Chapter: 9

[Kat Donovan]

August 29, 1998
13:00
State Highway115
Penrose, CO

The sun was high in a cloudless blue sky. Before the caravan stretched a desolate white-yellow landscape dotted with green bunches of low juniper trees, and tufts of yellow and gray grasses. In the distance on three sides rose the Rocky Mountains with Pike's Peak looming to the North and west.

Houses and moble homes dotted the are, but there were no signs of life. There hadn't been any signs of life since their flight from Pueblo where a bandit bamd had attacked them killing several of the caravan's members in the process.

Their time in Iowa had proven fruitful, despite delaying them considerably. Over half their original party had elected to stay in Iowa, but their ranks had quickly swelled again to nearly 200 as they crossed the plains on their trek to Colorado.

The Bossman of Iowa, a Tom Heasleroad , had been generous in seeing to their supplies. Iowa after all was blessed with a bounty that would go to waste. Grains that would mold in the elevators, and millions of cattle and pigs that would starve now that Iowa was no longer feeling the world.

So, in exchange for Dougal training their smiths, and Angel using her Engineering skills to design Iowa's seige engines, Heasleroad had given them six wagons loaded with a ton of food each and bid them farewell.

Kat wiped sweat from her brow with the clink of armor at the head of thirty fully armored men-at-arms. Well, some were women-at-arms, including their commander, Catarina who rode to Kat's right. Angel was to her left.

The road ahead dipped down into small lowland canyon of sorts. The water table was high and the grass grew a lush green with a line of cottonwoods indicating the edge of the Arkansas River.

"Dry heat my arse," Kat said with an edge to her voice.

"It is a dry heat," Catarina said simply. "We'd be dead in this armor if it were Wisconsin, or Illinois. It has to be at least a hundred degrees." She punctuated her statement by taking the top off her canteen and drinking deeply.

[Angel Ryder]

"It's still hot as hell." Angel said and rolled her eyes. "I spent a lot of my formative years in Honolulu... I'm used to the heat. All I want to do once we get to Trini and Ethan's ranch, get out of this armor, strip down and find a pool to soak in."

[Kat Donovan]

"We can camp on the Arkansas tonight and push on in tomorrow," Kat said rummaging around in her saddlebags and pulled out three apples and tossed them to her companions. "We'll have to come back to tend these orchards. These are some tasty apples..."

Kat's conversation was cut short as her gaze fell to the west. She removed her binoculars and focused them upon the dust cloud in the distance. "Riders, at least a dozen. They look well equipped."

[Angel Ryder]

"Dammit... and I'll bet you apples that they aren't necessarily friendly either." Angel said as she stowed the apple into her pack. "Should make sure the non combatants are behind the line of us that can fight. Now I think in addition to a long soak... I'll need a massage. Fighting in this armor always leaves me more sore, but better sore than dead."

[Kat Donovan]

Kat winched. The term "non-combatant" had shrank to an uncomfortably narrow definition, but needs must, and numbers despite skill could be the difference between seeing the next sunrise and your bones littering the prairie.

"Skirmish lines!" Kat shouted, as every member of their party scrambled to their positions. That of course included everyone that was older than sixteen and women that didn't have children younger than five or pregnant.

Shouts reverberated as men and women frantically donned their brigantines, open faced sallet helms, spears, and round shields. One-by-one they fell into two loose ranks. A small group of fifteen archers with a mishmash of bow types fell in behind the infantry which included Jeremiah as their bow captain.

Kat handed the binoculars over to Angel. "Someone's obsessed with the Crusades. These aren't mere bandits that's for sure." Their gear was all uniform as if they were lifted directly from a print of a Richard the Lionheart's Crusaders down to the white surcoats with a red cross, over full length chainmail, and flat topped great helms.

[Angel Ryder]

"Craftsmanship is impressive... the surcoats look like they were actually made with a machine. I want that machine. Hard enough to trying to teach people that are used to buying their clothes at K-Mart or Sears to actually sew. Of course, I made a fortune selling those clothes at Sears... which means zero now. Alright, you and I should go ahead, remind them that we are willing to defend ourselves but we don't WANT a fight. Worse comes to worse, show some leg Kat... those things go up to your neck, surely there's at least one leg man in the group that we can sweet talk."

[David Sackett]

Knight Brother David Sackett of the Holy Order of Saint Mary reigned his horse in as they approached the large caravan. His eyes fell upon the two score lancers in full plate armor. Their four foot kite shaped shields conspicuous in the absence of a coat of arms.

The Infantry were similarly well equipped with purpose made brigantines, and six foot spears, their butts grounded. This was not a fight he could win. Not that he wanted a fight ever, but the remnants of the old Colorado government were getting increasingly frustrated at their inability to subdue this region under their control.

He removed his helm and pushed back his coif held up a fist to signal halt. He tonsured scalp gleamed under the late summer sun. "I am Father Sackett, Knight Brother of the Holy Order of St. Mary. You are on disputed lands."

[Angel Ryder]

Angel squinted as she looked at him. "Sackett?" she said and pulled off her helmet. "Angelica Ryder, we've been traveling all the way from Wisconsin, heading for Trinity and Ethan Talon's ranch. I'm her mother."

[David Sackett]

"You don't look like the governor's usual troops. They have been pushing for the head of Abbott-Bishop Beacham for several months now. They can't breech the walls of the Abby, but they can burn and pillage what we need to survive."

He gave Angel a suspicious eye, than moved carefully over her companions, "You're all women?"

[Angel Ryder]

"Not all of us, but yes... women lead this caravan." Angel said with a smile. "I have no idea who this governor is, but it sounds like you may need our help. We helped with Iowa's defenses. Although we've been traveling for months and I just want to get to my daughter's ranch and find out if she's still alive even. You have no idea how much you miss telephones until you don't have it."