1. Chaos

The blinds were drawn and what little light filling the room was the red-yellow of a setting sun. For Kathryn Jacobs, whose head felt like one of the tiny dust motes floating in the air, it was just another normal day passed in remembrance of fuzzy little pictures.

Normal? Hah! What's that, she questioned as she reached for the glass at her bedside. She gagged down another swallow of the warm liquid. It burst past her tongue like a flash-fire, coating her throat all the way down and exploding in her stomach like molten lava. Then it came right back up, along with the meager contents of a vaguely remembered meal from several hours ago.

Her stomach clenched as she leaned over and heaved into the metal pail she kept conveniently at her bedside. When she had finished she lay back against the bed, brushed her limp auburn hair back with a trembling hand, and took a ragged breath. As she did, she could smell the sickly-sweet odor of her own unwashed body.

"God, I stink," she groaned.

She chuckled as she realized she hadn't had a bath in four days. Hell, she hadn't been out of bed in two days except to go to the bathroom or get more gin. Kathryn's head fell back against the pillows as she ran her tongue over her teeth. Her mouth was sour and her teeth felt like they had fur.

So? Who cares, she thought pitifully. Her blood-shot blue-gray eyes sought the cuckoo clock on the wall beside the doorway. 6:30.

"Damn! How normal is it to feel this way so early in the evening?"

She tried to rub the grit from her eyes as she thought about that word again, normal. Kathryn threw back the covers and rose shakily to her feet. The springs of the worn out mattress groaned in protest as she moved and a slightly musty scent wafted through the air. Unmindful of the stench, she walked carefully down the narrow hallway, one hand sliding along the wall to assist with balance. A few of the floorboards creaked as she walked and the wood was cold under her bare feet, but like everything else, it was just too much for her to worry about.

She went into the bathroom and turned the taps of the sink on. Leaning on her elbows, Kathryn stared at the ring of rust around the drain as she splashed water on her face. Everything in the one-bedroom house was dusty, dirty, tattered and old. Kathryn was just too tired to care.

If only I could find someone who cared about me. Maybe that would make a difference, she thought.

Connie never cared.

Connie seemed to be ever present on the fringes of her thoughts. Like some eager, unknown actress waiting to burst onto stage. She had used Kathryn. Kathryn had known it and let it happen.

Kathryn thought about when they had met six months earlier; it had been love (lust) at first sight. Connie was so butch and self-assured that it had taken Kathryn's breath away, and she had been naively convinced this, the next relationship, would be the one to last forever and would assuage the ache in her heart.

How slender Connie's hips had been. How short and rakishly parted on one side the blonde hair had been. She was the type who knew she looked good. Their eyes met across the crowded, smoky bar and Kathryn forgot to breathe as Connie swaggered over to check out the action.

"Hi, buy you a drink?" she asked with the ease of experience.

Kathryn had blushed and lowered her eyes and from this ones reaction, Connie knew she could have the redhead in bed that night. With any luck she might even be a decent lay. Hey, it was worth a try and it might alleviate the boredom for a while.

"Sure, I guess so."

Connie laughed at the nervous quaver in Kathryn's voice. "You're a timid little mouse, aren't you?"

Connie leaned casually against the bar swirling her drink. This was almost too easy!

Kathryn blushed feverishly at the mention of a mouse. She hadn't always been this way. Up until the death of her fiance' the year before, Kathryn had been a dynamic, self-assured go-getter. But after Mark had died, the fire had just seemed to be extinguished. In some ways Kathryn blamed herself for the accident. If she had replaced the brakes on her car when the mechanic told her there was nothing left but grinding metal, perhaps Mark wouldn't have lost control of the vehicle and collided with an semi-truck at a traffic signal.

Still, this woman did intrigue her, and Kathryn knew that she had to get on with her life. Mark would have wanted it that way. What did it hurt to let the blonde buy her a drink?

They had gone to Connie's apartment and slept together that night, as the younger had known they would. It didn't really matter to Kathryn that Connie became a little aggressive within the first few weeks of their new relationship. Kathryn had never been with a woman before and assumed it was always like this. For that matter, she had only been with three men and wasn't what one would consider to be experienced. Besides, she told herself, she liked forceful women.

It never occurred to her that it wasn't a serious relationship for Connie. In actuality, Connie was just passing the time until the next set of legs caught her attention. Unfortunately, about a month into their association, Connie became more than aggressive… she became physical.

Kathryn stared into the mirror and flinched as she remembered the incident. Connie had lit a cigarette while sitting on Kathryn's sofa watching television, and not being a smoker herself, the redhead had felt the need to object.

Kathryn quietly said, "Honey, I thought we agreed that you wouldn't smoke in my house."

Connie's reaction had been instantaneous, and completely out of proportion. She jumped to her feet and struck Kathryn across the face with the back of her hand. Kathryn's eyes widened with shock as she raised a hand to her mouth, feeling the trickle of blood as it ran down to her chin. If she hadn't been so shocked, she might have even reacted. Instead she was riveted in place in disbelief that anyone could treat another human being in such a manner.

"I'll smoke where I damn well please, you sniveling little coward! When are you going to wake up? I call the shots around here! Do you think your opinion even matters to me? Do you think I even care about you? No... don't tell me," the blonde continued cruelly, "you think I love you, don't you? I've got news for you, baby. You're not even very good in bed. I don't know why I hung around this long. Call me someday when you're through the development stage. I'm outta here!"

Kathryn had been blown away by Connie's violent reaction. Of course, she had heard abuse stories before, but being a kind-hearted and slightly naive person, had never really considered that she would become a victim to such a thing.

The experience had a profound effect on the woman, perhaps more than should normally have occurred. Kathryn withdrew more and more into herself, and began believing that in some unfathomable way, she deserved such treatment.

She had only seen Connie occasionally since that fateful night. When she did it was usually because the blonde woman initiated the contact, and it was usually when Connie needed a convenient target on which to vent her frustrations. Being who she was, Kathryn allowed it.

She had started drinking then. The alcohol helped her forget her pain and loneliness for a while. Graduating from white wine to gin and tonic, Kathryn imbibed what she considered just enough to soothe her nerves. But it hadn't been a little. It had been a lot! Now she wasn't even working anymore. It was too bad, really. She had been a computer programmer/hacker for a major research and development company, and making great money.

Thankfully, she had a trust account from her grandfather or she would have been homeless by now. It wasn't that her grandfather had really cared about her, but as an only grandchild, the old man had felt a certain obligation. In any case, by at least 10:30 every morning she felt the need to soothe her nerves.

Kathryn had accepted the blame for Connie's violence. What she couldn't accept was the fact that Connie didn't love her and never had. And she so desperately wanted someone to love her. Just once,

Now, at 6:30 on Friday evening, Kathryn was three sheets to the wind. She was also tired of being cooped up in her little house. She shook her head as she focused again on the present.

"I think I'll pick up some gin and go down to the beach," she mumbled as she staggered out of the bathroom. Drinking on the beach was one of her favorite pastimes, and was the perfect venue for wallowing in self-pity; something she would never have done so recently as a year ago.

Back in the bedroom, Kathryn opened her dresser and chose a pair of faded blue jeans, a dark green sweater and fresh underwear. She carried her clothing to the bathroom and turned on the shower taps. Quickly stripping out of her dirty white T-shirt and underwear, she jumped into the cold water. Goose bumps popped out on her arms as she quickly soaped up and rinsed off, then carelessly washed her greasy hair and shut off the taps.

Kathryn didn't like to fool with amenities like gas for heating anymore, she couldn't afford to, and she only paid the rent and water because she had to. She had to save the money for alcohol. She jumped out of the shower and stubbed her toe on the seal around the shower door in the fading light.

"Damn it!" she yelled as she hopped around. "I'm not that drunk. I just need to slow down," she reasoned taking a deep breath to center herself. Kathryn took a moment to light the oil lamp on the vanity, then blew out the match and tossed it into the toilet before she replaced the cracked, smoky glass on the lamp.

Dressing hurriedly, she towel dried her hair and pulled a comb that was missing several teeth through the auburn mane as she walked into the living room. Kathryn sat on the armchair and pulled on her old white sneakers.

