Chapter 4

Kara stood up and gripped the handle of her sword again. Her slim but muscled frame stood silhouetted by the flame that ate up the commanders’ tent. She shook her head, her brows furrowed with worry. Once again she wondered whether her tribe had just been simply taken.

Kran walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. It sent a tingle down her spine and she stepped away embarrassed. Kran didn’t notice.

“Kara, I think I know where they are!” he said.

“Why didn’t you say?” she snapped.

Kran was used to her sudden changes of mood. It often startled others. He continued.

“Sorry…I only just remembered. Anyway, I think they are at the Evac Terces.

“The what?” asked Kara annoyed at her ignorance.

Dawn walked over, the hard packed sand crunching underfoot.

“I think Ned mentioned that once but he didn’t know what the hell it was,” Dawn added unhelpfully.

“Turn it round and spell it backwards. You spell it how you say it,” Kran said, his eyes dancing.

“S-E-C-R-E-T…Secret…,” Kara started.

“Cave! Well I would’ve thought the Chief would have tried harder than that! Anyone could guess,” Dawn said laughing. Kara had never known anyone who laughed as much as her friend.

“Well, lotsa people are illiterate. We’re jus’ lucky I spose!” Agilo had joined the conversation.

“The Chief discovered it when he was a young child apparently,”

Kara hid a grin. She couldn’t imagine the Chief being young; he was about 100 years old. She never saw him because he always stayed, cooped up, in his tent.

“Anyway after the Battle,” Kara shuddered, she couldn’t help it when she heard those words, “when I was about 18, the Chief was worried about it happening again so he ordered the lesser patrols to build a decent but hard-to-see-from-a-distance path to it. Before you had to be a damn good climber to reach it. None of us heard about it before,” Kran explained.

“How could a cave, in this rock, hold our whole tribe?” asked Dawn, her hands on her hips. She clearly didn’t believe him.

“It is surprisingly big,”

“And surely the patrols would be outside fighting while the women and children were safe?” Kara said.

“Precisely!” Kran grinned.

“Well, where are the other patrols then? I don’t believe this rubbish!” Rick snarled. The rest of the patrol had joined them, still on horseback.

“They must have got caught in the storm like us. Hopefully they survived. But how come no one else knows about this ‘cave’? Where is it?” Kara asked, feeling a little angry at not being told. She was a commander after all.

“Not everyone was told in case of traitors. One person in each patrol was told and I only knew ‘cause my brother helped build it,” Kran replied.

“And you were only a little girl at the time,” Ivas hastily added.

Kara winced as painful memories came flooding back from that fateful day. She sighed, her arm was throbbing again.

“So what shall we do?” Dawn asked.

“We will wait.”

Kara was sitting and leaning against the well. The horses had been groomed and un-tacked. They were tied up to a rail that hadn’t been smashed. Kara had just let her horse free. She was a wonderful horse and never wandered away from camp. Kara could always grab her bridle if necessary. The rest of the patrol were trying to fix the tents as best they could.

Kara closed her eyes, her arm hurt terribly. It probably needed attention after her excitement that day. She would have re-bandaged it but she couldn’t do it one handed.

“Well that’s the Nurhod tent done! Luckily it hadn’t been damaged just knocked over. Hey…maybe…the sand storm struck camp and everyone hid in the cave and that’s why everything is damaged,” Dawn said and sat down beside Kara.

She looked up.

“Nurhod?”

“Oh that’s Ned’s real name. Didn’t you know?”

Kara shook her head not bothering to tell Dawn her theory was probably wrong.

“Are you okay? You look a bit …well…pale I suppose.”

Kara sighed, she then realised that was becoming a habit.

“Well you look in pain anyway. Is it your arm?”

Kara nodded wearily.

Dawn gently unravelled the blood covered bandage and gasped.

“Oh dear, it’s reopened. You really should have told us how bad it was before. The wound is deep into the muscle. The gut-thread isn’t designed for hard wear. You really should have stayed home like we said!”

Kara scowled.

“Excuse me, but if it wasn’t for me you’d all be dead!”

Dawn began to take out the remaining stitching.

“I forgot we’re even now. I saved you and you saved me today,” she replied, getting her needle and thread out of her gazellan skin bag.

Kara stared up at the darkening sky as Dawn stitched up the torn skin and open wound.

“How did you learn to do this anyway?”

“My mother taught me. Well, she taught me how to sew on clothes, this isn’t much different and I had practice with Ned…. My mother would be ashamed; I’m not the reliable camp-wife she brought me up to be.”

“Would be? Why is she-?” Kara asked before she could stop herself.

“She died of a fever a year ago.” A shadow of utter grief passed Dawn’s face but then it was gone. Silence fell between them.

Kara’s eyes stung as she thought of everything she had missed out on because her mother had died when she was so young. It was the curse of tribal life.

