Rise Of The Hunters

Winter was coming. There had been frost on the ground that morning. She paused on the top of the ridge, and looked down into the valley below. She was crouching, under some branches of a short tree, watching a herd of deer below her.

"Lola, we must find a place to stay for the winter. We can not afford to continue traveling this time."

"I know," she said quietly, not looking at the man behind her. Her blue eyes watched the deer intently, noting which ones had babies and which were old.

He waited, impatient for her to do something, but experience told him to wait. The others were waiting behind them, in a camp they had constructed late the night before. Habit had them up at the break of dawn, moving as quietly as possible, lest they draw the attention of any predators nearby.

Lunging forward so suddenly, it startled the man into dropping into a crouch, she flung her spear towards the herd. The herd exploded into action, disappearing into the forest, all except one. A young buck lay down slowly, with the spear running through its c.h.e.s.t and out its side.

She paused to listen as the birds, startled into silence, began to resume their birdsong. With a sigh, the man hung his head for a moment.

"We'll stay here for a day or two to scout the surrounding area for suitable places to overwinter," she said softly, still in her crouch, turning her head partly towards him.

"Yes, Lola. I will inform the others." He stood up and hurried back to the others, anxious to get away from her.

Lola stood and made her way down to the dead deer. As she began to skin it, she saw that she had pierced the heart, and nothing else. It didn't take her long to skin and gut it. Bringing the head, edible organs, and hide along with the rest of the carcass, she left very little behind.

As the people in the camp looked towards the ridge, they saw her returning with the deer thrown over her shoulders. As the long legs of the animal barely brushed the grass, they were all uncomfortably reminded of her non-human status. No child her size should be able to carry such a load.

Nothing was said, as she deposited it next to the camp fire the women had started in anticipation of her kill. There had never been a time when she went away from the group, and returned with nothing.

Sensing their discomfort, she moved back to the edges of the camp and busied herself with washing the blood off. She could hear the buzzards fighting over the meager scraps she had left them. Pulling a block of wax out of a pouch on her hip, she wiped her blade down, before returning it to the sheath on her boot.

"Lola, we are running low on onions and other herbs. Our salt is almost gone as well," said an old woman, holding a plate of the cooked heart. There were a few tubers on the side, seasoned with some wild garlic.

Taking the plate, she nodded at the women her thanks, and began to eat with her fingers. A few of the young children watched her eat from a distance, giggling at each other when she glanced in their direction. She wasn't much bigger than them, but she was much older. She hadn't grown in several years.

Returning the empty plate to the women near the wash basin, she glanced over the spices and supplies that they had spread out while cooking before turning to leave.

"Lola?" asked a little girl with her fingers in her mouth.

She stopped and turned towards her.

"I'll look for you," she said softly, giving her a nod.

Clapping her hands, she dashed back to the women who were watching the interaction wearily. Even though she led and protected them, they knew she was different, and that scared them. She knew that the only reason they followed her, was because she had always done them right. Not once had they gotten hurt since she joined them.

The man who had spoken to her earlier, nodded to her, letting her know they would remain there until she returned. She disappeared into the brush, quickly disappearing from sight, to lose the little boys who darted after her. Smiling to herself as they puzzled at her lack of tracks to follow, she moved away from the camp.

There had been some tracks not far from here, that she had seen the night before, while everyone slept, that she wanted to check on. If there were other people in the area, it could either be bad, or good.

Passing a patch of raspberries, she noted them for later. They wouldn't stay good for long after picking.

Lola climbed a sheer cliff, and stood looking over a valley she hadn't expected to see. The walls here were almost sheer on both sides, giving her very little to stand on at the top. Below, in the valley, people toiled away at great gardens, harvesting tons of food, and hauling it into a peculiar doorway on the side of the mountain.

Just over the ridge on the other side of the valley, she could see a great city, nestled beside a great water that stretched to the horizon.

XxxxX

Xun looked up as Joe brought in a young girl with a wild look to her. Behind them a group of thirty people, all dressed in furs and leather, followed closely. They carried bundles of supplies, giving testament to their nomadic way of life.

Xun wasn't sure if the doctor was the last vampire on the planet, he didn't seem to think it was possible. Chances were that those who remained, were in hiding, as he was, and would cause no further trouble. They would probably fade away since their food sources were all but gone. It was time for humans again.

"Lolalitta?" asked his mother, stepping forward, past him.

The girl turned her head to the side, studying his mother carefully.

"Do you remember me?" she asked, stepping forward again. Xun was very curious to know how his mother knew her. The girl had very striking eyes, that he had never seen on any other person, maybe that was it?

"Lola?" she asked in a soft lilting voice.

His mom nodded excitedly, and rushed forward, throwing her arms around her. Xun was confused. This girl couldn't be more than seven or eight, how did his mom know her?

"Xun, this is one of the other kids who was in the lab with you, when I rescued you, I took her too. I thought I had lost her!"

She looked uncomfortable with his mother burying her face into her c.h.e.s.t. She looked at him, curiously, and turned her head to the other side to study him. A chill went down his spine, when he realized that she acted more wild animal, than human.

"How can that be? She doesn't look old enough!" said Xun, puzzled.

"We will speak for her, if we must," said a man, stepping forward. A little girl with red berry stains on her face, ran forward and wrapped her arms around her arm, looking up at her with a grin.

Standing up, Xun looked over the people. He couldn't turn these people away, especially when they were so willing to speak for someone who was different, like him.

"I see no reason why you can't be welcome here. Mother, see about getting them settled, please."

As his mother stood, Lolalitta glanced up at her. "You will have twins."

"How do you know?" she asked, surprised.

"I can hear their heartbeats." She looked at him as she said it, and their eyes met.

Xun had a feeling there was a long future ahead for them, and he couldn't wait to see it.