A Silence Heard (13 page)

“Can I have her when you are finished?”

“If there is anything left, of course.”

Edwena moved away and Pratt put his hands on my shoulders. He pressed down with all his spindly might and despite my training, I cried out.

“I want her to tell me what she knows,” he said and pushed down harder. I bit my lip so as not to utter the noise of weakness that hovered in my throat.

Edwena sidled up, bent close and gave me a sharp punch in the stomach. I bent forward and let forth a splat of sick.

“Leave her be!” Eadgard said and shuffled in his chair. “If you need info I am the one to provide it.”

He stood, kicked back his chair, and then lunged towards Pratt, who simply stepped out of the way. The he stuck his foot out so that Eadgard tripped upon it and fell. The thud his face made when it hit the floor was loud and I heard him faintly moan. Blood flowed from his nose and he began to choke.

“Lift him for Mother Nature’s sake, or he will surely die,” Wirt said.

“You Woodsfolk are so soppy,” Edwena said, walked over to Eadgard, and kicked him in the ribs. He coughed and curled his body. She screwed up her eyes, and pointed at Wirt. “Are you to be next?”

“Stop,” I said and stood. “If I have knowledge that you need, I will gladly tell if you will let my friends go.”

“Nay, Adara.”

“Do not worry for me, Wirt.”

“But, ye know nowt.”

“Shsht. I know more of things than I let on.”

“Wa? But…”

Pratt smiled. He took me by the elbow and led me to the back of the room. When he believed we were out of earhear, he bent close and whispered, “Who sent you? Who is behind this attack upon the Agro headquarters?”

An attack? His words gave me hope. I had no inkling to be sure of any raid, but knew that I had to rummage through my noggin to come up with something that would satisfy these brutish Agros, and so save my friends from further hurt.

My brain twisted and turned. Fragments of convos scuttled around my head. Words, hints and sly looks all came together and parted, leaving me with nowt but confusion. I turned my face away from Pratt’s acid breath and said, “We came to save our kin.”

He dug his nails onto my flesh. “I repeat; who sent you to ambush from within and distract us so that a raid could take place at our border fence?”
 

Then I remembered what Audrey said. The things she didn’t say. Kendra too and Eadgard. I remembered the Abbot, the Abbey, and the folk gathered there, come together as one for one purpose. It all made sense. We were not alone. This was goodly news.

Pratt yanked my arm. “Tell me. Speak of what you know.”

“I know nowt.”

He let go my arm and pushed me back towards my friends who sat, heads bent and sickly of face. Eadgard lay on his side and Edwena stood in front of him staring at Pratt. I noticed as we progressed across the room that Eadgard’s bound hands began to move slowly towards the right outside leg pocket of his trousers.

I needed to divert attention from his furtive manoeuvre.

My brain, all fuggy from repeated slaps, could not form a suitable plan. Then I recalled how I had used my voice as a hard thing against the then, Brother Jude.

I halted.

Pratt spun me round and gripped onto my shoulders with white-knuckled fists.

“What now? What deviousness is this? Walk.”

I did not.

“Walk!”

I remained where I was.

With rage in his eyes, he raised both clenched mitts, but before he could plant them on my skull, I said, “I’ll tell you. Come closer so that the others do not hear my shame.”

He lost the tension in his face and hands and bent close. I used the anger, hurt, rage and disgust that I felt, and focused it into a small hard thought. Then I parted my lips ever so slightly and belched out a sound that hit him like a dagger. Pratt shot backwards and crashed onto the ground.

“Pratt!” Edwena screamed. She called his name again, but he did not respond. She raised her foot so as to step over Eadgard and hurry to her pal’s aid, but he halted her progress by rolling onto his stomach and thrusting his Leatherman up. He stabbed deep into her belly. She crumbled to the floor clutching at her flabby tum. He rolled out of the way and I raced to his side. Wirt stumbled over and held out his bound hands. Eadgard lifted the blade and Wirt cut himself free. Then he took the knife and severed our bonds.

“Can ye stand?”

“With your help,” Eadgard said, and both Wirt and I took him under the arms and lifted. We helped him to the chairs and sat him down next to Kendra. She stood shakily and Wirt freed her hands. She turned to Marcellus whose head was slumped upon his chest.

