Michael looked to the underpass where the raiders were sheltering. They were barely visible, with their white uniforms, but they stood tall and didn’t try to obscure their silhouettes. Fires were being lit without regard for visibility. They knew Michael was there, watching them.
He turned away and found Choy on a knee, frost covering her body and her teeth chattering from the cold. It was clear the scribe wasn’t accustomed to sorties such as these. Where a knight was ready to move at a moment’s notice, dressed in thick layers, scribes like Choy probably expected campfires to keep them cozy.
“We need to light a fire. Choy’s going to freeze to death out here.” Tobias said, removing his helmet to breathe and letting the snow fall onto his face. “The night’s only going to get colder.”
Michael felt uneasy with the idea. Once a campfire was lit, it would be as if a switch was flipped and the squad would be hesitant to leave it. With or without power armor. Michael had been the same way while on missions with Roccaforte, just like the man himself, as well as every paladin among them.
“Light a fire.” Michael said, but as the first sparks were struck, he imagined what the raiders might think when they saw their enemy lighting fires of their own. If they thought he intended to shelter in place, before their next advance, they might lower their guard. “Choy, send a message to Paladin Andrews.”
As Andrews and his task force were converging on Michael’s position, to link up with his paladins to attack the raiders in force, Michael intended to sneak around the raiders in the night to encircle them. With Torland’s new radios, he could deliver information as fast as he could speak, which would make coordination between Lance 27 and Task Force Andrews faster and more reliable than relying on a runner. Choy radioed to Andrews and he gave his approval for Michael’s plan, eager for the prospect of wiping out the raiders in full.
To keep the raiders wary of the Brotherhood soldiers they knew were nearby, Michael ordered more fires to be struck behind their position. Close enough that the fires would give the impression that Lance 27 sheltered in the area, but far enough that the raiders wouldn’t realize they were maneuvering around them for an encirclement.
When the last fire was struck, Michael chose to leave Tobias and Choy. Tobias was a good shot with his rifle, better than most paladins, but was lacking in terms of physical conditioning. This made him a liability as much as Choy’s lack of power armor. If he couldn’t keep up, he’d slow down the unit enough that the raiders would have a chance to escape. A handful of other paladins were also left behind to establish a perimeter around their fake camp. The paladin who had tripped and fallen when the squad first left White Sprawls was one of them, as well the paladins who aimed poorly when targeting bloatflies at the scavver camp.
This left Michael with 3/4 of his squad and no radio, but enough paladins to fight the raiders. Miles, Beck, and Andoh’s fireteams were reorganized, but they largely maintained their structure with each of them leading three paladins of their own. Again, Michael was on his own, able to focus on leading all three teams instead of diverting his attention to lead a team of his own.
Michael led them back west, away from the raiders to avoid their watchful eyes, before swinging south. They ran behind the ruins littering the southern side of the road that led underneath the overpass, using the ruins to obscure their advance. Once they reached the overpass, Michael ordered a halt near the exit, to wait for Andrews to arrive so he could act as the second pincer to encircle the raiders.
“I see something moving.” Miles called out, which made Michael nervous that he could be overheard by the raiders. His worries were unfounded, because Michael saw that the raiders were already fleeing from the overpass.
“They’re running!” Michael called back. “Attack! We have to attack or they’ll escape!”
Michael charged forward as he shot his laser rifle at the moving silhouettes. He tagged some of them, killing at least one. With the enemy in full flight, there was little cause for concern. If the raiders had anything that could deal with power armor, they would have done so by now. Michael continued running forward, expecting his paladins to follow close behind.
“I can’t see through this snow, where are the raiders?” Beck shouted as she fired her rifle at a trash can.
“Run faster. We can see the raiders once we get closer.” Michael said, but the raiders were dispersing as they vanished beyond the snowfall. When he stopped firing his rifle, because there was nothing to shoot at, his paladins did the same.
“Did we get them?” Andoh asked, nudging the corpse of a ghoul with the heel of his boot. “I thought there were more.”
“There were.” Michael said. “This wasn’t what I had in mind. Andrews won’t be pleased.”
Corpses of ghouls littered the ground, a line of them stretching from the overpass. The line was sparse, however, and filled with less than a dozen raider casualties. Seven dead raiders, a paltry sum compared to even one dead knight. Michael would know how bad their exchange was when he learned how many casualties the Brotherhood convoy had taken.
“Behind us.” Miles said and readied his rifle.
Michael turned to find a knight running towards them, his silhouette becoming more defined as he neared. “Hold your fire, that’s one of ours.”
“Really?” Miles asked, but did as he was told.
The knight approached Michael, looking between the sets of power armor before him, fixating on the suit with the biggest bulk. “Paladin Michael?” He asked and Michael confirmed. “I’ve been ordered to escort you to Paladin Andrews. He’s waiting under the overpass.”
