Chapter 17
Tuesday April 4th
Late Afternoon
After everyone calms down and is convinced the flaming swords are not a carnival trick, the swords are sheathed, causing some belief issues again, but what about the scabbards why don’t the burn? Answer magic? Sam and Marco settle in to talk, the men of both groups, plus young Olek are cooking up dinner. The group, as all such groups, starts talking about the things that have been happening the last 2 weeks.
Marco reported that the patrol group had come north out of Corvallis. Corvallis had not been hit too hard on the 21st. Almost 40% of the population in town were taken up. The power was down. The presence of a large number of veterans had helped maintain order.
They had some contact with Hamilton and things there were looking grim. Almost 70% of the people there were taken up and There had been a small riot when no authorities were left to take control in town. There were some fires, and some looting, order was mostly restored when the local American Legion Post got organized and lynched some of the troublemakers. Capt. Vadik Borg and 1st Sgt Shirl Young are ramrodding the place now.
Woodside, not enough people still there to even call it a village, as for Riverside, nothing really there either. Seemed that a fire started that morning and most of the buildings burned. Some folks made it to Hamilton and some to Corvallis. Nothing from Grantsdale, but them Johnny Rebs been standoffish for a long time. (Only reason it is Grantsdale, H.H. Grant founded the town in 1888 and Ulysses S Grant be damned).
Sam reported on the goings on in Stevensville around 65% taken, Victor completely gone some taken and some killed by the attack of the omitaa-dainah. The train derailed just outside of Victor and nothing has come down the tracks. Attacks by some sort of midgets, dwarves I don’t really know have taken out a few farms. Tried to check on Curlew mines but they are hunkered down and not talking to anyone.
Showed you folks the swords, me and the boys are part of a group now, Supreme Order of Christ. It’s how we came by the swords. Need to recruit about 35 more folks and at least another 30 to set up a refuge, up near Big Creek Lake. Going to be a mixed group, ourselves, some Hotametaneo’o and a group called Troich.
The groups had the evening meal and split the watch schedule up for the night, four watches one man from each group. The 2nd and 4th watches having an extra man. Tents were pitched and the group settled in for the night.
As second watch was starting the guard by the eastern edge called warning he heard hooves. Horses moving in the fields south by east. Even though the moon was in it’s first quarter with a clear sky, nothing was seen moving in the field. The camp kept the first watch on for an extra hour but the horses had left and nothing was disturbing the fields. As third watch drew nigh the howl of a wolf was heard from the east, the closest foot hills. The howl was answered by another in the same direction, then more, until the packs howl could be heard across the fields ringing from Hay Creek to Brick Creek almost a full quarter circle. After the stories shared earlier and with the smoldering barn as a reminder the men were on edge. Second watch was kept up for half of third watch. During that 90 minutes the wolves were heard 5 times. The sound of the howls drew to a single point, moving from north (Brick Creek) to south (Hay Creek). The Howls drew nearer and then fading as they moved away. The wolves were obviously hunting and chasing something.
Midpoint of third watch second took to their bedrolls while forth watch was awakened. Tom stooped down near Kiazer then looked across the road. There in the brush, kneeling and watching, a child. It was not watching in the direction of the hunt; it was watching their camp. Tom signaled Sam over and told him what and where he saw the child sized figure.
“Tom, take Kiazer, circle around west of him. Try not to spook him. I will cover. We don’t want to chase him towards that hunt.”
“You want me to try to bring him here or just observe?”
“Don’t chase him, but if he will talk, try to talk him in. He will be safer with us then on his own.”
“You Got it. Kia, come” With that Tom moved off towards the west.
The man and dog crossed the road and entered the unplanted fields to move wide of the child. The sounds of the hunt were fading again, whatever was being chased heading towards the woods and the mountains. The child moved, backing into the bushes. During that shift there was a moment he could see the hair, up in a bun, and looking pale as the moonlight, then lost in the shadow of the bush. Tom paused, waited almost 2 minutes. He began his slow stalk again.
Sam watched as Tom made his way across the road. He and Kiazer both crouched and moving slow. That damned long hunt once again changing direction and starting to move away. There was a brief movement from the bush concealing the child. Tom and Kia stopped and waited. The hunt started moving north again, whatever those wolves chased had them running in circles. Never moving past either creek and somehow never coming into sight. Tom and Kia had started moving again. He got halfway to the bush, close enough to talk quietly to the child. Tom just, suddenly, stopped. He looked around for a moment, then calling Kia stood up and walked towards the camp. Kia looking the other way for a moment and then followed. Sam took a moment to look where Kia had and there moving away slowly he saw another child sized figure. Maybe three feet tall, unlike those creatures up north this one wore clothes, and a breastplate, of bronze?
When Tom got closer he spoke to him, “Tom, what is up with those kids? Why didn’t you talk with them?”
“What kids Sam?”
“The ones across the road in those bushes.” Pointed Sam. Tom blinked and turned staring.
“I don’t see any kids, Sam.”
“You pointed out the one in the bush, the other one was behind you.” Answered Sam.
Tom signaled for a second, He knelt and put his head to Kiazer’s. He paused and then wide eyed looked at Sam. “You’re right, the one in the bush had me distracted and the other one, an old man touched me on the neck. I don’t remember it Sam.” A look of worry, almost fear coming over Tom.
“Tom, go brief the rest of the watch, keep an eye out.” Ordered Sam.
As Tom made the rounds of the awake watch, explaining what they saw and what happened, the hunt continued to move away. Suddenly out on the fair side of the fields, past the wall by the trees there was a flash. Bright enough it was almost like lightning, but it did not come from the clear as glass night sky, no it came from within the trees. As the men blinked their eyes clear the night was quiet. No thunder, no wolves. Just an unnatural quiet.
“Watch your sectors, men. We have no idea if this is a trap of some kind.” Ordered Sam. Each man turned to his assigned direction. Slowly, the normal night sounds returned. The men seeing the light starting to show over the mounts began to relax just a bit. They had made it, that strange and unnatural night drawing to a close. From the fields the sounds of hooves once again. They readied rifles and watched their sectors, without command. Each calling softly to the sleepers near them to be ready.
The men coming awake grabbing rifles before anything and forming an arc facing the sound. The hooves came closer, passed on the road next to them and continued towards the series of creeks west of them. But not a horse was seen, not even a dust cloud to mark the passing.
