Free A Children's Tale by C B Ash

wait, the closer they come to finding us again. This time, they will find your village, if they have not anticipated that we would find our way here already. We can help you."
    Utawah paused. "If we return your weapons to you."
    Hunter nodded. "Indeed and trust us with them. I understand that asks a great deal. If that is too much, then do what you will with us but hide the children. At least that... if nothing else."
    Utawah stared unblinking at Hunter in silence. Then the elder chief turned to the other two and spoke rapidly in their own dialect.
    Embarrassed, William leaned over to Hunter and whispered. "Cap'n I ..."
    "Think nothing of it. I was caught in the moment myself."
    "Think we convinced 'em?"
    "I dearly hope so, William. For all our sakes."
    William sat bolt upright as if stuck with a needle. "Cap'n ..."
    Hunter's attention was riveted on the conversation across the fire from them.  "Hm? What is it?"
    "They're here!"
    The explosion outside shattered the front door, the adjacent section of wall next to it and rained debris through the room.

Chapter 13
     
    H unter coughed then brushed at the cloud of dust that assailed his eyes. He staggered over broken stones and shards of wood, his mind clouded from the blast that had ripped the front of the building away. Blood teased the edge of his vision from a pair of cuts that traced grooves above his right eyebrow. Dirt smudged his clothes. Rough gravel peppered his hair. A light, cold wind tossed the torn remains of the colored cloth squares about him then lifted them up toward the heavens. 
    "William!" 
    There was no reply. Hunter tripped on a loose board and fell heavily into the dirt. With a grunt, he struggled to rise then felt a strong pair of hands grip his arm and help him to his feet. 
    "Good show, William."
    "Not William," Utawah replied firmly. 
    The captain blinked, the grit finally free from his vision, and turned in surprise. 
    "Your man is there." Utawah pointed to where two of the Yeti slowly struggled with a heavy timber. Beneath it lay William, motionless with his eyes closed and limbs caught in a strange angle. A third waited to ease the young man from beneath the debris once it was safe to do so. It was plain to see that William had thrown himself at Utawah to knock the elder aside before the roof caved in on top of where the elder had been sitting. Hunter started to rush forward but Utawah stopped him.
    "My people will tend him. Quickly, tell me, did you mean your words?"
    Hunter scowled. Every instinct in him said to see to his crew, his responsibility. The captain's anger flashed hot and bright in his eyes when he shot a glare back at Utawah. "Quite!"
    The chieftain pressed a sharpened bone dagger into the captain's hand. "Then do not squander the gift your man has given you." 
    A pause of a single heartbeat passed before the hint of a grin spread across Hunter's face. He grasped the knife firmly. "Indeed. Lead on then."
    The two men raced from the ruined building to the chaos outside. Smoke poured out of holes in the roof numerous buildings. Other buildings were little more than burnt shells where the rooftops had collapsed in on themselves from the dynamite that had been dropped on them. Bodies lay strewn across the ground with smoke trailing from their backs. A lump caught in the captain's throat, he tried to swallow it down but he found he could not.
    "Utawah... your people..."
    Suddenly, a pair of steambats buzzed overhead like a pair of angry bees. High pressure jets of salt water guided arcs of electricity across the ground. Villagers screamed, either in pain or anger at the fliers above while they scrambled for whatever cover was nearby. Those that could not find any jerked and screamed when the electricity struck and threw them feet from where they had been.
    Perhaps it was a light spray of water, or the crack of electricity. Without thinking, Hunter shoved Utawah to the right and then dove to the left. A scant second later, a bolt of