The Illegitimate Claim (11 page)

look of sad understanding. She then got up and walked out of the tent. Her screams had

Meah to her feet instantly.

“Stop it. Let go!” Jasvee cried out as one of the River People grabbed her the second

she let the tent flap fall.

“Hold still and you won’t get hurt none. It’s not you we want. Quit it now. You’re

making quite a ruckus,” the man holding Jasvee hissed in her ear.

The other two stood ready as Meah flew out of the tent. They grabbed her but she

anticipated the ambush. She hit one of the men hard upside the head with her laser and

slammed her fist into the large stomach of the other. The larger man doubled over in

pain while the man hit in the face staggered back a few feet. He recovered quickly and

sneered cruelly at Meah.

“Thought you had us all fooled, did ya, m’lady?” A small trickle of blood oozed

from his temple where she’d hit him. “Told us you were going north. Sat by our fires

and told your stories about the far west. Mighty clever of you. Well, wench, your clever

days are over.”

Meah moved quickly. Although her Runner skills had been dormant, they entered

into full force at that moment. She hadn’t hit another person in over two winters and it

had been close to four winters since she’d killed anyone. There was no hesitation, no

doubt, no fear. Her blue-green eyes flashed as she jumped into the air and kicked the

foul-mouthed River Person hard in the face. The blunt crackle of bones splintered

through the air with the sound of Paleah screaming reverberating through her head

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The Illegitimate Claim

from behind. Dark red splotches slammed through the air and seemed to make a

smacking sound as they hit the side of the tent and the ground.

The man howled as he fell backwards. The only non-injured River Person was the

one holding Jasvee. The poor older woman had a look of stupefied horror on her face

when the River Person threw her to the side and reached to pull his laser on Meah. He

started to raise it but Meah spun around and let the beam of her laser slice through the

air. The smell of burnt flesh invaded their senses. His laser fired into the sky and the

man flew backwards then slid across the ground into a lifeless heap. Instinctively, Meah

turned on the man she’d kicked in the stomach. He was still slightly bent over and must

have been unarmed because he looked at her wide-eyed as he took one step, then

another, in a backwards direction. She didn’t blink, not one facial muscle moved as she

fired her laser directly through his heart and sent his large body in an arc until he hit

the ground with a thud and then rolled in an unnatural position around a tree.

“That is enough bloodshed,” the singsong voice of the tall, thin Neurian man spoke

calmly.

“What is this?” The large Gothman appeared from his tent as his claim peered out

of the tent flap.

Meah turned slowly as she observed the three River People dead on the ground.

Paleah stood at the entrance of her tent and the twins stood next to her holding hands.

Jasvee was still on the ground and she accepted the tall Neurian’s hand when he

reached to help her up.

“Our young visitor has a history to her, I’m afraid.” The Neurian still spoke calmly.

Jasvee looked up at him quickly. “You knew about Meah? We just found out.” She

dropped her voice to a whisper and shuddered. “I was just coming to tell you.”

“No woman with babes acts like this.” The Gothman slowly pulled a large

Gothman gun and aimed it at Meah.

“Fergus, my friend, put your gun away.” The tall Neurian raised his hand, palm up,

toward the dead men around them. “We don’t want you down there with them. She’s a

Runner.”

He gave no more explanation and the Gothman studied her closely. “I daresay it

appears you had quite a bone to pick with the River People, you did. Do you have a

bone to pick with us as well?” The Gothman’s voice boomed and he didn’t lower his

gun.

Meah remained tense, her own laser pointed down, but very aware that she would

do anything to protect her children.

“I didn’t have a bone to pick with them. Runners don’t attack unless they are

attacked first,” she said evenly.

“We’ll not attack you, Meah.” The tall Neurian continued to soothe everyone with

his tone. “Will you attack us?”

“No, I won’t.”

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Lorie O’Clare

The Neurian then looked at the Gothman. “Take your claim back to bed, Fergus.

We have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow. I’ll handle matters here.”

Slowly the Gothman put his gun away but kept an eye on Meah until he closed his

tent flap. Meah put her laser inside the belt of her loose-fitting pants and then turned to

look at the dead bodies.

“I haven’t introduced myself to you yet, child,” the tall Neurian man said after

they’d dragged the dead men over to the edge of the trees. “My name is Thern Risko.”

“I’ve heard of you through my readings,” Meah said quietly and took a minute to

look the man over.

