Valkyrie Hunter

I lost count of the steps we had taken on this trek. Each stride took us further away from Miranda’s home and nearer to danger except we had been in danger from the start. I hadn’t the time to dwell on anything I was too busy keeping alert. Danger could lurk behind each boulder, bush and tree in this endless forest. I had to admit it was glad when the ground finally flattened out. The downward slopes where wearing on my legs and heels. Despite the nanobots I was developing blisters on my heels and my borrowed underwear had started to chafe. Ella halted signalling for us to do the same. Then she signalled for us to move closer. I saw why she had stopped the forest dropped. We were on the edge of a cliff the treetops on the lower level just about reached the top of the cliff. All I could see was a sea of treetops no sign of civilisation to be seen anywhere. I jumped when Miranda suddenly spoke her voice low.

“This marks the edge of the disruption,” she said. “From here on we’ll have to be more cautious. We camp here and move on in the morning.”

Even though there was still a lot of daylight I understood her thinking. As soon as we climbed down to the forest floor we might not get a chance to rest. The trees might prevent anyone landing it didn’t prevent them from scanning us and sending a team to our location while they circled overhead. A fact I was too aware of after Davenport although Denassi had done his best to mask our heat signatures.

Miranda continued. “There is a place we can send a comms from but it isn’t close by.”

“Why not from the bottom of the cliff and move back up afterwards?” I asked.

“No,” Ella replied curtly and pointed at the far horizon. “That’s why.”

In the distance I could make out something glinting in the sky. “Shuttle?” I hazarded.

“Yes.” She turned to Miranda. “If we camp here we’ll have to take watches if they are that close.”

I was concerned we didn’t have much to defend ourselves with. One pistol and an assault coil gun weren’t enough to protect ourselves.

“Do so,” Miranda said. “Gwen stay away from the edge. It’s dangerous in more than one way.”

I didn’t get the last part of her statement she was being cryptic in a Valkyrie way.

We moved away from the edge and settled in a grove of trees the tops forming at dense canopy above our heads. I pulled my shelter sheet from my pack and set it down. My greatest regret was the lack of water to wash in I was dirty and I must stink to high heaven we all did. I wished to get out of my dirty scratchy clothes and into something more comfortable, something that actually fitted me.

A thought crossed my mind. “Way stations?” I was thinking about a nice shower even if the water was cold.

“There are but, I’ve deviated from any route that leads to them. Too many hunters use this area so their locations would have been noted. I’d rather not risk being trapped in one.”

That I could agree with.

“We’ll split into three watches that will give us a decent amount of sleep. I’ll take the first and third watches. You Gwen take the second,” Ella announced.

“And me?” Miranda interjected. “I’m quite capable of keeping up with you youngsters?”

I winced at her rebuke but Ella didn’t even blink. “Sleeping,” she told Miranda. “And don’t pull that face with me. I need you fully rested and alert.” Ella narrowed her eyes and glared at Miranda. “It’s my job to protect you and you’ll darn well have to live with that.”

To my surprise Miranda sat without arguing and pulled out a ration pack from her pack. I followed suit not wanting to be confrontational. After I’d relieved myself in a convenient location I lay on the ground and wrapped myself in my shelter sheet. My legs and feet stuck out the bottom the only downside the shelters. Suddenly I sat up and looked around anxiously.

“I won’t be sharing my bed with any creepy crawlies will I?” I asked cautiously.

“Too cold for them,” Miranda said sharply. I guess she was still angry with Ella.

I still carefully checked my surroundings before I went to sleep.

Ella woke me with a hand to my shoulder. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and sat up my hand reaching for my image intensifier goggles.

“Your watch,” she said and headed for her shelter sheet.

I stood and stretched loosening the knots in my muscles. I did a few exercises that Runa had taught me. Briefly I wondered where she was. I shut the thought out of my mind and did a perimeter sweep of the area. It was eerily quiet without any animal sounds. Almost as if I was on the Keeper’s new home. I had grown used to the lack of sound there but here it wasn’t comforting. All I could hear was the sound of the wind as it rustled through leaves and made branches creak. I felt unsettled by it, the fact we were being hunted it just added to the jittery feeling. I considered calling the Keepers for an update as to where my team was. Unfortunately it was only a consideration it was too dangerous in our current situation.