They weren't new, but they didn't have any holes. She grabbed her keys off the nail by the front door and bumped her shoulder slightly as she went out. Kathryn left the lamp burning in the bathroom as she left the house, never giving it a second thought.

The police also didn't concern her. They would never stop her for drunk driving. After all, she hadn't had that much, she reasoned feeling like she had covered all bases. Kathryn walked carefully to her little brown Honda that she had parked at the curb a week ago. She was weaving a little, so she walked slowly, trying not to attract too much attention, not that any of her neighbors would notice.

She was almost to her car when a young man seemed to appear right in front of her. He had a scraggly beard and his clothes were so tattered that they appeared to be nothing more than rags. He looked to be in his early twenties, but it was his eyes that caught her attention. The pupils looked like you could have driven a truck through them and were a little crazy. Obviously, he was on something.

"Spare a little change, lady? Hey, I know...how bout just giving me your wallet?" His breath was like the opening of a tomb, smelling of decay. Kathryn's eyes widened slightly and she felt her knees begin to tremble as adrenaline flooded her system. Her heart was thumping against her breastbone like a bird attempting to flee a cage and her mind seemed to freeze, refusing to provide her with a way out of the dangerous situation.

The man waved a small buck-knife toward her and Kathryn could see the streetlight reflecting off the blade. The dagger was only about two inches long, but in her frightened state it could have been ten.

Surprisingly, her old habits came to her rescue. She did what she had always done...she ran. Thankful that she never locked the door, Kathryn yanked on the handle and jumped into her car, slamming it shut just as he appeared at her side. She used her elbow to slap the lock into place, just as the car shuddered at the force of his body hitting the door beside her.

The vagabond began to pound on the glass with the hilt of the knife as Kathryn fumbled with the keys, dropping them into her lap. She grabbed onto them just as the glass began to crack and finally managed to insert the right key. Kathryn breathed a sigh of relief as the engine sputtered to life. She slammed the tiny vehicle in reverse and squealed out of the parking space, but she let off the clutch so fast that she killed the car.

Suddenly, he was on the hood of the car staring into her eyes through the windshield; shouting things she couldn't begin to understand through the cloud of panic in her mind. She started the car again, bending the key with the force she exerted, and then raced down the street with the criminal hanging onto the windshield wipers. When Kathryn went around the corner of the street, she was going so fast that she flung her unwanted passenger off of the car and into the bushes.

Oh, I hope he didn't get hurt, she thought ridiculously.

When Kathryn arrived at the liquor store, three blocks from the house, she still wasn't quite herself. She felt she needed a drink to help her calm down now more than ever. She sat in the Honda with both hands on the wheel and her eyes closed for almost ten minutes trying to slow the rabbit-like beating of her heart.

That man had really frightened her! It seemed as though there was something almost supernatural about him. Something like a premonition.

"Stop it, Now you're being paranoid!" she snapped angrily to herself before getting out of the car.

Great, she thought, noticing the crack on the drivers window as she walked by it. How am I supposed to pay for that?

Kathryn was feeling more like herself when she came out of the Stop and Rob with the alcohol, and didn't really care about the cracked window anymore. All she cared about was increasing the alcoholic haze in her mind. She had a pleasant buzz and planned on getting more of one, and more than that she deserved it after her narrow escape. No one was going to deprive her.

The former executive drove up old Highway 101, just north of Solana Beach,

California and parked her car by the shoulder of the road. The night was crisp and clear and the stars shone brightly overhead. Kathryn had always liked the beach at this time of the night. The sound of the surf seemed to quiet the ache in her heart, at least for a short time, and it gave her the peace she needed for reflection.

Kathryn opened the bottle of gin, carefully cracking the seal on the lid before pouring the clear liquid into her pewter flask. It had been a bit of a splurge with the old liquor fund to purchase the expensive flask, but she felt it was necessary. After all, one couldn't always carry a bottle around, but it was easy to stash a flask, she thought with a crooked grin.

She put the lid back on the bottle and carefully sat it on the passenger side floor of the Honda. Then she capped the flask and slid it into her hip pocket as she got out of the car.

Kathryn walked across the almost deserted street to the edge of the embankment and stared out at the sea. The reflection of the stars on the water was captivating. The moon was full and Kathryn could clearly see the whitecaps on the waves as the tide rolled in.

Beautiful, she thought closing her eyes and inhaling the scent of the salt and sea before abruptly reopening them so she wouldn't lose her balance and roll down the hillside.

She began inching her way down the incline. Gravel tried to slide under her feet and carry her away, but Kathryn was slow and methodical. She listened only to the surf beating against the shore and focused on her own labored breathing. A light sheen of sweat broke out on her upper lip from exertion during the short trip.

The incline was only about fifty feet wide, but Kathryn felt like she had run a marathon by the time she reached the bottom. Stooping with her hands braced on her upper things she sucked in great gulps of air. That was one bad thing about alcohol, she thought, it made you tired! But, she decided, the good things about it outweighed the bad.

At least it helped you forget, she realized philosophically.

Kathryn finally regained her breath and walked north along the sandy beach. The brisk night wind whipped her hair around her face and eyes, obscuring her vision.

Kathryn got tired of pushing it back and let it blow freely.

I hate being so lonely. It seems as though no one would care if I wasn't here anymore. Connie said she doesn't love me. She just wants someone to boss around. I wish there were some stars to wish on, or some fairies that would take me away from here. I just want to go home. I only wish I knew where home was, she thought pitifully.

Finally exhausted, she sat down on an old driftwood log she found washed up on the sand. It was battered and slightly damp, but it was firm under her weight.

Kathryn took a long pull on her flask and suddenly blurted, "What's wrong with me? I'm pathetic! A washed-up thirty eight year old has-been. Starting Monday, I'm going to clean myself up and look for a job." She refused to remember she had made that same promise to herself half a dozen times before.

It was closing on 2 a.m. And Kathryn was quite drunk. She was also starting to get very cold. She got up and started walking between the shoreline and the jagged rocks of the cliffs, looking for shelter from the wind. Kathryn was cold, trembling, but she wasn't ready to go home. Thinking pragmatically she also realized that she couldn't drive in this condition.

It was a small opening in the cliff-side, about one and a half feet wide and approximately three feet high. It was pretty small, but Kathryn wasn't afraid of tight places. They were usually good places to hide because people avoided them. Not concerned with animal dens so near to the city, or snakes with it being so cold, she got on her hands and knees and crawled through the opening.

Instead of the tunnel ending or getting smaller as Kathryn had expected, the cave began to get wider. It opened up around her until she vaguely realized that she could stand. She staggered another hundred feet before she realized that she could see stars. She had gone right through the cliffs! Bit it wasn't cold anymore. Realizing it must be some sort of natural windbreak, Kathryn decided to sit down against a boulder and finish her drink. Her last thought as she began to pass out was that she wasn't in Kansas anymore.

"No, Naomi. You'll get us all killed!" Annika's eyes were filled with anger that sparked and threatened the dry desert tinder surrounding the small, rag-tag band of warriors.

"Lower your voice! If you have a problem, keep it between us. I am still leader and you will follow my orders or go back to the village." Naomi stated firmly, but quietly respectful of the other woman's pride even in her anger.

Naomi was shorter than the willowy six foot woman and wasn't sure she could best Annika in combat. Fervently, she hoped that the other woman would back down as it wouldn't do to be beaten to a pulp in front of her team. Their mutually blue eyes clashed briefly before Annika suddenly broke contact. Her entire body slumped as if the fight had suddenly gone out of her, causing Naomi to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

"I am sorry, Naomi. My loss has made a coward of me."

Such an admission from the normally reserved woman was quite a concession and Naomi was not unaware of that fact. "No, never you." Naomi said softly as she reached out a hand and lightly tosseled Annika's long blonde hair. "You are the bravest person I've ever known, and you never hesitate to let me know exactly how you feel. Its an invaluable quality that I need from my second," she said decisively.

