Chapter 15

"The raids are going well," the kneeling figure reported from it's place before the small, central fire, head hooded and bent. "The city thinks they are no more than the random attacks one would expect with such an increase in populus."

"And the Mall Rats," the recumbent figure turned it's gaze towards another cloaked and hooded figure standing in a corner. "What do they think?"

"They are too busy revelling in peace and squabbling amongst themselves to notice! There is more, however," the figure took a step forward. "The renegade has returned. She brought two others with her, but not him. He is still missing and their defences suffer for it. Also, it has become apparent that the renegade is with child and this weakens her. The queen grows impatient: all are now in the mall except him and he is the only one who is not to be harmed. Their defences are weak and their fighters out of condition. Our queen wishes us to begin our attack within three days."

"So be it," pronounced the figure of a young man, moving out of a darkened doorway and into the glow of the flickering flames, a rising spark catching sight of itself in the reflection of his glasses and dying into darkness. "Our 'queen' shall have her wish. Remember it is your job to remove her from the mall safely - you are the her protector."

"It will be done," the cloaked figure nodded and removed himself from the room, hurrying out into the night and back towards the mall.

"Will you really let her be queen once you have control?" drawled the figure reclining on the low couch.

"Oh, I don't know," the young man replied carelessly. "A man needs a little variety in his life. It depends how well your conditioning holds out."

"It'll hold. There wasn't much need for it, really. She blamed the Mall Rats for everything that happened to her, after all, just as I do. The only problem is: how will she react to sharing her title? Will you be telling her about little old me?"

The young man seemed to consider this for a moment.

"I don't know," he replied. "It could be fun to see how long it takes her to figure it out!"

****

As the sun rose over the valley, it's rays filling that secret place with golden light so rich in hue it flowed across the land like honey, Jack awoke and stretched out his hand to the side. In his mind he was back in Liberty, in the comfortable four poster bed he had shared with the woman he loved. He felt a familiar pang of pain as he remembered where he was and why, then sat up and shook himself awake. It would be a hard day today. A long day. Today, in a few hours, they would bury Jetta beneath the guardian tree, then he would leave. Alice and Hope would be going with him and, undoubtedly, Alice would be watching him like a hawk to make sure he followed Leila's advice. The young healer had watched him almost as closely as she had Jetta and had been reluctant to let him leave. Eventually, she had agreed to compromise and insisted he take a guard, and who better than Alice, to make sure that he followed the detailed list of do's and don't's that she had made both him and Alice recite until they knew it by heart!

Jack rolled his eyes at the memory and dragged himself out of bed. Hope was still sleeping, but it wouldn't be long before she awoke and began looking around for her mother. She was too young to understand what had happened to Jetta, but not too young to understand that her mother's familiar face was no longer there when she looked for it. Jack hurriedly washed and pulled on his clothes. There was always a good-sized pitcher of water in the hut and wooden boxes of bread and cheese. He ate and drank and began to pack the things he would need for his journey.

Two hours later, Jewel knocked on his door and he and Hope joined her and the other Amazons to make their way out of the valley and up to the guardian tree. Alice had her pack with her, but when she saw Jack's she hoisted that onto her back as well.

"You've got enough to carry," she said, simply.

They made their way in silence up the cliff path and through the tunnel to the water fall. Once again, Jack nearly slipped on the well rock, but Alice put out a hand to steady him. Eventually, they made it to the tree. A grave had aleady been dug by two Amazons already at the site and the young women carrying Jetta's enshrouded body on a wooden pallet placed the body over the grave. There were poles across the earthy pit to support the body during the ceremony and, as the pallet settled onto them, Alkaia began.

"Amazons. We are gathered here not to mourn a passing, but to celebrate a life well lived. Sister. You have lived with us, laughed with us, cried with us, fought with us and we thank you. You have taught us much, and were taught much in return. You were taken through despair, and brought back hope," a tender smile crossed Alkaia's face as she glanced at the child in Jack's arms, so aptly named. "In your strength you found weakness, and in your weakness, strength. You loved every one of us and were loved in return. We thank you for this, and bid you farewell. May we fight with you one day again."

Six Amazons stepped forward to take up ropes that were joined to the sides of the pallet: Lana, Jewel, Rialle, who had taken Jetta's role on the Amazon council, Leila, Vicky, who had become quite close to Jetta in the intervening months, and Morgaine. It was only then that Jack noticed that the raven haired warrior also had a pack with her. A few other Amazons Jack did not know moved forward to remove the supporting poles as the six took the weight of the pallet then, in silence, Jetta's body was lowered into the grave.

When the pallet reached the bottom of the grave pit, the six reached down and cut their ropes as low as they could. Alkaia then stepped forward once more. Taking up her own knife, she drew a cut along her palm and let fall a few drops of blood onto the lowered body.

