《A Breath of Fresh Air》 Emergence Jake took a deep breath of the fresh air, delighting in the crisp spring air. The air below was clean, but in a recycled 100+ times kind of way; Any breath of air down there was guaranteed to have been breathed by at least a dozen others. Though the air up here might still be radiated, he was glad for the reprieve. He noticed that his father was already moving out, the other four members of the scouting party following close behind. Jake jogged to catch up, eyes squinting as the sun shone on him, much brighter than the artificial lighting he was accustomed to. He paid no mind to the rifle slapping his leg until his father gave him a stern look. ¡°Take care of the rifle. They weren''t made yesterday.¡± He sternly ordered, and Jake listened, obediently grabbing the rifle and holding it as if ready to shoot. The sleek machines were probably state of the art ¨C ten years ago. Despite that, Jake felt slightly uneasy. Even though the marauders would undoubtedly be armed worse, who knows what the savages could do. His hands clenched around the gun as he looked around. He wasn''t sure how much of it was time, or the tornado that ripped through, but the city their shelter had been built in the center of was flattened. Rubble and building debris littered the ground. Luckily, that meant their vision was almost unhindered, except for one or two chunks of rubble that one could hide behind. His father''s booming voice caused him to jump ¡°This is the scouting party of the Aegis. Show yourselves.¡± After a few tense moments, he saw a woman stand up from one of the large pieces of rubble. Immediately, he pegged her as one of the savages. She had a bow slung over one shoulder, and a pistol at her hip. Her tank top was stained and had more than a few holes. Her shorts were barely decent. Her outfit culminated with a pair of sturdy boots and a black cowboy hat, complete with stampede string. She walked up with a confident swagger, drawing most attention to her. And away from the girl that trailed behind. The lead woman barely flinched as a gun went off, hitting the ground near her feet, though the other girl hid behind her and Jake''s father turned to yell at the man. ¡°I was beginning to think that them rumors weren''t true.¡± She drawled, gaining his father''s attention once more, both with her words and with how unconcerned she was ¡°What rumors?¡± he asked warily, and the girl shrugged her tanned shoulders ¡°That there were shelters under the cities. Big ones, more organized. Most others came up already.¡± His father frowned, offering a hand to shake ¡°Name''s Alan.¡± He told her, and she inclined her head slightly ¡°M''names Bree. This is Allie.¡± She jerked her head to the girl following her, who shrunk behind her again. ¡°She hasn''t been around people much.¡± Bree explained, brushing a comforting hand over the girl''s shoulder. Jake frowned, thinking that she made the girl sound an awful lot like a dog. She didn''t have the presence of her companion, but that didn''t make her any lesser. ¡°We weren''t sure if things were safe.¡± Alan elaborated, making Bree snort ¡°Things never were safe. You could go out after a couple months though.¡± Jake began to wonder how much education the girl had; surely she didn''t think it dissipated after just that long, did she? ¡°Just because the radiation didn''t kill you outright doesn''t mean it didn''t still linger.¡± Alan told her, making the girl shrug ¡°True, but give me a choice between starving and braving some radiation, and I know which one I''ll choose.¡± Something in the way she said it made it obvious it wasn''t a hypothetical question. ¡°I''d lay low if I was you though. Some rumors said that it was your people that caused this.¡± She told them, before turning to leave, barely touching the girl behind her to get her to move as well. Again, treating the other girl like a dog. Before he could say anything ¨C not that he had anything in mind ¨C a arrow came out of nowhere, hitting one of the scouting party in the leg. Immediately, Bree pulled Ally in front of her, as she turned to shield her. With her opposite hand, she drew her gun, firing off a round towards the archer.It was off target, more to prevent return fire than to score a blow. She righted her aim and was about to squeeze off another round, one that would draw more than a bit of blood if she hit her mark. ¡°Stand down Bree!¡± someone called, and she relaxed her hand, letting her gun drop ¡°Our fight isn''t with you; it''s with them!¡± the person continued, and Bree took a deep breath before responding ¡°Cut ''em some slack, Brandon! It''s their first time out!¡± There was a tense pause, before Brandon barked ¡°Leave Bree.¡± The girl looked to Alan and shrugged ¡°He''ll at least speak to you now.