Dust Circling a Wagon Circle
"Cob, can be a pain," stated Cort.
"True, but it won't due us any good if he beats us back," Rath remarked.
"Then lets take the mono if time's precious," April mentioned.
"Monos don't run near Terra. The nearest one will add time instead of subtracting it," answered Cort.
This echoed through his sun backed skull.
"His urgent business in Pandorian," scoffed Cort.
"Return to Terra or else," mocked Rath.
"Or else what?" asked April.
"No food for months," answered Cob.
"Increased training until our knees collapses," commented Rath.
"Or both!" shouted Cort and Rath at the same time.
"Stop laughing and increase the pace," she said passing them in full gallop.
They urged their steeds to catch up with her.
Suddenly she stopped, allowing them to catch up with her.
Seeing the direction she was staring at, Cort asked, "What?"
Pointing towards a dust cloud, she answered, "That."
Rath removed a spyglass from his saddle bags.
Putting it to his right eye, he answered, "A dust cloud surrounding a wagon circle."
"Well, check on the wagon train or continue on to Terra," Cort commented.
"Correct," Rath remarked returning the spyglass to the saddle bag.
Looking at both Cort and Rath, April snorted, "Men. Time for a woman to go where men can't decide to go," spurring her horse towards the dust cloud.
"No dull time riding with her," Cort stated.
Rath agreed as they chased after April.
The dust cloud appeared before them. April reached for her shooter then reacted realizing they hasn't been assigned to her yet. The dust swallowed her. They jumped over the wagon tongue. Through the dust, they witnessed someone pulling April down from her horse and pointing a shooter at her face. Quickly sliding off the saddle, drawing their shooter and aimed at April's holder.
"Pull the trigger and you're dead," said Rath.
The gunman looked and asked, "She's with you, not the savages?"
"Correct."
"Let's stop gapping and help us."
"Of course, we will," stated Rath.
The gunman disappeared into the dust.
"Going where men can't decide to go without a shooter," Rath said to April as bullets sailed through the air.
"Well, could use one now," she retorted.
Taking a shooter from a corpse, Rath handed it to her.
"Now go protect the woman and children," he ordered, "Since you'll be the last line of defense."
As Rath and Cort used the dead fallen defenders as a barricade, she disappeared into the mist of dust.
"She's not happy," mentioned Cort.
"Why not. Chance to play with the boys instead staying away from the action," Rath said pulling the trigger, "Could anger her?"
"Could?" aiming, "That flash of anger in her eyes were the same when Tom got caught," releasing bullets.
"Guess steaming," reloading, "the only option left to her."
"Who'll bed her first, is a good option?"
"Middle of bullets flying passing his ears and wants to know who she rides first?"
"Admit, she's easy on the eyes," sending more bullets into the dust, "Yes?"
"Easier then the women of Knook you bed with?"
"Look at? Yes. To bed with? April's more of an interesting challenge."
"Challenge of waking with a knife in ones throat."
"Just blood pumping when thinking about it."
"Thinking about surviving this gets the blood pumping."
"What about after?"
"Worry about that when we get there," Rath said getting up.
"Where you going?'
"To find the wagon master."
He noticed runners moving from wagon tongue to wagon tongue. They ran from openings in the defenses. He followed them. They seemed to come and leave from one man, whose voice raised above the gunfire.
"Lines getting thin, two per opening. Savages must not break through."
"Savages attack mindlessly. Strategy's being moved against you," Rath commented.
The back turned and a man's face appeared in Rath's view.
"One of the three that broke through our defenses?" he asked.
"Correct, and you're the wagon master."
"Correct, and how do you know they're using strategy?"
"First, how did this begin?"
"Sent out a hunting party, then they were chased, and here's the end result."
Rath nodded in acknowledgment.
"Now answer, how do you know strategy being used?"
"Simply we got through. Five or ten warriors dragging brush and just picking your men off."
"Got lucky. Could be more."
"If there's more, they would have already stormed through."
Suddenly the thundering faded away along with gunfire.
"Must check the wounded and the dead, sai," said the wagon master.
"Do that and I'll find my companions," Rath returned.
Rath found Cort along with their horses, expect April's horse wasn't there.
Before Rath asked, Cort answered, "Guess they got what they wanted."
"What caused them to chase a hunting party, surround a wagon train, and leave when victory was at hand?" Rath wondered.
"Doesn't matter lets get April and ride for Terra," Cort remarked.
Cort stared at Rath's face. He knew a thought was brewing behind Rath's blue eyes. Rath's eyes shifted.
"Fine, lets round up April and ride to Terra."
Searching, they found the wagon master among a crowd of frantic women. April couldn't be seen in the crowd.
"Well wagon master, how's your dead and wounded?" asked Rath.
"Dead's not as great as we thought and the wounded's higher, but they'll heal."
"What troubles you?"
"Among the dead, our trail finder can be found," answered the wagon master, "but you're not here to hear my worries. What do you want?"
"To get our woman companion and leave."
"Describe her."
With right palm open and facing the ground, Rath held it to his shoulder and said, "She comes to my shoulder. Got black long hair, hazel eyes and brown skin."
A murmur filtered from the crowd.
The wagon master pointed towards an older woman with a scarf tied around her head, "This woman was explaining about a woman, fitting that description," gently pulling her forward, "Continue your tale."
"This woman, you described, knocked this savage off his horse. He got up and they stared at each other. They spoke in a strange tongue to each other. She got a gray horse and left with him. Suddenly the shooting stopped."
In Rath's ear, Cort whispered, "Would she do something like that?"
Instead of answering, Rath asked, "Wagon master, what's your destination?"
"Lud."
"Cort, what's the closer town near here if headed towards Lud?" asked Rath.
"Mid."
"Cort lead this train to Mid," getting on his horse.
"What are you going to do?" Cort asked staring up at Rath.
"Going after April," pointing his horse towards an opening between two wagons.
"You'll need help."
"They need more help," motioning towards the crowd with his head, "then me."
"After I get to Mid and you don't?"
"Tell Cob not to worry about sending me to Hell," then spurred his horse.