Chapter 23

Monday April 10

The First Night of the Full Moon

Morning broke, bright, sunny, warm, cloudless, the air still. The feeling of waiting for something. People adapt, it was becoming the “new normal”.

Just before breakfast Moses caught Sam coming out of the tents. “Mr. MacLachlan, I talked to family, I prayed, I prayed something fierce. I just am not officer material.”

“Mr. Moon, I am very sorry to hear that. I won’t force it on you sir. But I do have to ask, if you are saying no because you fear ordering men into combat, how will you feel when you see people die and you think the orders were wrong?”

“As a marine Sgt. I have ordered and led men into combat. I done seen my share of stupid and death, maybe more then my share/ It changes a man. I don’t want to be in this battle, but got no choice. I can’t be an officer, sir.”

“Very well. I look forward to having you with us.”

The men continued on to the meal.

As Sam finished eating Daniel came over.

“Morning Mr. Brown, have a seat.”

“Thank you, Mr. MacLachlan. I came to let you know that I will accept a position as one of the Lance leaders.”

Sam reached out, “Welcome to the Brotherhood” shaking Daniel’s hand. “Are you ready to take the oath now?”

“Yes Sir, may I have my Mary and the girls attend?”

“I see no reason they may not, if, they so wish. After all, happy wife, happy soldier.”

“I shall bring them over.”

“Mr. Brown meet us over by the forge. I’ll have your brothers.”

They both got up and Sam called his men to the forge. “Bull, you are going to have some work this morning.”

“Sounds good. Gary did ask me to give you his thanks for bringing his uncle and cousin here.”

Sam thought for a moment, “That artillery Lt”, pause as he cut a piece off his plug and put it inside his cheek, “Alfred, right?” Bull nodded. “Wonder why he didn’t mention it?”

“They only found each other Saturday.” Answered Bull. As Sam nodded they could see Daniel and his family on the way over. “Sam, is it good if we take Gary into our group as a novice?” He hurried “He is apprenticing as a smith and swearing him in may give him enough to help with the blessings.”

“We will have to see if we can.”

“I know we can Sam.” Sam stared at Bull, who shrugged, “I checked with higher first.”

“After we are done here.” Turning, “Hello to the Brown family, I don’t think we have all met.”

After several minutes of introductions and brief conversation, they began the oaths to have Daniel become a member of The Supreme Order of Christ.

Sam stood in front of Daniel, Tom and Alex on each side and Bull behind him. “Mr. Brown recite the words before you,”

““I, Daniel Campbell Brown, do swear and avow to be a true disciple of Yeshua, to be shield to the weak, sword against the adversary, almsman to the needy, and to give all Glory to YHWH, forsaking all other Deities. I swear this in the name of Yeshua”.

"I, Samuel Peter MacLachlan, do swear and avow as a follower of Yeshua and in his name, to lead you, support you, to be shield and sword with you and be your brother as well as commander in these times of apocalypse, and into the next world”

The other members “I, stating full name, do swear and avow as a follower of Yeshua and in his name, to support you, to fight beside you, and be your brother in these times of apocalypse, and into the next world”.

As the oaths completed, the men saw a new screen

Daniel Brown: “Congratulations you have been invested by YHWH as a warrior cleric: +2 points Piety access to clerical miracles and rituals” the next read You have received Power Investiture (2) +2 IQ,” Finally “Congratulations on achieving the rank of Sergeant in the Supreme Order of Christ: +2 reaction to allies of YHWH, -3 reaction to allies of the adversary” Congratulations as a Sergeant of the Order and Companion of the Champion you are granted : +1 HT, +2 Dex, +1 Str., you are granted the following knowledge, Presence, Dispel Possession, Utter dome/wall, Sheild, Armor . Your lance has room for one more companion.”

Sam read “Congratulations on your new companion, you still have one opening to fill in the lance to complete the quest.”

Bull, Tom and Alex read “Congratulations on a new companion in arms, your lance still has room for one more companion.”

