Cayenne 3, CCM 29, Mocha 21
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, during NIEE
Challenge, Toppings, Extras: Cayenne 3 (unfair odds), CCM 29 (invisible), Mocha 21 (too close for comfort)
Word Count: 985
Rating: PG
Summary: Jez organizes a creative ‘retreat’
Notes: Takes place immediately after this piece (the last one I posted).
“What do we do now?” Ry asked, face young looking, despite the blood and grit plastered across it. Jez had to remind herself, through her numbed mind, that Ry was only sixteen, and just sixteen at that.
They had just fought their way to the edge of the battle zone and were taking a brief breather as they waited for all the men who had been under Bri’s command to extract themselves from the fray. The man who had been with them for a while now reappeared and Jez abruptly remembered that his name was Dunkin. His expression was grim. “We’ve been pushed to the side. There’s no escape. We have a sheer cliff at our backs and they can easily cut us off from our escape route. There’s too damn many of them!” he told Jez, looking straight at her.
“Why are you telling me?” she asked wearily. “Tell whoever is in charge.”
Dunkin looked momentarily confused, glancing between her, Ry and Jess. “Aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Well, you and Brighton, and since you’re in the tactics group and all…” he trailed off expectantly.
“I can’t,” Jez said, desperately looking around for someone else to come take charge of what was apparently a hopeless situation. She paused, though, and slowly scanned the woods again, an idea forming in her head. “Fine,” she said, glancing at Jess and Ry. “You two with me?”
“No matter what,” Ry said stoutly.
“You do exactly what I tell you and we might all make it out of here alive,” Jez said to Dunkin, trying to push her anguish to the side to think. She and her next older brother had managed to hide from their oldest three brothers for hours this way and she hoped that it would work here too. The trees, probably because they bordered this cliff and valley, were younger than most of the forest so their growth was a lot lower to the ground - and they were also climbable, more importantly.
It took Jez only a minute to outline her plan. Some of the others seemed ready to disagree or fight her, but Dunkin merely nodded. “Let’s go,” he told the others and headed for the trees, beginning to boost people up into the branches.
“What’s our part?” Ry asked as the others followed Dunkin over and began to do the same, disappearing into the cover of the leaves.
“We play decoy and make them believe we’re running for it.”
“How? We’ve got a cliff between us and freedom.”
“We’ll figure that out when we get there. I’m not letting them find this group,” Jez said, thrusting out her jaw. “For Bri.”
“We’re with you,” Jess said and gestured for Jez to take the lead.
She snuck back to where the bulk of the Three’s soldiers were clearing up the area and starting to sneak out after the Freedom Fighters’ retreating troops. Jez slipped her bow off her shoulder, Jess doing the same. “Ready...aim...” Jez murmured, “fire!” The two arrows streaked through the air, downing two of the Three’s men. Instantly, gazes turned their way and Jez made a point of straightening into view for just a moment.
“There! After them!” someone shouted.
Jez, Ry and Jess took off towards the cliffs and they could hear pursuit on their heels. “How are we getting across?” Ry panted as they tore towards it.
“Packs, now,” Jez demanded, pulling a length of rope from her own pack and slinging it off her shoulder, tying even as she ran. As soon as she had it secure, she held out her hand and Ry thrust hers into it. By the time they skidded to a stop at the cliff, Jez had tied all three packs to the end of the rope.
“Will this work?” Jess asked, glancing over her shoulder where they could hear the soldiers coming after them.
“It better,” Jez said. “Or we’re dead meat.” She swung the bags over her head, aiming for a group of rocks across the ravine. It took three tries before the packs wedged in among the rocks and withstood Jez’s tugging.
Ry took the end of the room and wrapped it around her waist, digging her feet in. “Jess, you’re the heaviest, you go first. Jez, you follow and then I’ll swing across.”
“No,” Jez started but Ry cut her off with a shake of her head.
“I’ll need you two to cover me when they get close and pull me up. I can handle holding you up.”
Jess had already started across the rope, holding hand over hand, ignoring how raw her hands would be at the end. At the end, she clambered over the rocks and grabbed the rope to lodge it better. “Now, Jez!” she called.
“You sure, Ry?”
“Positive. They’re getting closer.”
Jez grabbed the rope and headed across, glad that her arms had been strengthened by the sword fighting as she kept a steady pace up. So focused on getting across, she was startled when Jess reached down and spoke, “Grab my hand.”
Jez snatched her hand and crawled over the edge to solid ground again, letting out a breath of relief. Just then, the forerunners broke through the trees towards Ry. She glanced over her shoulder and then took a running leap off the edge of the ravine, rope held tightly in her grip. Jess let out a yelp of surprise as Ry took off into space. Jez forced herself to pull her bow off her shoulders and lay down a layer of covering fire as Jess quickly started hauling Ry up. A moment later, Ry was scrambling over the edge to safety. Jez fired off her last arrow and then scooped up their packs.
She paused, looking at the Three’s men, who stood silently watching them from the other side of the ravine. “Good bye, Bri,” she murmured before turning and following after her friends.
