Crush the White Legs

Note: Sorry for the delay guys. I'm not sure if many of you are aware, but I have started another Fallout story called Fallout: Rise of Nuka-Girl. I was playing the Nuka World DLC for Fallout 4 and I had the crazy idea to make Nuka-Girl and actual superhero in the Commonwealth. Don't worry, I'm still going to be working on this story, so I hope you check out my new one and tell me what you all think.

The bodies of the Dead Horses were lined up along the Virgin River, while the few who survived the massacre were being treated inside of Angel Cave. The numbers of wounded would've overwhelmed Waking Cloud and White Bird if not for the help of Marcus and Sarah. Both of them used their basic knowledge of first aid to the limit and beyond, and they used up over half of their reserve of biogel to save the tribals. Many of them believed that modern medicine was taboo, but in their current state they were hardly in a position to say no.

Throughout all of this, Joshua never spoke. He carried the wounded inside of the cave, then helped carry the dead; never once uttering a sound. This did not go unnoticed by Marcus, but he had to push his concerns away to deal with the gruesome task at hand. By the time the wounded had become stable and were out of danger, Marcus and Sarah's combat armor was slick with blood, and while they managed to get most of it off in the river they wondered if they're armor would ever be olive green again.

They spotted Waking Cloud also cleaning herself in the river, and even though the blood had been washed off of her hands, the young woman was still frantically rubbing them until they were raw. Follows-Chalk cautiously came up behind her. "Waking Cloud?"

She ignored him and instead began washing her hands to the point she was in a frenzy. Follows-Chalk stepped closer and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Waking Cloud!"

"It won't come off!" she muttered. "It won't come off…."

Follows-Chalk wrapped his arms around her and tried to restrain her. "Stop it! Stop it!"

In a matter of seconds Waking Cloud surrendered, and began sobbing uncontrollably. Her knees began to buckle and Follows-Chalk quickly scooped her up into his arms and headed for Angel Cave.

"Standing Bear!" she wailed. "I want Standing Bear…."

"I have the count." Marcus solemnly began. "One-hundred fifteen dead, sixty-five wounded and seven of the women unaccounted for. No doubt….they were taken by the White Legs as they retreated." He paused for a moment as the grim news sank in. "So that means we have fifty-nine Dead Horses left who can fight….including Follows-Chalk."

The young tribal stood against the wall of the cave in silence. Gone was his usual smile and good hearted nature. Now, he looked like a man who had been whipped into submission. Sitting on the ground next to him was Waking Cloud and though she had calmed down, the thousand yard stare was evident on her face.

Sarah shook her head in frustration. "How did they manage to get into the camp? We had every inch of this valley guarded and booby trapped!"

"I can answer that." Joshua suddenly said from the entrance of the cave, startling everyone. The Burned Man, who like the rest of them was a picture of exhaustion and defeat, slowly made his way inside. "There is a small cavern that leads from Fallen Rock Cave north towards the Pine Creek Tunnel. It is narrow, and until today I believed it was known to only a few of us. It was to be the route taken by the tribals if the decision had been made to evacuate Zion."

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Sarah asked, clearly trying to control her voice.

Joshua bowed his head. "As I said, I believed the White Legs were unaware of its existence. I was….careless….arrogant, and proud." For the first time since they'd known him, Joshua's voice began to crack. "And God has punished me for it."

Whatever patient's Sarah had was lost as she clenched her fists and made her way over to Joshua. "God has punished you! What happened today has nothing to do with God, or devils or angels on your shoulder. This happened because you dropped the ball…."

"Sarah!" Marcus snapped. "Please….this is not helping anyone. We need to figure out what our next move is. Now we don't have enough warriors to defend both camps, so I think we should abandon the Eastern Virgin and make our way to the Sorrows camp."

"No!" Joshua said. "That is exactly what Salt-Upon-Wounds wants us to do. He wants us all in one place so that he can crush us with one blow."

Sarah crossed her arms. "We can't just sit here and wait for them to come back."

Marcus agreed. "She's right, Joshua. If we stay here what is left of the Dead Horses will be massacred."

