Anarchist Knight:Apprentice

Tara and Nick were the next to join in the dance. Tara had always been into dance but this was the first time he had seen Nick get into it. Again Tobal was impressed at how the winter had matured Nick. Then he thought of the changes in his own life. He was not the child that had been dropped off at sanctuary almost a year ago. He realized he had been here one year and he still had one more newbie to train. He was not going to beat Rafe's record after all.

Looking around the room he spied Mike and Butch talking with some girls and urging them to dance. They were laughing and having fun. He figured that Mike and Butch were also looking for newbies.

Sarah,Anne, Derdre and Seth were still at the village with Crow. No one had seen them and there was some talk and concern among the clansmen that something was wrong. There were rumors and stories about members of the Elders council being put in jail. As far as Tobal could tell the rumors were about things that had happened last month and nothing new. Wanting to hear something new he looked around for Ellen and Rafe.

He spied Ellen over in a corner talking with Rafe and made a beeline toward them trying not to spill his tankard in the jostling crowd. At least it was warm in here he thought moving past bodies that smelled of wood smoke.

"We can't talk in here", he shouted to Ellen above the drum beat.

She nodded and shouted back, "We are meeting in the brewery in a few minutes."

Tobal nodded and went off to find Melanie, Becca and Nikki to tell them about the meeting. Their robes were still wet but warmer and they put them back on before dashing over to the brewery where they took them back off and found places around the fire to sit. They folded their robes and sat on them on the wooden floor.

Ellen and Rafe welcomed them and Ellen brought everyone up to date on what had been going on with the Council of Elders.

"We tried everything we could think of to contact the city government through the communications and computer systems we have access to". She said. "What happened was we were warned not to make contact with the city and just to mind our own business. The city will contact us when we are ready to become citizens. We are not part of the city yet and have no legal rights until we complete our training and become citizens."

"These messages were prominently displayed on each air sled monitor screen and on the computers at home base. No one even thought to come to us in person to explain or hear our concerns" she said bitterly.

"This did not sit well with the Council of Elders, especially since the arrest and questioning of the five of us that had been sent to the village. We were released but the Council of Elders now realized someone thought they had the power to arrest clansmen anytime they wanted and hold them without cause. They believed this same someone was responsible for the rogue attacks. The council wants to know why these things are happening and if they are happening with the approval of the city."

Ellen looked around the small group. "The final decision was that the same five delegates would journey on air sleds to Sanctuary and then cross the wall into the city. We would find a place with lots of people and set our sleds down and wait for the authorities. We would probably be arrested but the city itself was populated with clansmen. We were counting on that bond of kinsmanship to get a fair hearing."

She grinned, "I was the first to go across the wall and land my air sleds in a central area. The others followed me in. Even before we had landed a crowd of people appeared wondering what was going on. I called out that there was an emergency and one of the citizens nodded and started talking on her cell phone. Several of the others were also on cell phones. It was a matter of minutes before authorities arrived and put us on some type of air transport. We were not arrested or treated as prisoners but we certainly were not given any choice about things either."

"They took us down to the police station where we gave our statements". She laughed, "It was obvious that the persons involved wanted no part of this and were way over their heads. They passed us on to the mayor who listened and then called an emergency session of the City Council. This was against the strong opposition of someone wearing a federation military uniform. I gathered this uniformed person was the representative of the mountain complex and the ones that had arrested us."

"I was elected the spokesperson for our group", she told them, "and with grim determination I faced the City Council and told our story of being arrested and questioned, about the massacre at the lake and the mass grave, how it was a forbidden area. I told them about the rogue attacks that were centered around the lake itself and the attempt to make it seem the village was responsible for those attacks. Then I told them that was impossible because the rogues have some way of tracking anyone that has med-alert bracelets and are able to hide in a way that the villagers can't. I told them of the rumors the city was going to lead an attack on the village. Several members of the City Council looked at each other quickly and at least a couple had red faces."

"They weren’t the only ones", she continued. "I could see the man in uniform getting redder and redder and angrier and angrier. I spoke about Crow who had grown up in the village and now wanted to become a citizen. How his concern for the safety of his village was the reason that led him to make the journey back with four of his friends. The entire group is still within monitor range of our air sleds and they can visit the village according to our own Council of Elders."

"I told them how we were suddenly alerted that the village was forbidden and that we needed to keep Crow and his friends from going there. That was not right. I faced the City Council and told them Crow was technically a citizen of the village and had every right to be there. He could also bring friends if he chose to do so. Then I mentioned how the air sleds went back to the base and were severely reprimanded and ordered back out to bring Crow and his friends back by force."