Annika's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected compliment. She sensed Naomi truly meant what she had said, and she felt warmed by the heart-felt words. "All right, lets go through your crazy plan and work out the bugs. I still don't know how you expect to face Cross with only eight warriors, but I'll do my best to keep us from all being killed."

Naomi couldn't help but smile at the exaggerated sound of self-sacrifice in Annika's voice. But before she could speak, a shadow moved toward them from the darkness. A dark-skinned, husky woman with a voice to match joined them.

"It's simple," Ronda rasped, stepping into the circle of light the campfire gave off.

She squatted in her tawny hide britches and reached for the pot of chicory sitting at the edge of the flames. "Anyone want a cup?" she offered absently.

"If it's so simple, why don't you go by yourself?" Annika asked sarcastically.

"Id probably get more accomplished than you," Ronda returned lightly. "This smells good. So, are you two going to fight all night or do you want some?" she asked lifting a steaming cup into the air.

Annika growled something intelligible as she sat on the ground beside Ronda. Her buckskin britches were good protection from the multitude of pebbles peppering the ground and trying to leave a permanent impression on her tender buttocks. "Yeah, I'll have some. I think it's time to change the subject anyway."

"Good idea," Naomi agreed as she squatted beside her comrades.

The women observed a brief moment of quiet, absorbing the relative cool of the desert at night and the light breeze currently playing against their flesh. Being subterranean dwellers by necessity they were unaccustomed to how much light the stars cast over the sand dunes. Nocturnal creatures skittered quietly on the outskirts of the camp, the fire keeping away any predators. Annika enjoyed, indeed cherished, the differences from what she was used to. If only they could stay above ground, live in the open without fear of the certain death that would accompany such an action.

Sighing inwardly, she cursed herself for having such foolish dreams. The fact was that they could not and wishing for a thing did not make it so. It was better to deal in certainties. Her inner musings were halted by Naomi's voice. Glancing at her Annika absorbed the other woman's quiet beauty. Her blonde hair caught the moonlight and shone brilliantly even as the shadows gently framed the classic cheekbones and cleft chin.

"By the way, Ronda, how long have all of you been listening?" Naomi didn't like to think of the warriors listening to her and her second in command arguing. On a mission so dangerous it was important to present an air of unity to everyone concerned. It tended to make things smoother in the long run and to inspire a sense of confidence.

"Only long enough to make sure you weren't going to kill each other. Actually, Marla and Daria weren't listening at all. They're fascinated by what the stars look like from here. They can't talk about anything else…except each other of course. Its disgusting," she grinned, obviously anything but.

"They look the same up here as they do from the tunnels of Arandile," Annika grunted maintaining her appearance as the stoic second in command.

"I think they're clearer," the other woman disagreed. "When you're underground, they look so far away. From here they look like you could reach out and touch them," Ronda said in a dreamy voice, her eyes on the clear night sky. A visible shiver of pleasure generated a chuckle from Naomi.

"Are you going to hand me that mug or fall into a hypnotic trance?" Annika asked dryly.

Ronda handed Annika the mug, noticing for the hundredth time the difference in their skin tones. Ronda had never understood why she was so dark compared to the others. Sami, their village elder, said it was because she had been a gift from the earth. Ronda couldn't remember a mother or father so she took Sami at her word. There was stranger and more powerful magic than that, some not so good…

"What do you think?" Naomi asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Huh?"

Annika sputtered into her chicory, catching it with a hand as it dribbled down her cleft chin. "She's not even listening. I swear, everyone is acting weird sever since we left the village."

"I'm talking about Cross," Naomi continued, trying hard to ignore Annika's muttering. "I'm making a plan of attack, and everyone's either distracted with stars or making a joke! We need to be serious about this or were never going to get a chance to use Blue."

Naomi knew she needed to set her foot down, but these women weren't just warriors, they were friends she had grown up with and their opinion was important to her.

"Calm down, Naomi," Ronda said, abruptly serious. "Everyone handles stress in their own way. We will plan, but we've barely started this journey. A wise leader knows when to wait and when to organize."

"She's right," Annika admitted grudgingly. "This is the fourth night away from the village. People are afraid they won't make it back. Everyone's taking time to make their own peace before we find him. Look, Naomi," she reasoned, "we have another ten days before we reach Cross Mountain, and this is a dangerous journey. Why don't you wait a few days before we start making plans? We're not even sure what were going to find yet, if anything."

"All right," Naomi conceded, "but we do need sleep. Annika, why don't you go round up the others? I don't like them wandering around in the dark with Cross' troops who knows where. The night and the openness of being above ground is their environment. I don't want anyone taking any unnecessary chances."

Annika rolled her eyes as she headed into the darkness. Trust Naomi to point out the obvious. Rounding a high sand dune she found Marla and Daria about two hundred yards to the south of their camp. Just like Ronda said they were sitting on the ground gazing at the stars. Daria had one meaty arm thrown across Marla's slender shoulders and was pointing out a shooting star as they leaned against the make-shift backrest of sand.

"I've heard that if you wish on a shooting star, all your wishes will come true," she whispered in Marla's ear.

"Where did you hear that hooey?" Marla giggled leaning into her girlfriend's chest, cherishing the warmth of flesh and the strong heartbeat.

"Hey, I'm trying to be romantic, here," Daria complained.

"Well, try it back at camp," Annika interrupted. Daria and Marla jumped and reached automatically for the knives at their sides at the sound of her voice. "I could have been a nua and you never heard a thing," Annika continued, ignoring their fright.

Daria's eyes flashed as she realized it was just Annika. "You might want to announce yourself next time, you little scamp. I could have carved you to pieces before I realized who it was."

"Oh relax," Annika snorted, but she couldn't help notice the slight tremble in Daria's hand as she pushed her knife back into the sheath. She felt oddly pleased by the sight and a slight smile tugged the corner of her full lips.

"That's not very funny, Annika. You may be fast, but Daria is faster."

"Yeah, right. That's why I wiped the floor with her at the last solstice games."

"Why, you…you act like a nua. What ever happened to you anyway?" Daria started toward Annika with both fists clenched.

Marla caught her lover around the bicep and tugged her toward the camp. "Not now, honey. Its not worth it." She gave Annika a disgusted look and turned toward camp with her girlfriend in tow. Daria kept eye contact with Annika over her shoulder until the darkness swallowed them.

Annika chuckled and shrugged her shoulder as she went in search of the other wayward warriors. Whatever, she thought casually. She knew Daria would never confront her directly. If she ever did, she would give Daria another scar to match the one Annika had given her on the forehead. No one was faster than Annika.

When she had gathered the last of the flock, she headed back to the fire.

"Annika, you have first watch," Naomi informed her as she approached. "I'll relieve you, then Kami and Evan, you'll follow up. We'll have two-hour watches. Tomorrow night will be Marla, Ronda, Nik and Daria. In that order," she finished, eyeing the two lovers. They both suddenly found things on the ground to be very interesting and didn't meet Naomi's gaze.

"And no messing around," the leader admonished. "This is serious business, not a pleasure jaunt. If we are going to be attacked, Id like to know about it before I wake up with my throat cut."

Marla and Daria had the grace to look shamed.

Everyone began getting ready for sleep. It wasn't going to be easy. They were all used to the soft, slightly moist soil of underground. It was like a cushion that could be molded to fit the body perfectly. Above ground was a different story. The earth crusted and cracked from lack of moisture, and it was difficult to get comfortable with pebbles and rocks digging into your hips.

Annika was vigilant as always during her watch. She took war very serious...more than she should have at times. Walking around the perimeter of the camp, just out of range of the firelight, she was alert for the slightest sound or vibration of the earth. Her feet, encased in the same fawn colored hide as her britches and tunic, made no sound of their own.

She looked at the others as they slept and gave a silent prayer to the goddess that they would all return. Yes, even the belligerent Daria. They didn't like each other, but Annika knew she would fight to the death to protect her.

When her watch was over Annika shook Naomi awake and then gratefully sought out her sleeping roll. She was asleep almost instantly.

Naomi walked the outskirts of their camp and checked everyone, much the same way Annika had done. She had a paranoid feeling that someone would die in their sleep and it would be her fault for not being vigilant enough. Everyone was sleeping, some fitfully, but at least they were resting.