"Then we'll attack."

It seemed as though someone had sucked the air out of the cave. Once she'd gotten over her shock, Sarah was in no mood to mince words. "That's insane!"

"Exactly." Joshua deadpanned. "They would never expect it. With the element of surprise on our side we will emerge victorious."

Sarah stretched out her arm towards the droves of wounded. "Look at this! Even if we manage to take the White Legs by surprise we are in no condition for a major fight!"

Joshua turned to Marcus. "Do you feel the same way?"

Marcus' gaze shifted between Sarah and Joshua. He placed both his hands on a table in front of him and his head felt like it weighed a ton from exhaustion. "Even if we manage to take the White Legs by surprise a frontal assault would be suicidal. We can't defend this camp, and there's no way we'll be able to make it to the Sorrows camp with this many wounded."

"So….what do we do?" Follows-Chalk asked.

Marcus took a deep breath. "I've been thinking about that all day and I think I've come up with a plan. Joshua, do the White Legs know the story of the Father of the Caves?"

Joshua's eyes shifted to the ground as he thought for a moment. "Yes….though they do not put as much faith in the legend as the Sorrows."

"Still, like all tribes they are superstitious, yes?"

"Correct."

For a moment a slight grin appeared on Marcus' face. "Then we can use that to our advantage. Now if we're going to take the White Legs by surprise we have to convince them that they've won. The best way to do that is to have Waking Cloud and White Bird begin the evacuation of Zion."

There was no mistaking the look of shock and anger in Joshua's eyes. "I will not surrender God's sacred temple to these heathens! Salt-Upon-Wounds and his White Legs must pay for what they have done here today."

"Not all of us will be evacuating. The four of us and a handful of warriors will stay behind. Once the White Legs relax their guard we will strike, but if we fail….at least the rest of the tribals will be out of Zion and safe."

For few tense moments Joshua held Marcus' gaze, and everyone held their breath as they waited for his response. Finally, the Burned Man seemed to sigh in defeat. "What do you need us to do?"

Marcus stood up straight. "I'll need time to prepare. For now hand pick which warriors you want to stay behind, and help with the evacuation. With any luck, word will reach the White Legs camp soon and we'll be able to attack tonight."

Randall Clark's Cave….

Marcus frantically searched the numerous crates inside of the late Randell Clark's cave. "Come on, come on!" he muttered to himself. "I know I saw it - aha!" He held the object up in triumph and stuffed it into his backpack. After acquiring a few more items, the Lone Wanderer kneeled down next to Randall Clark's remains. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but your children are in trouble. I'm going to help them, but I need to borrow this." He carefully picked up the sniper rifle and stood up. "I'll return this when I'm finished." A bitter chuckle escaped from Marcus. "If you see fit to give me some help….I'd appreciate it."

Goodsprings, Mojave desert….

"Ok, where the hell is this guy?" Jessup asked, clearly annoyed.

The man in the checkered suit was sitting in the booth directly in front of him. "Relax, he'll be here."

"That's what you said two days ago."

"Okay, he's late. We're dealing with a courier, not the United States Postal Service. For now, have another drink and enjoy the hospitality of this fine little town."

Jessup grunted in frustration. He wanted to get this job over with, and sitting for days in this backwater town was only prolonging it. His companion on the other hand was obviously enjoying the free booze and had had more than his share. A young hispanic woman with brown hair and wearing leather armor walked by, and the Great Khan reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Hey there, darling….why don't you come here and sit on my lap?"

The woman quickly yanked her arm free. "Hands off, pal! I'm not on the menu." She turned to walk away but was grabbed by the Khan again, harder this time.

"Well then….how much will it take to change that…."

The Khan froze when he heard a low growl to his left, and found himself staring at the teeth of a large attack dog.

"One word from me," the young woman began, "and Cheyenne we tear your arm off."

"Hey!" the yell came from behind the bar. Trudy, the bartender and Goodspring's mayor, was brandishing a double-barrel shotgun. "Keep your hands off my customers or you're out of here!"

Jessup grabbed his companion by the shoulder. "Let her go!" He whispered.

