Five Star Stories Side Stories
Side Story 1 of 2
By Shawn Hagen
Based on Characters and Concepts created by Mamoru Nagano
Breath coming in short shallow gasps, muscles aching, blood pounding in her ears, Elenoin ran through the jungles of Hagooda. She was still many kilometres from the boarder of Colus. Too far.
Somewhere behind her were a group of men, chasing after her. Tristan was with them. She had no desire to meet up with him.
Her long skirt caught on a branch, almost tripping her. She managed to keep her balance, kept moving forward causing her skirt to rip. A long strip of the light green skirt was left behind. No wonder they were having so little trouble tracking her. She wished her father had not restricted her to dresses, and impractical ones at that. What she would not have given for even a riding dress.
She should not have run off so soon, even an hour of preparation might have made a difference. Fortunately she had thought to bring a pair of night-vision glasses with her. It would have been nearly impossible to run through the dense growth without them.
From behind her she heard the snap of a branch. They were fast. Her reasonable lead had been worn away in only a few hours.
Her hand dropped to the bag she wore over her shoulder, sliding inside of it, her hand closing on a cylindrical object.
The grass was still wet with morning dew; the sun had only just begun to chase away the chill of morning. The spadd in her hand felt heavy, a sheen of perspiration covered her forehead.
Elenoin released the object in the bag, unwilling to draw it forth. There were better ways to deal with her follower. She was sure of it.
Movement out of the corner of her eye gave her a moment of warning. She leapt into the air, twisting, her feet hitting the trunk of tree, several meters up. She kicked off again, leaping higher once more, her skirt billowing out around her.
The man followed her, almost matching her leaps.
She continued up, then reached out to grab a branch, swinging around, changing her direction, keeping most of her momentum. It had been too long since she had been able to train in the Salle de Armes and she missed it.
Her skirt caught on a branch bringing her to an abrupt halt. She lost control of her descent, pitching forward, eighteen meters above the jungle floor. This might hurt, Elenoin thought.
The material of her skirt ripped. She was suddenly in control of the situation again. While she was off the course she had hoped for, it was not too bad. She lashed out with her foot as she passed the man coming after her. She did not have much weight behind the kick but the top of her foot impacted hard with the bridge of his nose. There was a wet, crunching sound.
She almost landed poorly, but a well executed roll brought her to her feet without any injury. The man fell to the ground hard a few meters from her. He did not get up.
Elenoin did not bother to check the man's condition. She took off at a run through the thick jungle, the dark green cloak she wore helping to hide the lighter material of the dress she wore.
The ground vegetation that had been tearing the bottom of the long skirt for some time was now scratching at her shins. It was a minor pain but it and all the others--hunger, thirst, and the menstrual cramps--were adding up. She wished she could stop.
It had only been two days ago that the palace had burnt, that Queen Almemaios had died. She had trouble believing it at times. Two days since her father and younger brother had been torn apart by the mobs that had stormed the palace.
She wondered if Nathan had been with them, would they have survived? Perhaps. Maybe her father had been right when he had told her that she would be the destruction of the family.
Mind occupied, it took Elenoin several seconds to realise that the almost oppressive weight of the jungle canopy was gone. She was out in the open, under the stars.
She let her steps slow and stopped in the middle of the large clearing. The ground was burnt and charred tree trunks lay here and there. She noted several craters in front of her. Bomb or artillery she guessed.
One of the battles must have taken place here, she thought as she looked around. She could almost picture the Mortarheads crashing through the area, perhaps infantry battling around the behemoths' feet. Then the artillery would have started falling. She shivered thinking about it, the horror that must have been felt at that moment.
Behind her, carried by the wind, the sound of pursuit came to her again. More than just one this time. She began to run. She reached the jungle again and was a few meters into the vegetation when the futility of it all hit her.
Whoever Tristan had tracking her were very good. They had cut her lead, which had started out as hours, to just minutes, if even that long. She was tired, not well prepared for a chase through the jungle and just plain angry. Tristan had only one reason to follow after her and she was damned if she was going to let him achieve his goal.
She pulled the bag from her shoulder and used the cloak to wrap it up and then hid the parcel in the underbrush. She took several seconds to memorise the area around her to ensure she could find it again. That done she turned around and followed her trail back out of the jungle, into the clearing. Head held high she walked into the middle of the open space and waited. She took her night-vision glasses off, letting her eyes adjust to the starlight.
She remembered her father telling her--when she had been younger, before what had happened to Nathan--that she was nobility. A member of the upper class. That she should always show that. Most of all she remembered her mother telling her to never show fear, a brave front, even if paper thin, was the best way to avoid violence.
A man ran out into the clearing and stopped when he saw her. Another came out several meters to the right of the first. He stopped as well.
Elenoin recognised them as Tristan's personal trackers. They knew the jungle very well. It was little wonder they had been able to cut her lead down. It appeared they were armed with small arms. Odd for hunters, but considering the current state of Hagooda it was hardly surprising.
Three more came out, and all of them began to walk towards her. It took her a moment to realise that they were wary of her, perhaps even frightened. It came as a surprise to her. She could not remember anyone ever being frightened of her before.
They spread out, surrounding her in a semi-circle, none around her back. All of them could fire with little worry of hitting their companions.
Movement at the edge of the clearing got caught attention. Tristan. In the light, almost white clothes he wore, he stood out. Tall, long blonde hair, fair skin, no, it was hard not to pick him out. Several of his trackers were with him, as well as two other men. Tristan stopped when he saw her, then started towards her.
Elenoin did not turn away when their eyes met.
"Brave as well as pretty Tris-san, you didn't tell us that," one of the men with him said.
"Spirited perhaps Calin-san," Tristan told his companion.
"All the better." Calin reached into his pocket and removed a silver flask.
"She is beautiful," the younger of Tristan's companions said.
"Oh, she certainly is. You know that Elen-chan don't you?" he called out, louder than he needed to, his tone patronising.
