It took slightly longer than ninety minutes for a response to come back from the supply ship. Van Horn had, of course, been on pins and needles, and worried sick over what would be said, and over what would the Blakests do.

The reply message was brief. "Doctor van Horn, this is Captain Shinaka of the USS Dubois. We read your transmission, and we've identified the unknown ships in the area. They are, indeed, vessels that disappeared with remnants of several Blakest forces. An HPG message has been sent, and the Fleet has been called. As of now, you are to remain hidden and stay safe. Forces are en route to eliminate the infestation. Do not bother to reply, but be ready to transmit a beacon when the ships come calling. Over and out."

Van Horn had listened to it three times now, wanting to make sure he had heard it correctly, as well as to locate the code words he knew were in the transmission. 'Infestation' told him that Captain Shinaka believed van Horn when he had said that he was not captured, and 'bother' in the last sentence told him that, although they'd gotten the message, they were unsure as to when help would come.

Something's changed, he thought to himself. Normally, the good captain would have said 'trouble yourself' had forces been actually dispatched when he contacted the fleet base at the New Honshu system. So that means something else is grabbing the military's attention.

"Damn." He swore softly. The word spoken aloud brought his attention back to the here-and-now, and he looked to see if anyone else had noticed his curse. Fortunately for him, the cabin in his Darter was empty, as the natives were busy repacking so they could move to Hercor tonight, just as soon as van Horn could contact Forbasa and the caravan to let them know they'd be coming.

The problem is, our contact schedule doesn't have his radio on until sunset, he thought as he stood from the driver's seat and stretched a bit. That's a good six hours away, and Lord knows that the Wobbies could be swarming here by that time. The sooner he could be away from the natives, the better the chance the Wobbies would leave them alone.

His face contorted into a mask of anger. But who knows if those bastards would even care about leaving them alone. Just being anywhere near here may be grounds enough in their minds to lay waste to the town and the caravan.

These troubled thoughts followed van Horn as he walked outside to see how the natives were doing. The bright sunlight from the planet's sun was beginning to be interrupted with rolling cumulonimbus clouds starting to build across the sky. In the distance, they were taking on a gray, menacing look as natural updrafts built the low clouds into towers.

Turning his attention back to the immediate area, van Horn saw the gatón and lupar that had stayed to help with the wounded working to clean up the camp they had set up only this morning. Although he'd given them only short notice, they'd done wonders in packing up, and were nearly ready to leave.

One of them noticed van Horn standing and watching. The young gatón walked over, and van Horn soon realized that it was Alexis. "Hello, Alexis." He said to her. "I take it that preparations are coming along well?"

She nodded. "Yes, they are Earl. We should be able to leave in a few minutes." Then she tilted her head to the side that van Horn knew to be a sign of wistful curiosity. "Will you stay with us until we reach the town?"

He nodded. "That would be the plan, Alexis. Especially since the rest of you can't take all the wounded by yourself on those carts and carry your possessions. You know this."

Alexis nodded a bit. "Yes, I know. I simply ask because I... I am just curious as to what will happen then. You will leave, you say, but you have not mentioned a place that you will go to."

Van Horn sighed. "To be truthful, I haven't thought that far ahead." He shook his head a bit. "I think, though, the best route might be to head for the bunker- Err..." He temporized after slipping in the English word accidentally. "I mean the 'house' I was living in for a while before the Wobbies came."

Alexis looked out over the group as it worked, then turned back to look at van Horn. "But didn't you say you left that place because you worried that the Wobbies would find you there?"

"Yes, I did say that, didn't I?" He replied with a small smile, which then faded. "It may not be the safest place, but it's better than me staying here and risking all of you." He shook his head again. "In any case, help will be coming. I can hold out until my people arrive." He paused for a second, and then continued under his breath in English. "I have no choice."

"What don't you have?" Alexis asked, in Gatonese, which started van Horn a bit. "You heard that?" He asked incredulously.

She smiled a bit before replying. "You forget that I have good hearing." She said and tapped one of her large, triangular ears. "And that you've taught me some of your language."

Van Horn smiled ruefully. "I forget sometimes when I'm worried. And you have surprised me at how well you've picked up the few words I've taught you in only a few days."

"Flattery is good, but it won't distract me." She replied with a smirk. "What don't you have?"

Van Horn was tempted to try and distract her by noting the similarity of idioms, but he felt that it was a waste of time. "I said I don't have any choice." He said with another sigh. "I can't endanger the rest of you, as I've said, and I do not want to be captured by the Wobbies. So I have no choice but to stay uncaptured and away from you."

Alexis sighed herself. "I see what you mean, I think. Still, we will all be sad for seeing you go, even if you don't have all the interesting tools and supplies you had when you arrived."

Van Horn favored Alexis with a smile. "Thank you, my dear. It means much to me that I've managed to earn your trust, despite my differences." He said as another familiar person walked up. "Hello, Mikula."

The young lupar nodded. "Hello, Earl, Alexis. I came to let you know that we're pretty much ready to leave. All we need to do now is get the wounded back in the metal wagon and we can begin the trip over to Hercor."

Van Horn nodded. "Alright. So who comes-" He halted in mid-sentence as he noticed that the natives had suddenly tensed. "What is it? More bandits?"

Mikula shook his head. "No, not bandits. It sounds like that thing that flew above us at the caves after you had arrived. I think you called it-"

"A VTOL." Van Horn breathed as he, too, finally heard the familiar noise of a rotary-winged aircraft. "Goddamnit!" The English curse escaped his mouth, and he turned and rushed over to get to his scout car. "Shit-sucking goddamned mother-fuckers! Couldn't have taken another few hours?!" The natives couldn't understand the stream of English invective, but they could grasp the general meaning.

"Alexis, tell the others to pick up the wounded and go and hide in the trees." Mikula said as he started to follow van Horn. A hand on his arm stopped him for a second, and he turned to face Alexis. "What is it?" He asked.

"What do you plan to do, then?" She asked with concern in her voice.

He gave one of his lopsided grins as he gently shook her hand off. "I just want to see what's going on, exactly." The grin disappeared. "Please, just trust me, okay? I'll be right back."

She nodded, and before either could change their minds, Mikula leapt to follow van Horn. It was, of course, only a short few meters, but even then, a growing sense of urgency propelled the young lupar to the metal contraption.

Alexis watched him go, and then turned to go speak to the others in the small mini-camp. Just come back, Mikula.

Van Horn vaulted aboard the Darter and in a second, he was at the controls for the military-issue sensor suite. A quick glance confirmed his suspicions; a pair of VTOLs were scanning the area with active radar. A pair of Peregrines by the look of it. Not at detection value yet, but they're getting closer. Another warning light flashed on even as he looked over the various monitor screens. Damn! Ultrasonic pings. That'll go right through the trees in the forest, so no hiding there... But they'd have to be close to use it effectively. The problem was that the Blakests were probably not going to give up until they found the source of the radio transmission, which meant that they were going to blanket the area, if they had to.

Watching the monitors intensely, he noticed that the Peregrines were not heading directly for him, but rather, were angling towards Hercor. In a flash, van Horn realized that they probably suspected the town, and his initial relief soon turned to ice in his belly.

The noise of Mikula hopping up the steps and into the Darter send a jolt of adrenalin through van Horn's body, and he whirled about, hand reaching for his holster and pulling out the pistol within. Fortunately for Mikula, van Horn realized who it was and managed to not pull the trigger in reflex. "Jumpin' Jesus o a pogo stick..." He muttered in English, and then switched to Lupari. "Mikula, you shouldn't do that when I'm tense."

Mikula looked with slightly widened eyes at the gun as van Horn put it away, but his voice remained steady. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see what the situation is."

