Friends (2013) - Adams, Robert

“You’ve got to get ready now, before they reach the town! Hurry!”

“Stone him now!” screamed Oskah. “Before he makes more trouble! We cain’t let him escape—”

The clanging of the town bell interrupted Oskah’s cries. A distant scream followed, then the sound of a pirate war-horn. Oskah’s face turned the same color as his daughter’s. The crowd began to dissolve, as more men ran for their weapons while others herded the women and children into the Shrine for safety.

The four Caterpillars guarding Djoh stripped off their robes, ignoring him. One of them ran into the Shrine and came out with helmets and wicked-looking maces for all of them.

Oskah grabbed one of the Caterpillars. “Where you goin’? Cain’t you see it’s just a trick? They’re cornin’ to save their spy!”

The oldest and tallest Caterpillar stared at Oskah. “Are you mad? The boy would never have warned us of their coming had he been their spy. Leave him be. We can sort out the real truth later. Now there is men’s work to do.”

“We cain’t leave him here! He’ll run off!”

“Only if he is guilty. Then so much the better, for we will be rid of him and his blood will not be on our hands. If he is innocent, he will stay to see that the truth prevails.” “Fools!”

Oskah snatched a knife from his sash and leaped at Djoh. The old Caterpillar caught him easily, then pulled his arm back and almost casually twisted it up behind him. Oskah dropped the knife and screamed.

“There is more here than we have been told,” the old man said. “It may be, Oskah son of Looey, that you have sought a private vengeance by lying to the gods at their very Shrine. Think carefully what you do, if you do not wish to take Djoh’s place here when we have beaten the pirates back to their dens!”

Oskah gave everyone a furious look but said nothing. The four Caterpillars hefted their maces and ran down the hill, and a moment later Oskah followed. Djoh stood in a daze for a few more moments, until he noticed that Marthuh hadn’t gone into the Shrine with the other women and children. From down toward the river, he could hear warcries, screams, pirate horns, and the drums of the town rallying its defenders. “Why aren’t you in the Shrine? It’s dangerous out here.” Marthuh picked up her father’s fallen knife and began cutting his bonds. “My place is with you. The gods have brought the pirates upon us, to avenge my father’s desecration of their Shrine. Let’s not waste their gift.”

The moment circulation returned to his hands, Djoh cupped her chin and kissed her. He knew little about the gods and right now he cared even less, but he knew an opportunity when he saw one.

“Marthuh, it’s not going to be safe, and I don’t know what kind of love I’ll have to offer. I still can’t think of anyone I’d rather share it with, my love.”

She squeezed his hand. “Me neither. Let’s try for the river. Maybe we can find an abandoned boat there.”

They skirted the town on their way downhill and made their way through the heavy second-growth woods to the river. The uproar of battle grew louder as they approached the water. It sounded to Djoh as if the pirates had been reinforced.

When they reached a point where they had a clear view of the town, Djoh saw that he’d guessed right. The pirates had sent one column overland, to seize the waterfront by surprise and hold it while the rest came up in boats as usual. The overland column couldn’t have been very strong, or it would have been spotted. It still might easily have cleared the waterfront, if the Blue Springs townsmen hadn’t had Djoh’s— and Iron Claw’s—warning.

Now it looked as if the townsmen were holding the two main streets leading up from the river. The pirates were extending their flank, trying to work around the townsmen. If they succeeded, they might take the townsmen in the rear. At best, the rest of the battle would be fought house to house in Blue Springs itself, which would ruin the town no matter who won. 1

A number of small boats were drifting slowly past the two fugitives. Djoh started to pull off his clothes, for swimming out and catching one of them, then hesitated. It wasn’t fear of the cold water, being spotted by the pirates, or even being thought guilty as the Caterpillar had said.

Blue Springs had treated him unjustly, but dammit, the place was his home! He didn’t want to see it destroyed. And what would happen to his parents if he ran off? He didn’t care if everybody else thought he was a traitor, but Peetuh and Behtee—

“Djoh, don’t you think we should hurry?” Marthuh asked.

“Not yet. Wait until the pirates start their big attack. Then they’ll be too busy to watch their rear.”

He was thinking that something could be made of that fact when a familiar presence touched his mind. Iron Claw was mindspeaking, seeking him.

“Are you well, Big Brother?” Djoh asked.

“Yes, but my blood is boiling. Oh, for a good fight against these stupid two-legs!”