✥✥✥
The boathouse had a covered walkway along the side that faced Lake Union, built over the water. Snow let her legs dangle over the edge and watched the night’s first snowflakes fall. They sprinkled over Lake Union and shimmered underneath the moonlight as the waves ebbed and flowed toward the shore.
“I’ve never had a chance to sit by the lake like this. It’s beautiful.” Sebastian said beside her.
“Sometimes I like to sit by the shore. It’s peaceful at night.” Snow confessed.
When there were no prying eyes to stare at her, disapproving and judgemental, Fairview was a nice place. A cozy little town of her own, where she could wander freely. Laughter resounded from where the rest of the town was gathered. Snow turned to see why everyone was laughing, but they were far away and the boathouse stood between them. She realized she was sitting alone, where nobody could see her, and turned to face the young man, suddenly uncertain. He was looking at her then, a slight blush in his cheeks. She knew very little of him, but she decided she wanted to know more.
“So…” Snow said, but didn’t know where to start. “What do you do?”
“I help on one of the fishing boats, the Marinara. Apparently it’s named after a sauce. Made from tatos or something.”
“My friend works on one of the boats too, Alex. Maybe you know her?”
“Sorry, I don’t know who that is.”
Snow felt her skin warm and hoped it didn’t show on her face. If he didn’t know who Sam was, then maybe Renner was right. Sebastian had been looking at her all along. But of course Renner was right, Snow was the one sitting by his side.
“I wanted to help the hunters. My aim is pretty good, I think, but one of the guys I asked said I was too young.”
“Really? How old are you?”
“17.”
Snow chuckled. “But I’m 15 and they let me join.”
Sebastian was younger than Snow had realized. He was tall and had a muscular build about him. With his dark stubble around his upper lip and chin, she thought he’d be older, but when she looked closer, there was a youthfulness about him that softened his face.
Sebastian shrugged. “I asked a while back, when people weren’t afraid of a food shortage. Now I work on a boat, so it’s not like I needed to become a hunter.”
“I guess things were desperate enough that someone was willing to put a rifle in my hands.” It was true enough. Nobody would have taken the risk taking her along a hunting trip if things weren’t desperate.
“Sorry, that’s not what I meant.” Sebastain grabbed her hand, holding it gently, and Snow felt his warmth. Her skin prickled, but she didn’t let go when he tried to pull away. Their hands dropped between them, as Sebastian smiled. “I hear you were very brave, I don’t think I could’ve done what you did. Fighting a lakelurk in melee, you’re amazing.”
Snow smiled back, unsure of what to say. The two sat silent for a few minutes, staring at the lake. The snows were growing heavier by then and Snow felt the chill digging deeper into her skin. When she shivered, Sebastian took off his coat and put it around her shoulders. Before she could thank him, he edged closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. She rested her head against his chest, enjoying his warmth. Deep and mellow, like something she could fall into.
“Tell me about yourself.” Sebastian said.
I want to stay like this and not say a word. Snow thought, but took a deep breath. “My parents are dead and I’ve been working to help support the orphanage that took me in.”
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Oh.” Snow could feel Sebastian’s mood dropping, but she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his body. She hadn’t had enough of this moment and she didn’t want it to end. Sebastian’s legs squirmed and Snow felt the arm on her shoulder hold her tighter as well and she thought he didn’t want the moment to end either.
“It hasn’t been easy, but it hasn’t been terrible either. It’s like I have a second family. There’s Sam, she’s more like a sister than a friend. And there’s Mama Mayhue. Everyone at the orphanage calls her that, it’s what she’s been to everyone. Even when they get too old to stay, they drop by to help feed the children.”
“You all stick together.”
“That’s what families do.”
“Of course.” Sebastian said, but something in his voice was contrary to the sentiment.
The waves crashed around the walkway’s supports as the tide grew higher. Snow looked up to find Sebastian frowning as he stared at the lake.
“Like Fairview as a whole.” He said. “Like how we’re all putting in work to get more food.”
Snow bit her lip at the night’s first thought of Nadya. She had almost forgotten that girl and would’ve preferred if she stayed forgotten, but she knew Sebastian was right. Mostly. Fairview was a community that stuck together.
“I was worried when the Wardens turned away our caravans from the city. I was working with the scavengers before the hunters let me join them. If there was nowhere we could sell our junk, I’d be out of a job.”
“My uncle says a herd of deer are approaching from the east. If the hunters follow, maybe I can join all of you on the next hunt.”
“With so many guns, we could get a lot of meat.”
“Maybe we’ll get enough food to last the winter.” It was a pleasant hope, but one that looked close to reality.