The Khan muttered something under his breath and released his hold on the woman. The man in the checkered suit stood up with his palms up. "Okay, okay everyone calm down." He placed his hand on his chest and slightly bowed. "I apologize for my associate, he's been on the road a while. Tell you what….a round of drinks on me, bartender."

His announcement was met with hoots and whistles from the saloon's patrons, but Trudy was not impressed. "I don't care how many caps you throw around here, stranger. One more stunt like that and you and your friends are outta here. Get me?"

The man presented a respectful nod. "Of course."

In one of the corner booths all of this was being observed by Easy Pete, and though the aging prospector knew very little about the checkered suited man there was one thing he was certain of: he wouldn't trust him as far as he could throw him.

Zion….

As Marcus suspected, it didn't take long for word of the Sorrows and Dead Horses evacuation to reach the White Legs, and their camp erupted in celebration. Throughout the rest of the night the tribals danced, drank, and sacrificed two of the captive women to their gods….with the intent of "marrying" off the remaining five in the morning. It was after 3:00am when the celebration had died down (most of the White Legs had succumbed to their drinking), and only a handful of groggy eyed warriors were standing watch.

Marcus, Sarah, Joshua, Follows-Chalk, Dogmeat and a mixed group of thirty Sorrows and Dead Horses were watching from cliffs above the Three Mary's. Both Marcus and Sarah were in their power armor, and Marcus was armed with Randall Clark's sniper rifle. "Okay, everyone know what to do?"

Everyone nodded yes. Marcus turned to Follows-Chalk. "Now remember your stealth boy will only last fifteen minutes so we'll have to move quickly. Do you have the flint?"

The young scout, who was armed with a bow and tomahawk, responded with a nervous nod. "Are you….sure this thing will work?"

Marcus grinned. "Moira, show him."

His armor's stealth capability activated and Marcus disappeared, causing the tribals to gasp in surprise. "Remember the plan. I'll go right, you go left. We'll meet in the center of the camp near the White Legs' totems." He turned to Sarah and Joshua. "Keep your eye open for the signal."

Sarah nodded, and there was no hiding the look of dread on her face. She hated when Marcus went out alone, but he had always managed to return despite the odds. She quickly embraced him (though it was a little awkward since he was stealthed). "You be careful."

"I will." He turned and both he and Follows-Chalk headed into the Three Mary's. Both of them decided to stick to the high ground rather than run through the center of the cavern. As he creeped closer to his objective, Marcus was reminded of the many lessons Knight Commander Gallows had shown him in infiltration techniques.

Gallows. It seemed like a lifetime ago since he and the rest of the Pride had been killed by Super Mutants at Vault 87. It was only by some miracle that they had managed to save Sarah, and both of them still bore the scars from that terrible day.

Marcus quickly pushed these thoughts aside as he spotted the first two White Legs sentry's up ahead. They were engaged in conversation and not really paying attention to their surroundings. Marcus crouched down on one knee and took aim with his rifle. He waited until one of the warriors turned away from his companion, then Marcus fired a single round, taking his head off. The suppressor muffled the sound so well the first warrior didn't realize what had happened to his partner until it was too late, and Marcus put him down with a single shot to the head.

On the other side of the canyon Follows-Chalk creeped up behind a sentry, placed his hand over his mouth and cut his throat. Hearing noise to his left, Follows-Chalk quickly placed an arrow into his bow and aimed towards the warrior emerging from the brush and fired. The arrow penetrated the White Legs' throat, muffling his cries before death claimed him.

Marcus extended his shock blade and plunged it into the back of another sentry.

"On your right!" Moira blurted out.

Marcus turned, activated his VATS, and placed a round between the White Legs' eyes with his rifle. Both Follows-Chalk and Marcus continued to push towards the center of the camp, while the rest of their war party slowly moved forward just out of sight. After dispatching several more half-asleep sentries, Marcus and Follows-Chalk had made it to the center of the White Legs' camp. They hunkered down near three large totems, and took a moment to catch their breath.

"Good work." Marcus told the scout. "Are you ready?"

