Fourth Vector Ch. 12

Melora puffed out her cheeks and let out a deep breath. "At least I can take comfort that someone knows what I'm going through."

"More than you know, Melora. More than you know."

"Will you tell me about her one day? About your queen?"

Heron smiled. "As long as you promise to tell me about your husband at the same time."

She giggled. "Bargain struck, Your Majesty."

"Please, for the sake of this conversation, call me Heron. We know enough about each other now that titles are a bit much, right?"

"If you say so . . . Heron," said Melora with a pause.

"Now that is one thing thatwill get easier with time, Melora," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

She giggled again. "I'll take your word for it . . . Heron."

"Now, come with me. There's no sense in you being alone in the kitchens with your thoughts. If you help me, we can locate some more fresh grapes, and we can spend some time talking together instead of being lonely with our thoughts. That is, if you don't mind spending time with a talkative old man?"

Melora shook her head quickly. "I'd be delighted to do so. And you're not an old man, Heron. You're one of the most kindly souls I've ever met. I'd love to spend the evening talking with you."

Heron pushed off from the table and grabbed a bowl to fill with his choice of produce. After finding the grapes and picking off an extra stem for Melora, he extended his elbow as his own silent form of invitation. She took it willingly, and together they headed to his study to pass the time with words and memories of times long since past.

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"Steady now. Keep quiet and no sudden moves."

Jack pressed himself back against the jagged rock wall and tried to avoid looking down. Not that it mattered much right now, as once his gaze went off the ledge, he could only see darkness in front of him. It didn't help that his brain knew that the darkness had to end somewhere, meaning just below it was about a couple hundred feet of ragged rocks. Now was not the time for mistakes.

In front of him, Abel led the way while holding a Javan flashlight in his hand. It was the best solution for traversing the canyon in pitch darkness. Open flames would have drawn the attention of theCethusa directly above them and that was the last thing they needed.

Especially now, seeing as the total darkness was starting to melt away and dawn was quickly approaching. It had been an extremely long night. Moving just under a thousand people, the majority of them women and children in pitch darkness without making a sound had just about taxed them to the limits. Yet, the small miracle of all of it was that they had done it without a single casualty, and with Abel to guide them, they were quickly approaching the camp of theNumratha.

Time was of the essence now. The rest of the clans would soon figure out they'd left the plateau and then the hunt would start anew. Jack was half afraid they might figure out they'd left in the night but so far, their ruse seemed to be holding.

"It looks like the fires are still burning up there," said Abigail while nodding in the direction of the plateau. "It really looks like we're still camped up there."

Jack grinned. "TheNumratha are really going to find it confusing when they see us attacking them when they think we're still snoozing on the top of the mountain."

Abigail started to giggle. "You're devious, Jack."

"I thought that's what you liked about me?"

Her eyes danced with mischief. "One of many things, trust me."

"It should be just around this bend, clan chief," said Abel as he stepped out from a small ledge over a small clearing of rocks. As soon as he was across, Abel grinned and pointed out to Jack. "There they are. Sleeping like babies on a lazy morning."

Jack followed theMuthada warrior and cast his first glance at theNumratha camp. His mouth fell open when he saw the size of the camp in front of him, the first tents not far from the rocky path from where they'd just emerged. It was easily several times larger than theMuthada camp, and Jack couldn't even begin to count the number of tents, all of them coming in a variety of colors. The only tent with any size to it was much larger than all the others, a sure indicator of the inhabitant.

"That must be the clan chief's tent," said Jack quietly.

Abel nodded. "I'm sure you can find Clan Chief Yusef in that tent. If that's your strategy."

"What about the slave pens? Where would they keep those?"

Abel looked around the side. "Perhaps close to the center. It'll be safest for them in case another clan tries to raid their camp. Slaves are valuable so they will be kept where they are well-guarded."

"So we'll have to attack toward the center, and that's where we can probably find Kat," said Jack. "This is a good morning to do this. I can't see anyone walking about or on guard."