Van Horn nodded and turned in the driver's chair to face the monitors at his left again, pointing them out to the native. "There are two of the flying craft out there, and both are heading towards Hercor."

Mikula looked at the indicated screen, but he couldn't understand half of what he saw. Still, he had no reason to doubt the human. "They think you are in the town?"

"Perhaps. At least, it's the most recognizable feature, and all towns and cities have lots of small places for people to hide, so it's not totally impossible that I could be there."

Mikula noticed a slight change in van Horn's voice at the last. "Are you alright?"

Van Horn looked at the lupar. "I'm tense and anxious. Why do you ask?"

"Because you sounded different there, when you mentioned that the 'Wobbies' might be looking for you in the town."

With a sigh, van horn shook his head slightly. "I'm worried... At this point, the Wobbies are unpredictable. If they don't find my equipment or me by scanning the town with their sensors, then they will do one of two things. Either they will send a party of ground troops out to search the town..." Van Horn took in a deep breath and held it a second, then let it out as he continued. "Or they might just decide that they would rather be sure that I was dead, and so they might raze the town."

The young lupar gave van Horn a disbelieving look for a few moments. "You can't be serious."

Van Horn gave a stern look right back. "Mikula, you told me how they attacked your unit without warning. Then they blasted Kuamket. Do you really think they would balk at destroying that town over there?"

Mikula blinked hard and looked off into space. "I- I suppose. I guess I didn't think about it." Van Horn's sigh brought his attention back to the human. "What?"

"Nothing," van Horn replied as he gave another, small shake of his head, then turned back to turn off the main power systems and non-essential systems in the Darter. "Just don't feel too bad that you didn't immediately jump to the conclusion that the town could be leveled." He said with a tight smirk. "It just shows you are not a barbarian."

The lupar looked indignant. "I should hope not." He then noticed what van Horn was doing. "What are you doing there?"

"I'm turning off the machines in the car. Some of them can produce... Signatures, that can lead the Wobbies to here." He replied speaking as he turned the fusion engine to its lowest power setting. "If they find us out here, I know they will not hesitate to attack."

An involuntary shudder went through Mikula's body, his tail and ears twitching. "Then it's good that you are taking such precautions." He turned to look back towards the open door to the outside. "Do you think that we should start bringing the wounded in now? The others outside should be ready now, and they can help move them inside."

Van Horn shook his head. "No. The Wobbies might still find this vehicle here, and if they do, I need to be able to get out of here fast so I can lead them away from you and the others."

The lupar turned back. "Then what can we do now?"

"Sit still, and pray."

Outside, Alexis finished tying a knot that would hold a small parcel of clothes onto the small cart her family had been using to carry their few remaining possessions. Around her the few lupar and gatón that weren't fastening objects to their carts were helping the wounded get ready to board van Horn's metal craft. The noise of their movements was hurried, as the constant, low noise of the Blakest Peregrines made everyone nervous and unsure.

Alexis, however, felt fearful for herself, and her family. I was very lucky that my family survived the attack on Kuamket so well. But with the bandits attacking, and now this... I can't help but wonder... Will I lose a parent? My sister or my brother? Her thoughts were naturally troubled, all the more so because, being the oldest child, she felt a kind of obligation to help her parents take care of her siblings.

Another tug on the rope and she was finished. Alexis paused to catch her breath and finish her internal monologue. Poor Mikula has already lost a brother to this whole mess, and so many others have lost family as well. Her thoughts drifted to the Waso, the messenger who had brought Shaman Jukas from the north, and the horrible loss of his entire family. Her tail spasmed a bit and she closed her eyes unconsciously as she wondered at whether she could stand such a loss. No, I can't think that way, Alexis thought with a small shake of her head. I won't let anything happen to them, and neither will anyone else that I know.

"Alexis? Are you alright?" The voice of her mother came through Alexis' thoughts. She opened her eyes and turned to look her mother in the face. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just- Thinking, that's all."

The reproachful look her mother gave her made Alexis feel like she was half her age. "Alexis, you are a lousy liar, you realize that?"

Alexis smirked a bit. "I know, mother." She turned to face towards the direction of the sounds of the flying machines. "I just worry, and I don't want you to join in that worry, that's all."

Her mother shook her head slightly, her face lighting up for a split second with a small smile that died as soon as it formed. "My dear child, you have it backwards. I'm supposed to be worried and trying to not let you worry." She reached out and took Alexis by the shoulders and turned her around. "Whatever it is that has you worried, you can tell me. Even if I won't understand you, from all that time you spend with the shaman, and now that strange furless person."

Alexis frowned. "I know, mother. I just don't wish to burden you or the others. All of you had to walk outside while I rode in Vanhorn's metal wagon, all comfortable. The least I can do is not to lay my worries on you."

Letting go of her daughter, Alexis' mother shook her head. "Are you still going on about that? Your father and I told you before that we understood why you could go in there and not us. You were taking care of the sick and injured, and that means you need the rest that you wouldn't get from walking outside with the rest of us."

Alexis sighed. "I know, but it still eats at me, knowing that you two had to practically push the cart all by yourselves, with Shaya too young to help, and Reyato busy guarding everyone with his bow. And now..." She turned again to face towards Hercor and the continuing noise. "Now, I worry over what might happen soon. What I- what we all might loose." Alexis choked out the last few words, and then tilted her head down to look at the ground, doing her best to regain control.

She felt her mother's hand on her left shoulder. "My darling child, I forget how truly grown you are." The hand came off as she came to stand beside her daughter. "In all the confusion and terror of the recent events, I've forgotten that you've seen more than any of us here, and yet you've handled it so very well, and with such maturity." She shook her head a bit and sighed. "It is inevitable that you should wonder about what ifs and what coulds. But, my darling daughter," she as she turned to face her child, "you shouldn't let such thoughts weigh so heavily on you, for all they will do is make you loose hope and sink into despair."

Alexis shook her head as her mother spoke. "But I can't just stop thinking about it. I see the results of such 'what-ifs' in the back of the metal wagon, with all the wounded. I saw it in the bodies we helped to bury at Kuamket and in the attack on the lupar that drove me home that rainy night." She shuddered at the memories' resurgence. "And it scares me, momma."

"I know, dear." Alexis' mother said as she reached around with her arm to hug her eldest child across the shoulders. "But the true test of character comes not from knowing what to fear, but to know that the fear is but a feeling, and that alone cannot hurt you."

A brief smile came across Alexis' muzzle. "That reminds me of something Vanhorn said about his people's past. He said that there was a leader of his people who once said 'we have nothing to fear but fear itself.'"

Her mother chuckled a bit, tense though it was. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Well, if this 'human' and his people have had such sayings, then I suppose they can't be all bad."

Alexis caught something in that sentence. "You don't like Mr. Vanhorn, do you mother?"

Her mother let go of her daughter before replying. "It's not that I don't like him. It's just that I- I have my reservations, 'tis all." She said somewhat embarrassed. "I guess it's silly, but I just can't bring myself to fully trust him so soon."

Alexis tilted her head to the side, and shook it slightly. "Funny, mother, I never took you for one of those who has an 'outsider' complex."

The other shrugged in reply. "What can I say? I'm a bit old-fashioned."

Before any of them could continue, however, a new sound came from the direction of the town and the craft that they had been hearing for some time. The noise consisted of a loud series of cracking noises, followed by the sounds of a wind blasting through trees... Only the air around them was calm. "What was that?" Alexis' mother asked.

Alexis didn't now either, but she knew it could only be bad news, a fact borne out by a rather loud exclamation from the direction of the Darter. "I think things have gotten worse."

"Jesus Christ!" Van Horn's mouth seemed to run off on its own, blaring such an utterance. However, he had good reason to not care about the faux pas, as his passive sensors showed an active radar lock from the Peregrines' dual Larkin missile systems. But they weren't locked onto the Darter, or anywhere near it.

