Free Becoming by Chris Ord

no woods or foliage at either side. The rats would not be here, and if they did attack they would be seen in good time. This was not the place to feel vulnerable, but that would come soon, further down the road where the overgrown fields began, backed by thick woodland.
    Gaia’s team were at the rear, led by Kali. Freya was at the front just behind Kali, her shadow as always. Freya was small and slight in comparison to Kali, but mirrored her in many ways. Gaia watched the way Kali and Freya moved. Even the rhythm of their steps was identical. Left-right-left-right, marching in perfect time together. The arch of Freya’s back mirrored that of Kali. Freya was almost a part of Kali. To Gaia she was an irrelevance, something temporary. Without Kali Freya was nothing.
    Gaia sneered, her bones were aching now with the chill of the rain as it seeped into her pores. Her hands were stiff, finger tips wrinkled and white. The mission was risky, the weather an added danger. The distance they could see ahead was short. They were more vulnerable and exposed. Despite its melody, the sound of the rain dampened everything around them, including the sound of the rats. Ordinarily the rats could be heard from some distance, but the cacophany of the hammering rainfall limited that. Once they reached the stretch of road lined with the overgrown fields and woodland they would be a moving target. The weather also limited their movements. The effects of the rain on their skin and joints, the weight of the water in their soaking clothes. All combined to slow them. They needed to be as mobile and agile as possible, but they were not. The leaders knew this. They all knew it. Many heads were down, faces grim.
    Gaia hoped the weather would narrow the scope of the mission to no more than a scouting trip. The teams needed to avoid the risk of encountering groups of rats. They knew where the rats favoured for their lairs. In this weather the rodents would tend to stick close to them. Unless the creatures were hunting. There was always a chance the teams would encounter a group of hunting rats. Usually, the hunter groups were smaller and easier to deal with. They never hunted in the large pack numbers that attacked the community. These rats only ever attacked in those numbers when they were desperate. Attacks on the community were a last resort, hence their infrequency and savagery. The creatures feared humans more than humans feared them. At least in the past that had been the case, but things were changing. The behaviour of the rats was changing. The world was evolving and so were they. The rodents numbers were growing, and they were attacking more often, and more effectively. As the rats evolved the balance of power was shifting. The balance of fear was moving.
    The team at the front stopped, the others followed their lead. Tarkan signalled them to enter the field on the left. It was a long stretch of open field, thick with tall grass and wild flowers. On a sunny day it would have been idyllic, picture book, but today it looked limp and grey. Beyond the field was the start of some woodland, a small copse of well-established trees. The wood was known to them, a popular site for lairs. The missions had destroyed several, but the rats kept coming back.
    The front group moved through the tall grass and paused at the edge of the wood. The other teams followed. Once they had all crossed the field the first team made their way into the trees. The woodland had become wild and untamed. Brambles, weeds and an assortment of wild plants spread across the floor between the trees. Walking was difficult as the plants were thick and strong, many with harsh spikes that either clung to their trousers or ripped through and scratched the flesh. The first team used their spears, machetes, and boots to hack a pathway through. The other teams waited and watched. The rain was less severe now. They were sheltered by the canopy overhead. The sound of the downfall had changed. The