Chapter 9
Within seconds, Khan is diving into the icy water and searching frantically for the girl. His ice open beneath the murky liquid but he sees nothing—no movement, no bubbling screams, no frantically clawing fingers. Nothing. His head breaks the surface. Panting, he cuts his eyes across the river's glassy surface and fights against the ever growing current. Where was she?
"Little Wolf!" He screams out her name while Hawk runs frantically on the bank as he follows the river…but he doesn't see her either. "LITTLE WOLF!" Khan screams louder. His heart gallops in his chest like a mustang racing away from a starving mountain lion. Where was she? WHERE WAS SHE?
"Ah!" A muffled scream sounds around the river bend and then wild splashing that instantly stops.
Khan swims towards the sound furiously. The current carries him around the bend, but there is nothing there!
"LITTLE WOLF!" He dives back beneath the water and then rushes back up.
Nothing! Again, nothing! Where was she? If he weren't so scared right now, he'd want to strangle her! Why didn't she tell him that her people couldn't swim? Why do her people have to be so frail? So feeble! This is all her fault! Had she told him—had she not woken him up—she would be alright! None of this would have ever happened!
But he was the one who threw her in.
If she dies, her blood will be on his hands…and—unlike countless others—this death will not be easily forgotten.
"John!" A coughing scream accompanied by more splashing. She was alive! She swims faster. "JOHN!"
He turns around the next corner just in time to see the river force her back beneath the surface. Streams of bubbles float upwards as she screams in terror. Immediately, Khan dives down and wraps his arm around her waist before shooting back upwards. Gasping, he puts the girl on his back and allows her to curl her shivering arms around his neck before swimming back to the bank. His fingers and feet stab into the slipper mud as, exhausted, he hauls the both of them to safety. Collapsing onto his side and panting with relief, he watches as Little Wolf coughs and sputters.
Hawk runs up and they begin to speak in their strange language: Are you alright? Little Wolf?
Never better, she shoots Khan a glare before punching him in the shoulder. He isn't harmed in the least.
"How do you feel?" Khan asks her.
"Like strangling you—you big meanie head!"
"Watch yourself or I'll throw you back in," He growls.
"Not before I kick you!" A brief flicker of pain caresses his stomach just before she jumps to her feet and runs away, throwing up clumps of mud. Hawk smirks at Khan and shrugs.
"I guess she's alright." He says with a sheepish grin.
"Indeed." Khan wipes mud from his eyes and scowls.
…
"What do you think your father was like?"
"I already told you, John—I never knowed him." Little Wolf stomps her tiny foot and narrows her eyes at him.
"But what do you think he was like?" He nudges her with his arm and she kicks him in the ankle: she still hasn't forgiven him for 'trying to drown her' even though he apologized. Sort of.
"I don't know…all I know is what I'm good at and what my Mom isn't. So, I guess I got that from him. I like to draw, so I guess he did too. I like building things and figuring 'em out. I like jokes and stuff and my Mom always gets on to me for 'em 'cause she said they're bad but I don't see how: they're funny. I know my Mom has green eyes and lighter hair than mine; so, my dad must have had dark hair like you and blue eyes." She shrugs. "I know the people aren't violent but I can fight if I have too. I don't think my people would have liked him very much. They don't like learning if it messes with 'tradition' and fighting is always bad.
She continues to babble on: "But my brother acts more like her but he's still little. We've got the same dad, he and I. One day, I'm gonna see if I can find him, and my Mom, and save my brother from the Orphanage. Mom said he had died but I ain't never seen his grave. I think that means he might still be out there. Somewhere." She exhales loudly.
"You two are strange." Sharp Quill mutters as she rolls by.
"Look who's talking! You ate cooked rat last night! That's just nasty!" Little Wolf snaps back and Khan doesn't even bother hiding the smirk that follows. It was humorous seeing such a small and breakable creature be so cocky: it was like watching a Chihuahua give orders to a Rottweiler.
"That's rude." Khan comments cooly.
"So it lying, but that didn't stop Jonah from doing it. He lied to the People and stole some of us away—and that's where the Augments came from."
"Right…" Khan rolls his eyes. That was almost as realistic as flying pigs! Everyone knew that the scientists created Augments. That their superior DNA was a result of genetic enhancements.
