Chapter Two: The rescue
Inez pushed away the final bushes from her path. "Stay here," she told Stupid, her blue roan blanketed appaloosa. She tied his reins to a low branch. The same plaintive wail that had drawn her came again from down the road behind a semi truck. The truck very presence was suspicious enough; no trucker would need to go down this unpaved, backwoods road. Inez was now certain that they were up to something. She trotted from her cover and crouched next to the semi. Keeping low, she walked over to the end of the semi and peered over the edge. She gasped, and couldn't believe what she saw. A Hork Bajir bound by its wrists, neck and legs held together by one lock. The chains looked massive and thick; Inez wondered what type of metal they were made of to be able to hold a Hork Bajir. Five men danced around him, cattle prods in hand. The Hork Bajir seemed heavily sedated, his movements were sluggish, his eyes dull. He couldn't even speak, Inez knew that he could, he just made sounds similar to a cow lowing, and only occasionally making the loud cry that had drew her.
How did they capture him? She wondered. The only Hork Bajir community on Earth was the one in Yosemite, and they were quite a few miles away from there. She could only imagine what purpose they wanted him for. The large man holding him cursed at him and gave him a five-second shock from his cattle prod. The Hork Bajir's shrill shriek of pain sent a shiver down her spine. She knew what she had to do. She looked around for a good distraction that would lure away most of the men. Her hand pressed against the cold steel of the side of the truck. Of course she thought.
A few seconds later, she was in the cab of the truck attempting to jump- start it by connecting the necessary wires. She was rewarded by the sound of the motor chocking to life.
"Holy shit how did the truck turn on?" she heard a voice cry from the outside. She took off the parking brake, angled her Rowan staff to press down on the accelerator and push herself out the opposite side of the cab. She fell hard, but was thankful that she had not been caught underneath the wheels as the truck roared past. She could now hear that the men where in hysterics and frantically chasing after the runaway truck. She looked up at the two remaining men left to watch their quarry. Yes, now the odds were much better. Running her fingers over the swirl designs that covered the top half of the staff, she ran for enemies with a yell.
The man obviously startled at her scream, but the one not holding the Hork Bajir rose to meet her challenge. She ducked his first blow, and kneed him right were it hurt him most. He faltered for one moment, and took it better than most men. He grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her clear of the ground. He was taller than her by a head, muscular, able to lift her a full arms length above his head. Inez was excepting to be thrown to the ground instantly, however he kept her in the air, and she actually looked down to see what distracted him. Her breasts were at his eye level. Pervert! She thought. To her advantage or disadvantage, she was well endowed. In this case, it was to her advantage.
"Just keep looking at em'," she said, "makes you easier to kick."
She thrust out both of her feet and hit him square in the chest. He fell to the ground the wind knocked out of him. Inez brought her staff down to keep him there for a while. The second man was smarter; he had kept his cattle prod in his hand as he moved forward to challenge her, the Hork Bajir in tow. She jumped and ducked in front of him, knowing that if he got her just one time with that thing it was over. She attempted to bat the prod out of his hand to no avail. She knew that such a tactic was not going to work. She leapt forward falling face down on the ground and pulled on his ankles. He fell forward, and Inez rolled out of his range. She made sure he stayed down for a while as well.
"Come, I am a friend, I will lead you to safety." She told the Hork Bajir. The Hork Bajir blinked at her, but seemed to understand. He was still groggy, and swayed with every step but still managed to follow her, chains jangling.
She untied Stupid from his tree, mounted, and urged him into a gallop. She had gone only a couple of yards and turned to check on her Hork Bajir, and saw him faltering. She turned Stupid back towards him.
"I know you must feel bad, but you have to do your best to keep up, otherwise those men will come back and take you prisoner once again."
"Yes." The Hork Bajir managed to say. Inez hated to push on him in such a state, but there was no way she could defend him from all of those men at once. She took his chains into her hands and pulled him along as she cantered Stupid. The Hork Bajir's long stride allowed him to match the pace. They crashed through bushes, saplings, and frightening all the small animals out of their burrows. After charging up a steep hill, Inez saw a cave hidden behind a thicket. Hoping that the men would happen not to notice it in their search. She would have liked to go even farther, but she knew the Hork Bajir could not continue for much longer. Whatever sedative they had given him was taking an even greater effect on him.
After forcing the Hork Bajir, and Stupid into the cave, she disguised the entrance best she could. She turned around to find the Hork Bajir lying very still on the cave floor. With a small groan, she fell to her knees and placed her hand on his neck to see whether she still felt life. With a sigh of relief, she could still feel the blood flowing in his veins. The sedative must have finally gotten the better of him, she thought.
After removing her saddle off Stupid, she fished in her woven bag tied to it. She found a long nail that she considered lucky, and began to work away at the locks on the chains. After about one hour, she had opened all of the six locks. She yawned as she removed the last of the chains from the Hork Bajir's body and let them fall into a pile on the floor. Inez felt drained from her exertions. She retied her red hair, looked one last time at a chewing Stupid, and lay down on the floor across from the Hork Bajir and surrendered herself to sleep.