Naomi sat beside the small fire, feeding it some of the scrawny tinder they had been able to find. Most of the slivers of wood and kindling they had brought with them, but some was to be found in the desert scrub. Wood was a rare commodity above ground, although the tumbleweeds came in handy.

She helped herself to some chicory and sat back against a large rock, staring at the sky, listening for any sound that didn't belong and for the night to pass. Would Blue really be able to defeat Cross evil magic, she mused? Naomi didn't know if it would, but it had the advantage of having never been tried. All they had to do was find some way to get close enough...of course, Naomi would have to do it herself.

She couldn't allow anyone else. If it didn't work, whoever tried to kill him would surely die instead. She couldn't take that chance with anyone else's life.

"Wow, you look like you just lost your best friend," came a voice from behind her.

"You're early," Naomi said with a start. Damn! She hadn't heard a sound. I'm getting senile.

"No. You're late. You should have awakened me half an hour ago."  Kami helped herself to a cup of the hot brew and sat beside Naomi. "This stuff is awful! How old is it?" she exclaimed, face twisting at the bitterness.

Naomi chuckled. "It's been there a while," she admitted.

"I'm making fresh," Kami informed her as she reached for the water skin.

They sat in companionable silence waiting for the fresh pot to brew. When it was finished, Kami filled a mug for each and sat back sipping from her mug. "I wonder what coffee was like."

"What? What's that?" Naomi asked indulgently. Kami was always coming up with stuff and Naomi could only marvel at the wealth of information this woman possessed.

"I've heard it was made from a bean. A bean grown above ground, only in certain climates you understand. But it was said that you could grind the bean and brew it, the same as we do chicory. It was supposed to be really dark in color and have the most exquisite taste."

Kami put her head back and closed her eyes as if remembering what this wondrous beverage had tasted like.

"Where do you pick this stuff up?" Naomi laughed.

"Its not funny," Kami said opening her eyes and sounding miffed. "Libery told me."

"Oh, well. Then it must be accurate indeed if Libery told you," Naomi said with mock seriousness.

Since Kami had found a pile of old books in a dilapidated cavern, she had spent hours absorbing all the information she could. Some of it had proved invaluable. She had called the place Libery, although Naomi never knew why.

The short brunette picked up a pebble and tossed it at Naomi playfully. "Oh, you! You're such a brat. You always spoil my fun. Anyway, I really did hear about such a thing. I wonder what it was like before."

"Hopefully, well soon know," Naomi said with a sudden grimness in her voice. "If Blue can vanquish Cross, maybe we'll have seasons, again, and you'll be able to grow your beans."

"If we get the chance to use it," Kami observed quietly.

They sat in silence listening to the sleeping sounds from the others. Naomi looked around the campsite at her small band of warriors. Daria and Marla lay in each other's arms on the far side of the fire. There was no need for a blanket, except to lay on. The heat was as constant at night as during the day. The tiny redhead snuggled deeper into Daria's ample bosom.

Naomi looked away feeling voyeuristic, searching out the youngest member of their team. Evan was so young, she thought, as he turned over in his sleep. Barely seventeen, he was still a boy in so many ways. His face was unlined and retained the blush of youth.

He'd never been on a campaign and had been so eager to join them. Naomi hadn't the heart to deny him, and he had proved himself worthy at the trials.

"You know," Naomi said, "I think your hair must be the color of what they used to call wheat."

"Now who's spinning tales? Okay, tell me about it," Kami said gamely.

"It was a grain people used to grow in massive quantities, before the sun got too hot and the rain stopped." Naomi's eyes glazed over as she continued looking around.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or are we going to go on with philosophy class all night? What's wrong? You've been so quiet since we left the village, except for arguing with Annika, but that's normal. She is so irritating, sometimes."

Naomi was quiet for so long Kami was beginning to think she wouldn't answer. Her eyes were closed and her chin rested on her drawn up knee.

"Eight," Naomi said.

"Beg your pardon?"

"Eight," Naomi stated a little stronger. She suddenly snapped her eyes back to Kami.

"You're right," she sighed. "I am worried. Eight people attacking Cross and his army...on his own turf? Are we all crazy? We need a multitude and we'd still be lucky to get near him. He's evil incarnate!"

Kami sat back quietly nodding her head. She raised a hand to prop her chin on. Her "thinking" pose as Annika called it. Kami was used to the self-doubt Naomi displayed right before battle.

Of course, she would never let anyone else know of her doubts, but then, theirs was a very special relationship.

"You're wrong, Naomi," she said slowly. "It's a good plan. Eight have more of a chance of getting close, less people to account for. Especially considering the kind of magic Cross has to draw on. The more people you have, the stronger our aura for him to feel. And you have to admit, this is a very talented group...even that awful Annika. Why did you have to bring her along? She's always so…arrogant!"

Naomi smiled despite herself. Kami liked Annika more than she wanted to admit. "She has changed a lot since Loli's death. Give her time."

"Time? How much time? Until we have seasons, again?"

Naomi laughed as she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm going to try to sleep. Wake me if anything happens."

"Believe me, if anything happens I'll wake you with my bloodcurdling scream," Kami assured Naomi's departing back.

Kami chuckled to herself as Naomi crawled onto her blanket and turned her back to the fire. She really enjoyed the quiet times with Naomi. Naomi always confided her doubts and fears to Kami, and the healer felt honored by Naomi's trust.

A slight sound caught Kami's attention and she looked in Annika's direction. Another nightmare. Who could blame her. She had witnessed her lover's tortured death at Cross' hands. Kami still found it hard to believe Annika had escaped him. Maybe that was why she didn't completely trust Annika.

She and Loli were captured by Cross during a scouting mission. Loli was tortured to death, or so Annika claimed, and she conveniently escaped. No one had ever escaped Cross before. Why her? And without a mark on her.

She was certainly different since her little encounter, too. I wonder if she wasn't converted by him, Kami thought. That would explain a lot. The bitterness and look of complete hatred when Annika didn't know anyone was watching.

Kami passed the rest of her watch checking her medical supplies and wondering about Annika's loyalties. She didn't check the perimeter. That was a warrior's job; she was a healer. When the time arrived, she shook Evan awake and passed the watch on to him, going to sleep without a second thought.

Evan was a little nervous since it was only his fourth time standing watch. This was his first mission, as well. He had just reached seventeen and had insisted on going on this enterprise to prove he was a man. He wasn't about to admit to a little fear. Everyone was afraid of something. It was natural, he thought as he bent to tend to the fire.

Evan heard a sound like rocks being displaced behind him. He turned to look into the darkness. It had been a slight sound, as though someone was trying to be quiet. Evan picked up his spear from his bedroll without taking his eyes from the direction of the sound. He hadn't heard the noise repeated and thought it might have been an animal searching for dinner in the darkness.

Still, he was well trained and knew he needed to investigate. Evan quietly left the protective circle of the fire. His spear was ready, and he concentrated all of his senses on anything that might indicate danger. He was only about twenty feet from the fire and knew if he called for help the others would be awake instantly, but he didn't want to wake them. If he overreacted he would never live it down. They might not let him go on another mission, or maybe just not trust him to stand watch. Since mostly women were warriors, he felt a special need to prove himself.

What was that smell? Was something dead? He had never smelled anything like it. Surely even if it was something dead, it couldn't smell so foul!

Was that something moving? He squinted trying to see into the pitch-black night. It was an animal; it had to be. It was so low to the ground and dark that he could barely see it. When it suddenly went behind a scrub cactus he lost sight of it.

Evan let out his breath in relief and chuckled slightly at himself. He felt the night breeze cooling on his skin, and realized he had been sweating in fear.

"Better not tell the women about this. Good thing I didn't wake them up!"

Evan walked calmly to where he had last seen the beast. He wanted to look at the tracks and see if he could tell what it had been. If he couldn't he could always ask Annika in the morning. She could be caustic, but she appreciated people trying to learn and add to their skills, and she was the best tracker he knew.