¡± With that, she turned to leave. Jake was nearest the hit man, and he watched in horror as the man staggered before dropping to his knees, one hand clasped over the leg where he was hit. ¡°Send forward an ambassador!¡± Brandon barked, and Alan strode forward with no hesitation, trusting his team to handle the wounded. Bree barely cast a backwards glance as they quickly moved out. ¡°Think they''ll be all right?¡± Allie asked, biting her lip in worry. Bree made a dismissive noise ¡°Yeah. Brandon won''t kill them. Might try his darnedest to swindle them, but won''t kill.¡± She noticed that Bree wasn''t leading her back towards her shelter, and thought about speaking up ¡°We can crash at my place for a bit. Make sure they aren''t following.¡± Bree told her, before she spoke. Allie worried her lip again, tasting blood ¡°My parents will worry.¡± she argued, making Bree shrug ¡°Not as much as if we led paramilitants to their door.¡± In all honestly, a large part of her was also excited to see Bree''s place. The older girl had put off showing her for ages, it seemed like. Or maybe there just wasn''t any good times for her to show off. Whichever it was, this would be the first time she would see it, despite knowing each other for the better part of four years. Though she was fairly sure the first two didn''t count. Bree started up a hill, moving unerringly towards her dwelling of ten years. ¡°Here we are.¡± she stated, gesturing to roughly elliptical opening. It looked narrow, and Bree pushing the vines out of the way did little to make it seem bigger. Ally looked to Bree hesitantly, who smiled encouragingly at her ¡°It''s bigger on the inside.¡± she assured her, tugging gently on her arm. Ally took a deep breath before following her in. Watch your step. It''s a little slick.¡± Bree warned, letting Ally grab onto her arm as they slowly went down the inclined tunnel. Once if Bree was telling the truth, it sure didn''t seem that way. The tunnel wasn''t any wider than the entrance, and right before Ally was going to bail, it opened up. It was still pitch black though, and Ally''s grip on Bree''s arm didn''t slacken until the girl struck a match and lit a lantern. ¡°Well, here we are. Home sweet home.¡± Bree gestured, before flopping onto a lawn chair. Ally gingerly set herself down, looking around. The cave wasn''t much bigger than a normal bedroom, with a low ceiling that made it seem even smaller. Despite that, it was cozy. Bree had apparently ventured out early, as the room was filled with scavenged goods. Drawers, ammo cans, canned food and more filled a corner of the cave-room, with a pile of wood on the other side. A bed sat against one wall, next to a stack of books. ¡°It''s nice.¡± Ally complimented, eyeing some hides that were hung to tan, everything from rabbit to deer. It was smaller than the bunker Ally lived in, but not by much. ¡°so, how good are you at chess?¡± Bree asked with a sheepish smile, pulling out a rough-looking board and what looked like hand-made pieces. Ally''s lips curled into a grin, even as she responded ¡°I''m the worst.¡± Ally looked towards the tunnel as she lost again, and saw how dim the light was ¡°I need to get home.¡± she stated, feeling the dull edge of the familiar mix of anxiety and fear. ¡°I''ll walk you back.¡± Bree told her, putting the board away. She spoke before Ally could protest ¡°The least I could do since you lost so graciously.¡± The anxiety abated a little bit, while the fear disappeared completely. ¡°I''ll even bring a peace offering.¡± Bree told her, smiling sardonically as she pulled out a package of jerky. Ally grinned slightly, though internally she wished Bree didn''t feel the need to do so. A prompt booting was almost inevitable without it though; her parents would always kick up a fuss about food supplies otherwise. Though Allie had to admit they did have a point; nearly ten years had strained their food stores too much to entertain.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Bree blew out the lantern, using a flashlight to light the way to the tunnel. Ally went first, though Bree wasn''t more than a half-step behind, chest brushing against her back with every step. It put Ally at ease though, the thought of Bree between her and the pitch-black cave, though rationally, she knew that Bree wouldn''t tolerate anything else living in her cave. The beam of light that illuminated the path in front of her also put her at ease, though she knew that few enough raiders came in this far. ¡°We''ll have to go by moonlight once we get outside.¡± Bree murmured, and Ally nodded slightly, already knowing that. It was still nerve-wracking for her though. Every breeze made her jump, every animal noise made her shrink towards Bree, who laughed slightly. ¡°Just a coyote.