Acidalia 25

Acidalia XXV
By Amanda D.

A little bit of a forward before you dive into this monster.
As a kid growing up reading Marvel comics, it was customary for all the quarter century issues to be double sized and something special. I half laughed at the idea of making a jumbo sized 25th addition of Acidalia but then I started writing and it turned out to be a self fulfilling prophecy. It was a real challenge to write this part, there were days I wondered if I was ever going to get to the end of it, but here it is. I hope you find it an enjoyable, if a tad lengthy ride. As always please leave comments.
Love
Amanda
******************

Nicole:

The blackness began to fade to light grey. Where there was perfect stillness a moment before, small sounds began to leak into her ears. She didn’t want to be disturbed. The injured new woman tried to push it all away and return to the darkness. All she wanted was to be left alone. To escape before the pain returned.

Deep seated as that desire was, she annoyingly felt something touching bare skin. It was a small circle of cold in the center of her chest. Then it moved to the side of her rib cage. It touched the one side then moved over to the other, causing goose flesh to rise up.

As she lay there, she gradually began to recognize the irritating sounds were actually voices. Female voices, two or three of them from what she could decern. The voiced were coming from all around and above her.

There was a strange sharp smell in the air. It was vaguely unpleasant, but she couldn’t quite identify it. Her nose twitched as became more intense for a second then faded back. She coughed, choked actually, as the smell burned her lungs. Nicole tried to raise her hand to wave the smell away, but strangely her arm refused to answer the call.

She tried to open her eyes; they were equally resistant to her mental commands. That sent a dull shiver of fear through her still semi-conscious mind. She redoubled her efforts, concentrating as hard as she could manage in her current state. Finally, they raised enough to allow a small amount of light to slip through.

The glare was bright enough to induce her eyes to water but not overwhelmingly so. In the tear induced haze she could make out mostly vague shapes, two of them at least. They seemed to be connected somehow to the sounds she could hear, but her mind was still to muddled to make any sense of what they were saying. They almost sounded like they were speaking in a foreign language.

Nicole lay there, blinking, trying to water to clear from her vision, listening. As time wore on the sounds began to form words here and there, ones she understood anyhow. The rest might as well have been spoken in Martian for all sense they made. The voices, however, were far more familiar and focused on trying to remember who they belonged too.

One in particular, she knew as well as her own, at least that’s how familiar it seemed. She concentrated on it trying to remember who it belonged too. The voice was definitely one she knew, but it wasn’t quite the same quality as she remembered it. Then all at once it came to her.

“Thomas?” she whispered. “I..is that you?”

“Thomas? No one has called me that in a very long time. She must be worse off than we thought.” she heard in return. Then she heard the voice ask, “Nicole baby, are you there?”

She sighed to herself in relief. Even though she sounded a bit different it was Thomas after all.

“Long time?” she dazedly wondered then answered, “Yeah. I..I think I’m here.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Hard…hard to think..”

“I bet. You’ve been out for days.” Thomas’ voice reassured her. “We were starting to wonder if you were ever going to come around back to the land of the living.”

“Days?” she questioned. “Wh..where are we? The compound?”

“Compound? No sweetie.” Thomas replied. “Your in the infirmary.”

“Infirmary?” Nicole asked. She was trying to force her eyes to open wider with only marginal success. The light seems so bright that it would burn her eyes right out of her head if she let too much in.

As she struggled t get her eyes to adjust, the voices continued to converse around her.

“Her leg seems to be healing fine.” One voice said.

“When have you ever known her not to heal?” Thomas’ voice asked.

“This was different. I thought we were going to have to take it.” The other voice replied. “She’s seems like she’s in pretty bad shape. I’m going to give her something to help clear her head.”

A moment later she felt a sharp needle poke her in the arm.

“That should make you feel better.” the unknown voice told her

“Leg?” Nicole whispered, feeling a small surge in her ability to think. “I..I was shot. My…my chest. By Carol I think..”

“Carol, not likely?” the voice that was Thomas’ but not quite the same replied. “No baby it was Hiller. He got in a lucky swing and nearly cut your leg off, but you scragged his ass. With him gone, his people lost the will to keep fighting and ran off to the hills. Good thing too, they were kicking our asses pretty good til then. You saved us.”

“Hiller?” Nicole had no idea who that might be. “Who?” she asked as her eyes came to about half mast.

She gazed around the room best she could. It was definitely a hospital room, but it wasn’t anything like the one at the compound. The high stone ceiling was a dark color, almost gothic. The walls seemed to be made out of a similarly colored rock of some kind. She’d never seen anything like this place before.

“Wh..what happened? Where am I?” she asked a bit more forcefully.

“What’s the last thing you remember, sweetie?” Thomas asked.

“Why does your voice sound so funny?” she asked as she concentrated on her last memories. “I was in the house trying to rescue Sam. The cellar door popped open, and I think Carol was there with a gun. She..sh.. shot me. I.. i think.”

“Rescuing Sam?” Thomas asked.

“Ya. I think anyhow.” Thinking was getting easier by the moment.

“Baby that was ages ago.” Thomas replied.

“Ages? That doesn’t make sense.” She replied in confusion. “Wh..where am I? she asked again as she forced her eyes completely open at last.

“You’re with us in the infirmary. Dr. Georgia has been taking care of you while your leg healed. You’ve been unconscious do to blood loss for three days since we returned from the battle with Hillers people.” Thomas told her.

Thomas’ back was to her as she explained, not that that explanation made a bit of sense to her. Nicole noticed that her hair was different, somewhat lighter, longer too. “Baby, turn around. Let me see you.” Nicole asked.

Thomas did as he was asked. Nicole nearly fell off the bed when she got a look at her lover. Her one silky smooth skin was now cracked with age lines. Her hair was still brown but colored with streaks of grey, giving it the lighter appearance she’d already noticed. Thomas reached out and took Nicole’s hand in hers. Her skin felt dry, like an old woman’s. The skin of her hand felt different too, thinner somehow.

And then all at once she was wide awake. Nicole pulled her hand back and pushed herself up in the bed. “What the fuck I going on here? She demanded. “Who the hell are you people?”

“Nicole. Baby, calm down it’s us.” Thomas soothed.

“Bull shit! The Thomas I know isn’t approaching social security age!” She was scared now. Nothing made sense. Was she kidnapped and someone was trying to make her think she was at the compound? To what end?

“Thomas?” she laughed. “Baby, It me Tabitha. I haven’t gone by Thomas since the fall.”

“The fall? What the fuck are you talking about? What fall? The fall of what?”

“General, you need to calm yourself.” The one Thomas had called Dr. Georgia told her. She laid a gentle hand on her shoulder the Nicole quickly swiped away.

“Calm?” Nicole replied nonplused. “Who the hell are you?”

Thomas/ Tabitha replied, “That’s Georgia. Linda’s daughter. Jesus, baby. They must have gotten you better than we thought.”

Nicole looked at the twenty something blonde woman. She could see a bit of Linda in her features. “Wait, wait, wait!! Linda doesn’t have a daughter! She’s still pregnant. I saw her yesterday…”

“My mother died years ago.” Georgia said with a touch sadness in her voice.

“Years?” Nicole asked. “How can that be? That makes no sense. What year is this?”

“The year?” Another voice asked from across the room.

Nicole looked in the direction of it and sat a tall gracefully regal looking woman in a long dress walking across the infirmary floor. She had dark blue eyes that seemed to fit perfectly with her chestnut-colored hair, which was tied in a loose braid that extended down past the swell of her breast. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but the red head was unable to put her finger on what it was.

“It’s 2037. Same as yesterday, same as tomorrow. Until December 31st anyhow.” She said with a smile. There was something serene about this woman that made her suddenly feel calm and at ease. It reminded Nicole very much of the effect Ellie had on some people.

“2037?” Nicole asked even more confused than ever.

“What year do you think it is?” The regal woman asked.

“2006. Last I knew, anyhow.” Nicole replied. Was someone playing a joke or something on her she wondered.
“Who are you?” she asked the strange woman.

“My name is Sara. If the last thing you remember is all the way back in 06 then you knew me as Sam Greyson's infant daughter.”

“Sam’s daughter? The baby?” Nicole's mind was boggled to the point of breaking. How had it suddenly become 2037? Was she thirty years older or had something happened? There were so many questions she didn’t even know where to begin asking. Suddenly she needed to see what she looked like. “Can I see a mirror, please?”

“Sure. Let me grab you one.” Sara told her.

“I have it my Queen.” Georgia pipped up.

“Queen?” She asked.

Sara smiled. “We obviously have a lot to discuss.”

“I’d say we do.” Nicole agreed. She reached down and rubbed the huge scar on the side of her leg. Whatever else was going on here, the injury was real enough.

“Here you go.” Georgia said handing her an ornate medium sized oval handheld mirror.

“Thanks.” She replied, taking it. She took a deep breath and looked at her reflection. What she saw made the mirror slip from her hand. Tabitha's quick reactions managed to snatch it out of midair before it could shatter on the floor.

“What the hell? Why are you all older but I look the same?” She asked more confused than ever.

“Baby you haven’t aged in all the time I’ve known you.” Tabitha told her.

“Not aged? Of course I’ve aged, Thomas. That’s a crazy thing to say.”

“Tabitha please, my love, I gave up using Thomas a very long time ago. But yes, no one knows why but you haven’t aged in all these years, but you’ve remained physically the same for all the years.”

“I’m sorry but that doesn’t seem possible.” Nicole replied. Her mind kept rejecting the premise and yet the reflection in the mirror said they were right. She looked exactly the same as she had on the last morning she could remember. “And how does 30 years pass in an instant?” she wondered to herself.

It was all becoming very frustrating.

Georgia gave the machinery monitoring Nicole's vital signs a glance and frowned. The frustration was manifesting itself physically, it seemed based on all the red on the monitors. “Ok that’s enough excitement for one afternoon, I think. The General needs her rest.”

“I don’t need to rest!” Nicole flashed angrily. “What I need is to do is figure out what the hell is wrong with me.”

“Yes, we do.” Sara told her. “And we will figure it out together. Giving yourself an aneurysm, however, isn’t going to make things clear any faster. Plus, we’d have to wait for you to recover from it and god only knows how long that would take.” She placed her hand on Nicole’s shoulder and gave her an easy smile. Almost instantly the new woman felt a mellow kind of calmness settle over her.

“With your permission, Majesty, I’m going to stay here with Nicole a while.” Tabitha said.

“Yes, of course Major. We don’t have anything on the schedule until tomorrow night anyway. Maybe you can help her remember.” The Queen told her.

“I’ll see what I can do but you know how stubborn she can be.” Tabitha replied with a laugh.

Sara smiled. “Yes, yes we do.” then to Nicole she said, “We will speak in the morning General. Rest well tonight. It’s good to have to have you back amongst the living with us.”

“Georgia, there’s something need to speak to you about, if you have a few minutes.”

“Of course, Majesty. I’ll be right with you.” The doctor told her.

“Fine. No rush. I’ll see you in the family room when you’re ready.” Sara told her as she walked away.

The doctor looked over at Nicole and Tabitha. “You rest.” She told the red head. “You make sure she rests.”

“You have my solemn word.” Tabitha told her with a smile. Georgia rolled her eyes and headed out the way Sara had gone.

When they were finally alone Nicole reached out for her lover’s hand. Tabitha took hers and smiled brightly. She felt such a sense of relief that Nicole was awake. It had been a hard few days waiting for her to return to from whatever form of oblivion she went to when injured so severely. It wasn’t the first time she’d been “killed” and come back, though this was the first time she can back suffering from amnesia. That was troubling but, even with her odd memory issues it was good to have her back.

“Major huh?” Nicole asked.

“Yeps. Second fiercest warrior in the Queendom. Next to you of course.” She smiled and batted her eyes flatteringly, then laughed.
Despite her confusion, Nicole couldn’t help but laugh back. She then asked, “And I’m a General? Like in the army or something?”

“Yes, you are my love.”

“How? No wait! Not how. What the hell has happened to the world? Will you please tell me.” Nicole asked anxiously. “I feel so god damned lost at the moment.”

“Thirty years is a lot to go over babe.”

“I don’t have anywhere to go, do you?”

Tabitha smiled. “No, I suppose not. What would you like to know first?”

“I guess my first question is, what’s up with the name change? You went through so much to keep yours. They tortured you in Reynolds because you wouldn’t change it. So, what happened?”

“MMM, yes, I did. Went through hell actually.” Tabitha told her thinking back to those long-ago days. “However, after the fall of the worlds governments things got really flaky. Harkin had given me an Id that said I was an NSA agent named Tabitha Langstrom to use for my trip to see Yvonne.”

“After the Sisters were scattered some months later, I used it to hide who I was. It worked too. No one at what was left of the decaying agency even blinked at me. I did my best to blend into the woodwork and committed myself to the work best I could.” She explained.

“You went to work for the feds? Where was I?”

“You went off with Ellie.” Tabitha said somberly.

“That was a bad thing?” Nicole asked.

“Losing the Sisters for a second time changed Ellie in a deep fundamental way. She became obsessed with making those that betrayed us pay. She tracked down Russov, who was hiding at Fort Rawlings in Nebraska. With you and other enhanced at her side, coupled with what I’m told was a revolt by the new women being held inside, the place fell pretty quickly.”

“The information I was given said she did some pretty unspeakable things to Russov once she got a hold of her. Harkin too, once she tracked him down with a little help from me. The poor bastard. Had I known what she planned to do to him I’d never have gotten involved.” Tabitha explained.

“Who told you about Russov and Harkin?”

She sighed. “You did. It was the final excuse I needed to get you admit she had gone too far and leave.”

“I don’t remember any of that.” Nicole said, as she shook her head in frustration. “So where is El now?”

Tabitha waived towards the window t her left. “Out there somewhere with what’s left of her army from the fort. We were allies for a time when she came east fleeing the radioactive wasteland the west coast had become.”

“But not anymore?”

“No. She opposed Sara’s ascension to the throne. Since then, she’s done what she can to make our live hell. Such as backing Hiller’s people in their attacks on us.”

“Backing them? How?”

“She still has a sizable army that follows her like she was Jesus reincarnated herself. I guess she thinks she should be the queen of it all still, but regardless of her reasons she’s set against us.” Tabitha said the followed it with a loud sigh.

“And I killed this Hiller person?” Nicole asked.

“Gutted him like the pig he was. It was glorious to see. You stood over his body with your leg hacked to shit, blood flowing down your leg like a river with your sword raised to the sky. I wish I had a camera.” Her voice was filled with pride as she recounted the scene.

“What were we fighting over?” she asked slightly turned off by Tabitha’s blood lust.

“Our territory extends through most of Northeastern Virginia, including the all-important navy base in Norfolk.”

“Navy base? You into sailing now?” She asked with a laugh.

“Not me. I can’t even swim.” She said with a laugh. “We liberated the Base from the Nationalists and freed over a thousand infected service members assigned there. That was one of our first victories when we began carving out the Queendom.”

“Nationalists?”

“They control DC and most of the area to the north of us, the inhabitable parts anyhow. They’re what’s left over of the old federal government and their military leaders. They’ve walled the entire metro area off and turned the former capital into its own little city state.”

“More men?”

“Yes. As the pandemic wore on immune men were sought out and it was discovered that far more males were immune from the effects of Acidalia than originally thought. Add to that the vaccine that Mia Blue and Sam came up with, the population of men has doubled the last twenty or so years. Unfortunately, like the amazons of old, most of them hate us. Makes finding trade partners interesting.”

Nicole nodded. “Because we’re virus victims?”

“Because we are enhanced and they are not. As it turns out the Cow was right, we do pass our gifts on to our offspring.” Tabitha said with a bitter chuckle.

“What about the rest of the women here? Are they all enhanced too?”

“No. Some are to differing levels but the only requirement for joining the Queendom is being a new woman. That’s what we are here for. To protect our own and you are the greatest protector out of all of us.” She gave Nicole’s hand a squeeze.

“Just wish I could remember all this.” She shook her head. “So where is Ellie now?”

It distressed Nicole to hear El had gone over the edge a second time, regardless of the circumstances that pushed her there. She felt deep in her heart that the short sandy blonde-haired woman was her best friend still. Whatever future history (was that even a word she wondered) bitterness they may between them in this time, her feelings were the same as they were the last day she remembered.

“She and her followers are to our south and west. She has a fairly large army but most of enhanced ones the two of you liberated have either died in battle or moved on. Her army has almost as many norms now as enhanced.” She explained.

“This sounds so completely crazy to me.”

Tabitha nodded. Deciding to change the subject she said, “I’m hungry, what about you?”

Nicole thought about it for the first time since waking up and realized she was starving. “Yeah, now that you mention it.”

Georgia had returned while they were talking and was busing herself in another room when Tabitha called out. “Hey Doc, can I take her out of here and get some dinner?”

She popped her head through the doorway. “She should be fine if she feels up to walking.”

“Up for a short walk?” Tabitha asked Nicole.

She rubbed her leg for a moment. It was sore but not unbearably so. “Yeah, I think I can make it.”

“You won’t regret it. The food in the dining hall is far better than the slop they feed you in the infirmary.” Tabitha said sticking her tongue out at Georgia, who’s head popped back though the door at the remark.

“Keep it up Major, you’ll be back in here before you know it.” She said with a laugh. “You’re not as young as you used to be.”

“Respect your elders’ youngster.” She replied in mock seriousness. “I’ll tell the Queen on you.”

Georgia stuck her tongue and smiled. “I dare you.”

Tabitha laughed then looked at Nicole, “She’s such a brat.”

Nicole nodded. “Definitely her mother’s daughter. The two women went silent and just stared at the red head. “What? What did I do?”
“It’s ok Nicole, you don’t remember.” Georgia said with a small but fake smile. She went back into the room she was working in without another word.

Nicole looked at her lover in confusion. Tabitha smiled wanly, took her by the arm and led her out of the infirmary.

Once outside Nicole pulled her arm free and stopped. “Ok we’re out of ear shot. What did I say?”

“Linda died.”

“Ok?”

“It’s impolite to bring up the dead, especially to their surviving family. It’s considered a gigantic insult.” Tabitha explained.

“Since when?”

“After the fall and so many died, there was so much grief on everyone shoulders that it was agreed that we’d only discuss the dead if those closest to them brought it up first. That agreement became a cultural taboo after a few years.” She told her.

“Well shit. Guess I fucked that one up something awful. I should go apologize.” Nicole was mortified at the idea of insulting the young doctor.

“Don’t worry about it. She understands that you don’t remember.” Tabitha reassured her.

Nicole shook her head trying to jar whatever was blocking her memories loose. Using the heel of her hand she smacked her forehead a couple times for good measure. The last one was a bit harder than she meant it to be and caused her to take a small step backwards as a bolt of pain radiated through her head.

Tabitha looked at her quizzically. “Are you ok? She asked with a laugh. “Trust me babe. Nothing can get through that solid mass you call head. Beating yourself up’s not going to help any.”

Nicole, with still one eye closed against the pain, stuck her tongue out at her lover. Tabitha laughed. She took Nicole's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. The skin felt different against hers, but the grip was reassuringly the same.

“Well, no matter what else has happened we made it so that’s reassuring.” The redhead said with a smile.

“That we have my love. That we have.” She replied with a wide smile.

“So, what is this place?” Nicole asked looking around at the dark stone walls with gothic architecture along the top boarder. The floors were polished stone of a similar but slightly lighter hue than the walls and vaulted ceiling. “It feels like a castle.”

“It is sort of. We’re just outside Alexandria Va. A little town called Potomac, the river is just to the north of us a few blocks. This place was part of some rich douche’ bag’s estate. They had a sized down model of a castle from somewhere in Europe built. Guess he though himself a king of industry and wanted a castle of his own, or so I was told. Anyway, it’s the perfect place to house the Queen and our other leaders. It’s set far back from the road with a large forest of trees to help hide it. He even and a wall with ramparts built around the place.” She laughed at the absurdity of the idea.

Tabitha pulled Nicole by the arm over to a window. “If you look to the leftish you can see part of one of them right over there.” She pointed in the appropriate direction.

Nicole followed her finger and sure enough, there was giant stone wall surrounding them with towers at the corners. “All the place is missing was a moat with alligators or better yet, a dragon, guarding it” she thought with a smile.

To her guide she said, “Impressive amount of little dick energy out there.” They both laughed.

“Epic amounts of it.” Tabitha agreed. “But it servs our purposes very well.”

“And that’s what counts the most.” Another voice said from behind them.

The pair turned to see another young woman, with short curly brown hair approaching them.

“Hello Carol.” Tabitha said in greeting.

“Hi Major.” She said easily. Then she addressed Nicole far more formally. “General.”

“Carol?” Nicole asked curiously, unsure if it was the same one, she knew.

“Yes General?”

“It’s who you think it is love.” Tabitha assured her.

Nicole looked at the woman in awe. “You..you grew up!” she exclaimed a bit too loudly.

“Yes. I grew up a long time ago.” She replied stiffly.