"The City Council was pretty quiet by then", Ellen said. "They listened as I told them of the confrontation between Howling Wolf and the other villagers that offered to protect Crow and the others. I told them how I was there and that pressing the issue then could have resulted in injury or death to innocent people. At the mention of Howling Wolf I saw several council members glance at each other and take stronger notice in what I was saying." She chuckled, "I took advantage of that interest and told how the Council of Elders decided to send a delegation to talk with Howling Wolf and find out the truth of things for themselves."

"I then described the weaponed strike force I had seen waiting by an air transport back at the mountain complex when we returned and how we five members of the Council of Elders had been immediately arrested and held for an entire week without being told why. The man in uniform was a pasty white by now and struggling for composure. I told them how we tried every possible way to make contact with the city itself. We needed to see if the City was aware of these things and if it supported them. I told how the Council of Elders had tried all ways possible to reach the city but been blocked and told it was forbidden. That is why in a last ditch effort we chose to fly a delegation over the city walls and speak with the city officials directly."

"They didn't know what to think or say", she chuckled. "There was a dead silence as the City Council looked toward the man in uniform and waited for his response. He was clearly uncomfortable and said that he was not prepared to respond to these allegations and needed to consult with his superiors."

Anarchist World Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!

Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?

Anarchistic Knights-a serialadventure is a fiction story based upon survivalism values and principles. Survivalism is not fiction! It is real and the challenges we face in today's world require self empowerment training.

OAK:Foundations-a serialadventure gives the basics for modern survivalism and self empowerment techniques. Empower yourself today!

OAK:Tarot of Love and Romance is about the energy dynamics of love and human relationships. Why love sparks and why it sometimes dies. Can any of us really survive without love?

OAK:Magister Templi shows how modern science and chaos theory are compatable with advanced metaphysical concepts. Science is not in conflict with paranormal and supernatural activity.

OAK:Magick,Mystery and Madness is my own personal book of shadows. If you are interested in magick and energy work this is the place!

Alligator Alley:Modern Survivalism places the ancient knowledge of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons into modern context. Universal truths can be restated many ways but remain valid.

Today's suggested survivalism site is:

Visit DragonDoor and discover the latest in non-traditional health and fitness items!

Anarchistic Knights Technorati Tags : adventure, books, books on line, ebooks, outdoors, fantasy, sci-fi, teens, science fiction, fiction, survivalism

Tobal proclaimed Tyrone ready to solo at circle and the elders approved. Melanie, Nikki and Becca brought newbies to be initiated.

It was raining and miserable outside. The good news was the snow was disappearing really fast. The gathering spot was a mess of slush and mud puddles. Sheets of the gray material were placed as canopies over the smaller fires so they didn't go out. The bonfire appeared to be holding its own as the circle and initiations were held but didn't seem to put out as much heat as usual.

Most clan members sat under rain shedding canopies that kept most of the rain off. Even wet the robes retained body heat as long as it wasn't continually washed away by fresh water. It was not comfortable but it was bearable and did put one in touch with the elements in a very direct way. Most of the clansmen were so accustomed to being out in the weather that being wet was a minor discomfort to them.

Tobal almost felt sorry for Angel and the High Priest as they dropped their robes and stood in the chill rain invoking the Lord and Lady. Angel and the High Priest gave no indication they were even aware of the bone chilling rain and proceeded normally through the ritual. Tobal did notice they put their robes back on after invoking the Lord and Lady and both remained close to the fire for a while. It helped reassure him that they were human like he was.

He also noticed the Lord and Lady seemed more real and tangible to him although they remained in their stations above the central fire. He had been continuing the meditations and exercises Crow had taught and they were increasing his ability to feel connected to the Lord and Lady. He still thought of them as his father and mother. How that could be he had no idea. He only knew it was the truth. He felt it deep within his core.

This was not the God and Goddess appearing at circle during rituals and initiations but the spirits of his parents still alive,well and aware of him even though they did not seem to have anything to say to him. He did feel their love and support and wished he could talk with them or reach out and hold them. Their images had become sharper and he could see his father carried the same dagger that was sheathed and strapped above his own ankle and his mother had the same necklace of amber and jet he wore around his neck. This realization brought tears to his eyes and he wondered how such things could be. It was always at circle that he could feel their presence the most strongly.

It was the celebration for the Spring Equinox and there were plenty of high spirits in spite of the poor weather. In fact, there was a lot of excitement about the rain taking the snow away. The main topic people were talking about was getting started training again as soon as the weather broke.

