Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves (77 page)

deathat our feet.
“I amnot well,”I said.
He smiled and looked around us with a sigh. “I do not

know, mylove:youmight wellbe the onlysane manhere.” “Have we won?” I looked toward Panama. I could hear
musket and cannonfire.
“We will,” he said sadly. He led me up the hill to where
the wounded had been. There were now a number of graves.
Tenwounded menwere sittingabout watchingus.
“We cango now,”Gastontold them.
They nodded and helped one another to stand. “We

could use those horses,”one ofthe mengrumbled.

 

could use those horses,”one ofthe mengrumbled.

My ire was pricked. The horses had done enough, and these damnbastards would onlyeat them.
Gaston said, “Will, help me with this,” before I could openmymouthto speak.
I helped him with the chest, and we followed the wounded mentoward Panama.
“How many men died?” I asked in French as we passed the graves.
“Twenty-two that I know of; and we willlose more from wounds,”Gastonsaid.
“How manywounded?”
“Dozens, but it was not as bad as it could have been. Of course, the fighting in the city might be worse. But the Spanish seemed routed here.”
“How manyofthemare dead?”
Gastonshrugged. “We estimated around sixhundred.”
“There are over a hundred dead horses inthat field.”
“How manydid yousave?”he asked.
“Twelve. I should have shot themtoo, though. There will be no food here, and our damned brethrenwilljust come and eat them. And I am sure Pomme is dead and some fat bastard ate him. And the only reason no one ate Goliath is because I burned his body!”
“Will?” He sounded calm, and his expression was bemused. “I need your help. I cannot carryyouand the medicine chest… and care for the wounded. I would gladly abandon the medicine if I need to carry you—and tell the wounded to go to

the devil; but that is not a thingI think youwant me to do, is it?”

the devil; but that is not a thingI think youwant me to do, is it?” It was not. I shook myhead, feelinglike a scolded child. “I have saved men today. I would have themcontinue to

live, too,” he added. “If I cannot save men, I will go mad…
too
.”He grinned.

I had to smile. “I am sorry. This would not be a good place for us bothto fall.”
He sighed. “We are never going to war again. I do not care who I have to killto prevent it.”
We reached the edge of the city and a camp of sorts. The badly wounded men who could not walk had been carried here, and new wounded were arriving, though none of the wounds appeared mortal.
Gaston had us set the chest down near this new hospital and then he turned to me with a frown. “Can you stay in one place ofyour ownaccord? Or do youfeelyoumight slip away?”
I knew what he asked. I did not want him to have to bind me, but I truly could not guarantee I would not wander off to help some hapless animal. “It is possible I willgather kittens to further weighdownthe chest.”
He smiled wryly. “This is why I have been saving the drug. And since we do not know what Cudro told Morgan yet…” His grin widened. “Let us say you took another hit on the head. You have so much blood on you, no one will know if it is yours or not.”
He sat me down next to the chest, dosed me with laudanum, pretended to examine my head, and then bandaged it. “Now do not move,”he said.
He had given me a powerful dose, and I felt its pleasant
He had given me a powerful dose, and I felt its pleasant tug. I nodded and smiled at him. “I will be well now—or at least wellenoughnot to trouble youunduly.”
“If you are wellenough, then I amwellenough,” he said. “Now lie downand rest.”
I did, and when I next woke I was staring at Morgan. Everything smelled of smoke. I was in a very large church, lying on a pew that had been pushed against the wall. I could see other wounded men lying on other pews all around me. I supposed it was the new hospital. I did not remember being carried here. I felt guilt that someone had beenso burdened.
Morgan was watching me peer around. He finally asked, “Do youknow where youare?”
“A cathedral. We won.”
He sighed with relief. “Thank God you’re not addled. You seem prone to take blows to the head. You should be carefulofthat.”
I chuckled. “Thank youfor that advice.”
He snorted. “Aye, we won. The city is ours: what’s left of it. The damn Spanish burned it as they fled. They also secreted a great deal of plate and gems from the King’s warehouse—and much of the Church treasure as well. They say they put it on a ship. So now I have to dispatch men to look for it. And more companies of men out to the plantations where the rest of the citizens have fled. We’ll be here as long as Maracaibo.”
“Wonderful,”I said.
“I came to see ifyou were well. I was worried when you did not come to translate.”
did not come to translate.”
“Thank you for your concern. I amnot dead. Nor have I escaped.”
My last was said lightly, but he stiffened as if I had given him a good jab. We frowned at one another as an awkward silence deepened.
Morgan abruptly stood. “Do you feel you will be able to assist withthe translation?”
“Possibly. What willyouneed me to translate?”
“Interrogations, I need to know where they have hidden everything.”
“Nay,”I said simply.
He frowned at me anew.
I shrugged. “I willnot watchmentortured.”
“What the Devilis wrongwithyou?”he asked.
“I am tired of seeing things I do not wish to see. Remember, I did not volunteer for this campaign.”
“I am not responsible for you,” he snarled, and then he