As he walked toward the scrub, he began to hear a low hissing noise. Was it still there trying to hide from him? He was about a foot away from the scrub when he stopped and leaned forward trying to peer over the top of the cactus. It moved so fast that Evan never made a sound. His spear hit the ground with a soft thump.

The nua effortlessly picked up the lifeless body and slung it over one black, oily shoulder. There was no emotion in the single yellow eye socket. The rest of the body was one uniformed shade of black, like endless night, and a spade shaped hand picked up the spear.

It seemed to melt into the ground as it entered the tunnel opening hidden by the scrub. The demon could easily have killed the others, but it had not been sent for that. The nua returned to the surface and finished covering its tracks just before the first rays of dawn began lighting the sky, the pale glow glinting strangely off the oily black skin. It returned below ground and pulled Evan negligently along behind by one foot as it made its way to the resting place, leaving the spear where it fell on the tunnel floor. It would feed on the body later.

The young man's sightless eyes stared unblinkingly into oblivion.

"Annika, wake up. Evan's gone."

Annika opened her eyes in the dim light of early morning and looked at Ronda in disbelief. "Gone? Gone where?"

"I don't know. I woke up, the fire was out and he was gone. I can't find any trace of him."

Annika could see Ronda was struggling to hide the fear in her blue eyes. As second in command of the warriors, it was up to the stoic blonde to maintain an outward appearance of confidence, but inside she felt shaky with fear and apprehension. She glanced quickly around the camp and saw that everyone else was still sleeping, and the sun was just starting to break the horizon.

Ronda had come to her first instead of Naomi, who was the acknowledged leader. Annika would not forget the compliment.

"Wake the others. I'll look around… and Ronda," Annika said, "don't worry. I'm sure he's all right." Ronda looked at her in gratitude for the reassurance before turning to carry out the young blondes orders.

Annika felt slightly queasy as she rolled to her feet. She buckled her scabbard around her waist and slid her long dagger into it with trembling hands. As much as she might have tried to reassure Ronda, she feared the worse.

Checking the perimeter of the camp, she found Evan's footprints heading in a northeasterly direction. She also saw a single thin line in the sand beside the footprints and realized Evan had been armed with his spear.

That's not like him, she thought worriedly. We all carry knives or even swords, but not a spear unless were going into battle. He must have been afraid, but why didn't he wake us up?

Annika continued following the tracks noticing the even distance between steps and the impressions in the sand. He had been walking, so was not in a hurry. She could tell because the heel area had a deeper depression than the toe. If he had been running, it would have been the other way around.

She could hear the others breaking camp and expected to be joined by one of them any minute. It was early, about 7 o'clock judging from the sun, but already hot. Annika could feel a light bead of sweat winding down the center of her back. She was so worried that she didn't feel the heat, she felt a chill in her heart at what she instinctively knew she would find.

Suddenly, Evan's tracks ended and the young woman stopped in bewilderment. She looked carefully in every direction, but could find no further trace.

She was standing in open desert with the only thing close to her being a dried scrub cactus, but that was another ten feet away. It just didn't make sense! If Evan had wandered away, as she had hoped, he wouldn't have wiped away his tracks. Annika could suddenly hear a faint ringing in her ears and her hands began to tremble.

Cross! He knew they were here! It was the only explanation. She fought down the panic that was crowding in behind her eyes and making her vision darken to a pinprick. Since Loli's death it had been like this. The panic would find her at unpredictable times.

Usually, like now, she could talk herself down. But, sometimes she felt like she was underwater, clawing desperately and unable to reach the surface to draw breath. Closing her eyes, she took slow deliberate breaths; concentrating on the quiet around her. After a few long minutes she was in control again. Annika had never told anyone about the panic attacks, and never planned to, somehow thinking it would lessen her in the eyes of her comrades.

Annika walked toward the cactus on a hunch. She had been doing this a long time and was familiar with how Cross' troops operated. She bent to examine the base of the scrub, and found that it looked normal. But appearances could be deceiving. She touched the soil lightly as if expecting to be electrocuted by the sand.

"Stop being silly," she chastised herself.

Avoiding the stickers on the bush, she sank her fingers into the dirt, feeling for anything that didn't belong. Slowly, she crawled on her hands and knees around the base of the cactus. Suddenly she found it; something hard and smooth that definitely didn't belong in the desert.

"What is it?" Marla asked as she walked up to Annika.

Annika started slightly, but tried to cover her reaction with a show of indifference. "I'm not sure. I think it's a handle of some kind to a tunnel. There's only a light covering of dust. Here, help me lift it."

Marla got down beside Annika and slid her fingers into the dirt. Annika felt Marla's hands encircle a metal ring that was mounted on the covering, next to her own long fingers.

"Ready? Pull!" Annika grunted, putting all of her strength into the task. Annika and Marla strained under the weight of the three-inch stone lid. Even with their combined strength they could only lift it a few inches.

"Slide it this way," Marla gasped.

Sweat dripped into Annika's eyes as she pushed the lid toward Marla. "That's enough. Drop it," Annika grunted.

Annika wiped the sweat from her brow with a muscled forearm as she turned back toward the opening. She leaned forward trying to penetrate the darkness with her eyes. Ignoring the remnants of her most recent panic attack, she tried to make out movement within the tunnel. The smell of dank earth was the only thing she could detect.

"Get back from there, will you?" Marla shouted as she grabbed Annika by the waistband, pulling her back from the pit.

"Knock it off!" Annika swatted at Marla's hands and turned back toward the hole as the other woman let go. "Just like your girlfriend...." the blonde muttered under her breath, not really trying to be quiet.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Annika said, turning to look directly into Marla's eyes, "that I am not afraid of the dark."

"You're not normal," Marla said angrily. When Annika looked at her without expression, it incited the redhead even more, but she could think of nothing to say and settled for redirecting their efforts. "You were supposed to be out here looking for Evan, remember?"

"I am looking for Evan. This is what I found. Look, Marla, this is a nua tunnel. If this is here then Cross already knows where we are. I think it's too late for Evan. I think he found whatever came out of this hole. We know it wasn't a tokar because they don't have arms or legs, so would have no use for a tunnel. And I really don't think it was a human because of how heavy that lid was. It would take at least two or three people to push the lid off from below, not to even speculate how they would have closed it. That really only leaves one thing...a nua."

Annika saw the grief in Marla's eyes as the reality of Evan's fate at the hands of the dark demon came to her.

"You're pretty indifferent about Evan, aren't you?" The young woman asked, feeling the need to strike out at the nearest convenient target. "You find a nua tunnel and he just goes by the way side, is that it?"

"I'm sorry, Marla. I really am," Annika said softly. "But I need to make sure the nua's gone and the only way to do that is to go into the tunnel. Why don't you go tell Naomi what we've found?"

"Why don't you wait for the others..."? Marla began.

"Marla, do what you're told, now!" Annika ordered, finally out of patience.

"Well, maybe you should be afraid of the dark! Cross waits for you in there. Go ahead and climb in that stinky hole. Personally, I hope he gets you." Marla stormed off toward the camp fighting tears. Halfway there she stopped and looked back at Annika. She was already leaning into the hole. No matter what she thought of the blonde's arrogance, she couldn't deny her courage. But it wasn't her place to endanger herself.

"Damn!"

Marla hurried back over to Annika. "Get out of that hole," she said roughly.

"I thought we already talked about this," the blonde admonished absently, concentrating on the darkness before her. "Why are you still here?"

"Annika," Marla began.

"Marla," her executive officer interrupted in a warning tone.

"Shut up, Annika. Just shut up and listen for once in your life!"

Annika was astounded to hear Marla speak to her in such a manner, but she closed her mouth, backed out of the tunnel, and looked up at her, curiosity winning out over impatience at the insubordination.

"I don't agree with the way you do things. You're rude and condescending. You take unnecessary risks with your life and other's lives around you. Then you don't expect anyone to question you! You just expect them to say by your leave Commander Annika of the Chameleon Squad. Whatever you say!"

"Well, its wrong!" Marla swallowed, the fear of reprisal a lump in her throat, and continued. "Still, you are the commander. As such I can't allow you to go in there."

"Marla, someone has to..." Annika began, but broke off when Marla said,

"I'll do it."

