123 Leave me alone!

 The next day came quickly. Dawn was just breaking and the girl had crept out, during the night. She had chosen the warmth of the fire over her fear, and now she was curled up next to her brother, protecting him with her arm.

She was a small girl, probably around eight or nine, with mousy hair and a small button nose. Her mouth was small and down-turned, her forehead bearing the lines of someone who frowned. With long legs and arms, she would probably be quite gangly when she stood up, but as yet, she still hadn't grown into herself, and reminded me of young stags, all legs, but little co-ordination or balance.

I gently shook her by the shoulder, and with a start, she was up and stepping back as fast as she could. I raised my hands towards her, "it's alright, you're safe, we won't harm you." I looked towards her brother, still sleeping, "don't wake him just yet, its early and Xin and I have to get breakfast first." I moved toward the fire, staying a respectful distance away from her. "little one, I am going to bring the fire back to life and get the pot to start boiling some water. I will then make tea if you would like some? If not, you can have some of the warm water." I carried on talking in a gentle tone, as I would a small animal.

Once I've made tea, Xin will be back from our boat and she will have some rice so we can all have congee. Is that alright?" Her wide eyes, deeply mistrusting, watched me as I went about doing as I said.

After making the tea, I offered her a cup. She shook her head. It was as start.

Xin had returned and she moved quietly and gently too. She looked at the little girl, "little one, are you going to tell us your name or are you happy for us to just call you little one?"

"Its Anan." It was a statement, spat out as if by force.

"That's a pretty name," Xin rolled it around her tongue, "Anan, yes I like it. So it's Didi and Anan. Nice to meet you both." Xin smiled and carried on making the congee whilst I went off to have a wash and put my leather work on.

By the time I came back, Didi was awake and looking hungrily at the pot. Xin smiled at him, "its coming Didi and yours will be the first bowl." She looked up, "here comes Niao, so its my turn to go off and wash. You leave some congee for me," and with that her tinkling laugh followed her to the water's edge. 

 

"Show us where your home is, let's see if those bad men are still there because Niao and I will want to get rid of them." Xin had made some progress with Anan and she was a little more willing than before. Didi was keen and grabbed Xin by the arm and started pulling her, "Okay, Didi, I'm coming. Now lead us to where your home is but don't get too close, we want to see what's going on, alright?"

Didi nodded and started heading away from the camp towards a small group of buildings not far away. 

"Is this it?" I asked. He shook his head.

"It's my aunties place, we live further along the track." Anan had stepped forward. A good rest, warm fire and full belly had turned her around to some degree.

I gestured to them to stay still and Xin and I went forward to check out the buildings. They were empty but the warmth from the fire pit showed someone was living here. Xin motioned she was going to check around the back and nodding, I checked the other buildings. A middle aged woman lay huddled in the corner. She saw movement and almost screamed. Her face showed the signs of severe beating and blood trickled from her mouth.

"Please, please, no more, please..." I reached forward and she flinched, pulling away as far as she could. I called to Xin using the mother cat language we had developed between us and she came running. Reaching down, I turned the woman's head to look at me, then gestured to remain silent. Xin appeared behind me and knew what to do. Using cat calls to stay in contact, she skirted the buildings checking for anyone who maybe around.

"How many of them are there?" I asked the terrified woman. 

"Three."

"And I bet they beat you, raped you and threatened you of their return?" I knew the drill. Repeated beatings until she submitted, then raucous 'games' as rape was enacted from as many men as were there.

"It's okay, you'll be safe now. We'll take you somewhere safe until we know this area is clear of those men and then you have two children to look after?"

She looked quizzically at me, "your niece and nephew. They are still alive and with me at the moment."

She cried then. I'm not sure if it was relief or sadness, but the children would be her best medicine.

Xin returned and gave the sign of all clear. Lifting the woman, we took her back to the two children.

They recognised her immediately.

"Auntie!" they both chorused, and ran forward toward her. Opening her arms, she forgot her own plight and concentrated on the two scraps who had wrapped their arms around her neck.

"Thank you," was all she said as she looked up at the pair of us.

"Where is their house auntie?"

Standing up, she took the two by their hands, "I'll show you." 

 

It was while before we reached their home. It seemed quiet. Xin parked the three in some undergrowth not far from the house so we could, if necessary, move them rapidly.