"What? What's wrong?" Mikula asked from where he had taken a seat not five seconds before. Although he had promised Alexis that he'd only be a short time away, he had been too entranced with the eerie display that van Horn had been telling him about as the Wobbie attack vehicles had circled the town.

Van Horn remained silent as he stared in horror at the readout. Damnit! Those fuckers, they couldn't have any evidence that I was there... But it doesn't matter now. Grimly, he turned from the display and started flicking switches across the control panel faster than he ever could remember doing it. He spared a quick glance to his right, where Mikula sat in the passenger seat. "You should leave. Now."

"What? Why?" The young lupar was obviously confused, his flickering as the numerous noises from the reviving scout car came through.

"I don't have time to explain! Just leave!" Van Horn almost shouted as he took another few seconds to flick the active probe sensor array to full transmission. This'll get their attention.

"What's going on? I want to know why you're so upset." Mikula said, raising his voice a bit in match to van Horn's own.

The human just gave the lupar a look, and then shook his head. "It's your funeral." He said in Lupari, then hit the last button on the console and then reached for the drive controls. To his right, Mikula started and yelped as the door to the outside fairly slammed shut. Turning back from that somewhat disheartening image, he looked at van Horn just in time to hear him speak.

"Buckle up and hold on." He said as he shifted the stick into first gear and slammed the gas as he took his foot of the clutch. The sudden lurch nearly caused Mikula to fall out of his seat. As it was, he managed to hold on as the rear wheels spun in the semi-wet soil, then caught traction as the automated computer system adjusted the tires to compensate.

The Darter lurched from its resting position and sped underneath the trees that opened up ahead onto the plain around Hercor. Although going fairly slow when compared to civilian groundcars on a paved highway, the small vehicle was accelerating fast enough that Mikula slipped off his seat, not having attached the seatbelts in time. He slammed to the floor and landed on his tail, yelping again as he did so. Before he could do anything else, however, the car hit a bump in the path, which sent the young lupar flying before he came down again, this time on his belly. Deciding that he had had enough of being tossed, he reached out and grabbed onto the support for one of the chairs that sat near the back cabinets, having slipped back there in his movements.

Understandably, he was not pleased. "Are you insane?!" He called to van Horn.

"Yes!"

Alexis just gaped open-mouthed with the rest of the natives that had been startled to see the metal wagon in their midst lurch and race off at a speed that they had never seen it attain before. They continued to gawk as the car sped up even more as it began to clear the thicker part of the forest canopy.

Alexis had been walking towards the car when the door had slammed shut, practically in her face. Then she had jumped back in time to see the craft spin its rear wheels, then move off and make a quick turn as it circled the encampment and raced towards the town in the distance. Worried before, her fear came back in triplicate; for the town, for the small group, and for Mikula, who was still in the craft as it sped towards the sounds of what she had realized was an attack on the town.

They must have seen it with those devices of Vanhorn's, she thought. But why race off like that? Vanhorn said that the Wobbies were looking for him, so why go out now when they're attack-

An instant of complete clarity came over Alexis as she realized what was happening. Oh, by the Gods, no!

"Alexis!" The yell coming from near her family's cart brought her back to the present. She looked and saw that it was Kanu, who was - against previous cautions - standing, though at least he was supporting himself on the cart and keeping his weight off of his bad leg. Off to the side stood the gatón and lupar who had volunteered to stay and guard the small camp. Kanu beckoned her towards the group, which seemed to be attracting everyone in the mini-camp, save the wounded too hurt to even stand like Kanu, and a pair of gatón who were attending them at the moment.

Alexis walked over before Kanu could call her again. As she walked up, she noticed more than a few eyes on her, but Kanu began to talk and so she paid it no heed. "Alexis, do you have any idea what's going on? Why did Vanhorn leave? Why is my brother with him?"

Alexis shook slightly as the fearful thoughts came over her. "Mikula was in there talking to Vanhorn, then they took off without saying anything to anyone. However, I believe I know what they are up to."

Kanu looked intensely at her, and Alexis felt a shiver run up her spine from the base of her tail at the intensity in those eyes. "How do you know, then? And more importantly, what are they doing?"

Bringing her head up, Alexis met his eyes with an assured look. "We all can guess what's going on, what's making those new noises. I don't think we need to be reminded of why we had to leave Kuamket?" The slight hanging and shaking of the heads around her filled her question succinctly. "We can guess, then, that Hercor is under attack. That's why they left."

"What? For whatever reason?" Kanu asked in a frustrated manner.

"They're-"

"-Bait."

Mikula held dearly onto the straps of the passenger chair he had clawed his way back to once the Darter had reached mostly level ground. He had been trying to clasp them when he had asked van Horn why they had left in a hurry. "Could you repeat that?" He asked incredulously.

"I said we're bait." The human then turned hard on the wheel as they raced across the plain, barely avoiding a large boulder. "The Wobbies want to kill me. They think I'm in the town, or the town might be a source of support. They take it out, they can either kill me or scare the survivors into telling everyone not to help me or my people, when they come." His words came in clipped sentences, as he strove to keep his attention on the path in front, as well as on the sensor readings being displayed on the HUD.

Ahead was Hercor, on top of its rocky spire, looking as immovable as it had this morning, or so Mikula thought until he saw the smoke rising from glowing pits in the city's walls and outer buildings. He soon realized the glow came from fires, and it wasn't hard to discern the perpetrators; two shapes hovering in the sky near the town, tenuously connected to the devastated areas by tendrils of lithe, white smoke. The HUD had drawn a red triangle around each of them, and figures danced alongside the triangles that Mikula couldn't understand.

"I don't recall having volunteered for this." He tried to say in a nonchalant manner, though most of the effort was lost when the Darter hit another bump, causing him to clip his last words. Fortunately, Mikula had finished clasping his belt not a few seconds earlier, and though he was shaken, he hadn't stirred from his seat.

Van Horn grunted at the bump, and replied while still keeping an eye on the windshield. "You volunteered by staying in the damned car when I told you to get your damned ass out." He managed to mutter, using the only curse word that he knew in Lupari to illustrate his point.

Mikula could only sit still and look out the windshield. What a mess I've gotten myself into. He thought to himself as the car bounced over a small ditch. They were getting close to the town now, and the farm fields were getting close. A bit too- Shit! Mikula barely restrained himself further before the Darter bucked into the air as van Horn plowed through a stone wall that marked one particularly lush farm. Stalks of yusurri plants either parted or were crushed under the car as it raced through the field.

A sudden wailing alarm came on throughout the compartment, accompanied by some red colored letters on the HUD. "What now?" Mikula asked, realizing that the strange words probably meant trouble.

Van Horn grimly smiled; a fearsome sight that Mikula did not like to see. "It means The Wobbies have us targeted instead of the town." Without further comment, van Horn violently yanked the wheel to the left, causing the Darter to slew to follow his direction. The back end fishtailed as the moisture from the yusurri plants they crushed slicked the treads of the rear tires. But before van Horn could loose control, the computerized tire-pressure system brought the pressure low enough to provide traction, and the 13-ton craft accelerated like a missile.

Which was fortunate, as several real missiles impacted the area the Darter would have traversed had van Horn not radically altered his path. The echoing boom of their explosions came through even the metal hide of the Darter. Mikula looked back instinctually, but quickly brought himself back around to face van Horn. "What was that?"

"Nothing to worry about." Van Horn replied nonchalantly. Though the sheen of sweat on his forehead told a different story... Or it would, if Mikula knew about human behavior. Still, the continuing booms behind them gave lie to the statement well enough on their own. "Right." Mikula replied sarcastically.

