Living in the Past
Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Title: LIVING IN THE PAST
Author: ulyferal
Rating: K+
Warnings: Profanity and some violence.
Disclaimer: “SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron,” its characters and concepts are copyright to Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc and are used without permission.
Chapter 4: Collecting Information
After another long day taking care of the people and hunting, evening had fallen on the ninth day of their time in the past. The defenders gathered at a huge bonfire near the waterfall entrance and had a powwow.
“We need to go get those poor bastards that got caught,” one of the security guys said, scowling.
“And, how do you plan on doing that?” another asked, snorting. “We don’t have anything that will beat back an army that size let alone those troll things.”
“We can’t just leave them there!” the same security Kat exclaimed hotly.
“All of you just calm down,” Feral barked then turned to Razor. “You said something about finding this Queen Callista…”
“She’s the key to getting us home and should be able to help us retrieve the others. She is also stronger than him, which is why that ugly creep has sought more magical help to take her out.”
“Are you sure this Queen will be willing to help us? I know we have good information for her and weapons that could tip the balance in the battle, but what I’ve seen of this ancient time no one trusts anyone, least of all leaders. Who says she won’t just throw us out or put us in the dungeon and try to do this on her own, if she believes what we tell her, that is?” Feral asked.
“Normally, I’d agree with you, Commander, but fortunately, my partner and I know her fairly well. She’s a good leader who happens to care for her people enough to risk her life for them. So, yea, she will listen to us. The only catch is how long it will take to convince her to trust us,” the slim tom said soberly.
“Hey, no way would she forget us, most especially you, Jake,” his friend scoffed, a smirk on his face.
“That would be true, T-Bone, if we’ve arrived after the time we were here last. That’s what we have to discover,” Razor told him patiently.
“Crud! I forgot about that. So, if it’s before, she wouldn’t know what we’re capable of,” the tabby groaned.
“It just means we have to convince her all over again, buddy, but that won’t be too hard since she has no love for the Pastmaster, so when she learns he’s our enemy too, she’ll be glad to accept our help. What will tip the balance for us will be the intel we have for her about how her enemy is planning to attack her again soon, though we have no idea when that might be,” Razor said soberly.
“Hmm, alright, it sounds like a good plan if everything comes together like you hope. At least our chances should be better than they are now. So, we need to see this Queen. Do you know in which direction her kingdom lies?” Feral asked, feeling a little better about their chances now.
“No. We didn’t get time to see much of the land that first time and don’t have a clue. However, we should be able to find that out from the villagers,” Razor said unhappily.
“I’ll go to the market in the morning, Uncle. You know females are not paid attention to at all. I should be able to get the information fairly quickly.” Felina volunteered.
“Good idea, Felina,” T-Bone said, giving her a warm smile she returned.
“Just be careful. They might be too afraid to speak to anyone about the Queen. Remember, she’s the enemy of their lord,” Feral added, concerned for her welfare.
“Understood, Uncle.”
“Since the market opens early, we’d still have the rest of the day to travel there, provided it isn’t too far away. If it is, we’ll have to pack provisions,” Feral decided, already thinking about what they needed to take with them.
“Okay, I’m off to bed then. See you all in the morning,” Felina said, jumping to her feet and walking toward her hut.
Though everyone bid her a good night, none followed her example. They spent another hour or so discussing what the others needed to do to keep the people safe and occupied while their leader was away and what to do if the team failed to return.
“Morgan, you’ll share leadership with Steele,” Feral decreed.
Neither was happy about that but the mercenary leader named Morgan had a more serious concern.
“How do we control such a large group, and, if you guys fail or don’t even come back, how can we survive if we’re forced to live here for the rest of our lives?”
“You’re already doing it. As for if we fail, unfortunately, it will be up to you guys to figure out whether you want to remain in hiding here or integrate into society. If you decide on the latter, I suggest you chose somewhere far from here if at all possible,” Feral suggested.
Razor knew that wasn’t going to happen. If the Pastmaster won, the creep would find his lost prisoners with his newly enhanced magic, and they would all end up being his slaves. It made him sick to think of that happening. He said nothing of that aloud. No point in panicking them as there wasn’t anything they could do to prevent it anyway.
“None of these people will be willing to listen to us after enough time has passed. A few might be smart enough to realize this is the safest place, but others will just go crazy and bolt. That would endanger all of us,” the mercenary leader continued, face grim. What he didn’t say was, if that happened, he’d be shooting people to gain control, but that would get him in a power struggle with the Enforcers. The future looked bleak to him at the moment.