"Stay here, we will do our job," Xin looked at the three of them, "don't try and be heroes, stay where you are and let us do our work unhindered. This isn't the first time and I suspect its not going to be the last. Please stay out of sight and most importantly out of our way." She looked at them with a level of seriousness in her eyes they would recognise, "please do as I say and stay silent. Nothing will happen to us, that I can promise you." 

 

Xin boldly walked up to the front door, stepping over debris as she went. Loudly, she knocked on the door. "Come out, come out, whoever you are, you have visitors here waiting for a greeting!"

She stepped back as the door flew open and a man, reeking of alcohol, yelled, "who are you and what do you want...." then he tailed off and looking her up and down, smiled that salacious smile; fresh meat was uppermost in his mind.

Within a blink of an eye the man lay at Xin's feet, blood spilling from his jugular. "Er, not over my boots please." Xin looked down at the dying man's expression, humphed and stepped over him into the darkened room. I watched and listened. There was a sound of strangulation then two thuds. These were opportunists, not soldiers, they were far too easy to pick off.

"Yes, there were three, but they seem to be lying down right now." She wiped her blade on the dead man's trouser, "won't be up in this lifetime either. No tea then, shall we go?"  She nonchalantly stepped over him and came over to where we were.

"Feel better?" I asked.

"Lots. Who's next?" 

Auntie just stared. She'd not seen women like this and the nonchalance with which they worked was terrifying. She was grateful they were on her side. 

"It's okay, auntie, we are part of the Twin Hammers Mercenaries and our job is to remove the opposition from occupied territories. We've just returned from the fighting in the north and our mission is to begin the clear up of Chenxi land." Xin did her best to re-assure the woman.

 

I just watched. I could sense something and wasn't going to take part.

Then, a noise. I growled and Xin automatically dropped down. She gestured to the three. "Get down! Stay down! Don't move until we return"  

I growled again and looked in the direction of where the noise was coming from. Like two big cats on a hunt, we separated and began moving toward the sound. I heard Xin growl, she'd spotted something and the growl told me it wasn't friendly. 

In our own language of sounds we continued our conversation.

"I see. Not friend. Many."

"Count"

She replied with four short yelps. 

"Soldiers?"

"Yes."

"Coming"

Arriving, I could see where her eyes were trained. Four men all in battle dress bragging about their scores. They had settled in a clearing and had two women with them, both hog-tied. Their faces said it all. I sensed Xin bristle, but I stopped her desire to move by holding her arm and leaning in, "we have to be more wary of these ones. They are well armed and capable, not like those opportunists you've just dispatched. We are back to tactics of the north. Remember, the women's lives are paramount."

She nodded, wanting so much to slit throats. This was her retribution on men of this ilk and she was filled with the rage and fury of a woman raped. 

Slowly circling round behind them, we crouched down and listened to their chatter. We made sure the two women saw us and keeping the silent, we cut their bindings and pulled them behind us. Step one complete.

Replacing the two women, we squatted and waited.

"Here, what you two doing? Where's our women? Who?"  the not too bright one stopped talking as one of his mates reached round and, pushing him out of the way, lunged towards us.

I spun, rolled and severed his tendons behind his knees. Collapsing, he reached out to grab me but I was too fast and slit his throat for a slow bleed out.

The other three seemed dumb-founded and had hardly moved by the time Xin had slit their throats. "Too easy Niao, these men haven't seen combat have they?"

She was right, they hadn't. "Could be new recruits out to waggle their tackle?" I loved her turn of phrase. "Where did you learn that one Xin?"

"Bao comes out with them from time to time. I thought that was highly appropriate," turning to me she continued, "its not safe here, we need to get those three somewhere where they can recover their lives. Any ideas?"

I really didn't have a clue. This part of Chenxi was still unknown territory. Still being north of the lake, I was in a part I'd not explored.

"We need to ask auntie is she has any ideas."

Returning, we found them huddled together, terrified to look.

"It's over auntie, they've all gone. Now, where can we take you that's going to be safer than this close to the river?"

Auntie looked scared but was thinking. "We have another brother. He is further up toward the border with Shipao, just before the river forks. It's unlikely there is as much trouble up there."

She gathered the two young scraps of her family together, "if we get moving now, we could be at his small holding before evening comes."

It was agreed and we escorted them to a safer and perhaps more permanent home.

It was late into the night before we made it back to our own camp. Relieved it was still intact and the boat, still full of its contents, we ate and then moved ourselves and the boat, further toward the lake and into known territory.