Taming a Planet (Trapped in Time Book 2) (18 page)

Andy stared at her and said, “I will follow you all the way back home.”

Gerrod looked at the archers around him and said, “It’s too late in the day to launch. However, we can prepare the trees to start burning in the morning and we can skin that giant at the end of the clearing. Let’s get started.” Gerrod looked at Dottie, “How far is that ship from here?”

“Why do you ask?”

“If they’re sailing close to the cliffs, I’m going to fly to the ship and land. I have a lot more weight than you do.”

Dottie nodded, “They’re about fifty miles north of here following the shore line. They should be close to the cliffs tomorrow.”

Paul walked over and said, “Are you telling me we’re going to be hoisted to the top of that tree and you’re going to jump out?”

Gerrod stared Paul in the eyes, “Yep.”

Paul’s face turned white and he said, “Ok, just asking.”

Gerrod started laughing and the other archers joined in.

D
ottie held on to the rope as the archers on the ground began pulling her up. Harmony’s body was tied to her she could feel the weight. She fought the tears that wanted to come; she remembered how beautiful Harmony was and her brilliant smile. She felt the heat from the fires burning in the clearing and the smoke was rising at an incredible speed. The glider was out of the pack with its wings folded and she could feel the hot wind blowing against it. The rope she was hanging on began to blow back and forth but she didn’t feel any fear. She was high enough now that even if she fell she could extend the glider’s wings and start gliding upward. She looked out over the prehistoric forest and could see the large long necked herbivores in the distance next to a lake. This world was so beautiful…but so dangerous.

She finally arrived just below the top branch; she looked down at the archers below. She looked up and saw Andy was high overhead circling the fire waiting for her to launch. She shook her head; Andy loved Harmony so much. It was an injustice that she had been shot. She gripped the rope and pulled herself up slightly to remove her foot from the loop it is was in. She felt her foot come out and she took one hand and gripped the release chord as she let go with the other hand.

She started falling and pulled the chord and the wings snapped out into place and caught the hot rising air. She fought the wind for a moment and then began rising quickly. She turned the glider away from the fire and began a circle around the clearing. She was jerked upward hard as she came around the far edge of the clearing and was a thousand feet in the air by the time she had completed one circle. She saw Andy high overhead and she made another circle around the fires and was getting close to his glider. He used a hand to make a circular motion and she shrugged and made another circle around the clearing. By the time she came around to the northern side she was more than a mile high. She glanced at the ground and saw the archers pulling Gerrod up the tree. She smiled knowing that his passenger was probably scared out of his wits. It was a good thing that Gerrod didn’t weigh more than a hundred and forty pounds. His passenger was smaller than him. She felt reasonably certain Gerrod would be able to fly to the cliff. Flying out to the ship was probably a good idea. Landing on the cliff with close to three hundred pounds on the glider was not a good idea. She looked up at Andy and he motioned her to follow him.

Dottie fell in behind Andy and after thirty minutes was amazed at his flying skills. She knew she was good but she was nowhere close to what he was demonstrating. He led them to every thermal and around clouds that allowed them to maintain their altitude. She had been worried that the additional weight would be an issue and that making the cliffs was going to be a real problem. She worried for nothing. She stayed tucked in behind Andy and not only did they make the cliffs in record time but the wind blowing up from the ocean increased their speed. She knew it had taken two weeks to fly from the community but the speed they were traveling was incredible. The wind at six thousand feet was howling north. She looked at the ground below and saw it passing at a rate she had never experienced. And Andy still found the thermals to increase their altitude. She wondered when Andy was going to land and was surprised when he continued flying after sunset. The moon was full and the glow off the ocean next to the cliffs was incredibly beautiful. The wind continued to howl out of the south at her altitude as they flew north and Dottie wondered how this wind had appeared. She saw clouds over the ocean a long way out and knew there was something blowing from them that must be causing it. However, she stayed behind Andy and they flew north at more than sixty miles an hour. She was thankful she had managed to get some sleep the night before. Andy gave no indication he was going down anytime soon.