Steele didn’t like any of it and bluntly said what his co-leader didn’t. “It could be a bloodbath with him shooting people and us trying to stop him and the ones going nuts!”
“Yes, unfortunately, it could degenerate down to that. I can only say we will do everything we can to bring help and win our way home. You must cling to that… Remind the people as often as you must to hold on and not give up. That’s all the advice I can offer you,” Feral said grimly, spreading his paw to show he was helpless to offer anything better.
“Some advice…” Morgan grumbled.
Feral said nothing. He knew well what the tom would have to endure. He just hoped the mercenary had the strength of will to hold it all together until they got back.
With nothing else to be said about the matter that could make it any more palatable to everyone, they broke up and went to bed.
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The sun was just rising over their mountain sanctuary when Felina rose and dressed in native attire they’d stolen from a female cleaning clothes by the waterfall. It was a little snug but hid what it was supposed to. Adding a cloak with a hood and a basket of trade goods on her arm, she was ready for her mission.
She wasn’t surprised to see her uncle and the SWAT Kats waiting for her near the back exit they used for these missions. Without a word, the group filed out and strode at a quick pace down into the forest.
The sun had burned off the morning mist by the time they’d arrived where the woods ended and the village fields began. Strewn about the land were homes made of straw and mud with fields of crops around them. The area grew wheat, flax, cotton, barley, rye, and potatoes and supplemented their diet with mushrooms, cress, various herbs, and game from the forest.
Normally, the best grain and all meat and vegetables were given over to their lord, leaving them with very little to stay alive on. However, this community ate well due to the fact the Pastmaster was dead so had no need of food. So, they ate better, had access to clean water and fresh fish, and had what they needed to build furniture, clothing, and homes.
Overall, this meant the homes were bigger and more strongly made and the market had more plentiful wares. One could almost think they were lucky if it weren’t for the constant state of fear they lived under from the Pastmaster’s sorcery.
Just being evil was bad enough, but the Pastmaster made it worse by forcing all the healthy males to be a part of his army and fight his battles for him, never paying or feeding them for their service. And, since no one was willing to come near a place with an evil sorcerer, no outside trading existed, which meant no news reached them from other places and, adding to their woes, they had no new influx of people so were forced to breed with each other.
It was a very stupid mindset on the part of the Pastmaster as the in breeding made for weak and sickly people who died early in life. As it was, his current level of population was barely two thousand souls and shrinking fast, probably why he felt he needed to import more people. He could have taken them from this realm, but he had wanted revenge, which was why he’d taken the Kats of the future instead.
So, despite their apparent affluence, the people wore drab clothing and kept their heads down at all times so as not to come under the notice of the Pastmaster or his elite guard and the other horrible creatures like trolls, gargoyles, and dragons. Their lives were an unhappy nightmare, and the sorcerer’s guards only made things worse.
Since they weren’t paid, the elite force, made up of bullies and mercenaries, would take what they wanted and needed from the people themselves and none could fight back or end up in the dungeon. The Pastmaster didn’t hold court to listen to grievances or conduct any form of governing. He just didn’t care, so the people were forced to deal with their own problems the best they could and pray they never came under his evil eye.
Feral, the SWAT Kats and Felina halted behind a huge bramble hedge that bordered the market space outside the castle walls. Unlike most places with a castle, the Pastmaster didn’t allow anyone within its walls but his soldiers and slaves. This left his people at the mercy of any disaster, natural or katmade.
That was the only good thing about having a sorcerer for a lord. No one dared to encroach on his lands. So, all the normal village businesses could live and work in some safety outside the walls of the castle. If this hadn’t been so, the group hiding in the brambles would never have been able to complete this mission.
They peered around the hedge for some minutes, studying the situation before allowing Felina to enter the village. The usual noises of people talking, barking dogs, squawking geese, clucking chickens, the whinny of a horse and clang of the blacksmith’s hammer filled the air. The village boasted a fabric maker, blacksmith, tavern, baker, candle maker, basket weaver and various other goods and services. All were briskly busy at this hour of the morning.
But, what was in their favor was the lack of soldiers about. They could see the wall of the castle was guarded, but the huge gate was closed. No danger from that quarter at the moment.
“Looks good! We’ll wait here for you,” Feral murmured.
Felina nodded, adjusted her hood, then went along the hedge until she could come out behind one of the huts then walk around it to the front and join the small parade of people heading to market.