¡± she told the jumpy girl, though that didn''t make her relax. That was the difference between bunkers and marauders; one knew the sounds of the outdoors, one knew only the artificial quietness of their bunker. One was at ease wandering around outside, the other only inside the bunker. Ally tore her eyes away from the suspicious shadows to look at Bree. The moonlight didn''t offer the best illumination, but it was enough to see some tawny hair peeking out from under her hat, and the way her eyes moved smoothly, taking in their surroundings without an ounce of fear. She wasn''t relaxed, but her muscles weren''t tense as she moved smoothly, exuding confidence. If it were anyone else, she''d think them foolhardy, feeling confident with just a handgun and a bow while others had assault rifles, but it was Bree. The girl that had survived for ten years all on her own where others had entire communities and couldn''t make it. ¡°Something on my face?¡± Bree asked, eyebrow arching over green eyes. Ally turned away quickly, face heating with the embarrassment of getting caught. Bree grinned, but said nothing more as she followed Ally to her home. It was a little slower than Bree, as she zigzagged through the wreckage of multiple houses, looking for the markers. It made sense that she had difficulty though; the tornado had affected this area much,much more than Bree''s hillside. Eventually though, she found it, and tugged the hatch up, and started climbing down. Bree waited a second before climbing down, pulling the hatch shut above her. She could hear Ally''s parents welcoming her back, before the father groaned, ¡°Please tell me that savage isn''t climbing down now.¡± a soft whack, which was probably one of the females scolding him, before she hit the bottom. The mother smiled welcomingly at her, but the father was glaring at her ¡°We can''t afford to feed her, darling.¡± he told Ally exasperated, steadfastly ignoring her. Bree laughed slightly ¡°Keep that up and I''ll think I''m not wanted.¡± she commented dryly, dropping the container of jerky on his lap. He grunted in annoyance, but opened the butcher paper to peer inside. ¡°rabbit again?¡± he asked, managing to inject scorn into his voice. ¡°Mm, nope. Nice try.¡± she responded, with just as much scorn. A sharp glance from Ally had her adding ¡°It''s elk.¡± he looked at her, eyebrows raised in surprise ¡°Did you waste the rest of it?¡± he asked, and she sighed, tiring of his jabs ¡°No I didn''t. You aren''t the only people in this area. I traded some, gave some away. Have a friend holding some for me for later.¡± He looked at her with a frown ¡°Others? You didn''t tell them about us, did you?¡± Ally was surprised too; this was the first she''d heard of it. Bree shook her head ¡°I told them there''re others, but not where.¡± Bree turned to leave, but Ally grabbed her by her pants ¡°Stay for dinner?¡± She asked, after looking to her mom for permission. ¡°I don''t feel like staying.¡± Bree stated deadpan, and Ally''s face fell slightly, and her mother smiled, laying a hand on her arm ¡°I''ll keep Bill in line.¡±she assured Bree, who hesitated, before turning back around. Bill, Bree and Ally sat at the table while Ally''s mother made food for them. ¡°How many others are in this area?¡± Bill asked, and Bree tapped her nails on the table, thinking ¡°mmm... seven, plus Brandon''s group.¡± Bill stilled, eyes narrowing ¡°Brandon''s group?¡± he asked flatly, and Bree nodded ¡°Yeah. 40, maybe 50 people. Mostly focused on farming; got a pretty good seed bank.¡± There was a moment, where it wasn''t clear if Bill was going to yell at her or not, before food was placed in front of them. ¡°Thanks kindly, Dot.¡± Bree thanked her, with a wide smile. ¡°Thank you. Must have been hard to take down an elk.¡± she responded, and the rest of the meal was spent with her giving a dramatic recounting of the tale. ¡°It''s not that hard. Animals have rebounded quick, especially without normal human depredation. I see at least two dozen deer a day. If we ever get back to how it was, I''ll probably be rich.¡± Bree remarked, and Bill shot her a disproving look ¡°You started out with just the shirt on your back.¡± Bree made a slight disagreeing noise, thinking of the equipment she had, but let him believe that ¡°You only need to start out with a lot if you plan to spend a lot. I started out with, like you said, nothing. Now, I have a great deal more, as Ally can attest to.¡± She drained her cup before standing up with a sigh ¡°Better be getting back. I found a hog wallow, and I''d like to hit it tonight.¡± She slid her hat back on, and ambled over to the ladder ¡°Thanks for the meal, ma''am.¡± she inclined her head to Dot, who smiled slightly, before starting up the ladder. The hatch was barely closed before Bill turned to Ally ¡°What did she have?