Chapter Fourteen: Out of the Frying Pan…
Gui'yata paused well inside the dwelling his eyes still roving the long house as if he was trying to detect something hidden. He had relaxed neither his stance nor his alertness for his surroundings. He had seen the evidence of what the Noa were capable of, able to lower their body temperature at will to blend into their surroundings. It had not occurred to Gui'Yata at first what was happening, though he had wondered how they had been able to get surrounded by Noa without ever sensing their presence. He had found out in the battle across the field, when he was attacked and nearly subdued by a Noa that had appeared from a previously clear section of the scrubby swamp. He was not about to fall prey to another such trap. He needed no more injuries such as the one that he suffered in Taysa. The Noa's bite to his shoulder had left his arm numb and partially immobile, and now seemed to him to be a permanent handicap. He was lucky in that it still functioned well enough that he could continue to be a serviceable member of his society. The large Soua expected an explosion of gnashing teeth from anywhere in the room. He only thought it was a good thing that they could not hold the ruse and move at the same time were that the case, this war would have been lost already.
Slowly he looked over the scene, scanning the bodies strewn about the room with disdain. Why had the two tribes been reduced to this fight? It was a question that had plagued him for long months. And it seemed to be a question that no one person could answer him. His brain hurt when he tried to think on it, he was a hunter, not a policy maker. He shook his head minutely, reminding himself that he was indeed a policy maker, an Eesan in his own city, and therefore charged with thinking these problems through. Yet the problem stumped him.
His eyes wandered again to the scene playing out before him, watching as Gerard cleared him and moved with determined strides and a stiff back toward the two humans that were pivotal to this rescue and this war.
As the last of the Noa guard fell, Thomas had gone back to huddling against Courtney's leg, his filthy flesh pressed to hers, and clutching at what was left of her skirting. He whimpered incessantly and his eyes were unfocused and darting about the room, without really seeing anything. Courtney's skin crawled at the feel, at the thought of the man in that close a proximity to her. The only thing that kept her from lashing out again was the thought that it would soon be over.
Gerard stepped past Gui'Yata approaching the large tree bole that had served as Courtney's prison the past several days. He looked grim and determined, and a murderous light was in his eyes as they moved from her to Thomas. Gerard was grimy and covered in smelly swampy mud, and winter dried grasses clung to his clothes. There were also streaks of blood, his and Noa's over his body, and Courtney knew that he had been through hell just to get here.
Without hesitation Gerard grabbed Thomas by what could loosely be called clothing, drawing him away from Courtney, Thomas' clutching hands ripped her skirting further as he tried to maintain his hold of what he saw was an island of safety. Gerard threw him to the floor with more force than was necessary. He looked on the verge of kicking the crap out of the man, but somehow controlled the rage that was evident on his face. Instead he rolled Thomas over on his stomach and picking up a crude leather thong, he tied Thomas' arms together at above the elbows. He tied it tighter just to ensure that he would not free that stub of an arm. He was slow to straighten and the disgust on his face was evident. Only when that had been accomplished did he look up at Courtney.
Courtney looked to Gerard as if she had been here years and not days. There was blood running down from her wrists and ankles where the bonds had cut into her skin, now dark scarlet streaks dried and cracking. Her hair was disheveled, her once neat cornrows now ugly dreadlocks of tangles standing out at odd angles from her head. The shorter hair on the top of her head was no longer uniform but was matted together and spikes, like the longer hair, stood out all directions. She was dirty and her clothes were torn revealing her form in places that would make a modest person blush. Her skin was dirty and oily, streaked with dark tar and ash. Her fingers were nearly black they were so blue from lack of circulation. As she moved he could see sores worn through her skin oozing nastily, and evidence of more sinister use of their captive. That thought incensed Gerard that much more, that Thomas could treat another human being the way Courtney had been treated.
Her face as she regarded him was blank of expression and her eyes were wide. She was staring directly at him, but he could not even tell if she recognized him.
"Hey Beautiful," He said quietly, his heart compressing with the emotion he had denied himself since coming here. It intensified as mirth sparkled in her brown eyes.
A smile broke her face then, as she croaked, "Hey yourself…flatterer," Gerard reached up and touched Courtney's cheek tenderly. Her eyes closed and she leaned into the soft caress as if glad for the tenderness, when much of the past few days had been hard on her.
"This is not the time for pleasantries," Gui'Yata reminded them gruffly, "There are too many enemies about."
Gerard looked back at the large Soua and nodded. Then he turned back toward her, "Ready to get the hell out of here?"
"More than," She growled in return.