She said nothing, simply stared back at him, wishing he would walk faster instead of that lazy saunter.
Elenoin was beautiful, though a bit on the short side, odd considering both her parents had been tall. She wore her long brown hair in a single braid--her run through the jungle had fouled it with twigs and leaves. Her eyes were large, expressive, and brown with green flecks--perhaps her best feature. She had a slim build, mostly muscle.
"You lead us on a quite the chase didn't you my little deer." He reached out to stroke her cheek. She pulled back.
"I have no idea where Otosan hid the accounts," she told him.
"Your point?" Tristan asked, a little surprised.
"All you ever wanted was my family's fortune. Well I can't help you. This chase was for nothing."
"I see." Tristan smiled, then laughed. His companions laughed as well.
"What's so funny?" she demanded.
"Oh, just the fact that all this work was for naught," he told her. "But I'm not sure if I believe you. You'll have to convince me."
"Tristan-sama you know perfectly well..."
"Oh come come my dear. Do you really wish to have this conversation out in the middle of this jungle? Let's be civilised. Tokk, Dalin, get the tent set up," he called to two of the hunters.
Elenoin stood and waited while the hunters began to unpack the frame for a large tent. After a few minutes several more hunters arrived. There were escorting a low speed digg that several servants were aboard.
The large tent went up quickly. Tristan kept looking over at Elenoin, smiling. Calin was drinking from his flask, sharing it with the younger man.
Once the tent was up Tristan held the flap up so Elenoin could enter. She walked in. The floor had been covered with thick, soft rugs. A heater in the corner was chasing away the chill of the evening. Several pots had been placed upon the heater and steam was beginning to rise from them. Lights had been strung from the ceiling.
"Now my dear Elenoin-san, convince me that you cannot give me your family fortunes." He reached out to take the flask from Calin.
"We both know my Otosan hated me. He did not trust me. He thought me useless. Do you think he would tell me the codes to the accounts?"
"Probably not." Tristan handed the flask back to Calin.
"Oto would have known. He was Otosan's heir after..." She stopped.
"After Nathan-san's death, yes, yes." He waved his hand, not looking at her. "But you were always a smart one Elenoin-chan, smart enough that you denied your rights and kept your Otosama from killing you. You might have known."
"If I had the accounts do you think I would be running alone, through this jungle?"
"You make a good point."
"For all I know all that might be left are the properties in Hagooda. Otosan was gambling quite a bit you know."
"Well, you have convinced me." Tristan nodded as he began to unbutton his jacket.
"Then you won't mind if I leave." She started towards the exit.
"Oh, but I will." He moved to block her way. "Tell me, why do you think I was after your Otosama's money?"
"You always have been," she told him. "That was why you befriended Nathan, and Otosan and when you realised that wouldn't work you started courting me."
"True, but I think you are underestimating your own charms little one. I wanted your Otosama's money, I wanted you, and I put up with his demands and your little games to get both. Now, it seems unlikely I'll get his money but I no longer have to wait to marry you to have what I truly want. And I don't have to put up with your childish games." He reached out and grabbed her chin.
"You make me sick." She pulled away from him. "There was no way that I would have married you. Now let me go."
"You're no longer the daughter of a powerful man, you have no family to protect you."
Calin and the other man suddenly grabbed her arms, pulling them away from her body. Elenoin dropped, hoping to break their grips. Their hands were like vices however, and they easily held her up. She tried pulling her arms in next but they were stronger than she was, or maybe it was just because there were two of them. She began to kick and thrash, hoping to get free. It did not work.
"Fight as long as you want little one, it won't help." Tristan laughed.
Elenoin stopped, she got her feet under her and stood straight.
"Touch me and I'll kill you," she told him.
"So, your Otosan didn't break you." He walked up to her and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Of course, he could have tired harder. Still the warrior." He grabbed the neckline of her dress and ripped it down to her hips.
Elenoin screamed and kicked out again, putting as much force into the attack as she could. Tristan had expected it--he had dealt with women in that position before. He stepped back and grabbed one of her feet. One of his trackers grabbed the other. Together they slammed her to the ground hard enough to knock the wind from her.
One of the trackers took over on the leg Tristan had been holding. The two men pulled her legs apart, Tristan moved between them. He removed a slim throwing knife from a wrist sheath and leaned forward, placing it against her neck.
Elenoin stopped her struggling.
"Be a good girl and this might not hurt," he told her. His free hand tore at her dress. The material bit into her before it ripped. He grabbed her underwear and tore them off.
"How filthy," he said, noticing the sanitary pads. "Not that it matters." He pulled his spadd from inside his jacket and smacked it into her stomach. "You know, you might even like this." He ran the butt of the weapon down her stomach and between her legs then shoved it into her.
Elenoin forced the moan down as she pulled her naked, battered body along the rugs towards the edge of the tent. Around her were the sleeping forms of some of Tristan's trackers. He and his two companions had left a short time ago with the rest. He had promised her he would be back.
He had used her, hard and cruel. He had let his companions use her, then the trackers, then the servants. He had even threatened to kill a few of them if they did not participate in the gang rape.
Rape. A small word for such a horrid thing. Something deep inside her had been shattered. Nothing could ever be the same again. She should have been stronger. She should have tried to stop them. She had been so stupid.
Her whole body hurt, Tristan had beaten her, as had many of the others. She was sure some ribs had been broken and the sharp pain in her abdomen suggested internal damage. Her head hurt. She seemed to remember someone kicking her head. Someone had put a heated knife blade across her right thigh. She was bleeding from her vagina and rectum. She wished she could die.
The sides of the tent were not staked down so she was able to crawl under them. The rough ground tore at her as she pulled herself over it, opening a number of scabbed over cuts.
Her father was suddenly beside her, pacing slowly to match her crawl.
"Didn't I tell you that you would end up like this you little slut?" he said to her.
"You said something like that," she whispered as she continued to crawl.
