A Different Virus - Laura's Story

Chapter 141

I helped pick apples and watched the haying machines haying every piece of open grassy sections they could get to. Roland had decided that since the bandits were coming, that we were not going to make their attempt easy. We were harvesting anything we possibly could and hauling it inside the gates.

They would find no food for themselves, and the stubble from our intense haying would make poor grazing for their horses. We had a lot of hay bales inside the fence though. I had helped pump water this morning to water the grass of the meadow. It was lush and green even this late in the fall due to all of the water.

Green grass wouldn't burn and it would also provide enough grazing for the livestock for at least a month if we were locked inside. Sentries were posted almost twenty kilometers away with horns. Over a hundred people were hard at work as we collected the last of the edible food around Sanctuary. All were ready to run for the gates at a moment's notice.

The main gates were open and the number of armed sentries on top had been tripled. It was a waiting game right now. Tension was rising in Sanctuary. The bandits were on their way.

Everyone knew we were the next target and we had word via a pigeon from a Messenger spying on the bandits that almost all of the fighters had left their base eight days ago. Other Messengers were stalking the bandit attack party, but kept out of sight. Once they made it three quarters of the way, someone would release more pigeons to both Sanctuary and Wainwright.

Wainwright Fort and two of our trader groups who were currently stationed there were waiting for their pigeons. The steam trucks had three modified car hauling trailers with two levels and they would make good time bringing a small battalion of fired traders and Wainwright's own fighters to the rescue of those enslaved.

We were going to let them camp outside of our gates until Wainwright sent us a pigeon to let us know that the rescue had succeeded. At that point we were going to make our guests realize that we did not welcome their company. They expected that we would be hosting our company for about five days to allow them to complete the rescue. Or that was the plan at any rate.

Everyone outside of the gate was armed. Most were fired and planned to run into the forest to act as hit and run fighters if any of the bandits approached the cover of the trees. Several camps had been set up deep in the forest for our fighters to use.

I glanced over my shoulder and whistled a short tune that sounded a lot like a song sparrow. A couple pairs of amused blue eyes flashed over to me as they moved to the other side of the tree. I grinned at them as they successfully remembered the code.

They chuckled as they kept working. The last few weeks they had been hard at work honing their fighting skills, hand signals, camouflaged bird calls, and other forest skills. Most fired people were like ninjas in the forest now. Their speed, Heartfire assisted alertness, and ability to disappear at the drop of a hat was almost creepy.

Diane paused and pointed at something in the sky. Those around us peered up. I immediately spotted two pigeons flying towards the pigeon coop on the cliff top. They had come from the east and both had message tubes. The attackers were about a three day ride out. It was both a relief that we knew exactly where they were as well as a worry that they were getting so close.

Three days until the bandits tried to take our home from us.

I looked up at Diane in worry, "Do you have to go?"

Diane crouched down so she was at my level and gave me a sad smile, "Yes, I will be hiding in the forest. Don't worry, I will be fine."

I didn't want her to go in case she never came back. I tried again, "Can I come too? I can hide really well."