Gerard turned away stepping back over toward Thomas, rolling him roughly over with one foot, "The keys, Thomas…Where are they?"
The man stared at him blankly for very long moments, not moving, not speaking as he regarded the older man's face, "G…Gerard?" The man asked in a small voice, as recognition dawned in his eyes, "What…What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
"Saving a friend," Gerard replied shortly to the first question, and not answering the second, "The keys, soldier!"
"Y…Yes sir," He stuttered, "Jacket pocket inside."
Gerard handed his weapon to Gui'Yata who hefted it into the crook of one arm. Then he leaned over fishing through the rough jacket, stiff with sweat and grease, for the "key" that was promised. Sounds from outside the dwelling drew their attention away again and all eyes turned back toward the entrance of the stilted dwelling assuming defensive stances. Did the Noa discover already that the invaders had penetrated into their city? They were not taking chances on the matter, preparing for assault right here in the heart of the Noa city.
Thomas did not take long to find an advantage in the distraction. He spun violently around catching Gerard in the legs and sending him to the ground, he was on his feet and running past Gui'Yata, before any had realized what he had done. He ran awkwardly his shoulders hunched and swinging wildly with his arms bound. He looked back at the small group as he ran smiling at his own ingenuity, before turning his attention on the door. He was intent on turning left and heading deeper into the city, the garden labyrinth was there, and they would never be able to extract him from that. All the while he was yelling at the top of his voice in Noa, "In here! The intruders are in here!" That should bring the approaching Noa to his aid.
Thomas' escape was short lived as he ran full force into something, and he might as well have run into a solid wall for all the reaction he got from it. Thomas fell back, but he never hit the ground as a large hand latched about his throat and he was lifted bodily off of his feet. He got a faint glimpse of a larger, rose colored Brethren wearing an expressionless mask, before lack of oxygen made his vision dim.
He was walked back into the long hut still dangling and gagging to get air into his crushing passage.
"Is this something that you wanted?" Gerard heard Tomakaya say as he was getting back to his feet, swearing the whole time about his inattention and stupidity. She stepped through the door and flung the human back into their midst. She then relayed orders to the two younger Soua with her, who posted themselves outside the door to prevent any further disruption. She posted herself directly in the doorway, her stance wide and her arms crossed over her muscular chest. Gerard smiled her direction as Gui'Yata thanked her for the return of their errant captive.
"Thomas!" Gerard hollered from where he stood with an air of authority that, by the look on their faces, shocked those gathered, "The bonds…NOW!"
"Y…Your just going to kill me if I do," Thomas theorized, the rat like whine back in his voice as he realized he was in serious trouble. Realizing also that an escape should have been better planned than running blindly. Now they were angrier.
Gerard stormed toward the man cowering between the towering aliens around him. The older soldier grabbed him by the filthy lapel again bringing his stink close to his face, "You're dead one way or the other, man," Gerard hissed, "But you may have a few more miserable moments before the end comes if you cooperate."
"You'll never get her down if you kill me," Thomas stated with one last shred of defiance straightening a little.
"Oh no, we'll get her down, might take a bit, and it might get us into another fight before we win our way out of here, but she will come with us in the end," He pressed the knife closer to his neck, "One more time, unlock the bonds!"
His face fell, his mouth hung open as the implications of that sunk in. Slowly in jerky motion he nodded. He looked away from Gerard a moment and started trilling oddly in varying tones. Gerard nearly silenced him on the spot fearful that his language was another call for help. He stopped just as the knife contacted the man's skin hearing the faint clicking behind him at the tree. He spun quickly seeing the bonds falling away and was just a second too late to react as Courtney vainly tried to grab the shackles to keep herself from falling. Her nerveless fingers could not hold and quickly slipped from the corroded chains. Gui'Yata got there first easing her down to the floor of the dwelling. She attempted to stand but her legs were rubbery and she nearly fell again as Gui'Yata released his support of her. She grabbed quickly for his arm again supporting herself with unfeeling fingers.
Gerard again pushed Thomas to the floor looking down on him disdainfully. He motioned to Gui'Yata who handed over his rifle again, and taking it he aimed it between Thomas' eyes. The man cowered at Gerard's feet curling into a fetal ball unable even to cover his face. Gerard's face screwed up into a mask of hate and loathing at what one of his men had done here. He felt responsible for this somehow, this thing at his feet was once a soldier of his, and that made him nauseous. He was going to take care of his responsibilities right now. His finger tensed on the firing stud.