¡± he asked, making his wife sigh in exasperation. Ally thought about the room, wondering how she could do it jsutice. It was pure Bree from one wall to the other, but that wouldn''t be enough of a descriptor. ¡°She had a huge pile of blankets. Coats, too. Canned food. Some ammo cans. A couple guns, fishing rods. Looks like she made out pretty well.¡±. Of course she would, Ally thought; she was fearless and stronger than anyone she''d ever met. She worked hard and reaped the benefits. Her father nodded, looking satisfied. ¡°Do you think you could find it again, without her?¡± he asked, and Ally got a sinking feeling as she realized why he was so interested. ¡°No.¡± she told him, honestly, and saw his face twist in frustration. ¡°Make sure you can next time, and go for one of the ammo cans.¡± Ally looked to her mother, but saw she didn''t hear, as she washed the dishes. Her father saw her look though, and grabbed her hand, squeezing it almost painfully ¡°Look, Ally. She doesn''t deserve any of it. She stole it! And you see how she looks down on me, because I''m like this.¡± He gestured to his useless legs, but Ally didn''t look, eyes focused on a corner of the room. She was stoic, but inside, there was a struggle between yelling at him and bursting into tears. It was wrong of him, to use her to rob her friend. ¡°She risked her life for those supplies though. More than I could say about you.¡± she retorted, doing a good job of keeping emotion out of her voice, though some of the disgust she felt leaked through. His face contorted in anger immediately, as he slammed his hands on the table ¡°I will not have her teaching you her Ableist values! To your room!¡± he roared, and she didn''t look to see her mother''s reaction as she did so, lifting up the panel that served as her room''s door and ceiling. She remembered describing her room to Bree once, and the horrified face she got in return. She didn''t think it was that bad, herself, though she readily admitted it could be ten years of having the same surroundings clouding her judgment. Her room was about four foot tall, as wide and long as a twin bed. A single light at the foot of the bed lit the area, along with the thin shelves that held her few belongings. She sat on the bed that was the floor of her room, and pulled out her needles and yarn. Bree had been amazed when Ally told her she could knit, confessing an ineptitude at it. The older girl had even regretfully recounted tales of mangled gloves and lopsided hats. She hadn''t asked, but Ally was certain she would love the knit moccasins she was making for her. She certainly complained about walking around bare footed in the cave often enough. The thoughts of Bree brought her mind away from her current situation, making her smile. Venery Bree grabbed the thigh holster, and transferred the gun from her hip to it, before grabbing a revolver with a longer muzzle. She flicked it open with a practiced motion, making sure all six bullets were still accounted for, before tucking it into her hip holster. The arrows she carried were traded out for ones with even bigger blades, and she traded her bow in for a stronger one. As a finishing touch, she shouldered a small pack. If she had an ATV, it would have taken her only moments to get to the wallow. As it was, she had only her own two feet, and it took closer to a quarter hour. She slowed down as she got close, grabbing an arrow and holding it lightly against the string. The grunting got louder as she crept forward, and she brought the bow back to full draw in a slow, smooth motion. The light of the moon was reflected off the water, and off the eyes of over two dozen pigs; natives weren''t the only animals that took advantage of the lack of depredation. She quickly singled out a few likely targets, and loosed her first arrow at the first. There was a moment where the pigs froze, ten years of no depredation messing with their instincts, and she took advantage of that to peg another pig, before the sounder leapt into action. One big pig came right at her, and she dropped her bow, drawing the gun from her hip. She knew her aim wasn''t good with this gun; she had hardly dared to practice with it, so she waited as the pig charged, willing her body not to shake. Forty yards, thirty yards, twenty yards. Bree nearly closed her eyes, not wanting to stare the creature down. She fancied she could feel it''s breath when she finally started shooting. The pig squealed in pain, deciding it wasn''t worth it, and whirled to run off. For just a second, Bree saw her opportunity, and fired off a broadside shot. She nearly thought she''d missed, when she watched it continue to run, but it finally slowed and fell over. Bree took a gasping breath, realizing for the first time that she had held her breath, and shakily