After circle the party was taken inside and wet robes exchanged for dry tunics or furs or simply let to dry in front of the fire as their owners casually remained nude by the fire drinking beer and joking. It seemed the big thing that night was to share tattoos and stories about tattoos. It was warm in the building and there was no wind to cause discomfort.

Tobal and Becca had both draped their wet robes for drying in front of the fire along with the others and were trying to thaw out a bit. The blazing fire felt warm and neither one had a burning desire to put on a wet robe and run out into the rain to the shelter where the rest of their dry clothing was waiting. Tobal had even less desire to run out there naked. He didn't think Becca would either. In the end he resolved to simply do what many of the others had also decided, not worry about it. With that in mind he pushed through the crowd to the bar for a tankard of beer for both of them. Getting two foaming tankards of beer he shouldered his way through the crowd of naked and semi naked bodies back to where Becca was waiting.

Zee and Kevin saw them and called them over. They were in good spirits and wanting to talk.

Kevin had his arm around Zee. He lifted his tankard as they approached.

"To newbies", he said.

"To newbies", Becca, Tobal and Zee laughed and all four touched their tankards together.

"I take it that you guys are heading for Sanctuary", Becca chuckled.

"As soon as this weather breaks", Zee told her.

"How are you guys getting along this winter?" Becca asked.

"Thank Goddess for the monthly circles", Zee giggled. "We've been driving each other nuts." She gave Kevin a kiss and said, "But it's good practice for next winter."

"You’re going to partner together next winter!", Becca was delighted and jumped up and down. "I'm so happy for both of you!"

"You're not doing so bad yourself", Kevin teased her.

"But Tobal's never around when I need him. I might need to sleep with you guys tonight."

"What!"

"I'm leaving tonight", Tobal said suddenly. "Not even my love for Becca can keep me from my sixth newbie."

Becca pouted and they all laughed.

"You're going to get plenty wet", Kevin told him.

"He's always a wet blanket anyway. Doesn't know how to have any fun", Becca quipped and grinned giving him a kiss. "I'm just lucky I've got someone to train this month yet. Other wise I'd get lonely. It sounds like there are a lot of people heading for Sanctuary as soon as the weather clears."

Zee and Kevin looked at each other speculatively. "We might have to rethink our strategy", Kevin said.

He and Zee moved off to talk and Tobal knew they were seriously considering what he had said.

The drums started and a place was cleared in the center of the room for the dancers. The first out were Wayne and Char dancing together. It seemed they might be getting back together again. Tobal hoped they would take time to train some newbies so they could advance and move on but that was entirely up to them. It was good to see them back together again though and his thoughts flashed to Melanie and Becca. She had left with Melanie. They had tried getting him to dance but he didn't really feel like it tonight knowing how long it was going to be.

The girls were dancing together in the middle of the floor having a good time. It was good to see them having fun together again. Melanie made him laugh and feel good but Becca made something quiver deep in his belly that made him feel self conscious and awkward. It was a vulnerable feeling and he didn't really care to feel so vulnerable.

Anarchist World Live! Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!

Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?

Anarchistic Knights-a serialadventure is a fiction story based upon survivalism values and principles. Survivalism is not fiction! It is real and the challenges we face in today's world require self empowerment training.

OAK:Foundations-a serialadventure gives the basics for modern survivalism and self empowerment techniques. Empower yourself today!

OAK:Tarot of Love and Romance is about the energy dynamics of love and human relationships. Why love sparks and why it sometimes dies. Can any of us really survive without love?

OAK:Magister Templi shows how modern science and chaos theory are compatable with advanced metaphysical concepts. Science is not in conflict with paranormal and supernatural activity.

OAK:Magick,Mystery and Madness is my own personal book of shadows. If you are interested in magick and energy work this is the place!

Alligator Alley:Modern Survivalism places the ancient knowledge of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons into modern context. Universal truths can be restated many ways but remain valid.

Today's suggested survivalism site is:

Visit DragonDoor and discover the latest in non-traditional health and fitness items!

Anarchistic Knights Technorati Tags : adventure, books, books on line, ebooks, outdoors, fantasy, sci-fi, teens, science fiction, fiction, survivalism

"I love you", he whispered.

"I love you too", she whispered back and they both fell asleep.

The next morning it was hard to say goodbye to Becca and head out into the wilderness with Tyrone. His feelings were still a mix of confused emotions he needed to sort out. Tye sensed his mood and tried cheering him up as they treked through the snow. Mostly they talked about women.

The second month with Tyrone went fast and the last of February had the warm promise of spring making everyone restless. The first part of March had them snowed in with what they hoped was the last winter storm of the season. It was a big storm making drifts well over their heads in some areas. In camp they had to break out of their shelter and dig their way up to the surface. The weather continued to be mild after that with some melting during the day and freezing during the nights.