"What?"

"Believe me, I don't want to. And I hate admitting that you're right, but someone has to go in and check the tunnel, but not you. You're the second in command, so that makes this my job. Just let me have a lumi-stick before I change my mind," the shorter woman continued in a trembling voice.

"I'll wait for you right here," Annika said, easily giving way to logic while reaching into her waist pouch for the lighting device.

"No. Go tell Naomi what's happened. She's probably fit to be tied wondering what's taking so long. Wait for me at the campsite. If I haven't returned in two hours, get out of here as fast as you can."

"Fine, at least let me stay until you're safely in the tunnel."

Marla nodded her head as she broke the vial of phosphorescent liquid in the stick and shook it up to activate the lighting properties. She squatted by the hole and leaned inside as far as she could, holding the light in front of her.

"Looks empty," she said, her voice reverberating oddly. She sat up and looked at Annika. "It's deep; help lower me down."

Annika stood up and planted her feet firmly on either side of the hole. Marla grasped the light stick with her teeth before grabbing both of Annika's muscled forearms.

Marla slid toward the edge and lowered her feet inside. She felt a little nervous as her butt went over the edge, but Annika held tightly to her forearms and easily lowered her into the pit. The blonde bent forward until her own arms had disappeared up to her biceps.

"That's it, Marla. If I go any further, I'll drop you or fall in on top of you," she grunted.

"Okay, let go," Marla mumbled around her light.

They let go at the same time and Marla dropped the last six feet to the tunnel floor. Annika heard Marla grunt in pain as her feet hit the floor. "Are you okay?" she asked with legitimate concern, peering into the darkness.

"Yeah," Marla said dryly. "I almost broke my teeth on the lumi-stick when I landed."

"Oh. Do you see anything?"

"No, not really," Marla said peering into the yellowish light of the glow stick. "Wait, I think I've found something. Oh, Mother!" she exclaimed in horror.

"What? What is it?"

"Its Evan's spear, and it has blood on it! Oh, Annika you were right...nua!" Her voice sounded as though she was on the verge of tears.

"Pull yourself together, warrior," Annika commanded in an effort to get the woman to focus. "You're no good to anyone if you fall apart."

"Right," Marla said, taking a shaky breath. "Right. I knew I would see this when we left Arandile. I just didn't expect it so soon. Four nights..."

"I know. Your reaction is understandable, but we must deal with each situation as it is handed to us. Now throw the spear up to me. We'll take it home to Evan's hearth when we've completed our mission."

"Okay, coming up. Ready?"

Annika caught the spear on the first throw.

"You better go on back," Marla said. "I don't see anything else. I'm going to scout the tunnel for any clues the nua might have left behind. Give me two hours."

"All right, I'll be back in two hours to help you. You're going to need help getting out of there. Don't be late!" she warned as she turned back toward camp. She was already planning their next move on the short walk back to camp.

We have to continue, she thought stubbornly. Cross may know were coming, but he doesn't know what we have planned, and that's got to give us the edge. If only Naomi has enough guts to follow through. She might back out if she knows what I have planned.

She was deep in thought as she entered the campsite, and didn't notice the sudden silence or that all eyes were on the spear she carried.

"Annika?"

She looked up slowly at Naomi when she heard her name. There was a brief heartbeat as blue on blue eyes met. Naomi's eyes closed briefly in grief as she read the message in Annika's gaze.

"Naomi," Annika gently interrupted her thoughts. "We need to speak privately."

Naomi nodded and followed Annika out of earshot of the others. With heavy hearts the other warriors returned to packing their meager belongings, not sure what the plan was now.

"Naomi," Annika began without preamble as soon as they were out of earshot, "I know this changes things, but we don't have to abort because of this. We knew there would be casualties; we just didn't expect them so soon. We still have the magic sword, and we must strike now!"

Naomi stared at Annika in disbelief. "Are you really so callus?" she asked incredulously. "Someone has died, Annika. You act like its a bloody nose. Do you not even grieve for him or his family?"

"Of course I do," her executive officer asserted in outrage, "but it wont bring him back. Naomi, all I'm saying is we have run out of options. Cross has held this world in his fist for decades. Every scout we send out is murdered, and nothing we've ever done has had any effect. Now we have Blue. It was created especially to fight Cross and his powers."

"Naomi," Annika argued, "if we don't make this attempt we may never have another chance."

Naomi stared at her feet while considering Annika's reasoning. "I will weigh your logic and let you know my decision later. Now tell me about Evan."

Easily letting go of the debate for the moment, she complied. "I found a nua tunnel not far from camp. His spear was inside. Marla is scouting the tunnel now. I'll go back when we're finished and wait for her."

"You left her there by herself? What if something happens?"

Annika held her temper in check with some effort. For a leader, Naomi was so faint-hearted sometimes! "Naomi, its broad daylight. Someone had to clear the tunnel."

"Not by herself!" Naomi said hotly. "And I don't like the arrogance in your tone. Don't speak to me like I'm some wet behind the ears junior scout. You get your weapons from your supply roll and return to wait for Marla. No one is unarmed from this moment on or unaccompanied. I'll tell the others about Evan and Marla."

As she turned away Annika heard her mumble, "I pray to the Goddess that Daria doesn't try to rip your head off."

Huh! Fat chance, Annika thought as she went to get her weapons. Naomi was already standing with Daria as she went for her gear. Heated words were obviously being exchanged, judging from the way the redhead waved her hands in the air, and Annika attempted to hide a smile. She took tremendous pleasure in provoking Daria, even in these somber times.

It might be different if her own lover was in danger, Annika thought. I know I'd kill anyone that deliberately endangered my love, but Daria is a warrior. She understands chances have to be taken. I just love pissing her off.

Annika slid her vambraces onto her forearms and quickly loaded a wickedly curved dagger into each one. She was deadly accurate with the spring-loaded projectiles. She grabbed her sword and trotted back to Marla's location before the others finished their discussion.

Arriving at the tunnel, she found the site undisturbed. Since Marla hadn't finished her investigation, Annika decided to do something productive and sharpen her daggers. She sat in the dirt beside the tunnel and drew her sword from the scabbard and a sharpening stone from the pouch belted to her waist. She had been drawing the stone along the blade for about five minutes when she thought she heard a sound from the darkness below.

Annika sat the sword and stone on the ground and reached for a lumi-stick from the pouch at her waist. She lit the torch and stretched out on the ground, leaning her upper body inside the cavity.

"Marla?"

Suddenly she felt a tremendous weight applied to her back. She was being pushed headfirst into the tunnel! Then she was being held immobile and off balance; held precariously by the hands fisted into her tunic.

"I ought to just let you go," Daria grated from above. "What's the matter with you? Are you missing something inside where you just don't care about anyone but yourself? Or are the rumors true? Are you working for Cross?"

Daria abruptly hauled the helpless blonde backward, pitching her onto the ground a few feet away.

Annika sat on the ground staring up at the other woman angrily. "Working for Cross? Where do you get this stuff?" she sputtered in disbelief.

Daria was absolutely livid. Annika could see the veins bulging in her forehead and the sides of her neck; her hands were rigidly fisted at her sides. Although the blonde had never been afraid of Daria before, she knew she had never seen her this angry before either.

"You just dropped her in that hole and walked away," Daria grated through clenched teeth. "If she's dead, your'e next."

Without another look toward Annika, Daria sat at the edge of the tunnel and dropped her feet and legs over the edge. She leaned over and grabbed the other side of the tunnel opening and swung completely inside, dangling briefly before letting go.

Annika scrambled to the edge and peered anxiously inside. She had dropped the lumi-stick when Daria had grabbed her, but it hadn't broke when it hit the dirt floor. Now it lit the inside of the tunnel and through the uneven shadows cast by the phosphorescent light Annika could see Daria bent over checking the ground for signs of Marla's direction of travel.

"I'll wait for you here," she foolishly informed the other woman. Daria didn't look back as she headed up the tunnel in pursuit of her lover. Annika picked up her sword and slid it absentmindedly into the scabbard. Then she settled back to wait for Marla and Daria.

