A Children's Tale Page 6

  "I take it we are to go with you? In that case, I'll want one of my crew along." Hunter replied and pointed towards William Falke, then himself, then to the doorway. The Yeti looked at both men and nodded once then stepped back from the doorway then looked expectantly towards the two men.

  William grabbed his woolen coat and slipped it on quickly. "I think he's wanting us to go first."

  Captain Hunter scooped up his own coat and slipped it on in anticipation of the chill outside. "I suspect you are correct William. We'd best oblige."

  Outside the door, William and Hunter were met by a second and third Yeti warrior. The two guards looked the two airship sailors over once then turned to walk away. A firm push from the Yeti warrior behind them encouraged Hunter and William to step lively to catch up.

  The path the Yeti guards took led them to another stone and wooden building much like all the others in the village. The difference in this one was that it was much older and longer with its rear stone walls flush up against the foot of a rocky rise.

  The front two guards stepped to either side of the main door. The Yeti that trailed behind stepped around Hunter and William. Without so much as a look, the warrior opened the door and slipped inside the building.

  William fidgeted nervously. "Place has an important look to it."

  Hunter's eyes were not focused on the building, but on the rise of rocks that both supported the village and gave it a natural commanding view of the area. The only place the Yeti were blinded to any view was where a natural rock shelter arched just slightly over the north-eastern corner of the village. That north-eastern corner where the two men stood.

  "Most likely a village elder or person of some importance." The captain nodded, mostly in reaction to his own thoughts. "They are quite well-defended here. That overhang covers a large portion of this part of their village. See the scoring on the rocks there?"

  "Aye."

  "Lightning drake if I ever saw it. But this wouldn't help against fast-moving pilots with a few hand bombs to toss down. If I had to guess, the pirates push the locals back up in here, then come in force on the ground when the Yeti have lost the high ground advantage. Penned in, they cannot mount much defense as their natural defense is used to contain them."

  William whistled low while the scene the captain described played out in his mind. "I see what ya sayin' Cap'n. It'd be over a'fore anything really started."

  At that moment, the Yeti warrior opened the door wide, gestured to William and Hunter then pointed to inside the building.

  Hunter glanced at William. "I do believe we have been summoned."

  "Aye, Cap'n."

  Beyond the door, the room was not much different than the one than the one which sheltered the Brass Griffin's crew. Tight, fitted stones rose from the floor to meet dark, stained wood three feet off the ground. Above the ceiling was the same interlocked collection of smooth cut wood, except here there were small multi-colored cuts of linen. Each bit of cloth was no larger than four inches square, hung from the rafters. Furs and a few hide-covered stools were settled around the room. Most notably were the three older men seated near the large fire pit in the middle of the room. They were dressed modestly in long linen shirts, trousers and ankle high moccasins. Four Yeti warriors stood silently and alert at the corners.

  The Yeti warrior that led Hunter and William spoke quietly with a tone of respect to the three older men. Not to say any of the three were feeble. Despite their obvious age, each still bore a well-muscled frame with a clear steady gaze. The oldest of the three nodded in reply to the young warrior whom nodded in return and retreated from the room.

  A long moment of silence fell around the room while the three Yeti elders stared at Hunter and William. Unsure of what - if anything - to say, the pair returned the silence with some of their own. William shifted his weight and leaned over to Hunter after a moment.

  "Chatty bunch ain't they Cap'n?"

  "Indeed," was the captain's reply. However his mind was elsewhere. It was something about the decor or perhaps the demeanor of the three older gentlemen that reminded Hunter of a diplomat or admiral he knew from years ago. These were men of importance to the Yeti.

  Finally the oldest of the three nodded once and gestured towards a set of furs on the far side of the fire.

  "Iyotaka."

  Hunter exchanged a look with William who shrugged. "Wants us ta sit, Cap'n ... I think."

  "Quite."

  Once seated on the furs, Captain Hunter cleared his throat. "Before anything else, I wish to offer my thanks for the assistance to my wounded man."

