their hands are re-tied behind their backs but they can walk and are not gagged.  

Again, Klark counts the turns as they walk to a large reception area where Karla kom Delphikru awaits them, sitting on a magnificent throne of carved grey and white marble. She leans back against its’ high curved back and her arms rest on the solid slanted sides, her short legs are placed on a footstool. Beside her atop a matching marble table is a radio, one of those Raven made for the Chiefs after the fall of the Mountain. Rudolfo, Leda and a group of three Delphikru stand behind Karla. Klark notes a couple of points. First is that Karla and her ‘associates’ are all wearing clothes of unusual design. Klark would bet almost anything that they are modelled on those of ancient Greece, she’s not sure what they are called but the men are wearing cloaks on top of knee-length tunics pulled into shape by leather belts. Karla and Leda wear long linen tunics held in place just below the breasts by a girdle. All of them wear comfortable looking sandals. The second notable thing is that Madrona kom Delphikru is not present, nor is her seken Archer or any of her acolytes. Interesting.

Klark stands tall, Nygel looks nervous and Karla takes a breath ready to speak but Klark jumps in first. “Karla, stop this now. Whatever problems Delphikru have with Heda can be discussed but taking me is an act of war. A war Delphikru cannot….” At a gesture from Karla a knife is pressed to Klark’s throat by her guard and her words are choked off. Klark looks at each member of the strangely garbed group,  have her words had any effect?  All seem to remain stoic and unmoved.

“If you continue to speak you will be gagged or killed. Your life is worth nothing Hedatu, make no mistake.” So, Klark listens as Karla radios Leksa

“What will you deal for your bonded’s life Heda, Vessel of the Fleim? Over.”

Colum 6^th Moon Last Quarter Dawn

She stands and waits. Between her shoulder-blades is the itch that comes when you wonder if someone is about to shoot you in the back. Leksa loosens her shoulders and tries to keep her expression stoic when she looks up and sees her niron tied to an uncomfortable looking chair. That Onya is standing at her side is only a small comfort. Her eyes meet Klark’s blue chips of flaming ice. For a second there is nothing and no-one else as the ice melts and love and strength pours into Leksa’s soul. She is fighting for Klark!

Karla kom Delphikru barks out an order. Behind Leksa large metal barriers are rolled into place, closing off that portion of the plaza. Four archers move to stand on pillars placed at each corner of the now enclosed area. Infront of her a  large metal gate swings open and Leksa faces the object of her first ‘labour’. The Nemean Lion of Heracles’ labours was a fearsome beast with skin impenetrable to arrows. Leksa suspects this beast’s skin is also impenetrable to arrows, the archers are probably there to kill her not it.

She shouts “Indra my spear!”, she hears running feet and her spear lands in the earth by her right foot, she grasps it firmly in her hand as she faces the huge, hungry looking, alligator that stalks towards her, tail sweeping from side to side. It’s monstrous, far bigger than any she has seen before, at twelve to fifteen cubits (24 – 30 feet). Like pauna the radiation has produced a huge more deadly version of its kind.   She grips her spear and moves forward away from the barriers. She needs room!

Chapter Text

Just Outside Colum Dawn 6^th Moon Last Quarter

In the back of Bellamy’s truck Callie sits with the radio’s headphones clamped to her ears, as she concentrates hard trying to make out what Kestra is saying. Kestra’s voice is naturally low plus she’s lying face down hiding under a tarpaulin on the flat roof of a warehouse located at the city’s western edge. At times it’s hard to distinguish the spotter’s words from the crackles and hisses in the background.

“Blue to Red we …… in place…… going for two and two……… Ready to send it. Awaiting your count…. Over.”

Callie brings the microphone close to her lips as she prepares to whisper her replies. Delphikru gonas regularly patrol close to the truck and she doesn’t want to make any unnecessary noise. She holds up three fingers and mouths ‘on three’, Dax nods. She lowers her hand and clicks the transmit button.

“Red to Yellow we are ready to go. Move in. Over.”

Ryder’s voice is firm. “Yellow to Red. We copy. Over and out.”

“Red to Blue we are counting down. Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Zero. Over.”

As Callie says three Dax pushes a small black button twice and then moves to the back of the truck, where he climbs out to join Gostos and the newly arrived gonakru. They all silently walk with him towards the main gates of Colum.

“Blue to red we copy. Two and two complete. Over and out.”

Colum Dawn 6^th Moon Last Quarter

Leksa readies her spear as she moves away from the barriers needing room to manoeuvre.  She feels the slight vibration of the pager in her belt and freezes, counting down from three.

On the count of zero:-

1. There’s a soft splat and two of the four archers fall forward into the alligator’s pen, the third and fourth follow within seconds and the alligator lurches towards the nearest its’ tongue emerging to lick at the spilt blood.
2. Onya draws her daggers and slashes the throats of the two guards nearest to her and Klark.
3. Leksa spins to face the viewing platform and launches her spear through the bars at Rudolfo, who had started to raise his sword, the thrown spear pierces his chest.
4. Indra scrambles up the stairs throwing a dagger at the third guard, who with bandrona (ambassador) Leda, has launched an attack on Onya.

A moment later Leksa jumps up the metal barrier and hauls herself over its’ top and drops onto the stairs behind Indra. The remaining two guards stand at the eastern edge of the platform covering their Chief’s escape; Ryder, Alto and Dot engage with them as Leksa checks that Klark is okay. She is!  Leda has dropped her weapon and surrendered, Karla is nowhere to be seen.

“Where is Karla and where is Fleimkepa Madrona?” Leksa’s questions are peremptory and not at all softened by the fact that Klark has been released and is standing by her side rubbing at her wrists.

“Madrona is captive in her tower. Chief Karla I do not know.”

“Klark niron” Leksa’s gaze softens for a moment as she sees her niron really is safe and well. “Gostos, Dax and a gonakru are entering the city, can you take command and with Onya find Madrona in the tower?” Klark nods. Leksa looks back to bandrona Leda and turns on her a gaze so hard and full of hatred that the ambassador whimpers in fear. “Where will Karla have gone Leda?”

Leda gulps. “The Biga Chicha, she always goes there when troubled.”

Alto, Ryder and Dot have dispatched the remaining two guards and Leksa directs Alto to go with Klark to the Temple of the Fleim. “Ryder, Indra with me. Dot take this bandrona and secure her well. I have an appointment with the Biga Chicha.”  

The Temple of Apollo catches the sun on its’ eastern portico as the three Trikru approach the great doors. Six guards prepare to defend the entrance and cannot be dissuaded to abandon their duty even for Heda. They fight hard, but are no match for the skills and determination of the Trikru. As the entrance doors swing open they walk into the great reception hall, now empty except for a scattering of fallen masonry, an empty throne and the broken top of a fountain that had been masquerading as the ‘omphalos’ stone.   

Leksa strides with determination, Viper drawn, towards the back of the hall where an undistinguished door opens onto the many steps leading down to the ravine sacred to the Biga Chicha. As they descend they come upon a piteous sight, a young girl lies dead on the first landing. Leksa recognises her as Pythia, who had sat on the tripod and ‘communed with the god’ when she and Klark had visited the temple as part of Heda’s Progress last summer.  The girl lies in a pool of her own blood, the wound to her chest must have only just stopped bleeding. Leksa will make sure that she is placed respectfully upon a pyre, that is all she can do for her now. As they continue downwards the stairs turn at numerous stages and landings before they reach the gloom of the chasm itself. The three of them cautiously step out and onto the platform, as they do so a single torch flares up into the darkness revealing; the ravine’s grey dripping walls, the sturdy rope bridge and standing by the cables that hold that bridge firm is Karla kom Delphikru. In her hand is a fayogun, a pistol and it is pointed at Leksa.

“See Heda I get to win after all. You will die by my hand and that is what matters. With your death and tonight’s new moon, they can say there will be a new age for a new young Heda. A Heda not so set in her ways, not so close to Polis, who could be influenced by elders to avoid polluting the Kongeda with freikdreina. Who will allow Colum and this sacred place to be recognised as the centre of the Universe.”    

As Karla speaks and Leksa thinks frantically of something to say that will distract or dissuade her, behind the ranting chief a hand rises over the lip of the platform’s edge and grasps one of the bridge’s supporting cables and the battered but recognisable face of Penn kom Trikru emerges from below. In silence his left arm flexes to raise his body and allow his right hand to grasp Karla’s ankle and yank her backwards, over his head and into the stygian blackness of Pythia’s ravine.  Her screams echo for a brief while before silence returns. Leksa, Ryder and Indra dash forward to help Penn onto the platform.

“Mochof (Thank-you) Penn! ” Leksa greets her gona with thankful joy.

“Pro (You’re welcome) Heda.” He laconically replies before sinking into an exhausted heap at her feet.

“Jok ai (Fuck me)” exclaims Indra much relieved. She’d been readying herself to jump in-front of her Heda and take a bullet. “Where did he come from?”

Polis Tower 8^th Moon Waning Gibbous

Although the bandronas were pleased that no war was to be waged against Delphikru they did want to know why Heda, her wormanas (generals) and Ai Op (the Watch) had killed; the Chief of a kru, a number of her guards, one of that kru’s greatest nobles and arrested one of their fellow bandronas. As Heda was not generally involved with internal kru matters Leksa understood that they did not want Heda to make a habit of killing Chiefs and she was yet again thankful that Haiplana (Queen) Nia’s death was not, in the New Times, at her own hands. [Having that pleasure once in the Old Times had to suffice.]