holstered her gun. She went to squat, but ended up falling over instead, staring up at the stars. It wasn''t the first time that had happened, and it wouldn''t be the last. Hell, it wasn''t even the closest it''d come; scars on her chest and arms would attest to that. But it was the most immediate, and therefore the worst. She gave herself a few seconds, before she picked up the brass with still-shaky fingers, and slung the bow over her shoulder. Her mind was starting to return to it''s normal channels, thinking of who would trade what for the pork. She mentally set aside an entire hog for Dale before even beginning that, of course. Once she had all three hogs hanging and bleeding out, she wondered if she should cook for Ally and her family. On one hand, they had made meals for her on more than a few occasions. On the other hand, she had to bring peace offerings to even be allowed to stay for more than a moment, and she was fairly certain the peace offerings exceeded the meals in value. On the third hand, she''d like to do something nice for Ally and Dot, especially since Ally had to live in the sardine can. The bunker they had was on the larger side, but it always seemed much smaller to her. Maybe it was the space that was wasted to make it wheelchair friendly, maybe it was the fact over half of it was for storage. Whatever it was, she''d happily take her cave over that any day. Bree stretched out on her bed with a happy sigh. The hogs were taken apart and were in the coolers, their hides in the process of being tanned. It certainly made up for the time Bree spent fruitlessly searching for supplies with Ally, though she didn''t regret doing that. It had been a nice way to pass some time, and she could tell the sun was good for the girl. She was several shades too pale, in Bree''s opinion, and she knew just the cause of it. Despite the levels of radiation having dropped to the point where you could stand at ground zero for a week without having any negative effects, she was still only allowed out only twice a week, for no more than a couple hours. It was ludicrous, in Bree''s opinion, and the reason the family was running low on food. Privately, Bree thought it was because Bill was jealous of his daughter''s mobility, but she couldn''t say anything on that without coming off looking like a jerk. Yeah, she''d make that special meal for Ally. She deserved it. Dot too; she couldn''t imagine putting up with him for a week, let alone fifteen years. She woke up with no alarm, to a pitch-black room. She sighed as she swung her feet off the side of her bed, hissing as her feet hit the cold floor. If you think having tile a few degrees colder than your bed is bad, imagine touching the inside of your refrigerator. She whimpered as she shifted from foot to foot while changing into outside-decent clothes. The last things to go on were her boots, which she noted with disappointment that the sole was starting to wear again. Luckily, she had at least three more sets outside, when they were ready. For now, she just slid her pistol into her hip holster and grabbed the biggest cooler. It was hard to get it through the corridor, since it needed to be pulled forward while on it''s side, and she couldn''t get much force to pull without banging something into the walls. Eventually though, she managed to work it out, and then she could roll it down the hill, with only minimal snags. The roads weren''t as clear as they once were, and the trip was far longer than she expected, and the hardest part was yet to come.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Bree sighed as she stared down the tunnel. She turned and started climbing down, tugging the cooler to the point just a second before it''d fall. When it was nearly out of reach, she pulled on it, making it slowly slide towards her face. She grunted as the weight settled on her one arm, even as she made sure it wouldn''t keep falling. Every step she took down made the cooler clang against a rung on the ladder, and her ears and arm were grateful for the rest when she finally touched down, and could share the burden equally. ¡°Bree!¡± A man scolded her, and she winced a little despite herself ¡°I could have helped.¡± he grumbled, but she just shrugged ¡°I got it down just fine, Dale.¡± she told him, as the man lurched towards her. ¡°And You shouldn''t be moving too much.¡± she reminded him, pulling out a container from a pouch at her hip. His face lit up as he saw the bottle, which had pieces of bark in it ¡°I figured you''d be close to running out.¡± she told him, before maneuvering around him to set the cooler next to the freezer. ¡°I was. Thanks.¡± he told her, setting it beside a container that had only wet pieces of bark in it, before sinking onto the couch with a groan. ¡°I took down three of them. Might see if I can get myself a little solar panel and freezer. It''d be nice to have some fruit in winter.