Another boom and a wrenching lurch forward rocked the Darter, causing the heads of the two people inside to shake with the whiplash. The headrests fortunately prevented them from getting damaged, but all Mikula could think of was that his neck would be awfully sore tomorrow.

"Now, that's something to worry about!" Van Horn's excited half-shout brought the lupar's attention back to the driver's side. "Hang on!"

Mikula braced himself, grabbing the sides of the just-too-large seat and going stiff in the chair, just in time for van Horn to slap the stick into neutral and slam onto the brake pedal. Mikula felt as if some great hand was pushing him forward and out of his seat as the car decelerated from over ninety kilometers per hour to a near-dead stop.

The force made him look out through the front windshield in time to see a dark shadow cross the ground in front of the Darter. Before he could comprehend the shadow, a pair of Short Ranged Missiles slammed into the unplowed field not five meters from the front of the vehicle.

"Fucking Hell!" Mikula blurted as the brilliant orange explosions threw up fountains of dirt that began to rain down on the windshield. The little clumps didn't stay there long, however, as van Horn hit the gas hard and dropped the stick into gear. The horrific noise grated on Mikula's ears almost as badly as the gears grated each other, but the transmission managed to hold together, and the Darter accelerated like a scared cheetah.

More grating noises came through the hull of the vehicle, and van Horn briefly wondered if the gears were still slipping. Then he realized what the noise was. "Oh, shit, machine guns." He said in English.

"What?" Mikula half-shouted, his more sensitive ears still ringing from the missile blasts and the transmission grating.

Van Horn swerved the car before responding in Lupari. "Those are- Damnit, I don't know the word. They're the things that gave you that wound in your leg, and they're chewing up the armor."

Mikula's eyes grew wide, before they automatically slammed themselves shut as the car took another bump and swerved around. Even with the overwhelming noises and movements, his attention easily focused on the memory of the night his unit was attacked, and the weapons that had reached out and killed so many. And those things are attacking us now! He thought to himself and involuntarily shuddered.

More of the noises came through, this time from the side. Van Horn checked the armor diagram on the HUD. "Damnit, we can't take much more of this." He said aloud in English, though this time Mikula didn't have to ask the reason for the utterance; he could hear the clattering noises of the machine guns now, above the thumping noise of the Peregrines' rotary wings and the Darter's own engine.

Meanwhile, van Horn's mind was racing. Great work, idjit. Now you'll get this poor lad killed. Too fuckin' eager, ain't you? Jumpin' out like this, almost like you're showing off, like when you wanted to go for a- His thoughts screeched to a halt, even as he heaved the steering wheel to the right, aiming towards the town and the rocky spire it sat upon. "You said you could swim, right?" He asked Mikula feveredly.

Mikula gave him an incredulous look. "What? Yes, but I don't-"

"Just hold on damnit!" Van Horn shouted and gunned the throttle. Dear God, let us make it.

"Dear Gods, let them make it." The voice belonged to a young lupar guard by the unlikely name of Kendo, one of the five lupar guards who had stayed to help protect their wounded comrades. He stood near Alexis and most everyone else from the encampment, save a few of the older gatón - her parents included - and the younger kids. They had crowded onto one of the large boulders that littered the river's floodplain, desperate to see any glimpse of the human's vehicle as the two flying machines shot at it with their weapons.

Alexis was on the highest part, though the taller lupar still managed to reach or exceed her eye level. She didn't care, though, as she strained to make out the shape of the metal vehicle in the distance and through the dust thrown up by the attacks and maneuvers. Her thoughts mirrored the lupar's words, as she silently prayed that Mikula and Vanhorn would be all right.

The view wasn't encouraging, however, as the flying machines flittered through the air, appearing to close in for the kill, even to the relatively ignorant natives. Then they saw the Darter lurch out from a small cloud of dust, spitting up rooster-tails from wheels as the driver gunned the engine and racing along fast enough that the lines of light and death coming from the flyers missed the speeding craft.

Alexis, though, couldn't help but have a feeling of dread come over her as she saw the car angle towards the town and closed with one of the flying machines. The craft wasted no time, she saw, as it rained a cloud of the things that made the cracking-wind sound. Fiery explosions littered the ground around the metal car, and one even erupted right on the front of the Darter. Seeing that, Alexis' breath caught in her throat and she feared the worst.

Fortunately, the little car raced out from the cloud that had grown around it, and it continued to race near the town. A small cheer came from one of the gatón, but Alexis didn't bother to see who it was as she intently focused on the racing object that held two people she knew. It was this attentiveness that let her see the shift in the car's track as it turned from its path towards the town and heaved itself to head towards the river.

"What are they doing?" She couldn't help but blurt out. No one answered her, as the flyers again launched a wave of their attacks, peppering the ground and tearing a hole in the back of the scout car with their weapons. The car shuddered violently, but it continued to turn and race right up to the riverbank. And beyond, as the car rammed into a small dolman at high speed, its momentum transferred from lateral to vertical movement as the car's front went up the ramp-like rise of earth, vaulting the multi-ton craft into the air.

It didn't stay airborne for more than a split second, yet it was enough time for the natives to watch it turn in mid air and fall into the river with the door side facing downwards, the top of the craft facing upstream and towards the group. The impact splashed a virtual wall of water that obscured their view for a second and making a noise that they could here even so far away.

It also apparently distracted the gunners in the flying machines, as they didn't fire for a few moments, giving Alexis hope that Mikula and Vanhorn could escape. However, the water subsided and the enemy again opened fire, their weapons tearing into the damaged hull of the Darter with a fury made accurate by their target's immobility.

One of the missiles fired by the Peregrines found its way into a breech made in the starboard armor of the scout car. Tearing its way into the internal structure, it exploded next to the fusion engine. The shaped-charge warhead, although designed to penetrate armor, did just as good a job in penetrating the metal-ceramic reactor vessel. Within a few microseconds, air and water rushing into the reactor flash-cooled the miniature star, killing the reaction... But also absorbing much of the waste heat, as well.

What followed next was what, to the uninitiated, looked to be a reactor explosion. In reality, the superheated air and steam blasted back out from the reactor vessel, tearing the breach wider and illuminating the air around the dead vehicle with the incandescent glow that matter gives off when it's heated a few thousand degrees in less than two seconds. With the wider breach in the reactor, enough air and water got in to cool off the interior without being converted to plasma itself, and so the frightening display vanished into nothingness as its energy bled into the surrounding air.

Of course, Alexis and the others knew none of this as they saw the fiery display. All they could do was stand quietly as the flying machines circled the area a few more times, then turned and moved off in an easterly direction. In a few minutes, they couldn't be heard at all, and the group began to slowly climb off the rock.

Alexis was the last to come down, and she only did so mechanically, as if her mind wasn't there. Once on the ground, she turned to face towards the ruin of what was once a mighty spectacle for her. A ruin that contains two more dead bodies...

Suddenly, it was too much for her. The weight of the past few weeks came crashing back, and she fell to her knees as strength left them. Memories, visions, fantasies, nightmares, all came swirling back in a maelstrom that drove from her mind all thoughts, save one; He's gone. It stayed in the middle of her mind, and it grew, until it was all she could see, all she could know. He's gone.

It was with sudden clarity that she realized the true depth of her feelings for Mikula. Thoughts and memories of him came through her head at breakneck speed, despite the fact that she had so relatively few of them. All the while, the one thread traced through her consciousness; He's gone.

Looking out, she saw the columns of smoke that were rising from in Hercor, in the fields, and from the blasted Darter. Tears began to stream from her eyes as the smoke billowed up from fires caused by the touch of war. Alexis tilted her head forward, and she fought to control herself, to keep from collapsing entirely into a helpless mass.