• • •

Four days after his arrival, Derek held the steering wheel and felt the ship as it was pushed by the winds. He liked steering the giant vessel and felt like it was flying on water. He saw Annelise walk up the stairs to the stern and smile at him, “You’re doing pretty good.”

“Thanks, I’ve got a good teacher.” Annelise walked over and Derek saw a young woman standing on the steps staring at them.

Derek’s eyes narrowed and Annelise said, “You told me earlier that you were at the battle with the Destroyer Warriors that went on shore?” Derek nodded. “Did any of the Destroyers survive?”

Derek looked at the young woman watching them and he looked back to Annelise, “No, we killed them all.” Annelise’s eyes narrowed and she sighed. She turned around, looked at the young woman who had a tense expression, and shook her head. The woman’s tears were instant and she put her hands over her face and ran down the steps. “What’s going on?”

Annelise looked at Derek, “There was a Destroyer Warrior on board who has been sharing his meals with Ana. He’s taken care of her and she’s fallen for him. She needed to know if he survived.”

“The fight was over when I left and we had killed all of the warriors from the ship.” Derek paused, “I thought the Destroyers were heartless beasts?”

Annelise shrugged, “Most of them are. I’ve met very few with any kindness in their heart. The one that shared his meals with Ana was a good man.”

“If you say so.”

“No, I’m serious. He was captured by the Destroyers at a young age and forced into the military.”

“He could have escaped if he wanted.”

Annelise smiled slightly, “Derek, if you ran away from your friends into the forest, how long would you survive?”

Derek looked at Annelise and remembered the Destroyer Warriors firing their weapons all night. He could hear their screams as some of them were taken by predators. Derek looked at Annelise and finally nodded, “You’re right. Sometimes the universe dishes up a bad meal for us to eat.”

Annelise came over and hugged Derek from behind as she said, “And sometimes it sends us a wonderful dessert.”

Derek smiled.

Derek heard Jonathan yell, “We have a glider over the cliffs circling.”

Derek looked at the top of the cliffs and saw the glider. He squinted and Annelise said, “What’s wrong?”

“That glider looks different. It’s not responding to the winds like it should.” He stepped back and said, “Take the ship in closer to the cliffs.”

Annelise took the wheel and yelled, “I want a depth taken every thirty seconds!”

Ana got up from the deck next to the door leading to the hold and wiped her eyes. She sprinted to the bow and pulled out the sounding rope. She threw it over board and yelled, “Eighty feet!” Annelise continued edging the ship toward the cliff until she heard Ana yell, “Forty feet.”

“We need to stay here. I thought the bottom was shallow close to the cliffs?”

“How can you tell?”

“By the way the waves are breaking on the beach. I’ll teach you about that later.”

Derek saw the glider start down from the cliff and said, “Turn the ship away so the stern is toward the cliff.” Annelise turned he ship into the wind and began tacking away. The women manning the sails adjusted the sails without being ordered. They knew their jobs and performed them well.

• • •

Paul looked at the ship just off shore and said, “You’re going to land us on the ship?”

“That I am.”

“You’ve already scared ten years off my life off me.”

Gerrod laughed and thought back to when he and Paul had been hoisted up the tree. Gerrod had to get the archers to lower them back to the ground for him to blindfold Paul. He was in a state of panic and Gerrod knew having a thrashing passenger was not going to work. They arrived at the top of the tree where they were being blown by the hot wind. Gerrod prepared to drop from the rope when he heard Paul say, “If you smell something bad, I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m close to losing it.”

“Think about your family. Try to remember how they looked years ago. Don’t think about anything else.”

Paul thought about them and when Gerrod dropped off the rope he managed to control his fear. He felt the winds grab the flying device’s wings and he took deep breaths as he thought about his mother. After thirty minutes, Gerrod said, “You can remove your blindfold if you want.”

Paul was tied off under Gerrod and he pulled up an edge of the blindfold and immediately put it back. Finally, after another hour, he took it off. He remained silent and Gerrod said, “Are you ok?”

Paul blew out a deep breath, “Why did you take this risk?”

