Outlanders

Chapter 28: Landing

At last, land had been sighted. While Zoltána coordinated the passengers above, Leif sat in the lower deck, his tail swishing excitedly. No vote had been taken on what the workers would to when they returned to Textile Town, but he could feel revolution in the air.

"Hello, Leif," came a quiet voice he knew well.

Vladimir approached with Ellis at his side.

"Vlad!" said Leif. "What's the word?"

"We're coming with you," said Ellis.

"Wonderful!"

"We figure that Textile Town will have need of good fighters soon." Ellis added. "We'll be there before the news spreads, so there should be plenty of work for us."

"And you'll choose the right side, I hope?"

Vladimir looked up at Ellis, who gave a firm nod. "We'll side with the workers. If they forget their cause, we'll reconsider. Either way, we won't fight for anything we don't believe in. I've seen what happens when the people who care are outnumbered, and it's not a pretty sight."

"Good for you," said Leif. "I'm so proud of you, Vlad."

"Thank you," said Vladimir. "What do you know about Caldus and Astrapi?"

Leif's excitement ebbed. "They split apart. It was amicable enough, from what I hear, but it's so sad when--"

"No, I mean, will they be coming with us to Textile Town?"

"Oh." Leif shrank into his shoulders. "Right. I don't think they are. They'll stay with each other, for safety's sake, but I think I heard that they won't come to Textile Town."

Vladimir's sharp chin tipped down. "I don't know how I feel about that. Astrapi irritated me, but Caldus was... nice. It was refreshing not to be treated like a freak."

"Well, in that case, I think Textile Town just might agree with you."

"Yes," said Vladimir, his voice faltering. "Of course... because no one there knows me." Unless they check the blacklist.

* * *

The stench of an eager crowd hung thick in the air as the mercenaries thronged out of the ships. People capered and hugged each other, others kissed the ground, one group sang a foreign song, and a few knelt in the sand, crying.

Leif, Zoltána, Vladimir, Ellis, Eva and the children stayed together with paranoid care as people roiled around them, unpacking, meeting with separated friends or simply enjoying the solid ground beneath them. A handful of people recognized Zoltána, but most shouldered past her as merely another obstacle. She ignored them in kind.

"This is mostly bandits," said Leif, watching them. "Where are the workers?"

"They were trending north," said Vladimir.

"I see them," said Zoltána. "This way."

Staying as one group, they clawed through the masses until the warbling hubbub of the crowd gave way to hushed, angry whispers and hoarse cries-- the dialect of Textile Town.

"We are fighters!" someone shouted over the din.

An affirmative cheer rose from the people around him.

"We can fight for our freedom!"

Another cheer rose.

"And we're going to take it back!"

The people around them stirred into an uproar, rattling their weapons and stamping their feet.

"Well," said Zoltána, folding her arms, "that didn't take long."