Footsteps came up to her right side. She didn't bother to look. She just sat there, her limbs unmoving, her head bent forward to hide her face from the world. So she would have stayed if not for the gentle touch on her shoulder. The pressure was light, but to Alexis, it felt like a hammer blow, for it made her bring herself back into the now, into the pain of the events just passed.

"Alexis..." She recognized the voice as that of her brother's. Looking up, she saw Reyato, two years her junior. "We should go... We need to get to the town. We're not safe out here from bandits."

Although Reyato was trying to sound soft and comforting, his voice was nothing of the sort to Alexis at the moment. "I don't care, Reyato." She said, and then turned to again face down towards the ground.

Her brother, however, wasn't about to give up. "Alexis... Please. We need you to come help. You're the only one left with any experience in helping treat and care for the wounded. We need you to help us."

'You're the only one left...' The thought went through her mind, and again depression threatened to take her. But this time, she had something else to hold on to. I have my duty, she thought as she rubbed her hand over the areas where her tears had soaked into her cheek fur. I will not fail it. To do so would besmirch the memories of Mikula and Vanhorn.

Taking a deep breath, she stood slowly; using her tail for all the balance she could get out of it, hoping that it would be enough to keep her weak knees from buckling again. Once upright, she looked at her brother. "I- I'll be there. Just give me a moment."

Reyato nodded silently, then turned and quietly stalked away, but occasionally glancing over his shoulder towards his sister.

Alexis ignored it, knowing that her brother was just worried about her. She took a quick look around, and noticed that everyone had left already. In fact, the sun seemed lower than she remembered it. Have I been at it so long? Her thoughts turned to shame, briefly, as she realized the mess she must have looked like, and the weakness she had made in the group.

She shook her head once to clear it. "No." Alexis spoke to herself in a whisper. "I will not let my mistakes control my future." She looked back up towards where the wreck of the Darter sat upended in the river. She noticed some commotion near the town, and near where the car had flown into the river, and realized that people would be looking for survivors.

She titled her head downwards briefly. I've seen attacks by these Wobbies before. There are no survivors. She again looked up. But today, I vow that I will not let there be another attack like this so long as I can do anything about it.

With a final deep breath, she turned from the tableau and walked towards where the others waited. For the first time, she felt something that she had only heard of in stories. She felt her anger transform into rage.

I don't know how, but I'll get the ones responsible for your death, Mikula. I'll stop them and make sure they can't hurt anyone else again.

It was well into the night when they arrived at Hercor. The small group had pushed themselves hard to cross the plain as soon as they could, even discarding all of their supplies and remaining possessions to lighten their load. Not to mention, to also make space on the carts for the wounded that couldn't walk.

Although some who can walk shouldn't, Alexis thought to herself as she carried a small bundle and medicines and bandages strapped to her back. She had protested when some of the wounded had wanted to walk by themselves, or at least with only some help from someone else. However, most of the others agreed that it would speed them up enough that they could get to Hercor in one spurt, even if they would take most of the night. Reluctantly, she had agreed, knowing that bandits wouldn't hesitate to kill the lot of them.

So now the group trundled in the dark along a path that wound between two planted fields of crops. They had arrived at the outskirts of the planted fields only a few minutes before, and the group had experienced a slight burst of energy, as they hoped safety was only a few minutes away. Still, they had to make sure to not get turned around in the maze of paths that zigzagged between the two-meter stalks of yusurri and the shorter, but thicker bushes of gorongo. Thus, Alexis was one of three who walked a bit in front of the others, making sure that they could find the right paths through the fields. Or at least, avoid the paths that lead off back to the untamed plains.

Alexis shifted the bulk of the pack from her right shoulder to the left, seeking some brief respite from the weariness of carrying the bulk for several hours. She didn't pay it too much attention, however, as her thoughts kept drifting over the day's events, and what they meant to her. More importantly, she silently mourned the death of Mikula, and to a lesser extent, van Horn. She had spent much of the time walking in silence, studiously ignoring attempts by the others to engage her in conversation.

Not like me to be rude, she thought to herself. But then, I've never had such a day before... And I don't think I will ever again. Her internal monologue paused as she and the other two 'pathfinders' - Kendo and a gatón named Wayner - reached a small intersection in the paths. A quick check of their orientation allowed them to pick the path that headed towards Hercor, and after looking at each other in silent communication, they turned and followed it, though Wayner stayed behind to direct the rest of the small group when they arrived at the intersection.

As she walked down the road, Alexis took some time out from her depressing thoughts to marvel at the smell of the gorongo flowers, which was nothing she had experienced before. The brief moment of unadulterated wonder came to a crashing end when she remembered a conversation she had had with Mikula where he had mentioned the fruit of the bushy gorongo trees and the lovely-smelling flowers that grew into them. The feeling of loss again came over her, and turned the smell of the flowers bittersweet, to match the memory of that conversation.

So things carried on, until Alexis and Kendo reached the next intersection, and found it guarded. The two stopped as the pair of armored lupar guards walked over from where they were standing in the middle of what was obviously a main road. Taking a second to look around, Alexis noticed that, not only was the base of Hercor's spire very close now, but that there were several buildings along the base. Large ones, and various, unidentifiable sounds came from them. All curiosity was pushed aside, however, as the two lupar came walking up, their torsos and heads encased in a breastplate and a helmet. One stepped a bit further forward than his compatriot and spoke. "Identify yourselves in the name of Sha'na'kre."

Alexis' face twisted in puzzlement, her ears shifting downwards to mirror the expression. She dismissed the confusion at a thought, however, and decided to reply. "We are some travelers, separated from the caravan that arrived here at Hercor earlier this day. Our group is just a short distance behind us, and we now come to rejoin our friends."

The lupar who had spoken had done so towards Kendo, but now he turned and faced Alexis, lifting off his helmet and tucking it under his left arm, while his right rested on the hilt of his sword. "And who might you be, little girl?" He asked with a sneer.

Alexis felt that the guard was trying to cow her. Instead, she stood more erect and answered back with a strong voice that carried. "I am Alexis, aide and apprentice to the Shaman of Kuamket. I ask to be taken to him now."

The guard lost a bit of his cockiness, though he still was confident in his reply. "Oh, do you now? Well, it's the middle of the bloody night right now, and the gates to the town are closed until morning. You and your little group will have to wait until then to see your friends."

The guard's attitude and his faintly patronizing speech made Alexis angrier. "Are you aware that, under the bylaws of the Trader's Guild, you are violating the right of a Master to receive his apprentice at any time of the day?"

That shook his demeanor. "How do you know about the bloody Trader's Guild?"

"That is none of your business, and the bylaws clearly state that I do not have to divulge to you any reason for my visit to my master. Now, you can let me in know, or I can find a barrister in the morning and sue your clan for your dense attitude." Alexis spoke this as quickly as she could in Lupari, her voice fairly ringing with indignation and anger.

The guard was clearly shocked, so much so that he took a step back. "I, uh- I mean..." He fumbled verbally a bit, and then his ears and tail went down in embarrassment. "Just- Fine." He finally grunted out in frustration. "Follow me. But your friend will have to stay here."

Alexis looked to Kendo, who returned the look and nodded towards her in silent approval. She also saw a hint of a smile on the side of Kendo's muzzle that faced away from the guard. She nodded back to him and winked with her left eye before turning back to her right to face the guard again. "Very well. Lead on."

The guard frowned at her commanding tone, but he said nothing and instead turned about and walked towards the other guard. Taking a few seconds to whisper something into the other lupar's ear, he then turned back and gestured Alexis to follow him. "Come on, then." With that, he started down the road at a good clip, putting his helmet back on as he moved.

Alexis strode off to catch the lupar, and found herself trotting just to keep up with the fast, long-paced strides of the guard. He's walking fast just to show his irritation, Alexis thought. No matter.