Tyrone was a natural in the mountains and finished his training with no real problems. He spent time in the evenings showing Tobal how to make a fiddle for himself and gave him basic instructions on how to play on the one he had made during the last month. It was Tyrone's time to laugh as the wolves howled when Tobal began his practice with the borrowed fiddle and bow.

It was the last day of training and they were heading back toward the gathering spot. Tobal was trying to work on his own fiddle and not getting it right. That was when Tryone handed him the fiddle he had made.

"Here", he said. "Keep this one. It's yours. You'll never be able to make a good enough one to play and I can always make another one."

Tobal was touched. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely", Tyrone said. "You've been good to me and it's the least I can do. Keep playing and you'll get better."

Anarchist World Live Join the Revolution today! On online RSS community for free men and free women. Todays source for modern survivalism! Let Freedom Ring!

Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?

Anarchistic Knights-a serialadventure is a fiction story based upon survivalism values and principles. Survivalism is not fiction! It is real and the challenges we face in today's world require self empowerment training.

OAK:Foundations-a serialadventure gives the basics for modern survivalism and self empowerment techniques. Empower yourself today!

OAK:Tarot of Love and Romance is about the energy dynamics of love and human relationships. Why love sparks and why it sometimes dies. Can any of us really survive without love?

OAK:Magister Templi shows how modern science and chaos theory are compatable with advanced metaphysical concepts. Science is not in conflict with paranormal and supernatural activity.

OAK:Magick,Mystery and Madness is my own personal book of shadows. If you are interested in magick and energy work this is the place!

Alligator Alley:Modern Survivalism places the ancient knowledge of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons into modern context. Universal truths can be restated many ways but remain valid.

Today's suggested survivalism site is:

Visit DragonDoor and discover the latest in non-traditional health and fitness items!

Anarchistic Knights Technorati Tags : adventure, books, books on line, ebooks, outdoors, fantasy, sci-fi, teens, science fiction, fiction, survivalism

There was a chill silence in the group as her words sunk in. Then she continued.

"Right now we are monitoring the group and everyone is fine. I do hope someone comes back soon to prove they are not prisoners there. If no one comes back this month I will go there myself even though it is against orders" she declared. "Our current orders are to monitor the five clansmen but to stay away from the village itself. It is a tense situation at the base and we are all under severe reprimand for failing to carry out orders."

"This is causing resentment and revolt among us because we are supposed to be self governing with our Circle of Elders. We don't take orders from anyone else. The Council of Elders is not used to being told what it must do and what it must not do. Whoever was giving those orders gave them directly through our air sled terminals and the Council of Elders didn't know about it until it was too late."

Ellen continued, "The Council of Elders started asking questions and it was then that I, as a member of the circle of Elders came forward. I told the rest of the Elders what I had learned about Tobal's father and mother being responsible for the Sanctuary Program and also about the former military involvement. I told about the deaths of Ron and Rachel Kane and the massacre at the gathering spot with the mass grave."

She paused and cleared her throat. "I also mentioned Crow's parents had been buried there and possibly Sarah's mother. Then I told them Crow's grandfather, Howling Wolf, had built the cairn and knew the story behind it if they had more questions."

"I went on to tell about the increasing raids by rogues and how they were being blamed on the village. I explained how that was not possible because the rogue attacks were centered around the lake and not anywhere near the village itself. Then I told them about my patrols these past three months and how the rogues seem to know if anyone with a med-alert bracelet is around, even on an air sled. They always know far enough in advance that they are able to hide out of sight before I could get there. Even in the winter they left tracks in the snow but there were hardly any sitings by any of us and that was strange given so many tracks. Then I mentioned whenever I tried for a closer look at some of those tracks the dispatcher always radioed me with new orders."

"The entire Council of Elders was really listening to me by then", she said, " I really had their attention. I expressed my conviction that the rogues couldn't be villagers because the villagers didn't have any technology. The I reminded them of the rumors that the city was planning to take military action against the village because of these same rogue attacks. Something was not right. I told how Crow had found out about it and gone back to his village to warn them of a possible attack and massacre like what had happened at the lake. The Elders looked sharply at each other and there was electricity in the chamber. The Council of Elders was silent for a long time after I stopped speaking. Then it seemed everyone was trying to talk at once."

"That was the day after Crow reached the village", she said. "After many questions and long deliberations the Council of Elders decided to send it's own delegation to the village and determine for itself the true nature of the situation. I went along because of what I knew and four others were selected. We left immediately before anyone could stop us."