Annika waited by the tunnel entrance for half a day before being joined by Naomi and Kami. The sun was on a downward spiral and shadows were beginning to crawl across the blasted tundra. The heat was intense and Annika's fair skin was beginning to blister even with the protective sun screen that Kami had invented for this excursion.

"Where's Daria?" Naomi asked as they approached. Her eyes briefly scanned the area before coming to rest expectantly on Annika.

"She went after her, didn't she?" Kami asked quietly, forestalling the other woman's reply.

The tension built in the air as Annika remained quiet. How could she tell the others how badly she felt? This whole thing reminded her of Loli's death. She had been responsible for that and now possibly two more warriors had lost their lives because of her. She took refuge in what had always worked for her, sarcasm. "Don't look at me like that. No one told her to go chasing Marla down some dark hole."

"What's with you?" Kami shouted, losing patience. "You act like you don't care about anything. You may think you fool the others, but I don't buy it. Something happened while you and Loli were with Cross, I understand that. I know he tortured both of you. But you have to get over it. You've been bitter and abrasive ever since you returned. We're your family, remember? Some people are starting to say he converted you, and that's why you're different."

"Stop it!" Annika shouted scrambling off the ground, and jumping to her feet. "You know nothing." Her voice was trembling and her cobalt eyes filled with unshed tears. "You can't possibly know what it's like to be tied to a post and be made to watch as the woman you love is cut to pieces. You can't know what it's like to watch him laugh at her screams. He did it slowly. Enjoying the torment. You really want to know why I don't have matching scars?"

"Stop, please," Kami whispered. She closed her eyes trying to shut out the picture Annika's words had created.

"No. You wanted to know. He didn't scar me because he wanted to torture me with her death first. Let it sink in a little before he started on me." She paused, remembering. "I still can't remember everything; there are gaps. I was delirious, but I think I remember someone, someone who cut my bindings and showed me the way out. I think it was a woman. A human."

"She was supposed to be one of his, but she helped me. I wandered for days after I got out of the mountain. I think I was lost half the time. Then the old warrior, Sirak, found me. She cared for me and helped me back to Arandile."

"I'm sorry, Annika." Naomi placed a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder, but she shook it off and stepped back from them.

Looking at them with the tears running freely down her face, she asked, "And now you would accuse me of being his ally? I couldn't even bury her, she was left to rot inside that mountain!"

"We didn't know," Kami said weakly. "You never told us anything."

"Did I have to?" she inquired, voice trembling with rage and anguish. "I didn't know I was required to tell you my every waking thought!"

"Annika," Naomi began. The ground began to vibrate strongly beneath their feet, interrupting whatever Naomi had to say and shaking the women about on their feet.

"The tunnel!" Kami shouted.

The lumi-light had long since burned out, and Naomi struck another one and dropped it into the tunnel. All of the women stretched out on their bellies and looked into the hole.

"Do you hear that?" Annika whispered.

"Shouting. I think its Marla and Daria," Kami said hopefully.

Suddenly, the women in question ran into the outside edges of light that was being cast into the shadows. Daria was supporting Marla with an arm around her waist, practically dragging the other woman.

Blood flowed freely from a wound on Marla's forehead, showing clearly in the gloom, and she appeared to be semi-conscious. Both women were dusty and battered.

"Don't just watch, help us!" Daria shouted, looking up desperately toward her friends.

Annika could see movement in the darkness behind the women. Something even darker than the night was coming toward them. It moved slowly, purposefully, seeming to pour over the ground. Nua!

The blonde stood and drew her sword before Naomi or Kami could react. She drew her arms into her body with her hands toward her face, her sword pointing toward the darkening sky. Annika took a step and dropped straight into the hole.

"Annika, wait!" Naomi shouted belatedly.

The tall blonde dropped approximately eleven feet and landed lightly and the balls of her feet, sinking into a crouch to absorb the impact of the fall. Annika rose quickly and spun toward the movement she had seen in the darkness.

"Naomi," Annika shouted. "Lower a line and get these two out of here. I'll try to hold off the nua."

"I don't know how many there are," Daria said breathlessly, turning toward the rear of the tunnel still holding on to Marla. She held her sword in her right hand ready to help defend themselves while Naomi and Kami worked on getting them out of the pit. A nua slipped from the side of the tunnel, unseen by any of the woman. It held an Arandile sword that Marla had dropped and slashed clumsily at Annika. Although unpracticed with such weapons, if the blow had connected it would have been fatal.

Annika saw the movement at the last second and sprang away to parry awkwardly with her own sword. It was enough to deflect the blow, but left her arm singing with the vibration. She raised her left arm parallel to the ground and cocked back her wrist. The blade in her vambrace launched straight into the breast of her attacker. It dropped without a sound and didn't move. While Annika was occupied, Daria was attacked by two more nua. One attacked from the front, and one from the side on which she held Marla. It used the now unconscious woman's body as a shield from Daria's eyes.

Daria fought skillfully with the other nua while it thrust at her with short, black blades. The blades were spade-shaped, but razor sharp on both sides. As the brave warrior fended off the frontal attack the remaining nua stalked forward and slipped one of the oddly shaped blades between her ribs.

Daria cried out in pain and fell sideways, unintentionally pulling Marla's body on top of her.

Annika heard the cry just as her own adversary fell. She spun around and switched her sword to her left hand, cocked her right wrist, and fired her remaining wrist weapon at Daria's nearest attacker.

The knife tore through the creatures throat, ripping away charred flesh before it continued to the other side of the cave. The force with which it had been fired, embedding the dagger into the tunnel wall.

Annika rushed toward the other nua with her sword raised high over her head. Seeing that its mission had failed however, the nua disappeared back into the darkness, vanishing like a wraith.

No doubt reporting to its master, she thought as she rushed to the wounded women.

"Annika, is everyone all right?" Kami shouted from overhead.

"No, everyone is not all right!" she responded through clenched teeth. "Get down here. They're both hurt… bad."

"Annika," Daria whispered.

"Its all right. You'll be okay," she said taking Daria's hand. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she lifted Daria's head to support it on her knee.

"You're lying. You've never been nice to me. I must really be hurt," she attempted to chuckle, but suddenly coughed as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Nonsense," Annika gently wiped the blood away with the hem of her tunic.

"Listen to me. There were a lot of them. They know were up to something. They had surrounded Marla when I caught up to her. She didn't stand a chance."

"Its my fault," Annika agonized. "I should have been with her. I shouldn't have let her go alone."

"No, you shouldn't have," Daria agreed with a slight hint of anger in her voice. "You shouldn't have let her go alone, but it wasn't your fault. Someone had to go, and if you had gone you'd be hurt or dying, too."

Kami and Naomi lowered a braided rope into the cave and quietly descended while Annika and Daria talked.

"Don't let our deaths be in vain, Annika. You owe us that. Kill the bastard. Free the lands." As her eyes closed for the last time, Daria's final words were, "Free Arandile."

Annika closed her eyes and lowered her head. She felt Kami brush against her as she knelt to check Daria and Marla.

"You can grieve later, Annika. Right now, I need you to help me get them out of here."

The three women were quiet, speaking only when necessary to get Daria and Marla out of the tunnel. Once they were out, Naomi and Annika wrestled the tunnel cover back into place. They piled large stones over the lid to discourage future use by Cross or his minions.

Annika carefully lifted Daria's frame across her shoulders. Naomi picked up Marla by the shoulders while Kami took her feet. Silently they walked back to the campsite. They weren't very worried about an attack at the moment. It would take the nua time to report to Cross and for him to decide what to do next.

Ronda looked up from the cooking fire as the warriors approached. The look of hope on her face died quickly when she saw them. She picked up the spoon and began stirring the thick stew as the tears rolled quietly down her cheeks.

The remainder of the evening was spent in somber contemplation as the fallen warriors were prepared for the funeral pyre. Their belongings were collected to be burned along with the bodies since the warriors of Arandile believed these things would be needed in the next life.

Naomi lit the fire while the others stood at stiff attention; all were saying their own silent farewells. They remained standing until the pyre began to collapse in on itself. Then, one by one, they drifted toward the campsite. No one felt like eating, but they knew they had to keep their strength up.