¡± she remarked, as she expertly stacked the butcher paper wrapped parcels into the freezer, re-arranging it so that the oldest packages were still on top. ¡°You don''t mind holding onto some for me, do you?¡± she asked, even as she pulled out some meat from the fridge, and went about filling the slow cooker for dinner that night. ¡°Never.¡± he stated, watching the vaugley frazzled girl sit down before adding ¡°You''ve helped me out to much to begrudge you something that small.¡± She smiled slightly, before joining him on the couch. ¡°Anything good?¡± she asked, looking over the small bins he had set on the table in front of him. ¡°Everything is good. Just a matter of what you can use.¡± he reminded her, even as he tapped the two bins that held contents that would interest her the most. ¡°.44 and 9mm.¡± he went on, detailing the precise grain and powder content, but she didn''t pay attention to that, instead doing a rough count of them, and giving them a quick once over. He''d almost feel offended, except that he knew the life of the brass casings was wearing thin and the fresh pair of eyes could spot potentially lethal imperfections. A dozen rounds were removed and set to the side for re-inspection and probably, reprocessing, but the rest of the three hundred odd rounds were cleared. There were fewer of the .44, but their brass was in better condition, and all fifty rounds were cleared. ¡°Thanks. I had a close encounter of the porcine kind just earlier. Used all six rounds.¡± the light laughter that followed that statement did nothing to lessen the severity of the words. ¡°Did you get nicked?¡± he asked, looking her over closer for any hint of her shoddy bandaging. ¡°Nah, nothing like that. Almost, I suppose, but I''m faster than that.¡± she smiled, willfully ignoring the multiple times she had not been faster than that. ¡°I don''t like it when you let them get close.¡± he stated unnecessarily, frowning even as he stood to place the rejected bullets next to his press. ¡°an extra seventy pounds of meat is not worth risking your life.¡± he added, making her roll her eyes. ¡°I wasn''t risking my life. The tusks weren''t even three inches long.¡± she stated, looking mildly uncomfortable, and he let up on her. ¡°Might want to get gone if you want to trade the rest of that today.¡± he stated, giving the girl an out. One she took eagerly, even as she dropped a few coins to pay for the rounds she was taking. ¡°If''n these go for more, I''ll give you the extra later.¡± she yelled over her shoulder as she scampered up the ladder. Dale shook his head, even as he added the coins to a growing stack. Sometimes he wonders why she still pays him for the bullets, despite not taking any payment for the meat. He could get angry at her, for her obvious doting on an crippled old man, but he instead looked at it as a forced savings, that he''d give back to her later. chapter 3 he bullets rattled in her pocket as she jogged back home. He was right, of course; she had barely enough time to drag the meat to the trading station, though she didn''t think she''d have any issues unloading the meat. Even after seven years, the group was unable to entirely fend for itself, something she blamed half on ammo rationing, and half on some sort of machoism that kept the females from being allowed to hunt. While she could understand it in the beginning, when most of the girls had been too young, and the women pregnant for the most part, now the girls were old enough that they should be proficient squirrel hunters, at least. Instead they spent nearly eight hours a day sitting on their bums. As expected, heads were turning in her direction as soon as she passed the perimeter, one of the guards even slipping her a coin for a bag of jerky. She barely had the lids popped when people began lining up, haggling with each other an her. ''Could we split the ham?'' ''If you do the roast, we''ll do the sides.''. Bree loved to hear them working together now, a far cry from the near-rioting that she had caused upon her first visit, weighed down by no more than a dozen rabbits. Now, confronted with more than seven times the meat, and they were twenty-fold more civil. The approach of Brandon caused a mixture of exasperation and respect to surge through her. The man was a good leader, a good not-quite soldier, but still managed to rub Bree the wrong way. ¡°Greetings, Pocahontas.¡± he greeted with a small, smug smirk. Bree rolled her eyes, choosing not to respond. ¡°Put aside fifty pounds for my men.¡± he ordered, cutting to the chase. She clicked her tongue, before holding her hand out. ¡°Up front.