Raiders, Traders & Tribes - Chapter 2

“FIRE!” Kara yelled pointing her sword at the enemy.1

They had been out on one of their patrols, as usual, when they met a Scorpion’s Sting Tribe patrol. Everyone knew the Tribal Honour so they had to fight.2

A shower of arrows struck the enemy and many men and horses fell. The Scorpion’s Sting fired arrows in return but Kara and her men were ready. They lifted their shields above their heads in a strange turtle formation protecting them and their horses.3

“Fight aground like real men!” the enemy’s leader cried out angrily. His men dismounted.4

“I am no man!” Kara replied and leapt off her horse, wielding her blade with fury. Her men followed suit and they attacked the Scorpion’s Sting.5

Cries from wounded men and the almighty clash of metal against metal rang out. Kara’s sword sliced through anything in her way and it reached the mark every time. Man after man fell to the ground. She looked around, her patrol was definitely winning. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ned having trouble. Blood was running down his face and his clothes were soaked with it. Kara knew he was a waste of space but why let a man die who never wanted to be there in the first place?6

She ran over to his aid and a second later his opponent was sprawled across the ground.7

“WE SURRENDER! WE SURRENDER!” the leader cried out and the battle was over.8

Kran ran over to Kara to help her tie Ned to his saddle. He was drifting in and out of consciousness. Kara ripped off a piece of her shirt and tied it round Ned’s wounds. 9

The rest of the patrol remounted and gathered their weapons. Kara checked the bodies and was relieved to see only a couple of her men were dead. Kara took pride in how good her patrol was.10

She vaulted back on to Destiny and the patrol galloped back towards camp.11

***12

Kara faced her uncle in the commanders’ tent.13

“How many dead?” he asked.14

“Two dead and three badly wounded, Sir,” she replied.15

“Not bad,” her uncle said more to himself than anyone.16

“Permission to speak Sir?”17

“Go on,”18

“My wounded men will need time to recover Sir. And I will also need some men to replace the casualties,”19

“Hmmm…it will be arranged,”20

“Thank you, Commander Shikan,” and she walked out the tent as quickly as she could.21

She stopped and sighed angrily. She always had to talk to him formally. He never showed any kind of affection, he never treated her like a member of his family. 22

Kara headed for the centre of camp for supper.23

***24

It was midnight and the stars shone brightly down on the desert. The camp was completely silent. Everyone was fast asleep, except Kara.25

Kara was lying wide awake in her cot, peering around the tent. She turned over and tried to get back to sleep but couldn't’t. Half an hour later she decided to get up. A few minutes later she was up and dressed. She grabbed her dagger and attached it to her boot. Just in case.26

She crept past her snoring uncle and out the tent. She weaved her way through the other tents until she came to the well, at the centre of camp. She went up to it and peered down. It seemed to stretch for miles down into the ground but she could see the reflection of the moon glistening on the water.27

It’s so strange, she thought to herself, without this well I wouldn’t be alive. Without all the wells, spread across the desert, no one would be alive. No raiders, traders or even tribes. Just…well…nothing.28

She yanked on the lever and soon a bucket of water appeared. She dipped her hands into the water and washed her face, she drank some too. Feeling refreshed she sat down on the sand and leaned against the side of the well.29

She looked up at the dark sky above her. Thousands of stars twinkled in the distance and Kara felt strangely happy. She hadn’t felt happy much in her life since her parents died. She knew some how, that they were up there looking down on her.30

She could remember her mum. She had beautiful brown, wavy hair and rosy cheeks. She had always worn a caring smile. Everyone had known her as a kind, loving person. She had always hated the way tribes fought. Kara remembered when she had knitted a doll for her but that, like everything else Kara had ever cared about, disappeared after the Battle.                           Kara was quite tall and sometimes even looked down on some of the men in the tribe. Everyone said she had inherited it from her father but Kara didn’t know. She could hardly remember him because he used to spend all his time out on patrols. Kara had supposed her uncle had chosen her to replace him. That was all he wanted her for.31

When she was young, every time her uncle beat her and cursed her for not being his son, she had prayed and wished her parents would come back and comfort her, tell her it was okay. How she now wished they were still here, by her side. Kara was now old enough to know they were never coming back and she would never see them again. A gentle tear ran down her cheek and she looked back up at the sky.32

***33

Kara sat on her horse, Destiny waiting for the rest of her patrol. Most of her men were there except the new ones that were going to replace her old men.34

Destiny danced around and threw her head in the air, she was impatient to leave. The other horses were playing up too.35

Finally, five men on horses came up to the group. Kara realised most of them were about her age. Then she looked at Ned’s bay. Astride it was not a man but a young girl wearing most of Ned’s armour and weapons.36

“Okay, most of you don’t look like you have much experience so I’ll assign you to a soldier. You must do as he says and try and learn along the way,” she said to them and pointed out who they should be with, “You go with Rick, you with Agilo, you with Ivas and you can go with Kran,”37

The young lads rode over to them. Kara then settled her eyes on the girl.38

She was more or less the same age as Kara. She had long, straight, blond hair and a very pretty face. We couldn’t be more different, thought Kara.39

“Erm…,” Kara hesitated.40

“Dawn. I’m Dawn,” she replied, smiling brightly.41

“Okay Dawn you can come with me,”42

“Oh wow!”43

“Just copy me, for now,”44

Kara unsheathed her sword and held it in the air as if she was going into battle. The men did likewise and they galloped out the camp with a trail of dust behind them.45

Once they were right out into the desert they slowed down to a gentle canter and Dawn rode up beside Kara.46