Penn kom Trikru gives evidence before the bandronas of how and by whom Hedatu was taken and his part in Karla kom Delphikru’s death. He describes how Rosa kom Ingranronakru fell, hit by a poisoned dart and Oscar kom Trikru was struck down by the masked gonas. Penn himself was also coshed but he was only unconscious for seconds because his niron had insisted, that when on duty, he wear a metal cap like Heda’s. He had awakened to find himself weapon-less and with a ringing head but he had followed the kidnappers to a house on the street of smiths and when Hedatu was bundled into a crate and then a truck, by Rudolfo kom Delphikru and others, he went with them on the truck’s roof. The journey to Colum was rough, he was struck about the head and body by low hanging tree branches on a number of occasions but when the truck approached Colum he jumped off. He knew Colum and the Temple of Apollo well, as he had been to the city with Heda’s Progress last year and keeping to the chaotic western parts he made his way undetected to the Temple of Apollo and eventually the chasm of Pythia. He knew of Chief Karla’s obsession with the Biga Chicha and feared that her plan was to kill Hedatu at Pythia’s chasm. He was wrong but he did find Chief Karla’s place of alchemical magic, a cave that opened into the ravine just below the rope bridge’s platform.  Hidden at the back of that cave he had seen her mix ingredients to make vapours and flames and he had been there when Karla had threatened Heda Leksa with a fayogun. Hearing her threats Penn had climbed up the ravine from the cave as quietly as he could and thrown Karla into her own prophetic chasm. His conduct and tenacity are praised by the bandronas, his Heda and Hedatu.   

The next witness is Madrona kom Delphikru, now recovered from her imprisonment and the shock of seeing her seken and five acolytes killed before her eyes.  Delphikru, she explained, were always a strongly religious kru. With their adulation encompassing both the Fleim and Biga Chicha. Chief Tokala was more religious than his predecessor and a persuasive man. He led Delphikru on a religious crusade to glorify the city of Colum. Madrona was happy that the Fleim was so respected and delighted when he repaired the tower and presented her with a magnificent metal bowl to contain a ‘fleim’. Tokala had then focused his attention and Delphikru’s resources on buildings and structures that glorified the religion and myths of the ancients. He seemed captivated by the stories, writings and pictures the priests, including Karla, showed and read to him. He built the Temple of Apollo and created the processional way so that eventually all in the Kongeda would acknowledge the magnificence of Delphikru’s capital and its’ place as the centre of the Universe, it’s omphalos (naval). Madrona had not been aware of any assassination attempts or the ‘bugging’ so could not speak on these matters but she could explain how Karla kom Delphikru became Chief.

Madrona bows to her judges. “Heda, Hedatu, Bandronas of the Kongeda. Chief Tokala was confident he would return from the war with the Westerners unharmed. Pythia had prophesied that the Kongeda would win with few casualties and so he thought he would survive. He was a responsible Chief in some ways and knew going to war without naming a successor would create fear and uncertainty within the kru. So, he named Karla, his friend and a priestess of Apollo, fully expecting that she would never be Chief.”

The bandronas listen to Penn and Madrona spellbound. That assassination attempts had been made upon Heda was nothing new, Nia made numerous attempts to kill Heda Leksa but ‘bugging’ using tek was something different and disturbing and they wanted to know more about how that happened.

Will Shakespeare, a surviving Maunon (mountain man), had been captured as he worked in the warehouse that Grace, Quint and Kestra were using as a base for their sniping activities. That Heda Leksa used snipers to defeat the rogue chief’s final attempt to kill her was something she was not letting anyone know, so how they found Will was fudged in the telling.

Will was prepared to tell the bandronas what he had done at Rollo’s request and it was difficult to condemn him for doing what his ‘saviours’ asked him to. But he was a Maunon, able to live outside the mountain because he received bone marrow from captured skai kru when he was one of Cage Wallace’s soldiers. He was spared death by a thousand cuts but the bandronas voted for his execution. Will took it phlegmatically; he had lived outside for some years, had come to know the people that the Maunon treated worse than animals and knew that he had been part of something so wrong that only his death could atone. He had  already lived a fuller life than he had ever deserved. He was given the choice to commit suicide by drinking hemlock and took it.

The inquisition into what happened in Delphikru came to an end with the bandronas congratulating Heda Leksa on her and Hedatu’s survival when faced with the insanity of Chief Karla and confirmation that their actions in Colum were justified. They now faced the problem that Delphikru was currently leaderless. Madrona could not lead the Kru, as a fleimkepa her duty was to Heda and the Fleim. Leda the bandrona for Delphikru was to be executed for her participation in Karla’s plots, so Delphikru was currently also without a bandrona! Debate on what to do was heated and Leksa let them argue for a while as she thought through the problem. Finally, it was the bandrona for Louwoda Kilron who suggested that Delphikru be ruled by a group of prominent Delphikru traders, their activities to be overseen by two of the bandronas from krus who were distant from Delphikru. Leksa was pleased to agree and assist in putting the solution in place.

Haven 8^th Moon Waning Crescent Noon

Luna knows that she smells bad! Rendering blubber into oil from the occasional Bigas Swimas (whales) that beach on their sishou (seashore) will be lucrative for Haven but the fumes released by the process stink and anyone who cuts the blubber, puts it into the big cauldrons, stirs said cauldrons or decants the oil into barrels ends up stinking too. But it’s almost done thank Keryon (the Spirits) and the oil is in such high demand that Haven will be able to trade well with neighbouring krus for some moons.  

“Hei Luna, we have a visitor!” She turns and looks inland and for a second her heart jumps when she sees the red coloured horse and the Azgedan sigil on the flag of peace. But no, the rider is too small, almost a goufa (child). A messenger? Her traitorous heart leaps again as she walks towards the gates.

At the gatehouse Biga is talking with the messenger who has just dismounted from the lovely red horse and who is handing Biga her sword and dagger. Clearly she had been told that weapons of war are not allowed in Haven. The gada (girl) is leggy like a colt, has flaming red hair and bright blue eyes. As Luna approaches she just about manages not to wrinkle her nose at the smell but Biga has no such reservations. “Hei Luna you stink! Maybe you should bathe before this poor gada faints!” Biga clearly thought this very funny but Luna sees that the poor gada is starting to turn green and steps back.

“Messenger can you spare the time for me to bathe or is your message urgent?”

She says she can wait, so Luna asks Adria to take the Azgedan to the communal eating space to allow her to rest awhile and have a meal. Luna will have a bath. A glass or so later she feels much cleaner but has spent the whole time worrying about the nature of this message from Azgeda and who has sent it. She walks into the dining area to find the messenger playing darts against a pouting Adria, who doesn’t like losing.

She walks with Luna to her cottage, whatever the nature of this message Luna will hear it in private. “What is your name?”

“Kateryna kom Azgeda.” Kateryna bows politely.

“Your message?”

Kateryna draws herself up to her full height and stands to attention. “My message is from Haihefa Roan kom Azgeda and Mara kom Azgeda and is for Chief Luna kom Floukru. You are Chief Luna?”

“Sha, I am Chief Luna.”

“I thought so but it is always best to ask.” She gives Luna a slightly cheeky grin before sobering again.  “Haihefa Roan kom Azgeda and his nontu’s sis (father’s sister)  House Carl Mara kom Azgeda requests the honour of your presence at the bonding of Haihefa Roan to  Captain Echo kom Azgeda. The ceremony to be held  at the Great Palace in Toron this Midwinter. In honour of their bonding the Hopak will be danced and for the winner will be a prize of twenty wolf pelts of the highest quality.” She pauses for a moment to open her saddlebag and take out a well wrapped package that she offers to Luna.  “With this message is a gift. Given without obligation or creation of debt. I am to return with your reply to this invitation.” Luna takes the package from her and puts it on the table.

“Mochof Kateryna I will consider your message and give you my reply by dawn tomorrow. You may stay in Haven overnight. Your horse will be stabled without charge.”

“Mochof Chief Luna. I have a second gift for you.”

“Oh?”

“My second gift is from House Carl Mara Kom Azgeda and is for Chief Luna kom Floukru. It is a gift given without obligation or creation of debt .” Kateryna dives back to her saddlebag and unties from it a large soft bundle wrapped in oil cloth and tied securely with string.  Luna places it on the table next to the first.  Adria is waiting outside to take Kateryna to the guest house and the two gadas walk away chatting happily. It looks as if they are going to visit beach first. Luna is left alone with her thoughts and gifts.

She will open them in order and not jump to Mara’s first. She has some self-control. The first parcel opens easily and within it is the most enormous fur hat. She smiles, if she goes to Toron for this bonding ceremony her head will be snug and warm. She examines the hat closely. It is beautifully made, lined with the softest suede and if she is not mistaken the fur is sable. ‘Wow,’ this is some hat! She puts it on. It fits perfectly and is so warm she has to take it off almost immediately. Then onto the second gift, the one from Mara. To her embarrassment she finds her hands shaking as she picks up the bundle and starts to undo the string. Inside is a beautiful three-quarter length coat that matches the hat and a pair of fur mittens, also matching. As she opens out the coat to try it on, only briefly in this warmth, a small roll of parchment falls to the floor. It is tied with a leather thong and sealed with wax imprinted with the Apple Tree and Axe, Mara’s personal seal. She sits, suddenly weak at the knees and finds herself tearful. Ridiculous! Thank Keryon no-one is here with her.  Carefully she slides her knife under the seal, she wants this tiny bit of Mara whole for a little longer. She unrolls the letter. It is written in gonaslang in a hand that Luna suspects does not write their own letters very often, the blots and smudges are numerous.  