It took a few minutes of exhausting travel before they reached one of the large buildings, which Alexis realized that it was, in fact, a gatehouse for a good sized wall that ran around part of the base of the spire. The other buildings she had seen from a distance were inside the wall, and Alexis realized that this would be the town's common trading and equipping area. The two approached the main gates, and then angled off to head towards a door that had another pair of armored lupar standing on both sides of it.

As they came near, the guard leading Alexis raised his right hand in a gesture to the other two guards. "It's Vilini. I have someone who has to get in and talk to one of the newcomers in the caravan that came today."

The guard on the left spoke up. "Vil, you know the rules, no persons allowed in until morning. And you know that, after today, the higher-ups are going to keep their eyes on us more keenly."

Vilini took off his helmet and gave the speaker a sour look. "Kel, she's quoted Guild bylaws. Do you want to explain to the captain when a barrister comes calling?"

Alexis could've sworn she saw a shudder in both of the guards standing near the door. "Guild laws, eh?" The one on the left asked rhetorically. "Fine. But you explain to the Captain if he finds out."

"Yeah, yeah." Vilini grumbled, as the door guards moved and one knocked on the door itself. A small portion of the door opened up, and Alexis realized that it was some sort of built-in window, and that there were more guards on the other side. Before she could puzzle over this any further, the door opened and the guards stepped aside.

The one called Vilini turned and gave her a poisonous look. "Come on, then. In you go." He said and motioned for the young gatón to go in front of him. Alexis felt a bit suspicious, but chalked it to her general distaste for the guard's attitude earlier. Resolutely, she stepped forward and through the door.

Nothing happened, she realized with some relief. I guess I'm more like mother than I'd like to admit she thought as she realized that part of her anxiety came from a distrust of lupar in general. It was something she had thought she'd grown out of after getting to know Mikula and the many people from Tanzano. I suppose that old paths are the best worn, she thought with a mental sigh.

Soon enough, however, Alexis had plenty to distract her from her thoughts. She stopped and looked around the courtyard that was formed by the surrounding buildings and wall. Near the base of the rocky mount upon which Hercor rested were several large buildings, very much like barns. When she heard unmistakable pongo noises coming from them, she realized they were barns, only much larger than she had seen gatón build them. Some movement to her left brought her head around, and Alexis saw that it came from a building that stretched along the side of the wall for half its length. Although made of wood, it had two stories, the lower one seemed to be entirely made of shops, or so she thought. It was, after all, night, and all but one of the doorways were shut, and the small windows were shuttered. The one door that was open, however, had light pouring from it, and various noises came from that direction. A shadow would move across the doorway from time to time, interrupting the light and creating the sense of movement that had drawn Alexis' attention in the first place.

From behind her, Vilini nudged her in the back with hand. "Come on, girl. You wanted to see your master, then you can't just sit here and stare."

Alexis recovered from the light nudge easily, and turned to give the lupar an irritated look. "I'm sorry," she said in a voice that indicated she was anything but. "I just was a bit interested in the yard. Now, which way is it then?"

Vilini smirked a bit when she mentioned her interest in the courtyard, but that disappeared in a second. "Well, now that depends. Who did you want to see? Most of the caravan people are in their wagons at the barns, or in the hostel." As he spoke, he indicated the barns Alexis had noticed earlier, and to the hostel, which was a low-slung building to the right side of the yard. Alexis looked in that direction and noticed that many of the carts the gatón members of the caravan had used were sitting outside in rows. Her strength seemed to come back a little at seeing them, and the pair of gatón who were standing outside, apparently watching the carts to make sure nothing was stolen.

Before she could think of going over there, the lupar spoke again. "Also, some of the caravan leaders went into the town proper to speak with out ruling council. If your master is important, he'd probably be up there." The guard seemed to take some perverse pleasure at mentioning this. Looking up towards the town, Alexis saw that it was quite a climb up the ramp that had been chiseled into the living rock by the lupar to provide access to the town. No wonder he's happy. I'm already tired, and now I'm going to have to climb up the ramp to speak to the Shaman.

Alexis sighed loudly, not caring what the lupar would think. She then turned to face the guard. "Well, my master is most likely up in the town." She said. "Lead on."

It was a good twenty-five minutes before they finally reached the gates to Hercor proper. Although not as large as the gates to the courtyard below, the gates to the town were richly decorated with elements of lupar mythology. Or, at least Alexis assumed so, since she knew very little on the subject. Her only clue was a carving on one of the wooden gates which resembled a print in a lupar book she had read, which was supposed to be Vorana, the female lupar figure that supposedly was one of the first lupar, and said to be the patron spirit of good luck. The other figures she could identify, and she didn't have any more time to look at them anyway, as the gates were pulled open once the guard had identified himself and the reason he was there.

The iron hinges on the gates creaked loudly as they were pulled back. Looking through, Alexis saw that there were another four lupar guards on the inside, holding spears at the ready. Her stomach knotted in fear for a second, and then she managed to get a hold of her feelings.

"Come on." Vilini said, and he started off immediately. Alexis again found herself hurrying to catch the fast-walking lupar. Isn't he tired at all from the climb up? She thought as they walked into the gatehouse. The spear-carrying guards stepped back and raised their spears to a resting position, but they all kept their eyes on Alexis, which made her want to shudder. Nevertheless, she kept herself calm and moved beyond the gatehouse and into the town of Hercor itself.

Looking around, Alexis was immediately struck by the fact that nearly every house was made of stone. All of them were also nicely kept on the outside, and all of them had curtains, rather than doors blocking their entranceways. How trusting of their neighbors, she thought. She then noticed that many houses also had two stories, and a few one-story houses had scaffolding around them, indicating another layer was going to be added soon. They must be prosperous to afford such extravagance.

Walking through the town also gave her a bit of the creeps, as the night was eerily silent. Built so far up, the town was isolated from the natural sounds of the forest or the plains, so Alexis could hear no animals, no birds, no insects, save for one or two buggers that flittered by her as she followed Vilini down the main avenue of the town.

"Where are we going, exactly?" She asked the guard, a little less sure of herself now that she was in such an alien environment.

Vilini responded soft in volume, though his tone was still annoyed. "We're going to the manor house of the maegister. That's where the caravan leaders are being put up for the night, as they negotiate with the council."

"And who is the maegister?" Alexis asked.

"He's the head of the ruling council and the man in charge of running Hercor from day to day. His house is the largest, and has several guest rooms, so that's where your master is certainly staying." Vilini finished and then took a hard right down a narrow alley. Alexis turned to follow him, though again her stomach twisted as she feared some sort of trick. She shook her head quickly to try and dislodge the ill feeling. You can't be so suspicious. It's not like everyone's out to get you. A sudden memory popped up in her head. She had been talking to van Horn during one of the nights that they were at the caverns outside of Kuamket. He had been out to check on the wounded, and he had a weapon strapped to his hip. When she had asked what it was and been answered, she had mentioned that it was rather paranoid to be carrying a weapon just to go between the cave entrance and his vehicle. To that, he had replied, "just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me."

The response was slightly amusing then, but now it was funny enough that, had she been in a better frame of mind, Alexis would have laughed. Instead, she simply smiled for a bit. The smile died, however, as she remembered van Horn's fate. Also, they had reached the end of the alley, where it opened up to face a large, two-story house that stretched at least twice as long as any other house Alexis had seen in Hercor.

"This way." Vilini grumbled, and he moved towards a door that was on one of the house's shorter sides. Alexis noticed that it seemed to be a lesser entrance than the main one along the front, broad side of the house. She took no offense, even though that's probably what the lupar wants.