Follows-Chalk removed two pieces of flint and a small torch from his pouch. "Do you remember how to speak the words?"

Marcus thought for a moment. "Yeah - I remember. We'd better hurry, you're stealth boy is going to run out soon."

Follows-Chalk quickly struck the flink, and in a few seconds the torch light up. After lighting the three totems on fire, Follows-Chalk tossed the torch down and ran back into the brush. Marcus took a deep breath, stood in front of the burning totems and let out a loud, terrifying battle roar which echoed through the entire cavern. In a matter of seconds White Legs jumped awake and began running out of their tents with their weapons in hand. Through bloodshot eyes they could see their religious totems ablaze, and Salt-Upon-Wounds pushed himself past to the front of his warriors. Their eyes soon befell another sight….a sight that made them stand frozen with fear.

Marcus, his stealth suit still activated, was standing in front of the fire; his shock blade extended and both his arms raised. He was moving around just enough for his simmer to be seen by the tribals, and the flames behind him made his image look absolutely terrifying to the tribals. Then, he began to shout in the White Legs' language.

"I AM THE FATHER OF THE CAVES! YOU HAVE DEFILED MY SACRED TEMPLE! YOUR FALSE GODS WILL NOT HELP YOU HERE!"

The White Legs stood planted in place with their weapons raised; not sure of what to do. Salt-Upon-Wounds began screaming at his warriors to shoot the spirit. Most of them hesitate until final two of the warriors stepped forward and fired their repeating rifles at the "spirit". The bullets bounced off of Marcus' zetian shield (further adding to the White Legs' fear), and the Lone Wanderer responded with two blasts from his gauntlet; turning the two warriors to ash. The sight caused many of the warriors to drop their weapons and flee.

"ALL OF YOU WILL BE BURNED BY THE FATHER'S WRATH!" Marcus continued, really beginning to get into the role. "HIS ARMY OF SPIRITS WILL DESCEND UPON YOU!"

That was Follows-Chalk's que, and the still cloaked scout emerged from his hiding place and descended on the two closest warriors; slashing them to death with his tomahawk. He quickly turned and released an arrow, and the projectile flew across the camp and struck a warrior standing next to Salt-Upon-Wounds in the chest.

"THE FATHER OF THE CAVES WILL CONSUME YOUR VERY SOULS!" Marcus raised his gauntlet and fired it into the air.

That was it. The majority of White Legs warriors turned and ran for their lives; ignoring the screams of their war chief. With the enemy's ranks broken, Joshua, Sarah and the rest of the war party sprang out of hiding and opened fire. Dozens of White Legs fell to the ambush, and the small war party let out a roar as it charged into the heart of the camp. Marcus turned off his stealth suit and charged forward. He immediately began taking fire from two White Legs still determined to fight, and just as his shield was about to fail, Marcus leaped off of a log, raised his shock blade, and beheaded both of the warriors with one swipe.

Sarah fired her repeating rifle, gunning down two warriors. Another charged at her from the brush, but Dogmeat pounced and dragged the screaming warrior to the ground.

Joshua fired his .45 pistol until it ran out ammo, taking out five warriors. Still charging forward, he holstered his pistol and drew his gladius and tomahawk and began cutting through the few White Legs trying to fight off the ambush. His first victim he ran through with his gladius, spun around and slashed another in the throat. A third warrior attacked the Burned Man from his right, swinging a war club. Joshua raised his gladius up and blocked the blow, then gutted the warrior with his tomahawk. The rest of the White Legs near him turned and fled, and for a brief moment his eyes locked onto Salt-Upon-Wounds. The two leaders stared at each other, and Joshua pointed his gladius at the war chief and charged forward.

Salt-Upon-Wounds turned and retreated with what was left of his warriors. Joshua was now in a full sprint, determined to catch the war chief and put an end to him. Marcus and the others also charged forward, trying to catch up to him. They chased the White Legs deeper into the Three Mary's cavern, killing any stragglers they fell upon. Salt-Upon-Wounds and several of his warriors had run through a narrow section of the canyon when an explosion caused everyone to stop and hit the ground. When the dust had settled, the canyon was completely blocked by tons of rocks.