For the next hour, Felina strolled about, trying to coax information out of the women. But, as her uncle had feared, no one was willing to speak about Queen Callista and gave her fearful or hostile stares for her daring to ask. At least it wasn’t because of her speech pattern.
On the trip to the village she’d plied T-Bone and Razor on everything they could remember about the Queen’s home, how the people spoke to each other, worked and lived, and dealt with the aristocracy. She filled in their inputs with what she’d observed for herself during the short time they’d been here. Except for an occasional odd look, she apparently didn’t make too many language mistakes.
One thing she did manage to learn was the condition of the Pastmaster’s newest acquisitions. People muttered about these new strangers that their lord was using as slaves about the castle. Many wondered who they were for their manner of speech was strange as were their clothing. Others clucked sympathetically for the harsh treatment the poor souls were receiving and wondered what they’d done to merit such.
At least none had been killed despite their treatment, Felina thought with relief. However, there was one person conspicuously missing from the gossip. Apparently, the Pastmaster kept Ms. Briggs under lock and key all the time so no one ever saw her. Thankfully, since she was a vital part of his evil plan, Felina knew he wouldn’t harm her.
By now she’d circulated the entire market, trading the fish and partridge they’d caught on the way to the market for cheese and bread for the trip back but not finding out what they needed to know. She decided to make another circuit, planning to trade her berries and herbs for some baskets when she came across an old Kat sitting outside the blacksmith hut sunning himself.
Hoping for a break, she approached the elderly Kat. “Good sir, could thee tell me if thee has heard of a place called Megalith Castle?”
The old Kat blinked open nearly blind eyes from cataracts and tilted his head at the sound of her voice. “Eh? What castle?” he asked in a querulous and shaky voice. Many of his teeth were missing, and those still left were rotten.
Felina had to consciously keep her face smooth and not grimace from the tom’s bad breath. “I asked if thee knew about a place called Megalith.”
“Ah…” the old kat nodded his head but said nothing else.
Felina sighed and was about to walk away when the tom said, “Aye, know of it I do. Such a wonderful place… a great Queen doth live there.”
Her heart jumping for joy, she carefully asked, “So I have heard. Do you know how far away it is and how to get there?”
The old tom rocked himself and smiled, apparently lost in his memories. “Such a beautiful place it tis… but so far from here…” Then sadness suffused his face. “…too far… not strong enough for the journey…” he sighed.
“How far away?” Felina pressed.
Frowning, the old tom squinted at her though she was certain he really couldn’t see her with those eyes. “Tis many leagues north of here, mistress… no fit trip for you. Think no more on it and satisfy thyself with your lot here,” he counseled.
“I’m sorry, good sir, but it is truly important that I know how far it is.”
Sighing, the old tom stared blindly at her for a long moment then shrugged his shoulders. “I know not why such a thing be so important, lass, but if my old head remembers rightly, tis some eight leagues north.”
“Thank you, good sir. Good day to you,” Felina said politely, beginning to leave.
The old tom just nodded and returned his attention to his sun bathing, closing his eyes again.
Sighing in relief, Felina moved away and headed for the basket weaver. Trading the last of her wares for four baskets, she briskly headed away from the market area for a line of trees not far from the bramble hedge. She kept her eyes down and her hood over her face as she noticed some young males eyeing her far too intently as they lounged against the wall of the tavern.
The SWAT Kats and Feral had opted for climbing up a nearby old oak tree so they wouldn’t be spotted by anyone going about their business. They could see Felina very clearly through the foliage, but sitting in a tree for long periods wasn’t very pleasant.
“Finally, she’s leaving,” T-Bone muttered softly, preparing to climb down. His butt was sore, and he was getting hungry.
“Hope she was lucky,” his partnered muttered then noticed trouble. “Uh oh… some local punks have taken a shine to Felina.”
Feral said nothing as he waited and watched narrowly as his niece walked unhurriedly toward them, but he could easily see she was tense. She knew she was being followed. The three males were walked casually, but there was no mistaking their target. They didn’t close the gap, obviously thinking they could easily catch her on the other side of the hedge and not be interfered with by this she-kat’s relatives.
He snorted mentally. Didn’t matter what time period it was, there was always punks who thought females were theirs to use. Well the ones following Felina were going to learn a hard lesson that not all females were helpless. He heard branches moving and saw T-Bone was making a move to climb down. He hissed at the tabby.
“Stay put!”
“But…”
“She can handle them, and it will teach them a lesson. At least spare some other female their depredations.” He cut off the tom’s objection.
T-Bone eyed him a moment then subsided and watched below him.