Nicole looked at Tabitha unsure what to say next. It was obvious there was some kind of issue between this adult version of the regressed child she knew, but she had no idea what I might be.

Tabitha sensing the tension said” Was there something you needed?”

“Yes. The Queen sent me. She’s in the dining hall and requests the both of you to come and sit at her table. She’s decided tonight’s dinner will be a victory celebration.” Carol told her quickly.

Tabitha nodded. “Tell her majesty we will be along shortly and thank her for the invitation.”

“I will pass it on.” Carol replied with nod in Nicole's direction and walked off.

Once she was out of ear shot Nicole asked. “What was up with that? Does she still hold a grudge from thirty years ago?”

Tabitha laughed. “No, it’s just Carol. She’s been through a lot, including some time spent in Victor Cruize’s harem, unwillingly. The experience left her scared, badly. She is only warm to me because I was the one that freed her.”

Nicole nodded. “Poor thing.” There wasn’t much more she could say since she had no idea who Victor Cruise is or had been.

“Yes. It was a very unpleasant experience for her.” Tabitha agreed. “Now that she’s back with us she serves as one of Sara’s top advisors. Carol has an amazing head for numbers and has been instrumental in the success of our crops. She figured out a mathematical equation of how to place each plant to maximize its growth and yield”

Nicole looked mind boggled. “She did?”

Tabitha laughed. “Yes. She might be the smartest person in the word at this point. At the very least she is the smartest person here for sure.”

“I don’t remember her being any smarter than anyone else.” Nicole admitted.

“Her enhancement didn’t start showing up until she reached puberty, for the second time. That’s pretty much par for the course with the second and third generations of our descendants now.” Tabitha told her.

“I guess that saves having to deal with superbabies.” Nicole joked.

“God, can you imagine?” Tabitha laughed.

“Yes, but I don’t want t dwell on it.” She replied, still laughing.

“Probably for the best.” The older woman replied. She looked around and noticed the hallway was deserted beside the two of them. “Oi. We better get down to the dining hall or Sara’s going to kick our butts.”

She took Nicole's hand again and led her down the long hallway that joined the main building with what she learned later, was called the south wing. A few moments later they came to the entrance of an enormous room, filled with at least a hundred women all sitting at long tables that ran north to south. At the front of the room was another of the tables that sat ninety degrees to the rest so whoever was sitting there could look out at the rest of the room. Sitting dead center of the east/west table was Queen Sara.

She spotted them entering and raised her glass in their direction. Tabitha spotted her and waved. Nicole was taking the entire scene in. It was like something out of a King Arthur movie, or the game of thrones tv show the way all the other tables paid homage to the one at the front of the room.

Tabitha tugged on her hand. Nicole turned and allowed herself to be pulled along the side of the room. As they pair made their way up the side isle several women reach for Nicole’s arm. They said words of thanks and of relief that her condition had improved. They all seemed to know her even though she had no idea who any of them were.

As they reached the back side of the head table and made their way to a pair of chairs to the Queen’s left, Nicole overheard Sara tell Tabitha, “It’s about time.”

She looked at the Queen and shrugged. “Sorry your Majesty. You kind of forgot to tell me that you’d decided to make tonight’s diner a celebration.” She stuck her tongue out at the Queen.

Sara laughed. “This is what happens when you miss meetings between me and Georgia.”

“Next time I’ll remember to eaves drop more efficiently.” Tabitha replied with a smile.

“Make sure you do. “The Queen replied as she pushed her chair back and stood.

The noise filled room quieted down quickly as the rest of the women there noticed their leader on her feet. Once the room was silent Sara spoke.

“Ladies, please stand and let us observe a moment for those lost in our most recent campaign to preserve our lands. The list of those who made the ultimate sacrifice is posted at each entrance as always.”

With that said Sara, as well as everyone else in attendance, lowered her head. Nicole’s sensitive ears could hear several in the room whispering prayers for those they’d lost. It was a very emotional moment for everyone and when their heads raised again many had tears streaking down their cheeks.

“Thank you.” Sara said after the moment had passed. “Tonight, we celebrate not only their lives, now gone, but also the return of one from her injuries sustained in battle. The General,” she paused a moment then said, “Nicole, has returned to full health and been released by the doctors so that she can be amongst us tonight.”

A loud round of applause rang out through the room at the news of her recovery. Nicole was bowled over by the outpouring of love she felt from the gathered crowd. Again, she wished she could remember something, anything that would connect her emotionally to this moment but there was nothing. It was as if she was an imposter who’d entered someone else’s life with no idea who they were.

After the clapping subsided Sara again spoke. “So let this be a night or remembrance of those lost to us and celebration those who’ve come back. Warriors of the Queendom, I salute you!” She told them raising her glass of what looked like red wine in toast to everyone. The rest of the room raised their ins response, and all took a drink of whatever was in their cups.

With the opening ceremony completed a great number of women filtered into the room carrying enormous patters of food. They placed several on each table then sat themselves at the end of the one they served to join in on the meal.

Tabitha leaned over to Nicole and said to her. “No one here is above or below anyone else. The kitchen crew who cooked this meal will join the rest of us in eating it. We all have jobs that contribute to sustaining the Queendom and no job is considered less important than any other since they all contribute to the whole.”

Nicole nodded. She had to admit what she knew of the place was pretty amazing. Nothing in the time she remembered was anything like this. The legitimate equality was kind of awe inspiring. Maybe if the world she remembered had more if it the fall, as they called it, might not have happened.

As for the meal itself was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. The venison, which was served as the main course, was fresh and delicious. The amazing variety of veggies to go with it was incredible. It was even more amazing that everything on the tables was grown locally on their farms. Whatever improvements Carol had done for their farming practices certainly worked.

As she ate silently, Nicole became lost in thought. She was trying to assess what she was told about the world as it existed now and how it had come to be like this. There were many holes in the history Thomas had relayed to her, but she assumed at some point she’d learn about all of it or her memory of it all would return.

As she stared off into space Sara came behind her and took the empty seat to her left. The Queen put a hand n her shoulder and said, “Earth to Nicole.” The redheaded new woman was so lost in thought that she jumped and nearly knocked over her drink.

“Jesus! You scared the hell out of me!”

The Queen laughed. “Sorry hun. I was just trying to bring you back to earth.”

Nicole smiled. “Yeah, I guess was a little lost in thought.”

“It’s been a lot to take in huh?”

“Yes. I’m overloaded. I have so many questions that I don’t even know where to begin asking.” Nicole admitted.

“I can imagine. Hopefully it will all clear up for you in the morning. We’re still going to meet up yes?”

“How can I say no to a royal order?” she joked.

Sara smiled. “Better not. I’ll have you thrown into the dungeon.” She pointed off into the crowd at a woman that would have put Wendy to shame. “That’s our head of civic security Moira. Last week you beat her in a poker game and took all her money. I’m sure she’d love to get her hands on you.” The Queen said with a laugh.

Nicole swallowed hard and put on her best scared face. “I guess she wouldn’t buy my memory issues as an excuse to go easy on me, huh?”

“I’m thinking not.” Sara laughed.

“I’ll be there with bells on then. As soon as you tell me what time.”

“Let’s meet for breakfast. Say 9am?” Sara told her.

“Works for me.”

“Great. I will see you then.” Sara started to get up but Nicole grabbed her arm gently. The Queen sat back down. She waved off her guards that had seen the move, assuring them there was no threat.

“Is there something else?” she asked.

Nicole looked around. “They’re a little jumpy aren’t they.” She mentioned nodding in the guards direction.

“They take their job very seriously.” Sara agreed.

“Noted.” She replied. “Before you go, I just wanted to ask you what happened to your mother and grandmother.”

The Queen nodded. “Reasonable questions.” She sighed. “My grandmother, Mia, she died, not long after the two of them produced the first effective vaccine for Acidalia. It was a political thing I’m told. I was very young, obviously.”

Nicole nodded. Mia was never one of her favorite people, but she never wished her any real harm. It made her sad to think someone assassinated her. “That’s very sad to hear. I hope it was fast at least.”

“She was killed in a car bombing.” Sara added simply.

“And your mother?”

Queen Sara looked at her general with great sadness I her eyes. “My mom passed away two years later. We were on the road to Norfolk and some poor souls that were just looking for food ambushed us. Sam didn’t know what they were after and stepped in front of me in a protective gesture. The leader took it as an aggressive move on her part and stabbed her in the stomach. The wound was deep and the knife she used was dirty and it pieced her intestine. Despite the doctors’ best efforts, we couldn’t rid her of the infection that set in. In the end she lasted about a month before the infections took her. After that I was raised by some of the other adults in what was left of the Sisters.”

“My god Sara. I’m so sorry to hear that.” She reached over and pulled the Queen in for a hug. Sara hugged her back fiercely.

“Such is the world we live in now. There is none of the old infrastructure left to provide basic needs for everyone. No more supermarkets or hospitals or any of that and people die of things that were unthinkable before it all came crashing down. Now we grow our own food and make our own medicines. The crops yield far more than we could ever use as a group, even with winter stores. So, we distribute whatever is left to all the communities that surround us, but it’s never enough to feed everyone, much as I wish that it was.”

“That’s very generous of you.”

“All my life I had others to take care of me. From the moment I was born a boy and became infected I’ve depended on the grace of others for my survival. Now that I’m in a position where I can help those who are in need, I will do what I can.” She said with great seriousness.

Nicole opened her mouth to say more but one of Sara’s advisors came over and touched the Queen’s shoulder then whispered in her ear. “I’m sorry Nikki. I have to attend to something.” She explained getting up. “I will see you tomorrow at nine.”

“Yes. I will see you then.” Nicole replied. She watched as the Queen was ushered off by the stocky purple haired girl that had interrupted them.

As they walked several more women, Carol included joined with them as they left the room.

“Hey there gorgeous.” A familiar voice said. She turned and looked to see Thomas/Tabitha leaning across the table. “Got time for a dance with your wife?”

Nicole smiled. “Always have time for that beautiful. She stood up and took Tabitha’s extended hand after walking around the table and the pair strolled arm and arm to the dance floor.

Though the floor was crowded with revelers they parted like the red sea as the pair approached, giving them all the room they could need.

“You scared them all off huh?” Nicole joked.

“Position has its privileges wifey o’ mine.” She replied as she gathered Nicole into her arms.

“Position huh?”

“Two fiercest warriors in the Queendom dearest.” She said with a grin then lay her head on Nikki’s shoulder.

The two of them stayed there, dancing, drinking and reveling with the rest of the queen’s soldiers until the wee hours of the morning. Nicole couldn’t ever remember a time when she was happier than that night with this new version of Thomas and fellow members of the Queendom.

**************************
The Queens living quarters:

Nicole, after getting lost twice, once winding up at the entrance to the basement kitchen, despite Tabitha’s meticulous directions, she somehow managed to arrive at Sara’s rooms with five minutes to spare. Whoever had designed this lace had a flair for twisty corridors and oddly placed doors. The place really did remind her of a medieval castle, or at least what tv and the movies portrayed them to be.

Outside the Queen’s room were two women wearing light armor and sword belts that she didn’t recognize, each standing at attention on either side if the door. The pair saluted her as she arrived. The taller one with red hair on the left greeted her saying, “General.”

Feeling a bit like an ass, Nicole sketched a salute back at them and smiled. “Ladies, I hope the morning is treating you both well. I believe Sara is expecting me.”

“The Queen is waiting inside, General.” The small fierce looking one on the right replied. There was something vaguely familiar about the woman’s face, but she couldn’t place it, maybe she’d seen her at the party the night before. She opened the door for her and stepped back, allowing Nicole to pass by.

The room itself was very large, as all rooms in this pseudo castle seemed to be. Again, she wondered who was responsible for designing this place. The amount of detail included was incredible. Nicole didn’t believe she’d ever get tired of exploring it, assuming she’d be allowed to. This was truly a room fit for a king, or queen as it was in this case.

The ceiling was about twelve feet high she estimated, with the same gothic style as in the other parts she’d visited. Along the exterior wall were large, beveled glass windows that started a coupled feet off the floor and extended nearly to the ceiling. They were crosshatched with some kind of metal, possibly to help support the weight of so much glass. There was a set of two on either side of a set of much smaller glass doors the led out to a smallish looking balcony.

The floor was highly polished dark oak; the woods grain was highlighted with a sort of brilliant bronze in the places the morning sun touched it. There was various matching throw rugs dropped into the open space and under all the furniture around the room.

Off to the left was a bad fit for a queen or three. It looked, to Nicole’s untrained eye at least, to be custom made for the room. The head and foot boards were the same oak as the floor. The bed itself stood a good foot off the floor with huge round supports at the bottom of the footboard. It was amazingly wide and long. Nicole had never seen anything quite like it. Whatever they used for sheets had to be custom made.
The top was covered in blankets that matched the rooms décor perfectly.

To her right was a small area with an office set up, complete with a large oak desk, a comfortable-looking dark leather executive type of chair with several slightly lesser chairs across the front. Set a bit back from the desk set up was a set of comfortable looking couches and armchairs surrounding a large glass table.

The Queen had been sitting in one of the chairs by the table as she entered but stood as she started towards her.

“Good morning, General.” She said with a warm smile. “I see you found me.” She looked up at the clock on the wall. “And with two minutes to spare. Color me impressed.”

Everything she said had a genial, joking tone to it. Nicole got the feeling that she and Sara were very close. Again, for what felt like the hundredth time since yesterday, she wished she could see through the black veil that covered her memories and show her back the same level of affection.

“I almost didn’t.” she admitted. “I got lost at least twice, completely turned around. At one point I almost quit and went back to my room but then I realized I had no idea how to get there either.”

The Queen laughed. “It really easy to get turned around in here. I think the original owner did it on purpose.”

“Fucker.” Nicole replied with a smile.

“Indeed.” Sara waved towards the sofas. “Why don’t we sit while we wait for breakfast.”

Nicole walked over to the small living room set up and took a seat on one of the couches. Sara took a seat on the one directly across the table from the General.

“It’s funny, you can’t seem to remember much of anything, but you automatically took your usual seat.” The Queen remarked.

“Maybe things are starting to come back to me.” Nicole relied hopefully.

“We can only hope.” Sara said sincerely. “Losing thirty years’ worth of cunning and guile would be a tremendous blow to us all. Not to mention the personal loss of all that time and memories. All those moments between you and Tabitha or any of the others you’re close to stolen. It must be so frustrating for you.”

“Yes, very frustrating. Also, it’s a huge pain in my ass too.” Nicole said half-jokingly.

“I’m sure.” Sara told her with a small laugh. She opened her mouth to say something else but there was a knock on the door. A moment later one of the guards opened it and announced that breakfast was ready as a pair of women entered the room carrying a pair of platters piled with delicious smelling food.

“We’ll be taking breakfast on the balcony this morning.” Sara instructed the pair. Then to Nicole said, “It’s far too beautiful a morning to be inside.”

The pair got up and followed the food servers out the set of dual French doors to the balcony outside. It was far larger than Nicole had assumed, stretching a good eight feet out past the castle’s outer wall. It looked like it was the same length as the Queens bedroom, if she had a guess. The outer edge was guarded by a five-foot-tall black rod iron rail that ran the length of the balcony and the width at either end.
The furnishings frames were all made of similar looking metal, once again keeping the gothic them of the structure. The amount of work it must have taken to keep every single detail so precisely in theme boggled the red heads mind.

The view beyond the balcony was amazing. She guessed the land must have once been a golf course based on the hills and cut outs but had relandscaped into an immaculate garden. The lush green grassy areas were surrounded with all manner of practical growing things. It was half park, half farm with rows of what looked like lettuce separated from a small grassy area with several benches for sitting by a simple hedgerow. She’d never seen open space designed in such a way.

Beyond the gardens were woods that stretched as far as the eye could see and beyond that the mountains way off in the distance.

“It is quite an impressive view, huh? I just love it. I spend as much time as I can out here when the weather is favorable.” The Queen commented as she sat at the large round glass topped table the servers set for the two of them.

“I’ll say.” Nicole replied distractedly. Something about the view felt vaguely familiar but the harder she reached to grab onto the ghost of a memory the more gossamer it became until it faded completely out of reach.

Frustrated yet again, she dropped into the chair opposite Sara’s. She looked down at the platter set on the table to find them filled with all sorts of breakfast offerings, scrambled eggs, toast, thick bacon, an apple, grapes and strawberries. It was a much larger meal than she thought she could eat in a week, never mind at a single sitting.

Sara smiled at the questioning look on her guest’s face. “We are enhanced. Our bodies require far more calories than the normies do.”

“Normies? I’ve heard that name used a few times, it sounds to me like something of an insult to those the virus didn’t give extra attributes too.” Nicole commented. “Almost like a racial slur. To my ears anyhow.”

“It most certainly is not intended to be anything like that. It’s just a word to differentiate those who aren’t enhanced from those who are.” Sara explained.

“Yes, and nigger was just a word to differentiate whites from black back when.” She replied with an edge of disgust.

Sara nodded her head. “Point taken.”

Nicole smiled. “So, tell me your majesty, what exactly are you the queen of? I’ve been told about the size of the territory we hold but, like, are you the sole ruler of it all? Do the people get any say in how things go?”

Sara laughed. “I hate the title to be honest, but it was imparted on me, so I do my best to live up to the image and responsibility that comes with it. Far as ruling with an iron fist as it were, that’s not what we’re here for. Everyone member of our clan gets an equal say in what goes on in it. However that said, we cannot allow every single decision that needs to be made to go to committee.”

Nicole nodded. Sara seemed so lovely and sweet on the surface, but she could also sense that there was a tremendous amount of steel in her backbone. She was the type of leader that would anguish over the results of tough decisions that she would make but she’d make them, none the less. It made seem her lovable, fearsome and incredibly competent all at the same time.

The pair dug into their meals. The food was amazing, everything tasted fresh, like it had been picked that very day. They ate silently and took in the view as the chewed. The only sound were birds twittering the groans of pleasure after each bite they took.

A short time later Nicole was surprised to see she’d nearly cleared her plate. She absently wondered how many miles she was going to need to put in later to make up for her gluttony, but the food had been amazing. She decided, self-satisfactorily, that that was justification enough for eating like a little piggy.

After they were finished, the platters were removed and replaced with cups of steaming black coffee.

“Mmm, coffee. Truly the nectar of the gods.” Nicole remarked with a content smile as she took a sip from the mug. “That was tremendous meal.”

“Yes, the cooks outdid themselves today.” Sara agreed.

Another moment of silence passed between them before Nicole asked, “So what do you need from me?”

“What do you mean?” Sara asked trying to sound innocent.

“I don’t think you invited me here just to share a meal with you. You obviously need/ want something from me. Now that my belly is full you might as well tell me what it is before I head off for a nap.” Nicole smiled at her small joke.

Sara smiled back. “I had an idea.”

“Yeah? What was it?”

“The battle with Hillers people, while successful in that we seem to have eliminated one foe from the playing field, it wasn’t without a tremendous cost.” The queen relayed.

“It was war, right? People always get killed in them.”

“It’s not our dead that concerned me at this moment. We sent those sisters off in style last night.” She said, thinking of the banquet in their honor the previous evening.

“Then what’s on your mind?”

“Hillers people took prisoners. There are some taken we can’t do without. That I can’t do without.”

Nicole nodded. “So, you want to mount a rescue mission or something?”

“No, well yes but not a military operation.”

“Then what?”

“Our scouts tell me that the survivors have sought refuge in the Wolfs territory and offered our people as gifts in return for protection and shelter.”

“The Wolf? As in Ellie?” Nicole asked.
“
Yes. She stopped going by Ellie ages ago. I guess she feels the Wolf sounds more fearsome and intimidating.”

Nicole nodded. “She’s not wrong.”

Sara laughed. “No, I suppose she’s not. Anyway, I was thinking that maybe sending you to speak there as an emissary might persuade her to release them.”

“I thought she hated me now.”

“Yes, there is a lot of water under that bridge for sure on her end. But you’re not so encumbered at the moment. All you remember about her is the times before the world went to shit. Maybe that will help you reach the decency that she pushed aside so long ago.”

“What happened with her?” Nicole asked. “The Ellie I know would never commit the atrocities you people claim she did. What pushed her over the edge, I mean besides the Sisters. There has to be more to it than that.”

“I can’t really say what goes on in her head or what historical spot was the tipping point. I can say when I was elected Queen she was very upset with the result. That was the last time she and I spoke. She stormed out of here vowing revenge and has had us in her sights ever since.”

“Was there a power struggle beforehand? Is that why she was so upset at losing?” she asked in confusion.

“You have to understand how Ellie’s abilities work for me to answer that question. She has an ability that manipulates emotion. That’s why everyone feels so comfortable with her or why you can’t ever seem to win an argument. When you knew her no one had a clue such an ability even existed. She just had a glamour about her.”

Nicole nodded. “Has she had the ability from the start?” The redhead wondered how many times she was manipulated by Ellie without either of them even knowing.