Abel grinned. "Not right here, clan chief. They'll be watching the pass to the plateau, but they won't expect any attack right here. We have total surprise."

"Good, here's what I want to happen," said Jack as he waved some marines forward. "Keep the women and children staged at this spot just in case anything bad happens. We're going to attack from two directions. The marines I want to attack down this narrow ridge just to the left. TheMuthada will do the same thing from the right. We'll converge near the center."

"If we split up, how will we be able to tell the difference between theMuthada and theNumratha?" asked one of the marines closest to him.

"Good point," said Jack while rubbing his chin. "How about this—it's early and cool enough still that most of theNumratha probably won't be wearing their protective headgear yet, right? So all theMuthada, put your headgear on. That way, we'll be able to tell the difference so there's no friendly fire."

"That should work, clan chief," said Abel. "I'll get word out to the clan to cover their faces."

"All right. Let's give this everything we've got!"

About twenty minutes later, the entire force sprung out from their cramped position at the end of the valley path, coming down like a thunderclap on the unsuspecting camp of theNumratha just below their position. Jack and his men had total advantage that morning, not only in surprise, but also in the fact they were able to attack downhill against warriors that were still asleep for the most part.

As expected, it was almost total carnage. Any man unlucky enough to be outside his tent near the perimeter was killed where he stood. Many of them never got the chance to draw a weapon. They showed only the faintest signs of shock before their life was taken from them. Jack didn't hold anything back. All the nights of being on edge and tormented by their Andalucian besiegers had created a terrible portent, and it was completely unleashed that morning. The marines acted like devils, quickly sweeping tents, firing off short, accurate bursts, and working in teams to push deeper into the camp. It also helped him knowing that he was so close to Kat. That she was only yards away at this point kept him moving quickly, a deadly wraith stalking his prey.

Even as surprise started to fade away, theNumratha never seemed to gain a solid footing on the defense. Those that managed to band together to work as a team were quickly overrun, many only firing an arrow or two before their position was completely compromised. Most of them would have done better to have just run away.

As Jack made his way closer to the clan chief's tent, his heart rate started to beat uncontrollably.I'm coming, Kat. Just hold on a little longer. He looked up at the immense tent and wondered how best to clear it. That's when he felt the strength of a blow to his side that picked him off the ground and slammed him down just as hard.

Jack found the wind knocked out of him as he struggled to regain his footing. Raising his eyes, he tried to find just what or who could have handled him with that much force. Looking up, he saw the man that had emerged from the shadows to attack his rear, one of the largest men he'd ever laid eyes on. He was completely barechested, wearing only a loose pair of trousers as he stared daggers at Jack. He was mostly covered in hair across his entire body, and his muscles bulged to give him a size unlike that of any other man.

"You dare attackmy clan?" snarled the ruthless warrior as he stalked around Jack. "You picked the wrong people to fuck with, little man!"

Jack tried to crawl away so that he could regain his footing without being in the shadow of the beast, but found it largely futile as he took a punishing kick to his ribs. Rolling over on his side and howling with pain, Jack tried to grab his sidearm, his rifle being kicked away by the attacker.

"You think you can come into Clan Chief Yusef's camp and kill as you please? Only I get to kill my people as I please, you filthy worm!"

"Who the hell are you?" managed Jack before dodging another devastating blow to the ribs.

The warrior grabbed Jack before he could escape him again, picking him up by his jacket and bringing his face to within inches of his own. Jack's feet dangled feet off the ground, so tall was the man in front of him.

"I'm Yusef, clan chief of theNumratha," said the man with a menacing tone.

Jack looked in his eyes with unflinching nerve. "You can call me Jack, clan chief of theMuthada," he said bravely.

Yusef started to laugh before he slammed Jack back down on his back. "So you're the one causing all this trouble around here? The one they callTur'hava! I will prove my worth by killing you right here and now."

"What the hell isTur'hava," muttered Jack before he was set upon again. In a flash, Yusef was on top of him, raining down blows against his chest and head. Jack saw the world go nearly black as he absorbed blow after blow, feeling helpless to stop that amount of punishment. Only briefly did Yusef relent, looking down on his victim with a grim sense of satisfaction.