“My dearest (I hope to address you so, causes no offence). If my wishes came true I would be delivering this gift, that I have wrapped for you, in person and be able to tell you how much I have missed you and that you look beautiful in fur. Oh jok, do not judge me Luna but you would look so beautiful in these furs!.......” Luna gulps air and wipes her brow, is Mara thinking what she is thinking….. Luna wearing these furs and only these furs. Jok! Luna tells herself sternly to get a grip on her imagination as she continues to read.

“Alas, I must stay in Toron while Roan and Echo tour Azgeda. Echo must be introduced to all of the House Carls and this is an important opportunity for Roan to make his kingship of Azgeda that much stronger.  Now I have recovered from the radiation illness I have much work to do in Roan’s absence and in preparing for his bonding ceremony and its’ celebration. These duties are what prevent me from doing what I want and riding away from here to be with you by the sea.  I hope so much to see you at Midwinter. You have my heart. Mara”

Luna buries her face in the warm fur of the sable coat, can she detect Mara’s touch, or anything of Mara on these meizen gifts?

The next day she gives her reply to the verbal message. Confirming that she will attend Toron at midwinter and thanking Roan and Mara for their generous gifts. She gives Kateryna a small parcel for Mara. A gift given without obligation or debt. The small pot of ambergris has attached to it a small roll of parchment, sealed with wax imprinted with Luna’s seal of a  sickle moon shining upon calm seas.   

Polis Tower 9^th Moon New  

“You CANNOT be serious!” Raven’s outrage bursts into the room like one of her bombs. All sitting in Library’s reading room, look up.

“Shhh” it’s Klark trying to calm her friend down. No wonder Onya had left this little task to Klark and sneaked off to the training grounds. The Bushada (Coward), had known Raven would go ape-shit, no make that pauna-shit! and had made herself and Klark notices Leksa, strategically absent.  She will get revenge but now she had to deal with a fulminating Raven.

“It’s fucking ridiculous and I’m not doing it. I’m too busy, the goufas are too busy, Onya’s too busy!”

“I know you are busy Raven but this is not an optional thing. If you don’t do it, you don’t go.”

“Who, says so? Heda Leksa, I’ll persuade her otherwise.”

“You won’t.” Klark takes a deep breath but doesn’t say what she should, that Klark will not let Leksa be persuaded.

Raven’s eyes narrow. “It’s not your idea is it?”

“No but I agree with it, wholeheartedly Raven. We are all doing it.”

“But I got the invite and the hat, you can’t stop me going.”

“Yes I can and Leksa definitely can.”

“Onya would have something to say about that.”

“No, she won’t she agrees with it too.”

“Ah, so she knows about it but got you to tell me?”

“Yes she did the …..” Klark stops before the insult can sneak out.

“But really do I have to attend classes in etiquette before I am allowed to go to Roan and Echo’s wedding?”

“Yes, we all do. We don’t want anyone to die Raven because they said the wrong thing to the wrong person, or the right thing to the wrong person, or the wrong thing to the right person. They’re a bit particular about these things in Azgeda apparently and if you fuck up you die!”

“Oh. But I will be having words with Onya later!”  

Chapter Text

Polis Tower 10^th Moon Full

In the throne room they all sit on the steps waiting. The boombox is powered up and ready to go.

“Kei, let’s check everyone is here. Please answer to your names.” Gaia has a list to run through.

“Rollcall in Stalag 17. Oof” Onya elbows Raven firmly in the solar-plexus and her niron coughs to silence as Gaia ticks off the names. Everyone is here, though Klark only just makes it. She’s been filling in for Abi who is still recovering from the birth of her twins. Twins no one expected because as Jackson said “Little boy was hiding behind big girl on the scans.” Klark, her parents, everyone was surprised when little Kent popped out almost an hour after Annie had fought her way into the world. Abi by that stage was very weak and bleeding heavily and so Jackson had to do an emergency hysterectomy.  Her mom is still in shock nearly three moons later and has needed to take time away from work to bond with the twins. Klark, Maya and even Leksa have baby sat David or the twins as Abi and Jake rearrange their home and work life. Abi and Jake are invited to Roan and Echo’s bonding but have declined pleading twins and recovery from surgery. They have also promised Raven that they will be on hand if Maya and Jasper need help looking after Rowan and Poppy while their nomons (mothers) are away.

“Kei. First I will explain the event.  There will be two celebrations for this bonding. One is big and very formal, this is when Roan and Echo exchange their vows before the Fleim and their families swear to support the new couple. All ninety-seven of the House Carls of Azgeda will be there with their houmons and goufas. There will also be high ranking military and trading families, there’s about seventy or so of them. From outside Azgeda there will be the Chiefs of the Kongeda’s krus, their bandronas (ambassadors)and notable citizens of these krus (and their families or dates) who have made a name for themselves in Azgeda, such as; Raven, Marcus, Hannah, Nygel, Monty, Sinclair and Vera. Of course, Heda and Hedatu are invited and I have been invited to participate in the ceremony with Madrona.  This first celebration lasts from dawn to dusk. It tends to get more relaxed as the day goes on because everyone drinks so much. At midday the Hopak will be danced. The second celebration is private and much less formal. By then many will have drunk themselves stupid anyway. About forty or so will attend. It starts at midnight that same day and will go on as long as people are still prepared to party or breakfast whichever happens first.”

Hmm thinks Klark, at least there’s a break between the two parties.

“Second thing to do today is let you all know some basics of Azgedan culture. I will start with dress and the meaning behind traditional Azgedan clothing. Here is clothing for an Azgedan gona (warrior).” Gaia produces a set of clothes. Baggy trousers, an elaborately embroidered shirt, a cummerbund, soft boots of red leather and a hat shaped like a small bucket made of black curly fur. “This outfit is for the everyday, so the trousers could be dark cloth of any colour and come to around the knee in length. For special occasions the trousers will be longer, made of lighter material and may be brightly coloured according to the part of Azgeda the wearer comes from. Bright red for the far north, yellow for the east, bright blue for the midlands and green for the south. Nobles wear the same style of clothes but they are made of more expensive materials, leather, fine-wool or silk trousers, more elaborately embroidered shirts, hats of more valuable furs like sable, ermine, chinchilla or lynx .  The gonas to be most wary of nomon, Wormana Onya, Heda; are those who wear green or blue as those gonas were engaged in many battles with Trikru.”

Raven blinks. Onya could be in danger? Of course; peace is new and war old, some at the celebration of Roan’s bonding will not be forgiving the Trikru Chief, that kru’s greatest gona or even Heda, anytime soon!  She sobers a little and decides to put aside time in the next few days for creating some portable security tools.  Gaia continues.

“The traditional dress for those who are not gonas varies with the sex of the wearer. Women wear flared skirts of just below knee length, again they wear elaborately embroidered shirts and leather boots and men wear long  embroidered waistcoats and ordinary looking trousers.” Having explained as much as she can about the traditional dress Gaia finishes with, “of course, not everyone will wear traditional dress, Roan has not made it compulsory at his bonding. Kei, now onto the dances.”

Moving to the boombox Gaia flicks a switch and slow dignified music starts to play.

“A dance everyone will learn today, as everyone must dance it at the formal celebration, is the pavane. Nomon and I will demonstrate. It is easy to learn.”

When Gaia said it was easy to learn she hadn’t anticipated that Marcus Kane and Jacopo Sinclair possess two left feet each. Raven gets it on the second run through, notes the steps on her pad and then sits, suspiciously quietly thinks Onya, as she works on designing a portable wireless security system encompassing motion detectors and cameras.  Gaia wants a final run through with everyone, including a grumpy Raven, who mutters “this must be the most boring dance ever, no-one’s gonna actually enjoy dancing this …..”

Leksa decides it’s time to intervene. “The pavane is a dance that is meant to encourage conversation between the dancers Raven, not enjoyment in the dancing itself. We will all be partnered with someone we have not met before and will be expected to get to know them as we dance. It isn’t so much a dance as a conversation with movement.”

Marcus goes a little pale as he asks “so we’ll be expected to dance and talk at the same time?”

“I’m afraid so Marcus and everyone must take part in this dance.  After the bonding and at the start of the formal dancing, we will each be paired with a stranger and expected to converse with them as we dance.”

“Fuck!”

Gaia teaches those who are capable; Klark, Leksa, Raven, Onya, Indra, Callie, Vera , Monty, Wei, Nygel and Hannah a number of dances for the formal part of the day.   The Minuet Klark is already familiar with, having danced it with Leksa a number of times, the Mazurka and Chaconne even Raven enjoys and finally they get to the Hopak.  Gaia switches off the boom box after she and Raven have danced a very lively Chaconne that ended up with the pair of them laughing and jumping about pretty randomly.

“You have it Raven when you get about half way through the Chaconne you can do what you want as long as you keep to the beat! Kei who is going to take part in the Hopak?”

“We don’t know what it is Gaia so …” Klark shrugs.