  The three elders exchanged a look. William gave a nervous smile then - with the occasional stumbling and stuttering over unfamiliar words - provided a translation. One of the elders, the youngest of the three with only some gray shot through his coal dark hair, lifted a wooden cup of some hot, dark liquid and sipped at it before he replied.

  "Toka sni. Takuwe niye lel?"

  Immediately another of the elders looked shocked at his companions' question. He barked a fast, harsh reply. This set off a storm of conversation among the two younger of the three tribal leaders. The oldest sat calmly and drank his own drink as if nothing had happened.

  Hunter tried his best to follow what he thought was an argument, but eventually gave up. "Will, what are they saying?"

  William's eyes darted between the two arguing men, desperate to follow the rapid exchange. "Ah think the one asked us somethin' pretty blunt, but ah don' know the words. The other one there? He's got his boiler in a burn cause he's thinkin' the first was rude. Ah get the thought that they're supposed ta be polite ta strangers. Like what ah said before about them wantin' ta treat strangers with respect."

  "Good for us then in a way, it confirms we won't be harmed soon. What about now?"

  "They're just talkin' too fast for me Cap'n. Ah don' know some of those words ... Ah'm learnin' as fast as ah can suss 'em out."

  Hunter was about to say something himself when the last elder spoke.

  "Owajila."

  Immediately the other two Yeti fell silent. Hunter himself had paused but quickly recovered.

  "William, tell them if you would ..."

  "Silence ... please."

  Hunter stopped in mid-sentence at the graveled voice. The elder, who had been quiet through everything, spoke. He was careful with his words, as they were obviously not his native language, but words he had an acceptable command of, at least.

  "The boy ... does not have to speak for you. I know some of your words."

  William sat back in surprise. Hunter checked his own comment before he said it and instead cleared his throat.

  "Well that puts a new spin on things. If I may, your grasp of them is quite good, Sirrah."

  "Your people have come to here before. One stayed some time. A man of learning." The elder sipped his drink then set his cup down. "I am called Utawah."

  "I am Anthony Hunter. This is one of my crew, William Falke."

  William inclined his head in greeting. "Sirrah."

  Utawah watched them both a moment before he replied. "Good meeting. I must be ... forward. My companions wish to know when will your people stop attacking?"

  William's mouth fell open. "Tain't us! We been shot up and shot at and chased about like rabbits!"

  Hunter waved William quiet. "Utawah, it has been none of my people that have harmed yours. Myself and my crew are recent visitors, Sirrah. We have no reason to cause injury."

  The chieftain leaned forward, the light of the fire cast lurid shadows along his weathered face. "So say you. My people suffer many burns and cuts. Some have lost arms and fingers with your attacks. We just want it to stop. We will give you what we can, but know we will fight you."

  Hunter shook his head. "Utawah, those vile creatures are not of my crew. My own country would have dealings with them if they knew what they were about. This I assure you." At the elder's unconvinced look, Hunter paused and took a different approach. "Very well, if we w
ere one group and the same, why would we be here if we could simply attack you again as you say we already have?"

  "This we do not know. That is why you and your followers have been brought here. We are curious as to why."

  Sitting quietly next to Hunter, William had managed to restrain himself for as long as he could. "Because we tain't with 'em!"

  "Will!"

  "Cap'n, sorry for the disrespect, but they tain't payin' attention!" William returned his frantic look to Utawah. "If'n we were in with them pirates, why'd we drag one o' our own over the snow and ice when he's so bad hurt? Why'd them pirates in the steambats try and bury us in half the bloody mountain?"

  Utawah smiled slightly, "I agree with what you say. It is my companions that are more ... suspicious. I will relay your words."

  Hunter sat forward. "Utawah, if you would, please relay this. We are being hounded by the same men that hunt your people. They seek two children in our care for reasons I believe are quite dire. I fear for the children's safety more than I do ours. The longer we argue, the longer we wait, the closer they come to finding us again. This time, they will find your village, if they have not anticipated that we would find our way here already. We can help you."

  Utawah paused. "If we return your weapons to you."

  Hunter nodded. "Indeed and trust us with them. I understand that asks a great deal. If that is too much, then do what you will with us but hide the children. At least that... if nothing else."