Sara shrugged. “I have no idea. She’s used it to her advantage for as long as I can remember. When the time to choose a leader came, she assumed she would ride her glamour into being the first queen, but the vote went a different way.”

“So, she pitched a fit and left?” Nicole tried to imagine the scene but knowing Elie the way she did she just couldn’t picture as the bitter old woman Sara was claiming she’d become. In her mind Ellie was her best friend that she loved, while differently, as much as she loved Thoma..err…Tabitha.

“There are more layers to it than that but essentially, yes.” Sara. “In the interest of full disclosure, I possess a similar ability.”

Nicole looked at her suspiciously. “Is that how you got elected then? By manipulating everyone.”

“When my enhancements began to surface when I was about twelve, the Wolf picked up on what I could do pretty much right away. By then she knew how to control her version of it and taught me what needed to be done to keep it at bay.”

Nicole looked at her. “So, no accidents when it comes to you? Any time you use it it’s on purpose?”

“Are you wondering if I am manipulating you somehow right now?”

“Well yes since you ask.” She replied bluntly.

“Fine.” Sara said with an air of impatience. “Tell me how you feel right now. No need to hold back.”

She thought for a moment. “I’m sort of angry. Concerned I’m being messed with. Distrustful of you too.”

The Queen nodded. “That is how you feel on your own, 100%. Now I’m going to use my enhancement and tell me how you feel. Ready?”

Nicole nodded. She braced herself to resist whatever Sara was going to try to do. After a moment she felt her fear and anger just melt away. It was replaced with a gradual calm and affection for Sara. That feeling lasted a moment and then it was gone and her previous emotional state returned.

Sara sat watching her impassively. “And that is how you can tell if I’m manipulating you or not.”

Nicole sighed. “Ok.” She wasn’t sure that demonstration had the reassuring effect that Sara intended.

The queen looked at her. “Still not convinced huh?”

“Not so much.” Nicole admitted.

“I don’t know how else to prove it to you.” She told her simply. “I guess you’ll just have to learn to trust me again. You’ve always been very close to me. We’ve never had cause to distrust each other that I’m aware of.”

“Or maybe ‘ll remember this life of mine at some point and it will all be moot.”

“Perhaps.” Sara acknowledged.

“So, this mission you want me to take up?” Nicole asked, coming back to the original subject.

“Yes, that. My idea is to send you with a couple others and hopefully you will be able to persuade the Wolf to release our people.”

“Just go and talk. Nothing to offer her in return?” Nicole asked.

“Hmm. I’m not sure we have much of anything she wants besides my head on a platter.” The Queen told her. “I’m sure she would love some of our ammunition from the naval base but then she’d probably try to use it against us.”

“Yeah, not such a good idea there. Speaking of guns, I was going to ask why we’re fighting with swords and such instead of guns.”

“Because when the government fell so did all the manufacturing in the country. Bullets after twenty or so years, are an endangered species these days. We have thousands of rounds stored on the base but when none of our rivals have any guns using them wouldn’t be a fair fight.”

“They attack you and kill your people and you concerned with being sporting?” Nicole asked utterly nonplused by the idea.

“Nicole, our people don’t attack. We simply defend what’s ours. My greatest wish is that all the fighting would stop, and we could all live together as either one large community or as a region of peaceful interconnected communities. I have no desire to see our enemies suffer. I want them to stop being our enemies.”

“With you as the head of said collaboration of course.”

“You think I’m some kind of tyrant looking to expand my influence?” she asked looking genuinely perplexed.

“Your Majesty, I honestly have no idea about any of this. You could be as power mad as all the men who ran things in the time that I remember, or you could be the next coming of Ghandi.” Nicole told her honestly. “I’ve taken all of what you and the others have told me as the truth mainly because of Thomas and trusting her. I’ve seen nothing in the way of proof for any of this.”

Sara nodded. “I understand. I can’t prove a negative, so I’ll just ask, will you help me with the plan I’ve laid out or not? You don’t need to believe any of the rest of it. If you agree and you meet up with the Wolf, I’m sure she will tell you an entirely different version of events.”

“Is Tabitha coming with me?” Nicole asked after considering for a moment.

“She can be part of your group of escorts if that will get you to do as I’ve asked.” The Queen reassured her.

“Group? Who else will be coming along.”

“I was going to send a few of our warriors along as escorts, in case of trouble on the way as well as Carol.”

“Why Carol?”

“Carol has my complete trust. She knows what we have to offer better than I do. She will be my eyes, ears and if need be, voice during your negotiations.”

“It doesn’t seem like she has much use for me.” Nicole told her.

“You have to understand all that she’s been through. Her time in the harem was not a thing I’d wish upon anyone. We were lucky to get her out of there when we did. I don’t believe she’d be alive today if she’d been left there. The scars from that time run deep and make her cautious around most everyone but me and Tabitha.”

Nicole nodded. She couldn’t argue with the story since she had no idea what was true and what wasn’t. She stared at Sara for a long time as she thought long and hard about the things she’d been told. Nicole also thought about Sam, who’d raised the young woman that sat opposite her. She’d always like Sam for the person she was, never mind the gift her discovery had given Nicole and those closest to her.

Sam had always been an attentive mother, even when Mia tried to tell her what was what Sam always did what she felt was best for her daughter. With knowing who raised her and what their morals were, could Nicole honestly say she had no trust in the woman that sat before her? In the end it was that argument that won her over.

“Fine. I’m in. What the hell.” Nicole finally answered.

“Excellent!” Sara exclaimed.

“I have a few conditions though.” Nicole added.

“Tell me.”

“First, I don’t want a traveling circus. Thomas and I are supposed to be your best warriors, so there shouldn’t be much we can’t handle on our own. Secondly there’s nothing that Carol can tell them that she can’t tell us. So, I’d prefer not to have her along.”

“I see.” Sara said. “General, there is plenty out there you and Tabitha wouldn’t be able to deal with just the two of you. If you don’t believe me, just ask her yourself. The contingent will be as small as is prudent I promise. Far as Carol goes, I’m the Queen and I want her there so that’s how it will be.”

Nicole considered the replied. “That’s how it is huh?”

“Yes, that’s how it is.” Sara replied simply.

“Then I guess that’s how it will be.” Nicole said with a small smile.

“It’s good to be the Queen.” Sara replied with a smirk.

“So I’m seeing.” She laughed.

“Thank you, Genera. You may not remember our past like I do but you’ve always been there when I’ve needed you and I appreciate it.” The Queen stood up, stepped over as Nicole rose and gave her a tight embrace.

****************
Several hours later:

The sun was just beginning to set off to the west as the band of travelers was finished preparing for the journey. Tabitha had explained ad nauseum why they couldn’t just take a car and be in Ellie’s territory in a couple hours, but it still didn’t make any sense to Nicole. To her it was almost as if they enjoyed living in a pretechnological era, using horses and buggies and the like rather than just going.

“The roads aren’t safe.” She explained again. “It not just bandits might hear us coming but there are stalls all over the place, accidents too. No one has cleaned them up for twenty-five years or better, unless there was a strategic advantage to it anyhow. With things like that we can’t exactly go zooming down the highway at 60mph when you never know if the road is open after the next corner.”

“How about thirty then?” Nicole had asked trying to rib her lover a bit. However, it went over like the proverbial lead balloon. All she got was a semi disgusted shake of Tabitha’s head.

Nicole caught the hint and shrugged. She picked up a load of bags meant for the back of the wagon, while quietly thanking god for it being summer. “No way I’d be riding these hay burners if it was wintertime, bad roads or not, my ass would be in a car.”

Carol was at the back of the wagon when Nicole arrived with her arm load of bags. To the redhead it seemed like Carol was in charge, so she asked, “Where do you want em?”

“Want what?” Carol asked, looking absolutely clueless as to what she was talking about.

Nicole lifted her arms a little higher, showing all the bags dangling from them. “These.” She replied.

“Oh. I don’t care. Put them anywhere there is room. Those are just personal belongings. Not mission critical.” Carol told her. Her tone grew more and more disinterested as she spoke.

“It will be mission critical if I don’t have clean undies in the morning.” Nicole said with a wide grin.

Carol looked at her and simply nodded. “Again, anywhere you can find room.” She went back to looking at the clip board she held in her arm without another word.

“Jessh, what a grouch.” Nicole thought. “Guess nothing’s changed in thirty years with her.

But that wasn’t exactly true. The Carol she remembered was spunky and full of piss and vigor. She fondly remembered the girl’s constant arguments with Vera every time the portly woman had referred to her as a child. How they’d all laughed at the stunned look on Vera’s face, as if it was the first time she’d heard it.

Of course that was before Sam came to be with them. Before Carol found her presence such an affront that she left the Sisters. It had always seemed to Nicole the girl had only ever thought of what she’d lost when she became infected, never what she might have gained.

“Maybe she’s still like that.” She wondered to herself.

Tabitha put a hand on her shoulder bringing her back to reality. “Are you ready to roll?” she asked.

“We’re going to travel at night?”

“We are.” Tabitha replied. “Much safer to travel in the dark, once we’re out of the Queendom.”

“Are there barbarians at the gate or something?” Nicole asked.

“Let’s just say, not everyone enjoys the prosperity we do. Lots out there that would kill you for a can of Pepsi, if you could find one now anyhow.”

“I thought we fed the populace.”

“We do, but no matter how much you give, some still want more. And some do it for the sport of it all. The thrill of stealing, of risking their lives to attain something of value, that usually turns out to be nothing.” Tabitha explained seriously.

“General, Major.” One of the extra guards interrupted. “Reports are in. Geiger counters show rad levels within tolerance with the winds blowing mostly to the north/ northeast.”

Nicole looked at the girl as if she’s spoken Chinese. She was a rugged, looking, very muscular brunette, with eyes so dark they almost looked like tiny pieces of coal. In a way she reminded Nicole of Wendy, but this one could speak.

“Rad levels?” She asked looking at Tabitha.

“The fall didn’t happen 100% on its own. We’ll be passing close enough to the lands south of DC that we needed to have radiation levels checked.”

“Washington was nuked?” Nicole asked in a stunned voice.

“Not exactly Washington itself, the actual detonation was to the north, closer to Baltimore. Not by like Russia or China or anything like that anyhow either. The truth is no one really knows what happened there except the dead. Some kind of atomic weapon was used for sure, but whatever it was it wasn’t rained down from the heavens. The blast is another reason we can’t use cars. Most of them, the newer ones anyhow, got burned out by whoever destroyed the city.”

“EM pulse.” Nicole said absently.

“Yep.” Was all Tabitha said in response. Then to the messenger, “Thank you private, carry on.”

“Ma’am’s.” she replied and then scurried off.

“What about the Nationalist’s that you said live in DC? How do they survive if there’s so much radiation?”

“That, my dear, is a question for people far smarter than I.” was her response.

Nicole nodded.

Tabitha looked over the group. “Seems like we’re ready if you are love.”

“I guess I’m as ready as I can be.” Nicole replied.

“Then we’re off.”

**********************

The journey was stranger than anything Nicole has experienced in her entire life. Even in the dark it was it was surreal to see things that seemed so fresh and familiar in her mind reduced to skeletal remains. Burnt out cars littered the road and roadside everywhere she looked. The road itself was cracked and split, with long swaths of tar missing altogether.

“Someone better call highway maintenance.” She joked at one point. It only brought a whisper of a smile to Thomas…grr….Tabitha’s face. At that point she simply gave up. “Apparently in the future no one has a sense of humor.” She thought darkly.

A couple hours before dawn they came to a small shallow river. The road came to end abruptly at its banks. Nicole looked right then left and saw something big sticking out of the water a few yards downstream.

“What’s that?” she asked pointing.

“The bridge. It got washed out two summers ago in a storm.” One of the soldiers she didn’t know replied.

“We got lucky with that one. Not an hour before there had been a large party crossing to escape the flooding. They’d reported the bridge seemed to be rocking slightly.” Tabitha added. “You and I were the first to come investigate the next day.”

“Slightly huh?” Nicole said with a chuckle.

“Obviously it got worse at some point.” Tabitha said back with a small laugh. “We think it was a hurricane, the storm.”

It was like music to Nicole’s ears, the laugh. It was the first time since they’d been getting ready this morning that Tabitha has sounded like the woman she remembered. Although the whole elder warrior goddess shtick Tabitha played was very sexy and quite a turn on, a large part of Nicole cried for the simple loving woman she remembered. The things she must have gone through to change her so much were unimaginable to the red head.

“These are the things we’ve gone through,” she reminded herself. “I just don’t remember them, but we were together when they happened. That much I’m sure of.” She thought. She gave Tabitha’s hand a small squeeze. Her wife smiled lovingly back at her.

“We’ve been together all this time.” She thought in amazement. “Guess she really is the one for me. Roger, bless his poor tortured soul, never could have had this life, for that I owe Ellie everything. Maybe I can remind her of that when I see her.”

As Nicole woolgathered, Tabitha brought their small convoy to a stop. Off to their left in the woods something had moved, and the women of the Queendom were suddenly on high alert.

Tabitha called out, “We know you’re there. Might as well come on out.”

After a moment of silence several women stepped out of the tree lined roadside on both sides, effectively surrounding them. The threat of their presence made Nicole stand up to better survey the situation. Her body shook slightly with tension making Tabitha notice her wife looked ready to jump into the fray. Tabitha reached up and grabbed her gently by the arm and shook her head no.

She smiled as one of the women approached the side of their wagon. She was strikingly tall with a single long braid draped over her shoulder. Her outfit was brown camouflage to match the tree bark, Nicole suspected. Her face was covered with what Nicole could only think of as war paint. She looked most fearsome in the gloomy predawn light.

“You almost had me this time Naomi.” Tabitha told the woman.

“One of these days I will, Miss Tabitha.” She said with an equally bright smile. “Good morning to you General.” She looked up and saw Carol in the back. “Brought the mouse too, eh?”

“Hello Naomi.” Carol said curtly.

Nicole looked at her blank faced. Tabitha touched her shoulder and leaned in telling her, “They are part of the Patawomeck Native American tribe. Since the fall, they’ve bee reclaiming their lands from the folks that stole them centuries ago. We’ll need their permission to travel across their territory. That’s Naomi, she’s kind of their war chief, I guess. Say hi.”

“Hi Naomi.” Nicole parroted automatically.

The Native woman looked at Nicole quizzically. Tabitha immediately explained, “After we routed Hiller and his people Nicole seemed to have suffered some kind of memory problems. She doesn’t remember anything past 2006 atm.”

“No way!” Naomi said in response. “They whacked you in the head but good huh?”

Nicole laughed. “Umm… I guess.”

“I didn’t think anything could hurt you Red. Must be the spirits finally takin their revenge for all this times you cheated at cards.” Naomi said with a laugh.

“She cheated?” Tabitha asked before Nicole could reply. “I think you need to turn that mirror around ma’am.” The pair laughed.

“Maybe, but she doesn’t remember so I can call it whatever I want!” Naomi replied as the whole group laughed.

Nicole smiled along with the group. It was obvious they’d known each other for a long time. Once again, she felt the frustration of not being able to remember.

“Where are you off to?” Naomi asked conversationally.

“We’re going to see the Wolf.” Tabitha replied.

“The Wolf? Bunch of brave souls. Why would you want to go see that old witch?”

“Hillers people took some of ours and they’re hold up in her territory. We were on our way to Springfield to ask Anna permission to cross your territory.”

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to receive you.” Naomi looked over at one of the others in her group. “Sharon, ride ahead and let Anna know we’ll be arriving within the hour.”

“You got it boss.” Sharron replied as she sketched a bit of a salute at Naomi.

Naomi smiled. “Fucking smart ass.”

Sharon smiled. She went to a pair of others and the three of them began to run down the road.

“See you in an hour.” Naomi told them.

“They’re going to run the whole way?” Nicole asked.

Naomi laughed. “No, we have horses just down the road. Matter of fact you can give me a ride to collect mine.”

“It will cost you.” Tabitha said.

“Add it to my tab.” Naomi stuck her tongue out as she hopped up on the side of the wagon then added once she was seated. “Shall we?”

“We shall.” Tabitha replied as she got the horses moving again.

With Naomi and three others on the back of the wagon along with Carol space was suddenly a premium. Carol wound up all but sitting on Nicole's lap. The warrior women road with the for a short time until they came to a clearing that looked like it used to be a park of some kind. In the middle of what used to be a baseball diamond stood several horses.

“We’ll get off here.” She hollered from the back. Tabitha reigned in the horses, bringing the procession to a stop.

“Try to keep up.” Naomi taunted as she walked over to her horse.

“Yeah, I got a wagon. Keep the pace reasonable bish.” Tabitha laughed. Naomi smiled and flipped Tabitha the bird.

“Maybe later while the wife’s busy talking to your chief.” Tabitha said with a wink.

“Oh la la.” Naomi replied laughing.

The quintet of horses and wagons started off with the morning sun slowly rising behind them as the rode west.

After a bit Nicole asked. “Might as well fill me in babe, who’s Anna?”

“Anna Proudstar is the Native leader in these parts. You and she are very close, so it’s probably going to be a little weird for her.”

“For her?” Nicole asked with a laugh.

“Yeah, well whatcha gonna do yanno? I can always try slapping you in the back of the head until you start to remember if you want.” Tabitha said with a wink.

“I think you two need to take this far more seriously. Chief Proudstar may not allow us to pass through. After what happened when we marched
through to take on the Hill last time we may not be as welcome as you think.” Carol pipped in.

“What happened? And what is the Hill?” Nicole asked.

“The Hill is Hillers territory. Or rather was.” Her wife answered. “Far as what happened, no one really is sure how, but they got word we were meeting up with some of the Native warriors. After we started heading west, they circled around behind us and attacked several of the suburbs surrounding Springfield. With so many of their warriors with us there wasn’t enough left to effectively fight them off. Many people were killed before we got turned around and headed back in their direction. Anna blamed Sara for the attack and there were some harsh words exchanged before it was all settled.” Tabitha explained.

“There was a lot more than harsh words exchanged. “Carol added. “They threatened to attack us. Proudstar thought we’d thrown in with the Hill and set them up.”

Nicole nodded then asked, “But it’s all settled now, yes?”

“Last I knew anyhow.” Her wife told her. “It was a while ago anyhow and we’ve had plenty of dealings with them since. Plus, if it were still a problem, I don’t think that Naomi would have been so friendly.” Tabitha added.

“All I’m saying is it would be prudent careful is all.” Carol told her then slid back into the back of the wagon apparently ending the conversation.

“I still can’t get over her being all grown up.” Nicole confided to her wife.

Tabitha nodded but said nothing.

******************
An hour later:

The sun was completely up by the time they finally arrived at was once the city of Springfield’s City Hall. The streets of the formally bustling city were mostly deserted as the rode down them. Even the cars had been cleaned off the roads, which was huge change from the way things looked on the rest of the journey. It was obvious that the new rulers of this land were determined to make it as presentable as possible.

Even at this early hour of the day there were a few people at work inside the building as the group of warriors and visitors entered. The interior décor had been changed from what had adorned the main foyer of city hall before the fall. Gone was the state seal of Virginia, which had depicted a colonial soldier standing over a dead native warrior. It had been replaced by a very large flag of several colors and designs. Nicole wasn’t familiar with their meaning, but she assumed it was representative of the tribes that now claimed these lands as their own again.

As they walked through the main hall, it seemed that everyone in the room stopped at some point to look at the visitors. Not all the looks they received were of curiosity or friendliness. A great deal showed anger, distrust or outright hatred on their faces as the paler skinned women made their way through the building.

“I guess things aren’t as peaceful as you led me to believe.” The red head commented.

“I told you they still didn’t trust us!” Carol hissed.

“It will be fine. The important one is Anna. We’re not here to visit. We’re just looking for a bed and to finish our pass through come tonight. Rebuilding trust with them is Sara’s job, not our objective today.” Tab told the two of them.

They three followed Naomi into what had once been the city council’s meeting room. That too had been redecorated. All vestiges of the white man’s rule had been torn down and replaced with indigenous art. Once piece looked a lot like the flag outside, making Nicole surmise it was the new seal if the people.

Seated in large comfortable looking chairs behind the council’s desk were another group of eight indigenous women. As they walked in the one seated at the center of the group stood and welcomed them.

“Greetings my friends from the Queendom.” She told them with a smile.

“Good morning, Chief Anna.” Tabitha replied for the group. “Thank you for welcoming us in.”

“I see your still hanging out with that red headed devil, Tabitha.” She said with a laugh as she pointed a finger at Nicole.

“Just cause you can’t beat her at cards doesn’t make her the devil.” She replied with an equal laugh.

Anna smiled at Nicole. “I heard you bumped your head, general. Don’t remember much these days?”

“So, they tell me. But no, I can’t say I have a clue about much at the moment.”

Anna laughed even harder. “Somethings never change, eh? You’ve never needed an excuse to be clueless in the past, my friend, why start now?”