“Do I have volunteers to demonstrate?” Silence. “Nomon, you were known in your youth for being a great dancer of the Hopak.” It’s bait, Indra knows the reference to her age is just Gaia baiting her. “You too Wormana Onya, Heda; were once considered great competitors in this dance.”  The three Trikru look at each other, their lips purse, they are trying not to take the bait.

Heda Leksa speaks. “I will, if they will and only up to fifty. I have a busy afternoon.”

“Pssh Heda, only fifty!” It’s Indra, who studiously ignores Callie’s eyeroll. Gaia waits, she knows they won’t be able to resist showing off in-front of their nirons (loves). Heda in particular, because she will not be allowed to take part in the competitive dance in Azgeda, as if she wins some Azgedan will be greatly offended and probably start a fight and if she loses she will be ‘weak’.

“I’m not wearing the right pants!” It’s Onya making her excuses and getting out of it, thinks Gaia. But her nomon is determined it seems.

“You could wear those baggy Azgedan trousers if you think you can compete with us Wormana.”

Onya sucks in her cheeks before giving a sharp nod in reply. “Kei” she grits out and then strips off her tight jeans, climbs into the baggy trousers, ties the strings at her waist and does a couple of stretches. “They are comfy to wear.”

Gaia moves to the boombox. “Ready everyone?” The three Trikru move towards the centre of the room and all three stretch and shakeout their legs. “ This is the Kongeda’s most popular dance amongst gonas. It is a kind of ‘knee dancing’ and often it is competitive.  The dancer who can do the most kicks without falling over or stopping wins. On my count to three sha (yes)? ” The three dancers’ nod. Gaia presses a button and the sound of a quick drumbeat in 2/4 time is heard. “One, two, three!”

On three the dancers drop to a squat and start to dance by kicking out their legs alternately in time with the beat. Gaia counts out the kicks. Their styles differ a little. Onya moves forwards and back as she kicks and uses her arms outstretched for balance, Indra kicks on the spot but also uses her arms to balance, while Heda Leksa folds her arms across her chest stares fixedly ahead and kicks and kicks and kicks. At fifty kicks all three are sweating and their audience is clapping along. Raven is running a book, Heda is the favourite but there are a few bets on Indra who Callie knows has been training ever since the invitation to the bonding arrived. At sixty Onya drops out, collapsing with cramp in her thigh. At seventy Callie’s worried Indra is going to stroke out, but she knows her bonded has done eighty in training.  Heda keeps on kicking though the sweat is pouring off her, Klark anxious and aroused watches it dripping down into Leksa’s cleavage. At eighty Indra slips and crashes out with a frustrated “jok (fuck)” and Heda Leksa seeing that she has won jumps up into a ‘grand jete’ and shouts “Hei!!!” before collapsing on the floor next to Indra, both of them panting like paunas. 

There’s nothing but the sound of panting for a while. Klark turns to Callie. “We’ll take the portable defibrillator with us I think.”

They stop for sanch (lunch) and for the Hopak dancers to recover. Klark goes to the door and asks if Melissa is available. She is and Hedatu orders a special hot bath for Heda that evening. Melissa when told that Heda had just won the Hopak says she will put in special herbs for Heda’s muscles, so she can walk tomorrow.

When Klark comes back Raven’s handing Onya her jeans and folding the baggy Azgedan trousers. “Hei Raven did you lose much cash on Onya’s performance?”

“No Klark. I know how much she drank last night, she never had a chance of beating your clean-living girl.”  

After sanch Leksa disappears she has meetings and as a natblida was taught plenty about Azgedan etiquette. Klark will teach her any new dances, she wants to actually dance, later.

Gaia then teaches them a couple of fun dances, the jive and twist, that may be danced at the less formal party. She also teaches everyone, including Marcus and Sinclair the conga. Even they can dance the conga.   

It all gets more serious when matters of etiquette are addressed.  Three turns of the glass later Gaia has gone through;-  ‘forms of greeting’, ‘how to apologise for stepping on toes when dancing’, ‘ how to accept / refuse a polite request for sex’, ‘how to respond to an impolite request for sex / groping/ pinching/ assault!’,  ‘how to respond to someone who has just spilt a drink over you’, ‘how to apologise for spilling a drink over someone’, ‘what to say if your partner in the pavane’s opening words are; ‘you killed my brother/sister/nontu (father)/uncle/nomon/ani (aunt)’. After all that everyone is tired, more than a little apprehensive about the whole business and then Gaia suggests they do a role play.

“Oh no. Beja Gaia, not a role play. I can’t act!” It’s Vera, her pleading to get out of this horror is effective for some reason and so it’s Raven and Klark who are first up to role play the ‘Hei, you’re sitting in my seat scenario.’

Gaia directs. “Kei, Raven you will be the angry drunk Azgedan House Carl and Klark you will be …… Raven, who unfortunately is sitting in the wrong seat. Take a few moments to prepare,  I think we could all do with a refreshing tea while we are waiting for you.”

“What the actual fuck Klark! Role play. I can’t act Azgaden!”

“Yes you can, just swagger and shout at me. You can wear the Azgedan clothes to get into the part.” Raven disappears to get the clothes and Klark sets up the scene with a table and chairs and a couple of beakers of water to represent cups of ale or some other alcoholic drink. By now Klark really feels she could do with a drink.

“Raven are you ready?”

“Just a minute the boots are a bit ..”

“Okay, just walk in to start.”

There’s a crash as Raven charges into the room in full Azgedan gona dress including huge flapping boots, a hat that’s falling down over her eyes and a curling moustache drawn on with some of Klark’s charcoal. She kicks over a couple of chairs on her way to Klark’s table.

“Hei yu! Ai laik Bigas Boots kom Azgeda and yu are in my seat.” She slams her palms down onto the table and glares at Klark. Who initially stares back in shock before slowly and deliberately raising her middle finger at the glaring Raven.

It’s uproar, Raven and Klark scream with laughter while Gaia, trying hard not to laugh herself, restores some sort of order. Klark’s “but you told me to be Raven Gaia and that’s what she would do!” doesn’t really cut it as an excuse. Lessons end for the day and everyone goes to Albi’s bar.

Polis 11^th Moon Full

There’s no big public ceremony or feasting, that will happen next summer when Polis’ great summer festival is held. But in Heda’s throne-room in Polis’ Tower every kru’s bandrona verbally confirms their agreement to the joining of the thirteenth kru, Poliskru. Then each makes their mark on the document of conjunction. As the Kongeda’s anthem is sung the representative of Poliskru’s governing body, which is a Chief advised by a council of five, steps forward and kneels before Heda and Hedatu. Emori kom Poliskru, Chief of the new kru, does not flinch as she takes the brand of the Kongeda on her right forearm. John Murphy stands nearby and Klark thinks she sees a tear in his eye. He later denies it. Hedatu herself gently places a sterile dressing on Emori’s wound. Heda gives a short speech.

“This is a wonderful day for the Kongeda and for Polis. A new kru, based in this great city, that is open to everyone who has something to contribute, will allow Polis to grow in skills, experience and numbers.”   She briefly summarises the open nature of the kru that allows membership of Poliskru simultaneously with membership of another kru. There is a brief celebration in the throne room before the new kru’s Chief and her niron go to dinner upstairs in Heda’s private dining room.

Heda Leksa chooses to walk, rather than use the elevator, up the stairs to their rooms. She thinks Hedatu needs a little more time alone with her friends. As she looks out over the darkness of the city, lit by many lamps and fires she has a moment of satisfaction. Making and enlarging the Kongeda is the creative side of her life. Winning wars and battles she hopes will become a lesser part of her work as time goes on. Thanks to Bekka Pramheda and her houmon (spouse) Maryam allowing her and Klark this second chance, she’s had this opportunity to build and create a place where her people can live and flourish.  Now she just has to survive Roan and Echo’s bonding!

12^th Moon First Quarter.  The Village of Bat

To ease the burden on Azgeda’s snowy roads and hospitality and as a security measure the guests travelling from Polis do so in a number of small groups. Setting off a day before everyone else and travelling by horseback and sleigh are Heda, Hedatu, Emori, Murphy and Luna. Emori and Murphy have had a crash course on Azgedan culture, courtesy of Gaia who was very thankful that both of them have a good sense of rhythm and enjoy dancing. Even if Murphy would deny the latter to his dying day. He, he says, is going for the booze. Jasper has given him and Monty strict instructions to bring back samples of the best Azgedan vodka and applejack. Jasper does still have this naïve trusting streak. This group has the twelve gonas of Ai Op (the Watch) as security, including their newest member Nash kom Ingranronakru. They stay overnight in the Azgedan village of Bat. The village chief Laslo, who met Heda four years ago on her Progress into Azgeda, is keen to show Heda and Hedatu that his village has prospered under Roan. They have one of the sky people’s snow ploughs, as well as three big glass-houses full of healthy plants, new storehouses that are well stocked and livestock that excites Heda Leksa’s curiosity. The village’s new draft horses are a beautiful pair of muscular matched dark bay mares and Leksa is very enamoured of them. She spends far too much time, thinks Klark, talking with Laslo about whether Loki would be a suitable stallion to put to such magnificent mares. Luna is similarly taken with the mares and so Klark, Emori and Murphy go back to their lodgings and get started on the drinking that little bit early.

