Chapter Three

Kendra twisted in the saddle so that she could better see the trail behind her.  She and Rex had left their home at dawn on their hunting trip to a new and unexplored area.  Interestingly enough, the grounds were lush with  plant life in comparison to most of the areas that they’d been hunting in, yet there was  absolutely no game to be found.  At first, they’d thought that it might be due to an abundance of zombies about, but they’d yet to come across a single one of them.

Rex had tested the water in several of the streams that they’d come across and found it potable and delicious.  The grass was thick and ripe with nutrients for grazing and the trees were heavy with foliage.  The fact that there was no game to be found made no sense.

Since they were traveling on horseback, they decided to split up their search.  They’d designated a large boulder that was surrounded by trees as their meeting place no more than three hours from the time they split.  They’d left for their hunt with the intention of returning before dark and, therefore, had no provisions for camping with them.  They’d traveled a good distance from home so it was important that they allow themselves enough time to get back before dark. Just because they’d seen no zombies didn’t mean that there were none wandering the woods.  The last thing they wanted was to encounter a band of them when visibility was poor.

As she scanned the trail that she’d just traveled, an eerie feeling came over her.  It was far too quiet.   The sound of her horse’s hooves as they trod across the wilderness sediment was magnified as they methodically interrupted the acute silence. She’d taken note on more than one occasion of the absence of birds as well as game.  There was something amiss, but she just couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

Seeing a sizable batch of wild turnip, she decided to give the horse a rest and gather some.  At least, then, she wouldn’t be returning completely empty handed. Felix and Olga had taken care to plant turnip in their garden, but it wouldn’t hurt to give the garden a breather whenever possible and not pull too heavily on it.  Besides, wild turnip had a different taste to it.  Considering the dark richness of the soil, she expected this hearty looking vegetable to be particularly flavorful.

Hobbling the horse in a sunny patch of lush grass, she took a moment to enjoy watching it revel in the delicious thick blades of green.  Grabbing a small sack from her saddle, she walked with bold determination to the turnip patch and immediately began filling it with what was one of her favorite foods.  Her mouth literally watered at the thought of their taste after being boiled.  The vivid memories of deliciousness reached her stomach and it roared with need.  Wiping the dirt from a turnip that she’d just pulled from the rich, dark soil, she bit into it with gusto.  It’s loud crunch as she sank her teeth into it echoed through the silence and filled her ears.

She was so absorbed and focused on the crunching as she reveled in the bitter -sweet taste of the crisp, fresh turnip that she completely missed the sound of the cyborg’s footsteps on the forest floor as he approached her from behind until he was dangerously close. Whirling around with lightening speed, she pulled her knife from the sheath that was strapped to her leg and sent it soaring through the air.  With any luck, it would land in a spot that would slow him down enough to give her an opportunity to unhobble her horse and race away.

Luck was on her side as the blade struck the cyborg in the center of his neck. The sounds of his gasping for air as he tugged at the thick steel to remove it spurred her into action.  Her head whirled from left to right in search of his companions while she rushed to her horse. Olga had successfully kept them isolated and protected from much of the harshness of the world while living in that cave, so she knew even less about cyborgs than she did zombies.  She’d heard it mentioned in conversations between Olga and Rex -who were both far worldlier than she was- that they cyborgs traveled in pairs. She wanted to get away before the other showed up and the one she’d injured gained control over the situation. 

She could already hear his breathing normalizing as she hopped into the saddle and kicked her horse into action.  It was her intention to return down the path that she’d just taken and make her way back to her meeting spot with Rex, but the companion cyborg was heading toward her from that direction with determined speed. Fortunately, they were on foot while she was on horseback.  If luck stayed with her, she’d be able to outrun them.

Pulling on the reins to turn her horse to the point that the beast raised its front legs high into the air as it did a full ninety degree turn on its back haunches, its protest echoed through the trees as she urged it to move at a speed that would have challenged the best of race horses.

The gelding seemed to inherently understand the urgency of the situation and gave Kendra its all as they barreled into unknown territory at break-neck speed.  More than once, she had to grab the saddle to maintain her seating as the gelding weaved its way through thick foliage and between tree trunks.  Little by little, the sound of the cyborgs pursuing them faded. Although it was something that she’d wished for, Kendra was surprised that they’d succeeded in outrunning two alien made creatures.  It was a mystery how they’d managed it.  Then, everything in that forest seemed a mystery.