"You always thought you could simply do as you wanted. You were careless and clumsy and stupid. You deserved this."
"Go away!" she hissed as she continued to crawl.
He said nothing more and when she again looked up he was gone.
"Glad you're dead," she muttered. Even through the haze of pain she felt surprised at the sentiment.
It seemed to take forever to reach the jungle again. She crawled along the ground, pulling herself under the vegetation. It took her a moment to realise that she had come back to the place where she had hidden her bag. There were medical supplies in the bag, painkillers. All she had to do was get it. She tried to get onto her knees but fell.
"It's hopeless," she cried.
"So it seems," a familiar voice said.
"Mama?" Elenoin looked up.
Her mother was seated on the stump of a tree, looking down at her daughter. She was tapping the butt of her spadd against her boot.
"It hurts," Elenoin cried, reaching towards her mother.
"I know, but you have to drive it down. You promised to kill that bastard. Use that hatred."
"I can't," she sobbed.
"Elenoin-chan, I made ten big mistakes in my life, five of them were marrying your father. I did not think raising weak children was among those mistakes. Now get up!" Her tone was commanding.
Elenoin steeled herself and pushed herself up to her knees. She moved forward to where she had hidden the bag and pulled it and the cloak out. After unwrapping it, she opened the bag and rifled through it. Her fingers closed on the medpack and she pulled it out triumphantly.
Her fingers shook as she unsealed the kit. She fumbled out a strip of painkillers and popped three out from the foil into her hand. She put them into her mouth and dry swallowed them. After putting the painkillers away she removed the stimulant syringe.
Elenoin bit down on the needle-cap and pulled it from the needle. She reversed the syringe and then pushed it into her upper arm. A moment later she pushed the plunger in and fire was rushing through her veins. Her heart rate shot up, her pupils dilated, the pain faded as if it never had been.
She pulled the spent syringe from her arm and tossed it aside. After taking a deep breath she struggled to her feet. The bag's strap went over her shoulder and she pulled the cloak on, the layer of clothing giving her a sense of comfort.
Getting to her feet had torn something inside her. She could feel the warm, wet sensation of blood, running down the inside of her thighs. She ignored it. The small medpack did not have anything in it that could do much for her. No use worrying over something she could do nothing about.
In her earlier flight she had not given much thought to stealth but she had not known what was really following her. She picked her path carefully, doing her best not to leave a trail. The sun would be up shortly. The farther she was from the camp, the better.
At least I'm not leaving a trail of ripped clothing this time, she thought. Only a trail of blood.
Tristan aimed a kick at the tracker lying at his feet. It connected with hard with the man's abdomen.
"Should we go get her?" Calin asked as he filled his silver flask from a bottle he had found in the supplies on the digg.
"I don't feel like wasting my time on damaged goods." Tristan turned away from the tracker and walked over to Calin.
"Even if you damaged them yourself?"
"Especially then." He routed through the pannier on the digg until he found a bottle of wine. "Still, she could prove to be an embarrassment if she survives, unlikely as that is."
"What about her Otosan's fortune." Calin capped his flask and put it into his jacket pocket.
"I said she was intelligent, but still she was rather dull. She never used her mind all that much." He pulled the cork from the bottle. "Once everything calms down in Hagooda I'll be able to find out what happened to it." He put the bottle to his lips and upended it. A trail of the red wine ran from the corner of his mouth and stained the collar of his white shirt.
"So are you going to do anything?" his younger companion asked from where he sat in the digg's passenger seat.
"Of course Dennis-kun, of course." He smiled then walked over to the tracker who was still lying on the ground. "Dennis-kun, that extra spadd you carry please."
"Why?"
"You'll see." Tristan took another drink from the wine bottle.
Dennis reached inside his jacket and removed a spadd, much plainer than the one he wore at his waist. He threw it to Tristan. Tristan grabbed it out of the air with one hand. He fumbled for a moment and had to drop the wine bottle to avoid dropping the spadd.
The energy blade sprung from the weapon a moment later and the man on the ground pulled himself into a tighter ball, as if doing so could protect him from the blade of energy. Then the blade was gone and Tristan had dropped the spadd onto the man. It bounced off his shoulder and landed on the ground near his face. "Be a good fellow and go hunt Elenoin-dono down." He bent down to pick up the bottle of wine, it was nearly empty, the wine had stained the ground. "Cut off her head when you find her and bring it to me." He finished the wine left in the bottle than tossed it aside.
"Let's go gentleman, we have work to do." He turned and walked towards the digg.
The sunlight filtered through the jungle canopy, giving everything a green tinge. A waterfall came over a cliff, falling several meters to the rocks where it splashed up. Rainbows were formed in the spray. A short distance from the waterfall the stream widened and became deeper, forming a pool.
Elenoin stepped into the water, shivering slightly. It was a little cooler than the air temperature. She walked forward, sinking deeper into the pool, letting the water wash the blood, dried sperm, spit, and wine from her. The deepest part of the pool came up to her breasts. She took a deep breath and then bent her knees until the water closed over her head.
Holding her breath she reached down to scoop up handfuls of the fine sand and used it to scrub at her body, careful not to open any of the closed cuts. Still she scrubbed as hard as she could, hoping to remove the taint that she felt on herself. It did not help.
Finally, her chest tight, the sound of her heart loud in her ears, she surfaced and gulped in breaths of air.
Leaning back in the water she let it support her as much as it could, which was not much. Muscle was no where near as buoyant as fat. Still, she did not have to work too hard to stay afloat. One of the benefits of the female form.
Elenoin wanted to stay there, the water was clean and she felt it purified her. She did not want to walk any more; she just wanted to float. She was going to have to get out of the water and keep moving. Without help she was not sure how much longer she could survive.
Putting her feet back on the sandy floor of the stream, she walked back to the bank and retrieved her bag and cloak. She pulled the bags strap over her shoulder then put the cloak on.