They walked up to the door, and Vilini wasted no time in knocking on it, though Alexis noticed he did so softly. She did her best to hide a smirk. As irritated as he is, he doesn't want to upset this 'maegister.' For some reason, that amused her, though she would have been just as quiet out of respect for someone of such importance.

The door to the house opened, interrupting any further musings. Vilini took off his helmet as an elderly lupar woman, lit by the candle she was holding in a metal holder, appeared in the doorway. "Yes, who's there? And you'd better have a good excuse for coming so late at night." She said in a slightly raspy voice.

Vilini shuffled his feet a bit. "I'm sorry to bother you so late at night, Mrs. Varner, but I have a person here requesting to see one of the people from the caravan. She claims the right of guild law to see her master."

The lady lupar tilted her head slightly to her right, causing some of her white hair to flop over the side. "Guild Law? Well, I don't know about that, but one of our guests did say someone might be coming for him." She turned to look towards Alexis, who stood a slight bit back from the door and the two lupar. "A gatón, eh?" The elderly woman said. "What's you name, child?"

Alexis took a smooth step forward. "My name is Alexis, daughter of Karn Hurano. I come from Kuamket, and I seek to speak with Shaman Forbasa." She spoke, enunciating slowly and keeping her voice low and her tone confident, though not arrogant.

A small grin flashed over the old lupar's muzzle. "Well, that sounds like one of the people he was waiting for." She stepped back and pulled the door all the way open. "Come in, the both of you. You must be tired from the climb up, so you can rest in the kitchen while I wake up Mr. Varner and Mr. Forbasa." Without waiting to see if they followed, she turned and walked down the hall that the door opened up to.

The guard Vilini stepped in first, being closer, and Alexis followed. It was a short walk down the bare-floored hall to a small door. Vilini went through it without hesitation, so Alexis followed right behind him.

They walked into a decently sized room that Alexis recognized as a kitchen right away. Pots hung from a rack suspended from the ceiling, and a large oven over next to a wall that Alexis realized was the outside of the house. A large, rectangular wooden table dominated the center of the room, and several stools stood alongside it. Mrs. Varner was standing next to the table, leaning over with her candle to light the small oil lantern that hung above the table. After it was lit, the near-elderly lupar turned to face the two arrivals. "Now, you two wait here and sit if you want. I'll come back to get you when the others are all woken up and ready to talk." With that, she turned and went out the other door the kitchen, which led into another room on Alexis' left.

Vilini grumbled quietly, then went to the table and grabbed a stool. He dragged over next to a cabinet and sat down away from the table with a bored look on his face. Alexis herself just went and sat at the table, and used the quite moment to take the pack she had been carrying off of her shoulders. After the pack was lying on the floor, she rubbed her shoulders and absentmindedly made a soft purring sound. Feels good to finally take that off.

The noises she made attracted Vilini's attention. "How long have you been carrying that pack?" He asked. Alexis looked over towards him, a bit surprised that his voice no longer had the irritated quality that he'd been affecting since she'd pressured him into taking her into Hercor. Glancing over his face, she noticed that he also didn't seem to regard her as something distasteful, though he still had a guarded, wary look.

Alexis decided to try and be friendly. "I've been carrying it since about two hours before nightfall." She said as she continued to rub her shoulders.

"That long?" Vilini asked, seeming a bit impressed. Alexis nodded before responding. "Yes. It's taken my group that long to get from the forest near where the river comes out to the town."

"That's a good distance, but it shouldn't have taken you so long."

Alexis shrugged at the comment. "We have a lot of wounded, and though we dumped most everything save some food, medicine, and the wounded themselves, we were slowed."

The mention of wounded brought Vilini's ears up. "Injured people? Why didn't you mention that earlier when you demanded to be brought inside?"

Alexis gave him a sour look. "Would it have mattered?"

Vilini seemed to deflate a bit. "No... No I suppose it wouldn't. The gates have to stay shut for a reason, you know. But at least we could have woken up a doctor, had them come out and check on-"

Alexis' headshake caused him to cut off. "No, they're as well treated as they can be, so I doubt your doctors would help all that much. What they really need is some rest in a safe place."

Vilini frowned at the comment about the town's doctors, but he let it go. "Well, in any case, they can't come in until morning unless the maegister says otherwise."

Alexis' face darkened. "Why is that? What's with this strange rule that no one can come in during the night?"

Vilini gave her his own, irritated look right back. "There are a couple of reasons. The main one being that bandits could - and have tried, mind you - to get inside the front gates by claiming to be in some sort of distress. That way they could open up the trading houses and pillage everything there. In fact, according to the village elders, a group did that once, many years ago. Since then, we've had the rule that no one can come inside the gates unless they have a very good, verifiable reason."

Alexis shifted on the stool, trying to get a better position on the seat, which was just a bit too tall for her to find comfortable. "I can see that. But you said you had a couple of reasons. What's the other one?"

Vilini looked less irritated then, and even, to Alexis' puzzlement, embarrassed. "It's kind of an old superstition many of our elders have. There are very old stories about shape-shifting demons that can appear like your friends, so we're not supposed to let anyone in." He shrugged at that. "Kind of silly, if you ask me, but that's the way it is."

Alexis shrugged herself. "I suppose it might be unlikely, even silly, but... After some of the things I've seen recently..." She shuddered visibly. "I would not be surprised to see such a demon."

Vilini gave her a hard, appraising look. "Yes. For instance, that unprovoked attack from those strange air-creatures on our town, and the thing that raced about and distracted them. You must've been close enough to see that earlier today, right?"

Alexis nodded. "You might say that."

"What does that mean?"

Before she could reply, Mrs. Varner came through the open door to the other room. From where Alexis was sitting, she could see that it was the apparently the main dining room. The elderly lupar looked from one to the other as she talked. "Well, everyone's up and in the receiving parlor. Come follow me and please don't knock over anything."

Nodding their assent, both Alexis and Vilini got up and followed Varner as she walked out through the dining room. Alexis heaved up her pack from the floor and found, to her mild irritation, that she again could not see ahead due to the broad, armored back of Vilini.

She shrugged to herself and decided it didn't matter. After a few moments of following the two lupar through several twists and turns in the house, Vilini's back disappeared from her view as he stepped through a doorway, and then sidestepped off to the left. Alexis followed and stepped into the room. After which, she smiled for the first time since the afternoon as she saw Shamans Forbasa and Jukas sitting on a small couch.

The room was nicely furnished, with a purple-dyed carpet on the stone floor, several couches, each with a blanket or two draped over their backrests, and a painting that hung on a mantle. The fireplace below it was stocked with wood all ready to burn, but it was unlit. The gatón shamans were on the couch that sat on the far wall that ran from the fireplace on the left to the wall opposite of the mantle. Another couch sat along that opposite wall, though it was pulled a few feet towards the center of the room to bring it closer to the other couch, and also to provide some walking space for the doorway in the wall behind it. On this couch sat Tiana Farkas along with another lupar, who looked middle-aged like her. Unlike the caravan members, who were simply dressed in their traveling clothes - put on in a rush, apparently, Alexis thought to herself - the unfamiliar lupar wore a brownish-red robe.

Alexis turned back to look at Forbasa. "I take it that you saw what happened earlier today, shaman?" She asked without preamble.

Forbasa nodded, showing no irritation. "Yes, we all did. I- I take it that our friend Vanhorn is... No longer with us?"

Alexis hung her head. "Yes. He was in his car when it ran off, and I didn't see him leave it before- before it was destroyed." She managed to get the sentence out without breaking into tears, though she was struggling. "That's why we left our encampment and came here, since it's not safe there anymore without his protection."

Forbasa nodded. He also noticed the catch in Alexis' voice. "I take it, from the way you're avoiding eye contact, that something else is wrong?"