"Wait," Someone whispered hoarsely. His gaze came up again looking for the source of that quiet strained voice. His eyes locked on Courtney who was shaking her head minutely in the negative. His eyes narrowed that had sounded nothing like he had remembered her voice, "Leave him, as he is, bound, beaten, disgraced. The Noa will make short work of him…believe me. This will prove to them that he is no savior, just a man who has tasted too much power for one lifetime."
"What if he gets away?" Gerard protested, "Look at how much devastation has happened because of him!"
Courtney was shaking her head in the negative again, "No he only accelerated something that was inevitable, Gerard," She looked up into Gui'Yata's quizzical face. She shook her head, "I'll explain later, not here…not now."
Gui'Yata nodded unconditionally accepting her words, as he always did. Courtney pushed away from him trying again to stand on her own. She was more successful this time and staggered oddly toward Gerard. She stopped at his side looking down with pity, loathing, and anger all clear to read on her face at Thomas still cowered on the floor. She felt Gerard's eyes on her and slowly looked up to meet them, "You're sure?" He asked again, "I don't want to leave him to be a future threat."
She blinked slowly and nodded once, "I'm sure. The Noa will get to know what rat tastes like," looking back again she stated it, then she looked down at her grimy skin, "I want to go home now…I'm beginning to think this stain is permanent."
Tomakaya looked at Gui'Yata then, "I will rejoin the others and see how goes the war," She leaned down to look into Courtney's eyes, "Be safe, little Raha, I will see you soon."
Tomakaya then straightened and exited the building. The two others moved to follow her, "Wait!" A small paranoid voice said. They all stopped and turned to look back at the man, "Please…don't leave me to them! You don't know what it is like to have your flesh stripped from you while you watch! Don't leave me!"
Courtney turned away from the group taking three determined strides back toward the wailing man. Seeing her approach he cowered again, expecting her to retaliate for all the humiliation she had suffered at his hands. Her face was screwed up with utter rage, "You made your bed…Now lie in it," She hissed at him. She did nothing else to him, but turned back and moved past the rest her eyes only for the exit. Gui'Yata's gaze lingered for a few moments longer on the man before he too turned away and walked out of the dwelling.
They retraced their route in, noticing from their vantage point in the tree that the fight had died down considerably. Knots of warriors were still to be seen moving back and forth along the battle lines, fires still burned, and Quarta still swooped amongst the fray lacing fire across the field. With the confusion, the small unobtrusive group was able to skirt the battle and head back toward Taysa.
The group found several saddled Yimhi's devoid of their riders wandering aimlessly through the undergrowth. A quick trilling brought them running to the group, seemingly happy to have found riders again. Gui'Yata helped Courtney, and Gerard, who insisted on escorting her out, onto the first before mounting his own. They used the animals, effectively skirting the conflict on the field to their right, as they made time quickly toward their destination. Courtney was more than a little uncomfortable during the ride, the sores on her legs and other pains making it hard for her to maintain her balance on the jolting strides of her mount. Gerard at her back was a help, steadying her as they rode, but she was unwilling to admit even to herself that she was in need of his help. That stubborn streak in her flared again, reinforced by the Soua code of Honor, she would show no weakness before her equals. She closed her eyes and bore through the pain.
A change in direction brought her attention back to her surroundings, and looking up she gasped, despite herself. Taysa loomed out of the darkness glowing slightly in the predawn light. Courtney could feel herself start to relax the closer those growths appeared to her party. Courtney could only think that the small Soua City was the best thing she had seen in many months. She wanted to cry, she wanted to break down on the spot, but she knew better. Thomas had nearly broken her, she realized, something that her ex-husband had never even come close to. She had been so close to just giving up and it had occurred to her that the others would not be able to find her.
Courtney became mad at herself for feeling that way, when she knew that Gui'Yata would not give up on her. He was still her Yaner, and she his Yanahara, his obligation was to see her safe. But it was more than that…she had proved to be a catalyst for a dramatic change in him. She was more than an obligation to him, she was his friend, his huntsman, his bondsman. Perhaps the Ot Eesan had not made a mistake after all…perhaps they were meant to be bonded…as spiteful as the act was.
She glanced a moment to Gerard's hand around her slight waist, feeling that sensation rise up in her again. It was automatic for her to fight it down, especially after recent events, but this time it did not feel foreign, or desperate, or driven out of a physical desire of her own body. She was, she swallowed at the realization, in love with this former ATP soldier.
Confusion followed that quickly, as she remembered that Gerard had every intention of going back to Earth when the opportunity arose. What would she do? She loved the life that she led now, and Earth was going to seem dull and boring compared to all of this. And yet, could she do without Gerard, without the companionship of her own species?