…
"Be careful," Little Wolf warns loudly. "Mine field coming up ahead."
And then she stops. Her head tilts as she listens carefully. Khan tenses by her side and instantly looks upwards as though expecting to see a battalion of Star Ships descending upon them, but the skies were clear. What was she listening to?
"Is something wrong?" He asks and then she rushes forward—a blinding streak of color that disappears into the forest. Khan rushes after her but freezes by the edge of a clearing—the mine field. Little Wolf, to Khan's dismay, continues to run forward with wild abandon with arms outstretched towards a figure—a woman—standing in the middle of the field.
"MOM!" She screams just as she jumps up and wraps her arms around the woman who instantly hugs her back.
"I don't believe it." Sharp Quill mutters. "The Woman Out of Time…"
Khan's heart almost stops beating. He knew this woman. He knew her. He had known her before escaping Sector 31 with his family to rule over the Earth. He had laughed with her, loved her. They had been together intimately but…this was impossible. That was years ago. Hundreds of years ago. How was she here? Here of all places? No, forget that—how was she even alive? And Little Wolf—Little Wolf called her Mom.
Was it possible she was…?
No!
No this was impossible! Crazy!
But if he could survive the ravages of time…was it possible she did was well and with children? His Children…?
"Hello, Khan." The woman—Silver Moon—says evenly before setting Little Wolf on the ground between them. Little Wolf's eyebrows furrow with confusion.
"No, Mom. That's John, not Khan." She corrects.
"Is it now?" Silver Moon narrows her eyes at him but Khan's face doesn't reveal any of the turmoil boiling within him. "Well, John, how are you?"
His eyes narrow as he assesses her. She moves slightly to put herself between him and her child and he watches her do it with calm blue eyes. He had no desire to harm Little Wolf—surely she knew that? He had never personally slaughtered any children before: he had men do it for him, but that was different. Those were the children of rebels. Traitors.
"I'm doing fine." He says smoothly while Little Wolf looks back and forth between them.
"What are you doing here?" A hard edge enters her voice. "Why are you traveling with my daughter?" She glares at him.
"I needed a guide."
"Alright, children." Sharp Quill slowly climbs out of her wagon and limps over to the trio. The children watch from a distance as though sensing the invisible storm crackling overhead. "We need to get a move on." She glares at Khan and then Silver Moon.
"And where are we going?" Silver Moon crosses her arms over her chest irritably.
"To Riverweed, Mom."
"What?" She turns on the child quickly and for a moment Khan is sure she's going to strike the child. "Are you crazy? That place is dangerous, young lady! You have no business going there!"
"But—"
"But nothing!" Her arms wrap around the girl's wrist tight enough to leave bruises. "You're coming with me!" She begins to drag Little Wolf away but Sharp Quill smacks the woman hard with her cane. Silver Moon wheels around to glare at her but Sharp Quill doesn't even flinch.
"And go where? Everything is gone. Our villages were destroyed and our people scattered. Once we get this young man to Riverweed, we're going to send out a call to round everyone together."
"And after that?" She questions the old woman. "What then?"
"I don't know. The invaders are calling for our blood. I suppose we'll go into hiding." The old woman sighs right before Little Wolf wriggles free.
"I'm taking John to Riverweed—and you can't stop me! I promised I'd get him there and I will."
"You promised, huh?"
"I did."
"Well," She looks over at Khan and then Sharp Quill. "Let's get moving then."
…
Khan and Silver Moon sneak out of the camp after the others have fallen asleep. Unbeknownst to them a certain little girl follows them, taking extra care to soundlessly melt into the shadows.
"How are you alive?" Khan asks once they're far enough away so that their voices won't wake the others.
"I escaped the compound and ran away on a stolen ship before crash landing back on my planet—this planet. We lived here for about year until it was apparent Star Fleet had influence here as well. So, I cryogenically froze us. I put the kids in one pod and me in another. The river separated us."
"The children. Who is their father?" Khan demands.
"Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer? You are, Khan. You're their father." Silver Moon says softly.
The news hits him like a ton of bricks. Father? He was a father? The thought was preposterous—she must be lying. But she wasn't. Her eyes gave it away. Every word she had just spoken was the truth. That didn't make it any easier to digest. A small gasp sounds to his left. Khan turns just in time to see Little Wolf's foot disappear from view.
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