Stepping back into the river she began to walk, close to the bank where the water was shallow. With luck it would help to make her trail that much harder to follow.
After several hours of walking the stream entered into a fast flowing river. Elenoin backtracked until she found a slope of rocky ground she had passed earlier. She carefully pulled herself up onto it, doing her best not to open any of the closed wounds. She pulled the cloak around her so that it might absorb any blood.
It was not the external bleeding that would kill her she decided as she crossed the rocks, it was the internal bleeding. The right side of her abdomen was a dark blue and green patch and while the pain had become dull it was constant.
She stopped just short of the jungle and opened her bag, removing the medpack. Almost all the pain tablets were gone. She popped one of the remaining three from the foil and took it. The medpack was not really much, just a number of drugs meant to keep one alive so they could reach medical help on their own. The makers assumed that such help would be close by though, or there would be someone to help.
Packing the kit away she pressed into the jungle, continuing on.
Darkness had fallen once again. Under the canopy Elenoin could barely see more than a meter in front of her. She moved slowly, wishing for the night-vision glasses that had been left behind in her escape. They would not have allowed her to move much faster but being able to see would have given her a sense of comfort.
With only the cloak the jungle was uncomfortably cool. Gooseflesh had risen up along her arms and legs and she shivered uncontrollably.
How far was it to the border? And what would she do when she got there? The bag she carried held the access codes to accounts, promissory notes, bank notes, and a thick sheaf of bearer bonds.
It all represented close to ninety six percent of her family's fortune. The other four percent was land, real estate and other concrete items in Hagooda. She had never realised how wealthy her father, and mother, had been until she cracked the codes on the accounts. It was fortunate that Tristan had believed her. At least she had denied him something.
She drove the thoughts of Tristan and the rape from her mind, thoughts of what the future held, how far she had travelled and had yet to travel were beaten down. All that was left was the drive to put one foot in front of another, using the occasional glimpse of stars through the canopy to keep her on her course.
Later, it might have been hours, it might have been minutes--she as not sure--Elenoin heard a faint sound, perhaps a twig snapping. She dropped her hand into the bag; it wrapped around the cylindrical object within it.
"Elen-chan, catch," Nathan called, throwing something at her.
Elenoin looked up from the book she was reading. An object was flying towards her, twisting end over end. She lifted her hand, waited until it passed by, then closed her fingers on it. No clumsy fumbling for her.
"What's this?" She looked at the spadd in her hand.
"It's a spadd idiot," he said condescendingly.
"I know that." She could not help but to get a little flustered. "What is it for?"
"A bit of sparring."
"It doesn't have a stun setting."
"Surely you are skilled enough to fight with live blades?" His tone taunted her.
"Of course I am." Elenoin got up from the bench under the tree. The book fell from her lap, landing on the grass. She brushed her riding skirts smooth. "Let's go."
For a moment her fingers refused to close on the object in the bag, like it could burn her. Then what had happened the night before came back to her, an image so intense she almost cried out. She closed her fingers around the spadd and pulled it free.
She would die before she let anything like that happen to her again. More importantly she would kill.
Looking around she saw a place that might suit her needs. She could only see so much, however. She crossed a slightly open area and found a tree to put her back to. Closing her eyes she fought to control her breathing.
No time for pain, she thought, ignore it. No time for fear, or doubt, or anything beyond the feel of the spadd in her hand and her enemy.
The sounds got closer, someone moving quickly, but not too quickly. A good tracking pace she decided. Only one person, as far as she could tell.
Relax, Elenoin told herself, control, control, fight for it. It would not do to burn herself out with an adrenaline rush before anything had happened. Control.
A slight shuffle in the step. Her pursuer had entered the clearing. No sounds of movement, soft breathing, she could almost picture the person looking around. He or she must have sensed something. Felt the danger there.
Another sound. A spadd igniting.
If that is the way they want it, Elenoin tightened her grip on her own spadd.
Sounds of someone moving through the clearing, checking the signs on the ground. Whoever it was was getting closer. Elenoin closed her eyes and pictured the clearing as best as she could. She wanted to leap out, ready to fight, but she knew that would result in her death. Her reserves of stamina were nearly gone. A long-term fight was not in her best interest. It would have to be fast.
Waiting, waiting, trying to hear every sound over the beating of her heart. The sound of a footfall close by, a slight change in the pursuers breathing let Elenoin know it was time.
She spun out, dropping to her knee, igniting the spadd, ignoring the pain. The spadd wielded by her opponent flashed over head. If she had not dropped to her knee it might have taken her head off. Her own blade flashed out.
There was no real feedback with a spadd. The blade cut through softer materials with such ease it was hard to tell if she had hit anything by feel alone. The smell of burning flesh, of ruptured intestines, told her what she needed to know, however.
Her blade went up above her head to block a possible down swing as she surged to her feet. She need not have bothered. In the light of the two spadds' blades she could see the man who had come after her. He was one of Tristan's trackers. She had cut him in half.
For a moment Elenoin swayed back and forth, almost fainting. Her exertions had almost been too much for her. She Shut off her weapon and returned it to the bag. Elenoin bent down and took the spadd from the dead man's hand. He had been one of the men that had raped her. Teeth barred, she slashed down with the weapon, taking his head from his shoulders. Growling, she slashed across his chest, her anger and hatred coming through.
She stepped back from the ruins of what had once been a man's body. She shut the spadd off and threw it from her. She turned and walked away, leaving the scene.
The jungle was beginning to lighten with the coming of dawn. Elenoin tripped over a tree root, stumbled forward, barely managing to keep herself from falling.
She wondered how much longer she had to live. All the signs and symptoms told her that soon she might be dead. It seemed so unfair. There were so many things she had wanted to do.
She was no longer quite certain where she was. For all she knew she might have been walking in circles for the past several hours. The sun might rise to reveal the body of the man she had killed.
