Chapter 15

The inside of the fort looked like some midieval town of my past. Something you would of expected to see in the 17 th century on earth. I see their foundation made out of river rocks going halfway into the first floor also the outside walls and shingle roofs are all bleached by the sun wich gives this place a gloomy sad look. The houses themselves all look the same except for the smith's working erea which was all open with the firepit and it's bellow in open view. Right beside the forge was a simple structure looking like a stable with just a roof, some support logs to hold it up and smaller logs around the perimeter to hold in the Dramaks. I can see that most buildings have windows and that's an other technology that I thought was lost on this world.

But all of that is not the first thing you notice when you pass the gate. The stench of human waist and amonia assault your nostrils as soon as the outside wind is blocked by the wooden gate all around the fort. It was so strong that it made me stop dead in my tracks.

I looked to see how Andres was coping. His hand was to his face and nose trying to stop the smell from getting to it but failling from the look on his face. -" Why does it smell so bad Rock?" He's wispering so the Crowmen won't be offended.

I have no compulsion to do so and speak so everyone around can hear. -" These people shit where they eat my friend." He gave me such a disgusting look. -" They don't know better Andres!"

-" But still Rock. How can they live with the smell?"

-" They simply get used to it. If you ask the Crowmen, I'm sure they'll say that they don't notice it anymore." I looked in their direction to see them nodding.

-" I need you men to bring out your families and everyone esle that's inside, except for the big house." I turned back to Andres. -" Me and you will do that one but before we do, we also need to get everyone from the boat here. Can you send the men with the Dramaks to get them?"

He was about to talk to Madril when Aldread spoke. -" Andres, all they have to do is to go to the Dramak and while pointing to the Dramak in front, say 'Follow' and they will. Do you need more Dramaks?

-" No need for more. There's 5 more of us on the ship and there's 7 there but thank you for the offer and the command to get them to follow." He looked at Madril again. -" Do it!"

Those Madrak seem pretty easy to handle. They hadn't moved an inches since beeing dismounted and just stood there sitting in the same position a dog would. As I looked at them going from beast to beast, it was evident that Carlo was intimidated but not so for Madril. He approaches each one placing his hand on their neck gently where as Carlo just goes as close to them as needed. In less then 2 minutes they were on their way.

When i turned back to Andres I noticed the Crowmen hadn't left yet. -" Do you need help in getting the people outside?"

-" It's just that we don't know what to tell them Rock." Aldread realy looked distraught.

-" Don't look at me, they're your people!"

-" We've been under the Barrials opression for so long, I'm affraid most won't know what to do."

-" See! That's as good a start as any. Tell them to come out to decide what to do now that the Barrial keeping them is dead." He looked at me tentatively and I waved him off. -" GO!"

Now that we were alone Andres spoke first. -" This place is verry diffrent then our camp. I don't know how I'd feel beeing inside this place all the time."

-" Take away the smell and it's not so bad. Don't forget that we havent seen anything of this land beyound the fort. I want to go out and investigate but we don't have time. People are already coming out." We could see the men that were with us from the beach pointing at us and directing the occupants. What suprised me most is the amount of people coming out of each habitation. There seemed to be a lot more of these people then I initially estimated.

Within 15 minutes every building except the big 4 story house had been emptied of it's habitants and they were all in front of me and Andres. I pointed to Aldread who was beside a women and two small boys. -" Come here beside me please." I was about to make him leader weather he wanted it or not.

He bent slightly to kiss his wife but the kids didn't want to let go. He was trying to be keep a stern expression on his face and failling miserably -" Bring them with you Aldread." He gave me an 'are you sure look' and when I nodded he grabbed an arm from each boy and came beside me.

-" Rock!" Andres was pointing towards the gate. There we could see the reste of the group about to enter the fort. We all saw the faces on the new arrivals when the smell assaulted them. I think it made them overlook the strangeness of their suroundings.

Forina looked around most likely looking for me. She spoted me, quickly dismounted and started running towards me. I was getting ready for her jump into my arms when she spotted the 30 or so people behind me and slowed down to a walk. She kept looking from them to me till she got to my side. She grabbed my left arm possessively -" Who are these people Rock?"

-" I was just about to find out my love. Aldread here is the new leader." He looked at me completely stund by what I'd just said.

She wanted to say more but i turned to Aldread. -" Ready to be a leader?"

-" My people don't have leaders Rock. The Barrial have always been the leaders and they kill anyone they don't control."