“He has been like that for quite a while, my dears.”

“Cut him free,” I said and squatted before my beloved.

Wirt pushed him forward, slashed open his bindings, and Marcellus fell against my chest. I could not hear him breathe. His hands flopped to his sides and the weight of his body, forced mine back onto the floor. I lay still for a sec, feeling the heaviness of his limbs and torso upon me. His head nestled against my breast as though asleep. I leant towards his cold face and whispered into his ear, “Marcellus? Wake for me. Please, wake.”

Chapter Twelve

Incursion

I would have stayed beneath Marcellus until his hair and flesh and bones became no more than dust. But he was lifted from my embrace and placed upon the ground. Eadgard and Wirt stood over him. I saw my Woodsfolk friend take in a juddery breath.

“He went too quiet. He should have raged,” Wirt said and turned to Kendra. “Ye see that don’t ye?”

Kendra knelt beside Marcellus’s body and closed his eyelids. “He did. Marcellus was a storm.”

I rose slowly and sniffed in hard. Kendra stood beside me and Eadgard swallowed. I looked at Wirt. He lowered his gaze and turned away. His shoulders began to shudder and my knees felt as though they had turned to mush. There was an ache in me that grew inside my blood and belly and lungs. All I wanted to do was to lie next to my love and melt into him. Kendra grasped my fingers. Despite her wounds and pain, she hugged me close until I ceased my blubbering’s.

“They will pay for what they have done,” Eadgard said.

I pulled away from Kendra and wiped my eyes. Wirt came to me all wet of cheek. “Ay, they will pay and no mistake.”

“Is the female dead?” I said and stared down at Edwena’s curled up bod.

“I have not checked, but will right now.”

“I will join you in ascertaining the severity of her wounds.”

“Your company will be most welcome, Kendra.”

They went over to the prone fem and Eadgard put his ear to Edwena’s mouth.

Wirt slow-stepped over to where Pratt lay and prodded him. He did not move. He bent over him, placed his fingers on the side of his neck and looked up. “He yet survives.”

“As does this vicious termagant,” Eadgard said and stood.

Narrowing her eyes, Kendra used her foot to push Edwena onto her back. She gave her a kick in the ribs, and when the Agro fems eyes flickered opened, bent down and said, “Offspring of a rabid wolf, you do not deserve to live when one as fine and goodly as Marcellus does not.” She placed the heel of her shoe upon Edwena’s neck. “You will never hurt another.” She was about to smash down upon her windpipe, when Eadgard grabbed her arm and dragged her away. Although she struggled for a sec, he held on and she sank into his chest.

He spoke softly, “We are not murderers. Leave such cowardly actions to those who own the word ‘weakling’.”

Kendra pulled away from him, looked at Marcellus’s still form and closed her eyes. “He was good and true. You will be missed Marcellus.”

I stifled a sob.

“There is too much sorrow. I am without action so deep the pain flows.”

Eadgard took my hand and pressed it between his own. “If we had time to mourn our friend we would, but all is chaos and we must flee.”

His words were prudent and had a sobering effect upon all in the room. I let his hand go, and pushed my hurt to a place of safe keeping. “I have news to tell that you may not have overheard.”

“Speak Adara.”

“Not so close to ears that will use what they hear against us.” I beckoned my friends to follow me to the far corner of the room. We huddled together. I kept my voice low and my eyes on Edwena. “These Agros are at war. Outside an attack on this place is occurring. Pratt believed we were sent to distract them, whilst who-knows-who began a raid.”

“Ah, so it begins.”

“Wha begins?’ Wirt said.

Eadgard winked and Kendra’s face darkened. “Too quick. Too soon. We are not ready yet.”

“What? You know something of what transpires?”

“I do Adara. We are indeed a diversion my dears. Do not look so aghast. We are bound to one another in many ways. All for different reasons, all for one purpose.”

“Which is?” I said, my hackles rising.

“To end the Agro stronghold. Without are Ladies, Woodsfolk, Monks, Clonies, Backpackers and Techs, all come to defeat the Agros and end their dominance over this land.”

“Your part in all of this was crucial.”

“Was this my true mission, Eadgard?”

He did not to reply.

The sound of a hoarse chuckle caused us to turn. It came from Edwena. She was propped up on one elbow and gave us a most unpleasant sneer-lip look. “You will never end our reign. You are too weak. And as for your ‘mission’, that is over.”

