Chapter 3

Jack carried on walking. He hadn't stopped to rest, eating as he walked and ignoring the persistent weight of his eyelids. It was dark again. He had walked for an entire day. Somewhere, out there in the night, Jetta and Hope would be settling down for the night. Perhaps they would already be asleep. That meant that, as they slept, he could close the gap between them a bit.

He had had news of them at the few villages and settlements that he had passed on his day-long march. The last had said that they had stopped for the night, so did one a bit further back. That meant that they were only three days ahead of him now, if that. They were certainly travelling slowly, but Jetta had a young child and, if what was left of her belongings at the Saloon was anything to go by, a substantial pack to carry. Things which would necessarily slow her down and make her take more breaks along the road. Jack had a bag of food and water and had walked almost non-stop for the best part of twenty four hours. If he walked right through the night tonight, keeping to the dirt track he followed now, he could maybe close that gap by another day. Maybe. He had travelled three times the distance she had in one day. Hopefully, by the end of the next, he would have found her.

As his eyes threatened to close once again, Jack's thoughts turned to Ebony. Was she still at the Saloon? Or had she come after him? If she was still at the Saloon, would she wait for him? Ebony was not the kind of girl to take a disappearance like his easily. Not from anyone, but especially not from him.

Jack shook his head. He was just being arrogant now. Why should he have had more effect upon Ebony than Bray or Jay or even Slade? He remembered how she had been when she lost them: angry, looking for someone to blame. But the truth was, that was Ebony: always angry over something. No, that was her then. Not now. She was different now: the trademark black and red leather had been replaced with softer coloured clothes and her makeup had changed entirely. Even her braids had gone! She wasn't angry any more. Or at least, she hadn't been before he left! Jack worried if she would go back to her old ways: hating everyone and only out to help herself. The usual front she put up: the Warrior Queen. Untouchable, like no-one could hurt her. The only thing that told you someone had was the fact that the front was there!

Stumbling, Jack gave up. He hadn't slept well in days, worrying about Hope, and the early start and long march had sapped his strength. He needed sleep. Even if he only slept for a few hours, it would give him more strength to travel further and faster tomorrow. Fearing to stray far from the road, Jack unravelled the blanket from the bottom of his pack and rolled himself up in it, falling asleep almost as soon as his head touched the roadside.

****

Jetta lay, curled up around her daughter, in a hollow between the great roots of a huge tree. She remembered curling up in a similar fashion when she was younger, feeling safe hidden in the feet of a tall, old tree. She knew this particular tree well: it was the tallest in the wood and was called the guardian tree. High up, hidden in its branches and only visible in winter, even then, only if you knew where to look, was a lookout platform. It was small, but big enough for someone to sit, stand and sleep up there. Lower down, in the midst of the thicker branches, there was a small hut for storing food, water and blankets. There was also a low bed for a relief lookout to sleep in while the other was up on the platform. If she hadn't had a daughter and a heavy pack to carry, she might have tried to climb up to it, but it didn't matter. They would be safe enough here for the night and then it was only a few hours walk to "The Curtain".

Or maybe it would be more, now. She had certainly travelled much slower than she had thought she would, if the last day or two were anything to go by. Ever since she had started recognising her surroundings, she had noticed how much longer it took her to get from one landmark to the next. At least she was nearly there. Either way, she would arrive at the valley tomorrow, whether it be morning, afternoon or evening. If she had enough daylight left, she might even make it to the camp in one day.

Jetta wondered what she would find there. There had been so many of them, so long ago before the Chosen, then the Techno's came along. She had returned to their usual camp long ago, but it had been deserted and she had turned back, heading for the city and their hidden camp. Liberty had been on the way and she had been there when she had heard about the Techno invasion.

Knowing then that she was pregnant, she hadn't wanted to risk the Techno's getting hold of her and her baby and had stayed hidden in the quiet little town. Soon, Hope was born and Jetta found another reason not to travel: her baby was too young. Besides, the Technos still roamed the countryside looking for new "volunteers" for their experiments. Everyone had heard of the labs. Everyone feared them.

Eventually the Technos were brought down and the small town of Liberty became busier. Ruby, the girl who ran the Saloon, had advertised for bar staff to help meet the demand of increased trade. Jetta had taken the job and had settled down for a bit. Life was relatively quiet and peaceful and there seemed no point in going looking for her old warrior tribe when she didn't even know if they still existed. Part of her didn't want to know. At least in not knowing, there was a chance that they were all there, in the hidden camp, and all well. If she went looking, she might find the camp deserted or worse: evidence that the Technos had found them.

Jetta's thoughts and reminiscences turned to dreams as she lay curled beneath the guardian tree. Dreams of the beauty of the hidden valley in springtime. Dreams of teaching her daughter how to climb the guardian tree and how to find the valley. Dreams of being reunited with her tribe. Dreams of her daughter being welcomed into the tribe. Dreams of teaching her daughter how to fight, the way the others had taught her how to fight when she joined them. Dreams of the future and how happy it could be.

****

Ebony lay in her bed, thinking about Jack. She hadn't bothered to get dressed that day. She hadn't even bothered to get up. She just lay there, thinking. At times, tears stung at her eyes and she let them fall freely: she didn't have the strength to stop them any more. Ruby had come up with some food, but it still lay untouched on the bedside table.

She didn't know if she had slept. She had hardly noticed the day passing, but whether that was because of her being lost in her thoughts, or if she had actually fallen asleep at some point, she couldn't tell.

Images of Jack flashed past her eyes. Some of their journey to Liberty. Some of him lying in bed with the fever. Some of him holding his daughter. And some of him with Jetta. Those were the memories she lingered on. Jack and the blue haired girl who had, to Ebony's mind, stolen him away from her. As she thought on Jetta, she felt the old anger inside her bubble up. The old Ebony, battered down inside her and kept hidden by the wish to be a better, more gentle woman for the man she loved, was returning. Unleashed by his absence, his desertion, she felt the anger take over. Yet again she had allowed herself to be hurt. And someone must pay!