Chapter II

A Place to Hide

Two weeks after the group left the manor, Dmitri walked out of the jet that was now their temporary home, they had hoped to get a lot further west put had had to make a slight detour, and thus the jet had run out of fuel and they were now at least several days long walk away from the nearest mountain passes.

Whilst the plane offered some small comfort, with enough room for half the group to sleep in comfortably. Dmitri knew that they couldn’t remain here for much longer. Two hoards had narrowly missed them and there had been rumours of Black riders crossing the mountains. The one bright side was that they were not have trouble from was the locals, so long as Dmitri, Codsworth and Barca hid their imperial armour, they were not molested by the few travellers they encountered. Albeit they had only met a few, most seemed to be staying in their homes, the ones they did encounter all spoke about heading to the north. That the enemy had not invaded the mountain kingdom yet.

Another reason that Dmitri was wanting to head out was the heat that showed no sign of abating, which was why the group could be seen sheltering from said heat in the shadow cast by the jet, despite the fact that they were days away from the start of winter. Plus, Dmitri knew that there was another problem, they were by his calculations dangerously close to the lands controlled by the beast men, who had great hatred for imperials and would likely attack them if they stumbled across their path.

A sound coming from the nearby brush makes the group stand up on edge, Dmitri pulls out his gun and takes aim, but lowers it as Dave comes running through, panting deeply, clutching his sides.

“How close is the nearest hoard?” Dmitri asked running up to the twelve-year-old. It had been almost a day since Dave had left the camp to go and scout ahead of them, and for a few hours Dmitri had feared that the worst had happened. Dave took a few moments to answer as he tried to get his breathing under control.

“Too close, a couple of miles away, no more.” Dave said getting his breath back. “About two hundred zombies. But we have another problem.” Dave said. He had found that problem whilst scouting, as he observed the movement of a nearby hoard, he had been about to report back, so long as you kept your distance with the dead, they tended not to bother you, he had quickly discovered. But as he was about to leave, he had heard the sound of growling and turning he had seen it. He was about to explain this when Vernon spoke up.

“Were you seen?” Vernon said looking grave. The last thing they needed was the lad being scene and drawing a hoard towards them. Even with the soldiers in the group, they were too few to be able to mount and effective defence against the dead.

“What… No, but we have ano…” Dave starts but Vernon nods and smiles talking to the rest of the group.

“What did I tell you about this one, he’s as quiet as a mouse. Excellent scout material.” Vernon said, it had taken a lot of convincing to allow Dave to be the groups scout but reluctantly the group had come round, the last one being Barca. But Dave interrupts.

“Will you guys listen. I’m trying to tell you that there is something else out there.” Dave said pointing in the direction that he had run from.

“Oh great.” Jack said looking around. Dmitri turns around and walks to a rocky outcrop gazing around at the barren landscape. Before turning back to the group.

“What from did this thing take. Was it bear like?” Dmitri asked, if so, he didn’t want to be here any longer.

“Yes. Yes…” Dave said, suddenly wondering how Dmitri would have known that fact. “But it bigger about twice the size of a normal bear.” Dave said looking at Dmitri with a puzzled look.

“You knew about this creature?’ Martin asked, the six-year-old looking terrified.

“I say we move out.” Jimmy said looking around. But Barca immediately dispels this notion.

“Then we will be running right into the path of a hoard.” Barca said taking out his gun. Dmitri ponders for a few moments thinking about what had happened just over a year ago whilst only a few clicks from their present location. Before he speaks up.

“There is a house, nearby. Where we might, erm, take shelter.” Dmitri said, if it was the creature’s home, they should be safe.

“Whose house. Are they friendly or hostile?” Charlie asked looking unbelieving, this sounded almost too good to be true, and if the owner was friendly, why hadn’t they already set off. As if in answer, Dmitri sighs deeply before responding.

“Neither. He will help us or…” Dmitri started, thinking on whether to tell the group the truth, before deciding to do so. “Or he will kill us.” Dmitri finished, not knowing how the brute would react to their sudden arrival. Having only met the creature once before, he wasn’t sure if that was enough to warrant them fleeing across his lands. But they had too, behind them was inhospitable to all but the creature, and to the north and south of them were other natural barriers. There only way was forward, into the creature’s territory.

“What choice do we have?” Charlie said looking around. It was either being eaten out here or eaten at this house. As if in answer from nearby a huge roar comes from across the valley, followed by the sound of movement, cracking stones as if the bear was breaking the rocks in front of it. Dmitri looks at the group and shrugs before answering.

“None.” Dmitri said coolly.