When she felt that it was finally safe to give the horse a rest, she hopped off and walked beside it.  The musky scent of the thick lather that coated its neck and chest filled her nostrils.  She found it surprisingly pleasant.  Taking her hand, she wiped away a good deal of the foamy substance while praising the beast for its speed and agility. 

Horses had never been a part of her life until she’d been kidnapped by Baelil.  It was fortunate that she not only harbored no fear of them, but she was a fast learner.  It took very little time in the saddle for her to become a competent rider with the ability to accurately shoot an arrow while atop of the beast.  Even so, she’d taken little time to really bond with them.  In fact, since there were five horses left to them after Baelil’s invasion, this was the first time that she’d even ridden this gelding. Guilt over how she’d taken them for  granted swept through her.

She stopped and took a moment to caress his head and place her forehead against its muzzle. “I promise to take better care of you and appreciate you more from now on.  Thank you.”

Her muscles were sore and she had no idea where she was, but she knew better than to stay still for too long.  She climbed back into the saddle and urged the horse into a steady walk as she studied the sky that filtered through the lush canopy above her for signs of where she might be. It would be dark soon.  If she didn’t find her way back to their meeting place, she’d end up spending the night  alone and without any shelter, supplies, or tools of comfort.  She wanted to avoid that if it was at all possible.

She’d traveled about fifteen minutes when she spotted a small group of zombies meandering through the forest to her left. Uncertain of what to do, she stopped her horse and then quietly left him to stand by a large tree near the edge of the barely detectable trail that she’d been following.  Close observance of the zombies made her fairly certain that there were no intelligent ones in the small group.  With any luck, if she stayed really quiet and still, they’d pass by without realizing that she was there.  She wrapped her arms around her gelding’s neck and rested her head against it while she prayed that he understood the importance of being completely silent.

As the  zombies trudged onward, a petite blonde passed dangerously close, but she didn’t seem to notice them. The female zombie was so close, in fact, that Kendra was able to see that she had been young when the virus took possession of her body.  She guessed the girl to have been in her late teens.  Even though a good deal of her one time thick hair had fallen out in patches, her once pink flesh was now mottled and sallow, and her faded blue eyes were sunken into dark, almost black sockets, it was easy to see that she had been quite beautiful.

Kendra couldn’t help feeling a pang of guilt over the fact that it was her parents and her aunt who’d created and set loose the virus that took away their humanity and caused them to be this way. They were so far gone that she questioned if the cure that her aunt was working on would even be effective on them.

Her heart felt heavy with regret, sorrow, guilt, and remorse as she watched the zombies disappear into the thick of the trees.  It took several more moments before she’d regained herself enough to climb back into the saddle and, once again, focus on finding her way back to the meeting place.

Remembering the cyborgs, she took a moment to scan the area for signs of them.  She had no idea how they dealt with zombies.  Did they avoid them?  They were alien made creatures, but had humanity at their core so what happened if they were bitten by a zombie?  Would they turn? Get sick? Be affected at all? She had no idea, but she hoped that they avoided them so that she didn’t have to worry about them lurking about since a small group of zombies had only just passed by . 

Shadows danced through the foliage as the sun eased its way below the mountain’s skyline. Concern for her welfare consumed her as she urged her horse to move at a slightly faster pace through the thick brush that wrapped them in what felt like an endless cocoon.  If she didn’t find her way back to the path that led to the meeting spot soon, she’d have no choice than to set up a make-shift camp for the night. Normally, she’d climb a tree and spend the night in it, but that was when she was on foot.  Now that she had to worry about the welfare of her horse as well, she needed to stay on the  ground with it.   With both cyborgs and zombies wandering about, she had no desire to be in such a vulnerable state.  She just hoped that the cyborgs would also have to stop for the night and wouldn’t continue patrolling in the dark. As for the zombies, well, she found them less  threatening and much easier to deal with or kill, if necessary. 

She’d had fewer qualms about killing zombies prior to learning that there was a cure for them on the horizon.  Now, she did her best to avoid any type of interaction while she waited for her aunt to come up with a reversal for the terrible affliction that she and her parents had set loose on humanity.