Sam looked at Daniel and his family. “Welcome and thank you for joining us, Daniel. To the rest of the Brown family, He is doing a needed service, thank you for supporting him, and us as we do what we can in this new world we are in. If you need anything, come and ask us. If you have questions, please come to me and ask. I may not know or be able to answer, but we can face that together.

Daniel, please go with Bull and Gary to get your gear worked on, what you have needs an upgrade.”

“Tom, Alex, we will leave for Corvallis in two hours. We want to be ready to come back early Tuesday. I don’t want to be caught on the road.”

“Are we taking a wagon with us? Asked Alex.

“I will talk to Gideon about the two-horse farm wagon.” Replied Sam.

They broke up to get ready to head out.

                             MAIN HOUSE

“Gideon, we will be heading south to Corvallis in about two hours. We plan on taking the ranch wagon unless you need it.”

“Sounds good, I think you may want to hitch Seonag and Arable to pull it. They have been almost as good as a hand recently.”

“Bull will be here working the forge, if you need him, and the new man, Daniel. Just have a feeling something is coming. We have to cover as much as we can.”

“Thanks brother, I am sure with their help we will keep folks safe here.”

Sam: “Mind if I use your office for a few minutes?”

“Don’t forget to tell Ruth goodbye before you head out.”

Gideon left the room and Sam sat down in one of the chairs. Looking up Sam thought “Guide”

“Yes Sam, what is on your mind today?”

“Please tell me what you told Bull about initiates.”

“An Initiate is a person who swears to train with the Order to become a Member of the Order when they reach the age to do so.”

“I see. Why did Bull need this and not myself?”

“Bull did not need the information, Bull asked for the information.” Guide paused and as Sam looked at him, “Sam, when the information is needed you will be told. If you have to many things that you try to accomplish you are likely to not do your best work on those you have now.”

“Very well Guide.”

Sam left the main house on his way to gear up.

The men all meet at the stables at 10:30 with a full load out. The horses were hitched to the wagon, and the supplies, including a small (5gallon) barrel of Holy Water. With Alex driving the wagon the men started across the ranch, they were met by Jessica and Nessa (Dowling) Hayes, mounted and decked out in riding clothes.

Jessica: “Good day gentlemen, a fine day for a ride.”

Sam: “Good day ladies, it is indeed a fine day. We are off to Corvallis to pick up more people for refuge. May I ask where you ladies are off too?”

Nessa: “Why what good fortune, we are also off to Corvallis.”

Sam: “Ladies the roads are not safe at this time. Maybe we can pick up what ever it is you need?”

Jessica: “Why Mr. Sam, Our LADY has told us we need to stretch the legs of our horses.”

Tom: “And your Lady said you needed to go all the way to Corvallis?”

Jessica, smiling: “No just that we needed to go that way and needed to be accompanied by some fine gentlemen on our trip.”

Sam hung his head shaking it. “The very same LADY who sent you to us in Stevensville?”

Nessa: “The one and the same”

Tom: “People will talk, the trip is overnight.”

Nessa: “Why Mr. Tom, none would question us, it is far to soon after the death of my dear husband, and Jessica is my chaperon even as I am hers.”

The men looked at each other, shaking their heads. Alex looking mildly paler than normal. Tom whistled up the dogs and the group headed out on the road south.

After they left the ranch the men loosened their carbines but left them in their scabbards, trusting the dogs to give enough advance notice of trouble.

As the rode Nessa rode up near Sam while Jessica rode near Tom.

Jessica: “So, Mr Chalmers should be made aware, that my hope chest is a bit bare after the war, and my family’s troubles.”

“Miss DaDann, Mr Chalmers has not much during this time of trouble either. He does as do you have a place in the refuge, and some coin, but no place of his own, save a tent until the building are built.

Jessica: “My family will be horrified. They will wonder if he will be able to provide a ring?”