The group make their way across the barren landscape as fast as they can. They had left most of the food and weapons back on the jet, in their haste to pack up and leave, which Dmitri realised as they continued to run, might have been a mistake. To make matters worse the hoard had picked up their sent and was also picking up the pace in the pursuit. The dust cloud billowing up a few miles behind the group suddenly stops as the sound of ripping can be heard. This is not taken by the group as sign to stop and catch their breaths as they continue to cross the landscape. Until a small house comes into view. The one-story structure sits at the banks of a large river, as the group approach an alarm sounds from the distance followed by a second roar from behind them. Martin turns around in order to get a better look, clearly seeing something, he pelts it back to join the group.

Legging it now the group arrive at the structure. Dmitri turns around quickly to see a huge bear charging towards the group. As they run inside the building, the group make to close the huge steel doors, but are stopped a few moments from the doors properly closing as the beast pokes its massive head through the crack and starts growling menacingly at the group.

The group force the doors shut and lock them, all but Dmitri who stands a few paces back a small grin on his face. They hear the beast running off back out into the landscape and Jimmy turns around, sweat pouring from his forehead.

“What the fuck was that?” Jimmy said holstering his rifle. He had heard about those types of creatures that had the ability to morph between animal and man, bit he had never seen it in the flesh before.

“That… Is our host.” Dmitri said walking a few paces back encase someone tried to hit him. Once he was sure he was out of hitting range, he then leaned up against a large wooden pillar, in order to catch his breath. The group look around at Dmitri stunned, before he continues. “His name is Brutus. And he’s a wear-bear.” Dmitri said leaning up against a wall.

“You mean the man we met last year.” Codsworth said holstering a pistol, he still had his doubts about the creature after he ran away when The Mayor had ordered his latest purge.

“Yes.” Dmitri said before turning to the rest of the group. “He is the local guardian of these lands that we landed into. Hopefully he will be able to help us cross them.” Dmitri said looking around, he did not see much support, on the other hand he also didn’t see anyone trying to kill him, which was a plus he thought to himself mockingly.

“And how’d you know that he won’t come back and rip our throats out?” Jack asked angrily, he was now seriously starting to question the captain’s sanity, not only had he brought him and his younger brothers into an active warzone. He had led them into the lair of some type of monster on nothing more than a hunch, or so it seemed to Jack.

“Because. If he wanted to do that, he wouldn’t have given up on his attack.” Dmitri said simply. “The odds are he will have enough food to gorge on from the hoard that were on our trail.” Dmitri finished slightly relieved that they had just got rid of two birds with one stone, although that second one was still a conditional, as he had no idea how much a man like Brutus needed to eat, especially in bear form. As he spoke, the sun begins to fall on the western horizon casting Dmitri’s face into shadow. “Now get some rest, Codsworth would you mind taking the first watch?” Dmitri asked.

“Sure.” Codsworth said, he had his doubts about this place and the man who lived here but was certain that Dmitri wouldn’t have led them to their deaths willingly.

“I’m sure we’ll be safe here for tonight.” Dmitri said to try and reassure the rest of the group, seeing the uncertain looks on both Vernon and Jack’s face. Before adding two words into that sentence in his mind. ‘I hope.’ But there was no need for such to be spoken out loud, as the group prepare to set up their indoor camp. Codsworth walks up to the window and starts scanning the surrounding area like a hawk. He sighed, given the lack of daylight, it was hard to make out anything outside. So, he turned his attention to the interior.

It was hard to make out most of the dimly lit house. But from he did see, he felt satisfised, it was a simple wooden structure with a few rooms, which was exactly what they needed right now. Something that would not draw attention to themselves. He also thought that, if Brutus could be persuaded on the issue, it would be a good place to lie low for the winter months, if they couldn’t make the crossing within the fortnight.

Outside the house, a much better watchman looks out into the horizon. The bear from of Brutus; it’s face and body covered in scars and its black eyes continually scanning the landscape starts to patrol the area in circles. He had made this patrol a lot recently, between the river and the surrounding mountains where the group lay in his house asleep was his lands to protect and he did. For the most part, all seemed quiet, but he knew that he had only dispersed the hoard, and not destroyed it. Meaning that they could come back at any moment.

As the wear-bear crested the rise on a nearby hill he saw the hoard he had disperse twenty miles away from his current location across the plains, they were moving, but not towards either him or the house. So, he decides not to investigate any further, theorising that they no longer posed a threat to them. He growls quietly before turning around and returning to his home. Once he arrives at the small cabin, remembering how the ingrates had locked him out of his own house, he curls up outside the doors and falls to sleep himself, still in the form of the large black-eyed bear.