"They will call Yusef of theNumratha the savior of Andalucia after this," he said with pride as he prepared for his inevitable moment of glory.

His vanity gave Jack just enough pause to draw from his holster. The movement drew Yusef's eyes at the last moment, enabling Jack enough time to get a shot fired off into the large man's abdomen before the pistol was tossed away like it were nothing.

Yusef let out a mighty roar at the wound as he clutched his injured side, his own blood rushing forward and coating his hands. Jack had a temporary reprieve to climb out from under the man and attempt to clear his head. His world was still spinning after receiving so many blows, and it was only with great difficulty that he was able to resume standing.

Once Yusef regained his mind, he snarled back at Jack as saliva frothed around his mouth. "I'm going to shove that little fucking thing in your mouth and fire next." It took Jack only a second to realize he was talking about the pistol and the next thing he knew, Yusef made a lunge for it.

Jack was too far away from his service pistol to have a chance to make it, but he was close enough to his discarded rifle, kicked away by Yusef at the beginning of the fight, to attempt to get that instead. Both men rushed forward trying to be the first to reach their weapon, and it was nearly the same second when their hands first touched the metal of each.

Jack yanked the rifle to his face quickly and fired off a short burst just as Yusef did the same thing with the pistol. He heard both weapons bark, only daring to open his eyes when he heard the clan chief croak. Yusef quickly went ashen in the face as a small trickle of blood escaped his mouth. Jack glanced down to look at his chest, the large man's hands covering the exposed wounds in the hairy landscape. Yusef fell to the ground to never rise again.

Jack threw his head back against the ground and took several deep breaths. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and tried to stand once again. While nothing was quite as bad as the punishment he took in the fight back in Sorella, he found himself with a good amount of pain in his chest and a throbbing headache.

Taking a look around the camp, Jack struggled to find where everyone else had gone. He could still hear the gunfire, but it seemed to be dying down even though he couldn't see any marines nearby. The only person he could see was watching him from the dark shadow of the tent. A man already on his knees and prostrate against the ground, he only made eye contact when Jack was nearly standing over him.

"A prayer for your good fortune, clan chief," said the man while pointing to the dead body of Yusef a short distance away.

Jack was about to question him on what it meant when he remembered the custom of the Andalucians. He had now killed a second clan chief himself. By their own law, theNumratha were his just as much as theMuthada were.

To announce this new change in leadership, the man on the ground was soon off his feet, yelling to all that would listen in their own ancient language. Those that hadn't been killed yet stopped fighting. Those that remained hidden in the tents during the attack came out and prostrated themselves in front of their doorways. The remainingNumratha touched their heads to the ground as the gunfire around them largely died.

Abel was the first one to find Jack, taking off his headgear to reveal his face. "Your power grows greater, clan chief," he said, gesturing to the nearbyNumratha.

"It would seem that way, Abel," said Jack. "How are the rest of theMuthada? Did you run into any trouble?"

"No trouble, clan chief. We have only a single wounded warrior during the entire attack, and he shall recover on his own. Total surprise was attained."

Jack gave a relieved nod. "That's good to hear. Have you seen the slave pens?"

Abel waved his hand. "It's this way. We just passed them."

Abel led Jack around a series of tents on the way to the pens. Around him, every prostrateNumratha offered their own prayers to his good fortune, but Jack paid them little heed at the moment. Every step he took brought him closer to Kat. He was constantly searching, trying to find the wisps of blonde hair that would signal his attention.

Yet, when Abel presented the slave pen, Jack could see no such feature. Inside were nearly a hundred different slaves, and none of them were Kat. He even took the extra time to examine every face locked within, but found none that matched the blonde hair and sky-blue eyes of the mysterious woman.

"She's not here," said Jack with a defeated tone after he had searched the pens from top to bottom. "Where could she be?"

"Do you want us to search the entire camp, clan chief?" asked Abel.