Tom: “I know not if any towns have one, but I am sure that Mr. Chalmers will do all in his power to find a worthy ring.”

“Please tell Mr. Chalmers I have no need of a fine church wedding, but if he could, a wedding band would be nice. However, I would rather he be whole then a ring.”

When the group was two miles out from the ranch, the riders all dismounted, the ladies took over driving the wagon and the men walked the next half mile and the group stopped to rest the horses.

They continued south in this manner with the day passing quietly. The dogs had several quick takings of small game and needed to be called back when they harried off into the woods. The day was getting later when they got to the second small bridge after the turn off to Victor. The unseasonable heat had caused enough run off from snow melt that the bridge was washed out. The group came to a halt several yards short, when the dogs began to back towards the wagon, facing east, growling. Tom moved to the same side and after pulling his carbine closed his eyes, reaching with his left hand his eyes closed.

“smell, bears, two small, big one anger, blood, boar, blood.”

“We have a momma and her cubs, had a run in with a boar, both bear and boar hurt, think all parties still up.” Said Tom.

Sam: “Ladies, if you would move to the west side of the wagon, everyone dismount, ready arms.”

The group took up defensive positions and could hear the movement in the woods. A pause, the sound of something crashing through the trees, a squeal of pain, cut short. A pause, the roar of a bear, met by a deep grunting. Tom raised his hand, his eyes closed, (Smell, carrion, rot, blood, much blood); ( feeling anger, hunger, fear)

“We have a new predator joined in. Dogs, think the boar is down and momma and her cubs seem not to want to engage. Kia thinks it smells like that thing back by the lake.”

Sam: “First the omitaa-dainah, now whatever this thing is, wonder which is chasing what.”

Jessica put her rifle on the wagon and begins to search quietly in her bag, “Mr. Tom, in which direction is this creature?”

Tom, pointing into the woods, “Over there, Kia thinks the bears hare heading that way but the other is still over that way.”

Pulling a branch from her bag Jessica nods and steps around the wagon. She begins to sing/chant, in a tongue, that was slippery and liquid sounding, yet dark and foreboding at the same time. As she finished the branch seemed to just turn to dust and drift towards the trees.

Turning towards the group, Nessa is already putting her rifle away. Jessica: “That should buy us about half an hour, nothing will want to move through that section of forest for that long.”

Sam: “You heard the lady, Alex get the wagon across, Ladies, if you would get the horses across, Tom, rear guard, keep the dogs with you. I’ll help Alex make sure the wagon does not bog down. Lets get a move on.”

As Tom stood with his carbine ready, the dogs in a crescent between he and the woods, the women took the horses reins and led them across the flooded creek. Sam went in front of the wagon, checking for holes and eddies that could injury the team or break a wheel. It took the full 30 minutes and then a bit more before Sam called “We are all over, bring yourself and the dogs now.” Sam stood near the bank his carbine ready.

The group continued south to the house the Lance had held up in a few days before. They lit a small fire in the wood stove to prepare an evening meal. The wagon was left out by the barn, the precious horses were brought inside again. The women were given the loft to sleep in, the men and animals had the downstairs. A watch was set, Tom and the dogs having the final watch.

Alex stood first watch. As the midnight hour approached, and Sam’s watch was about to begin, the night air was shattered by howls. Everyone was awakened by the hatred the filled the air, no natural wolf howl had shattered the night, this was threatening. With weapons ready, they looked out, into the warm, clear night, the full moon pregnant and close in the sky, seeming almost touchable.

The chorus of howls was broken by a thunderous roar, a direct challenge given to the wolves. But what could give such a full-throated response, none in the building could say. The dogs huddled behind the humans, wanting nothing more than to hide. Tom once again using his gift reaching out, (cold, hunger, death, running away).

Tom relayed the feeling to the group who settled in for a long hour as the howls and roars battled for dominance over the next 90 minutes. After the evening quieted, they returned to the interrupted watch schedule. To finish the night.