He was tall, thin, with gray streaks running through his coal-black hair. His nose

was long and pointed as was his chin, and his black eyes were set deeply in his face.

There was a stern look about him, obviously a man capable of taking charge, yet there

was compassion about him too.

And that’s what Meah saw in his eyes at that moment. “You’re noted for your

translations of the books of Crator.”

They entered the women’s tent and Meah sat down, allowing the twins to make

themselves comfortable on her lap. Paleah sat on her bedroll and then after lighting

several lanterns so there was ample light, Thern surprised Meah by sitting down next to

Jasvee on her bedroll.

“We need to leave, I’m afraid. You were all so kind to share your camp with us, and

I can’t tell you how sorry I am that you had to witness such an ugly massacre.” Meah

paused and focused her eyes on Paleah, who still looked haunted by the experience. “I

forget there are people out there who aren’t accustomed to a life of violence.”

“I recognized you when you arrived. I’d seen the transmission from Gothman

earlier, and the picture was obviously you,” Thern said in his gentle tone. “Why don’t

you tell us why they are after you?”

“I don’t know,” Meah whispered. “Crator told me to go home and so we’re headed

north. Tonight when I walked past the River People’s tent, I overheard them talking

about me. That’s how I found out there was a mark on my head. It was the first I heard

of it. The children and I need to leave now. You’re not safe with us in your camp.”

“You’ll be easily spotted, I’m afraid.” Paleah bit her lower lip. “But if we disguise

you, you might be able to make it to your family and gain some protection.”

“You’re willing to help me?” Meah was surprised.

She stared from one of them to the other. They all looked at each other as well and

then back at Meah.

“We’ll help you.” Thern smiled. “I spent this evening in my tent praying for

guidance, and I feel Crator wishes to give you safe passage.”

“All I need for you to do is not tell anyone you saw me.” Meah put her glassy-eyed

children on the ground next to her and then began rolling up their bedding.

“You can at least wait until morning,” Jasvee protested.

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The Illegitimate Claim

“I don’t want to chance it. We’ll be less noticeable in the dark, and if those River

People sent any transmissions there are probably more of them headed this way as we

speak.”

“Not likely.” Paleah shook her head. “River People are greedy. They wouldn’t want

to share the reward.”

Paleah stood up and stretched then grabbed one of Meah’s bedrolls and rolled it up

for her.

“I have some dye that I use to paint my skin. I think I could match the blond in your

children’s hair and make your hair look like their hair. Then we can put you in Neurian

clothes. You’re not as dark as me but the sun has browned your skin. If they’re just

looking for you, they won’t suspect a Neurian with two children.” Paleah walked

around Meah, tapping her lower lip with her finger.

And so it was done. Jasvee and Thern left the two young women alone and agreed

to keep an eye on the camp. Paleah explained some things about herself to Meah as she

worked to change her appearance. Meah was stunned by the information she learned.

“My papa is Dorn Gowsky. He and my mama had an affair after his mate died. She

refused to be his mate when she found out she was pregnant. She said they were just

friends and her being pregnant wouldn’t make them fall in love with each other. She

agreed that he could be involved in raising me though, so I have his last name and he

has some say over me.” Paleah stood back to observe the blond streaks she added to

Meah’s black hair, then looked over to the sleeping children for a comparison. Satisfied,

she then began going through the few outfits she’d brought until they found one that

would fit Meah.

“I have one older sister, Sharay. She has had one love and has planned for quite a

while now to join him in a village he’s created west of here. My papa made other plans

for her though and refused to let her go.” Paleah paused when Meah looked up quickly.

“She didn’t go?” Meah asked before thinking.

“You know about this?” Paleah frowned in confusion.

“I’ve been with Rog for the past few winters. I know how much he loves Sharay

and was excited that she was coming to join him. He’ll be heartbroken.”

“There’s more, Meah. Maybe we should sit down.” She gestured to her bedroll and

Meah looked at her curiously.

“What do you mean there’s more?”

“What are your feelings for the heir to Gothman?” Paleah got the answer she was

looking for when Meah blushed then placed her hands on her cheeks.

“I haven’t seen him in over five winters. I’ve been on the age of searching.” Meah

looked at her children and fought a tear that tried to escape down her cheek. “And he’ll

be furious when he finds out I’ve kept those two from him.”

Paleah saw how Meah reacted to everything she’d learned so far this evening. She

couldn’t risk telling her any more right now. The news that she was being sent to Rog in