Then in front of her she heard talking, people coming through the bush, several she thought. It did not sound like Tristan or his men, but how could she be sure? Even if it was not Tristan how could she trust anyone?
She turned to run, hoping she could hide herself in the bush. She tripped on something, this time she was unable to keep herself from falling. Her head spun as the ground came up to meet her.
It drove the air from her lungs, her eyes blurred, the little remaining strength in her limbs finally fled. I'm finished, Elenoin thought. She looked up, hoping to see her mother again, hoping that the shade might give her strength once again. The spirit world was not to be a help.
Elenoin closed her eyes. It had been a long time since she had slept. Consciousness fled.
The Trio de Colus infantry walked through the jungle. They were relaxed. It had been quiet and Hagooda was defeated. From all reports it seemed the people of Hagooda were more interested in turning on their leaders than in continuing the fight.
The walked in single file, several meters of spacing between them, each person in the squad covering an arc of fire, alternating left and right down the line. They may have been relaxed but they were not stupid.
Quiet conversation went on between the members of the squad. The topic of most importance was how they were going to spend their leave the next day.
Private Galen was on point, not involved in any of the conversation. He was doing his best to see everything, to look everywhere. Something ahead of him caught his attention. The line was not natural; it stood out from the jungle floor. He could see pale flesh.
He put his hand down at waist level, open, palm facing the people behind him. The signal was passed own the line. The squad moved out into a V formation, Galen at the point. They no longer talked, The relaxed attitude gone.
Galen moved forward to investigate. If they got bumped he might very well die. All he could do in that case was hug the ground and hope he was not caught in the crossfire.
Placing his feet down carefully, watching for tripwires or other booby traps, he moved forward slowly. He kept his rifle in front of him, moving it back and forth across his firing arc, watching for movement.
Finally he reached the person he had seen. He bent down, keeping one hand on the pistol grip of his weapon, and reached out, pulling the cloak from the body.
Battle injuries were something he had seen a lot of during the war with Hagooda. The bruises and cuts and swelling on the young woman, girl really, lying in front of him spoke of something else, something darker.
He let the cloak fall back into place and got to his feet. It might be a trap of some sort. She was alive but he could not call the squad in until he was sure it was safe. He moved out, checking the immediate area. He moved quickly, less worried than he had been, and the desire to get help for the girl sped his steps. After several minutes he was satisfied things were all right. He returned to the girl's side.
"Gunso(sergeant), it's clean. We need Kelsey here, we got wounded," he yelled out.
Kelsey, the squad medic, was by his side almost instantly, examining the unconscious girl. The rest of the squad followed at a more careful pace. Manai-gunso had them set up in an all around defence, just in case.
"Shit, she's taken a beating, it looks like rape," Kelsey said, running his hands over her body, feeling for injuries. "By the bruising I'd say she took this at least a day ago. How the hell did she survive this long?"
"How bad?" Manai-gunso asked, moving closer.
"Bad, but she'll live as long as I get her treatment soon." He pulled his medical bag from his back and opened it up.
"I can't believe anyone could do this." She looked over Kelsey's shoulder. "The people in Hagooda are animals."
"Maybe." He pulled a bandage out and put it around her abdomen. The pressure might help to stem some of the internal bleeding. It could buy some time. "Hold it," she told him. She knelt down and grabbed the cloak, flipping it over. The embroidery was done in thread nearly the same colour as the cloak but in the growing morning light was easy enough to see. "Family crest, Karimon, Hagooda nobility." She got to her feet. "Leave her."
"Gunso you can't..."
"I said leave her."
"She'll die."
"That's the plan."
"I'm helping her." Kelsey tied off the bandage.
"Leave her." Kelsey felt the barrel of a rifle against his neck.
"She will die if I do nothing," Kelsey said between clenched teeth.
"How many of ours died. Karimon supported that bitch Almemaios. That girl is just as guilty."
"I don't give a shit about politics. She's dying, I'm going to save her."
"No you aren't."
Kelsey turned suddenly, his pistol out, lined up with Manai's head. "I am."
"Jotto-hei(corporal)," she warned.
"I have taken an oath," he told her.
She looked down at her medic, not sure what to do. He had been with her for three months and she knew he was a brave man. She had seen him dash out on a battlefield to bring the wounded to safety. She had known a lot of medics like that, men and women, always different from the common soldier.
"Fine." She moved her rifle so it was no longer pointing at him. "Stay here. Everyone else, let's move out." She walked away, heading into the jungle.
Kelsey watched them leave then turned his attention back to the girl on the ground. After a few minutes he had done all the treatment he could. Picking her up, being gentle as possible, he headed back towards the base camp.
She was a small woman but heavier than he would have expected. She must be mostly muscle, Kelsey thought.
It was three kilometres back to the base camp in a straight line. He could not travel in a straight line and he walked nearly five. Over the rough ground of the jungle, with the burden of the girl in his arms, it felt like ten.
When her finally made it into the base camp he was wasted and soaked with sweat.
"Paula-san! Paula-san!" He called, carrying her towards the evac tent. "Fire up the ambulance, you got a passenger who will need a ride in a few minutes."
"What happened?" Paula leaned out of her digg.
"Found a civilian out in the jungle. She's really beat up." He told her.
"Fuck. One of ours?"
"Don't know," he lied. Manai-gunso was not alone in her sentiments towards the enemy.
"The ambulance will be ready as soon as you want it," she told him.
Kelsey carried the girl into the evac dome and laid her down on the gurney near the entrance.
"I need two units of plasma, and a unit of electrolytes," he told the two aides.
While they rushed to get the equipment he pulled his combat knife from his webbing and cut the patch of embroidery from the cloak. It was best he did not leave anything obvious that might identify her as nobility of Hagooda. He shoved the material into his pocket and slid the knife into its sheath before the aides were back.
They worked together, sliding the needles into her arms, opening the IV tubes right up.
"Okay, let's get her on a stretcher," Kelsey said.
They transferred her onto a stretcher, then carried her out to the ambulance and got her loaded in.