“Er…why did we have to do that?” she asked.47

“What?” said Kara absent-mindedly.48

“Lifting our swords in the air?”49

“Oh, it’s tradition. If we gallop out into the desert with our swords in the air, for some reason, it gives the men’s wives hope. Today may be the last time they see them. You never know what could happen out here,”50

“Oh, that never bothered me when Ned went,”51

“What do you mean?” It was Kara’s turn to be confused.52

“I’m married to Ned,”53

“Oh,” replied Kara surprised.54

“What?”55

“Nothing,”56

They continued on cantering in silence. The sun was slowly rising in the sky and it was gradually getting hotter. The horses began to tire and they settled to a walk and the men mumbled about the heat. In the distance the sand almost glistened in the sun. Kara sat on her horse day dreaming. They had seen no one for hours.57

“So…what’s it like being a leader and everything?” Dawn asked trying to break the uncomfortable silence.58

“I love it but I spend all my time out here. I’m always fighting. I never get to have my own time to enjoy myself,”59

“Why don’t you have fun on patrols?”60

“I-I can’t. If my uncle ever caught me I would be dead. What if raiders came along or something? I have to look after that lot,” Kara replied, pointing her head in the direction of the men.61

“Awww, come on let’s go for a gallop,”62

“No, I have to stay here Dawn,”63

“It’s alright for you. I have to stay back at camp while the rest of you go out on patrols. Don’t be so boring! C’mon!!!” Dawn said and she gave Destiny an almighty smack on her rump.64

Destiny reared up with her forelegs flailing in the air then she leapt forward and flew across the sand. Dawn followed but the rest of the patrol didn’t.65

Dawn’s bay, Rocky, finally caught up and came alongside the palomino mare.66

“What the hell did you do that for, you-,”67

“Oh lighten up, the men are fine,” Dawn replied grinning.68

Destiny suddenly realised Rocky was trying to take over so with another burst of speed she hurtled across the desert leaving Dawn far behind.69

Kara couldn’t help but smile as they galloped on. She felt exhilarated as the desert whizzed past and her hair blew in the wind. Her eyes streamed because of the speed they were travelling. She had never realised her horse could gallop that fast because she had always had to slow down for the men on their lazy horses. She finally pulled up a good way from the rest of her patrol. She gave Destiny a good pat and she replied with a snort. 70

Eventually Dawn caught up and stopped beside Kara.71

“Gods, that horse goes fast. That wasn’t natural,”72

It wasn’t natural. No horse could go that fast without wings, Kara thought and she said aloud “Whoa, maybe I should do that more often!”73

Dawn laughed and gazed at Destiny. Kara absent-mindedly looked back at her men. 74

A group of raiders were heading for the patrol at full gallop. Kara swore loudly.75

“What?” Dawn asked.76

“Look you complete idiot!” Kara snapped, outraged.77

Dawn gasped.78

“This is why I can never leave the patrol! They could get killed without me, I’m a leader for a reason y’know!” she yelled and kicked her horse into gallop once again. Dawn followed silently. Kara didn’t realise that her horse was not at all tired while Rocky lagged behind, exhausted.79

When they did approach, the raiders and tribesman were battling furiously. Kara leapt into the fray wielding her blade and savagely cut down any raiders in her path. Dawn followed suite. 80

As Kara ferociously fought, Dawn managed to weave her way to her side.81

“Kara, I’m so sorry. I-I’ve never done this before, I-,”82

“Yeah, whatever. I’m a little busy right now,” Kara snapped as her opponent’s head fell to the ground.83

Blow after blow she defended herself and killed their enemy one by one. Her sword whirled through the air like a silver serpent desperate to kill. Her blade managed to sink through flesh with each twist and turn Kara made.84

She felt no guilt or mercy; she had always loathed raiders as all tribesmen did. They never had a good intention, always stealing or killing mercilessly. They were greedy and foul, always setting out to harm others in one way or another.85

She knew tribes were sometimes just as cruel but the tribes all lived by a code of honour. Any who disobeyed were banished or worse, massacred by the other tribes. It was a dog eat dog world but the raiders just got in the way.86

A loud clash of metal rang out. Kara looked up into the cruel eyes of the raiders’ chief. She dodged each blow he gave and moved her sword swiftly through the air. She bravely attacked at each available opportunity but he knocked her blows aside. Their swords crashed together again and again, Kara had finally met her match.87

He was big and strong and surprisingly skillful with a blade. Kara tried to outwit him but failed. She hoped he would get tired but soon even Kara was getting weary.88

As they fought on the battle around them had subsided and everyone had stopped to watch. The raiders were shocked to see a woman this good. The tribesmen were surprised Kara had truly met her match.89

Sweat was pouring down Kara’s face and her hair was soaking but she didn’t dare stop to wipe it away. She was exhausted and she couldn’t think straight so she carelessly lunged out. The raider saw his chance and took it. He attacked and his sword sank through muscle on her upper right arm leaving a deep bloody gash.90

Kara dropped her sword in surprise and pain. The chief pushed her with his shield and she fell to the ground.91

A second later Kara felt his blade pressed firmly on her throat. She didn’t even dare to swallow.92

“You, feeble woman, thought you could beat me? I am the great leader of the raiders. Thought you were clever ‘cause you killed my cousin, eh? Well, now it’s your turn,” he spat.93

For the first time in her life Kara was truly terrified. She was too young to die, only sixteen. Things like this had happened to her but she always had a way to escape but not this time. Her sword was lying in the sand a few yards away, out of reach. Her dagger was attached to Destiny’s saddle. There was no way out.94

I will not be scared. All who enter this world must leave it sooner or later. Maybe I will see my parents again, Kara thought and closed her eyes waiting for the final blow.95