¡± she ordered, and he sighed heavily, but she made no move to retract her hand. Grudgingly, he forked over five gold coins, which she quickly pocketed, before re-organizing the two coolers before shoving one back ¡°I expect the cooler back.¡± she told him, even as she continued selling the remaining meat. There wasn''t much left, as the soldier''s order took what amounted to an entire pig. Still, the people stayed calm, though some shot him dirty looks. ¡°Have you thought anymore on staying?¡± he asked quietly, standing just a hair too close for her comfort. ¡°No.¡± she sourly snapped, backing off a half step and posturing until he backed off himself. ¡°I have a good place all to myself.¡± she continued, a touch calmer. He licked his lips, hoping his face hadn''t shown the fear he felt at her abrupt reaction. It wasn''t the first time she had reacted such, baring her -remarkably white- teeth into a snarl as she lifted herself to her full height, but every time, it surprised him. IT surprised him that such a pretty girl could turn feral in a second, and surprised that she didn''t see how unnecessary it was. How would he, could he, word it so that she doesn''t fell inferior, but sees how much better life in here was? How nice it was to get to fully relax, knowing that there were armed guards watching over her? How much she could learn in the same schools she scorned? How she might not have to spend her days alone, when there was an eligible male right in front of her face?If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She closed up the now-emptied cooler as he watched, and pulled out the bullets. ¡°Just 9mm this time.¡± she stated, pulling out the pouches of ammo. Time was, she''d leave it at that, but she felt comfortable enough to add ¡°the brass is running a bit thin, but they should fire all right.¡± She made as if to leave, but he caught her by the wrist. She bared her teeth as she whirled to face him, but didn''t make a move to pull the wrist away. ¡°How about I give you a tour? You haven''t been to the school since you helped build it.¡± He asked, and saw her falter for a second ¡°I suppose I could take the time.¡± she finally stated, though she cut her eyes down to her coolers. ¡°No one will touch them.¡± he promised, and she sighed, striding forward. He had to nearly jog to catch up, though he took the opportunity to enjoy the view. ¡°You could slow down a bit, you know.¡± he stated, and she shot him a mildly amused look before slowing down just a notch. ¡°We''ve been busy building houses. Put up four more this year alone.¡± he stated, proud of the progress made. ¡°Do you even have enough people to fill them?¡± was her cutting reply, though she turned her head to study the log cabins. ¡°Not currently.¡± he conceded, as they came to the front of the school. Her eyes flickered up, taking in the mildly-imposing building. He looked over at her, but her face gave away nothing, except a slight smile as she noticed the plaque that had been added. ¡°You misspelled my last name.¡± she stated, even as she opened the door and strode in. The building was a simple barn-style, classrooms to either side as an aisle passed through the center. The walls were lined with crude drawings of little children, and her lips curled into a genuine smile as she ran a finger over one. ¡°They''re here between the hours of eight to three. Lunch is provided between the hours of noon and one.¡± He told her, as she peered in at the orderly rows of children, staring attentively at the board. ¡°This is the class of seniors. Your class.¡± he told her, as he gently guided her to the room. She wasn''t resisting, and she was in front of the class before she realized what had happened. Her eyes swept over the crowd of her so-called peers, noticing the modest clothing that smacked of a uniform, along with the relatively pale skin. Though she rarely wore anything else, she now felt self conscious in her tank top and shorts, balking slightly. Brandon''s hand kept her from fleeing as she was asked to answer the question on the board. Her lips pursed as she accepted the chalk with slightly shaking fingers, looking up at the problem. Brandon wasn''t sure what he had expected ¨C her lashing out, frustrated at her stupidity, a break down as she realized her inferiority ¨C but he didn''t expect what happened. She took just a second to scrawl down the answers, in messy but legible script. Once she was done, she whirled, jabbing the chalk into his chest roughly. There was the aggression he was used to, vented in a slightly more civil manner. ¡°You''ve a terrible eye for age. I''d be a sophomore.¡± she shot over her shoulder as she quickly moved to the door before pausing, and looking amused. ¡°I can out math your students, but could your students out shoot me?