If only I had listened to my mother instead of fighting with sticks. If. That word haunted Kara’s dreams. So many regrets in her past yet there was no way she could have avoided them. So many possibilities yet impossible to change.

Dawn had finished stitching and bandaging Kara’s arm.

“There, you should rest now,” Dawn said rather stiffly.

“Dawn I’m sorry ...er …what is wrong?” Kara had awoken from her transfixed stare at the sky.

“I’m fine,” Dawn replied with a rather forced smile. She turned and walked away.

Kara decided she didn’t care; she was suddenly in a very bad mood. She decided that it didn’t look likely that the other patrols would return this late. She beckoned to her patrol.

“Right, I don’t think anyone is coming, friend or foe. So who knows where this cave is?”

Kran and Zem stepped forward.

“Do want us to show you where it is?” Zem asked. He was tall and very thin with very pale blond hair and he was surprisingly skilled with a blade considering his frame.

“Yes-,” Kara started but Rick cut in.

“Why didn’t we go to it straight away?!? We have wasted all this time, we are tired, hungry and thirsty and some of our horses lame! I know this cave does not exist it is a lie. We should have searched for our tribe; we should have gone and killed those who took them. That’s where the other patrols are don’t you see! But Kara here makes us wait like cowards! Why must we listen to the stupidity of this woman?!?” Some men murmured in agreement.

In a flash, before anyone realised what was happening, Kara had her knife pressed tightly against Rick’s neck. She held his arms painfully behind his back. If he dared move the knife would cut into his throat. Kara was tired of him and her fierce anger which recently had been kept at bay sparked inside her. The men’s moans and complaints soon faded into silence.

“All of you hear this! I AM the commander, YOU listen to me! My gender and my age do NOT effect my judgement in any way! Today Rick I saved your scrawny neck and I expect some respect and loyalty! If you do not give it you shall be dealt with!” Kara snarled in Rick’s ear but it was perfectly audible to the rest of them.

In shock Dawn had grabbed Kran’s arm.

“Why is she like this?”

“Oh, c’mon she has to be like this to control us!” He breathed deeply “But she used to be like this all the time until recently. She has a fiery temper. She calmed down after her birthday, we were all pretty shocked,” Kran whispered back, not taking his eyes off Kara.

Kara loosened her grip. She was about to let Rick go when he snorted as though he found this highly amusing.

“I think we should no longer listen to the ignorance of this frigid bitch! Face it, you are weak Kara even your uncle th-.”

He couldn’t finish his sentence because Kara had kicked him hard, in the small of his back. He now lay sprawled in the dirt.

Kara stood ready. She held her dagger tight in her teeth and her brows were furrowed in anger. Rick scrambled to his feet and roared with fury.

“I also think it’s time we chose another commander, me!” He said this to the patrol not Kara “Let’s stop taking orders from this girl!” He flung himself at her.

Dawn watched in horror. She knew Kara was brilliant at fighting with a sword, but this? Dawn hated to admit it but Rick was bigger, older and stronger. This was wrestling with knives and Kara had an injury.

Meanwhile, Kara had dodged Rick and tripped him up. Once again he was lying on the ground. He jumped up and she leapt onto his back with surprisingly agility. She clung on with her good arm and tried to cut Rick’s throat with knife in her right. It slipped from her fingers, to her surprise her arm was now useless. Rick threw her on the ground over his shoulder. She winced in pain as she landed oh her bad arm. With his own knife in his hand he lunged. Kara rolled out the way. She was getting tired now, she knew she had to win it soon or lose. Then Rick would kill her.

She was up on her feet once more. She waited and Rick charged, as she had predicted. She smoothly rolled sideways and grabbed her knife. Kara feigned and dodged Rick’s lumbering form but she was panting hard. Sweat dripped off her face. She ducked under Rick’s slicing knife. Kara found herself facing the back of his legs. She cut deep and firmly across his calves. He fell to his knees and with all her lasting strength she kicked him to the ground.

Kara stood up. Everything whirled around her, she was tremendously dizzy. She waited for her vision to clear and unsheathed her sword.

“It is not I who is weak now,” she said, holding her sword point on the back of his neck.

“Nah, you were lucky, You’re weak and pitiful, that’s what your uncle always said! He gave you this job to get rid of yer!” Rick grunted back.

Kara’s sword bit into his neck swiping it apart before she knew what she was doing. Her anger had taken control. A pool of crimson blood flooded the sand. Rick was dead.

If there were once doubters of Kara’s skill in her patrol there were none now.

Kara looked down in shock, she had never planned to kill him. She wiped her sword on the piece of rough cloth she always carried and then turned to face her men.

“That,” she paused for dramatic effect, “is what will happen if any of you disobey me.”

They studied her determined look and fiery eyes. They had no doubt that she spoke the truth. Dawn suddenly felt she hardly knew her friend at all.

Kara’s thoughts were suddenly in turmoil. She mounted her golden horse and a glistening tear ran down cheek. The sun finally sank under the sky.