Nicole stood smiling. From just this brief interaction she could understand why she and the Chief were close.

Anna stood out from most of the others in the room most obviously because her braided hair was nearly platinum blonde. She was fairly tall, close to six feet as at guess, with long lean muscles. Her skin was brown and lined like she was made of sun beaten leather. It was tough to guess her age; she may have been in her 30’s and just spent a lot of time out in the sun or she could have been 50 and just in tremendous shape. Nicole had no idea of which.

The one thing she was coming to understand was that Anna, as well as most of the other warriors in this place, were all Acidalia victims. It had been a while since she’d used her ability to sense others with abilities but now that she reached out with all but six in the room rang back as being enhanced.

Proudstar looked at her old friend, who somehow wasn’t exactly that at the moment and said, “No need to reach out Red. All you need to do I ask here.”

“You felt that?” Nicole asked perplexedly and with no small amount of embarrassment. In her mind the ability was still brand new to her.

Anna shook her head. “I guess she really has lost it.” She said to Tabitha with a wide smile. “Yes, my love, we can all tell when someone’s searching.”

Nicole nodded. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“The ability to sense when someone is reaching out was developed by necessity. It was the only way to protect ourselves from the hounds.” Tabitha explained.

Nicole again nodded, having no idea what a hound, beyond the canine kind, was or why they’d be dangerous.

“Don’t worry wifey, once we get to the Wolf’s territory, I’m sure we’ll run into a few of them. Your former bestie loves using them to sniff out new members of her army. Once you see it you’ll understand.” Tabitha reassured her.

“Going to see the Wolf?” Anna asked.

Carol smiled at Anna and spoke up for the first time since their arrival. “You know full well where we are going.”

Proudstar looked over at the third member of their little group. “You have a lot of nerve speaking here after the way you let my people get slaughtered by Hillers, Little mouse.”

Carol sighed. “I had nothing to do with that, and you know it.”

“You’d do well to shut that trap of yours, girl, unless maybe you want to defend your honor in the ring.” The chief told her.

“Come on Anna, you know she’s not a fighter.” Tabitha said. “If you need to work out your frustrations though, I’d be game.”

Anna Proudstar looked at her would be opponent. They’d fought once long ago, and Tabitha had bested her easily. That, however, was not long after she’d stopped being James Proudstar, Navy pilot, flight handle, Thunderbird. She wasn’t the warrior back then that she had become since. A fight between the two might not be the forgone conclusion the tall dark haired new woman thought it would be.

That said, there was no reason to fight at all right now. Soon enough she’d deal with Carol in the way her people dealt with traitors.

“Ok enough you three. We’re here to ask permission to cross your lands into Ellie’s territory not get into a pissing match.” Nicole told them all loudly.

“Valid point General.” Anna admitted. “You mouse is correct though. I do know why you’re here and we have debated already.” She waved her hand at the other members of the council. “We’ve decided to grant you our permission to pass safely though our lands. By our order, no harm shall come to anyone in your party on your journey.”

“Thank you, Anna, council members. We will try not to cause to much of a commotion on are way though.” Nicole said as she gave them her most sincere smile. Then added, If we can infringe upon you for one more thing, our group has been traveling all night and we could use a place to rack out for a few hours, if you have the accommodations available, of course.”

Anna threw back her head and laughed loudly. “I think we can spare a few beds for you. And feed for your horses if you need.”

Nicole had no idea why that would be funny but simply replied with, “Thank you again.”

Anna looked back at Carol. “Even you can sleep in safety today. I grant you specifically safe passage twice so that you may go and come back. After that, however, know you are not welcome in these lands. If you come back, your life is mine.”

Carol’s stomach twisted into a knot as she swallowed hard then nodded. “Thank you for allowing us to pass through peacefully and keep the truce between our people intact.”

“Of course. Peace with the Queendom is one of our top priorities here.” Anna said with a smile that rang false to Nicole. “Perhaps later after you sleep, we can play a game of cribbage Red. See if that memory issue of yours has effected you’re playing.”

“If time allows it would be my pleasure you beat your ass yet again.” Nicole said with an equally false smile. She was getting a very bad vibe all of a sudden. It wasn’t just Anna’s threat to Carol’s life either. Something just didn’t feel one hundred percent kosher. She glanced over at Tabitha and could see by her posture she felt it too.

“Yes, we will see. Anyway, you all look exhausted so off to bed with the lot of you. We will see you for dinner this evening, where you will be honored guests for evening meal. Send you off with full bellies and fresh minds. Naomi will have one of the domestic’s see to your accommodations.”

“Thank you again Anna, council members, for your gracious generosity.” Nicole told her. She turned and followed Naomi along with the rest of their group out the door.

******************
Midafternoon:

Nicole came awake and looked over at the gloomy light leaking though the edges of the nearly blacked out curtains of the hotel room she and Thomas had been given. It wasn’t exactly five-star accommodations, but the bed was clean and comfortable. The size of the room reminded her of the motel they’d taken over after being driven out of San Francisco, though this one was in far better shape. The ceiling had no holes in it and the floorboards didn’t creak with every step you took. She quietly hummed the “moving on up” theme song from the Jeffersons as she took the gloomy scene in.

She scowled for a moment, remembering finding Vera’s body on the floor in the room. That had been one of the sorriest moments in her life, as she stood there with Carol overlooking the bloated woman’s body. It sat as a sour reminder of what Ellie was capable of giving the right circumstances.

She sighed quietly wondering what that meant for when she finally caught up with her. Was it going to be her best friend or the Wolf she’d become they’d have to treat with?

“Time will tell.” She thought.

Turning her eyes back to her wife who was lying naked next to her curled up in the no as clean as they once were sheets, she smiled. She looked at the lines on her wife’s face, she regrated not being able to remember them coming in slowly, naturally. Watching her age naturally, growing with her, all of that was lost for now. One thing that hadn’t changed was her sexual appetite. Age hadn’t decrease that one little bit. The love they’d made before drifting off to sleep had been everything she remembered it to be.

Now, however, with her bladder screaming for attention she needed to somehow remove her arm from around her wife’s form without waking the sleeping beauty. She tugged gently as she could making her grumble in her sleep. Nicole sighed to herself as she tried again. There was no way to free herself without disturbing her.

“Might as well rip off the band aid I guess.” She thought, as she yanked her arm out from under Tabitha’s prone body. Her lover grumbled more loudly this time but then settled back into sleep, gently snoring. Nicole smiled as she wished she had a clothes pin to put on her nose. She kissed her wife’s cheek the scurried off to the bathroom to relieve herself.

After completing her business, she came back into the room. The General contemplated going back to sleep but found she just wasn’t tired anymore. She went to the chair near the window where she’d piled her clothes and gathered them intending to get redressed and head out to see the town for a bit.

However, upon lifting them she caught a whiff of the garments and recoiled. She dropped her clothes and lifted her arm and sniffed her body.
With a loud ugh she turned and headed back into the bathroom for a shower. The girl that delivered them to their room told her the water worked in all the rooms, which was something of a novelty in these days. Turning the water on she stepped in expecting it to be cold but was delighted to find there was more than enough hot water for her to take a luxurious shower. There was even some kind of shampoo in a little cup on the shelf, so she treated herself to a long overdue hair washing. It all felt so glorious as to be nearly orgasmic pleasure.

After drying off and locating new clean clothes she got dressed. Her clothes smelled a tiny bit like a horse but that was to be expected these days she supposed. With a grin she wondered if they had a laundromat in town.

She left Tabitha a note explaining she was going to explore a bit and quietly slipped out the door. After standing in the hallway for a minute trying to remember which way the stairs lay, she quickly made her exit out onto the streets.

What a difference a few hours had made. When they arrived, there had been hardly anyone on the streets. Even when they were brought to the hotel there weren’t many people up and about, giving the place the feel of being something of a ghost town. Now however the streets were filled with mostly native women going every which way doing whatever errands they need to attend too.

Nicole decided to go left onto the street and head back towards the center of the now bustling city. Everything was open, all the stores had items for sale in them. There were carts on the streets filled with fruits and vegetables. Horses were tied off to what used to be parking meters and despite their droppings the rest of the sidewalks and streets were clean. All along the side of the road were tall barrels with rakes and shovels next to them for collecting the soon to be fertilizer.

The one thing she did notice was the looks she and the few other non-native women she’d seen was she walked received from their hosts. They weren’t hostile exactly, but it was obvious there was great distrust of outsiders among the city’s residents. Of course they had every reason not to trust, they’d only had their entire country stolen from them.

Eventually, Nicole found herself back in front of city hall. She looked at the building trying to imagine what it had looked like before the natives took it back over. It filled her heart with joy to see the indigenous peoples reclaiming some of what was taken from them two hundred years before.

“I guess not everything got worse after the virus.” She thought to herself.

A hand softly touched her shoulder distracting her from her thoughts. She turned to look and found the smiling face of Anna Proudstar looking back at her.

“Hey Chief.” Nicole said in greeting. She put on her best smile as Anan pulled her in for a quick embrace. It felt real and wholly given by a true
friend. Whatever had been going on in the council chamber earlier was now over apparently.

“General.” Anna replied with a smile. “You’re up early.”

“Couldn’t sleep, I guess. All this shit really messes with my head.” Nicole shook her head as she spoke.

“Not remembering you mean?”

“Yeah. It’s making me more than just a little bit nuts if I’m honest.” Nicole replied with a bitter laugh.

“I’ve got some free time. Want to get a cup of coffee, talk a bit? I might be able to help you remember something.” the fierce looking blonde asked her.

“You have coffee?” Nicole asked as her face brightened.

“We do. Home grown and fresh as can be.” Anna replied smiling at her friend’s obvious delight.

Nicole hooked her arm in with the Chiefs. “Lead the way my dear.”

Anna and Nicole walked down the street a couple of blocks before coming to a stop in front of a small shop with hand-drawn posters covering most of the windows advertising coffee .

Nicole looked up at the old faded and barely legible sign and laughed. “Starbucks huh?”

“We make use of what we have at hand. Nothing goes to waste here if it can be reused. Not even shit hole corporate coffee shops like this.” She replied with a laugh.

The Chief stepped in front and opened the door for her guest. There were only a couple patrons in the establishment. The Natives had done their best to erase the place’s corporate legacy by replacing anything Starbuck’s related with indigenous artwork. It made her wonder if this is how these places looked in the southwestern parts of the country before everything came crashing down on the old society.

Stepping through the threshold Nicole’s nose was greeted with the scent of freshly ground coffee beans. The amazing smell nearly had her practically swooning with delight. “Oh my god I love that smell.” She said with a wide grin.

“Long as you love it black, we’re in business.”

“If I wanted a cup of milk and sugar, I wouldn’t have asked you for coffee.” The redhead replied with a grin.

Anna nodded. “Grab a table I’ll get us some. My dime.”

“You still use money?” Nicole asked.

“No love. That’s why it’s my treat.” She stuck her tongue out. Nicole rolled her eyes. Then the both started to laugh.

She looked around at the mostly empty shop and selected a table near one of the few uncovered windows. She wants a spot where Tabitha could easily see her if she came looking and where she could keep an eye on things outside. The scene at the city hall still bothered her to some degree and she wanted to see it coming if trouble arrived.

As she sat and waited for the coffee to brew, she pushed her earlier worries aside and instead reflected on how much smiling and laughing she’d done since arriving in this place. The people seemed far more relaxed here than when she was at the castle. Other than the occasional looks of distrust, she’d encountered while walking around the streets, everyone seemed to be friendly and working towards the single goal of keeping this place alive and thriving.

Another thing that was becoming clear to her was that she and Anna were good friends. The type of deep friendship only time and shared experience could bring about. Much as she wished otherwise, no matter how hard she tried to bring those things into some kind of focus; to remember even the smallest shadow of any of it, they continued to elude her.

Anna came back to the table holding a pair of steaming ceramic mugs and set one in front of her guest. Nicole leaned over it and inhaled the steam coming off the top deeply. She lifted her head and nodded in satisfaction. Then the General took the cup and sipped at the hot dark colored liquid inside.

Her face lit up. “Oh my god that’s so good.”

Anna giggled. “Are you gonna need a towel when your done?”

“May be.”

“Clean up isle six!” Anna called out with a laugh.

Nicole nearly spat her next sip out as she cracked up. “Stop that. You’re supposed to be the chief. Show some decorum woman. Jeesh.”

“It’s nice to be with you again my friend. It’s been far too long.” Anna told her still smiling. She reached out and put her hand over Nicole’s. She smiled back not knowing what else to say.

“You really don’t remember any of it? None of our adventures? Nothing we’ve done together?”

“Nothing since late fall of 2006. The last thing I remember was opening a cellar door and seeing Carol at the top of the steps holding a gun.

Then I was here. It’s really messing me up because everything that happened up that point is clear as day, but nothing after until I woke up at the castle.”

“That is odd indeed.” Anna agreed thoughtfully. “Convenient too.”

“How so?”

“You know your queen is a mind witch.” Anna said with an edge to her voice.

“I know she can manipulate emotions. She gave me a demonstration before she proposed this mission.” Nicole related. “It was…unsettling.”

“I’m sure.” Anna looked at her intently for a long moment. “She can do more than manipulate emotions. We have several women here with similar abilities to your Sara. They are very handy when it comes to negotiations.”

She left the word hang for a moment before adding, “or interrogations.”

“What are you saying? Sara has somehow fucked with my mind. To what end?”

“Let’s just say our last few conversations led me to believe you had some doubts about her intentions.” Anna said seriously. “I worry too about why she’s sending you of all people to see the Wolf.”

“Why?” she asked with concern.

“Because she hates you. Ellie considers you a traitor and would love nothing more than to see you dangling at the end of a rope. She tells anyone who will listen. It like she’s obsessed with you.” The chief explained.

“You speak to her?”

“Not like we’re best girl friends or anything, but her lands abut ours. So as all adversarial neighbors are want to do, we’ve had many conversations over the years on where the exact borders are as well as other matters of state.”

“Matters of state huh?” Nicole laughed. “Don’t you sound like a politician.”

“When the shoe fits.” Proudstar replied. “Red?”

“Yes? By the way, is that like a nick name or something?”

“Term of endearment.” Anna told her with a small smile. “You are the fiercest warrior I’ve ever met, even when I was in the military. I saw you on the battlefield ages ago and was transfixed by you. The way you moved, the ferocity of your attacks and most of all the way you held back when it was time. When the battle was complete you were covered in crimson and with that hair of yours, well Red was what I named you even though I’d never met you.” Anna explained.

“When did we meet then?” Nicole asked her old/new friend.

“We met about fifteen years ago. Once we started establishing our native lands and our border butted against the Queendom. Sara sent you to meet with me to discuss the mutual boarder.”

Nicole nodded. “I guess the talks were productive.”

“They were. Of course, I was already in love with you from afar from previous encounters over the years.” Anna said as her cheeks blushed.

“Aw. That sweet but I have Thomas…err..Tabitha.”

“Do you?”

“Don’t I?”

“Nicole, let’s just say I was surprised when I saw her and you together.” The chief admitted.

“Why’s that?”

Anna looked up and around to see if anyone was listening before continuing. “Because the last time we spoke you told me you were thinking of leaving the Queendom and asked me for asylum.” Anna told her. “You and I have been together far more recently than you and Tabitha.”

“Together? Together how?” Nicole asked with her head suddenly spinning.

“Carnally my dear.” Anna said plainly.

“What the fuck? When? How?” She asked in confusion. “Thomas lied to me?”

That line was one she couldn’t bring herself to believe. Thomas had always been her best friend, her lover, her rock, at least as far as she could remember. There was no way she could believe after all the years, the things they’d shared that her wife would just boldly lie to her face like that. Nicole didn’t want to believe a word of what she was being told.

Then it hit home that there was a possibility Anna was telling the truth. A lot of time had passed between the Thomas she knew and Tabitha she had become. Did she really know the woman like she thought she did?

“I’m sorry but I felt you needed to know before you go off on whatever mission that mousy little twat and the so-called Queen has cooked up for you.”

“So-called Queen? Is that a lie too?” Nicole asked in bewilderment.

“No. She is the queen, in your lands. She just seems to, at times, think her power extends into everyone else’s too.”

“And you?” she asked. “You’re content to just live in your lane and never expand your influence any further than your borders?”

Anna Proudstar smiled. “Well,” she began with exaggerated slowness. “I never said that. My people owned all of this land before you pale faces came and stole it from us, including the land your Queendom sits on.”

“So, you think you’re supposed to be the ruler of things past your boarders too.” Nicole replied with a smile.

Anna smirked. “You never have been on to mince words, Red. I’ll give you that.”

“Beating around the bush has never gotten me anywhere.” Nicole replied with a wink. “That said, you have given me food for thought on of all this.”

“Good.” Anna reached out and placed her hand over Nicole’s. “You’re always welcome here love. You should know that but since you don’t right now, I’m telling you so we’re both sure.”

“Well don’t you two look all cute and cozy.” A familiar voice said from over the redhead’s shoulder.

She turned and looked to see Tabitha standing there with her arms crossed looking somewhat bemused. Nicole pulled her hand away from
Anna’s and flashed a guilty grin at her wife. “Busted.”

“So busted. You don’t even know.” Tabitha replied, never taking her eyes off Anna.

“Is there a problem Major?” Anna asked with her eyes locked on Tabitha’s.

“I’m just curious what lies you’ve been telling her.” Tabitha replied simply.

“Lies? I’m lying?” Anna asked. “That’s a mighty big accusation to be haphazardly tossing around. Are you sure you want to go there?”

Looking up at her wife, it was obvious to Nicole that Thomas wanted to go there, and quite badly. Interjecting before she could open her mouth and start more problems the she’d solve Nicole stood up and said. “Ok, ok. Enough of that.” She looked at her wife. “We’re guests here so let’s not go stepping on toes please.”

Tabitha looked unmollified. She clenched and unclenched her fist compulsively. Nicole could small the adrenaline surging through Tabitha’s system.

She then turned to Anna and asked. “Are we your guests or your rivals? Because you’re really sending mixed signals here all of a sudden.”

Anna sat back down and smiled. “Of course, you’re our guests.” Then to Tabitha she said. “My apologies miss Tabitha. Sometimes the warrior in me over rules the diplomat.”

“No one’s perfect.” Tabitha replied with a smile that never reached her eyes.

Nicole sat back down as well and patted the chair next to her. “Sit my love. I’ll get you some coffee. That will sooth your nerves, I’m sure.” She laughed at her own joke. No one else did unfortunately.

“I’m fine baby. Need food first before coffee.” She looked over at the serving area in hopes of seeing a menu of some kind.

“There’s no food to be found in here, unless you eat coffee beans anyhow. However, I’ll take you to find some once you’re ready.” Anna explained.

Nicole picked her mug up and slugged down the last bit of her coffee. “Ready when you are.”

“I’m starved.” Tabitha told them. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

The three of them headed out back to the street. Once there they walked west for three blocks before coming to a large communal eating area set up under a large free-standing cover in what was at one time a city park.

It was quite a sight to see. Beyond the covered eating area, which was filled with eight equal length communal tables, were cooking fires. The fires were attended by the people Anna had referred to as the domestics. They all wore light colored clothing as they tended to one part of the meal or another. Some were cooks, others fed the fires and the rest stood behind a series of long buffet like serving tables handing out portions to those in line on the opposite side.

“The line starts off to the left. Plates and trays are on the small square one over there. Take what you like, eat as much as you please, it’s all on me.” Anna told them with a small laugh, pointing to the starting point in the small line that stood in front of the serving tables. “I have a few things left to do before the sun sets. I hope you’ll come see me at city hall before you depart.”

“I’m sure we will be by to see goodbye before the time comes.” Nicole assured her.

“Excellent. I will see you in a couple of hours then. Enjoy your meal.”

After she left, the pair waited patiently in the line until their turns came. Both were suitably impressed with the selection of food available. They had a variety of meat dishes, everything from beef to chicken to pork and even some fresh venison some of the hunters had gotten fresh this morning they were told. The amount of vegetables was just as impressive and so fresh that most tasted ass if they were picked minutes before being served up.

Equal to the food was the variety of people in the line, many were obviously not part of the indigenous community. Apparently, like the Queendom, the Natives also fed everyone that was hungry no matter where you came from. The small amount of tension Nicole had sensed from some residents on the street seemed to be absent here. Everyone sat together and conversed as they ate. No one was left to the side regardless of where they were from.

After they found seats at one of tables set out under the roofed off area and dug into their meals Tabitha asked, “So, what was Anna all hand fondling you over?”

Nicole looked at her wife for a long minute deciding how truthful to be. With an internal sigh she answered. “She offered to take me in just before you came by. It seems we are a bit closer than you led on.”

“In her mind anyhow.” Tabitha replied with a bit f venom in her voice. “Unless I’ve missed a chapter somewhere you’ve never had relations with her. She however has had a crush on you for the last fifteen years at least.”