Felina had now reached their hiding places and moved to step behind the bramble hedge. She only went a few feet more when the males moved in.
“Why the hurry, pretty one…” one male said, showing off rotten teeth as he smiled wolfishly.
“Aye, we only want a bit of your time,” another said, smirking.
The third male said nothing but moved to prevent Felina from walking further.
Huffing a bit, Felina dropped her baskets. Thinking she was going to be cooperative, the males closed in, and that’s when they learned this female could whip their asses.
Without hesitation, Felina sent a quick rabbit punch to the nose of the male in front of her, turned and slammed an elbow into the male to her right, catching him in the throat. The third male to her left was shocked then furious at her actions and grabbed her by the waist. Mistake! Felina stepped on his instep hard, and, when he howled and stepped back, letting her go, she spun around and kicked him in the chest, sending him slamming into a tree. The one she’d broken his nose came at her again. She grabbed one of his reaching paws and hurled him up and over her shoulder to take out the other male she’d elbowed. All three males lay groaning on the ground.
Smiling, the three watchers in the trees climbed down to join her. She picked up her baskets, and they hurried down the path away from the punks and into the forest, disappearing from view.
No one spoke a word as they went to a run and didn’t stop until they reached a small clearing near a stream, deep in the forest. Only then did they stop to eat, drink, rest and hear what Felina had learned.
Keeping her voice low, Felina reported what she learned while cutting up bread and cheese with a pocket knife.
“At least they’re still alive,” Razor said unhappily, saying aloud what she’d thought when she’d heard about the prisoners.
“Hopefully, we can get them out of there before they end up dead,” the tabby grunted, finishing off his cheese and bread.
“Now we know how far away she is and where, but does anyone know how far a league is?” Feral asked, hoping they didn’t have to get a translation of that from anyone local.
Razor frowned in thought.
T-Bone could only shrug. “Haven’t a clue. Guess we’re going to have to ask.”
“No, I just needed to figure it out. She’s about twenty-four miles away,” Razor interrupted.
Feral looked surprised that the tom knew that then frowned in dismay. “That’s a fair distance, and not one we’ll make in anything under four days, I think.”
“That’s about right. So, a trip with provisions it is. Let’s get back. The sooner we get provisioned the sooner we can leave,” Razor said firmly.
Not finding anything to argue or disagree about the smaller tom’s statement, Feral, Felina and T-Bone rose to their feet, paused to get some water then set off at a brisk run, each taking a basket from Felina so she wouldn’t be to burdened.
Arriving back at their temporary home in half the time, the four briefed the two leaders about what they learned as they hurriedly gathered provisions. The two frowned unhappily at learning how long the trip would take.
“This is the dark ages. Travel is weeks or months… not hours or days. Then there is the time spent in speaking with the Queen. If she comes back with us, that could be another few weeks or more for her to gather her forces or even longer if they are engaged elsewhere. It just takes longer to do anything here, especially as we have no access to horses to make it faster,” Razor reminded them.
“We might be lucky and have horses on the return trip,” T-Bone said as he finished his packing.
They each made backpacks with blankets and stuffed them with food and a change of clothing. Each carried their modern weapons and some medieval choices, like bows and arrows, knives, and a couple of swords from the many they’d managed to grab from their former guards. The medic took a first aid kit and anything else he could cobble together that might be needed for medical emergencies.
Finished with his own packing and pulling the blanket to his back, Feral faced the anxious group of defenders that now stood behind the co-leaders.
“Look, I know it will be very hard to keep everyone fed and safe, but you’ve done pretty well so far just continue that way. To help keep people from causing trouble or raising complaints, keep them occupied collecting food, preparing it, taking care of the elderly and kittens, making clothing, etc. Whatever you can think of to keep these people from noticing the time passing. If they start to make disgruntled noises, remind them there’s no where to go and fighting among themselves will only get everyone caught or killed. Alright?”
Neither Steele nor Morgan found his suggestions very helpful. Feral knew it would be Morgan who would have the backbone to do what was necessary to keep the peace but it would be Steele, surprisingly, who would keep Morgan from becoming too callous in his handling of his fellow trapped Kats. Fortunately, the Enforcers outnumbered the mercenaries or things could take an ugly turn.
Feral just hoped they wouldn’t be returning to a war zone. That could too easily occur with so many personalities around. Sighing mentally, he realized there was nothing else he could do so turned to leave. The Enforcers, Felina, and the SWAT Kats followed him out of the mountain. They slipped out one by one into the late afternoon sun and were soon marching briskly due north.
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