¡± she asked, before leaving, leaving Brandon to look and feel, like a failure. Chapter 4 She sprinted home, venting her aggression at the attempted trap onto the unsuspecting ground. All her speed left her in a second as she realized she hadn''t gotten paid for the bullets. She swore at herself even as she pivoted on the spot, running back. It was awkward, as she caught Brandon about to take the meat back to the barracks. ¡°Oi! Brandon! You owe me!¡± she called, garnering some attention, as she was wont to do. The ''wild child'' as she was affectionately called, was a bit of a celebrity. She had survived where many others had fallen, and came out of the event generous ¨C or as generous as one could afford to be. ¡°300 rounds, that''s how much there was.¡± she stated, stopping arms'' length away from him. ¡°I''ll pay you later.¡± he stated dismissively, turning away, but she quickly slid to stay in his sight. ¡°No, you will pay me now, or return the rounds.¡± she stated, looking mildly angry at his suggestion of not paying immediately. ¡°My budget --¡± he tried, but she cut him off with a scoff ¡°We both know what this is about. You''re all kinds of upset cause your little trap didn''t work.¡± she crossed her arms, and he tried to ignore the way her chest moved, something she noticed, as she whistled ¡°My eyes are up here, boy.¡± she snapped, and there was a muffled giggling that started. Brandon felt his ears heat up as anger started boiling in him. ¡°I have been more than patient with you --¡± he started, but she wasn''t hearing it. ¡°More than patient? You''ve belittled me at every turn, tried to make me feel inferior because your over-inflated male ego can''t handle the fact that a woman can survive without being caged!¡± she snarled, before taking a breath and giving her head a small shake, ignoring the small smattering of applause that had sprung up from around her. ¡°No, I''m not going to make this about that.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. She stated, to herself as much as to others, before raising her voice ¡°I''m going to walk out of this village, and if I don''t get my money before two days pass, You''ll just have to find another supplier.¡± She let that statement hang in the air for a second, before she turned on her heel and left. Chapter 5 Not the village, not yet; all the running and excitement had gotten to her, and she stopped in by what passed for a diner for a special treat. ¡°You''re not wrong, love.¡± the worker had told her, after setting a plate of apple pie and a tall glass of milk by her. Bree sighed as she took her hat off and hung it off the back of the chair. ¡°I know. But it isn''t my fight. I''m an outsider. If this place wants to change, it has to go along it''s own, official channels. If I try anything, it''ll just ruin everything.¡± she stated, looking incredibly tired and pale under her freckles, even as she whittled off a small piece of the pie and stuck it in her mouth. ¡°Maybe so.¡± the worker admitted, running a rag over the counter, but he hesitated. Bree eyed him warily, even as she stuck more pie into her mouth. She knew something was coming, and she was fairly sure she wasn''t going to like it. ¡°The ban isn''t official.¡± the man said, slowly, as he rubbed at a particularly stubborn spot. Bree sipped on the whole milk, the rare treat refreshingly cold against the hot pie. She didn''t speak, though she tried to recall the exact wording of the village''s charter. Her recall was fuzzy, but she assumed that an actual inhabitant would know more about it than she would. ¡°It just refers to village-owned firearms within the village''s hunting land. If, say, we were to get a hold of outside firearms, and practice elsewhere, it''d be perfectly legal.¡± Bree was making negative noises before he had even finished. ¡°You''re assuming I have extra firearms. And a place to practice. And that I''d be willing to risk my trading here.¡± Unbidden, she began thinking if she had any guns that would be good for their purpose. She had traded many of hers away already, saving just her self defense pistol and revolver. Then again, there was quite a few of the cases that she hadn''t touched since she had first raided the gun stores years ago. ¡°I''ll see what I can find.¡± she finally, reluctantly stated, eyes flicking down. ¡°And I''ll have to find enough ammo... how many people would we be talking here?¡± she asked, mentally tallying the number of kids and women she had seen. ¡°a dozen, maybe?¡± Bree bit her lip and sighed. ¡°That''s a lot. I''d have to find...six hundred rounds, at the very least, just to get basic experience.¡± The problem wasn''t how much the rounds would cost ¨C she''d never bought a round in her life ¨C but where she could even find that many, especially in a region as well picked over as theirs.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.