  Utawah stared unblinking at Hunter in silence. Then the elder chief turned to the other two and spoke rapidly in their own dialect.

  Embarrassed, William leaned over to Hunter and whispered. "Cap'n I ..."

  "Think nothing of it. I was caught in the moment myself."

  "Think we convinced 'em?"

  "I dearly hope so, William. For all our sakes."

  William sat bolt upright as if stuck with a needle. "Cap'n ..."

  Hunter's attention was riveted on the conversation across the fire from them. "Hm? What is it?"

  "They're here!"

  The explosion outside shattered the front door, the adjacent section of wall next to it and rained debris through the room.

  Chapter 13

  Hunter coughed then brushed at the cloud of dust that assailed his eyes. He staggered over broken stones and shards of wood, his mind clouded from the blast that had ripped the front of the building away. Blood teased the edge of his vision from a pair of cuts that traced grooves above his right eyebrow. Dirt smudged his clothes. Rough gravel peppered his hair. A light, cold wind tossed the torn remains of the colored cloth squares about him then lifted them up toward the heavens.

  "William!"

  There was no reply. Hunter tripped on a loose board and fell heavily into the dirt. With a grunt, he struggled to rise then felt a strong pair of hands grip his arm and help him to his feet.

  "Good show, William."

  "Not William," Utawah replied firmly.

  The captain blinked, the grit finally free from his vision, and turned in surprise.

  "Your man is there." Utawah pointed to where two of the Yeti slowly struggled with a heavy timber. Beneath it lay William, motionless with his eyes closed and limbs caught in a strange angle. A third waited to ease the young man from beneath the debris once it was safe to do so. It was plain to see that William had thrown himself at Utawah to knock the elder aside before the roof caved in on top of where the elder had been sitting. Hunter started to rush forward but Utawah stopped him.

  "My people will tend him. Quickly, tell me, did you mean your words?"

  Hunter scowled. Every instinct in him said to see to his crew, his responsibility. The captain's anger flashed hot and bright in his eyes when he shot a glare back at Utawah. "Quite!"

  The chieftain pressed a sharpened bone dagger into the captain's hand. "Then do not squander the gift your man has given you."

  A pause of a single heartbeat passed before the hint of a grin spread across Hunter's face. He grasped the knife firmly. "Indeed. Lead on then."

  The two men raced from the ruined building to the chaos outside. Smoke poured out of holes in the roof numerous buildings. Other buildings were little more than burnt shells where the rooftops had collapsed in on themselves from the dynamite that had been dropped on them. Bodies lay strewn across the ground with smoke trailing from their backs. A lump caught in the captain's throat, he tried to swallow it down but he found he could not.

  "Utawah... your people..."

  Suddenly, a pair of steambats buzzed overhead like a pair of angry bees. High pressure jets of salt water guided arcs of electricity across the ground. Villagers screamed, either in pain or anger at the fliers above while they scrambled for whatever cover was nearby. Those that could not find any jerked and screamed when the electricity struck and threw them feet from where they had been.

  Perhaps it was a light spray of water, or the crack of electricity. Without thinking, Hunter shoved Utawah to the right and then dove to the left. A scant second later, a bolt of lightning cracked against the broken timbers, then ground where the men had stood. Wood soaked from the salt water, then dried instantly with a blackened burn mark left behind. Electricity grounded itself all around in the nearest objects from rocks, stones and people. Two of the Yeti were thrown ten feet from where they stood. Utawah jerked from only a touch of the blast, Hunter was lifted into the air and slammed down against the stones in a fit of electrical induced convulsions.

  Hunter sat up slowly. His entire body shook violently from suffering his portion of the electrical blast. Blackened skin and a line of reddish-veined burn streaks ran down his right arm where the sleeve had burned away from the attack. Pain shot through nerves and his head ached with the residual effect of the small, but powerful, jolt of lightning. The captain took a long, slow, ragged breath in an attempt to regain control over his own body. Utawah - who had fared slightly better as he had been knocked out of path of the attack - slowly got to his feet. The elder shook his head to clear the cobwebs from them before he looked over to Hunter.