“She also said that you and I haven’t been together all this time. That I was considering leaving the Queendom because of some concerns over where things are going or some such thing.” Nicole admitted. She more wanted to see the reaction on her wife’s face to the news than anything else.

Tabitha shook her head. “I can’t convince you of a negative, so I won’t even try but when your memories come back, you’ll know why I say, she can go fuck herself!”

It was obvious she was angry. The question was she angry because the jig was up or, was she angry cause Anna lied. The memory loss was becoming more and more of a pain in the ass with every passing hour. This was exactly the type of situation she’d feared running into since she awoke.

They stared at each other for a long time. Not talking, just looking. As if they were trying to see the truth in each other’s eyes. For the briefest of moments Nicole considered reaching out to see if she could sense the truth of her wife but as confused as she was, she couldn’t bring herself
to. It would be admitting that she didn’t trust Tabitha and wasn’t sure she wanted that out in plain sight.

Tabitha was her wife and her one solid connection to the life she remembered, the one constant. Nicole decided it was probably best to cautiously take Tabitha at her word and keep an eye out for any signs that she might be what Anna suggested.

“Hello General, Major, may I sit with you?” the familiar voice of Carol asked interrupting the staring contest. Nicole sighed quietly with relief for the distraction.

“Grab as seat.” Tabitha replied pointing at the vacant bench opposite theirs. “Sleep well?” she asked as the younger woman got settled.

“No. I swear they stuffed the mattress they gave me with thumb tacks!” Carol told them with venom in her voice. “I can’t fucking wait to get out of here.”

“Soon enough.” Tabitha replied. “Have you seen the others?”

“Tamara and Beth were wandering around town a bit ago, checking the sights, I guess. I haven’t seen Bonnie and Pat is over there in line.” The younger new woman pointed at their compatriots back.

“After we eat, I’ll go check on Bonnie.” Tabitha told them. “We’ll be headed out at dusk.”

Carol nodded as she chewed. The sooner they left the better for her. On the walk over there had been several members of this community that had given her threatening looks. She wasn’t going to be safe here for long, regardless of what Anna had proclaimed. Though she thought she should probably say a quick prayer of thanks to god that they hadn’t thought to poison her food, yet.

Just as she completed that thought a passerby bumped her roughly. “Hey!” she exclaimed.

“What?” the short round native woman asked in return. It was obvious by her body language that offense as exactly the response she was hoping for.

Carol looked at her and shook her head. “Never mind.”

“No. You got something to say to me?” she pressed. She moved closer to Carol’s chair menacingly. There was no doubt now that she wanted to goad Carol into a fight.

“I think you should tell her your sorry for bumping into her intentionally like you did and then move along.” Nicole said calmly.

The woman looked at her as if it was the first time she noticed her sitting there and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry miss Red. I didn’t see you sitting there.”

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to.” Nicole told her, pointing at Carol.

The woman nodded. “My apologies, little mouse, I didn’t mean to ruffle your fur.” She told Carol begrudgingly.

Carol quietly seethed. She hated being called little mouse and everyone here knew it. Because of that she would never get them to stop calling her it. Anna had given her the name when she had first become the Queendoms ambassador to the Native lands after her rescue from the harem. It was meant to make her part of their community, everyone here had a second, native name and she was stuck with it until the end of time it seemed.

Things had been good for a while when she came to stay with the people, as they referred to themselves. She had desperately needed to get away from the constant reminders of her imprisonment that were always present in the faces of her friends at the castle. The emotional and physical scars left from being a sexual slave in the hands of a mad man like Cruiz had nearly broken her.

Coming to stay here, living this simple life had been infinitely appealing. Carol had done her best to lose herself in the day-to-day routine of survival these people lived under. She had found great peace in the life here as well as enjoying her special status among these women. They’d embraced her like one of their own, until the night of the attack anyhow. Then everything changed.

The night came and without warning the village she was staying in came under attack by Hillers people. She later learned that someone had clued them in that most of the warriors there would be busy elsewhere. Hiller took it as the perfect opportunity to pull a raid. Many of the Natives were killed defending the food stores. She had done what she could and fought beside them but ultimately, they were defeated and she was captured. They killed the rest of the prisoners out of spite, or perhaps it was part of the plan to sow distrust between the allies.

Whatever the reason, it wasn’t her fault their attackers had recognized her as a high-ranking member of the Queendom and left her alive. The Natives took that as a sure sign that she’d somehow been behind the ambush, and the accusation had led to a trial that nearly cost her life. If not for timely intervention by Queen Sara and Tabitha, she’d be long dead by now. For that rescue she’d sworn her life to service of her Queen, so here she was, despite the personal danger, doing Sara’s bidding.

“Now get your ass out of here.” Nicole told the woman who in turn skittered away quickly.

“Thanks.” Carol said, as she burned with embarrassment. Of all the things she hated in life, being rescued by Nicole was amongst the top few. She understood despite all the time that had passed that she still bore both Nicole and Ellie a grudge for choosing Sam over her.

The General saw the furious blush on the younger woman’s cheeks and sighed. “Sorry, I was just trying to help.” She told her.

“Its fine.” Carol replied sullenly. “Thank you General.”

They finished their meal in relative silence. Carol was obviously stewing over the incident but for the life of her Nicole couldn’t think of a single thing to say to smooth it over. Eventually she gave up worrying about it. Carol was going to have sort her own resentments out.

Once the three of them were done eating Tabitha announced she was going to look for Bonnie. They agreed to meet in the stables in an hour to get the horses ready for the next leg of the journey.

***************
The sun hung low in the sky, a deep orange red ball sitting just above the western horizon on this warm early summer evening, the group of travelers assembled in the grand foyer of the city hall. The way the golden light filtered through the windows gave the appearance of a natural spotlight focused on the hand painted banner that hung on the far wall. It was an impressive bit of engineering or perhaps just a happy coincidence, Nicole didn’t know which, but effect was beautiful.

After waiting for several minutes, Anna Proudstar appeared just outside the doors of the city council room with a pair of her warriors, one of which Nicole recognized as Naomi. She stole a quick glance over at Tabitha who looked quite annoyed at being made to wait. She reached out and took Tab’s hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. That seemed to settle the Major some.

“Fancy meeting you here.” The tall red head joked trying to ease the tension.

“Funny that huh? Almost like this was the plan or something.” Anna said in reply. Her tone was humorless and flat, so Nicole let the joke die on the vine. Much as she wished otherwise it seemed whatever it was that got stirred up between Tab and Anna at the coffee shop wasn’t going to go away any time soon.

“I’m sending Naomi and Dani with you as escorts to our boarder.” She announced. “They will act as my eyes and ears should there be a need.”

“Do we need escorts?” Tabitha asked dubiously. “We have your permission to pass through.”

“That you do, but there may be troubles none the less.” Anna told her.

“So, you’re losing control of your territory then? Interesting.” The tall brown-haired Major noted.

“You better watch how you speak to Chief Proudstar!” the one named Dani told Tabitha.

“Easy Chica,” Tabitha replied as she put on as fake a smile as she could manage. “I was just making an observation.” Then to Anna she said. “Of course we’d love your people’s company. Thank you.”

Anna nodded curtly at Tabitha. She then turned and looked at Nicole saying, “Safe travels my friend. I hope to see you on your return trip.”

“Hopefully with a second wagon full of travelers.” Nicole replied.

Anna stepped over and grabbed the redhead in a warm embrace. Nicole returned the unexpected hug awkwardly as she looked over at her wife. Tabitha shook her head and simply shrugged.

Nicole smiled at Anna as she let go and patted the chief on the shoulder. “I will see you in a few days.”

“Spirits willing.” Was all she said in reply.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, the three of them just looking at each other until Carol finally said, “Shall we head out? I’d like to be able to still be able to see when I climb up onto the wagon.

With that said the seven members of the Queendom got into their carts, waved goodbye one more time and were off. Their escorts rode one in the front and one in the rear of the miniature caravan.

The second leg of the journey passed by without incident. The only others they saw on the road were a pair of women pushing a cart full of vegetables along the road.

Around 3am they came to a stop at the foot of a rickety-looking bridge that passed high over a swiftly moving river. The roar of the river filled their ears at the looked ahead onto the other side. They had finally arrived at the border of the Wolf’s territory. Nicole looked over at the other side with a knot in her stomach, into the gloom of darkness and wondered what Ellie was doing right at that moment.

“There will be guards manning the post on the other side. They will be on you as soon you cross. It shouldn’t be anything you can’t handle.” Naomi was telling the visitors. “Still, I wish you luck.”

“Thanks babe.” Tabitha replied. “We’ll see you on the way back through.”

“Hope so.” Naomi replied.

“I guess we’ll camp here until sunup then we can go say hi.” Nicole suggested.

“Sounds like a plan to me babe.” Tabitha told her.

“Good!” Carol added in. “I could use a break. My ass is killing me from sitting on the floor back here.”

Tabitha took a little peak around the back side of Carol’s body. “What ass?”

Carol rolled her eyes and flipped the Major the bird. The entre group broke into laughter.

“Bunch of cackling hens.” She mumbled to herself with a grin.

************
Dawn:

As the sun rose and spread the day’s first light across the landscape, Nicole took a gander at the goings on across the bridge. Based on the stories of the woman they called the Wolf; Nicole was disappointed to find only a pair of guards sitting in chairs in front of a small shed awaiting them. She wasn’t sure what exactly it was she thought she’d find, perhaps the impenetrable gates of Mordor or at the very least giants trolls guarding the bridge, but the scene was instead depressingly mundane.

From her perch at the foot of the bride on the native controlled side she waved to the women on the other side. One, wearing some kind of shiny armored top and a helmet that hid her face ignored her but the other, who was holding a long spear with her left hand waved back. She smiled. “At least one of them seems friendly.” She thought quietly.

She turned back and walked back to where the small campfire burned. Naomi had placed a grill over the top of the stones and was cooking what smelled like bacon. The scent made the tall red heads mouth water.

“Mmmm.” she said dreamily. “That smells delicious.”

Naomi looked up. “Oh hi Red. I didn’t know anyone else was up.” The entire caravan had taken the opportunity to grab a few winks it seemed.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Nicole replied.

“Nervous huh?”

“I don’t know. Not so much nervous as I am filled with anticipation I guess.”

Naomi nodded. “Well soon enough you’ll be over there and whatever is meant to be will unfold.”

Nicole looked back over her shoulder at the bridge and bit her bottom lip. “Quod erit, erit.” She said thoughtfully.

“Huh?”

“Its Latin, what will be will be.” Nicole told her as she looked back at Naomi.

“Latin huh? Fancy, fancy.” Naomi said mockingly with a smile.

“Yup that me, fancy ass bitch.” Nicole laughed. “Are you coming over with us?”

“Nope. I value my skin far too much to cross that bridge unbidden.” Naomi said seriously.

“It’s that bad over there huh?”

“The Wolf’s cruelty really needs to be experienced to be truly understood.” Naomi said sounding the smallest bit impressed.

Nicole nodded. She was going to find out one way or the other. “Let me ask you something.”

“Shoot.”

“Where are all the men? I was told there were survivors and immunes but I’ve yet to see one anywhere.”

“I can’t speak for anyone else, but ours are around here and there. There aren’t many native men left but the ones that are a treasured resource and are treated accordingly. I’m sure once you cross that bridge, you’ll see plenty. The Wolf likes her consorts.”

Nicole nearly choked. “Elie’s into guys now?” she asked stunned.

“I don’t know about the now part but yes, we’ve all been with a mn at least once. It’s the only way to create more.” Naomi said matter of factly.

Nicole nodded. “Make sense.” It was all she could think to say. A small shiver ran through her as she wondered if she’d been with any. There was one thing she was 100% sure of as a female she was definitely gay. No interest in men whatsoever.

Naomi looked at her quizzically. “You look like your about to throw up.” She laughed.

Nicole let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding and laughed. “Kind of grossed me out I guess.”

“Not into guys huh?” she teased.

“No. Not too much.” She said with a wan smile.

Behind them someone stepped on a dry stick. The sound was as loud as a jet plane passing overhead in the morning silence. They both looked to see Carol coming their way alongside the short blond warrior, Bonnie.

“Mmm, something sure smells good.” The muscular blonde woman commented.

“Oi! Extra company. I’d better break out the eggs too.” Naomi said standing up.

She walked over to her horse as the two took seats around the fire. It wasn’t cold but there was an early morning dewy kind of chill that clung to each of them. The two moved as close to the fire as the dared and absorbed the comforting heat from the flames.

“So, what’s the plan?” Nicole asked Carol.

“Huh?”

“What’s the plan once we get over that bridge. There are already guards waiting for us.”

Carol glanced over in the direction of the bridge nervously. “I..I don’t have a plan. That’s yours and Tabitha’s territory.”

“Bull shit.” Nicole said without menace. “Sara told me you were the negotiator. So, you must have some idea how we are going to get to the point of finding the right person to negotiate with.”

“Maybe we can just walk across and say, take me to your leader.” Bonnie said with a laugh. The others laughed too.

“That’s about the only plan I have at the moment.” Nicole admitted. “Maybe Thoma…err…Tabitha has an idea.” Nicole said.

From behind she heard a familiar voice say, “Of course I have a plan my love. Good catch on the name by the way.”

“Oh goodie. Nice to see someone’s on the ball.” Nicole said as she looked over at Carol and stuck her tongue out. Carol rolled her eyes in return making Nicole laugh as she stood up and pulled Tabitha into her arms to give her a good morning kiss. “Morning lover.”

“Mmm. Good morning to you too my love.” Tabitha replied with a smile.

“So, what’s the plan?” Nicole asked anxiously to hear what her wife had come up with.

“Well,” she began stretching the word out for a couple extra syllables. “I think we should walk across the bridge and tell frick and frack over there to take us to their leader!” Tabitha clapped her hands together with exaggerated excitement. “What do you think?”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Wonderful plan dear. I’m surprised none of us came up with something so brilliant.”

“What can I say? Not everyone is at my tactical level.” Tabitha gloated with a giggle.

Nicole smiled and patted her wife on the head with. “You’re too much.”

“Not too much for you to handle though.” She replied with an exaggerated wink which made everyone roll their eyes in unison.

Naomi returned a moment later with an arm full of supplies and cookware. Tabitha and Ncole who were still standing, helped her set it all down around the fire. The trio of new women set about cooking breakfast, while the rest went about breaking down their encampment.

Just as everything was about to be ready Nicole got up and walked over to the bridge. She climbed up a bit on a small pylon holding the rail at her end and yelled across, “Hey! Are you two hungry?”

Tabitha came running over and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her down. “What the fuck are you doing?” she asked in a flabbergasted voice.

“Offering them some food since we have plenty. Why?” Nicole asked.

Tabitha shook her head. “They can’t accept.”

“Why?”

“Because we are enemies.”

“They’re not my enemies. I don’t even know them.” Nicole argued. “I thought we were here peacefully. Wouldn’t feeding the troops be a good way to show we mean no aggression?”

“That’s not how it works.” Tabitha scolded.

“Oh. Well then, I guess you need to explain it to me then because your queen said she doesn’t want to be at war with any of her neighbors.”

“That’s not reality.” Tabitha told her quietly.

“And it never will be unless we try to make it real.” Nicole told her forcefully. The pair stared at each other reproachfully for a long minute.

Finally, Tabitha said, “If you could only remember you’d understand why.”

“Well, I don’t remember and so far, nothing has fixed that. Not Sara, not you, not Anna, nothing. The last thirty years are a blank to me!” She yelled back in frustration. She bent down and started to cry.

Tabitha knelt down next to her and gathered Nicole into her arms and held her. As she sobbed, Dani and Naomi walked by carrying a pair of small platters piled with scrambled eggs and some bacon. They strolled across the bridge and set them down about 2/3 of the way across and turned back.

Naomi stepped up beside the pair on the return trip. “Maybe Red’s got a point.” Was all she said.

Tabitha shook her head but said nothing.

Across the bridge the pair of border guards cautiously made their way over to where the plates of food sat. The one in the armor knelt down to sample it while the other held her spear, ready to throw it if it was some kind of ambush. After a moment the armored one picked both plates up and began walking back to their side of the river.

“See?” Naomi said pointing.

Nicole could tell the native woman had done it just to show Tabitha up. She knew she should be angry as she could feel her wife was, but she wasn’t. She pulled back a bit and looked at her partner’s face. It was purple with ether rage or embarrassment. She kissed her wife’s cheek.
“Can’t win em all lover.” She whispered.

Tabitha looked at her scornfully then shook her head and smiled. “You always were a brat.”

“It’s why you love me babe.” Nicole replied and kissed her wife on the lips. After she pulled away and asked. “So, are we going to eat or what?”

An hour later breakfast was done, the cooking utensils were cleaned, and the rest of the evenings camp was put away. The two groups of women bid each other farewell and good luck.

As the natives rode away the women of the Queendom turned and gazed across the bridge. The number of those waiting for them had increased to about a dozen now. None of them believed the additional soldiers were a good thing, but this is what they were here for.

“Nothing ventured.” Tabitha said.

“Nothing gained.” Carol agreed.

And with that their horses began to pull the cart over the bridge. As they moved slowly across the women on the far side began to form two columns, one on either side of the road beyond the end of the bridge. The one wearing the armor stood in the middle at the end of the twin lines with a hand up in the air. The women from the Queendom’s caravan moved off the bridge and came to a stop in front of her.

“What’s your business here?” The armored woman asked.

“We’ve come to see the Wolf.” Carol announced.

“I wasn’t aware she invited anyone in.” The armored woman replied. There was something familiar about the girl voice to Nicole. She cocked her head to the side trying to get a look at the face behind the armored helmet.

“I know you.” She told the woman.

“And we all know who you are General.” The woman said taking her helmet off.

Nicole recognized her face though now it carried cars that weren’t there before, immediately. “Corporal Charles? Kara Charles?” she asked. She was older, as was everyone now, but there was no doubt about her identity. The redhead was baffled about why she’d be here, especially after hearing what Elie had done to her former commander.

“The one and only, traitor.” Charles said in a voice filled with venom.

“Traitor?” Nicole asked dubiously.

Charles ignored the reply. “Take them.” She told the rest of the Wolfs people.

“We’re here to see Ellie. There’s no need to “Take us”.” Carol told the assemblage.

Charles looked around, past Nicole. “I see the Queen sent all of the Wolf’s favorite people today. She’s going to be very happy to see you, what is it they call you across the river? Ahh yes, Little Mouse.”

The others with Charles hesitated for a moment when Carol spoke but now went back to gathering the women of the Queendom. Sara’s people offered no resistance as they bound their hands with ropes then tired them all to a line that ran to back of one of the wagons.

The trip though the Wolf’s lands were surreal for Nicole and not just because of the seemingly random cruelty of their captors. Everywhere she looked there were signs of a populace beaten into submission. It was completely the opposite of the way people who lived in the Queendom or the Native land looked.

These people looked downtrodden and under fed for the most part. Every town they passed through the people would run to get out of the caravan’s way or simply hide. In one small nameless town a good-sized pull cart lay askew in the middle of the road with one broken wooden wheel on its left side. As the group approached on the road, the cart owner was desperately trying to move it as they approached but despite her size, she was unable to lift it.

Charles and two others had hopped off their horses and instead of offering help, they beat her to within an inch of her life. When they were finished, they left her lying in the dirt on the side of the road. Then the enhanced warriors lifted the cart effortlessly and dropped in next to the poor beaten woman, effectively destroying what was left of it.

As Kara Charles came around the back of the wagon where the Queendom residents were tied Nicole glared at her. Charles turned and taunted, “Have a problem?”

“No. Not all. I love watching you bully defenseless women. Must make you feel good huh? Big tough solider.” Nicole said back evenly.

Charles raised a hand at her. Nicole stood her ground giving her an emotionless stare. Kara smiled. “Once we get to where we going, the Wolf will make you cower, believe me.”

“We will see.” Nicole said confidently. “But if you want to show me how bad ass you are right now, I’m game.”

Charles shook her head and laughed. She looked over at the front of the cart and told the woman holding the reigns, “I think we might be going to easy on them. The General seems a bit to feisty. Maybe need to double time it since she’s so anxious to see the boss.”

“Yes ma’am.” the woman replied.

Carol swallowed hard. She was already exhausted from the forced march. If they sped things up, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep up. Not for time in her life, she wished her gifts were more on the physical side. She watched as the former soldier climbed up on to the front of the wagon and snapped the reins urging the horses forward. The pace was much faster than they’d been traveling. She did her best to keep up but it wasn’t long before her legs began to feel like lead and she was out of breath.

Nicole was behind her and noticed her distress. “Hey, we’re gonna lose someone back here if you don’t slow down!”

“Not my problem.” Charles cackled.

Nicole rolled her eyes at the needless cruelty. She dug her heels into the dirt using her impressive strength to slow the horse. Seeing her example the rest of the tied women did the same. The poor horses never had a chance and stopped dead in the middle of the road after a few seconds.

With the wagon stopped Nicole got next to Carol. “Get on my back.” She told the struggling girl.