Gerrod looked at the young warrior hanging under him and said, “Harmony was just like you. She was forced into their military and she hated every moment of it. I believe she would have wanted you to live. It was worth the effort.”

Paul nodded, “Thank you. I hope I can make your gift worthwhile.”

• • •

Jonathan stared at the glider hoping it was Dottie coming back. He stood beside Derek and heard him say, “John, there’s two people on that glider.”

John watched the glider coming closer and said, “That’s not Dottie.”

“No, it looks like Fats’ glider; it’s bigger than most.”

“Derek, get ready to help them land. Try to keep them from hitting too hard.” Derek moved to one side of the stern deck and John moved to the other. The Glider came in and they heard a scream as it came in. The wings folded and John grabbed the two under the glider as Derek arrived and helped break their fall.

Ana stood at the front of the ship and watched the glider come in and hit the deck. She shook her head and hoped no one was hurt. She stared at the stern and saw one of the ones in the blue uniform stand up and then someone dressed in Destroyer fatigues stood up. She started walking slowly toward the stern and then she saw it was Paul. She screamed and sprinted toward the rear of the ship. The three heard the scream and Annelise said, “You better brace yourself.”

Paul looked at her just as Ana came up the steps and launched herself into him. He caught her and fell to the deck as she covered his face with kisses. John looked at Gerrod and he smiled, “We managed to save one of them.”

John smiled, “You saved the right one.”

Gerrod watched the two lovers on the deck and smiled, “I know.”

“What about Dottie?”

“She’s carrying Harmony’s body back to the community with Andy.” Gerrod saw John’s expression and said, “They made it to the cliffs and were flying at an incredible speed. I suspect they passed you last night.”

John nodded and worried about her. He looked at Gerrod, “How difficult was it to fly with a passenger?”

Gerrod blew out a breath and shook his head, “That’s why I came here. I only wanted to attempt one landing. This ship is wider than the track on top of the cliff.”

John shook his head and watched Paul stand up with Ana’s arms wrapped around him. He looked at Gerrod and smiled, “This makes it all worth it. Thank you for saving me.”

Ana heard him and rushed over to Gerrod and planted a huge kiss on his lips. Gerrod laughed out loud as Ana rushed back over to Paul.

• • •

Dottie was tired and knew she was going to fall asleep soon. She motioned Andy and he slowed slightly to fall back beside her. She put one hand against her face and closed her eyes and he nodded. She watched him reach over his head and pull a small rope out of a pouch. He flew ahead of her and began playing the rope out. She flew up and managed to grab it as it flapped in the wind behind him. What did he want her to do? She saw that there were two ropes attached at the end that were tied in the shape of a Y. Suddenly she knew. She tied the two ropes to her two control poles and felt Andy start pulling her glider behind him. She had passed the Master Archer Glider training and had been able to stay aloft over the cliffs for a week. She gripped the horizontal bar and closed her eyes. She was asleep in an instant but her body kept the glider level without conscious effort. It wasn’t a deep sleep; but it allowed her to recover.

She didn’t know how long she had been out but she felt a jerk. She saw Andy release the rope and fall behind her. She shook her head and pulled the rope up and then played the Y out behind her. Andy grabbed the rope and tied it off. Dottie felt the tug and used the wind off the cliffs to climb and continue the flight toward home. What took two weeks to travel coming south only took six days flying back. They landed inside the Community’s walls and Andy rushed over and took Harmony’s body and carried it toward the Holy Cave. Dottie lay on the ground and was instantly asleep. Three Archers folded up her glider and carried her to her quarters where they put her to bed. The mourning began for those that had been killed fighting the Destroyers and Harmony’s funeral took place that night. Everyone in the community attended and they saw the pain Andy was enduring over her loss.

• • •

Mark and the other archers arrived eight days later. The Community welcomed them back and the homecoming for the survivors was memorable. Dottie was sitting on the Roman wall watching the celebration and saw Andy walking toward her. He sat down beside her and watched the celebration in silence. Dottie looked at him, “Andy, how could we have made the flight in just six days?”