The Vera Chronicles Page 12

After Vera was led out of the wash-chamber, Dravo climbed out of the rock cleft. He'd no sooner landed on the chamber floor than he heard footsteps in the tunnel. He stepped behind a boulder. Two monkeywomen entered with Salema. They took her robe and guided her under the waterfall. She washed with the soaproot and wiped herself with spongeleaves. The women stood nearby, clearly guarding her but comfortable with the situation. Salema was, after all, a young woman, not a warrior; they had nothing to fear from her.

Dravo stepped into the open and approached the women and Salema. Salemas' eyes popped wide when she saw him and the women spun to confront this older, handsome stranger.

One approached him and knelt, saying: "You must be Lord Vasalla, the young Lords' chaperone," she looked him in the eye, clearly uncomfortable, "surely the Lord Vasalla respects the privacy of a lady!"

"That I do, and I beg her pardon and yours for invading it." He stepped back and averted his eyes. "I'm merely looking for Lord Davamas' throne room. I need to speak to Lady Nalla."

She leaped to her feet and took his hand, "I will take you there myself, Lord!" She led him into the tunnel where he throttled her and pinned her throat to the wall. His knife was poking her ribs.

He leaned into her ear, "If you so much as breathe loudly, I'll carve you into Zopha-bait! Do you understand me?"

She nodded because he'd cut off her air.

He pulled her back into the chamber with a death grip on her throat.

Salema was tying up the other woman who looked to have a large welt behind her ear. Dravo thrust his captive next to the unconscious woman and told Salema, "Tie and gag this one, daughter, we must go to the throne room to see about what mischief Davama and that bitch Nalla have planned!"

Salema quickly tied and gagged the monkeywomen and pulled Dravo into the corridor. "Oh, uncle, we must hurry! Davama and Nalla mean to execute Vera before the tribe and then marry me off to Lord Nudoma, the prince from the blue desert! Nalla told me everything as she bragged about her plans!" The girls' eyes were wide and she tugged the old warrior toward the throne room.

Dravo stopped and asked the princess, "Nudoma, son of Zaphiri? We just agreed to a truce not four moons ago!"

"Yes, uncle Dravo, the same!"

He drew his sword and stalked off in the direction of the drumming and chanting. In a few short steps he was behind a set of archers who oversaw the festivities from the rear of the hall. He stopped and spoke to Salema; "I'm going to kill the one on the left -- nearest to us. Take his helmet and crossbow. I'll take care of the other." He looked into her eyes and she nodded vigorous assent! "Good."

Dravo stepped behind the archer on the left and grabbed the quiver strap. He pulled the hill warrior into his blade while covering his mouth. The commotion in the hall covered any sounds that his victim made. Vera was kneeling before Davama and there was plenty of crowd noise. He handed the quiver and crossbow to Salema, then stepped up behind the other archer who was turning to say something to his mate. Dravo ran him through and took his crossbow and helmet. He and Salema stood side by side as Davama approached Vera.

"When all hell breaks loose, take aim at the cunt, Nalla."

"With pleasure, uncle." She wore a wry smile beneath the helmet.

"That's my girl!" Dravo chuckled.

He watched as Davama drew blood from Veras' tit and held his sword high. The cheers were deafening as he declared:

"DRAVOS' WHORE BLEEDS!!"

All hell broke loose when Vera countered Davamas' move!!!

Salema let her bolt fly as Dravo pulled her to the floor and into the corridor. He'd seen Roga cut the throat of one archer and he'd sent his arrow into the other right after Vera had made her move on the guards! He couldn't have timed it better! Hill folk were streaming, panicked, out of the cave! He gave Salema his long knife and told her to cut any who approached her, he needed to see about Vera and Roga.

Vera had killed Davama and was hurling his body into the archers opposite the throne. He used his sword with both hands and separated some limbs and heads from their owners! Vera was doing the same on the throne room floor. He made his way to her and remembered too late that he was still wearing a hill folk helmet!

He parried Vera's deadly thrust and she cried out: "Dravo!"

The hall was nearly empty except for the live and the dead of whom there were more than a few!

Nalla clutched an arrow through her forehead, her toes and teeth clenched tight. She was staring at forever. Salemas' aim had been perfect.

He hugged Vera as she pulled him off his feet, "Let's get out of here before they realize that there are only four of us!"

"Four?"

"Roga, Salema, You, and myself! I only brought Roga with me to rescue you two. I figured that if you were alive you'd be worth a dozen warriors! And I was right! You fought like a demon!"

"Thank you, my lord." She had, she admitted, fought quite well, but without the 'enhancements' from the previous battle. She was going to have to find out about 'GLOBAL REBOOT' and 'PASSWORD' before she could command the powers of the gods again. In the meantime, her normal reflexes and strength were more than sufficient to deal out death and destruction! She grabbed a torch and they made for the outside.

She threw the torch into the jungle when they reached the cave entrance. There were screams and shouts of surprise but not one charged them as they exited and headed south along the lowland trail.

Dravo was ecstatic and relieved that he's been able to rescue Salema and Vera, of course, but also that Roga was safe. He'd not expected to live through this and every other good thing was a plus. He had not even had to slaughter every damned hill monkey in the tribe, which was a real plus in that the survivors would have some fear of Dravo and Vera. Hopefully, they would absorb their losses and go on about their business, but that wasn't likely. It just wasn't the way of things. He could still hope that the hill folk were smart enough to let the murder their rulers: Nalla and Davama, go. Probably not. That was also the way of things. It was his to deal with.

They'd gone short distance on the trail when they encountered a female in a wild-eyed frenzy! "They're coming, they're almost here!"

She disappeared into the dark forest.

Dravo had Roga and Salema climb into a tree and Vera hide alongside the trail. Dravo slipped behind the tree and waited. In a few minutes a young desert tribesman approached, sniffing the air.

Dravo stepped onto the path and confronted the young warrior.

"I'm Lord Davama, headsman of the Hill Tribes, who approaches?"

The young monkey sauntered up to Dravo. He looked Dravo up and down before he spoke: "Old man, do you expect me to believe that Lord Davama would venture forth to deal with dangerous ruffians on this trail?"

Dravo moved swiftly with grace and skill to put the younger man on his back. The young warriors' eyes were fixed on the metal sword point that touched him lightly at the bridge of his nose.

"Lord Davama would never deal with dangerous ruffians but has no qualms with one such as yourself!" Dravo smirked.