The Saga Begins [Nuworld 1] (18 page)

“Thank you, Patha. It’s an honor to hear that from you.” Tara couldn’t stop the tears any longer. She let them fall as she absorbed this incredible news. She sniffed loudly and wiped her teary face on her sleeve.

“So, suddenly I’m no longer an orphan. This is too much to have in my head right now. I need to focus on other things.” Tara took a deep breath and turned to look at the tall pines surrounding the house.

Patha had told Tara that her mama’s dying wish was that he raise her as his own. Well, her mama wasn’t dead, the woman had sent her away. Tara figured she should feel abandoned, but had to admit she was grateful to be the person she was and not a Gothman female, living in ignorant suppression.

Tara realized she would be able to know her mama better if she stayed here. She would be a Runner in Gothman territory, which was exactly as it should be.

She shook her head to clear it, then stood, and stared at the watery-eyed woman who looked up at her. Tara saw concern suddenly cross Reena’s face. The woman worried Tara would hate her for the choice she had made. Maybe she’d lived with that worry for winters. She’d made an incredible sacrifice so that Tara could have a life of opportunity. And now Tara stood before her mama, heir to the leader of all Runner clans. Tara straightened and smiled.

“Hello, Mama.” Tara couldn’t keep her voice from cracking as she held her arms out to Reena.

“Oh, Tara,” Reena cried, and fresh tears streamed down her face as she got up and hugged her daughter.

“I have so much I want to talk to you about,” Tara said. “But now isn’t the time.”

Tara looked over Reena’s shoulder at Patha, who smiled at the two women in front of him. “Patha, there is about to be war, I fear.”

“You refer to the Sea People.” Patha’s smile disappeared.

“I’ll join the Gothman and fight. Lord Darius will have the Runners stand with him if they’re willing. Patha, he needs us. That man has no knowledge of the world outside of his kingdom. He doesn’t even know what he’s fighting. I gave him an Eliminator, but he’ll need much more than that.”

A look of surprise came over Patha’s face, and he looked at Reena. “So, the son of Lord Jovis is not narrow-minded and full of hatred?”

For winters, Patha despised Jovis for keeping him from the woman he loved. Tara never had a whole family to love her because of the man. Patha could have taken Reena from Gothman, but Jovis would have viewed it as an act of aggression. Patha couldn’t risk an attack on the Runners because of his personal feelings. He and Reena had suffered their loss quietly. But now Jovis was gone, and the son wanted his daughter. Patha wouldn’t put Tara through the pain he’d lived with if she wanted this man. “Do you love him?”

“Yes, Patha, I believe I do. He’s a good man. He claimed me, but I told him I wouldn’t be claimed until I was ready. He knew I was a Runner; he could have arrested me, but he didn’t.” Tara realized she’d officially stated her love for Darius and that declaration made her feel very warm inside. Tara still had her arms wrapped around Reena, and gave the woman a slight squeeze.

Reena returned the affection and hugged her daughter.

“And are you ready to accept his claim?” Patha searched her eyes for more of an answer than she could give him with words.

“Gothman don’t feel a need for their women to accept a claim,” Tara said. “But yes, I think I am ready to accept it.”

“Does he know this?”

“I haven’t told him yet.”

A small smile appeared on Patha’s face, and then he quickly grew serious. “I’ll have a thousand Runners here in a couple of days. Right now we have about fifty, but don’t worry, the rest will come.” Patha nodded authoritatively. “Where’s his army?”

“I believe the Gothman armies are preparing to head south.”

“Why are they heading in that direction?” Patha looked surprised.

“He told me his scouts saw the Sea People heading in from the south.”

“There are no Sea People there. We’ve been south of here within the past few days when we traded with the River People. It was when we came around the edges of Gothman territory to the west and then to the north that the Sea People became more abundant. They are traveling with tanks and heavy artillery from the reports I’ve received. For the most part, we were able to avoid them. Some of the clans coming down from the north to meet us weren’t as successful. I’ve heard through our landlink transmissions that there have been many deaths.”