“I..I’m fine.” Carol insisted even though it was obvious she was anything but.

Kara and two of her fellow soldiers hopped off the front and were approaching their captives. They looked something less than happy with the rebellion.

“I don’t have time to argue with you, Carol! Get on my fucking back right now!” she demanded.

The younger woman did as she was told just as their captors arrived. “We’re good now.” Nicole told them.

Charles glared at her. Then turned and told the others, “Back in the wagon. Let’s get going.”

Nicole carried Carol for the rest of the afternoon. She expected to get tired long before they stopped but somehow, the longer they walked the stronger she felt. It was very odd. Not once did Carol ask to be put down either. Perhaps it was fear of retribution from Charles and her crew or the realization there was no way she could keep up.

When they finally stopped Charles ordered her underlings to take the ropes off the back of the wagon and tie them all to a large tree at the far end of the campsite they’d chosen.

This time it was Tabitha that spoke up. “You know, Kara, we’re here to see the Wolf. There’s no need to bind us up. We’re not going to run away. We want to go with you.”

Charles just sneered and yelled at her people. “What are you waiting for? I told you to tie them to the tree! Now do it or you’ll join them there!”

As the Wolfs soldiers approached, Tabitha began to flex and twist her arms, pulling and stretching the thick rope that held her wrists. After about fifteen seconds she snapped the loops the bound her and stretched her arms up over her head like she’d just woken up from a nap.

The Wolf’s people immediately moved toward her. Nicole, seeing what her wife had done, repeated the process and freed herself in even less time. She stepped between Tabitha and their captors shaking her hands.

“Hurt?” Tabitha asked.

“Little bit.” Nicole admitted.

“Pussy.” Tabitha teased as she turned her attention back to Charles.

“Again, Kara, there is need to bind us.” She repeated. “However now that our hands are free if it’s a fight you want, we’ll be happy to oblige.” Tabitha growled loudly. Nicole could actually smell the blood lust coming off her wife in waves.

Tamara, Beth and Bonnie, while still attached to the rope all came to stand beside them forming a small skirmish line. Tabitha pulled a knife out of the top of her boot and tossed it to Tamara, who turned to her left and cut Bonnie’s ropes.

Bonnie took the knife and started to cut Tamara free, but time was up. The Wolfs women were upon them. It was a dozen or so warriors against the three of them. Nicole glanced Bonnie’s way and hollered. “Cut the others free. We’ll hold them off til you’re done!”

She looked back to her right, but Tabitha wasn’t standing there anymore. She’d already jumped into the fray. Nicole stood and watched for several heartbeats, in fascination as her wife, completely outnumbered, tore into their enemies. Her ferocity was a thing of beauty to behold.

Nicole grinned as she felt a spike of adrenalin hit her system. The General threw her head back and let out a loud howl, then joined the fray.
She batted one of Charles’ hard charging soldiers aside easily with a single strike of her right hand. She could feel the exhilaration of battle running through her as she dodged another’s sword at the last instance. Using her virus enhanced agility, she jumped over the head of her attacker, grabbed her by then back of the collar and slammed her hard onto the ground back first. Nicole followed the move with a hard stomp on the woman’s breast plate, denting it onto her sternum.

Over to her left Tabitha was wrapped around the body of another of their attackers. Her right elbow swung hitting the woman in the side of the head three times in rapid succession. The soldier went down like a stone. Tabitha landed on her feet and winked at her wife before launching
herself at three more of the Wolf’s people.

Behind them the rest of their party were finally free and joined the fray. With the odds already trimmed by their leaders, the rest of the party attacked with great gusto.

Carol went to dive for cover under the wagon, but Chares was there blocking her way. “Going somewhere little mouse?” Kara asked her mockingly. She brandished her sword at the younger woman.

“Nooo!!” Carol cried as her life began to flash before her eyes. Overwhelmed with fear she could only watch as the blade swung towards her. In her fear, time stretched out weirdly making it feel as if it would take hours for it to finally make contact.

However, the blade never landed. Halfway through the swing Tamara appeared out of nowhere and blocked it with a sword of her own. Her stance was poor and the deflection knocked her slightly off balance. As she stumbled, Kara recovered and hit her hard as she could with the flat of the blade right between the shoulders. The strength behind the impact left the short-haired red head stunned. She tried to rise back up for a moment when a second blow was delivered. As consciousness fled, she slumped onto the ground unable to move.

Before anyone could react, Charles drove her blade straight though her now helpless victims back with a loud thunk. The blade was sunk so deeply into Tamara’s torso it stuck into the ground beneath her.

Nicole saw it happen as she dispatched another soldier. “Tamara!! Noo!” She yelled as she ran toward her fallen comrade. Carol was already there covering Tamara’s body with her own trying to protect her from absorbing a second strike.

Charles struggled to pull the blade out of the woman’s body. It pulled free just as Nicole entered striking range. Without thinking Kara swung it at the General stabbing her right though the middle of her body.

Nicole didn’t even seem to register what had happened and kept on with the attack. With the blade sticking out of her back she grabbed Kara Charles by the front of her armor chest plate and lifted her high above her head. In one swift motion, she turned and with all the force she could muster she slammed the former uniformed soldier off the ground with bone jarring force. That seemed to take all the fight out her opponent.

She stood over her with her fists clenched, panting, taunting Charles, demanding she get back up. After several seconds it was obvious that wasn’t going to happen.

She turned to Carol and asked, “How is she?” as she pointed at Tamara’s prone form.

Carol looked up at the impaled General with wide, disbelieving eyes and nearly threw up at the sight of her. Charles’ sword handle stuck out of the middle of her belly. Blood and gore dripped from the sides of the open wound, even though Nicole seemed oblivious to the pain.

“Sh…she’s been driven through.” She stammered, stating the obvious.

“Is she alive?” Tabitha asked as she came over to the scene. She was a mess to. Blood and other bodily fluids covered her skin. The Major’s hair was drenched with it and clung to the side of her face like she’d just walked out of the shower.

Tamara moaned, letting them know that yes indeed she was still alive. Tabitha got on one knee and asked, “Tam baby? You gonna make it?”

“God, this sucks.” Tamara groaned as she lay on the ground. “My guts feel like they’ve diced up pretty good.”

“Least Nicole got her before she could twist the blade.” Tabitha commiserated as the wound on Tamara’s back began to close on its own.

“Is she going to be ok?” Nicole asked from behind her.

“She’s going to be sore for a good long while, but I think she’ll survive.” She answered as she got to her feet. Tabitha looked at her wife with the sword sticking out of her stomach and arched her brow. She pointed at it and asked, “Planning to keep that as a souvenir?”

“Keep?” Nicole asked as she followed her wife’s finger. Seeing the sword sticking out of her she shouted, “WHAT THAT FUCK?????”

Tabitha laughed. “Didn’t even notice getting impaled, huh?” There was a sense of deep admiration in her voice.

Nicole ignored her as she tried to pull the blade free of her torso. There wasn’t much in the way of pain, which surprised her. It was more like a strange pressure on her insides. Try as she might, she couldn’t get the right leverage to pull the blade free of her body.

“Need some help?” Tab asked as she stood next to her with a bemused expression on her face.

“Please.”

Tabitha grabbed the swords handle and gave it a good yank. For a second it resisted then pulled free nearly sending her tumbling onto her ass.

Now there was pain. Nicole leaned forward and cradled her injured stomach as blood poured out of the wound. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” she repeated over and over again.

“Are you ok, General?” Tabitha asked with a strange lack of concern in her voice.

“I…I don’t know yet. Hurts like a mother fucker, but I don’t seem to be dead.” Nicole answered with a bit of awe in her voice.

“Baby you are a human tank. You’ve survived a lot worse than that little scratch. Go rest by the cart for a bit and let your body heal. I’ll deal with our hosts.” The major told her.

Nicole backed up to the wagon and slid into a seated position. Carol looked at her with great concern. “Are you sure you’re ok?” she asked looking very green in the gills.

“I have no idea, but it feels a lot better now that I’m sitting down.” Nicole told her truthfully. “How’s Tamara?”

“The bleeding has stopped so I guess she’s healing.” Carol told her queasily.

“Are you going to be alright? You look a little bit sick.”

“Wha? Me? Yes. I…I’ll be fine. I…It’s just all the blood. Turns my stomach.”

Nicole nodded.

A few feet away Tabitha was dragging Charles by the hair over to where the rest of their party held the other captives. The blonde-haired woman hollered loudly as she was dragged through the dirt.

Nicole smiled a bit thinking, “Good enough.”

She could hear her wife talking to the others. “Once we’re done sorting this all out, I need you two take the other wagon back to the natives and get Tam some medical attention.”

“You got it boss.” Beth replied. Pointing at the wagon she asked, “How are those two doing?”

“They’ll most likely survive. You know the general, nothing can kill her.” Tabitha replied with a smile. “There is another length of rope in there.
Bind their hands and feet and toss them in the back of or wagon. No need to be gentle.”

“If we’re taking the other wagon, won’t it be kind of cramped with all of them back there?” Bonnie asked.

“That is soooo not my problem dear. Or yours ether actually now that i think of it.” Tabitha replied nonchalantly. “Considering the shit they just tried to pull they’re lucky we don’t leave them tied to a tree or something.” She looked right at Charles as she finished her sentence.

Kara, whose breath was just starting to return whispered menacingly. “This isn’t going to make any difference, you know.”

“Well, one big difference is that I’ll get to ride instead of having to walk.” Tab retorted. “That will be a big improvement, for me anyhow. And I just cannot wait to see the look on Ellie’s face when we dump you all hog tied on her front door.”

Kara Charles turned pale at the thought of what that would bring.

“Wow! Look at you all quiet now. What’s the matter? Wolf got your tongue all of a sudden? Maybe next time you should be nicer to people when they come to visit you. Of course, considering the Wolf’s temperament these days, there might not be a next time for you once we get there.” She told her rubbing it in a bit.

She smiled at her and waited for a reply. When none seemed forthcoming, she turned to Beth and Bonnie and said, “Load em up. I’ll gather up the walking wounded.”

She walked back over to where Tamara was sitting. Her skin was very pale, and it was obvious she was in a great deal of pain. “How are you holding up sweetie?”

“I…I’ll live. Though at the moment I’m not convinced that’s the best option.” She said with a grimace.

“Want to see if we can get you on your feet and into the second wagon?” Tab asked.

“As long as you promise to go slow.” Tamara told her. “We grannies can’t move very fast.”

Tab nodded. “Carol, can you help me?”

“What do you need?”

“Can you just get under her other side, and we’ll try to support her weight a bit while we walk her over to the cart. Try and take as much pressure off her torso as we can.” Tabitha explained.

Carol nodded and did what she could to help get the injured woman into the wagon. It wasn’t one hundred percent pain free, but they managed to get her in the cargo area and reasonably comfortable without her passing out. In Carol’s mind that counted as a win.

With that one in the books the pair turned back to Nicole who was still propped up against the first wagon’s rear wheel.

“How about you wifey. You ready to get this show on the road?” Tabitha asked.

Nicole sighed. The wound was throbbing painfully, and she wasn’t sure what standing would do to it. In her mind this was her first time being disemboweled.

“Maybe?” she replied sheepishly. She reached out her hands and the pair each took one.

As gently as they could they pulled her to her feet. Once she was standing Tabitha got her first look at her wife’s wound. It was a god-awful mass of blood, bile, and god only knew what else from her insides.

As she came to her feet Nicole quietly said, “Ouch.”

“Aww ya big baby.” Her wife joked in reply as she helped her along. Nicole stuck her tongue out at her. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll put that to use later when you’re feeling better.” She quipped.

Nicole was in too much pain to even reply as she gingerly tried to climb up the steps into the front of the wagon. At one point if felt like her guts were about to spill out onto the bench but somehow, they stayed where they belonged.

Once she was seated, she leaned back as far as she could trying to get comfortable. “God, this sucks.” She complained to no one in particular.

“Give it an hour or two and you’ll be right as rain.” Tabitha assured her as Carol climbed up.

She looked over her shoulder at the other wagon. “You three take care of yourselves. We’ll see you back in Native lands in a couple days, god willing.”

“You and the general be careful yourselves. God speed.” Beth replied back as the carts started to move in opposite directions.

*****************
They rode on through the dusk and into the evening putting miles behind them little by little. Their bound-up captives complained over almost ever bump they hit but the trio of victors sitting in the front ignored them. Nicole for her part felt a little bit better and better as time sipped by. The wound stopped bleeding after about twenty minutes and by the time they stopped for a bit to rest the horses and eat the wound in her torso was completely scabbed over.

As they unhooked the horses from the cart and set them to graze Nicole asked, “If you knew you could break the ropes at any time why did you let them drags us along with the wagon for so long.”

“I don’t know. I guess to make them feel like they were in control. I didn’t want them to start in on Carol and the others so just kind of went along. When they wanted to tie us to the tree though, that as a step to far.” Tabitha explained.

Nicole nodded as she loosely tied the horses’ reigns to a small tree so it could graze. She took a step backwards and felt a pair of arms surround her waist. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at her wife.

“Hello there.” She smiled.

“How are you feeling?” Tabitha asked as she kisses her wife’s cheek.

“My guts are still feeling a bit mashed up but it’s getting better.”

“Good. Going to need you at full health when we arrive. The Wolf is going to be less than pleased to see her people bound up and gaged.” Tabitha said with a laugh.

Nicole nodded. “Shall we feed them, so we don’t have to listen to the bitch the whole rest of the way?”
Tabitha looked thoughtfully at the wagon. “I guess.”

The pair wandered over and untied their would-be captors enough that they could eat. The Wolfs people kept their promise to behave and made no attempts to attack or escape which was fine by Nicole. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to catch them if they did run. Of course, she could always leave that to Tabitha who would be in her glory hunting them down.

She thought back to the fight that had reversed everyone’s fortunes. Her wife’s blood lust during the battle was a palpable thing. While they were engaged it had seemed glorious, awe inspiring even, but now thinking back on it, the memory of watching her having at their opponents was unsettling to say the least. Tabitha had attacked the Wolf’s soldiers with a wide grin on her face as she smashed and stabbed them, almost as if she was enjoying every minute of it was all very disturbing in retrospect.

Back in the days she could remember clearly, Thoma…Tabitha, had confided in her how much her growing desire to rip and tear and fight had concerned her. Now, however, it seemed like this older version had embraced it. No, not just embraced it, but lusted for it. There never seemed like there was a moment when she wasn’t ready to fight or trying to pick one like with Anna.

Worse, she was seeing that same lust for violence in herself too. Once she saw Tabitha fighting it was like some kind of switch had been thrown in her head. She’d been exhilarated by the violence and couldn’t wait to join the fray. The excitement she felt in that moment was almost sexual. All she had wanted was blood and for at least a few minutes it was like she blacked out.

Finding the sword sticking painlessly out of her torso, after the fight was over had surprised and horrified her. Even now reflecting on it all, she had no actual memory of it happening. It was just there. It made her wonder if that’s how the old-time comic book character, Wolverine, had felt after his “berserker rages” as they called then in the funny books.

Tabitha, however, acted as if it was nothing. Like it was something that happened all the time. She understood they’d been in countless battles together, even if she had no recollection of them. Had they all been this bloody? Had she always been so quick to join in? Tabitha had mentioned she was the fiercest warrior in the Queendom. Was the lust for violence she’d felt the reason behind it all?

Nicole silently wondered if she was still in control of her actions or if she’d simply given in to it at some point in her murky past and not it controlled her. She didn’t know which was the answer and that bothered her more than question itself.

*****************
After the meal they loaded the Wolf’s people back into the wagon and they headed off back down the road. The night was quiet and peaceful
enough to almost make Nicole forget the danger that was all around them being in enemy territory.

It surprised her that they hadn’t run afoul of more on Ellie’s people yet. She wondered if they’d been ordered to stay away as long as they continued to travel in the direction of Ellie’s capital. The curiosity made her want to have Tabitha take a different road just to see what happened. The deep ache of healing in her torso though was enough to keep her from trying to push their luck and she remained quiet on the subject.

******************
As the sun rose, they came to another bridge, this one was far more modern looking than the one that brought them into the Wolf’s territory. It had obviously been fairly new when the fall came and reasonably well maintained since. This one, like the first, was guarded but Ellie’s soldiers but far more then what they’d encountered at the first one.

Tabitha pulled the horses to a stop about half a mile short of it. The sun was fully up, and the air was getting uncomfortably warm already.

“Going to be a scorcher later on.” Carol observed as she wiped a drip of sweat off her brow.

“That’s ok. We might not be alive come noon time to worry about it.” Tabitha replied without much emotion.

“Lovely thought.” Carol replied.

“Both of you shhh…” Nicole told them. Off to her right she thought she’d heard something. She turned to look in the direction of the noise, searching the woods with eyes that would make an eagle jealous. Tabitha came to her side and pointed in the direction of a small thicket.

“I think we have company.” She whispered.

“Me too. What do you think we should do?”

Without replying Tabitha stood and shouted, “We know your there! We’re here to see the Wolf! So, let’s skip the ducking and fucking, shall we? Come on out and show yourselves!”

Nicole looked at her, mortified. Tabitha smiled back and shrugged. “I’ve really had enough of other people’s silly games.”

Whether she agreed with the strategy or not was quickly mad moot because within the span of a few seconds there were surrounded on three sides but the Wolf’s people. They were all armed in some way, mostly swords and spears and every weapon was pointed at them.

“Hi.” Tabitha said casually to the one nearest her.

Nicole chucked. She loved thus version of Thomas’ fearlessness. Nothing when it came to battle ever seemed to affect her.

“What are you doing here?” The one in charge asked as she glanced over at the cart. Her face turned a bit sour when she recognised their captives. “Why are they bound like that?” She shook the spear in her hand threateningly.

“You might want to relax with that thing before someone gets hurt.” Tabitha told her casually.

“Release the captain immediately!” She demanded.

Tabitha laughed and looked over at Charles. “All this time with her and your only a captain? Jeesh! I’d be kind of pissed off I were you, Kara.”

“I said release her! And the others!” the soldier demanded.

“You’re starting to piss me off girl.” Tabitha flashed her and angry look.

“We’re here to see Ellie.” Nicole told them. “Take us to her and we’ll let your people go once we’re there.”

The soldier laughed this time. “You think just because you show up here the Wolf is going to just drop everything and see you?”

“Yes, actually we do.” Carol told them. “I have a message from Queen Sara to deliver to her personally. You will take us to see her immediately or risk offending the Queen!”

The soldier shot her with an angry look of her own. “Fine. Set the captain and the others free and we’ll take you.”

“After we’re there.” Tabitha corrected. “Unless you want to try and free them by force.” She licked her lips as she finished.

The soldier seemed to recognize the eagerness on the Major’s face. It was obvious Tabitha was daring her to say yes. As she stared back, her face contorted with indecision for a moment and then resignation settled in and won the day.

With a loud sigh, she said, “Alright. Let’s go.” Then to the rest of the woman that surrounded them she said, “Watch them closely. Any sign that they have something treacherous up their sleeve kill them all.”

“Fair enough.” Nicole agreed. She grabbed Tabitha by her upper arm and pulled her towards the wagon. Her wife struggled to pull away from her grip.

“Not now.” She whispered in her ear.

Tabitha glared at her for a moment then gave in and allowed herself to led to the side steps. The pair climbed up into the front of the wagon as a column of soldiers formed up in front and behind the cart.

After about thirty minutes they came to a building that had a banner across the top noting to be a public library. The building itself was fairly intimidating with a set of four large stone columns sitting on top of a large dark-colored marble-topped staircase. The front double doors were made of some kind of dark wood with brass handled. It was a fairly intimidating looking edifice. She could easily picture the Wolf using this as her headquarters.

Hanging around on the steps and the foyer were several small groups of women. They were spread out with large gaps between the groups. Most wore either armor or brightly colored dresses or pant suits. Nicole guessed the wardrobes marked social rank of some kind. The ones wearing the brightest colors were being waited on hand and foot while the rest looked after their own needs.

More shocking to see, was men walking amongst them. It was the first time she’d seen a male since waking up and now there were at least a dozen spread out between the groups.

Some carried trays between the groups and the building, others were stationed close to the larger congregations but off to the side. They were dressed mostly in loose fitting tops made of some kind of coarse fibrous material. Their pants looked like they were made of the same stuff but were all ripped and cut unevenly along the bottoms. None wore shoes and all had a black leather strap around their necks that resembled slave collars.

“Close your mouth dear, your attracting flies.” Tabitha chided as she poked her in the side.

Nicole rolled her eyes and closed her mouth as Tabitha pulled the cart to a stop. The three members of the Queendom began to disembark as the soldiers that ushered them to this place climbed up to free Kara Charles and her soldiers. The one that seemed to be in charge came to then and put her hand on Nicole's arm trying to lead her along.

“I’d remove that if I were you.”

Her would be escort quickly let her go. The General smiled at her.