Inez pushed away the final bushes from her path. "Stay here," she told Stupid, her blue roan blanketed appaloosa. She tied his reins to a low branch. The same plaintive wail that had drawn her came again from down the road behind a semi truck. The truck very presence was suspicious enough; no trucker would need to go down this unpaved, backwoods road. Inez was now certain that they were up to something. She trotted from her cover and crouched next to the semi. Keeping low, she walked over to the end of the semi and peered over the edge. She gasped, and couldn't believe what she saw. A Hork Bajir bound by its wrists, neck and legs held together by one lock. The chains looked massive and thick; Inez wondered what type of metal they were made of to be able to hold a Hork Bajir. Five men danced around him, cattle prods in hand. The Hork Bajir seemed heavily sedated, his movements were sluggish, his eyes dull. He couldn't even speak, Inez knew that he could, he just made sounds similar to a cow lowing, and only occasionally making the loud cry that had drew her.
How did they capture him? She wondered. The only Hork Bajir community on Earth was the one in Yosemite, and they were quite a few miles away from there. She could only imagine what purpose they wanted him for. The large man holding him cursed at him and gave him a five-second shock from his cattle prod. The Hork Bajir's shrill shriek of pain sent a shiver down her spine. She knew what she had to do. She looked around for a good distraction that would lure away most of the men. Her hand pressed against the cold steel of the side of the truck. Of course she thought.
A few seconds later, she was in the cab of the truck attempting to jump- start it by connecting the necessary wires. She was rewarded by the sound of the motor chocking to life.
"Holy shit how did the truck turn on?" she heard a voice cry from the outside. She took off the parking brake, angled her Rowan staff to press down on the accelerator and push herself out the opposite side of the cab. She fell hard, but was thankful that she had not been caught underneath the wheels as the truck roared past. She could now hear that the men where in hysterics and frantically chasing after the runaway truck. She looked up at the two remaining men left to watch their quarry. Yes, now the odds were much better. Running her fingers over the swirl designs that covered the top half of the staff, she ran for enemies with a yell.
The man obviously startled at her scream, but the one not holding the Hork Bajir rose to meet her challenge. She ducked his first blow, and kneed him right were it hurt him most. He faltered for one moment, and took it better than most men. He grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her clear of the ground. He was taller than her by a head, muscular, able to lift her a full arms length above his head. Inez was excepting to be thrown to the ground instantly, however he kept her in the air, and she actually looked down to see what distracted him. Her breasts were at his eye level. Pervert! She thought. To her advantage or disadvantage, she was well endowed. In this case, it was to her advantage.
"Just keep looking at em'," she said, "makes you easier to kick."
She thrust out both of her feet and hit him square in the chest. He fell to the ground the wind knocked out of him. Inez brought her staff down to keep him there for a while. The second man was smarter; he had kept his cattle prod in his hand as he moved forward to challenge her, the Hork Bajir in tow. She jumped and ducked in front of him, knowing that if he got her just one time with that thing it was over. She attempted to bat the prod out of his hand to no avail. She knew that such a tactic was not going to work. She leapt forward falling face down on the ground and pulled on his ankles. He fell forward, and Inez rolled out of his range. She made sure he stayed down for a while as well.
"Come, I am a friend, I will lead you to safety." She told the Hork Bajir. The Hork Bajir blinked at her, but seemed to understand. He was still groggy, and swayed with every step but still managed to follow her, chains jangling.
She untied Stupid from his tree, mounted, and urged him into a gallop. She had gone only a couple of yards and turned to check on her Hork Bajir, and saw him faltering. She turned Stupid back towards him.
"I know you must feel bad, but you have to do your best to keep up, otherwise those men will come back and take you prisoner once again."
"Yes." The Hork Bajir managed to say. Inez hated to push on him in such a state, but there was no way she could defend him from all of those men at once. She took his chains into her hands and pulled him along as she cantered Stupid. The Hork Bajir's long stride allowed him to match the pace. They crashed through bushes, saplings, and frightening all the small animals out of their burrows. After charging up a steep hill, Inez saw a cave hidden behind a thicket. Hoping that the men would happen not to notice it in their search. She would have liked to go even farther, but she knew the Hork Bajir could not continue for much longer. Whatever sedative they had given him was taking an even greater effect on him.
After forcing the Hork Bajir, and Stupid into the cave, she disguised the entrance best she could. She turned around to find the Hork Bajir lying very still on the cave floor. With a small groan, she fell to her knees and placed her hand on his neck to see whether she still felt life. With a sigh of relief, she could still feel the blood flowing in his veins. The sedative must have finally gotten the better of him, she thought.
After removing her saddle off Stupid, she fished in her woven bag tied to it. She found a long nail that she considered lucky, and began to work away at the locks on the chains. After about one hour, she had opened all of the six locks. She yawned as she removed the last of the chains from the Hork Bajir's body and let them fall into a pile on the floor. Inez felt drained from her exertions. She retied her red hair, looked one last time at a chewing Stupid, and lay down on the floor across from the Hork Bajir and surrendered herself to sleep.