fandomania | The Adventure continues...

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The Story:

The compound became a whirl of activity. The caves proved to be well hidden from those who didn’t know that they were there and yet safe for small children and the elderly. Supplies and bedding were moved there and areas were designated for the latrine and for cooking.

The valley was still uninhabited by humans, although the entry cave had to be cleared of fallen rocks and shored up to keep it stable. Supplies and building materials were carefully brought in and work was started to provide shelter. The men working on this project were frequently gone for five or six days at a time. I was increasingly becoming more and more nervous as my due date came closer and closer.

Four weeks after the family meeting, the cave project was completed. Very little had to be done. It was mostly a case of making sure enough supplies were accumulated. The valley project was moving ahead, but, because of the remoteness, it was going to be a while before it was finished enough for all of the family to live there safely. Consequently, more and more men were sent there to help with the completion.

Unfortunately, the Georgists had a different timetable than we did. They must have found an old forgotten smugglers path through the mountains between Alfaria and Tuščia Žemė because early one morning, they started marauding the outlying areas of Daihor, including the compound. The evacuation of the women and children began in haste and in chaos. The guards and the men still left immediately manned the walls to keep the Georgists out, but they were greatly outnumbered.

I quickly sent a telepathic message to Orlando in Rawn-Devu. “The invasion has started. I am sending my children to you as planned.”

“I AM READY, LITTLE ONE. KEEP SAFE!”

“I am trying to.”

I gathered my children together. Celianne holding Jayzon. The twins holding the twins. Little Reuel holding his puppy. And all of them touching Loysa. I quickly hugged and kissed them all and told them how much I loved them and that they should listen and obey Uncle Orlando in all things. I then told Loysa to take them to Orlando. I watched them disappear in a golden haze as my heart broke to see them go, but my mind knew that this would be best and safest for them.

I then turned and went to my room to gather a few things, but halfway there, my water broke and I went into labor. The pains were coming fast and hard and I barely was able to stagger into my room. Within a few minutes, I was starting to feel the need to push.

Aunt Suthi came running into my room. “I have been looking for you and your children everywhere and haven’t found them yet.”

“I have sent them … to Rawn-Devu … to stay with … my friend Orlando.” I said brokenly, between contractions.

“Oh Ghod! You are in labor!” Suthi cried. She helped me get into a better position than I was and she observed that I was already fully dilated.

“I am … sorry … This … wasn’t … how … I wanted … this … to happen.”

She looked worried. “Hopefully, the baby will come quickly and we can get to safety soon.”

“I am … trying.”

“Keep pushing!”

Tauntie Rosa came rushing in and saw what was happening. She found clean towels and brought a basin of clean water.

With just a few more pushes, my daughter Eryssa was born. A few more pushes and I expelled the placenta. Suthi hastily tied off and cut the cord. She quickly gave Eryssa a bath and washed me up. She then wrapped the baby in a bed sheet.

“Please, Aunt Suthi, run and take her to safety? Please? You too Tauntie! Please leave me. Save yourselves.”

Suthi hesitated. But she quickly took my baby and ran for the caves.

“Tauntie! Please go! I don’t think I am strong enough to make it there.”

“My dearest girl, I won’t leave you to fend for yourself. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything should happen to you. Together we can do it. Come! We must try!”

It took a lot of effort but I managed to get to my feet. Leaning quite heavily on Rosa, I could only stagger at a snail’s pace. It became clear very fast that we weren’t going to make it to the caves. They were still over a mile away. Behind us we could hear the sounds of fighting and the sounds of the walls being breached. Rosa and I found some bushes to hide behind, but they weren’t sufficient. We were soon surrounded by soldiers. We were quickly grabbed, bound and gagged and thrown over a horse, as the men road away to the south. I soon lost consciousness and when I woke up, we were going along a narrow path through the mountains. I must have been out for several days, because we soon left the mountains and Rosa and I were deposited in a prison camp near the base of the mountains. There had to be several hundred women and children in this camp sharing what limited resources they were given by the Georgist soldiers.

We were brought in front of the leader of the camp and questioned about whom we were and what we might know of the Alfarian defenses. I told them that I was Mara Baskin and that Rosa was my granny Rozie Baskin. We were servants of the conAgri family and had been abandoned by them when they escaped from the compound. For the next four days, we were questioned and tortured by the Georgists, who were seeking more and more information, which, fortunately, we didn’t have. Their methods of torture were painful, but no worse than what Jaizel had done to me. I was able to find my safe place, within my mind, and therefore endure their beatings. Rosa, being an elderly woman and one who spent most of her life in luxury, didn’t fare well, although she tried to endure, but, on the morning of the fourth day, succumbed to her massive injuries and died in my arms. I tried to help her all that I could. I tried to find my powers to heal her, but they wouldn't come. In the end, all I could do was hold her and cry. I felt so helpless and such a failure. Her body was taken away when they brought the morning meal of gruel, stale bread and water. I spent three more days alone amongst hundreds in the camp, when the slavers arrived.