The Queendom’s ambassadors were quickly led up the stairs. The ensembles of women all turned to watch them as they passed. In hushed voices they made several derogatory comments about the Queendom’s people, perhaps thinking they were being funny. The others laughed like hyenas as they looked and pointed.

Nicole’s sensitive ears easily picked out the comments the various small crowds were making as she passed by. She knew full well that Tabitha heard what they said as well and by the stiffness of her posture, knew she wasn’t very appreciative of their opinions. She clutched her wife’s arm. Holding on tightly to make sure she didn’t lunge at any of them.

Tabitha grinned wickedly and whispered, “Don’t worry baby. I won’t get us killed on the way to our execution.”

Nicole’s stomach was tight with apprehension and anticipation. She was finally here. She was going to see what had become of the woman she only remembered as being her lifelong best friend. She couldn’t help but try to imagine what that was going to be like. The stories she’d been told of what she’d become filled her with worry.

Their footfalls echoed as they walked across the stone vestibule and past what once served as the librarian’s desk. They walked through the double wooden doors into the building’s reading room. At the far end of it was small group of men all gathered together. They all had thick, gleaming silver chains hanging from their necks making Nicole wonder if they were chained into place.

Just past where they stood was another group of women dressed in bright colored outfits that appeared to be standing in front of some kind of chaise lounge. Nicole couldn’t see her behind the crowd of bodies, but she could smell Ellie’s scent in the room.

Kara, who’d taken the lead after being freed led them to the center of the large room and told them, “Wait here.”

The group stopped and Charles walked over to circle of about a dozen women. She spoke to one for a few seconds before turning back and pointing at Nicole, Tabitha and Carol. The crowd of women all turned to look at the new arrivals. As they did the center opened up and there was Ellie sitting on the chaise with a man on the floor in front of her. The Wolf held a simple leather-looking leash that was attached to the man’s collar.

“Ellie you kinky ass bitch.” Nicole thought to herself.

“Well, well. Look at what the cat has dragged in.” the Wolf said loudly.

She stood up and for the first time Nicole got a good look at her old friend. She’d definitely aged some. Ellie’s face had wrinkles where there hadn’t been any the last time she remembered seeing her. Her sandy blonde hair, while still as long as ever, had gone a darkish shade of gray. She leaned on a staff or walking stick as she took a step towards their group.

“She doesn’t look all that threatening.” Nicole though as she watched her old friend make her way across the floor.

“Sargent why are you here?” She asked the woman that lead the group that brought then here.

“The captain was incapacitated when we arrived. We freed her then followed her in just in case there was trouble.” The woman told her.

“Incapacitated? In what way?”

“They had her tied up in the back of their wagon, ma’am.” The woman said and quickly looked down at the floor.

Ellie turned around and looked at Charles. “You allowed yourself to be captured and brought here in chains?”

Kara’s eyes grew wide. “Y..yes. They overwhelmed us enroute.” She admitted.

“How interesting.” Ellie replied. “The leader of my guard was overwhelmed by three intruders from the Queendom.”

“I…I..” Kara stuttered.

“I..I..what?” Ellie asked in a voice filled with growing fury.

“I’m ashamed, majesty.” Kara admitted. “I have no excuses to offer.”

Ellie walked back over to where Kara Charles stood. She was at least a foot smaller than the former soldier. She led her hand out. “Your knife.”

“Wha? N…no..pl..please.” she begged.

“Your knife Captain.”

Charles, who’d gone pale reluctantly reached into her belt and slowly withdrew a blade. She went to hand it to Ellie, but she stopped her.

“Not me. You.”

“No.. please…” she begged again.

“Do it of your own free will or I will make you do it.” Ellie told her with her eyes locked on the quivering woman.

Kara looked down at the knife in her hand. She knew the price of failure well but found herself unwilling to pay it now that it was her turn.

“Coward.” Ellie said disgustedly. She shook her head and turned back to face the new arrivals. She twisted her hand and behind her Kara
Charles made the same motioned with the knife in her hand. The terror on the woman’s face was palpable as her hands moved against her will. Ellie pressed the side of her balled up fists to her belly and Kara followed suit plunging the knife into her stomach.

The Wolf smiled as Charles cried out in fear and pain. Ignoring her underling pleas, she slid her hand first to the left then all the way across her stomach to the right. Behind her Charles mirrored the motions disemboweling herself.

Nicole recoiled in horror as the woman’s innards fell out onto the hard wood floor. Off to her right Carol wretched loudly but somehow managed to hold the gorge back. Only Tabitha seemed unaffected by the grisly scene.

“Showing off for your guests again?” She asked Ellie calmly.

“I knew you’d be ok with it.” Ellie said through a sadistic smile. “I have to admit I’m surprised to see Red’s reaction. I thought you were made of sterner stuff.”

“How?” was all Nicole could think to ask.

“How what, General” She said the final word in a tone that made it obvious she was mocking the red heads station.

“Why would you do that to her? She served you loyally.”

“What do you know about it? You us behind left ages ago. How do you know what she’s done in the meantime?” the Wolf asked as she stepped closer to her former friend. “Maybe your better half is right, and I did it just to show off. Who can say for sure?”

“We…we’re here to discuss prisoner exchange.” Carol said finally finding her voice.

“Prisoner exchange? I don’t have any prisoners here. Everyone that lives on these lands’ lives here by their own free will.” The older woman replied with a sneer.

“You know who it is you took and we want them back.” Carol said matter of factly.

“Ahh little mouse.” Ellie said mockingly. She reached out to touch Carols cheek. The younger woman jerked back reflexively. Ellie sneered at her. “It is good to see you’ve found your voice finally. I was worried after I arraigned for you to spend that time with poor deceased Victor that it might have been stolen from you forever.”

Ellie looked over at Nicole and sniffed the air. “You smell different. What wrong?”

“W..wrong? There’s n..nothing wrong.” Nicole stammered sounding anything but convincing.

Ellie tapped her temple with her index finger. “I could go in and take a look for myself.”

“Wha? Fuck you, you will!” Nicole said far more loudly than she planned.

Ellie laughed. “Yup definitely not the same Nicole I’ve come to know and loathe. You don’t smell like that traitor.” She looked at Tabitha. “What did you do to her?”

“Nothing.” She said irritably.

The Wolf stared at her for a long moment. Ellie then turned and glanced back at the body lying in the middle of the floor. She looked over at the group of men huddled together. “Well, what are you waiting for? Clean that hunk of shit up!” she demanded of them. The group shuddered in unison. Then two of them walked over to Charles’ body and began to lift it.

Nicole could see why they all agreed that the nick name fit Ellie perfectly. She was certainly not the person she remembered. Something deep and fundamental had changed for the worst in the woman that she had always known to be her best friend. It sickened her to see it.

“I have changed. Yes, Yes indeed.” Ellie said looking back at her. “Most of it is your fault too as you well know.” She stepped closer and sniffed again. “Or do you?”

Ellie circled her slowly. “You didn’t think I’d pick up those stray thoughts, did you?” She asked. “No of course you didn’t or you’d have guarded them better like good ol Thomas over there.” She answered her own question before anyone could think of a reply.

Ellie looked at Tabitha. “Tell me Tommy boy. What is it exactly you’ve brought me? I’m just dying to know!”

Carol spoke up instead. “You know who we represent. You’d best remember your manors.”

Ellie looked taken aback. “Oh my, Little Mouse, have I been less than a respectful hostess? Oh my. Please forgive my manors.” Ellie stepped back from Nicole and smiled at the three of them. “Better?”

Carol rolled her eyes. “Can we get back to discussing what we came here to get?”

“Well of course we can sweetie.” Ellie sneered. “I wouldn’t want you to tell that whelp Sara I was less then reasonable.”

“We want him back.” Is all Carol said in reply.

“I can see that.” Ellie replied. “What are you willing to give me in exchange for such a valuable prize?”

“Him?” Nicole interrupted. “Him who?”

Ellie looked back at her former best friend. “You really aren’t yourself, are you? The Nicole I know and lothe wouldn’t be asking such obvious questions.”

“I am me.” Was her reply.

“Hmm. I just don’t think so. No, not at all.” The Wolf shot her a queer look.

Nicole felt a strange tickle at the base of her skull. “What are you doing?” she asked angrily.

The Wolf smiled. “Satisfying my curiosity is all. Nearly thirty years’ worth of missing memories. That’s a long time. Poor baby. No wonder your so confused.” She looked at the other two. “Do you two want to tell her what’s going on or shall I?”
“I’d like to stick to the point for more than ten seconds.” Carol said exasperatedly.

Ellie turned back to the woman she’d been sitting with. “One of you go fetch him.” The one closest to the back wall turned and walked away as commanded.

“Thy certainly hop when you say jump don’t they?” Nicole asked.

“They know better than not to.” The Wolf replied dismissively.

“I may not know you anymore, but the Ellie I remember didn’t need to fluff herself up with a bunch of flunkies. She would be horrified at the bully you’ve become.” Nicole told her angrily.

“And who betrayed me and made me this way Red? Tell me! I know you know, or at least know their version of it.”

“They say you became like this after the second version of the Sisters was dissolved by the old government.”

“Dissolved? Dissolved. That’s an interesting way to put it.” Ellie replied. “The way I remember things it was more along the lines of betrayal. First by that cunt Russov and her little gang of flunky’s. Then later you, when you lost your stomach for what needed to be done and scurried off to the side of that fake queen, Sara.”

“If you say so.” Nicole replied.

Before Ellie could say another word, the room was filled with a large screech of unused door hinges as the one behind her was pushed wide open. Through it came a small group of soldiers dragging an old man by his neck with very solid looking chains. He was tall and gaunt, with a long brown beard peppered with spots of grey, matching the color of his dirty long hair perfectly.

Nicole looked at him with wide eyes of recognition. Yes, he was far older than she remembered but it was unmistakably him. His eyes met hers and he nodded. The General shook her head in disbelief. “Warren?” she asked more to herself than anyone else

She turned to Tabitha and asked “How? What’s going on here?”

It was Carol that answered. “After Dr Blue’s death and Sam disappearance, Roberta and Warren took Sara in and raised her alongside me and
Maria. Ellie knows all of this and arranged to have him kidnapped while you and the others were all busy fighting Hiller and his people. I guess as a way to hold something over Sara’s head.”

“Moi?” Ellie mocked. “I didn’t have anyone kidnapped. The faits just happened to smile on me that day, I guess. But it wasn’t anything I planned out. Scouts honor.” She raised two fingers in the boy scouts’ salute.

“What does it matter if it was planned or not?” Nicole asked impatiently. She was feeing distinctly nervous now that the real reason for the journey was revealed.

Ellie shot her a queer look. “You really don’t remember any of it do you sweetie?”

“Let’s stay on subject.” Carol interjected before Nicole could answer.

“Why of course little mouse. What are you going to give me in exchange for our pal Warren?” Elie asking in a voice dripping with sarcasm. “It
had better be something good too cause I kind of like have my old friend here with me. We’ve been catching up on all sorts of stuff, like I didn’t know that after you woke up from getting injured by Tommy over there, you wet the bed for months after.”

Carol turned red with embarrassment. She shot Warren a look of anger but then realized there was no way he told her willingly. She looked back at Ellie. “You do get off on messing with minds don’t you.”

Ellie smiled and batted her eyes at Carol. “A girls got to have a hobby.” She grinned. “So, what do you have? Times a wasting.” She looked at her wrist like there was a watch on it.

Carol opened the bag she was carrying and pulled something circular out of it. She turned and presented the Wolf with what looked to Nicole like a crown. Ellie’s opened wide at the sight of it.

“She’s willing to abdicate to me?” she asked disbelievingly.

“Somethings are more important that power.” Carol told her.

The Wolf held the crown between her two hands looking at it as a wide smile grew across her face. She lifted it up and marveled are the sun’s rays glistening off the golden crown.

“Is that really all your about now?” Nicole asked. “Lust and power? Is that what you’ve become?”

Ellie looked at her former friend with greedy eyes. “So what if it is?”

“Nothing, I guess.” She disgustedly. “The Ellie I remember would have given up her life for those she loved. She never would have taken so much delight in making this around her suffer.”

“For those I loved?” Ellie asked suddenly furiously. “For those I loved? You, you fucking hypocrite traitor, you were who I loved! The Sisters, they were who I loved! And I was betrayed by both! You got squeamish and left me when I needed you the most! Just turned your back on me and walked away like…like I was nothing! Like we never meant a god damned thing to each other Nicole! I needed you on my side, your support and you were too selfish! You come off all holier than thou now.”

“And the fucking government! They stole my dream of something better when they tried to capture us all and put us in the military! Fucking Russov and all her bull shit! Why am I like this now? Because this is what all of you made me into!”

Nicole shook her head. “What about God? Wasn’t that who was guiding you along to what needed to be done? What happened to your faith?”

The Wolf threw her head back and laughed. “God? There is no God. We are the gods now! We’ve overthrown the old god and risen above the rest! We are the enhanced and the world is ours for the taking. All we need to do is reach out and grab what we want and it’s ours! No one can stop us! The old gods are dead and we are their descendants.” Ellie had an oddly triumphant smile on her face as if what she said was the most profound thing ever.

Nicole was filled with disgust. Ellie really had gone off the deep end. She sighed loudly before replying. “Well now you have what you wanted so give us Warren and we’ll be on our way.”

“I never said I was willing to make the trade.” Ellie said with a smirk. “What if it’s not enough?”

“What else could you possibly want?”

“You.” She grinned. “You have much to answer for and now that you’re here, I’m not inclined to let you go.”

“That’s not part of the deal.” Tabitha said as she moved over and stood in front of Nicole.

“I’m changing the deal. The crown and Nicole for Warren sound fair to me.”

“Absolutely not!” Tabitha told her. She looked over at Carol who shook her head no. Tabitha arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean no?” she demanded. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew this was going to be part of her demands. That’s why we were chosen for this mission isn’t it?”

Carol looked down at the floor guilty. Tabitha stepped over and lifted her into the air and shook her hard. Carol felt like she’d been through a blender by the time she was done. All the while Tabitha was screaming her face.

“You little bitch! You and Sara think you can just trade people like baseball cards, and nothing will ever come back on you! I should have left you with Victor!” she dropped Carol to the floor and watched as she crumpled into a heap.

“S…Sara had nothing to do with it.” Carol told her as she scrambled backwards.

“You planned this then? This was all your idea?” Nicole asked. Despite the explosiveness of the situation, she felt remarkably calm. She reached out and put a hand on Tabitha’s shoulder. She could feel her wife trembling with rage.

“The two of you betrayed me!” She screamed, pointing at Nicole and Ellie. “You deserve each other!”

“I’ll kill you!” Tabitha threatened. Nicole grabbed her by both arms and held her back. “Let me go!”

“No.” Nicole told her quietly. “I’ll stay.”

“What?! What the fuck do you mean you’ll stay?” she yanked her arms free and stared at her wife in disbelief.

“If that’s your price then I’ll stay. “she said to Ellie more loudly.

“Nicole!” Tabitha shouted.

“What? Isn’t this what we’re here for? To save Warren?”

“Y..yes.” Tabitha replied.

“This is how we do it then. You and Carol and Warren all get to go home and that’s what matters.” Nicole told her.

“And what about you? The Nicole I know would never…”

“I’m not that person and if she’d be willing to leave Warren here to be tortured or whatever then I’m glad I’m not.” Nicole interrupted.

“But…But..” Tabitha stuttered.

“Come here.” Nicole gathered her up and hugged her tightly. “I love you, Thomas. You’ve been an amazing life partner as far as I can see, but this is where I belong for now.”

Tabitha pulled back from the embrace and looked at her wife. She glanced over at Ellie and without warning pulled a knife out of her boot. She moved so swiftly that no one could react before she hauled back and threw it at the Wolf. Ellie screamed in pain as she grabbed her upper thigh. The knife stuck out of her leg proudly.

At the same instant Nicole shook her head as if awakening from a dream. “What the fuck?” she asked confused. She looked over at Ellie angrily and before anyone could react, she pounced on her former best friend. She grabbed her by the throat and lifted her high, squeezing.

“You fucking bitch! What the fuck was that?” She shook the Wolf hard as she yelled. “Is that all you are now? A manipulator? Have to fuck with my head to get what you want?”

The room began to fill with Elie’s guards, all brandishing spears, swords and other weapons. None dared attack while Nicole held Ellie aloft, so they surrounded the trio of visitors instead.

“Stay back or you’ll be appointing a new leader!” she warned as Tabitha came to her side. She carried grin of pure excitment on her face as she watched the hall fill with soldiers.

“Tabi, get Warren and the crown! We’re leaving.” Nicole told her. “You too Carol, Lets go.” Nicoel lowered Ellie to the ground and grabbed her instead by the back of the neck, holding her in front as a human shield.

“I don’t know if you noticed General but we’re slightly out number here.” Tabitha said with a wide grin.

“So? Do you want to live forever?”

“Well, not all of us are like you and can’t be killed but what the hell..”

Nicole could actually smell the adrenaline coming off her wife in waves

“No don’t take the crown. Put in the Wolf.” Carol hollered to Tabitha.

“Why?” Nicole asked.

“Just trust me.” Carol said with urgency. The Wolf’s guard was slowly closing a circle around the three of them and their captive.

Tabitha shrugged and grabbed the crown up and turned towards her intended victim. Ellie started trying to slide way, but Nicole's grip held her tight. The choke hold had robbed her temporarily of her voice and the confusion induced by the lack of oxygen made it impossible to focus enough to save herself.

“You all better stay back!” Nicole demanded. She knew there was no use making any bigger of a threat because there was no way to back it up. She just hoped their fear for Ellie’s safety would be enough to hold them back, at least until she stopped coughing and gagging long enough to order them to attack.

Tabitha pounced on her pinning the Wolf to the ground. She slugged her in the head so hard she nearly decapitated the former leader of the Sisters. Ellies eyes rolled up and her tongue hung loosely from her mouth. Tabitha lifted her head with a fistful of hair and slipped the crown onto it. She stood up and looked at Carol. “Now what?”

As if in answer, despite being stunned from the blow Ellie went wild. She started screaming and struggling with all her might to get the golden ring off her head, but it refused to budge. Her guards recoiled at seeing her plight, confused as to what was happening.

“What did you to her?” Nicole asked.

“The band has circuits in it that reflect her abilities back onto her and an algorithm that commands her to refuse to remove it no matter how hard she tries.” Carol told her with a strange kind of self-satisfied grin on her face.

Nicole looked shocked. “How?”

“We told you she as smart.” Tabitha told her.

The Wolf’s people seemed less impressed as they began to close in on the Queendom’s people.

Tabitha grabbed the struggling new woman and lifted her to her feet. Ellie screamed and struggled but her hands refused to push the crown off her head. Tabitha held her in front of her and suck a knife to her throat. Ellie stopped struggling with the crown as the cold steel touched her skin.

“You all stay back!” she commanded.

“You’ll never make it out of here.” One of the guards said.

“If we die, so will she. I guarantee it. The Wolf will be the first to go! I swear to god do not fuck with me on this!”

That stopped them in their tracks. Nicole wasn’t sure how much any of her subjects actually liked Ellie, but it was apparent they were to scared of her wrath to intentionally put her in danger.

“What do you want?” the lead guard asked.

“Safe passage to the Native lands. All four of us.” Nicole told them.

“Done.” The guard said. “Now let the Wolf go.”

“Umm..no. She’s our insurance. Once we cross the bridge then we will turn her over to you. Not a minute before.”

“I will escort you then.” The leader said. “And make sure no harm comes to her.”

“None will do anything to her. You have my word.” Nicole told them. “But we will accept your escort. No funny business though. If you try anything we’ll kill her and all you too if you try anything.”

“Then we have a deal.” The guard turned and nodded at the rest and the group parted like the Red Sea and allowed the Queendoms people to pass.

Once outside they found their wagon and horses waiting right where they’d left them. Carol and Nicole helped Warren along while Tabitha escorted Ellie, the knife still firmly pressed to her throat.

“Are you ok?” Nicole asked Warren as she helped him up onto the back of the cart. He seemed far more frail than mere age would account for. There were a few bruises that she could see but most looked superficial. Having seen how Ellie behaved now it made her shudder to think what he may have gone through at her hands.

“I’ll live.” He replied bitterly, then turned and spat on Ellie. “No thanks to her.”

Ellie’s face turned almost purple with burning rage as she wiped the spit from her brow. To add to the indignity, she was helpless to do anything as Tabitha pushed her along. As long s the cursed crown was on her head, she was helpless to try and escape. Every time she tried to reach out with her ability it made her head fit to split so that wasn’t going to be an option.

While she had plenty of soldiers willing to give their lives for her, none were a physical match for Nicole or Tabitha by themselves, never mind as a combo. And without her ability to manipulate she wasn’t even a match for Carol, not at her age at least. The embarrassment over being fooled and captured so easily raged like a wildfire in her heart.