“Patha, this doesn’t make sense.” Tara’s stomach fisted into worried knots. If Darius took his army to the south, Gothman would be very vulnerable from the north and an easy target. She distinctly remembered he’d told her his scouts said they saw Sea People to the South. “Patha, somehow Darius has some bad information. I need to warn him!”

Tara released Reena, and before the old man could say anything further, she ran into the house and grabbed her bag. She pulled out the flat landlink and punched keys with a vengeance. The tracer she’d put on Darius’ neck quickly told her he’d left his home and was headed south.

“Patha, Darius has already left.” Tara looked at Reena, noticing the worried expression on her face. Her mama had entered the house with Patha behind her, and now Reena moved to the stove and reached for the kettle. “Reena, I’d like to send Hilda and Torgo to stay with you for the time being. I believe they’d be safer here. If the Sea People target the area, they would go after Darius’ home. This place is isolated, and we could post guards to protect you. Will you have them?”

Patha gestured to the Runner who sat on the couch with a landlink on his lap. “I can leave Glib here with you for the time being. He can monitor the area.”

“Of course, child, they can stay here.” Reena walked around the counter and put her hands on Tara’s waist. “I know you will go to battle with Lord Darius, yes.”

“Oh yes,” Tara said. “I’d be of no help staying in hiding with the women.”

Reena smiled but looked serious, almost sad. “My daughter finally knows me, and she could be going to war.”

“Reena, don’t worry. I’ll be back.”

“Tara, you’re with child. Did you know that?”

Tara and Patha both looked at her with amazement.

“How could I be?” Tara was ready to disagree.

“There’s only one way.” Reena smiled.

Tara looked down quickly.

“I’d say four or five weeks. I know the look and I’ve never been wrong, no. You take very good care of yourself and my grandchild, you hear?”

Tara stared at Patha and Reena but didn’t say anything. Instead she grabbed her bag, turned slowly, and left the cottage. That last bit of information was one piece of news too much. She was too bewildered to form her thoughts.

* * * * *

Reena watched as Tara drove down the hill in Hilda’s car. “Tell me all of this is a good thing.” She looked up into Patha’s face for reassurance.

“I’ll let you know after I meet this Darius person. What do you know about him?”

“He has a lot of power but no experience, I’d say. People that get in his way have a tendency to fall into bad luck, so to speak. I don’t know whether or not he’s good enough for our daughter. But I daresay I’m hoping Tara will stay here. I’d like get to know my daughter, and she can live here as a Runner.” Reena pursed her lips.

Patha wrapped his large arms around Reena’s petite frame. “It will be tough on her at first, living here, but their union would make the most powerful nation in Nuworld.”

Reena stared at the spot where Tara had disappeared down the road. With that one statement, she understood Patha’s thoughts. He was more concerned about how powerful they’d be if the two were claimed. She was more concerned about her daughter’s happiness.

And Reena hoped the challenges Gothman would bring Tara would satisfy her.

Chapter Seven

Tara pulled up in front of the Bryton house, ran up the porch stairs, and called for Hilda and Torgo. The two of them appeared after several minutes. “I’m going to send you two to stay with Reena.”

“Certainly Darius wouldn’t leave us here if he didn’t think we were safe.” Hilda crossed her fleshy arms over her bosom and stared at Tara. “We should stay right here, I’m thinking.”

“Darius doesn’t realize the number of Sea People surrounding Gothman right now. But there are Runners here now, and with our equipment we can help Gothman. These Sea People have attacked and killed many of us, but they’ll be no match for our two armies combined. We’ll have them defeated in no time,” Tara reassured the two worried faces staring at her.

“You talked to Runners?” Torgo’s eyes grew large.

“Yes, child,” she smiled and ruffled his hair. “It’ll be quite a great story when I tell it to you.”

She realized at that moment she loved more than Darius. With Hilda and Torgo standing there in the living room looking helpless and worried, she felt a need to protect them from harm.