"Make sure you give her a gentle ride," Kelsey called up to the driver.
"Hey, this is an effect vehicle, we don't hit any bumps," Paula called back to him.
"I'll take care of the paperwork, you go with her," he told one of the aides.
"Right," the woman said to him, climbing into the back of the ambulance. Kelsey shut the doors then pounded on them twice. The vehicle rose up on its effect fields then shot off over the broken ground, its ride as smooth as Paula had promised.
Turning around Kelsey headed over to the office tent and entered it. He took a seat at the clerk's desk and reached for the phone. He had to call up a friend at the field hospital and arrange for the girl's safety. He would have to loose all the paperwork as well. Then he had to find his squad again. Manai-gunso was not going to forget this one, he thought, but she would forgive him.
The Fatima carried two large bundles of flowers in her arms. She was walking towards a pair of graves. One was fresh, the other older.
She wore a short ruffled skirt of dark green cloth that went to the middle of her thighs. Her dark green jacket, with flared cuffs, was open, revealing the white, silk camisole she wore under it. A pair of white tights covered her impossibly thin and long legs. Her black shoes looked delicate, with the thin heels and straps. A pair of green ankle socks, ruffled at the top, completed the outfit.
Around her waist was a thin belt of black leather, the buckle a piece of carved jade. Two thin straps came down on her left side, holding a carrier in which her spadd rested.
Her long hair was light brown, almost blonde. The pale rose, memory crystal was affixed to the left side of her head, looking like a piece of jewellery, centred on the part of her hair. Her light blue eye shields covered a set of eyes that were the colour of the ocean on a stormy day.
She shifted the bundles of flowers into her right arm while she moved the spadd out of the way and took a seat between the two graves.
"Ohayo Gozaiamusu(good morning) Master," she said, placing one of the bundles of flower on the freshly laid sod in front of the new gravestone. The name on it was 'Anthony Xanados'. The date of death was less than a week before.
She placed the second bundle of flowers on the other grave. The name on the stone was 'Genavie Tashia-Xanados'. She had been Anthony's wife. She had died nearly six years before.
Both had died young, neither over two hundred and fifty years.
She tucked her legs under her and reached out to brush her hand along the new stone.
She had been with Anthony for nearly fifty years. She had met him when he had visited her father and realised instantly she was meant for him.
They had been friends, companions in battle, sometimes lovers, but it was Genavie he had truly loved. She had realised that soon and had loved her as well, because she made her master happy. When Genavie had died she had mourned with almost the same intensity as Anthony.
It was after her death that Anthony had lost the will to live. No one else had seen it, but she had been too close to her master to miss it.
He had fought every battle after that with determination, had taken 'Morrigan' into fights with a fatalistic attitude. His acceptance of death had made him strong and none of their opponents had ever beaten him. The Mortar Head had never even been badly damaged.
In the end it was a stray shot, near the end of the war, when he was away from his Mortar Head, that had killed him. Some said he had followed his King into death.
The burial had been simple and quick, as Anthony had requested. He had wanted to be put beside his wife as soon as possible. Friends had helped. Then they had left.
She was alone in the house now, the large mansion that was out of place in Jarth, but so was Anthony in many ways. A large man with a barrel chest and long moustaches--waxed so the ends curled around. She smiled, remembering him.
It would be some time before Anthony's heirs came to the house, some would have still not been informed of his death. His nephew Lance was inheriting almost everything but he, was at a college on Addler. It would be a little while before he showed up.
She wondered what would become of her. Anthony had been the only Headliner in the family.
Taking her hand from the stone she placed both in her lap and lowered her head. A few tears ran from her eyes to streak down her face. That was all. Her emotions were under tight control, thanks to the mind control. She wanted to wail, to scream, to sob until her throat was raw. All she could do, however, was produce a few tears.
She stayed by the grave site for hours, sitting there, hardly moving. When the rain began to fall she wanted to stay there, heedless of the rain. After a moment she got to her feet. She had promised Anthony, years before, that if he were to die that she would take care of herself and find a new master. She wondered if she ever could.
Getting to her feet she ran across the lawn, heading for the back door of the house.
Some time later, after showering and changing into a robe, she walked through the house. The staff was gone. Most had been dismissed after Genivie's death. The rest had gone on temporary leaves of absence after Anthony had been buried. She spent her time cleaning the few rooms that were still open. The rest were cloaked in dust cloths, devoid of the warmth they had once held.
She went from room to room, altering things slightly, pulling a dust cloth to cover a piece of furniture better or moving a lamp to another table, or putting a book away, or any number of little things. Two hours later she walked through the same room again, putting things back the way they had been the first time.
For a time she left off the pointless wandering to make herself dinner. She was careful to only prepare enough food for herself and then to clean everything up, leaving the kitchen spotless.
Then, finally exhausted by the monotony of the day, she went to her bed and fell into a dreamless sleep. The last thought before sleep claimed her was that the next day would be exactly the same.
Elenoin came to consciousness slowly, slipping gently from the bonds of sleep. She was aware of the softness under her first. Then something covering her, and the warmth of it. Smells came to her next, the medicinal scent of disinfectants. It was a hospital smell.
Her eyes fluttered open, the light was soft and indirect. She could hear a quiet murmur of conversation, footsteps, a squeaking she guessed were the wheels of a cart.
She wondered where she was? Had Tristan found her? Was he waiting for her to recover so he could hurt her again? She could remember nothing past killing the tracker in the forest.
Trying to sit up proved impossible. She felt weak, very weak. It went beyond the injuries she had endured. It was like being drunk. They had her sedated she realised. She tired once more to sit up; her back came away from the mattress, her head from the pillow. Then she fell back to the bed. Darkness was creeping in at the edges of her vision; she tired to sit up once more but could not even get her head off he pillow.
Sleep claimed her again.
The next time she came to the cottony feeling around her mind was gone. She sat up so quickly that the blood rushed from her head, making her feel dizzy.