Joshua stood up and cursed. "You will not get away that easy." he growled.

Marcus and Sarah ran up to him. "Is there another way around?" she asked.

Follows-Chalk pointed to a cave. "That cave leads to the end of the Three Mary's."

Joshua turned to Marcus. "You will make your way through the cave network. I will take the high ground and make my way to the other side."

Before Marcus could object, Joshua turned and took off running. He knew what Joshua was doing: he was trying to get to Salt-Upon-Wounds before Marcus or anyone else. Pushing that aside, Marcus turned to Follows-Chalk. "Sarah and I will make our way into the cave. You and the rest of the tribals stay here. If you don't hear from us by sunrise, return to the Dead Horses camp and evacuate Zion."

It was clear Follows-Chalk did not like this plan, but he reluctantly nodded. "We will."

After checking their weapons, Marcus, Sarah and Dogmeat entered the cave. There were several White Legs stragglers positioned in the cave network, and it took the three companions some time to fight their way through the narrow space. At one point they had reached a large chamber, and the way Dogmeat was growling it was obviously going to be an ambush. They slowly made their way inside, their weapons at the ready. The White Legs seemed to jump out of the shadows, but four of them were gunned down in the first few seconds. Marcus spotted a flash in the corner of his eye and quickly spun around; just in time to see a warrior toss a molotov cocktail at them. "GET DOWN!" He screamed as he pushed Sarah to the ground.

A single gunshot went off and the molotov exploded in midair, killing the warrior instead of his intended targets. Marcus lifted up his head; confused at to what had just happened. He turned and looked towards the flames, and through the smoke the silhouette of a lone figure holding a sniper rifle and wearing what Marcus swore was full US Army combat gear. As he struggled to get a better look at their apparent savior, he felt Sarah stirring underneath him, and his attention was back to her. "Are you alright?"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah."

Marcus turned back towards the flames….and the lone figure was gone.

When Marcus, Sarah and Dogmeat finally made it out of the caves, the first thing they heard was gunfire.

"It came from this way." Sarah said as she took off running, with Marcus and Dogmeat right behind her. More gunfire rang out, and they quickened their pace. When they finally reached the source of the gunfire, they stopped dead in their tracks and their jaws dropped open.

Salt-Upon-Wounds was kneeling, along with two of his warriors, with Joshua Graham standing behind them. The Burned Man raised his pistol and executed the two warriors, leaving the defeated war chief alive.

"We warned you at Syracuse," Joshua growled, "and you persisted. You took advantage of us at New Canaan to drive us out, and like the dogs of Caesar you are, you followed us to Zion. And now you stand on holy ground; a temple to God's glory on Earth." He slapped a fresh magazine into his .45. "But the only use for an animal in our temple….is sacrifice!"

Salt-Upon-Wounds looked up at Marcus and Sarah. "He kill all White Legs! You talk. You stop!"

Marcus placed his rifle on the ground and placed his palms up. "Joshua listen to me. It's over. You don't have to do this."

"Don't listen to this….thing! His cries are that of a mad beast caught in the thicket! He showed no mercy to my family, and I will give none to his."

"Joshua, we've won." Marcus pleaded. "Look around you….there is no need to kill him."

Joshua pointed the pistol at the war chief's head. "He has a debt to pay for what he's done….and I've come to collect. So he's chosen to cower in the water like a dumb animal. I want to take from them what they took from me….from my family. In this life. I want them to suffer." The rage was clearly in his voice. "I want them to die in fear and pain!"

Marcus swallowed hard. He was going to have to choose his words very carefully. "Joshua….is that what Daniel would have wanted?"

For a moment, the Burned Man's resolve seemed to falter. "Daniel is dead. They're all dead. Don't you see? I am the last of the New Canaanites. We were a proud, God fearing people….and they destroyed us. I want….I demand my revenge!"

Marcus cautiously stepped closer. "That's right, you are the last of them, Joshua. And how do you want them to be remembered? Do you want their legacy to be that of compassion and mercy, or of vengeance and hate?"