The wind blew harshly and frost pelted Snow’s bare legs. She had been distracted, but she realized that the snow was falling heavier now and the light from the town center was dim. When she reached up and touched the bare skin of Sebastian’s cheek with her hand, he was cold to the touch. Like Snow had been before he wrapped her in his coat.
“It’s cold, let’s go back.” Snow said, but Sebastian shook his head.
“I’m not that cold, let’s stay here. I want to talk more with you.”
Snow smiled as she stood from her seat and grabbed Sebastian’s hand, fingers intertwined. She wasn’t strong enough to force him up from his seat, but he followed her lead and didn’t resist as she pulled on him to follow. He was sullen as he stood, disappointed that he wouldn’t have his way. Even if it meant a cozy fire to help him avoid freezing to death.
Before she could think better of her next move, Snow closed her eyes and leaned in for a kiss. Her lips pressed against the corner of Sebastian’s mouth, feeling his surprise for a brief instant, then he pressed back. Snow felt her knees buckle as she leaned her weight against him, heart pounding as they sucked their lips together in smacking noises that might’ve been embarrassing if she wasn’t eagerly reciprocating. Sebastian pushed his tongue deeper in her mouth and she could taste the beer he’d been drinking throughout the night.
Was he with her because he was too drunk to think better of it? Snow pulled away, gasping for breath. “Just a kiss, but we should get back. People will wonder where we are.” She said shakily. “If you want to talk, maybe you could drop by the orphanage sometime.”
“I’d like that.” Sebastian said and Snow hoped he still felt that way when he sobered up. “Let me escort you back.”
Sebastian held out his elbow and Snow grabbed onto his arm, accepting his offer with a smile and a nod. They meandered back towards the bonfire, purposefully wasting time to prolong the time they had together, but a wide figure stood in their way.
“Hello, pretty boy.” Moose said. “Get going. The girl is staying with me.”
“She’s with me.” Sebastian separated from Snow and began stepping forward, until Moose pulled a knife from his belt. “The hell is this?”
Fear dawned on Snow as she realized that Moose was never too far from Nadya. Footsteps crunched the sand from behind and Snow turned, but a hand grabbed her hair and yanked her head back.
Nadya pressed a knife to Snow’s throat. “Fuck off.” She said and Sebastian began backing away.
Snow wanted to scream, Don’t just fucking leave me! But she couldn’t blame him. Why would he risk his life for hers?
“I’ll get help.” Sebastian said, looking apologetically to Snow, then ran.
“Nuh uh.” Moose said and lumbered forward, but Sebastian spun away from his meaty hands.
“We’ve come too far to back down now.” Nadya said as she watched Sebastian escape.
She dragged her knife across Snow’s cheek. Hot pain cut through her face, through the chill that had settled on it, and forced a whimper from her lips.
“Why are you doing this? Just leave me alone!” Snow cried out, but she could suspect why. While Nadya had cut her hair and allowed it to fall across one side of her face, there was purple bruising around the eye she was trying to hide. Oh, Sam. What did you do? You could have warned me.
“Look at what your friend did to me.” Nadya said and shoved Snow’s head against the frost-covered ground. She brushed her hair up to reveal the extent of the swelling around her eye and the redness of the eye itself. It was a nasty bruise that would mark Nadya’s pretty face for weeks.
Nadya grabbed a handful of Snow’s dress and pulled her up, but Snow grabbed her wrist and pulled away. “Stop! You’ll tear the dress, I’m only borrowing it!” Snow said, but Nadya’s face twisted into a deep scowl.
A life with a full belly gave Nadya a fuller figure that not only accentuated her looks, but also the strength to overpower Snow. She pulled roughly at the dress and its fabric snapped as it tore away.
“This dress is too good for you anyway.” Nadya dragged her knife along the surface of the dress, its edge catching on fibers before cutting it away.
The ground shook violently as an orange cloud erupted close to where Fairview’s residents had gathered. It bloomed in the air like a giant mushroom, glowing harshly in the night, but Nadya wasn’t paying attention to the mini-nuke that had just struck their home. Instead, she looked at Snow, wide-eyed.
“Shit, oh shit. I’m sorry.” She muttered and ran off, pulling on Moose to make him follow as he guffawed at Snow.
Snow looked down between her shoulder and collarbone, where Nadya’s knife was embedded. She felt nothing, too shocked to register the pain. She needed to get back to the rest of the town and see what the hell was going on.
Gunfire erupted from the lake as men on canoes embarked onto the shore, brandishing firearms tipped with jagged bayonets. They were mixed pieces of armor, combat armor supplemented by scrap metal, but it was their white masks and face tattoos that unified them by their design. Screams rose from the town and Snow knew what exactly was going on, Skulltakers were raiding Fairview.