A glass or so later Luna and Leksa make their way to their lodgings in the village’s great longhouse. Laslo had offered Heda and Hedatu his own home but the two leaders had not wanted to put him to such trouble. As Luna and Leksa enter they are greeted by raucous guffaws of laughter from the already slightly tipsy trio, who have developed a taste for the village’s applejack. Dinner is held at Laslo’s large cottage and the food and drink are excellent. This is yet another opportunity for Laslo to demonstrate his village’s wealth and good standing. Leksa has an enjoyable, if fairly sober, evening. A profitable one too, as Laslo agrees that Loki can be put to the two mares next Spring and Heda can have one of the resulting foals if both mares catch. Back in the longhouse Leksa enjoys her night with a tipsy and loving Klark, though the proximity of their friends restricts their activities a little.

Lying in her cot snuggled into comfy furs Luna tries not to hear Leksa and Klark’s giggles and moans or Murphy’s loud snores. How Emori puts up with that noise she really doesn’t know.  Despite the cacophony she’s glad to be travelling with this group as she will get to see Mara in Toron a day or so earlier than if she had travelled with the others and they will have the chance of extra nights together.   But it is hard to hear Leksa and Klark fuck the night away, when that is what she so desperately wants to do with Mara. Only one more day to go.

Travelling a day behind Heda’s group are Marcus, Vera, Hannah, Monty, Onya and Raven. Eight gonas travel with them as guards. They will stop the night in the village of Ticha. Like Bat, Ticha was visited on Heda’s Progress four years before and it has benefitted greatly from Roan’s kingship. They’ve experimented successfully with new varieties of corn and wheat using short-growth season seeds created by Vera and Hannah. Their visit promises to involve serious partying and corn whiskey, as the village as a whole adore Vera and Hannah. Finally setting off on the third day are Indra, Callie, Sinclair, Gaia, Wei and Nygel. They also have a gonakru of eight guards. Indra and Callie have left Candra with Balla in Ton DC, just in case the worst happens and both feel miserable as a result. This group will also stay overnight at Bat in the spacious longhouse.

12^th Moon First Quarter. Dusk  The Road to Toron

Leksa looks down checking Loki’s feet in his studded hoof-boots. He seems comfortable and steady despite the snow and ice they’ve travelled through over the past two days. The hoof-boots  are working well on the draft horses too as they speed the sleigh along the snow-ploughed road to Toron. Gostos and Nash flank Leksa as she rides across the hillside on a trail parallel to that main route, she wants to see the city from this slightly elevated position to get a better idea of its’ overall condition. She stops to take out her binoculars and survey the land. Like the villages she has ridden through Toron has changed under Roan’s care. Very noticeable are the improvements made to the huge palace, which now has a functioning second storey with a renewed roof and from its’ windows candles and torches cast light outwards onto shimmering snow. At this time of year snow falls every day in Azgeda and as her party approaches the city Leksa can see a number of snowploughs in use clearing roads and paths.

In the sleigh Klark, Emori, Murphy and Luna are almost buried in thick furs and little can be seen of their faces under their hats. They’ve chatted, played silly games and slept as their driver guides the sleigh over the close packed snow and Leksa rides with Ai Op keeping them all safe. Luna finds travelling in the sleigh strangely comforting, as when she closes her eyes the steady sound of the wind, coupled with the creaking of leather harnesses and  rumbling sled runners, all remind her of sailing her boat on the sea.

“Hei Luna! We’re almost there, you said to wake you. I’m hoping that’s our welcoming committee.” It’s Klark giving her shoulder a gentle shake and pointing towards a line of riders who zigzag their way towards the sleigh in perfect formation. The riders are all dressed as traditional Azgedan gonas, including matching hats of curly black sheepskin. The leader is tall and rides a rangy red horse. Luna’s heart beats a little faster.

Greeting Ai Op and Heda Leksa herself with a bow,  Mara orders her gonas into position to escort the sleigh into Toron. With beautiful timing and co-ordination (they’d rehearsed this for many glasses), her riders split into two groups and at a brisk trot eight riders position themselves ahead of the sleigh and eight behind. Mara and Leksa approach the sleigh, as it halts at the city’s gates. Klark and Luna sit in the forward-facing seats, swathed in their furs, Klark on the left, Luna on the right and so it is natural for the two riders to flank the sleigh, Leksa by Klark, Mara by Luna. Beneath her fur hat Luna looks up at the tall solemn Azgedan as she orders the gates opened for Haihefa (King) Roan’s guests; Heda, Hedatu and the Chiefs of Floukru and Poliskru. The big gates swing wide and Mara steals a glance down at Luna and winks when the Floukru Chief flashes her a smile from beneath the huge fur hat.  At the palace Mara is dismounted and ready to help Luna down from the sleigh onto the cleared pavement. Leksa assists Klark and Murphy hops out to help Emori. They walk into the palace together.

Yet again the difference from when Nia ruled Azgeda is tangible. The great hall is no longer dominated by a throne sitting high up on a platform but is clearly a place of everyday work and use. Heavy wooden and some stone, partitions divide it into a much more useable and friendly space. There is still a long and roomy hall for celebrations like the bonding ceremony but numerous small rooms are available and if it were earlier in the day Leksa is sure that the new windows (made of many small panes)  would make it much lighter as well. Mara shows them to their rooms on the newly restored second floor and Klark, Leksa, Murphy and Emori disappear to freshen up and prepare for the dinner where they will meet the happy couple and the first of many political discussions will take place.

Finally, Mara escorts Luna along a separate passageway where she opens the first door into a spacious room dominated by a large curtained bed. Quietly shutting the door behind them the two lovers pause for a moment as Luna removes her hat and takes a step towards Mara. Then there’s a hammering at the door, Luna walks past Mara to open it and finds a gona outside with her luggage chest. “Mochof. (Thank-you).” Luna steps back to allow the chest to be wheeled in. The gona doffs his hat to both of them before scurrying out, closing the door behind him.

Then she’s in Mara’s arms, arms that close around her body with an urgency that is matched only by their lips as they meet in long, deep kisses, that steal her breath and make her body shiver and clench.

“Luna niron, ai….” Mara’s attempt to speak is ended when Luna’s reaching hands dislodge her hat and as it falls, Luna squeaks with surprise.

“White your hair is white and you have curls!” Luna’s fingers run through the short loose curls and cup her face. “I like it. I like it so much. Meizen ain gona meizen. (Beautiful my warrior beautiful.)” 

Mara has duties to see to and both of them must prepare for dinner. “May I visit you later, a glass after the midnight bell has rung?”

Luna smiles at Mara taking the lead this time. She agrees to the assignation and after stealing kiss after kiss Mara leaves. Luna has to almost push her out of the door, so unwilling to go from her side is the Azgedan gona.

Chapter Text

12^th Moon Waxing Gibbous Toron

Her room in the palace of Toron is despite a good fire burning in the grate, slightly chilly. This close to midwinter in Azgeda that is to be expected but as Luna lies back on her bed she is snug and warm. The sleeping furs that she is lying on are thick and soft and the lovely sable coat Mara gifted her warms her skin. She lies back, waiting for Mara to complete her duties for the day and come to her, at a glass after midnight. As she waits she remembers.

When you nurse someone who is as ill with radiation and wounds as Mara was after the ambush at Salem you get to know their body. Not as a lover would, but as her fisa(healer) Luna cleaned and stitched all Mara’s wounds. First a deep one to her cheek, sadly it would add another scar to those deliberate cuts that identify her as an Azgedan gona from the Glens. Luna stitched it very carefully as Mara’s facial scars are not like some Azgedan’s deliberately dyed or widened for show but are two pale streaks that run parallel to her nose, visible but not prominent. She also stitched numerous cuts to her legs and Luna really tried her best not to notice how long, slender and beautiful those legs are. At over four cubits in height (6ft 2”) Mara is almost half a cubit taller than Luna and Luna thinks that all that height difference is to be found in Mara’s lovely long leg bones. Jok (fuck), she remembers touching that soft skin, holding a strong thigh still as she cleaned a deep graze. Finally, there was a nasty cut, shallow but long and gaping, across Mara’s abdomen and then no matter how hard Luna tried not to look, she certainly saw, the taut strength coiled in that body. It took all her self-control not to lick away the sweat that gathered on the rippling muscles. As Luna lies on her furs waiting, she can almost taste Mara’s skin. Jok where is that gona!    

To distract herself from such thoughts and that she still has half a glass to wait, Luna thinks back to this evening’s dinner, which had been pleasant if dominated by politics and concerns for the safety of Roan’s guests at his bonding ceremony. Heda, Indra, Onya, Ben kom Boudalan, and Caris kom Sangedakru are the most likely targets for Azgedans who still look back to the days of Nia with fondness or just hate those who have bested them in battle.  There’s no doubt in her mind that Roan, Echo and Mara are trying their hardest to keep people safe. The dungeons of the castle already contain three House Carls and six gonas who had been planning to kill their old enemies. Luna wonders if Echo’s past as Nia’s spy has helped trap those branwadas (fools).  There is also the tek that Raven and Sinclair gave to Roan that will be used to detect hidden knives carried by apparently peaceful guests.