Alexis just stood there quietly for a moment, trying to gather her strength up. "Yes." She said quietly in a child-like voice. However, she managed to infuse her next words with some more strength. "Yes, something is." With her willpower straining, Alexis brought her head up and turned to face Tiana. "I- I'm sorry, Mrs. Farkas, but Mikula-" The words caught in her throat, and she looked down again to try and get herself back into control.

Tiana didn't make it easier, as she practically leapt off the couch. "What? What's happened? What's wrong with Mikula?" Her worried words came at a fast pace, heightening the guilt Alexis felt. Somehow, she managed to raise her head and say it. "Mikula's dead. He was with Vanhorn when they were attacked."

Tiana looked as if someone had stabbed her in the stomach. She wavered in her stance and fell forward in a faint. Fortunately, the other middle-aged lupar had stood soon after she did, and now reached out to support her just as Alexis managed to grab Tiana's shoulders. Vilini then came up and gently took Tiana from Alexis' hands, and helped the elder lupar move her back to sit on the couch. Alexis felt a bit irritated at the way he just took over her lifting position, but she was also relieved; Alexis was very tired, more so with the emotional stress that flooded the room.

When Tiana was sitting on the couch, unconscious, Alexis heard Forbasa clear his throat. She turned and saw that he and Jukas had both stood, as well, the former using his cane for support. "Alexis, was anyone else hurt or... Killed?" Forbasa asked.

She shook her head. "No. Mikula was in the car talking to Vanhorn, for all I know. Then when the attack on Hercor started, the car door slammed shut and it raced off." She bent her head down again, and wrapped her arms around her torso, while her tail wrapped itself around her left leg. "Given the response of the Wobbies, and the way Vanhorn went, I can only assume that he did so to distract the flying machines from hurting more people in Hercor."

"Who is this 'Vanhorn?'" Asked the middle-aged lupar, who now sat half on the couch, holding Tiana upright with an arm on her shoulder. Forbasa grimaced slightly before turning to face the lupar. "He is- was a great friend. I told you about the humans that attacked us, you'll recall?" He paused while the lupar nodded. "This Vanhorn... He was a human, as well. However, he was practically the opposite of the attackers. Where they destroyed our village and killed people, he brought medicine and helped to heal the wounded. Then he joined us and carried the wounded in that metal wagon of his that now lies in ruin in the river."

A moment went as the lupar absorbed this. "Might I ask why you didn't mention this before?"

Forbasa contritely nodded. "You had a hard enough time allowing us in this morning, and then even deigning to speak with us. How would you have treated us if we claimed to have such a person with us?"

"I'd probably not treat with you at all." The lupar said with a sigh. "I see your point. In any case, I didn't see any wounded with your group earlier this day."

Forbasa looked pained. "Yes. To tell the truth, all we heard of your town was a distrust of outsiders, which Shaman Jukas here said had grown with the news from the east of the invaders. We honestly did not know how we would be treated, so..." He trailed off, not wanting to put the thoughts into words.

Again, the lupar nodded. "Yes, we have that nasty reputation, don't we?" Another sigh. His ears then twitched. "Wait, this new group you said would be arriving, it's not just this lady, is it?" He asked.

Forbasa shook his head. "No. The wounded are undoubtedly along with the others."

The middle-aged lupar turned to look at Vilini. "Was there another group out there when you brought her in?" He said, indicating Alexis with a nod of his head.

Vilini looked hapless. "I- I don't know for certain. We were on patrol and then she comes up with a friend and then she claimed she needed to come in immediately to speak to her trade master." He stammered out. "She did mention something about having wounded-"

"Well, then bloody get them inside! The bandits will almost certainly attack before morning if there's a small group outside the gates. Go, now!" The lupar said with a raised voice. Vilini turned and tried to race out the door, but he misjudged his position and instead slammed into the doorframe. He recovered in a second, however, and without a look back he raced out into the house.

Forbasa turned to face the lupar. "I thank you, Wenar, for your gracious consideration in the face of our... Injudicious choices."

The lupar waved his free hand towards Forbasa. "It's alright. Besides, after seeing what those bastards did to my town, I believe you about the invaders, and I certainly don't want to deny anyone a safe haven with them about." He tilted his head down a small bit, and his features hardened a bit. "However, I want there to be no more secrets from now on. Is this agreeable?"

Forbasa nodded. "Most certainly." Jukas even chimed in. "Absolutely."

The conversation stopped, however, when Tiana stirred. All eyes turned to her as she awoke, pushing herself into a more upright position on the couch. "Mmmph. What? What happened?"

"You fainted, Mrs. Farkas." The male lupar said. "Please, don't try to get up."

Tiana then opened her eyes, and to Alexis, they looked full of pain. Something I have in common with her, Alexis thought. We both lost someone special to us.

"It... It isn't a dream, is it?" Tiana asked, looking to Alexis. "He's- My little boy-?" She couldn't finish her sentence, but she didn't need to for anyone to get the meaning. Alexis simply nodded, and again she felt herself near tears. "Yes. He's gone." But not forgotten. Nor are those who took him away. Alexis again felt the fire in her belly with this thought, though her feelings quickly came back to grief and sympathy as Tiana bent forward slowly, and then started to sob with her head in her arms.

Forbasa and the others in the room looked uncomfortable. "Mrs. Farkas... Perhaps- perhaps you'd like to have some time alone?" The middle-aged lupar asked. Tiana stopped sobbing and nodded her head, though it was hard to tell with her face still facing the ground and covered by her hands.

Just then, Mrs. Varner came in through the door behind the couch where the two other lupar sat at. Alexis felt a bit startled, as she hadn't even realized that the elderly woman had even left the room. Mrs. Varner came around the couch and reached for Tiana. "Come, dearie, let's get you to your room." She said and reached out. Tiana lifted her head just a bit so she could reach out her own arms to the elderly lupar. Standing, she let herself be lead out through the door that Mrs. Varner had come through just a few seconds before.

The remaining lupar just shook his head. "Mother always did like to eavesdrop. But bless her for her timing." He stood again, and faced towards the others in the room. He looked Alexis over, and then turned his head towards Forbasa. "And who is this lady?"

Forbasa managed a small smile. "My apologies for waiting on introductions. This is Alexis, my apprentice. Alexis, this is maegister Julius Varner, chief of the town of Hercor."

Alexis bowed. A bit awkwardly, as she still carried the pack that had been her burden for so many hours. "I am pleased to meet you, maegister Varner." She said in her best Lupari.

Varner smiled a bit. "As I am to meet you, Alexis. Tell me, please, how long have you been traveling this day?"

Alexis shrugged. "Since about two hours before sunset. We left as soon as we could, but the wounded cannot be moved nearly as fast as they could with Vanhorn's metal wagon. The group only arrived on the outskirts of Hercor's fields just about an hour ago, by now." Suddenly, she yawned. "Excuse me. The day's events seem to be catching up with me."

"Indeed. Well, it is late, and we should all get some rest so we can sort things out better in the morning." Varner said. "If you'd like, you can spend the night here at my house. Though I am afraid that we are out of spare rooms, so you'd likely be sleeping here on one of these couches." He waved a hand to indicate the couch that Forbasa and Jukas had been sitting on when she had entered.

Alexis shook her head. "I greatly, greatly appreciate your offer, maegister. But my family is with the group just coming in, and I haven't been able to spend much time with them since our village was attacked." She looked down again. "I- I just would feel better being closer to them tonight."

"I understand." Varner said softly, which brought Alexis' head up. He had a small smile on his muzzle as he spoke. "Times like these, those we love are the ones we need to be near. I shall call for an escort to take you back down to the courtyard."

Alexis bowed awkwardly again. "Thank you, maegister. I shall appreciate that much."Varner nodded, then turned to the others in the room. "I think we should all get to sleep as well." No one objected.