left. I wondered what he meant.

I sat slowly, like a man favoring a head wound, and it was not truly an act. Though my head did not ache, I did feel as if I had suffered a grievous wound. And since my head was bandaged, my mind named that as the seat of the harm, and thus my body moved accordingly with no thought toward artifice on mypart.

I was wounded:Gastonhad bandaged it.

 

I spied himat a cot across the room, examining a man’s bloody, chest bandages. I sat and waited.

 

bloody, chest bandages. I sat and waited.

I was safe.
When Gaston finished with that patient, he looked to me as he stood. He frowned when his eyes found me, presumably because I was now sitting and not stillasleep as he had left me. I smiled and waved, and his shoulders slumped with relief and he grinned as he came to me.
“How are we?”he asked.
I closed my eyes and looked within at what I already felt was there. I stood in a maelstrom. I sighed and met his gaze. “I amcaught ina tempest.”
He nodded his understanding. “We were fortunate; Cudro told Morganyouwere wounded.”
“Morganwas here.”
Gastonsighed. “I saw him. I told himnot to disturb you.”
“I do not know if he did. He was just sitting here when I

woke.”“What did he say?”

 

I told him.

My man sighed and smiled. “We will escape,” he whispered.
“Oui, I have no doubt. So the Spanish burned the city? Was that true?”
Gaston nodded. “They set fire to their homes and other buildings, but not the Church’s or King’s property.”
“How kind of them,” I said. I met his gaze again. “How are you?”
He thought for a time before answering. “I am well. Worried about you, tired of seeing needless bloodshed, and anxious about freeing us from Morgan, but I have firmer footing thanI thought.”
“I did not expect to fall,”I said.
He shook his head with concern and denial, “Non, my love, I do not…”
“Non, non,” I said quickly. “I am not apologizing, or thinking you would ever require that. Non, I am expressing
my
surprise. I truly did not see it coming. I suppose my Horse found…
everything
more taxing than I understood. I have been busyputtingone tired foot infront ofthe other for days now, and hating every minute of it… And, I suppose I should not be surprised.”
He chuckled. “I willprobablyfallnext, so be prepared.”
“Well, as we have discussed before, I will always catch you, evenifI amlyingprone. I willat least softenyour fall. I…”
I stopped, my imagery reminded me too much of the horse we had rescued lying trapped in the mud. I took a deep breathand tried to pushsuchthoughts away.
Gastonwas watchingme closely.
I grimaced. “I think I should avoid horse metaphors for a few days.”
He embraced me. “I will hold you, and if necessary, the Gods willhold me.”

One Hundred and Eleven Wherein We Face Fate

Morgan’s army remained in Panama for nearly a month. Gaston did not fall, and I got my feet under me. We stayed with the wounded and lived in the nave of the cathedral. Due to Spanish caution and buccaneer greed, it had been stripped of any itemthat might have religious significance. Thus, though there was still the thrill of fornicating in a church, I did not feel I was truly troubling any deity by possibly desecrating a place of

worship.We avoided everyone we could, and spent our days

tending the wounded, exercising in an attempt to calm our Horses, and writing. We discovered a cache of parchment and ink, and initially I circulated among the dying transcribing final letters to their loved ones; until I finally decided what we might say to ours. At first I sought to impart to themthe events that led to our being in Panama and how we knew not what would befall us. Then I began to write like a mad fiend about things less tangible but of more value. I filled page after page with the thoughts I might never be able to convey in person to each and every one of my loved ones. Gaston quickly joined me in this endeavor. We told them how we valued their friendship, what they had meant to us, and what we most admired about them. I told myself I did not write as if we might die; but truly, there it