"As you would have shed your blood for me, so too I shed my blood for you. Go in peace, sister, and may we meet again some day in battle."

As the two gravediggers stepped forward to fill the grave, and Leila bound Alkaia's hand, the crowd moved off and Morgaine walked over to Jack, Hope and Alice.

"I will accompany you to the City. Neither of you know the quickest route from here and you will need a guide. Besides, there have been rumours of disturbances in the City and it may be prudent to have another guard with you."

"I thought we were going to Liberty first," Jack replied with a frown. "To get Ebony."

"There is no telling if she will still be there," Jewel cut in, walking over to the small group. "And the City is actually nearer than Liberty anyway: you have walked two sides of a triangle, Jack, and the shortest side is the one left. Besides, there are more arguments for going to the Ctiy rather than Liberty: you're tribe is there, including Alice's sister, and perhaps also Ebony, and they deserve to know of the newest addition to their number. They also deserve to know that you are both safe and well as soon as possible. Ebony also needs to know, but if she is not there, then you can at least rest and catch up on any news before you attempt to win back her favour. Unlike you, Jack, I cannot see this being an easy task and you will need all the help you can get."

Jack shrugged, trying to picture Ellie's face when he walked in with not only her sister, but also Hope: his daughter!

"If I know Ebony, Jack," Alice added, "she's not the kind of girl to sit around waiting for you in a quiet little joint like Liberty! Plus if she has left, which is likely, then she's either going to head for the mall or off somewhere obscure and it's a heck of a lot easier to check the mall first!"

"Okay, fine, we'll head for the City!" Jack shrugged, shifting Hope's weight in his arms. "Just don't think that if she isn't there, I won't go looking for her!"

****

Ebony curled up in the corner of Jack's room. Ellie was on the warpath again. Sammy had spotted her slight bump and decided to point it out at breakfast two days ago. Trudy and Amber had put two and two together and declared to the room in general that Ebony was pregnant and Ellie had gone from her usual shade of pale to pure white! Now she was taking every opportunity to make Ebony out to be a slut and any number of other unpalatable things.

"At least the danger area is past," Lex murmured softly from Ebony's side as they listened to Ellie shrieking like a banshee from the floor above while Luke tried to calm her down.

Ebony nodded. Lex and Paul were the only ones to have found her hide-out so far, although Ebony had a sneaking suspicion that Salene knew too but was keeping quiet about it. It was odd. The previously red-haired girl had found her way back to the mall in one of the latest waves of travellers and had immediately caused a stir. Her hair was no longer the bright, flame coloured red of the past, but a dark reddish-black with the occasional bright red twist of colour here and there and glitter shining throughout. Her makeup and dress had changed accordingly and the black, glittery top she wore, with its single shoulder and black chiffon streamers hanging down from where it cut away above her midriff had caught almost every male's attention, tearing even the slightly crazed Gaian's attention away from his pigeons and back to his ex-lover. Her appearance had altered so dramatically that they all expected her character to have done the same, but it hadn't. She was more serene and a little more grown up, but she was still the same Salene and the only one of the girls who hadn't treated Ebony with contempt since it had become known that she was pregnant.

Paul signed something to Lex and Lex translated.

"He says he's going to go see if there's anyone in the cafe. Do you want a drink or anything, babe?"

"No, I'm fine," Ebony whispered. "If it's all quiet out there though, I might come out and stretch my legs for a bit: junior here doesn't help with the cramps and my legs are really stiff!"

"Okay," Lex signed the reply back to Paul then watched as the other man headed over to the doorway and peered out.

Of the three of them, Paul was the one who could best tell if everyone had moved up to the upper floors or not: he claimed he could feel the footsteps through the floor. He disappeared for a few moments, then came back and signalled to Lex that they could come out. Lex helped Ebony to her feet and they headed round to the cafe.

"You know if that lot hear you calling me 'babe', they'll think you're the father!" Ebony joked as Lex led her over to the old sofa by the wall.

"Huh, I think half of them already do!" Lex replied. "Either me or Slade, anyway. You never know, might be the only chance I get!"

"Don't say that!"

"Why not? It's true! Look at my track record!"

"Tai San might still be out there somewhere. She might come walking back in here one day just like Salene did!"

"Maybe, but the longer it gets, the less likely it looks," Lex shrugged and took the mug of tea Paul handed him. "I just wish she were here for this, you know; she'd be a heck of a lot more use than me and Paul when it comes to getting you through this!"

Ebony smiled at Lex's sentiment, and his lack of grammar.

"Paul and I," she teased. "And you needn't worry so much! Heck, if Amber can manage it on her own, I sure can! Plus, Salene might help when it comes to the time."

"I guess. I wonder if she can bring Pride back to his senses?"

"I hope so!" Ebony replied, vehemently, "Jeez, he's doing my head in as he is! He was bad enough before, but now he just completely cracked!"