"We made our way to the village and were surprised that they were expecting us. We were given a royal welcome and had the opportunity to question all five of the group members who were in fine health and planning to stay for at least another month. I tried to talk with Howling Wolf privately but he brushed me aside saying it was not time yet for us to talk. He would contact us later at a better time. We stayed for two days asking questions about the rogues. The villagers told us they also suffered from rogue attacks that were getting more frequent and violent. They told us there was a rumor the Clansmen were responsible. Because of this there was a growing resentment toward the Clansmen. The villagers were relieved when Crow told them we were innocent."

"Still the question remained, who was responsible for the growing rogue attacks? It was that dark thought we took back with us the next day to our base camp. We just got home when we were arrested and interrogated. We were held an entire week before we were released."

A murmur of disbelief went around the room and she continued bitterly. "We don't even know who we were held by except that they held us captives in our own base in the mountain. Who ever runs the mountain complex is really angry at us. The good news", she smiled. "Is that the village is probably going to be safe for the time being. Too many of us know the truth about it and they can't be blamed any more for the rogue attacks."

"When we were finally released we made our report to the Council of Elders. To say that the Council of Elders was pretty shook up was an understatement."

She laughed, "I've never seen them so furious. Masters or medics serve no longer than three years before becoming citizens so the Elders are actually pretty young and none of us had ever heard of such blatant interference into our own affairs. We are going to make a formal complaint to the city itself as soon as we figure out how to get in contact. It appears there are no known channels to contact the city or the city government. Inquiries of the medical staff at the emergency room in the hospital produced no solutions."

"The Council of Elders established a committee to research the issue and report back next month with available options. That was how it was left. It seems a very big can of worms has been opened and there is no ready solution."

Ellen looked around at the group and shrugged. "That's about it for now until next month."

Tobal was thinking heavily about the meeting later that night. Finally shrugging it aside he and Becca made their way to the beer barrel. Dirk and Rafe were no longer there and had been assigned hunting duty providing meat for the gathering. Dirk was hanging out there talking with the two Journeymen that now had the duty. He saw them and came over and gave Becca and kiss and a hug and lifted his tankard toward Tobal.

"Guess what?", he beamed. "I've got my sixth chevron and get my Master initiation in two weeks."

"That's great!", Tobal pounded him on the back and joked. "You've certainly taken enough beatings for it."

"Maybe you can give me a ride on your air sled", Becca teased moving over and hugging him instead of Tobal.

Dirk laughed, "See how to get the girls?" He turned to Becca, "You just wait, I'll give you a ride."

"Promise", she chirped.

"Promise."

"Hey, I forgot to ask Rafe how he did this month." Tobal said.

Dirk shook his head sadly. "Nope, he didn't make it yet. He's bound to one of these days though. He's grown six inches in the last year and gained twenty pounds. It's got to be hard when you start so young like he is. He's smarter than all of us but he's still a kid."

Tobal and Becca excused themselves and did some dancing at the drum circle and chatted with some more friends before heading off to sleep in one of the teepees. As he was falling asleep Tobal reflected how right it felt to lie with his arms around Becca. He turned and kissed her one last time.

Anarchist World Join the Revolution today! Visit a great web community of free men and free women. This is where hell freezes over!

Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?

Anarchistic Knights-a serialadventure is a fiction story based upon survivalism values and principles. Survivalism is not fiction! It is real and the challenges we face in today's world require self empowerment training.

OAK:Foundations-a serialadventure gives the basics for modern survivalism and self empowerment techniques. Empower yourself today!

OAK:Tarot of Love and Romance is about the energy dynamics of love and human relationships. Why love sparks and why it sometimes dies. Can any of us really survive without love?

OAK:Magister Templi shows how modern science and chaos theory are compatable with advanced metaphysical concepts. Science is not in conflict with paranormal and supernatural activity.

OAK:Magick,Mystery and Madness is my own personal book of shadows. If you are interested in magick and energy work this is the place!

Alligator Alley:Modern Survivalism places the ancient knowledge of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons into modern context. Universal truths can be restated many ways but remain valid.

Today's suggested survivalism site is:

Visit DragonDoor and discover the latest in non-traditional health and fitness items!

Anarchistic Knights Technorati Tags : adventure, books, books on line, ebooks, outdoors, fantasy, sci-fi, teens, science fiction, fiction, survivalism

They were still talking about Wayne and Char when Tara and Nick showed up. Tara ran off looking for some friends leaving Nick to set up their shelter. Tobal, Kevin and Zee walked over and offered to help. Together they set the teepee up and worked in silence.

No one seemed to have much to share but it felt good anyway almost like old times. Tobal hadn't spent much time with Nick since he had trained him.