was. Once the letters were written to the adults, we began to

write to the children: attempting to impart the things we would have them know if we were not there to tell them. The two children of my loins who would be born this spring became very realto me as I layona pew and scratched awaybycandlelight. I could not know if I wrote to boys or girls, and I knew it did not matter. I would have the same of them no matter their sex. I would have them be free persons in their hearts and minds. I would have them know the Gods for what They were. I would have themembrace the courage to live and love as they chose. I would have them understand that true happiness was usually a costly but worthwhile endeavor. I would have them know their Horses. I would have them venture forth from the Cave. If I could, I would hold their hands and console themwhen the light oftruthhurt:whenthe waywas steep:whentheyfelt alone.

I wanted very much to live, because words would never suffice. Yet, I would not leave thema craven legacy in the name of my survival no matter what I faced. It would be better they had mywords to hold thana manwho could not live bythem.

Gaston and I had one week ofhope in which Cudro told us of a rumor that there was a company of buccaneers planning on taking one of the Spanish ships and plundering their way up and down the western coast of the Spanish Main and Terra Firma until they had their fill, and then sailing west until they circumnavigated the globe as Drake had done. Of course, Morgan heard of this rumor and quickly had every ship in the harbor sabotaged before Cudro could learn who we needed to approachto jointhem.

We then considered ourselves resigned and committed to Peirrot’s plan; and by the end of our stay, we were merely anxious to return to the ships waiting at San Lorenzo as soon as

possible.Before scuttling them, Morgan had been sending ships

out in search of the elusive treasure galleon. That roving had actually captured several other vessels bearing goods from the Orient and proved quite prosperous. He had also dispatched regular sorties of two hundred men each to comb the surrounding countryside and plantations for prisoners and loot. These missions had also proven lucrative in the end. Still, we did not seem to have the quantity of plate and ready coin everyone had expected. The Spanish had far too long to prepare for our arrival. We learned they had known we were coming since Providence Island.

We departed Panama on February Twenty-Fourth. I was relieved to see that at least one hundred and seventy-five horses and mules survived the buccaneer occupation, for that is how many animals were required to haul away the treasure. Our lengthy column also contained about six hundred prisoners to be ransomed—including women and children. At the beginning of the journey, Morgan informed the prisoners that they had three days to procure the ransom he set on each of them. If they did not, he promised to transport them to Jamaica as slaves. Members of families and sometimes slaves and servants were sent to neighboring towns and out into the plantations to find relatives to pay the ransoms—or, retrieve the final hidden coins and jewelry.

We marched through the mountains for severaldays until we reached the village of Cruz on the River Chagre. Morgan sent for our canoes, and we were quite relieved when they arrived two days later. Bythen, ransommoney, and provisions in lieu of coin, were trickling in. Those prisoners that met their ransom were released, the rest were placed on canoes or marched downriver alongwiththe treasure.

Going down the river proved much easier than coming up it: not only were our canoes now going with the current, but the river had risen a little in the intervening month; and, of most importance, we now had sufficient provisions. It only took two days to bringeverythingto the place where we had left the larger boats fromthe fleet.

Before we were allowed to board them, however, Morgan chose to make an accounting ofallwe had obtained. To that end, he chose to make great show of having every man— including himself—and their belongings searched in order to ascertain that none of us were withholding treasure from our brethren.

The English were surprised: the French were enraged. We were told that any man who did not submit to this indignity would be clapped in irons. There were soon over twelve hundred naked men standing about searching one another’s satchels and bags. Gaston and I complied, of course, and all the while we thanked the Gods we had left our gold—and more importantly, Chris—with Pete. Sadly, when it came our turn to

be searched, we actually had to argue with Morgan’s men about

be searched, we actually had to argue with Morgan’s men about our matching rings. They finally understood that we had not obtained themin Panama, as no Spaniard would have rings with two odd Englishwords inscribed uponthem.