"Careful, don't push yourself too hard," a male voice said.
"Who, where?" Elenoin turned towards the speaker, at the same time she drew herself up into the corner of the bed farthest from him, pulling her knees in against her chest. She noticed that a privacy curtain had been pulled around the bed.
He looked to be a short man, though it was hard to be certain with him sitting. He had short brown hair, brown eyes and an average appearance. There was an air of self-confidence about him.
"Easy, I'm not going to hurt you Karimon-dono," he told her. "No one is going to hurt you. Your are in the 2nd Brigade field hospital, Trio de Colus. I am Isben-Tai-I(captain), your doctor."
Elenoin said nothing. She pulled herself into a tighter ball, making sure the bed covers were over her.
"You have been asleep for five days now. We had you in surgery for three hours after you arrived, repaired all the damage. Then you spent two days in a modified Fatima bed. You heal fast."
"What now?" she asked.
"Indeed, what now? Do you want to tell me who raped you? It was quite brutal, a lot of damage. All the physical signs are gone, but the mental scars are beyond my healing abilities. You should tell me who did it?"
She turned to look at the wall, focusing all her attention on it.
"You should tell me. It will help. It was not your fault."
Elenoin turned to face him. She opened her mouth, then closed it and turned to stare at the wall again.
"Trust me Karimon-sama, it was not your fault. Self blame for something like this can destroy you." He waited several seconds to see if she would say anything. "Fine. Let's talk about you."
Something hit the bed. Elenoin turned to look at it. It was her passport.
"Elenoin Karimon, now Duchess Elenoin, though you have lost all your lands, things being the way they are in Hagooda. You are only fifty five years old, five years short of age of majority." Next a bulging valise hit the bed. "You have managed to secure almost all of your family fortune, that makes you one of the richest individuals in the Cluster." Her spadd hit the bed next, close to her. "You are a headliner."
Elenoin reached out from under the cover to get the spadd. She looked at it, running her hands over the acid etched metal. Rose vines ran up and down the casing, a beautiful piece of work. A master's work.
"As for the rest of it, tooth brush, a medpack that probably did you more harm than good. Honestly, stimulants and pain killers, do you know that they did to you?" He waited to see if she would answer. "A map, sanitary pads, and nothing else. Not very prepared for someone carrying enough in bearer bonds alone to buy two or three spaceships. So young lady, what do you think?"
She said nothing.
"This hospital sees a number of people come through it. Nobility are rare. Children, thankfully, are rare. Incredibly wealthy people are rare. Headliners are rare. You are unique here."
Elenoin let the spadd drop back onto the bed.
"Tell me Karimon-sama, what should I do with you? You are Hagooda nobility, but due to the events in your home country my guess is you want amnesty. You are not legal adult, and since you no longer have a living guardian you should be put in a fosterage. You have been raped, you need in depth psychological treatment."
"Leave me alone." She did not bother looking at him.
"And then what? What do you plan to do?"
She said nothing.
"I see." He began to pack up the things he had thrown on her bed, placing them back in the bag. "I'll leave this here. He put the bag on the table by her bed. "Get some rest." He got to his feet and left the area enclosed by the curtain, Elenoin heard his footsteps as he walked away.
She looked over at the bag. She could grab everything and make a run for it. But what would that get her? She did not have enough information; there were too many unknowns. The Tai-I seemed safe enough. It was best that she wait for a little while at least.
Alfred Isben walked across the ward floor, heading towards the door at the end of the hall. Beside him walked--though he was not sure it that was the way to really describe her almost floating glide--Mariko Saunders, a Diver.
She was average height but a head taller than the doctor beside her. She wore her red hair slicked back, tight to her scalp and then it fell to her shoulders. Light blue, almost green eyes. Not really beautiful but handsome. Perhaps striking was the word.
"Well what do you think?" he asked her as the exited the ward.
"Scared little girl. Rape will do that," Mariko told him.
"Yeah." He leaned against the wall and reached into his pocket for his cigarillos. "But how do I handle her. I've seen such stuff before, but mostly battle fatigue. We covered rape in med school but thankfully I've never had to deal with any cases before."
"What do you want me to tell you?" Mariko asked him.
"You're the mind reader." He took a cigarillo from the pack.
"I never claimed to read minds. A bit of empathy, a sixth sense, telekinesis, electrokinesis are my specialities."
"You have a lot more experience with dealing with people who have gone through emotional trauma." He put the pack back in his pocket.
"What makes you think that?" she asked innocently.
"Someone has to keep the real strong Divers, the one who manifest young, from going over the edge. The Guild needs people like that too much, don't they?"
"For a doctor you know a lot," she told him, sounding a little cross.
"Just a lucky guess."
"Is that so Chu-sa(colonel)?" She arched an eyebrow.
"We keep each other's secrets."
"Like always."
"I want your advice."
"Okay, she is messed up. A lot of self-blame there, self-hatred, anger, distrust. Rape is not just a physical assault, it scars the spirit."
"This I know."
"It never hurts to put everything in perspective. Now she needs help but will she take it?"
"Does she have choice?"
"Yes. She has to want the help. What are you thinking of doing for her?"
"She's not an adult. I can find her a foster home without a problem. She is a Headliner after all. Nobility is a nice plus."
"And let's not forget that she's rich. I would love to get control of her estate, even for five years. I'd make myself rich and her richer." Mariko clasped her hands and put them under her chin. She smiled at the thought of it.
"Yes, well let's hope we can find someone who does not have greed in their heart."
"Actually, if I could spare the time, I would happily take her and I'm one of the few people who could help her."
"Why can't you?"
"Secrets, secrets, don't ask me secrets."
"Okay, someone else?"
"Okay, you foster her out, say a well off family in Ballanka, shouldn't be too hard. Then what?"
"She gets the help she needs in a stable family environment."