Pain lanced through her body, dull and sharp at the same time. Snow took a knee and tried to rise, every movement nudging the knife in her shoulder. She tried to run back to where everyone was gathered, but the knife in her shoulder bounced with every step and made her wound gush blood. Snow cried as the dark blue of her dress was stained red.
Snow tried to keep moving, but every rasping breath moved the knife more. She dropped to her knees, suddenly too tired to move. Or to think. She let herself slump over onto the ground and she laid there, never imagining that her patch of dirt could be so comforting. The knife in her shoulder didn’t feel painful anymore, just numb, and Snow’s eyelids flickered as she drifted into darkness.
✥✥✥
Michael found Andrews waiting for him beneath the overpass, watching his task force taking up positions underneath the overpass to shelter from the snowfall.
“They’ve escaped us.” Michael said as he approached.
“I thought the plan was to hit the raiders from two sides and trap them between us. What happened?” The tone in Andrews’ voice showed no sight of displeasure, but Michael knew he had failed.
“My squad arrived at a position behind the raiders, but we were forced to pursue them when I realized the raiders were running. We got some, but most escaped.”
Andrews nodded, but did nothing else to acknowledge what Michael said. He pointed to trail marks along the ground. “They must have left after they secured their wounded onto makeshift sledges.”
Michael recalled his orders, before he left his position to circle around the raiders, and pointed to the campfires the raiders had abandoned. Still burning, the Andrews’ knights and a handful of scribes were able to use them for warmth. “The campfires were merely to give the illusion that they were going to shelter for the night.”
“They refused to fight us this far, we should’ve known that they wouldn’t stick around for daybreak.”
Andrews was right, they should have known better. However, the blame mostly fell on Michael himself, who was the only one between them in a position to act. The raiders escaped, along with the Brotherhood’s promised vengeance.
Michael looked around the camp and saw that packs had been left behind. “A few corpses and some salvage. Better than nothing.”
“A small consolation for the families of our fallen Brothers of Steel.” Andrews sighed and wandered away, but Michael had no response that could answer for his disappointment.
Not that it mattered. Andrews was in command of the task force, but he and Michael were technically equals outside of their current mission. As long as he couldn’t have him hanged, Andrews’ disappointment was of little consequence. As for Blair and the rest of High Command, Michael hoped his usual efforts earned him enough breathing room to make up for his current subpar performance.
A knight called out, “There’s something here with Paladin Michael’s name on it.” He carried a pack towards the two sergeants and handed Michael a slip of paper, which literally had his name written on it.
For Michael’s eyes only!
The hairs on Michael’s neck stood on end for the first time since he earned the privilege to wear power armor in combat. “How do they know my name?”
“These raiders hit us deep within our own territory. They must’ve been collecting intel where they could.”
Tobias wandered over, carrying his helmet in his arm. In his power armor, his head seemed a little small like a redder-than-usual tato, almost like a pre-war tomato. He breathed heavily, his breath condensing into fog. It was almost embarrassing. Michael would have to make him run laps around White Sprawls until Tobias could run in his power armor without gasping for breath like an initiate.
“For Michael’s eyes only. Only!” Tobias chuckled. “I wonder what’s inside.”
Andrews held up the pack and presented the opening flap to Michael. “It’s addressed to you. Will you do the honors?”
“My pleasure.” Michael handed the paper to Tobias and tried to untie the string that sealed the pack. The string was too delicate for the steel fingers of his power armor, however, and he was forced to rip away the button the string was tied around. “It’s stuck on something inside.” He said, concerned with not breaking whatever was inside, but he already broke one thing and didn’t mind breaking another.
He tore open the flap and heard something snap. Bright light flashed in Michael’s eyes as the pack erupted in fire, exploding with enough force that he felt himself sway despite his armor. His ears rang and his sight flickered back to his eyes. Andrews was nearby, taking a knee and letting his head hang low. He’d live, but screaming echoed through the overpass.
Michael staggered around to find one paladin standing over another. It was Andoh, judging by the sound of his voice as he screamed Tobias’ name. Dread washed over Michael as he lumbered towards the fallen paladin, stepping over the helmet laying on the floor. He peered over Andoh and Tobias’ ruined face greeted him, charred and cracked from the explosion. Andoh called for a scribe to administer to Tobias, but no amount of stimpaks would save him.
That explosion was meant for Michael, but Tobias was the one to die. If only he had kept his helmet on, he would have lived, but he lacked the conditioning of a proper paladin of the Brotherhood. Michael intended to whip his recruits into shape, but a man had died under his command. Such failure would cost him in the eyes of his peers and, more importantly, with Head Paladin Blair and the rest of High Command.