As she was pushed up onto the back of the cart one of her soldiers leapt forward and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her out of Tabitha’s grip. Carol watched as the Wolf was dragged away from the side of the cart. Out of her pocket she slid what looked like slim black remote control for a television. She clicked a button on it and the Wolf suddenly cried out in agony. She began to thrash around on the ground as both hands came up to the crown and gripped the ring tightly pulling it down onto her head more tightly. Her would be rescuer fought with her to try and pry the crown out of her grip and onto her head, but Ellie wouldn’t let go no matter how hard she pulled.

“What have you done?” The lead guard shouted.

“Safeguards. You didn’t think I’d make it that easy to free her, did you?” Carol asked. “Now let us go or I’ll destroy this devise, and she’ll be stuck like that forever.”

The guard stepped forward and tried to snatch the remote out of Carols hand. Nicole grabbed her arm first and pushed her away, making the guard stumble backwards and fall on her ass.

“Taking it from me won’t get you anywhere.” Carol taunted. “It only responds to me. Now get the fuck out of way!”

The guard waved everyone back from her seated position. Tabitha stepped over and stared down at Ellie as she writhed on the ground. She bent and pulled Ellie along the ground by her hair to the back of the cart then lifted her and slammed her down into the back of it hard as she could without causing permanent damage.

“Bitch!” she spat as she walked around to the front.

Carol climbed up into the back and kept watch on their captive alongside the already seated Warren. She put a hand on his shoulder. “Glad you’re ok. Sara will be happy to see you when we get home.”

“If we get home.” He replied glumly.

“Oh ye of little faith.” Tabitha said looking over her shoulder at the two of them. She snapped the reins on the horses and the cart started moving. Ellie’s people followed a few lengths behind them as the rode off into the dusk.

The plan was for two of them to rest while one drove and then switch without stopping until they were safely inside the Native’s territory. They figured with four of them, if Warren was up to driving, they should be able to continue on without needing to stop for any significant amount of time thus denying the Wolf’s people the opportunity to try and ambush them and free their leader.

Nicole was baffled by their loyalty to Ellie. They followed a tyrant that they obviously all feared and yet she knew if the opportunity presented itself, they’d happily kill the four of them to get her back. It made no sense to her. She thought perhaps the Wolf held them all in thrall with her abilities, but with the crown eliminating her power she they should be free of that control now and yet, here they were. It was perplexing to say the least.

She continued to ponder it as they continued down into the growing gloom on the road that would eventually lead them to the Native’s territory. Behind her, Carol and Warren tied Ellie hands and feet and secured her to the wagon so she could neither attack them nor escape while they dozed.

At every crossroads the encountered Nicole felt her belly tighten, half expecting to be ambushed, but true their word Ellie’s people simply followed them at a safe distance. They were close enough to diffuse any trouble they might encounter but far enough back that whatever conversations they may be having amongst themselves we lost in the noise of the wagon’s wheels.

Around midnight Tabitha offered to take over but Nicole wasn’t tired. “I can go a while more babe.” She told her.

“Ok but don’t wear yourself out. We have a long way to go and if we run into trouble we’ll need you at full strength.”

“Yes mother.” She replied with a smile.

Tabitha stuck her tongue out and smiled back. Nicole took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Why do you think they aren’t back at home celebrating us taking her?”

“Stockholm Syndrome. You know when victims start to depend on their victimizers?” Tabitha asked.

“I thought that was Helsinki syndrome.”

“Only in Die Hard.” She replied with a laugh.

“Oh. Opps.” Nicole said laughing at herself. “That is the world’s greatest Christmas movie.”

“It is so not a Christmas movie.” Tabitha insisted.

“Hey! It’s not really Christmas until Hans Gruber falls off of the Nakatomi building.” Nicole replied and stuck her tongue out.

Tabitha laughed. “Ya. Ok.” She leaned in and licked Nicole's tongue before she could withdraw it.

“Tease.” She replied with a wink.

“Moi? Never.” Tabitha laughed. “I figure we have maybe a 30% chance of actually making it all the way to Native lands, so I’ll take whatever you want to give. Just saying.”

Nicole grinned. “You have a one-track mind.”

“What can I tell you babe. You do it for me.”

Nicole grinned. “Forever and always.”

“Even when I’m old and gray?”

“Umm. Baby, have you looked in the mirror lately?” Nicole joked.

Tabitha laughed. “Bitch.”

Nicole blinked innocently. “You know you love me.”

“I do.” Tabitha said wistfully. “I do worry what you’re going to do with yourself after I’m gone.”

“With luck we’ll go together fighting.”

“Baby your immortal. You’re going to outlive me by a thousand years at the rate you’re going.”

“Immortal? Ya as if.” Nicole laughed.

“Maybe not in the Greek god’s sense of immortality but you’ve hardly aged since the day I met you. Like it or not you’re going to outlast us all by a long way.”

Nicole shook her head. “I don’t believe that for a minute. In a few years we’ll be retired sitting on matching rocking chairs watching the sun set together on a porch somewhere.”

“Retire?”

“From the Queendom. We can’t fight for it forever. Eventually someone else will have to take over the duties. Then we can fade off into the sunset.”

“Mmm. That sounds nice.” Tab told her as she leaned her head on Nicole's shoulder. “You know I kind of like this new version of you.”

“Oh ya? Why’s that?”

“The old on never talked about retirement or any of that. She was far more of the General than the Nicole I fell in love with. Always about the next bit of Queendom business, the next crisis or next opponent we needed to eliminate.”

Nicole nodded. She was unsure what to say. “Sorry babe.”

“Not your fault you got swallowed up by the life we lead. It happened to me too for a long time.” She smiled and kissed her wife.

“You two are going to make me throw up.” Ellie said from the back of the wagon.

“Who asked you?” Tabitha said. “Mind your own business or I’ll have Carol click her remote again.”

“Fuck you, Thomas. Soon as I’m free of this cursed crown you’re all going to pay. I’m not going to stop until I see the entire Queendom burn. I
should have known you weren’t playing me straight when you arrived.”

“It’s Tabitha, thank you very much, Elijah.” She replied snarkily. “We had no idea Carol and Sara were even going to offer you that crown so don’t get all bitchy with us.”

“No one outside myself and Sara knew. We couldn’t take the chance of you picking something up off any of the others.” Carol added. Her tone was casual but it was obvious she was quite proud of herself.

“See? So shut the fuck up about getting revenge on the Queendom and be happy we’re going to turn you back over to your people when we get to safety.” Tabitha told her.

“No where in the world is going to be safe for any of you moving forward.” The Wolf snarled.

“Carol, can you gag her please?” Nicole asked. Seeing Ellie like this, despite understating why, filled Nicole with despair. It made her sad to see her best friend so broken by what the world had done to her. It seemed like where she was once only filled with love and kindness, fate and it’s conspires had done everything possible to turn her into this angry little wretch.

Or maybe it was always there. Nicole remembered back to the time when she had Wendy break poor Vera’s neck for betraying them to the military way back at the beginning of the epidemic that reshaped the world into what it was today. Even from the time she remembered it seemed like a million years ago. Perhaps this was the real Ellie and the friend she loved and remembered was really the mask.
That was as disquieting a thought as they came. Her mind instantly tried to reject the notion, but as much as she tried to push it aside it wouldn’t go away. She missed the old days more than ever now. Not remembering anything made it impossible to tell who had agendas and who was for real. She had taken everything she’d been told at face value, trusting those she knew thirty years prior automatically.

Finally, a bit after 2am her eyes began to feel grainy and sore. She gently elbowed her wife who’d been lulled back to sleep by the constant sway of the wagon. Tabitha blinked at her sleepily.

“Your turn. Going to stop at the parking lot up ahead and relieve myself and you can take over.”

“Not to worry baby cakes. I got you covered.”

“Think our friends behind us will try anything?” she asked.

Tabitha peered over her shoulder into the darkness. It was hard to even see the lead horse, never mind trying to decern if the rider and her followers were up to anything sinister.

“I guess we’ll have to pull off the road and see.” Tabi said with a shrug. “They’ll be in for a rude surprise if they do that’s for sure.”

Nicole smiled. The longer she was with Thomas the less she believed the things Anna told her back at the coffee shop. If she ever saw Anna again, she planned to tell her she thought she was a liar right to her face. That way there’d be no question where it came from and thus no threat to the peace between the natives and the Queendom.

They arrived at the spot which strangely enough was an abandoned gas station. The building was long since overgrown with weeds and creeper vines and the windows were all shattered. There were the remains of a very old sign written on a bed sheet saying, “No Gas!” in bold letters that fluttered in the light breeze. Along the side was another sign that read Women with an arrow pointing to the far side of the building.

Tabitha saw the sign first and pointed at it. “Look. If you can get inside, you won’t have to pee in the woods.” She joked.

“Damn. Must be my lucky night. Of course, if these were the pre-virus days, I wouldn’t have had to worry about it.” She restored with a laugh.

“There are operations you know….” She giggled.

Nicole touched her crotch. “Naaa. You’d miss this too much.” She grinned wickedly. “Come to think of it, so would I.

“That I would wifey. That I would. Now better get going before you wet your pants.” She leaned over and kissed Nicoles cheek.

The General walked around the side of the building to the indicated door and using her prodigious strength pulled it open with a loud creak of rusty door hinges. She sniffed the air inside and found it surprisingly uncontaminated. “They must have used industrial strength air fresheners in here before it closed down.”

She cautiously stepped into the gloom. There was just enough moonlight to keep it from being dark as a coal mine in there, but it wasn’t better by much. She wished she’d thought to bring a flashlight, then immediately wondered if they still existed.

She felt around a bit and found the toilet and the sink next to it. She could tell there was no sitting ring left. “Now who’d be so desperate as to steal a damn toilet seat?” She joked with herself quietly as she squatted down to a hover and took care of her business.

When she came out Tabitha was waving at her with both arms. When she saw she had Nicoles attention she pointed down the road. Nicole looked and felt her stomach knot up as she saw what it was that had her wife in such a state. They were blocked in from one side of the road to the other with the Wolf’s people on horseback now in both directions.

She walked quickly over to the wagon. Carol and Warren were saying something to Tabitha as she approached.

“What are we going to do? We can give her back to them. That will be the end of us!” Carol said in a panicky voice. Gone was the swagger it had developed since tricking Ellie with the crown.

“That’s a lot of horses.” Warren added. There was no panic in his voice, just calm observation.

“What do you want to do General?” Tab asked. The time for smiles and small talk was over. Now it was time for focus and military like order. They were vastly outnumbered and so far behind enemy lines it boggled the mind to think about it. No one was coming to their rescue so whatever they did in the next few minutes they were going to do alone.

“There’s too many to fight. How far to the boarder?” she asked hoping maybe she was wrong about the distance.

“At least another six or seven hours. Maybe more.” Tabitha replied glumly.

“Well shit.” Was all she could think of saying.

In the back of the cart, the Wolf, who’d managed to free herself on the gag, was cackling like a deranged hen. “So much for the great escape little mouse. I knew my people would come to my rescue. You four are dead and then the Queendom and Native lands after!”

“Shut the fuck up!” Carol demanded.

“Aww what’s wrong little mouse? Not so brave now?” Ellie said as she laughed.

“Stay here. I’ll go talked to one of them. See what can be negotiated.” Nicole said.

“Can’t hurt I guess.” Tab replied. She reached behind her and pulled our Nicoles sword. “Take this. Maybe you can take a few out if they’re feeling feisty.”

Nicole strapped the belt around her waist. Got on her toes and kissed Tabitha. “For luck.”

“Then you better kiss me twice cause we’re going to need a lot of it.” She replied. Nicole kissed her again and then turned back to the task at hand.

She walked slowly in the direction of the forward blockade. The horses chuffed and whinnied as she approached. One of the riders dismounted when she was about twenty feet from the group and walked in her direction.

They met about ten feet from the nearest horse rider. The woman wore similar armor to what Charles had been wearing when they first saw her at the bridge. She had long dark hair flowing from under the helmet and was nearly as tall as Nicole. She looked to be fairly bulky, but it was hard to tell in the gloom if it was muscle or the armor.

“General.” The woman said in greeting. “I’m Margot. A captain in the Wolf’s army.”

“Nicole, as you already seem to know.”

“Yes. I’ve heard the stories about you but never thought I’d have the opportunity to meet you in person. If you don’t mind me saying, it’s an honor to meet a warrior of your reputation.”

“Umm. Thanks?” Nicole replied in confusion. Of all the way she imagined this going, this was the furthest thing from any of them.

“You have the Wolf captive?” she asked.

“I believe you know the answer to that already or you wouldn’t be here blocking our way.”

Margot nodded. “True enough.”

“You want her back I assume?” Nicole said succinctly. “No use in beating around the bush, Captain. Since we’re being civil at the moment tell me, what are our options?”

“There aren’t many for you I’m afraid. We have to complexly surrounded with horses and riders on the road and archers in the wood to either side.” She explained.

“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything.” Nicole said flatteringly.

“Best to always be prepared.” She agreed.

“Yes. So, is this give her back or else or give her back and be on your merry way if she’s not been harmed?” she asked.

Margot laughed. “You misunderstand, General. We are not here for you. We are here to take the Wolf into our custody. She is guilty of more crimes against our people than I care to count. With the devise your people have put on her, we can finally be free of her rule. The soldiers I bought are only here in case you refused to turn her over.”

Nicole stood there for a moment utterly flabbergasted. Again, of all the ways she imagined this confrontation going this was as far from them as Pluto was from the sun. “Umm.”

Margot laughed. “Not what you were exciting?”

“Nope. Not even a little.” She said in a slightly stunned voice. “What about the one’s following us? Are they in this with you?”

“You don’t need to worry about them. We will deal with any that disagrees. There’s no need for you to be involved. It’s an internal matter.”

Nicole nodded. “So, how do we do this then?”

“We have a wagon at the back of our formation. It will be pulled up alongside yours. You will give is the Wolf and be on your merry way.”

“Simple as that huh?”

“Yep. That simple.” Margot replied. “Your devise is exactly what we’ve prayed for, something to allow us to deal with her as she needs to be dealt with.”

Nicole nodded. “You should come talk to Carol about the devise first. She said earlier the controller was linked to only her.”

“Yes. Then we should find out what to do with that.” She turned and whistled a bird call back at her troop. A pair of riders can forward stopping next to the pair of women.

“Go tell Sargent Wallace back there to turn and go back to the capital. We have this situation in hand and will meet up with our prisoners there.”

“Yes ma’am.” The first rider said.

To the second she said, “Go back at tell Captain Green and her archers to stand down. I will be returning shortly.”

“Yes ma’am.” Was her reply as she turned and rode back in the direction she came.

As they walked back to the wagon Nicole asked, “Did you really think we’re resist?”

“There was always the chance you wanted to take her back to the Queendom with you.”

“Fair enough.”

Once they arrived at the Queendom’s cart, Nicole made introductions and explained what the situation was. She could see Carol visibly relax as she explained the Wolfs people wanted her back to stand trial. If she had any doubts about Margot’s story they were dispelled by the look of fury in Ellie’s eyes as she listened to what was being said.

“General, a word?” Tab asked.

“Sure thing Major.” She replied, then Margot she said, “Excuse us a minute.”

“Of course.”

The pair walked about twenty paces before Tabitha said, “You know this could be a set up.”

“I do.”

“What’s the contingency then?”

“If they attack make sure Margot dies first.”

Tabitha answered with a wide smile. “I love the way you think.”

“So, we’ll give her over and see what happens then. You’re on board with the plan?”

“I am.”

“Good. If the shit hits the fan, protect Warren and Carol. I’ll take the fight to them. Once they are safe you join me and we’ll see how many we can send to hell before we’re forced to accompany them.”

Tabitha pulled her close and kissed her lips hard. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She relied with a smile. “Let’s do this.”

The couple held hands as they walked back to where the others waited.

“Ok, we’re good now.” Nicole announced.

“I have to say, Carol, this piece of equipment is a stroke of genius.” Margot told her.

“It’s a unique solution to a unique problem. Luckily, I had someone with similar abilities to test and perfect it on.” Carol explained with a swollen feeling of pride.

Nicole snatched the remote from Margot's hand. “It’s really neat and we will give it to you once we’re at the border crossing.”

“You said you’d give her over to us.” She told her.

“And we are. You can take her with you now. Have one of your people come with us and once we’re at the border, we’ll give them that and be on our merry way.” Nicole said with an easy smile. She knew she was testing the limits of Margot’s patience, but she needed a guarantee of some kind.

“You don’t trust me, General?” Margot asked with a wounded look on her face.

“I want to but if our situation was reversed, what would you do?”

“I’d probably want the same thing.” she admitted.

“So, we’re in agreement then?” Nicole asked hopefully.

“Sadly no. We are not in agreement.”

“That’s unfortunate.” Tabitha told her.

“Yes, very.” Margot said as she raised her left are high in the air with a clenched fist.

A moment later the sound of hoof beats filled the air as the Wolf’s people on both sides of the cart began to converge on them. Arrows suddenly began to fill the air. Before they could move him, Warren took one to the chest and fell off the back of the cart. Carol dove for cover intending to hide under the cart.

Tabitha saw her take cover and left her there. She advanced on Nicole’s position, observing how her wife had already drawn her sword and was attacking Margot.

“You could have just let us leave!” She screamed at the Wolf’s captain. Her sword swung down hard driving Margot to her knees. “Not matter
what happens here, you’re going to die first!”

Nicole swung her sword at the captains over and over. After half a dozen quick strikes the blade on Margot’s weapon snapped off. Nicole grinned as she brough her sword down on her now helpless opponent’s skull, splitting it open like a ripe melon despite the helmet she wore.

Behind her and in front the horses charged. She backed into Tabitha, whose weapon also stood ready. She glanced over the side of the cart and saw Ellie was gone. “Fuck! So much for a hostage.” She muttered.

As the first of the Wolf people approached the pair attacked. Nicole swiped at the first horse, using her enhanced strength she decapitated the animal with a single blow sending its rider sailing forward and crashing into the broken tarmac beyond Tabitha. She spun and quickly put an end to the riders live with a stroke of her sword.

Then they were overwhelmed. Everywhere Nicole looked was an enemy attacking. She allowed herself to be backed up against the wagon. With the solid wood behind her she fought off as many of Ellie’s people as she could. Blood and gore flew in every direction, some of it was
hers. She felt every cut and slice as the happened but fought on destroying as many as she could.

Carol screamed from under the wagon. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone dragging the youngest member of her team out from under there. She still held the remote in her hand. Carol jammed her finger onto the remote and somewhere off to her right, Ellie screamed.

Nicole caught a triumphant smile cross Carols lips before her head sailed off her shoulders.

“NO!!!” She screamed as she pressed her attack, taking the heads of three of the Wolf’s people in one swipe.

Ellie’s screams filled the air. Nicole had no idea what Carol had done to her but whatever it was it was making her former best friend go writhe and screech like a banshee.

Just beyond the wagon she saw Tabitha go down under a pile of the Wolf’s people. As fast as the piled onto her bodies flew in every direction as the Major fought on. There was no doubt about the outcome, however. They were outnumbered even without the archers. The best that could hope for as to take as many with them as possible.

A spear pieced Nicole’s side just below the rib cage. The pain was so great she nearly lost her grip on her sword. As it started to flutter out of her grip, she tried to hold on but another sword strike knocked it to the ground. She looked up at the wall of attackers, defenselessly. A sword swung downward at her. She watched in fascination as the moon light glinted off the blade before darkness claimed her.

***********************
Sometime later:

The blackness began to fade to light grey. Where there was perfect stillness a moment before, small sounds began to leak into her ears. She didn’t want to be disturbed. The injured new woman tried to push it all away and return to the darkness. All she wanted was to be left alone. To escape before the pain returned.

Suddenly the memory of what happened came back to her. Nicole sat bolt upright and yelled “Tabitha!!!”

“Nicole?” a tender familiar voice asked.

She looked to her left, eyes opened wide with fear and spotted Tabitha. She looked at her wife like she was a stranger. Something was different. She couldn’t put her finger on it for several seconds.

“Oh my god you’re awake!” Tabitha said with happy surprise in her voice. “We were so worried!”

Nicole blinked as she looked at her wife’s face. Then it came to her. “Thomas?”

“Yes baby, I’m here.” She replied before yelling, “Robi!”

“You’re, you’re ok.” Nicole said with great relief.

“Of course I am silly. You’re the one that got hurt not me.” Thomas soothed.

Nicole shook her head trying to clear the cobwebs. She looked up at her lover’s youthful face. She let out a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding. Her hands kept pressing against her body, searching for wounds that didn’t exist.

Robi stepped into the room. “Hey look who’s awake finally. How are you feeling?”

“I..I don’t know.” Her hands continued to search for wounds. She stopped and looked up at the smiling faces above her. “God…I…I had the weirdest dream.”

****************

End part 25

I hope you enjoyed my little transgender dystopia tale. As always please leave a comment.
Hugs
Amanda