"You going to start training newbies soon?" He asked.

"Been thinking about it", Nick replied. "I just realized I could be stuck out here a really long time unless I start training people."

"That's funny", Zee replied. "We were just talking about that. How are you and Tara getting along?"

Nick mumbled something about "women" and the rest of them laughed.

"The winter gets pretty long sometimes", Kevin grinned and then kissed Zee hurriedly.

Zee just grinned and patted him on the butt. "Nick and Tara have had two more months of each other than we have. Maybe we should spend two more months together?"

"Goddess forbid", Kevin said feelingly and they both chuckled.

Tobal looked at the pair. They enjoyed each others company in a quiet way and enjoyed being away from each other too. He hoped it would work something like that for him and Becca.

Mike and Butch showed up about that time grumbling about girls. Tobal at last felt like he understood Mike and Butch. They were like brothers and his past month training and living with Tyrone had given him a taste of what that must be like. In a way he envied them for the fun they seemed to be having. Still, he had spent too much time alone and had learned to like it. Some company was good, too much drove him crazy. It seemed just about right to teach a newbie and then socialize at circle a bit. He remembered what Nick had said. He wasn't planning on spending the rest of his life in the woods either and neither was Becca.

There were three initiations, Tyrone's and two other newbies. They would all continue training next month.

At circle he sat next to Melanie and Becca after giving them each a hug and a kiss. To his surprise they moved apart and made room for him between them. They seemed glad to see him but were both moody and a bit irritable. He tried some light banter but it didn't work at all.

For the first time he wondered if they were both getting their periods. The more he thought about it and the monthly circles made him so curious he finally had to ask.

"I've heard that women living in nature tend to have their periods around the full moon. Is that true?" He asked curiously.

Both girls broke out laughing.

" Yes, it is common knowledge just about all the women in camp are having their periods at circle time", Becca told him. "The good news is they rarely last over three days and while uncomfortable they are not debilitating."

"I think it helps to live this rugged outdoors lifestyle and be in good health", Melanie suggested.

"Poor Butch and Mike", he shook his head mournfully.

That was too much and both girls burst out laughing. The ice was broken and everyone was laughing and in high spirits again. They continued watching the initiations and laughed as Tobal told Tyrone's story about thinking he was going to Minneapolis and ending up at Sanctuary instead. They were looking forward to seeing him later after the circle.

Angel was training for the initiations as Misty watched and prompted her. Tobal thought she had done a pretty good job and intended to tell her so later at the party. After circle Ellen sat with Rafe, Melanie, Nikki , Becca and him. Everyone wanted to hear about Crow and and the trip to the village. No one had heard anything and they had not come back like they said they were planning to.

Ellen took up the story. "No one really noticed or suspected that the five people were heading toward the village until they were about half way there which was about one hundred miles out. It"s not uncommon to be that far from the gathering spot", she said. "but it is a bit unusual for five people in a group to be headed that way."

"The other medics were speculating about it over the radio and while all the medics knew about the village no one had ever been there or known of anyone to go there. No one even guessed that was where they were heading. The next day a message came down to the medics that the village was a forbidden area and the medics needed to prevent the party from reaching it." Ellen got a little embarassed, "I pretended ignorance and let some of the other medics deal with it", she said. "I kept away from the area and patrolled down by the lake like I normally do."

"When I came back the other medics were in an uproar. It seemed the leader of the group, Crow, had grown up in the village and knew all the people that lived there. He was a citizen of the village and had every right to be there and to bring friends there if he chose. One of the medics did a hasty check of his medical records and they did indeed prove he had grown up in the village and had a right to go there. Not knowing what else to do and fearing a mass confrontation the medics had allowed the group to continue on toward the village."

Ellen suddenly was more serious, "Back at the base the medics really got in trouble for refusing to follow orders and an immediate search went out to locate the group and subdue them by force if needed. I went along with them", she said grimly, "to make sure I would be a witness to anything that happened. By then it was nightfall and we arrived at the group"s camp only to find ten villagers there that had come out to meet Crow and his group. Somehow they had known Crow was coming. We were taken by surprise because none of the villages wore med-alert bracelets so we were not expecting them."

"The leader of the villagers was Howling Wolf, Crow's grandfather. When we insisted that Crow and the others return with us by force if necessary Howling Wolf and his followers made it plain that Crow's group were honored guests in the village and that he would take personal responsibility for their safety. He also said that he and his men would fight to protect them if needed."