I crawled back into my shelter sheet when Ella relieved me. I made sure I was alone in my shelter before I closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure of the time I couldn’t see the sky through the canopy of treetops and I didn’t have a comms unit either. The sound of birdsong woke me as the sky was lightening. After the eerily silence of the night the sound of birds singing was a welcoming sound. I ate my ration aware that we were nearly out of food. Water wasn’t a problem with the amount of rivers and streams around us. Once we were done, that included the necessary I put on my pack. Lighter than when I first started out settling it squarely on my shoulders.

“I hope you are aware we are nearly out of food?” I mentioned to Miranda.

“Tell me something I didn’t know?” Miranda shot back.

I shut up. Ella just shrugged. With no further words we headed out following Miranda. I did wonder how we were going to get down the cliff we didn’t have a rope. I wasn’t going to point it out to Miranda I didn’t want to upset her any further. She seemed to have issues at the moment and I wasn’t going to press her. Miranda led the way her steps sure she seemed to know where she going.

I eyed the ravine Miranda had found with dubious eyes. A stream had cut a diagonal slot in the cliff. A way down if slippery and wet. On impulse before the others could raise an objection I started down the ravine. Instantly regretting my foolish decision. The way was more slippery that I had expected with the gushing water. I slipped several times. Bruised, cold and wet I was glad to be down and standing on the forest floor. Miranda and Ella descended with more grace than I could have mustered.

“If you quite finished playing in the water we must get going.”

I winced at Miranda’s comment. “Which way, oh Queen of the Mountain?” I hadn’t meant to be snarky but I was sore, wet and the cold was getting to me.

“Come here Gwen,” Miranda replied there was no anger in her voice.

I stepped closer I had to apologise. “Sorry I didn’t mean it?”

“No you didn’t. I know you are angry and hurting. I can’t help your anger.” She produced a hypo from her pack. “This help ease the hurt.”

Before I could object she pressed the hypo to my neck. It eased the bruising but I was still wet and cold. I’d have to walk that off.

“Thanks,” I said to her heartfelt. “Do we follow the stream?”

“Too obvious, they’ll think we’d stick to the easier route. I know where to go.”

I had to give her the benefit of the doubt. All I could see were trees and bushes I was uncertain of any direction. I was a city girl, streets I could deal with but here out in the wilderness I was lost.

She turned and walked into the forest we followed her. After a while I began to worry if I was too trusting. She seemed to be wondering at random or what it seemed to me. Doubts started to fill my mind. We followed Miranda’s errant route through the forest. As we did my doubts over letting Miranda lead us grew. Suddenly she halted and dropped to the floor. I dropped instantly my gun in my hand. Ella had her gun at the ready. We edged closer to where Miranda crouched. Bush obscured the way ahead but through a tiny gap I saw the glint of metal.

“Miranda?” I whispered my senses alert. In the breeze I heard the sound of lowered conversation coming from the direction of the glint.

“Shuttle,” was all she muttered.

I crept forward and peered through the bushes. I couldn’t see much but what I could see was a shuttle but the trees obscured much of it. I couldn’t help but wonder how it landed. Something moved. I saw a combat armoured guard, one with a red and silver sash around her waist.

“Martins,” I breathed a sigh of relief.

Ella clamped a hand over my mouth before I could say anything further.

“They are not!” Miranda hissed. As she turned to regard me I saw fury on her face. “Bloody impostors!”

I didn’t say anything about that. “What do we do?” I whispered when Ella removed her hand.

“Gwen you circle around to the right. Cinders take the left. We’ll hit their flanks before they can react.”

“How many we talking about,” Ella asked her. I could hardly hear her voice.

“Three,” Miranda replied. “There may be more close by?”

“We kill them?” I felt my stomach churn. I was reluctant to take a life like that. Defending myself that was different.

“Yes.” Miranda was blunt. “We do what is necessary. I know you hate this. I hate it more than you do. But they won’t hesitate to do it to us.”

“What will you be doing?” Ella asked Miranda suspiciously.

“Creating a diversion.”

Ella frowned. “It is my duty to protect you.”

“You are,” Miranda told her. “Look I can only do this once you are in position. We do not have the time to debate this we have to move and we have to move now before we lose the element of surprise.”

We didn’t have choice. I had to accept what she was saying was correct. Reluctantly I headed to the left of her as Ella moved right.