"No, she leaves, probably the day you get her there. She does not trust anyone. Trust opens her up to the possibility of hurt."
"Okay, we make it more secure."
"Put her in a institute? That's all she needs. She is a Headliner after all. If she does not want to be held you'll have to hurt her to keep her."
"Are you telling me to let her go?"
"Yes. There is no one in the area I know who is strong enough to take her under his or her wing and keep her sane. Pity none of the F.E.M.C. have stayed, at least any of them who would be willing to take a squire, as it were."
"I can't let her go, it wouldn't be right."
"This is one of those cases where doing the right thing is not the best thing."
"I can't just turn her loose."
"We can only help her if she decides she wants help. Hell Alfred-san, she walked across the jungle by herself, probably half that journey made after she had been raped and beaten. She can take care of herself. The only real danger she faces comes from inside."
"Mariko-san, she could go very bad. We've both seen what those emotionally scarred can do. A thousand wars have given us plenty of children who have seen too much. If Elenoin Karimon-sama returns hurt for hurt after we let her go it will be on our heads."
"Then my friend," She reached out and touched the end of his unlit cigarillo. It burst into flame for a moment and then half fell to the ground as ash. "We take care of her."
"Cold Mariko-san, very cold."
"We don't make the rules, but we play by them, ne?"
"Whatever happens, it will be my fault."
"Sometimes you are too much the doctor. I wish I had time, I would love to dump Elenoin-chan on Lie-san." She smiled. "Well, I got to go. See you next time I come through the area." She headed down the hallway towards the exit.
"Take care," he told her.
"I always do."
Elenoin had sat up in the bed, propping the pillows up behind her. She held her spadd in her hands, turning it over slowly, looking at the beautiful, acid etched, rose and vine, design on the outer casing. It truly was a master work, more a work of art than a weapon.
Her mother's spadd. The only time she had truly stood up to her brother and father had been over the weapon. After her mother's death her brother had tried to claim the weapon. It had been meant for her though and she had demanded it. Her father had tried to make her feel guilty, asking her how she could be so petty after her mother's death?
She had refused to be budged on it. In the end Nathan had given up.
It was soon after that he had challenged her to the duel.
Elenoin flipped it into the air where. it spun end over end. She grabbed it as it began to fall, and then repeated the action several more times. Turning her attention back to the etching Elenoin let herself become lost in it. She could remember, sitting on her mother's knee, looking at the very weapon she held now, her mother pointing out all the detail in it.
From the weave of rose stems little things popped out. A butterfly, a spider, a mouse, other things as well. She loved it.
"Am I interrupting?" Isben-Tai-i asked her.
"No." Elenoin shoved the spadd back into the bag.
"Well, I thought you might want to take a shower before you leave."
"Before I leave?"
"No need for you to stay. You are in nearly perfect health, you have been discharged." He dropped a bundle of clothes on the bed. "I think all this will fit you, nothing special but it should do. There's also some soap, shampoo, towels, all that stuff."
Elenoin looked at him, then reached out to grab the bathrobe by the side of the bed. Alfred turned his back to her. She got out of bed and pulled the thin robe on. She then grabbed her bag and the clothes.
"Where's the shower?" she asked him.
"Down that way." He turned and pointed. "Second door on your left."
She nodded then turned and walked out of the curtains, into the ward.
Alfred watched her go. Pretty girl he thought. He prayed that Mariko had called this one right.
Elenoin made straight for the shower room, trying her best not to jump whenever anyone came near her. She looked straight ahead, not making eye contact with anyone.
There were ten showers, each one in its own, separate, stall. The room was empty. She placed the clothes and bag on a bench near one of the showers at the back of the room.
She made the shower quick and then dried off and got dressed. The clothes were simple, loose pants, a T-shirt, a jacket, boots; all of it fit fairly well.
Her cloak was included. She looked it over. Someone had cut her family crest from it, probably a good thing. It had been cleaned but to Elenoin it held too many unpleasant memories. She dropped it to the floor.
She pulled the bag over her shoulder and left the shower room.
Isben-Tai-i was waiting outside for her.
"Here, take this." He held out a small data reader.
"Why?"
"It has the numbers of a number of good counsellors and help lines throughout the Cluster."
"No thank you." Elenoin began to turn away.
He almost reached to grab her shoulder, then realised that would not be a good plan. He moved out in front of her, blocking her way.
"Please Karimon-sama, take them, if only to ease a doctor's conscience."
"Fine." She reached out took the data reader from him. "Happy?" She pushed it into her pocket and slid by him.
"Ecstatic. Karimon-sama, one more thing."
"What?" She continued to walk.
"The exit is that way." He pointed to a corridor to his right.
Elenoin turned and walked back, then down the corridor he indicated.
"Thanks," she said, sounding a little embarrassed.
The corridor turned to the left a few meters down and then ended at a set of glass doors. Sunshine streamed through them. Hitching the strap for the bag higher on her shoulder she pushed through them.
She walked across the parking lot and out onto the road that led into the field hospital. She walked along it, a hundred meters down she came to the cross roads. A signpost told her where each road led. One back towards Hagooda, the other three led to towns whose names meant nothing to her.
She pulled a twig from a bush by the road and threw it up into the air. It fluttered down, twisting, landing on the ground. The torn end pointed towards the road opposite to the one leading back to Hagooda. The signpost proclaimed it led to a place called "Mizuhashi", fifty kilometres distant.
She set off down it.
A minute later a digg pulled up beside her, a large cargo model.
"Hey, ojousan(young lady), you want a ride?" the young driver called out to her.
Elenoin looked up at him, wondering what was going on behind his innocent face. What did he really plan? When she realised she was being paranoid she stepped up onto the running boards.
"That would be great, thank you very much."
"No problem." He reached over to open the door for her. Elenoin got into the passenger seat, pulling on her seatbelt. A moment later the digg was heading down the road.
At the cross roads Alfred watched the vehicle crest a hill and disappear. He hoped she would be all right.