Naomi was the last to leave. She thought of Marla and Daria's love for each other. At least they would still be together, even in death. "Safe journeys," she said softly before walking away.

Annika was sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of the fire. She was staring into the flames and didn't look up as Naomi came into camp. She knew what had happened was her responsibility. None of it would ever have happened if she hadn't let Marla go alone. She heard someone calling her name, and forced herself to look up to see that all eyes were on her. Annika braced herself for the recriminations she knew she deserved.

Naomi surprised her by saying, "We have to decide what our next move is going to be."

"What? I don't know if you've been keeping up on current events, but I just got two of our people killed. I won't endanger the rest of you anymore," the blonde replied angrily.

"What are you saying?"

"She's feeling sorry for herself," Ronda interjected answering Naomi's question.

"No, its true," she continued as Kami tried to interrupt. "You think its your fault because you sent Marla down that tunnel by herself. Well, guess what? That's your job. That's why you're the commander, because you have to make the tough decisions. You don't have the luxury of self-indulgence."

"She's right, Annika," Naomi said gently. "We don't have the time for this. We still have a mission to accomplish."

Annika stared at her booted feet, not responding. How could they even think of continuing? They had already lost almost half their troop and it was only the fifth day. They were fooling themselves if they thought they could defeat Cross. But Annika suddenly had a motivation for continuing the assault. Old fashioned revenge.

Remembering Daria's slack face as the life drained away, Annika felt something disturbingly familiar; the beginnings of a panic attack. Her body erupted in gooseflesh and a light sheen of sweat coated her forehead.

She was abruptly removed from the circle of warriors and enslaved in the memories of one year past. She was in a large, cavernous opening in a mountain. Annika and her scout partner had been captured by the evil that was Cross.

Loli was lashed tightly to a bloodstained pole that had been deeply embedded into the soil in the center of a large underground cavern, the dirt beneath permanently stained with the life's blood of innumerable previous victims. It was a silent testament to the depraved, twisted entity that haunted the threatening maze of tunnels.

Annika's upper arms, shoulders and head were encased in an old fashioned wooden stock. She had been positioned to insure she would witness the torture and execution of her beloved. Cross had resurrected the brutality and horror of the torture devices of the Spanish and French Inquisitions, and perfected them to what he considered an art.

Loli hung slackly in her bonds. Her long hair once the color of spun gold was matted with sweat and blood, partly obscuring her ruined face. Blood flowed in rivulets from the multitude of wounds and her limbs jutted strangely from her body, obviously broken.

Annika had kept her eyes closed during the actual torture, but hadn't been able to block the sound of bones snapping or of joints and tendons popping as they broke from the muscle. Worse had been the screams of agony. They were sounds that tore the soul and Annika knew they would haunt her for the rest of her life. No matter how long, or short, that would be.

She was prepared to be next. She needed to be next. It was her fault they were here in the first place. This was meant to be an information-gathering soiree, the assignment tactical. How many troops did Cross have? What were his defensive capabilities? Do not get close. Do not engage the enemy.

Loli had told Annika not to make the attempt to investigate further. It was dangerous to get too close to Cross and they had a son to consider; she wanted to go home to him. She had argued it was their duty to make the effort. She had been arrogant in her insistence, barging into the tunnel system with all the self-righteous conviction of a force of nature. Nothing could stand in her way. Loli had been forced to follow.

It was embarrassing how easily they were captured. Cross had known they were there all along. As soon as they passed the upper pathways, they were surrounded and easily disarmed. Cross left Annika hanging in her prison, enjoying the mental as well as physical aspects of torture and knowing it would break her spirit to see the broken, battered form of her lover. Annika watched Loli's lifeless body for hours, praying she would be forgiven and longing for the blessed relief of death so she could rejoin her soul mate. But it was not meant to be.

Stealthy movement from behind caught her attention. The small hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention in anticipation of a rear attack.

"Do not move or speak." a harsh, feminine voice warned so softly Annika had to strain to catch the words. The shackles on her wrists were suddenly released and the board across her shoulders was removed. Annika turned to see her rescuer. The eyes were an arresting blue in the Native American face, attesting to a time when she had been a warrior.

She motioned for Annika to follow and led her to the tunnel exits, where she left her to find her own way out, and melting into the shadows as though she had never been.

Now the guilt and blinding panic came upon her without warning, and the young warrior pushed the unproductive emotions down with an effort. No good would come from dwelling on the past. The only way to atone for her mistakes would be to carefully plan the future. She took refuge in her anger, and let it reinforce her resolve.

Cross had taken Loli from her. He had murdered unnamed thousands; now Evan, Marla and Daria. No more, She stood up and faced the remaining women.

"Fine. We continue. Were not more than a half days march from Trafalgar Springs, then another two days to the Sister Hills," she asserted in a strong voice.

"Right," Kami thundered, trying to motivate the others "That's the spirit."

Rhonda nodded emphatically, with fists raised. The enthusiasm was catching.

"If we push it, we can make the Sister Hills without another attack. Its holy ground and they cant attack there. We will restock our supplies in the caches left there. They haven't been used in quite some time, and should be full," Annika continued.

"Well still have a six day journey from there to Cross Mountain, but we can do it."

Annika looked at Naomi for approval. It was still her decision.

"We'll have to be careful. There are only four of us left. I don't want anyone exhausted. We still stand two hour watches each night." Naomi paused to look at each of them, assessing their determination. "If anyone has reservations, I need to hear them now. I don't want anyone's resolve wavering when were standing at the foot of Cross Mountain."

"Were sure, Naomi," Rhonda said softly. "I think I speak for everyone hear when I say, for our lost friends."

"And he will pay for what he has done.... With blood," Annika vowed.

The next two days and nights passed as a blur for Annika and the others. They took turns standing watch, preparing meals, and walking as fast as their legs could carry them during the daylight hours.

Each of them felt the weight of their friends' deaths heavily. It reflected in the seriousness of their countenance and the new found quiet of the camp. There was little time for talk, but a lot for reflection.

Annika constantly agonized over their decision to continue. She owed it to her fallen comrades and to her lovers memory, but what if everyone else died in the process? How could she tell the others that her need for revenge was more important than their lives?

She couldn't understand it herself. Wasn't it better to return to Arandile and for the village to live in relative safety? Maybe if they just left Cross alone, he would leave them alone. Annika knew she was fooling herself. The rest of the world would never be safe as long as the evil being was allowed to live. So she kept her own counsel, and didn't confide her fears. Annika became even more aloof than before. Many times she felt the weight of the others eyes on her and knew they were wondering. Wondering if she was an agent of Cross. Maybe not consciously, but she knew it was there.

On the morning of the third day after Marla and Daria's deaths, the warriors awakened with a renewed sense of hope. Today they would reach the Sister Hills.

"Just think," Ronda said almost joyfully. "Today we get to see the famous Sister Hills. I can hardly wait!"

They were sitting in a loose circle around the breakfast fire, eating what little rations were left.

"I've seen it before." Annika was less than enthusiastic, poking at their small fire with a twig.

"Don't ruin her spirits," Kami admonished. "It's a wonderful place, Ronda. Ignore her."

"It's holy isn't it?" Ronda continued to Kami.

"Yes, it was blessed by Ani, the gifted one. She placed a circle of magic and sacred blessings around the small cluster of hills. Then filled them with provisions of food, supplies, and weapons. A spell was cast to preserve the food until such time as they would be needed. Now, each time the supplies are used, we restock them when the chance permits."

"Did the magic work? How could food enchanted over three hundred years ago still be good?" she asked, wide-eyed as she sopped the gravy from her plate with a crust of bread and popped it into her mouth.

Naomi snorted with laughter. "That's why it's called magic."

Ronda threw her last bite of bread at Naomi as the others burst into laughter. They finished their meal on a lighter note, cleared camp and with a new bounce in their step, headed for the Hills.

They had only been walking for about an hour. Ronda was circumnavigating a particularly large scrub cactus when she tripped over something in the sand. It was a foot, clumsily sticking out from behind the weeds.