Wirt lurched forward, but was stopped from doing who-knows-what to Edwena by Eadgard. He grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from the snickering Agro.

“Do not listen to this excuse for a fem. Do not allow her to rankle you. We are many, many and tough.”

“Really? How tough will you be in but a few weeks, when all your rations are gone?”

“What? Answer. Tell us what you know.”

Silence.

Eadgard let Wirt go and went over to Edwena. He took out his Leatherman and pointed it at her cheek. “Say what you mean or I will hurt you badly.”

She shuffled herself into a sitting position and scratched at some dried blood on her chin. “We have been starving one and all for a reason. We have stolen the Meeks, for a reason.”

“Which is?’ Eadgard said and pressed the blade against her jaw. Edwena yawned, pushed his hand away and smoothed down her rumpled hair.

“Figure it out yourselves. It’s quite obvious.”

Kendra snorted and joined Eadgard. She prodded Edwena’s side with her foot. The fem grimaced and held her hand against her ribs.

“She’s right it is obvious. These Agros do not have the brainpower to keep the labs running by themselves. They need the Meeks to serve them.”

“But for what purpose?”

“My guess, Adara, is to clone others similar to the Meeks. I am sure the Agros do not like waiting for nature to produce such prizes. Think on it. Why would not the Agros want a subservient race of intelligent beings that would keep them in all things tech, and the rest without.”

Edwena sighed and blinked a slow blink. “There is some truth in what you say. Do not underestimate the ingenuity of our people. Especially when our survival is at risk. We have been a long time preparing.”

“Preparing for what?”

She smirked. “Ah, now, Adara, that would be telling.”

I was about to wipe the smugness from her face when there came a muffled boom from outside. The ground began to shake and we all squatted down right quick. Edwena lost her balance, fell sideways and lay still. Another blast of sound and room shake made my stomach clench. Eadgard rose and raced to the far corner. He pressed his ear to the wall, but staggered back as a louder bang let loose around us. “We must leave.”

“Not without the Meeks,” Wirt said and scrambled over to where I was all hunched up on the floor.

Kendra stood over Edwena. “If we can free them, then we will. First, we must join our comrades without and capture this Agro stronghold.”

“You will fail.”

“Watch your tongue.”

“Or what, fake Lady, fake nun?”

“Or you feel more of this,” Kendra said and clouted Edwena across the face with the back of her hand.

The Agro fem fell backwards and twitched.

I turned my head towards Marcellus’s body and gulped fully. I heard a rasping moan slither from the throat of the floored fem. Every bit of myself wished to do her harm, but I resisted the urge and pointed at her limp form. “What to do with that?”

“Leave her and Pratt to what is left of their kind. They can take their chances and may be found after all is said and done,” Eadgard said and took a deeply breath. “Kendra is correct, though, we should gather forces if we are to save the young ‘uns.”

“How are we to leave? We no longer have Oswald’s hands.”

“No we do not, Adara, but we have four more that I feel sure will open many a-portal in this despicable place.”

“Lug the filthy fem, and press her podgy palm against the wall. I’d see her suffer more before we leave her to her fate,” Wirt said, and pushed Edwena with his foot. She let out a faint moan before he and Eadgard yanked her up and carried her bleeding body to the farthest wall. He slapped her hand against it and it whooshed open. Smoke billowed around the place and all I could see were shadowy forms locked in some sort of combat.

Through the haze, I heard the sound of cries and screams.

A burst of heat forced us to retreat from the opening. Eadgard and Wirt let Edwena slide to the floor, where she sat with her head on her knees.

Another boom further off caused my friends to peer into the corridor. I would have joined them in attempting to see beyond the passageway and learn from whence the disturbance came, but something made me turn away as if being called.

All trance-like I walked to where Marcellus lay. I knelt beside him and touched my lips to his. They were cold and dry and I pulled away. If only I had the power to sing him to life. I would raise my voice so loud and clear that all would stop and listen and rejoice in his resurrection. But I could not, so instead I sang a song of forgetfulness and wished him well on his last journey to who knows where.

I felt a hand upon my shoulder.

What song do you sing my dear, it is melancholy, but sweet,” Kendra said.