Emori and Murphy had retired early pleading tiredness, Luna thinks they seriously underestimated the strength of the applejack back in Bat.  Their departure allowed Roan to turn the conversation to more personal topics. How for example he, Echo and Mara intend to manage the change from Mara being the highest ranking plana (woman) in Azgeda and Roan’s de facto deputy, to that role being filled by Echo. Luna noticed Roan giving her some sly glances during this part of the evening and wonders how much he knows about her relationship with Mara, what has Mara told him? At one point he took Mara aside before continuing, it seems she gave her consent to him raising family issues. That being young Kateryna. Klark had brought with her from Polis the news that blood tests proved that Kateryna is, as claimed by her maternal grandfather Olaf, Vance’s child and Mara’s grandchild. Luna knew about the blood tests, Mara had told her Kateryna’s story in their exchange of letters over the past two moons. She likes Kateryna, Mara’s chosen messenger and knows Mara is prepared to accept her as family. She’s not sure how acknowledging Kateryna as her heir will impact on Mara’s long-term plans.

Jok, there’s still a little over quarter of a glass to go; she thinks about the journey from Polis and getting to know Emori and Murphy who she had not really met before.  

Murphy was a complete surprise, she knew that Klark had in him a ‘brother by choice’ as he was part of her ‘family’ when she bonded to Leksa, but she never realised that he could bring out a very different Klark. In Murphy’s teasing and snarky company, she saw Klark relax, almost become younger as he pokes fun at his ‘Princess”, makes her laugh and exchanges ribald verbal abuse with her until they both snigger like goufas (children). Emori had looked on smiling, as if this light and silly side of the two friends entranced her.

There’s a soft knock, she’s early! Luna walks to the door and opens it to Mara who slips inside, the door’s bolt slides home to give them privacy. Luna takes a step back to admire her lover, who stands every inch a traditional Azgedan gona. Soft red boots, dark green loose cut trousers that ride low on her hips and an untucked linen shirt embroidered with tiny apples, partly covered by an unbuttoned leather waistcoat. Mara looks a little dishevelled, as if she has just rushed out of her bath (she has, worried that she still smelt too much of horses). They kiss, gentle and soft and Luna hears Mara’s breath catch as her hands slip inside the sable coat to discover only naked skin beneath it. Slowly Mara sinks to her knees, her hands slip down soft flesh until they reach the cool skin of Luna’s calves.

Mara’s “Meizen! (Beautiful!)” is almost lost as her head dips down. Her lips caress the pale skin of Luna’s thighs and her arms reach up to encircle limber hips. She stands, lifting Luna with her and then she spins them both around as Luna giggles at her sudden elevation and Mara buries her face beneath that sable, her lips seeking the softness of a breast. Now it’s Luna’s turn to become breathless as she feels the sweet touch of those lips throughout her body.

They fall together onto the furs and Mara shucks her boots, Luna’s hands are impatient as she tugs at shirt and waistcoat to reveal Mara’s unbound breasts. For Luna time slows as her hands caress the fullness of breasts that have suckled three goufas and look and feel wonderfully supple. Now she mutters “meizen”, as her tongue slides over pebbled nipples and her nimble fingers untie the simple knot at Mara’s hips and slide down into wiry curls. Mara’s arm muscles flex as she holds herself above Luna, who watches as the strong arms start to tremble as she explores her niron’s (love’s) soft heat. Luna’s arm circles Mara’s waist, fingers spread to touch as much skin as possible. Her right-hand caresses before her fingers dip into slick warmth. “Is this okay? More?”

Mara’s head drops onto Luna’s shoulder and for a moment her lips mouth the silken skin in silence. When she does speak her voice is throaty and low.  “Sha (yes), Luna, Sha!” Lifting her face to Lunas she nuzzles into her cheek before her tongue delicately licks at Luna’s bottom lip and Luna opens to her kiss.  

They move together, Mara riding Luna’s fingers and hand until with a sharp cry her body arches in ecstasy and she is suddenly boneless, collapsing by Luna’s side, panting and at last giving Luna the opportunity to bury her face into her niron’s belly and lick warm salty sweat from those tight abdominals.

The arrival next day of Onya, Raven, Marcus, Vera, Hannah and Monty is to be a low-key affair compared to the arrival of Heda and her party. This gives Mara and Luna the time to enjoy morning time in their furs and turn up late for breakfast. They arrive at the dining hall separately as they have agreed not to go public with their relationship until after the formal bonding ceremony is over. This is not the time to deflect attention from the happy couple. Despite this Roan has a teasing smirk on his lips when Mara walks in, her step light and a gentle smile on her lips and he wonders aloud what kept his ani (aunt) away from the breakfast meats so long.  Luna arrives a few moments later and his ani’s warning look silences Roan but does not stop him watching the two planas (women) carefully. His ani and Luna both look happy and that is a good thing to his mind, after so much harsh duty and pain Mara kom Azgeda deserves some happiness.

12^th Moon Full Moon – Midwinter  Toron

Dawn marks the start of a new day: Midwinter is the turning point of the year and the symbolism of change and a new start is not lost on any of the hundreds of guests who watch as Haihefa (King) Roan kom Azgeda bonds with Captain Echo kom Azgeda.

The two celebrants Madrona kom Delphikru and Gaia kom Trikru perform the ceremony with dignity and the two families swear oaths to support the newly bonded couple. Bouquets are thrown and if there was little left to chance as to who had to catch them, as both Roan and Echo are very capable at targeting missiles, the recipients Mara and Luna catch the floral tributes with good grace. Now the first formal dance the pavane will be performed. Gonas dressed in traditional costume guide guests to partners chosen by lot and the music starts.

Indra kom Trikru sees that her bonded Callie has been lucky, she’s to be partnered with Heda Leksa. Indra breathes a sigh of relief for both of them and turns to see who she has been drawn to dance with. He’s a tall thin, grey bearded gona wearing traditional Azgedan dress including baggy trousers of a vibrant blue. Indra recognises him immediately as the House Carl Hull kom Azgeda, known by the Trikru as Hull of the Bloody Axe. Jok, a very old enemy indeed, they’d fought each other in skirmishes and battles for over ten years before Nia joined the Kongeda and although it has never been proven, it is suspected that he supports a number of bandits who still cause trouble on Trikru’s borders now. Indra tenses but makes the first steps in the pavane holding her partner’s hand and composing her features into, as best she can, a pleasant mask. She takes the lead and starts the conversation with as neutral an opening as she can muster.

“Mounin (Good-morning) Hull, they are a beautiful couple who I hope will make Azgeda proud and strong.”

Her attempt at a pleasantry falls on deaf ears as his remark in response is. “You killed my son Ripon at the battle of Yellow Falls fifteen summers ago Indra kom Trikru. I’m not going to forget that just because you look meizen in that gown and my haihefa bonds today.”

Oh Jok, this is what she had dreaded. At least her decision to wear clothes that were not in any way combative or gona-like has been noticed. “I did fight at Yellow Falls and if your son died by my blade I wear a scar on my back to honour and remember him and he died well. I slew no bushadas (cowards) at Yellow Falls.” Slowly they dance a stately circle, eyes locked.

Hull continues to speak through gritted teeth. “How can Trikru and Azgeda ever really be at peace when so many dead lie between us?”

Indra thinks back to Gaia and Heda’s advice about how to deal with such statements. Should she remind him of the terms of Azgeda’s membership of the Kongeda and how Heda Leksa sought no vengeance for the death of Costia but there’s no way Hull is unfamiliar with the treaty, or the death of Costia, she decides to use another suggested approach to reach him. “I honour and remember those who died in our many battles Hull, but feel no need to add their numbers. Peace is good for our peoples, more dead goufas are not!”

Their dance continues in silence until its’ end and Hull bows politely. “You have given me words to think on Indra kom Trikru.”

 If Indra’s pavane ended peacefully Onya’s did not. She danced with a very drunk well-muscled youth of the far north, to judge by his bright red trousers, who tried clumsily to take advantage of the beautiful plana in the red dress. Azgedan tradition permits the victim of persistent unwanted sexual advances to break the fingers of their assailant. Onya did try verbal discouragement first; telling him to “jok of (fuck off)” the first time he palmed her ass, she’d then slapped his hand away from her breasts, but when he groped her ass for a second time she could stand no more, put him into a wrist lock and broke his little finger.  He screamed in pain and the gonas on guard duty moved in to see what was happening. Onya explained why she had broken the little finger of his left hand. The youth slurred a brief confession, clearly of the view that pawing the meizen plana’s ass was worth a broken finger. As the pavane had ended at that point other guests gather round to see what the excitement is all about and Raven afraid for her houmon (spouse) storms over muttering threats to blow up the branwada’s (fool’s) ass.  At this point a distraught older plana rushes over to attend to the youth. She looks at Onya in terror, as if she expects the Trikru wormana (general) to gut her goufa in-front of them all.  She whispers to the youth, who it seems had no idea that he was assaulting the Wormana Onya kom Trikru. He was already pale from the pain of the broken finger, after his nomon’s (mother’s) words all colour drains from his face and he looks ready to faint and / or vomit. The nomon pleads for her goufa (child) “Moba (Sorry) Wormana Onya, he is just a foolish goufa who has drunk far too much, be merciful beja (please)!”

Raven’s still ranting and Onya takes a few moments to reassure her she that she has not suffered any harm. With Raven quietened Onya turns to the nomon and son. “He should know better than to behave like that, I was within my rights to break all his fingers, I broke only one.”

The nomon bows respectfully. “I am at my wits end with him wormana. His nontu (father) was taken by the Maunon when he was small. I have tried to raise him well on my own but I own he has been spoilt. I can deny him nothing, he looks so like his nontu. ”

“Who is his fos? Surely a good fos will knock this foolishness out of him.”