"Things were pretty serious at that point", Ellen continued. "None of us were prepared for that kind of confrontation and we were forced to return back to base without them. When I was bringing my air sled back I noticed a formation of around fifty black uniformed soldiers with weapons standing near an air transport at the landing strip. I stayed to watch and after a half hour the soldiers went back inside the mountain and the air transport left without them". She paused and looked around the group. "I believe the soldiers were going to attack the village on the pretext of bringing the group back. It was only the involvement of so many of us medics that prevented the attack from happening."

Anarchist World Live Join the Revolution today! An online rss community for free men and free women. Todays source for modern survivalism. Let freedom ring!

Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?

Anarchistic Knights-a serialadventure is a fiction story based upon survivalism values and principles. Survivalism is not fiction! It is real and the challenges we face in today's world require self empowerment training.

OAK:Foundations-a serialadventure gives the basics for modern survivalism and self empowerment techniques. Empower yourself today!

OAK:Tarot of Love and Romance is about the energy dynamics of love and human relationships. Why love sparks and why it sometimes dies. Can any of us really survive without love?

OAK:Magister Templi shows how modern science and chaos theory are compatable with advanced metaphysical concepts. Science is not in conflict with paranormal and supernatural activity.

OAK:Magick,Mystery and Madness is my own personal book of shadows. If you are interested in magick and energy work this is the place!

Alligator Alley:Modern Survivalism places the ancient knowledge of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons into modern context. Universal truths can be restated many ways but remain valid.

Today's suggested survivalism site is:

Reach your ultimate physical potential with Power to the People! by Pavel Tsatsouline - A book about Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American-buy now

Anarchistic Knights Technorati Tags : adventure, books, books on line, ebooks, outdoors, fantasy, sci-fi, teens, science fiction, fiction, survivalism

Late February came around as Tobal and Tyrone snowshoed their way to the gathering spot. He dropped Tyrone off with the guards to be prepared for his initiation. There were going to be three initiations that night.

Nikki had proclaimed her newbie, Bran, as ready to solo and he along with Loki and Cheryl had been examined and approved to solo by the elders. Nikki was ecstatic because the winter training had gone pretty well. She was looking forward to training her next newbie.

"Hey Tobal", she asked, "Think I can get my six trained by mid summer? This winter training isn't really that bad."

"That might be cutting it kind of close", he considered, "but go for it. I'm hoping to get mine done by May if I can."

"By May?"

"Yeah, when the weather gets warmer I can speed the training up a bit. Or at least I hope I can. Next month will be one year for me. Rafe was finished in one year. I thought I could too but I don't think I will be able to."

"It's more important to do a good job and teach properly than get done quickly", she said.

He nodded, "I did need to spend some extra time before winter with Melanie and Sarah. I will just see how the last one goes."

"See you later at circle?"

"Sure", I'll probably be with Becca if I can find her."

He waved and headed for the food area. A quick lunch seemed in order and then helping out with some of the shelters. There were a lot more people this month and the weather was milder even though the snow was deeper.

There were some minor frostbite cases for the medics to treat but not as many as last month. It seemed people were learning they had to be careful. On the down side one of the clansmen had fallen through the ice on one of the creeks. He had managed to get out but not been able to get a fire going. He had frozen to death before the medics got to him. There were more medics at camp. They were going to have a memorial service. Angel had had found him and been unable to help. It was already too late.

The incident served to remind everyone just how fragile and dangerous it really was in the wilderness even with all the safeguards that were in place. The death put a damper on things and people were quiet.

He saw Ben and hurried over to greet him.

"Hey, congrats on the solo", he said. "How did it go?"

"It went well actually", Ben replied. "I was really surprised. I got lucky and found some deer herded up on the way to my camp area. I shot a nice buck with the bow and towed it on my sled to camp. Then later since I already knew where they were herded up I went there and got another. No real problems."

"How about wood", Tobal asked with a grin.

"Wood sucks", Ben admitted. "Getting firewood without a decent axe or saw is frustrating and difficult. Just about all you can use are branches unless you take the trouble of splitting the logs with wedges. Plus you need bigger logs to hold the fire. I ended up cutting some logs, splitting them and then cutting them again for length. I about wore out my stone axe."

"Did Sarah make it back yet from the village?" Tobal asked.

"Haven't seen her", Ben replied. "I was really hoping to ask her about some things."

"I know she really wanted to be here when you came back. If you have any questions ask me ok?"

"I would appreciate that", Ben replied sincerely. "I'm thinking about setting up my new base camp this month and was hoping for some ideas."

They talked about that for awhile and when Tobal left Ben was feeling pretty good. Ben was a good quiet kid that was growing to be quite a man. Nothing really flashy but there was a lot of substance and Tobal instinctively liked him and trusted him. He had been the perfect choice for Sarah to train as her first newbie. To bad she wasn't here.