-" That is over. You are the new leader here and I'll help you defend against the Barrial if need be." I could see he was thinking about its. -" Do you think you can lead these peoples if the threat of the Barrial is gone?"

-" If, like you say, the Barrials won't bother us, Yes I can be leader?"

-" WHY SHOULD HE BE LEADER?" We heard the shout from the back of the group in front of us.

I saw a sign of resignation on his face before he spoke. -" You don't need to hide to talk Tonio."

-" I'M NOT HIDING YOU UNGRATEFUL ASS!" The man making his way through the people shouted. He pushed his way to the front and walked right to Aldread. -" Why should you be leader?" I don't know what he was expecting but the look of resignation on Andres was gone to be replaced by a snarl. He took one quick step and planted his right knee into the guys balls.

Tonio went down on his knees with both hands on his privates and looked up at Aldread long enough to see the fist crashing on the side of his head. In less then 3 seconds the guy was down and out. Aldread looked at me not sure if he had offended me or not.

-" Not much of a fighter his he!" I laughed and I saw more then a few smiles on the faces in front of me.

Aldread looked at Tonio still out on the ground and spat on him. -" He's in charge of our gardens. He thinks because he tells us what to plant and when to harvest that he can lead us. My guess is that he will think diffrently when he wakes up or I'll have to explain myself to him again." He looked into the crowd. -" Maria, come and get your husband please."

A women followed by a small girl came to him. She pulled him back to the edge of the group and slapped him a few times till he started to come to. -" What ... huu..." He was about to say more but the women, Maria, gave him a look. -" If you so much as open your mouth you'll be sleeping alone tonight and every other night after that." It looked like he was about to say something but then changed his mind at the last instant. He slowly got up, looked once at aldread and quickly looked at the ground. If that wasn't a sign of subordination, I didn't know what was! I just hope it was enough to get him to concentrate on other things then beeing leader.

Most of the people around were looking at the couple in question so I raised my hands in the air. -" Hello everyone, my name is Rock. Beside me is one of my mates Forina and beside her his the leader of the people on an island not far from this land. We came here to put a stop to the capture and the killing of our people only to find that you guys had no choice in doing so, at the perils of your own people." I took a pause to let my words sink in. -" The suffering of all people has got to stop. I want everyone to be able to go anywhere without beeing afraid for their safety or the safety of your loved ones. In order to do that we need to work together. If you have a problem, you speak to Aldread who will come to me if there's need but I trust him to do what is right for everyone."

-" So what are we suppose to do now?" That came from one of the crowmen that I didn't know.

-" You do exactly what you used to do. Nothing changed except no one will hurt you or come here to take one of you." I tried to reassure him.

-" How can you be so sure?" Yea, how the fuck was I gonna do that?? I guess I'm stuck here for now. I'll have to have my other girls shiped here ... enough of this train of thought!

-" I will be staying here for the forseeable future to make sure everyone is safe but I do need to go back and get a few things before I can stay here for any lenght of time. So tomorow at first light we set sails and we'll try to be back before sunset. For now I would ask that all of you return to your dwellings while we free the people that are beeing held captive." I got a lot of diffrent looks from the Crowpeople but most were busy talking to eachother and trying to understand the repercussion of this night on their future.

I turned to Andres and his men. -" Ready to free your people?" Every single one of them nodded including Andres. I just had to smile. -" Let's go."

In no time we were in front of the main house. It was diffrent to the other houses built in the fort by only its size on the ground and the levels. All the other houses had 2 stories and this one had 4 that we could see above ground and I suspect an other under. The back of the fort itself was in the slope of a hill, so there could be rooms dug into the hill itself for all I know.

We could all see some light coming out of the windows on the upper floors but none at the windows. I went to the door and knocked. No need to start on the wrong foot even if I did kill the head honcho a few moments ago. When no one answered I opened the door still with Forina hanging to my arm as if she was afraid I'd leave her and followed by Andres and the rest of the men. We entered what could only be an eating erea with tables and benches with a cast iron wood oven in the back. This looks like a huge dining room able to receive 50 people at one time. At the back we can see what looks like stairs so I headed for it.

At the top we were in a hallway with rooms on each side. The rooms were locked with a peice of timber going from one side of the door to the other in metal support. I went to the first one on the right amd looked at Forina. -" Can you open the doors angel?" She just looked at me, raise her eyebrow questioningly and lifted the peice of wood. When she pulled the door and looked in 3 faces showed themselves from the side.