It seems that Yelsta, the nomon, cannot bear to let the boy out of her sight and so he has no fos. As the chance for violent affray has passed the audience of guests disperse and Raven, Onya and Yeltsa, quietly agree that parenting teenagers has its difficulties; while the youngster under discussion, name of Mackie, throws up into a bucket provided by the one of the gonas on guard duty. Yeltsa tuts and drags him away, promising to talk with Roan about getting a fos for her goufa.  Raven is a little clingy after that and will dance only with Onya, refusing to leave her side and glaring at any Azgadan, muttering about bombs in asses,  who dares to look at Onya at all! It takes a little while for Onya to really calm her worried niron down. They walk over to Heda and Hedatu and sit with them for a while watching the dancing. It is an interesting pastime. Murphy and Emori dance well together and when they are not dancing there is a purpose behind their movement through the guests. Klark has to admire her friends’ determination as they make themselves and Nygel, chief negotiator for the sale of Poliskru made goods (including tek), known to as many guests as possible. Nygel can be seen handing out small pieces of paper to almost anyone she talks with. Klark when she gets hold of one discovers that they are printed cardboard decorated with the sigil for Poliskru (a flame-topped tower within a circle) surrounded by tiny sketches of ploughs, threshing machines and other Poliskru made goods, while on the reverse is a simplified map of the city showing where these goods can be bought. Impressive marketing thinks Klark, the others agree.

At midday the Hopak is danced. Indra looks on and sulks. She twisted her ankle in training only a few days back and knows that unless she is fully fit she would stand no chance. Onya after a heated discussion with Raven decides not to enter either. To almost everyone’s disappointment Mara will not compete, she pleads the effects of radiation sickness. Despite these notable omissions it is a spectacular competition. Twenty gonas compete from seven krus. Klark and Luna standby in case CPR or the defibrillator is needed. At eighty kicks only three gonas are still in the competition and Klark and Luna are doing chest compressions on a Boudalan who collapsed at fifty. At one hundred there are only two still kicking, Pilar kom Ingranronakru and Elron kom Louwoda Kilron. It is Elron who at one hundred and ten kicks keels over and stops breathing. Leaving Luna to work on the Boudalan, ably assisted by Mara, Klark has to get Grace to come forward with the defibrillator and shocks the young man back into panting life.

Many of the guests had heard of Klark and Abi bringing reapers and other wounded back from the dead but none had seen it until now. There’s a quiet ripple of murmured exclamations; “Wanheda?” Fortunately, this ripple doesn’t develop and both Klark and Luna are successful in saving the two dancers. Pilar kom Ingranronakru, youngest daughter of Chief Dakota kom Ingranronakru receives her prize of wolf pelts from Heda Leksa and is so overwhelmed by the honour of meeting Heda that she is unable to even say “mochof (thank-you)’ when she receives the prize. Her embarrassed nomon and nontu apologise to Heda for their goufa’s poor manners but Heda smiles, she has taken no offence and was very impressed by the youngster’s performance.

The big formal party continues until dusk when Roan and Echo leave to ‘rest’ for a while. Their exit is an excuse for many vulgar comments, all taken in good part. Klark and Leksa take the opportunity to quietly leave, six of Ai Op (the Watch) go with them. Back at their room they have time to rest, bathe and change.  Onya half carries her emotionally drained niron to their room to rest.

Mara helped by Duram and Kateryna oversees the final preparations for the mid-night party. This will take place in a small hall at the back of the palace, most things are already in place, it’s just a case of setting out the fresh food and making sure no uninvited guests manage to sneak in. Security is tight, not even servers will be in the room, each of the thirty-five guests will serve themselves from a buffet style feast and bar. All is set and Mara puts Jonas and her own gonakru on guard. This informal and relaxing ‘party’ will be private and safe.

Well after Midnight - 12^th Moon Full Moon – Midwinter  Toron

The private party has allowed those close to Roan, Echo and Mara to relax away from politics, danger and even commerce. It is just friends and family, chatting, eating and dancing. The music from the boom box is mellow and what dancing is done is of the slower variety. Klark and Leksa dance almost every dance in each other’s arms, both looking happy and very much in love. The Trikru contingent of Indra, Callie, Onya and Raven finally feel they are amongst friends after the difficulties and stresses of the formal party. Raven in particular has recovered her spirits, though she admits to Onya that she is really missing their goufas.

Luna sits with a tired Kateryna and watches Mara dancing with a very old gona who is a remote member of her family. The two dancers chat as they step gracefully through a slow variety of waltz that originated in the south of Azgeda. The music slows to a stop and all the dancers bow to their partners and make their way back to their seats. Mara drops onto the settle next to Luna and introduces her to the old man who is called Muski, he is Mara’s komfoni’s (grandmother’s) second cousin.

“I am honoured to meet the meizen Chief of Floukru,” he bows deeply to Luna. He then bows to Kateryna “and to meet the youngest member of our family.” Kateryna blushes, she is not used to being known as Mara’s grandchild yet but she does manage a polite reply.

“Thank-you sir. I am very pleased to meet you.” Mara smiles at the youngster as Muski draws himself up to his full height to address Luna again. As the music has stopped for the moment his words can be heard by everyone in the room.

“Chief Luna I am Mara’s eldest relative and the head of our family in the Great Glen. I believe my niece has some words to say to you and she wants me to bear witness.”

Raven turns to Onya and whispers. “Why is Mara looking terrified, is the old man saying something he shouldn’t?”

“Nou. I think we are about to hear something special, listen carefully.”

Mara stands up beside Muski. “Mochof Muski.” Then she turns to face Luna and drops to one knee. Her voice is strong and clear as she speaks the formal words.

“This gona seeks your favour, meizen plana.”

It takes Luna a few seconds to realise what has been said, then to remember Titus’ lessons on Azgedan formalities and finally look into a nervous Mara’s eyes and give the appropriate reply. “This plana hears your plea and welcomes it.”

Mara’s relief at that response is palpable as she continues the formal sequence.

“This gona places her strength and honour at your disposal.”

Now she knows what’s happening Luna’s response is speedier. “This plana, sees in you a gona of might and courage and holds you in the highest esteem.”   

Mara takes Luna’s hand in hers as she speaks the gona’s final words.

“This gona offers her life to you

And I would die for thee.

For where you go so shall I

And I will dwell where you abide.

For your kru are my kru

And your troubles and joys are mine.”

Luna then kneels in-front of Mara to complete her part of the verse.

“And should you die my gona

Then I would die with thee.

For so my soul and thine are knit together

Beyond the grave this bond endures.

For where you go so shall I

And I will dwell where you abide.”

Muski concludes. “This gona has declared her love and her love is returned. I Muski kom Azgeda welcome this betrothal.”

Roan and Echo lead the cheers and applause at the conclusion of this small ceremony and Mara takes Luna into her arms and kisses her soundly.

Raven whisper-shouts to Onya. “Did Mara just ask Luna to marry her?”

“Sha. Oof!” Raven elbows her niron firmly and Onya doubles over, winded.

“Why didn’t you say lovely words to me like that? I’d have said yes sooner if you had!”

Indra leans forward a huge grin on her face, she’s happy for Mara and Luna and enjoys teasing Raven.

“Think yourself lucky Raven. A traditional Trikru betrothal is much less civil. We just throw our planas over our shoulder’s and run off into the woods with them!”

“I could cope with that!” said Raven grinning; but when Onya lifts her up and tosses her niron onto her shoulder, she’s not so sure.

Chapter Text

Spring Equinox - 10 years after Roan and Echo’s bonding : Haven

Kateryna’s last growth spurt brought her equal to her Komfoni (grandmother) in height and to her saddle is strapped that respected gona’s battle axe. Mara doesn’t need it here and Kateryna is more than competent at wielding the famous weapon of her fos and Komfoni.

The two woman stand outside the gates of Haven, Mara can see the emotion her grand-daughter struggles to conceal. “You will do well youngon, I have taught you all I can, now it is your turn to become teacher and leader. Your seken shows promise already.” Both of them look to the scrawny youth who watches them with keen eyes. “When your grandfather told me who you were and I met you for the first time, just a fiery goufa with red hair and long limbs, I knew that the Great Glen was going to be yours. You look so like my nonom (mother) that I knew your blood was mine and I am proud of you and how you have become one of the people you will lead and protect. I am here if you need me, but Haven is my home now.” It’s taken ten long years for Mara to fulfil her duties in Azgeda and come to live in Haven all year round. Before today they have divided their time with the seasons. In Spring and Summer Mara and Kateryna were with Luna in Haven fishing, hunting and learning the ways of peace. In the autumn they returned to Azgeda to oversee the apple harvest and winter pruning.  Luna visited Azgeda when she could and occasionally they would both make their way to Polis for ‘Kongeda Business’. In truth, just desperate to be together.

Kateryna knows that to be in Haven with Luna is what Mara wants. At 55 summers Mara has done more than her fair share for Azgeda. She’s fought battles, suffered injuries, planned and politicked, all for Azgeda. Over the last ten years she’s trained her young heir and seken both for war and peace, now Kateryna is ready to take on the role of leader and bring new ideas and energy to the Great Glen.  They exchange the gona’s (warrior’s) salute of clasped arms before the young leader leaps onto her horse and gives the signal to her gonas to leave. Mara watches her past and future ride away, she turns into the gate, hands her sword to Bigas and walks towards Luna who has been waiting for her. Hand in hand they walk to the sea front, eager to see what the boats have brought in today.

