Sarah7

Ch 20

Hale reigned in his horse sharply as his scouting party caught sight of the bonfire high up on the ridge. Twig pulled her horse close to Hale and pointed.

“It’s not been burning long, you can see it’s still consuming the light wood and causing high flames. Whoever is over there has only just settled in,” she said.

Hale squinted with his one good eye. His other was covered with a black patch. Hale was tall, with a barrel chest and arms dark and toughened by years of hard work and fighting. He nodded and drew his sword, clicking his horse onward toward the flames.

Leaf, Twig’s twin brother had picked up the smell of burning wood first, and within moments the sleeping scavenger party had packed up and set off in search of the source. Fires usually meant people, and people meant possible trade or in a pinch robbery. Hale did whatever it took to survive. And he was not above outright taking things by force if he had to.

The rest of the party consisted of men who were tired of living in the ruined city and seeing reminders of their civilization’s defeat at the hands - or claws - of the Vixen. Hale trusted each and every one of them - as far as he could throw them - which in fact was fairly far.

Their own torches held high they proceeded at cautious canter, as much to protect the horses from stumbling at night as to be cautious.

Hale wasn’t worried, he knew much of the land around here. Barring some random encounter with the Vixen, he was sure he could handle whatever else fate threw at him.

“Weapons ready everyone, but no attacking! We just want to scare them a little. May make them more willing to... negotiate. Heh! Heh!”

Hale brandished his own sword and continued forward.

“HALT” came a voice like Hale had never heard before. It sounded almost... artificial!

Hale signaled for his party to halt. Leaf drifted to Hale’s left quietly, his bow pulled back and ready to let fly. Twig moved to the right. The voice was above them up on the hill.

Hale shouted up to the strange voice. “Halloo up there! We are ... scouts from New Chicago. We saw your campfire and wanted to see if you needed assistance, or perhaps we might share your camp and talk!”

While he spoke he nodded to Leaf and Twig to proceed up the hill quietly. Perhaps he could surround the traveller and surprise him.

“If you do not leave this location I will have no choice but to use force. Leave now.” The strange voice replied.

Hale scratched his head. What was with this person? He sounded like he was talking from inside a box.

“Now that’s not very friendly talk, stranger. Surely a traveller such as yourself has a need to meet and share a campfire with others like yourself? ” Hale tried to sound confident and reassuring.

He motioned for his other men to dismount and begin fanning out toward the voice.

A light kicked on from up on the hill. The spotlight zeroed in on Hale, killing his night vision and forcing him to raise a hand to block the light.

‘This person must have some interesting resources if he has a light like that,’ thought Hale. He was getting just the tiniest bit nervous. Especially if this fellow had pinpointed Hale in the midst of his team, especially in this darkness.

“This is your last warning.”

That is when a Thing stepped out of the underbrush and turned on all the lights at its disposal. The entire hillside was lit up with stark white light. Every member of Hale’s party was doused in light. That included Leaf and Twig who had closed half the distance to the source of the voice.

Hale’s jaw dropped. He had heard stories of the great war, and how there had been armies of machines who fought on the side of man against the Vixen. He never in his wildest dreams thought that he might one day encounter one of these things. It was huge, and looked like it could take on a hundred men - no trouble at all.

His mind began exploring the possibilities. If he could somehow convince this machine to come with them... The Leader would be very pleased. And if not, the parts alone would be worth a fortune...

“Woah! Sorry there big fellah. We mean no harm. Can you come down here? Let’s talk. You know, if the Vixen catch wind of you, you’re toast. We could help you.” That wasn’t entirely a lie, he thought to himself.

Leaf took another step toward the giant mech. An instant later, the machine fired a blast at his feet and he yelled, falling backwards.

Weapons! Hale pulled in his breath to sound an attack. There didn’t seem to be any choice. But before he could utter a sound something remarkable happened.

From out of nowhere, a girl with tattered clothes and wild unruly hair leaped in front of the mech. The bright lights made her appear as almost a ghostly apparition as she cast long shadows all across the hillside.

“Stop! Max stop! We can’t do this! No fighting, please!” She called as she raised her hands in front of the huge machine. Then she turned toward Hale and his party.

Hale gaped again in wonder. He blinked several times to clear his vision. Quickly he gestured for his group to stand down, and he dismounted while sheathing his own sword. By the Gods! He never in a million years thought he would gaze upon what his one good eye was showing him. All thoughts of ambush or salvage, or even deceit left him in an instant.

There, standing unsteadily before him with ragged clothes, shaking arms, and bare feet was a ghost. It had to be. Otherwise Hale was going out of his mind, and he knew for sure that was not happening. He tried to imagine the look on his Leader’s face when he brought this girl back with him. There was something seriously strange going on.

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