Hilda had taken Tara into her home. Given a stranger the room right next to hers:
where a girl would be safe
. She’d taught Tara how to cook…very patiently…and Tara knew she wasn’t the best of pupils. Torgo had immediately taken to her. He eagerly learned everything she offered to teach him. He’d been so excited when he first successfully hit a target. The look on his face when he first rode his motorcycle without her sitting behind him wasn’t something she’d soon forget. These two had taken her in as family. She loved both of them as well as feeling love for Darius. Now she had two parents as well. Tara never would have expected her life to turn out like this several cycles ago.

“Now quickly, go get some clothes for the next few days.” She followed them up the stairs.

“I still don’t like the idea of being sent away from my own home,” Hilda grumbled. “And by a Runner no less.”

Tara decided not to comment since the woman moved to her room and closed the door. Once in her own room, she’d quickly changed into her Runner clothing. Completely dressed for battle, she sat down on the bed and pulled out the little landlink from her black bag she had taken to Reena’s. Scanning for a minute, she looked for a local server to which she could tie in. It didn’t take long; soon she was communicating with some of the Runners on the edge of Gothman.

It felt good to be connected with a transmission again. Ever since she’d been in Gothman her link had been down. There’d been no main server close enough for her to stay connected. Now that a Runner clan had moved close to Gothman, she’d be able to communicate with her people.

“This is Tara of the Blood Circle Clan,” Tara whispered the words as she typed. “Requesting any known information on Sea People in the area.”

Tara sent the message to the two clans she’d managed to locate. She would check back soon for a response.

“Come on, let’s go!” she yelled as she left her room and headed down the stairs.

“Whoa!” Torgo came down the steps and froze as he saw Tara fully dressed as a Runner sitting on the couch with her landlink on her lap. “Tara, is that you?”

“Torgo, never fear a Runner.” She beckoned him. “A Runner will never attack someone unless attacked first.”

“I wasn’t scared. You look cool!” Torgo sat next to Tara and stared at the flat screen. “And I guessed you were a Runner all along.”

Tara didn’t know whether to believe the boy or not, but ruffled his already tousled curls, and then pointed to her screen. “I’m linked now. I can communicate with any Runner in the world this way.” She pointed to the map displayed on the screen. “I can also tell where Lord Darius and his army are.”

“You’re kidding. How do you do that?”

“It’s Oldworld knowledge. It’s easy enough though. It won’t take long to teach you.”

Torgo was leaning over looking at the screen when Hilda came down the stairs.

“So, you’re a Runner now, are you?” She looked at Tara almost disapprovingly.

“Hilda, I’ve always been a Runner.” In the older woman, Tara could see some of the prejudice that had obviously kept her son ignorant of other races. “Now go, both of you. Reena is expecting you. Remember, if you see any Runners at her place, they’re not your enemy.”

“Can’t I stay with you and fight, Tara?” Torgo asked. “Why are you sending me away with the women? I’m not a child anymore, you know.”

“I know.” Tara faced Torgo, snapped her heels together, and clasped her hands behind her back. “Stand at attention, and let me give you your orders.”

Torgo imitated her stance and grew serious with wide gray eyes glowing in excitement.

“These women need protection, and right now I have no soldiers to send with them. You will escort your mama to Reena’s. And you will stay there, guarding them with your life. Understood?”

“Yes. Understood.” Torgo broke out in a grin, and before Tara had time to react he reached for her and gave her a quick hug. “Be careful, okay?”

Tara smiled when Torgo released her. “I always am.”

Torgo hopped out the front door ready for the adventure. Hilda did not look at Tara as she left.

As soon as the front door shut, Tara jumped up and ran to the shed out back. There was a lock on the door. Tara sighed and looked around the yard to see who might be watching. No one was in sight. She pulled out her laser, and a small blast caused the lock to fall to the ground. Within seconds, she rolled her bike out of the shed and snapped her landlink on it.