Chapter 2
"You're getting better." Denna smiled as she danced with the swords, circling Carson.
"I'm getting worse, and you bloody well know it." Carson breathed heavily as he sheathed his sword.
Denna frowned, laying down her swords on the bench, "What is wrong? You have been like this for the past few days now."
"Aye - ever since we started these lessons. I'm a doctor Denna. We take an oath to do no harm. A gun is bad enough, but a sword? You're teaching me to kill people, and not in self defence. This isn't me."
"I'm teaching you to kill Wraith. You're right, a man who kills another of his own people, or even race, is no one, but the Wraith are not human. They would kill their own to survive, and this is what makes us different. Listen to me Carson, you will never kill in cold blood; it is not in your nature." She smiled, "You have been here two months now; you need to know how to defend yourself. Come, it is almost breakfast."
Denna led the way down from the training circle across the frost laden ground. They would be moving on soon, before the winter became too harsh. She frowned when Tchen came to meet them at the edge of the camp, "What is it? Where is everyone?"
The whole camp was deserted, and for one terrified second, Carson thought the Wraith must have come, but then Tchen open his mouth, speaking softly, "It is your father, Danna, he died in the night."
The words hit the woman with a blow so hard, she swayed, only to have Carson steady her. Her mouth slightly open, she stared blankly at Tchen. Carson looked briefly at the gentle giant, to see him begin to walk back into camp. Slipping an arm around her shoulders, and taking her hand, Carson led Denna into the camp. Everyone was gathered around the central fire next to the leader's tent.
No one talked, but the sorrow was evident in the air. Children cried with their parents as they murmured through their tears. Carson didn't realise it, but he was crying too. It was one of those times when no matter how little you knew a person, you couldn't help but channel the sorrow. Rit stood by the tent to take his sister from Carson, but Denna refused to leave his embrace, taking him into the tent with her. A still form lay under a blanket that had been drawn over the head. Mianna stood by, head bowed.
Unable to control her composure for any longer, tears broke from Denna's eyes, flowing freely and silently down her cheeks. These soon turned into sobs as her legs gave way from under her. Not knowing what else to do, Carson held her on the floor of the tent, rocking. Dimly, he heard singing, and realised it was the people outside, mourning their loss.
The singing continued as they laid the wrapped body on the kindling and set it alight with the torches. It floated around the camp, laced with sobs, cries and prayers, and rose into the air. Through it all, Denna said nothing. When the pyre had burned to the ground, and the sun had long set, Denna took a breath, and spoke in clouds of silver, "I will protect you, as my father did. He did not die today, he lives on through us. However many fall, we live on. Hope will not die until the very last of us is gone. I cannot promise I will know what I am doing, but I will do everything in my power to lead you well." She cleared her throat, "Sleep. Tomorrow, we move camp through the Stargate to Gerch."
Carson stayed up long into the night, getting used to the temperature. It was a pleasantly warm night, heralding the summer, a sharp contrast to the world they had left. Yet again, there was no sign of the Atlantians having been here. The words spoken in the last few days preyed on Carson's mind. The funeral made him wonder what his friends thought. Did they think he was dead? He had been gone long enough to be at least classed MIA, if not dead. Denna's words to him in the training circle were burned into his mind. The Wraith were evil, no doubt about that, but how far was he willing to go?
"It's beautiful." Denna grinned, kissing her husband, "What does it mean?"
Carson smiled softly, "It's a Celtic knot, from an ancient culture of my country. Many believe it to signify eternity."
It had been almost two years since Carson had joined the Wraith Hunters, and in that time they had travelled to many worlds, none which showed signs of his friends. In that time, many things had happened; his marriage for one. It had been a surreal occasion, only a few weeks ago, and he still barely believed it had happened. He had also become proficient in fighting, although had never engaged in anything but training fights. Until today.
The design which he had drawn was to be his eye tattoo, and Carson would be the first to admit that he was terrified. Not just the pain factor, but the fact it would mark him as a Hunter forever. Denna frowned as a shadow flitted across Carson's face, "Are you sure about this?"
Swallowing, Carson met his wife's eyes, "Definitely."
It was carnage. Bodies lay everywhere, and more were falling. Those who were not dead were swept up in the darts. Carson was covered in black blood; his mind had shut down long ago. They had got intel of a Hive ship, travelling a marked path through the stars, and a contingent of hunters had been sent to apprehend them. Carson and Tchen had led a party of ten. Tchen was in one of the darts, but Carson couldn't tell which. He swiped behind him, simultaneously beheading a Wraith and dodging a blast from a stunner. A few metres away, another Hunter, Eliya, was dragging five villagers out of the carnage as a dart came around for another shot. Behind Eliya, a male Wraith with dark eyes rose from where he had fallen when he was shot and stalked towards them. "Run!" Carson tried to make his voice heard over the melee, but to no avail.
He ran forwards, lashing out at another Wraith on his way before it could feed. He tackled Eliya out of the way of both dart and Wraith as they came sweeping down. He lunged, stabbing the Wraith in the chest. The villagers they had been helping had been swept away, except one, who Eliya had been forcibly dragging when Carson had pulled her down. "We have to retreat!" he yelled.
She didn't argue, and sent up the flare. It shot purple into the sky, contrasting with the bluey green glow from the Wraith weapons. One single dart wheeled in the air, and shot off. Scrambling to their feet, the two Hunters grabbed the villager, a man, and ran into the forest for the Stargate.
In all, seven out of two thousand villagers had been saved, three of whom were badly injured. The Hunters had been lucky; they had all made it out – barely. Carson and Mianna had been working through the night to save the three survivors. One man had been victim to a Wraith feeding, while another, a little girl, had lost her leg in an explosion caused by the Wraith darts; the last one, her brother, had been impaled through the stomach. All three died before the sun rose.
"You couldn't have done anything." Denna sat on the ridge overlooking the camp with Carson. "You got four out of there, and gave the Wraith a shock. You did well."
"Not well enough. However many of those sodding bastards we kill, there's always more. More humans always die than Wraith."
"Four less died thanks to you."
"Is it enough? The Wraith even killed three more after we'd got them to safely, albeit indirectly."
Denna leaned her head on his shoulder, "It's all we can do."
To Be Continued…
Author Notes: What do you think? A bit shorter than last time, but I don't want to give too much away for the last chapter.