Three Days Later : Haven

After last night’s storm the morning is cool and winds are a steady southerly blow. The people of Haven line the docks and quays as their sailors ready every boat to sail to the Rig. The SOS came in last night, as the storm blew at full strength from the north. The message was desperate, their boats are lost and the Rig badly damaged. One of its’ four supporting legs sheared through when a massive wave slammed into the old structure and a whole section buckled and slid into the sea. Twenty people were lost in that moment and the rest are huddled on the lurching and screaming sick beast that once was their home and refuge, their only hope now is rescue from the land.

Polis has sent one of their ships but it will take two days to arrive, the little boats of Haven can be there in less than half that. Mara and Bigas pull the old clinker-built whaling boat away from the quay as Luna raises the sails on Sea Hunter. With a steady wind behind them they head north-east, a flotilla of ten boats, some powered only by sail and oars, others with motors too, all will be needed to rescue the survivors.

The winds favour them as they speed across a moderate swell, the flotilla stays together under the command of Adria, Haven’s Captain of Boats. About half a day into the voyage the Rig is in sight, the huge metal platform slumps at an unnatural angle. Of the four legs, the northernmost one has gone, the westernmost is buckled; the south and eastern remain erect. Adria directs the flotilla to stay at least two hundred cubits to the south of the Rig; the whole thing could go down at any moment and its’ metal superstructure is sliding off its’ northern corner into the sea; one container, barrel and spar at a time. The two nimblest boats will go in singly to collect refugees from the base of the southern leg and then transfer survivors to the rest of the waiting flotilla. Sails furled and relying on their oars Mara and Bigas wait as Sea Hunter sweeps into position. Luna and Adria work well together and they bring the ketch in close to the open hatch’s gangway and immediately start taking on survivors. The escaping children leap fearlessly onto the rescue boat’s deck, while stretchers are manhandled carefully over the rail and down into the cabins and a couple of walking wounded are helped across. As Sea Hunter pulls away Mara and Bigas row towards the gangway, for a short while they are fully underneath the swaying rig and the noise of metal scraping and shearing above them is terrifying and watching the deck shudder as even this morning’s gentle waves lap brings acid bile up into Mara’s mouth. They take on ten adults, some with bandaged wounds before they retreat to offload their passengers. It takes the two boats five journeys each before the Rig is emptied of all life and they set sail home.

They’re the last back, Sea Hunter is already tied up and secured when Bigas and Mara finally dock the whaler. Onboard are those who were the last and most reluctant to leave. Looking at her passengers Mara can see that for these haunted spirits the horrors of war and pain may never end. She knows not how they will cope on the land where for some even the very soil will bring back bad memories. 

Luna is waiting for them on the dock, Derrik at her side, ready to greet the final survivors. With Mara at the rudder Bigas ties the whaler up at the sea stairs and stands back to allow the passengers to make their way onto land in their own time. Mara swings herself up onto the dockside and Luna leans forward to embrace her and take comfort from her arms.

“I was worried niron, you took so long what was the problem?”  

“Some wanted to stay on the Rig and have their fight end with the sea’s mighty waves. Bigas and I waited to give them time to decide. Then one ran back up the stairway ….. Elise did not want to leave her pet. I found her trying to unlock his cage. Anyway, her parrot Silver sailed with us. No-one was left behind.”

Derrik gathers the last of his flock and escorts them to the village’s hall where they will stay together as a group, taking comfort from each other, for a few days.

Polis’ big ship docks the next day, Heda and Hedatu are onboard to see what they can do to help Haven cope with the influx of survivors.  When Leksa sees Derrik approaching at a trot she almost groans aloud.

“Heda, I demand refuge for my people! ”

“Who are you to demand anything of Heda?”  It’s Klark indignant that he berates Leksa without reason.  Quint and Dax move forward to stop him approaching the two leaders.

Leksa takes Klark’s hand in hers, whispering. “Just ignore him”  and turns to speak to Luna.

“Monin (Good morning) Luna we are here to help Haven and Floukru. Is the Rig completely beyond use now?”

Midsummer - 10 years after Roan and Echo’s bonding : Polis

It’s not often that Onya has a lie in with her beautiful bonded and today she’s enjoying taking full advantage of a sleepy, sexy Raven in the fresh morning light. Her lips firmly pull at the enticing nipple as her hands please her plana (woman).  “Sha, oh fuck! Sha just there! Aaaah.” Panting Raven pulls Onya into a long kiss and palms her breasts eager to return the favour.

“Nomons, (mothers) nomons!” Vigorous rattling of the door handle follows. “Nomons, nomons time to get up. It’s Pops and Row-Row’s big day!”

Sighing, Onya slips out of their bed and into a robe, leaving Raven to grumble; “your child is nothing but a cock-blocker!”

Onya unlocks their door to let in the five summer’s old terror that is their youngest child Helen (Hellie / Hells Bells). Black haired and dark eyed, with high cheekbones the little girl slams into her nomon Onya’s waist.

“You aren’t ready. You’re not even up yet. What will Pops and Row-Row do without you?”

Raven opens her arms and Hellie hurls herself across the room into them. “We have until the midday bell to get to the site goufa (child), the girls will be fine. I trained them after all.”

“Will you train me nomon?”

“If you stay on the ground long enough my little monkey and want to do tek. I will train you.” In her heart Raven thinks it unlikely. The five-year-old shows no inclination to do anything other than climb trees, ride her pony and shoot her tiny bow. Raven’s not pushing her goufa into tek if she isn’t that way inclined. At the moment the girl is all Onya, a tiny gona in the making and she’s going to be one hell of a looker, just like her gorgeous niron (beloved).

Breakfast is a family affair this morning. Usually when they are in Polis Onya and Hellie start training at dawn and Raven makes her way to the Tek Floor to get some work done before Sinclair and Jake arrive. So, breakfast is ‘on the run’, Hellie loves Tillia’s cheese rolls and nomon Onya does too, while Raven makes do with coffee and toast. It’s different when they are on the big Homestead. At the Homestead, a large farm/ranch that Onya and Leksa cut from the forest about half a day’s journey inland from Haven,  family breakfasts are the norm with whoever is in residence at that moment. That could be any of a dozen or so people and their families. Gostos (now retired from Ai Op) and his houmon Angie cook a huge breakfast for anyone who shows up. That could be Poppy and her houmon Roscoe, Rowan and whoever she feels like bringing back, Heda, Hedatu, Oktavia, Linkon, Abi, Jake; what sometimes seems like ‘packs’ of children from ages five to fifteen etc. At harvest times the Homestead is bursting at the seams as everyone turns up to help pick apples, pears, cob nuts, chestnuts and walnuts. Later in the year Onya and Heda come with their youngest goufas, Helen and Astra, to spend time with Gostos as they prune and coppice their trees.

As noon approaches the family make their way to the big station yard. Sinclair and Jake are there looking almost as proud as Raven, but that isn’t actually possible. No-one could look as proud as Raven on this day! The VIPS are making their way to the platform. All thirteen bandronas are there, some looking a little nervous. The younger natblidas are jumping up and down with excitement, while the older ones try to ‘look cool’ and indifferent. Heda and Hedatu wait patiently watching their two goufas, Astra and Selene, wander over to Hellie and start a complicated three-way game of cat’s cradle. As the midday bell strikes a distant roaring noise can be heard coming from the south of the city. Onlookers start to mutter in excitement and heads crane to see if they can see anything. Raven has her binoculars out and soon the smile on her face is stellar. She hands the bins to Onya who immediately has three children pestering her for a look. 

The first moves huge, stately and controlled following the rutted and mud baked track that is the main road south. Behind it are two smaller craft.  All of them hover on skirts of air above the trackway and travel smoothly no matter how potholed or poor the road’s surface.  As they approach the station’s platform huge fans slow and gracefully all three craft settle on the paved station yard. Poppy and Rowan make their way out of the largest hovercraft and onto the platform where the impressed VIPs wait for them.  Heda Leksa greets them and the two mechanics escort Heda and Hedatu inside the ground’s newest form of transport. The hovercraft will link the southern krus of the Kongeda more securely with Polis, overcoming the swampy conditions that have proved so difficult in the past and they’ll provide more reliable links to the north in the deepest winter snows.

Raven thinks she may have died and gone to heaven. Onya has her arms around her and may have a tear in her eye watching their goufas and Raven’s sekens receive thanks and praise from the whole Kongeda. Together the two young mechanics designed and made something that will help so many live better lives. She is so proud, she turns into Onya’s embrace and bursts into tears of happiness!

Spring – 25 years after Roan and Echo’s bonding: Polis

Jackson finishes the stitching as neatly as he can and stands back. The surgery is over it’s just a matter of waiting now for his patients to wake up.

First is Aden, who recites the names of the Commanders from Bekka Pramheda to Heda Leksa. A new Heda is in place. He will become known as the Heda of Histories for his works documenting the achievements of his predecessor Heda Leksa.

Second is Leksa herself who wakes to find her anxious niron sitting by her side. “Hei Klark. Ai hod yu in (I love you) !”

With a sob Klark embraces her niron, all is well. Heda Leksa has passed the Flame on to her successor and lived. She, Klark and their now adult children Astra and Selena will enjoy the peace she created for many years to come.

THE END