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Folk
Discovered:
Outside
the southern entrance of the south most tunnel of the folk, a young man
practiced with his crossbow. Then he heard something and he listened intently.
Then he was sure. He heard the unmistakable throbbing of a flyer’s blades
in the air. He turned and ran into the tunnel.
“They
come,” he shouted. “The Invaders come.”
He
shouted it over and over and added, “Tell Elder Bruce.”
One
man ran down the tunnel to find the Elder.
Soon
Bruce was at the entrance with many others.
“The
Invaders come?” he asked.
“Ay
respected Elder. I was out. I heard the sound of their flyer, then I came to
tell you.”
“Gather
the women and children in the main hall,” said Elder Bruce.
He
spoke to Mathew who was with him. “Gather the men with their bows and
long knives. Send them here, Mathew.”
Mathew
turned and walked rapidly into the tunnels speaking to each man as he came upon
him. “Find your bow and bolts, get your long knife. Meet in the south
entrance. The Invaders come.”
The
men moved rapidly and purposefully with grim expressions.
“Someone
must run to the north tunnel to alert the folk there,” said Bruce to the
ones as they assembled.
“I
have run the path many times,” said the young man who had alerted the
folk. “I will go.”
“Go
then, and take special care. Return not until I send word.”
“Aye
elder,” said the man and ran toward the north entrance.
Edward the Younger of Ashville stepped
forward.
“We
must needs have a watcher,” he said to Bruce. “I will go to the
spot by the air hole and watch.”
“There
be great danger in that,” said Bruce.
“Aye,
Elder, but it must be done.”
“Go
then, but go swiftly. Stay well hidden,” said Bruce.
Edward
shouldered his crossbow, ran through the entrance, and turned up the hill. He
stayed as much as possible in the shadows of the trees.
In
the flyer were 10 fully armed Marines lead by a captain. There was also a
pilot, his assistant and 5 surgeons plus Maliki and Najaf. The flyer hovered
over the crash site, which was beginning to fade away under new growth.
“Put
it down beside the crash site,” ordered Maliki.
“Yes
sir,” said the pilot, “but wait a minute.”
“Why?”
demanded Maliki.
“I
can’t be sure sir, but I thought I saw movement on that hill.”
“An
animal, you think?”
“Perhaps
an animal on two legs, sir.”
“A
human?”
“I
know not sir. I saw it then it was gone.”
“Very
well then. Captain, have your men stand at the ready. They are to rush that
hill and capture whatever is there.”
”I understand sir,” said the captain.
He
turned to his men and said, “Stand by at the ramp. Move out as soon as we
touch down. Capture whatever is on that hill.”
He
turned to the pilot. “Put us down as close to the hill as
possible.”
“Yes
sir,” snapped the pilot.
On
the hill, Edward saw the danger as the flyer moved swiftly toward the hill.
“I
am seen,” he shouted through the air hole. “I flee. Stay
hidden.”
Edward
ran past the crest and down the other side of the hill, but away from the
tunnels of the folk. It was his will to lead the Invaders away form the folk,
away from the women and children. He was ready to give up his life for that
purpose.
The
flyer touched down and the ramp slammed down. Ten highly trained marines rushed
the hill with weapons ready. When they reached the crest, Edward was a running
figure far out of range. The marines took up the chase. There were no shots
fired. Maliki had said capture. He did not say kill.
The
race continued. The marines were in top shape, but they were weighed down with
all of their gear. Edward, in his prime and hardened by years of the
disciplined living of the folk, was widening the gap. Then disaster struck. The
hole of a hare engulfed Edward’s foot. He felt the ankle snap and knew he
would run no more.
He
decided to sell his life dearly. He sat against a huge tree and notched a bolt
into his bow. He held it at the ready and waited. His long knife was in is
belt. The first marine to approach him was surprised by a bolt through his
throat. He fell with blood gushing from the wound, dying. The second marine
raised a weapon and fired, hitting Edward in the shoulder. The captain screamed
a reprimand.
The
marines approached Edward Warily, but, with only one good arm, he was unable to
notch another bolt. The marines began to close fast, but Edward had one brave
act left to him. He held the point of his long knife to his chest and rolled quickly
onto it. His heart was pierced and he expired on the spot. When the marines
returned to the flyer, they brought two dead with them, a human and a marine.
Maliki
was enraged. “At least we know what killed your guards,” he roared
to Najaf.
The
marine captain was angry with his men and with himself. He had failed in his
mission. Instead of a prisoner, he had a dead human and a slain marine.
“I
have failed sir,” he said to Maliki. “I will place myself under
arrest and surrender to My Major when we return.”
“You
will do nothing of the sort,” raged Maliki. “Spare me the
theatrics. We have work to do and you and your men must do it.”
“What
work, sir.”
“You
found one human fleeing, did you not?”
“We
did sir.”
“Think
you that this human was alone in this wilderness?” demanded Maliki.
The
captain looked surprised then thoughtful.
“No,
sir, I see your point. There must be others about.”
“Indeed,
captain, and in what direction would you think to look for them?”
“Perhaps
in the direction he ran.”
“Karuk’s
Subfire, captain! Is that what you would do, lead your enemy to your
home?”
“Oh,
no sir. I would attempt to lead him away from my ho — — Oh!”
“Indeed
captain. Let us scrutinize the area from the air and see what we can see. I
suspect we will find what we seek to the north of where he human was
discovered.”
“I
am humbled by your wisdom, sir.”
“Oh
for Karuk’s sake captain, give it up. Let us just do what needs to be
done.”
“Yes,
sir. You men, take your slain comrade aboard. What of the human, sir.”
“Leave
it, it would be much too tough for our dinner.”
“Yes,
sir. The rest of you men get on board, now.”
The
flyer lifted and drifted slowly to the north, toward the tunnel entrance.
Maliki was peering intently through the pilot’s windshield.
Suddenly
he said, “There, you see it?”
“What
should I see, sir?”
The
dark area at the foot of the hill, captain.”
“What
is it, sir?”
“We
will find that it is a cave of some kind. “prepare your men to storm that
cave.”
Maliki
turned to the pilot. “Put us down as near to it as you can.
In
the entrance, Bruce the elder watched as the flyer cam to ground.
“We
must stand and fight here,” he said, to the assembled folk. “We
either win or we die today.”
The
men standing around him looked grim, but there were many nods of agreement.
“It
be time to stand and fight,” agreed Mathew.
The
men crouched in the shadows of the tunnel. Each had his bow notched and ready.
“Wait
until they are near,” remarked Bruce. “Make sure of your bolt or
shaft.”
The
ramp slammed down and nine marines lead by a captain rushed the entrance. They
ran from sunlight into shadows and did not see what awaited them. Nine marines
and a captain died in a hail of bolts and shafts from a hundred bows. Then
Bruce walked to the entrance and looked at the flyer.
“Be
that all of them?” he wondered aloud.
“Perhaps
it be all,” answered Mathew.
Bruce
saw two Invaders standing in the door of the ramp.
“I
want bowmen up here,” he said.
All
of the men strode foreword.
“What
would you have us do,” asked one.
“Mayhap
some of you could fell the Invaders in the flyer.”
It
was hardly out of his mouth when bolts began raining down on the flyer. Najaf
was hit and fell back, but Maliki ran inside. The ramp came quickly up and the
flyer was rising. It wasted no time, but turned and flew rapidly toward the
Invaders stronghold. Bruce sagged against the wall and took deep gulps of air.
“What
now?” he asked. “What now?”
There was no answer forthcoming.
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