Joshua did not respond.

Marcus pointed at Salt-Upon-Wounds. "He's already taken so much from you. Don't let him take away their legacy. Don't let him take your soul."

No more words were spoken, and everyone held their breath as they waited for Joshua's decision. They knew if he wanted Salt-Upon-Wounds dead there would be no stopping him. The Burned Man stood silent, staring at the war chief who had caused him so much pain. It seemed like the pistol in his hand was beginning to get heavy, and he slowly began to lower it. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but none more than Salt-Upon-Wounds. Joshua stepped in front of the war chief and looked down on him. "Go on….get out of here. Go back to the Great Salt Lake." He kneeled down and placed the pistol under the chief's chin. "If I ever see your face in this valley again, I swear in the name of the living God, that mine will be the last that you ever see."

He stood up and watched as the defeated war chief fled into the night.

Three days later….

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sarah asked.

Marcus, who was strapping the last of their gear to their pack brahmin, looked over his shoulder before answering. "He's going to leave whether he comes with us or not. At least this way we can keep an eye on him. Besides….he's pretty good in a fight, and we can use all the help we can get."

Before Sarah could argue further, Follows-Chalk appeared by her side. "I am ready." There was no mistaking the eagerness and excitement in the young tribals eyes. After the defeat of the White Legs and once the Sorrows were safe, the rest of the Dead Horses left for their tribal homeland. Only Joshua and Follows-Chalk stayed behind, and Marcus and Sarah (though the latter was somewhat reluctant) had decided to take the young scout with them on their journey into the Mojave. Marcus quickly looked him over. To say Follows-Chalk was traveling light was an understatement. All he had were his tomahawk, repeating rifle, some provisions and the tribal cloths on his back. "We'll ah….have to buy you some clothes as soon as we can."

The young tribal looked perplexed for a moment, but quickly smiled. "Okay."

They were soon joined by Joshua, Waking Cloud, White Bird….and pretty much the entire tribe had come to say farewell to their friends. Waking Cloud, with tears in her eyes, embraced all three of them one by one. She handed Sarah a large satchel. "I have made healing powder and antivenom for your journey. You remember how to make, yes?"

Sarah nodded, and the young woman embraced them again. "Goodbye, and may the Father in the Caves watch over you."

White Bird was the next to approach, and with his staff in hand his raised his arms and looked up at the sky. "Follows-Chalk, Shakaru, Eagle of the Sun, may the spirits guide and protect you on your journey to the civilized lands. And should you come across drugs that allow you to see the spirits, be sure and share them with us, ha, ha."

The three companions chuckled, and they had to admit they would miss the eccentric shaman's humor.

Joshua approached Marcus and handed him a rolled up piece of paper. "This map will show you the fastest way out of Zion."

Marcus took it and placed it inside of his fatigues. "Thank you."

Joshua shook his head. "No….thank you. You have helped me….more than you will ever know."

Marcus quickly swallowed the lump forming in his throat. During their brief time in Zion he had gotten to know Joshua well and would miss him. Not only him, but all of the kind Sorrows, and the beauty of the Zion Valley.

Joshua must of sensed his remorse because he placed his hand on Marcus' shoulder. "Do not fear….I believe we will see each other again."

Marcus nodded and the two men shook hands. "Goodbye, Joshua."

The Burned Man presented a respectful nod. "Go with God."

As the three companions and Dogmeat made their way south out of the Zion valley, the Sorrows and Joshua Graham watched them leave until they were out of sight. Marcus, Sarah and Follows-Chalk were quiet for most of the trip, until they had reached what Follows-Chalk called the Southern Passage.

"You're awfully quiet." Sarah commented.

Marcus shrugged. "I just hate saying goodbye."

Sarah responded by taking his hand. "I know….me too. Listen, I've been meaning to ask you: how did that molotov explode before hitting us in the tunnels?"

A slight grin appeared on Marcus' face as he remembered the story of Randall Clark. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Note: The "plan" if you hadn't caught it, was inspired by "The Princess Bride".