Djoh almost heard a thump as his thoughts fell into place. “Iron Claw, the bad two-legs are preparing to rush the den. Can you help stop them?”

“Am I a kitten? They are many, but their hearts are small. Only give the word.”

“1 will, Iron Claw.”

Djoh told Iron Claw where to go and wait, then watched as the last boatloads of pirates joined the flanking movement. The townsmen didn’t seem to be noticing it. The sheds and warehouses on the waterfront probably hid the pirates.

On the other hand, the pirates had thinned out their men on the two streets. Also, the ones on the flank were getting very close to the forest. Once they had all their attention on the enemy to their front . . .

The pirate horns blared. The pirates surged forward, meeting the desperate resistance of the townsmen. Voices and weapons made an appalling din. Djoh forced himself to wait until he was sure the pirates had no eyes for anything to their rear, then mindspoke:

“Now, Iron Claw!”

Marthuh stared as the big cat came storming out of the trees. “What is that ?”

“A friend. The one I was seeing so many nights.”

The big prairiecat reached a flank guard, who seemed too paralyzed by surprise or fear to move. The man flew into the air as if he were a straw doll, then Iron Claw tore his way into the pirates' flank. They fell before him like wheat before a scythe. The ones who had room and a moment’s grace started to scatter, tripping, colliding, screaming in terror as they fought to get away from this nightmare creature who seemed to have sprung from the earth.

The townsmen on the flank saw what was happening and charged. Some of the pirates rallied, while others kept on running, now heading for their boats. Word must also have reached the townsmen holding the streets. Djoh saw the two pirate bands there wavering, then thrust violently backward on to the waterfront. Townsmen poured out of the streets after them, just as the pirates on the flank broke for once and for all.

The townsmen swept in on the right and left of the pirates, catching them like grain between two millstones. Djoh saw

Iron Claw still in the middle of the pirates, a ring of bodies around him.

Then a churning mass of pirates and townsmen swept over and around him and he vanished from Djoh’s sight.

Djoh wanted to dash into town and rescue his friend, but now the pirates who weren’t taking to their boats were running along the bank, hoping to be picked up. If he left Marthuh alone, some of the fugitives might still spot her and carry her off.

Reluctantly he led Marthuh back into the shelter of the forest. His last sight of the fight was a handful of pirates rallying for a final stand on the town wharf. Archers were already climbing onto the roofs of waterfront buildings, to shoot them down or send a few parting arrows after the pirate boats.

As the boats started passing Djoh, he saw that few of them had all their oars at work. Most carried dead men, and some of the oarsmen were bleeding as they thrashed their way along.

It would be a long time before pirates raided Blue Springs again. It would be even longer before this band of pirates raided anybody at all.

HalfwaV back to the Shrine, Djoh had to stop to rest his leg. It was aching as if he’d been hard at work since before dawn. He took Marthuh in his arms, then tried to mindspeak Iron Claw. He’d almost given up when the answer came, very faintly:

“Little Brother, are you and your mate-to-be well?”

“Yes, cat-brother. I watched you send the bad two-legs running. I was proud.”

A long mental sigh of relief, pain, and weariness. “Little Brother, it is my time to go to Wind. May Sun shine on you, may your kittens be many and strong ...”

A long pause. Djoh was glad he was mindspeaking, because he couldn’t have forced any words past the stone caught in his throat. Then:

“Do not grieve, Little Brother. I had a long time, and the end was—a most glorious fight. I thank you for it. . .

This time the silence in Djoh’s mind went on, until he knew that it would last forever.

He tried to squeeze his eyes shut so that the tears wouldn’t overflow, then gave up and clung to Marthuh as they streamed down his face.

“Djoh, what is it? You’re hurting me.”

“I’m sorry, Marthuh. I’m just glad you’re all right.”

“You won’t be, if we stay here. Maybe now we can take one of these boats.”

“The river won’t be safe until that band’s run all the way back to wherever they came from. Besides, I don’t think we’ll need to leave Blue Springs now.”

“But my father!”

“He’s not going to be able to chase me out of town with his lies anymore. The chief Caterpillar just about told him so. Besides, I’ve learned a lot about fighting today. I’m not afraid of your father anymore.”

He took Marthuh’s arm and started downhill again, toward the town. He wanted to be there when they found Iron Claw’s body. No matter how many questions the people asked, he wasn’t going to let Iron Claw be treated as just another dead animal!

He knew there would be no answer, but he still sent a final thought:

“Goodbye, Nightfriend. You taught me well.”