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, during NIEE
Challenge, Toppings, Extras: Cayenne 3 (unfair odds), CCM 29 (invisible), Mocha 21 (too close for comfort)
Word Count: 985
Rating: PG
Summary: Jez organizes a creative ‘retreat’
Notes: Takes place immediately after this piece (the last one I posted).
“What do we do now?” Ry asked, face young looking, despite the blood and grit plastered across it. Jez had to remind herself, through her numbed mind, that Ry was only sixteen, and just sixteen at that.
They had just fought their way to the edge of the battle zone and were taking a brief breather as they waited for all the men who had been under Bri’s command to extract themselves from the fray. The man who had been with them for a while now reappeared and Jez abruptly remembered that his name was Dunkin. His expression was grim. “We’ve been pushed to the side. There’s no escape. We have a sheer cliff at our backs and they can easily cut us off from our escape route. There’s too damn many of them!” he told Jez, looking straight at her.
“Why are you telling me?” she asked wearily. “Tell whoever is in charge.”
Dunkin looked momentarily confused, glancing between her, Ry and Jess. “Aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Well, you and Brighton, and since you’re in the tactics group and all…” he trailed off expectantly.
“I can’t,” Jez said, desperately looking around for someone else to come take charge of what was apparently a hopeless situation. She paused, though, and slowly scanned the woods again, an idea forming in her head. “Fine,” she said, glancing at Jess and Ry. “You two with me?”
“No matter what,” Ry said stoutly.
“You do exactly what I tell you and we might all make it out of here alive,” Jez said to Dunkin, trying to push her anguish to the side to think. She and her next older brother had managed to hide from their oldest three brothers for hours this way and she hoped that it would work here too. The trees, probably because they bordered this cliff and valley, were younger than most of the forest so their growth was a lot lower to the ground - and they were also climbable, more importantly.
It took Jez only a minute to outline her plan. Some of the others seemed ready to disagree or fight her, but Dunkin merely nodded. “Let’s go,” he told the others and headed for the trees, beginning to boost people up into the branches.
“What’s our part?” Ry asked as the others followed Dunkin over and began to do the same, disappearing into the cover of the leaves.
“We play decoy and make them believe we’re running for it.”
“How? We’ve got a cliff between us and freedom.”
“We’ll figure that out when we get there. I’m not letting them find this group,” Jez said, thrusting out her jaw. “For Bri.”
“We’re with you,” Jess said and gestured for Jez to take the lead.
She snuck back to where the bulk of the Three’s soldiers were clearing up the area and starting to sneak out after the Freedom Fighters’ retreating troops. Jez slipped her bow off her shoulder, Jess doing the same. “Ready...aim...” Jez murmured, “fire!” The two arrows streaked through the air, downing two of the Three’s men. Instantly, gazes turned their way and Jez made a point of straightening into view for just a moment.
“There! After them!” someone shouted.
Jez, Ry and Jess took off towards the cliffs and they could hear pursuit on their heels. “How are we getting across?” Ry panted as they tore towards it.
“Packs, now,” Jez demanded, pulling a length of rope from her own pack and slinging it off her shoulder, tying even as she ran. As soon as she had it secure, she held out her hand and Ry thrust hers into it. By the time they skidded to a stop at the cliff, Jez had tied all three packs to the end of the rope.
“Will this work?” Jess asked, glancing over her shoulder where they could hear the soldiers coming after them.
“It better,” Jez said. “Or we’re dead meat.” She swung the bags over her head, aiming for a group of rocks across the ravine. It took three tries before the packs wedged in among the rocks and withstood Jez’s tugging.
Ry took the end of the room and wrapped it around her waist, digging her feet in. “Jess, you’re the heaviest, you go first. Jez, you follow and then I’ll swing across.”
“No,” Jez started but Ry cut her off with a shake of her head.
“I’ll need you two to cover me when they get close and pull me up. I can handle holding you up.”
Jess had already started across the rope, holding hand over hand, ignoring how raw her hands would be at the end. At the end, she clambered over the rocks and grabbed the rope to lodge it better. “Now, Jez!” she called.
“You sure, Ry?”
“Positive. They’re getting closer.”
Jez grabbed the rope and headed across, glad that her arms had been strengthened by the sword fighting as she kept a steady pace up. So focused on getting across, she was startled when Jess reached down and spoke, “Grab my hand.”
Jez snatched her hand and crawled over the edge to solid ground again, letting out a breath of relief. Just then, the forerunners broke through the trees towards Ry. She glanced over her shoulder and then took a running leap off the edge of the ravine, rope held tightly in her grip. Jess let out a yelp of surprise as Ry took off into space. Jez forced herself to pull her bow off her shoulders and lay down a layer of covering fire as Jess quickly started hauling Ry up. A moment later, Ry was scrambling over the edge to safety. Jez fired off her last arrow and then scooped up their packs.
She paused, looking at the Three’s men, who stood silently watching them from the other side of the ravine. “Good bye, Bri,” she murmured before turning and following after her friends.