Jack nodded immediately. "Yes, have a detail check every tent. She would have long blonde hair, in similar coloring to mine. If she is found, let me know right away."

Abel gathered up the remainingMuthada warriors and together they split up to check the entire settlement. Jack waited nearby with a limited amount of patience.Where is she? Why isn't she here? They said she'd been sold to the Numratha.

He felt a very real sense of hopelessness. This was supposed to be the end of this Andalucian side excursion. He'd been hoping to release Kat, make a dash for the coast and then get back on the seas to Picardy. If she wasn't here, where could she have gone?

Finding his anger rising, Jack slammed his hand against the metal bar in frustration. The letdown of not finding her hurt more than the pain, but the noise did have a habit of drawing one of theNumratha to him.

"Is there something you're seeking, clan chief?" the man asked.

Jack nodded. "There was a woman in here. A woman sold to theNumratha. She was around mid-twenties with long blonde hair. And now I can't find her."

The man blinked at him. "I know of such a woman."

Jack turned to face him instantly. "You do? Do you know where I can find her?"

He nodded. "That I do."

Jack took a deep breath and smiled. "Where is she? Is she close?"

He shook his head. "Not anymore."

Jack's smile dropped just as quickly as it appeared. "You need to tell me all you know right now. Spare no details."

The man moved closer until he was able to rest himself against the slave pens. "I saw the woman that you speak of. She's not one that you'd easily forget, especially looking the way she did. She was brought into the camp with a few others as soon as we started to move. What she was wanted for, I'm not sure, but a woman that looked like that I'm sure would have ended up in the clan chief's bed eventually."

"So she was here. Where did she go?"

"She was given as a gift from our clan chief to the high clan king of Andalucia. Just two days ago, the king's man arrived to take her to Septhada."

"Septhada," repeated Jack. "The capitol city of the Andalucia."

"That's right. I imagine she'll be getting there right around now. I'm sure she'll find her way into the king's harem."

"Getting there just about now," said Jack. "So it's about two days to the capitol from here?"

"More or less. A hard ride can get there in about a day and a half. The main road is not far from here, and it's one of the only maintained roads in Andalucia."

"All right," said Jack before locking his gaze on the man. "Thank you for the information. What is your name?"

"They call me Samir, clan chief."

Jack nodded. "Samir, stay close to me. I may need your help in the coming days."

"Clan chief, theNumratha are yours to command," said Samir. "But you are in increased danger now."

Jack raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Danger? Why is that?"

Samir pointed back to theMuthada warriors that were still checking the tents. "You now command two clans. That makes you a grave threat to the peace of Andalucia."

"The peace? The peace was broken when your clan tried to attack me," he argued. "If not for that, I would've found who I'm looking for and left the island by now."

Samir shook his head. "You misunderstand me, clan chief. Clans were warring in Andalucia for petty reasons long before you showed up. However in most cases, a couple battles would be fought, peace would be signed, and they'd go back to their way of life until the next war. You've done something not seen in some time. You've united two clans into one force."

"More a matter of happenstance than anything else," admitted Jack. "I didn't set out to become clan chief."

"Nevertheless, here you are," said Samir. "It is a powerful man who unites more than one clan, only because of the trouble that comes with it."

"What kind of trouble, Samir? I thought I was in enough trouble here in this land."

"More trouble than you've seen so far. You've had five clans after you at one time. This could bring all the clans of Andalucia down on your head if you're not careful. If anyone tries to unite the clans, they could achieve total power over the entire island. More power than even the high clan king. It has happened before and it ushered in a reign of terror. Now, none of the chiefs will let that happen once again. The second some clan chief shows any inkling of trying to unite the clans, the other clans will all unite to take him down."

Jack shook his head in confusion. "But wait, I thought that's how the high clan king got his position? From uniting the clans?"

"No, clan chief. The high clan king is selected from the strongest usually on the death of the former or the last one to kill the old high clan king. No one would dare try to seize power by uniting all the clans. It's been forbidden by our ancient customs."