  "Are you well?"

  His shakes subsiding, Hunter looked at the burnt and tattered glove that had covered his clockwork right hand. Bits of static still jumped between the fingers while he experimentally flexed it. Gears turned, miniature pistons flexed while his fingers moved a bit sluggishly. They had a willingness to adhere magnetically to each other. He took another slow experimental breath while his heart pounded hard in his chest, then winced while he looked at the unusual burn marks along his right arm.

  "A few hard burns and a magnetized hand. Well, its not as if I fell from the back of a lightning drake at twenty feet off the ground." Convinced he and his hand were still none the worse for wear, he looked around, then up at the retreating steambat. "A dagger won't do. We'll need range."

  Utawah offered a hand-up to the captain and shouted a command in his own language. Quickly a young Yeti warrior, perhaps no older than his late teens, raced off towards a smaller building that was no larger than perhaps a tool shed. Moments later the boy returned with a bundle. It was nearly as long as the young warrior, with bits of wood exposed at one end and wrapped entirely in a handwoven, woolen blanket. He dropped it on the ground and unwrapped it. Inside were several unstrung bows, quivers full of arrows and some leather bags beneath.

  The elder chieftain knelt and lifted a bow and quiver of arrows. "This, if they are close enough. They have learned to stay away from our arrows ... mostly. Sometimes we find a way to reach them. That is rare now."

  "Then we'll find a way to bring them closer."

  Hunter had knelt to select his own bow when he saw a familiar tube of metal protruding from one of the small leather bags. Moving the bow aside, he opened the bag to find his gun belt and pistol inside. Alongside that lay Moira's pistols, O'Fallon's knives, and other weapons of the crew. Hunter freed his weapon and belt from the bag and automatically checked the pistol to see if it was still loaded. Another Yeti warrior approached. Hunter
recognized the man from the bruise still visible on the man's face. It was the warrior he had fought in the woods. The captain tensed, however the Yeti merely looked at Hunter with a level, emotionless gaze and spoke a short comment in his own dialect. The captain looked to Utawah with a questioning look.

  "He wishes you a good hunt." The elder smiled and fastened the quiver around his waist.

  Hunter looked back to the Yeti warrior and strapped on his gun belt. "You as well, sir. Give them the proper hell." He turned back to the chieftain, "What of my crew? They'll need to defend themselves and could lend a hand chasing off these bloody blaggarts as well."

  "It will be done." Utawah issued a rapid string of commands Hunter had no hope of following. The young Yeti nodded repeatedly, grabbed up the bundle and raced off for the building Moira and the rest were kept.

  The warrior, the captain and the elder looked around. Smoke rose from burned buildings. Here and there, the braver members of the village stepped from the shelter of ruined homes. Some cried at the destruction, others stared in stony silence while the wounded were led towards the shelter of the natural rock overhang. Another few searched the bodies on the ground for friends and loved ones. Above all, the steambats were not to be seen.

  Hunter shaded his eyes against the afternoon light. "Now, where have the blighters gotten to?"

  Abruptly, the two steambats broke into view overhead and began another strafing run at the village. Utawah, watching the angle of flight, turned to look at the arcing rock formation just behind them. He pointed and spoke to the warrior next to him. Immediately, the two men raced for the rocks and began to climb. Hunter did not understand what they said but understood the sentiment. Bows and arrows are not useful if the target remained out of range. One needed elevation to shorten the distance as best as possible. However, if the steambats pulled from their dive, the effort would be wasted.

  The captain smiled while he finished his thought aloud. "Then the pirates need a reason not to change their attack."

  Hunter planted his feet, out in the open and plain view. It was a fool's errand unless Hunter could distract the pilots and move fast enough to avoid the hungry tendrils of lightning. He drew his pistol with a deep breath and aimed. Twenty feet ahead of the captain, twin electrical bursts from the aircraft licked the ground, eating dirt in two blackened grooves. Hunter stood his ground, aimed and squeezed two shots, then raced for the safety of a ruined stone wall nearby.