Apocalypse Slaves Pt. 17

Caine caught her and held her close as the two of them settled in for a blissful sleep.

***

CHAPTER 10: Home

Elayne got up early the next morning while Caine was still sound asleep. She didn't need any tearful or messy goodbyes. She got what she needed from him and that was a belly full of his seed. If what he said was true, then she was already pregnant by him. Her trial was done and it was time for her to return as a full-fledged warrior woman for her tribe.

She was dressed in her newly clean clothes and was nearly out the door with her pack slung over her shoulder when Caine called out to her. "Take the spear," he said.

"What?" Elayne asked, looking back at him, confused. Out of all the things she expected him to say in the wake of her departure, that was not it. She didn't even expect him to be awake but apparently he was a light sleeper.

Caine grabbed his belt and pants from where they were on the floor next to the bed, took the small metal rod off of it that he'd used to best her, and tossed it to her. She caught it easily in one hand. It was surprisingly light. "That's made out of a titanium alloy that you don't really see anymore. The fact that it's telescoping makes it easier to conceal and transport. Many people often say that they've come across me so I doubt that your tribe will simply take your word on it." He nodded her way, giving the rod a pointed look. "That should convince them."

"I don't need your charity," Elayne scoffed, ready to toss the thing back at him.

"It's not charity, it's respect," Caine countered, holding up his hand to prevent her from giving it back. "There's not many who can hold their own against me in a straight up fight like you did. I'm an enhanced human. Fights with me usually end within seconds. Anyone who lasts close to a minute with me and lives gets bragging rights before they have to admit that I owned them. We fought for damn near hours. That alone is going to be the stuff of legends and worthy of my respect and admiration." Then he half shrugged. "That, and I broke the spear that you'd made during the fight, so call it a replacement."

Elayne nodded thoughtfully, taking in his words. Then she used the rod's belt loop to put it onto hers for easy access. She pressed her fist into the palm of her hand and gave him a slight bow. "Thank you, Caine, for this gift of respect. I shall treasure it always."

Caine smiled and nodded to her. "And I'll remember the time that we spent together fondly," he replied. "You're going to have one kick-ass daughter to raise. Train her well. Until we meet next time, Amazon."

"Until next time, Caine," Elayne said and then turned to head out the door, never looking back.

*

It took Elayne a month to walk from the Colorado Coalition to the mid section of the New California Republic where the Los Angeles Hab was at. During that time she missed the period that she'd been expecting ever since being off of the radroot, confirming in her mind that Caine had indeed impregnated her even while it was still in her system. It took her another month to gather enough supplies and materials for her to repair and outfit her own boat to make the final fifty mile voyage across the water to the island and a month after that to actually do the work. By the time she'd sailed across the water and beached her craft on the shores of Catalina Island, she was already starting to show her pregnancy due to her small, lithe frame.

Not surprisingly, her sisters met her on the northern shore of the island with the lookouts probably having seen her hours ago when she appeared on the horizon. She knew that she wouldn't be attacked as part of the Trial of getting back was to sew a small flag that went on the top of her mast to identify her as one of the tribe's women. Her sisters, young and old alike, all welcomed her with open arms and took her right to the village's center in the middle of the island where the matron council awaited her.

Elayne immediately stripped out of her clothes and took the small rod out of her pack. She pressed the button on the side for it to snap open into a spear before she ritually laid it down onto the ground before the matrons while she knelt with her head pressed to the ground. "My sisters, I have returned after being captured by raiders and taken halfway across the continent. I killed my captors with a spear that I have crafted of my own hands and started making my way back home as per our customs," she explained. Then she lifted herself up from her prostration to lift the metal alloy spear up in offering to the council. "While my own spear was destroyed, I was gifted this spear by Caine himself after fighting with him... and sleeping with him... for many hours. So, I present to you; The Spear of Caine." That sent a murmur of shock and wonderment throughout the gathered crowd of sisters.

Matron Kate leaned forward, a sly smile on her face. "So it is true then; you do carry the daughter of Caine within you?"

Elayne rocked back in surprise. "Yes... at least that is what he told me... and I have no reason to believe otherwise as he had gotten me pregnant immediately after I had stopped taking radroot." She blinked at Kate. "How..."

Kate smiled and lifted a hand to silence her. "Caine got word to us through The Huntress. Even though he never got your name he wanted us to know of this, and I quote, 'badass blonde bitch who tried to steal his ride, insisted on fighting him with a spear, and refuses to be submissive to any men anymore after her ordeal.'" Kate and the other matrons all laughed. "The Huntress confirmed that Caine no longer had one of his weapons, this spear, and that he had indeed given it to a woman that he believed was an Amazon on her way home even though she was surprisingly tight-lipped about the whole ordeal. That does sound like you, Elayne." Kate stood up and walked over to Elayne. She closed Elayne's hands around the spear. "Caine has found you worthy of wielding one of his weapons. So, you keep this to serve the tribe with."

Then, Kate helped Elayne to her feet, closing one of her hands around Elayne's so that they could both heft the spear in the air triumphantly. "REJOICE! For one of our daughters has returned a woman! I demand that you recognize her for who she is; an Amazon!"

For the first time in months, Elayne smiled as she basked in the cheers and shrill war cries of her gathered sisters as she was welcomed back home.

Now it was time to go back into the wastes for what she'd left behind.

***

EPILOGUE:

Sometime later, a man and a woman strode up to the gates of Cathedral Town, pounding on the front doors of the outer walls. Two of the Monks there opened the viewing slits in the doors and then their eyes widened as they saw the couple clad in all black from their sunglasses, to their cleric's tunics, to their cargo pants, down to their boots. The man smiled at him. "Hi, I'm Caine, this is The Huntress, perhaps you've heard of us?" he asked cheerfully. "Now... I hear that you've been talking shit about us. So before we unleash a horde of angry Scouts and Amazons down upon you that's currently surrounding your walls, we are going to give you one chance to throw down your arms and surrender so that you can then explain yourselves."

The Monk swallowed hard. "Wh... what are your terms?"

"Unconditional." The Huntress said with a savage, feral smile. "You also had enslaved one of my Sisters and I, for one, take that personally."

THE END...for now.

Elayne's Story will continue in Disciples of Caine 03: The Amazon.