One Hundred Years: Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Hero Worship

Five years ago...
July 15th, 2115   

Helen practically bounced beside Pike as the two waited back at the campsite that Pike, Cooper and Malika were using during their raids.

Pike had used all of his skill to cover Helen's tracks from their trek to the campsite. At thirteen, a child in the Redwing clan would have been ready to begin testing as a warrior. They would have been able to track and counter-track. They would have been able to move silently and blend in with the surroundings. They would be familiar with how to carry and use a knife and a machete and both a hunting bow and a war bow.

Helen was smart, very smart at thirteen. Pike could tell from what he had heard of her and from his conversations with her. She had the right attitude. She was in good shape. She was eager. Still, Pike was worried about her lack of practical experience.

That said, she had been the best choice, because she wanted to destroy the Winter Wolves as badly as Pike, Cooper and Malika wanted to destroy the Winter Wolves.

Now Pike's only immediate problem was how to convince his new student to be quiet.

"So why are you guys fighting the Wolves? You use their snowflake in you flag so I don't get it. Why are you guys fighting them?"

"Maxwell Winters is the father of myself and my half brother Cooper. You'll meet Cooper later."

"Wow, you're fighting your father. Why are doing that?"

"He raped and kidnapped my mother. She escaped with me and Cooper when were very young. We were raised by my great uncle at the Redwing tribe."

"That why you have red wings in your flag huh?"

"That's right."

"So are you married?"

"What? No, I'm twenty-two years old. I've been fighting the Winter Wolves for the last five years. When would I have time to find a partner... ...a wife? Cooper and Malika have been friends forever and have had crushes on each other since they were, well as long I can remember. They fight beside me and despite both of them being here- together- they still haven't managed to sort out their feelings for each other. How was I going to manage that?"

"Oh, well maybe with the right person?"

"I'll be honest Helen, I have my brother, and I have Malika- who is practically my sister. I am fighting for them and I am fighting for my family by in the Redwing tribe. The right person would have to walk right up and smack me in the face, and I would still probably have to make them wait until after this war was finished."

"Oh... ...What's Cooper like?"

"Cooper is very smart, and kind of spooky. He's a ghost dealer; and he and his wolfhound do tend to scare people. He has a learning disability called dyslexia, which means that he can't read because the letters seem to move on the page when he looks at them. Don't comment on that you're upset him. He's very sensitive about not being able to read."

"Oh that's okay, I can't read very well either. My elders tried to teach me, but how do you learn in a prison camp. But he's a ghost dealer, how did he learn that?"

"He doesn't talk about it much. I think he likes promoting the mystery. But you're welcome to try and get him to tell you."

"So you're going to teach my to be a knight?"

"I'm going to teach you to be a warrior. I know of the Wallace clan, but I don't know their specifications. I am going to teach you to be a warrior in the manner of a Redwing warrior, because that's what I am and what I can teach. If there are things you need to learn as a member of the Wallace clan, tell me. If I can teach them to you, I will."

"You know the Winter Wolves killed all of our knights. So I only know a little of what it means to be a knight. Maybe I should talk to the dreamspeakers, they might know. What do you think?"

"You will be speaking to your clansfolk. You will need to inspire them and help them rise up. Because we can't destroy this fortress without their support and your help. But before you do that, I need to teach you enough that you can actually help them."

"I'm ready. I promise you I'm ready."

"You better be, because if you're not this will awful. And even if you are, you're going to hate me by the end of this."

"Oh, I could never hate you."