He saw Zee and Kevin setting up a Teepee and went over to help them.

"I see you guys are still together", he joked.

Zee spoke up first. "We want to start training again next month but need to fix up Kevin's base camp first. He's been staying at mine these past few months so now we are going to stay at his and see if it is still there. You never know with all this rogue stuff that people are talking about."

"I heard you had a base camp destroyed", Kevin said curiously.

"That was back last summer", Tobal said. "I found a real hard to find place for my second base camp. Haven't had any trouble with that one. It seems like they bother people around the lake the most."

"Oh, then my camp should be fine", Kevin said relieved. "I'm to the north east of here. That's not anywhere close to the lake. Where's Becca?" He asked, "I hear you guys are together now."

"Haven't seen her yet", Tobal said. "We won't really be together till we are both Journeymen. Have to get through this newbie training stuff first. Don't want to be stuck here forever like Wayne and Char."

"I saw Wayne and Char talking together just a bit ago", Zee said. "I think they are going to get back together again."

"Well, I hope they train some newbies this year", Tobal said. "Char really wants to move on and live a more normal life and have a family."

"Char and Wayne are talking and hanging out but they are both going to keep training newbies. At least that's what Char tells me." Zee added.

Anarchist World Live! Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!

Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?

Anarchistic Knights-a serialadventure is a fiction story based upon survivalism values and principles. Survivalism is not fiction! It is real and the challenges we face in today's world require self empowerment training.

OAK:Foundations-a serialadventure gives the basics for modern survivalism and self empowerment techniques. Empower yourself today!

OAK:Tarot of Love and Romance is about the energy dynamics of love and human relationships. Why love sparks and why it sometimes dies. Can any of us really survive without love?

OAK:Magister Templi shows how modern science and chaos theory are compatable with advanced metaphysical concepts. Science is not in conflict with paranormal and supernatural activity.

OAK:Magick,Mystery and Madness is my own personal book of shadows. If you are interested in magick and energy work this is the place!

Alligator Alley:Modern Survivalism places the ancient knowledge of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons into modern context. Universal truths can be restated many ways but remain valid.

Today's suggested survivalism site is:

Reach your ultimate physical potential with Power to the People! by Pavel Tsatsouline - A book about Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American-buy now

Anarchistic Knights Technorati Tags : adventure, books, books on line, ebooks, outdoors, fantasy, sci-fi, teens, science fiction, fiction, survivalism

Rafe ducked a playful fist that Dirk threw at him.

"Now we get to see who the best man is. We've got a bet going on who is going to get their sixth chevron first."

"You still fighting the girls", Becca kidded, "or have you gotten to the big boys yet?"

Dirk got a little red but Rafe took it in stride. "I don't have to worry about it. Everyone is still challenging me. I haven't gotten to challenge anyone yet."

He grinned at Becca, "I would challenge you if you hurry up and train some more newbies."

She grinned back. "Perhaps we can always arrange something unofficial."

This was a side to Becca that Tobal hadn't really seen before and it interested him and disturbed him at the same time. They filled their mugs and rejoined the crowd. There was a drum circle forming and the sound was deafening in the small building.

Tobal and Becca slept together that night. They cuddled for a long time and shared stories about things they had done and things they wanted to do. The energy between them was different and when Tobal asked about having sex Becca murmured "not tonight. All I really want to do is just hold you and sleep with you."

With that cryptic answer circling in his brain they kissed, embraced and fell asleep entwined in each other.

The next morning was bright and cold and there were sun dogs circling the sun promising even colder weather. They joined their friends for breakfast and soon Becca was on her way to base camp to continue training with Loki, her third newbie and Tobal set out on the trail toward sanctuary.

As he snow shoed toward Sanctuary and pulled his sled he wondered at the strangeness of how things had been with him and Becca last night. He had certainly not been prepared for it and didn't really understand it. It seemed things had been all right but then again it seemed there had been something wrong. He hoped she hadn't changed her mind. Perhaps she was sleeping with Loki, the newbie, she was training. He instantly crushed that thought. He knew it was not true, but he just didn't understand and because he didn't understand he felt a little hurt. He had been expecting something like last month and it had not happened.

As he neared Sanctuary his thoughts turned to the subject at hand. He now had four chevrons with only two more before he was eligible for the Journeyman degree. As he headed toward santuary he felt kind of strange because Sarah had really been the last person he had trained and that had been in September and October. He didn't really count Crow since Crow had taught him much more than he had taught Crow. That meant he hadn't been doing much training in four months and he was determined to get going on it again. He wanted to get this training over with and be partnered with Becca more permanently if she was still interested.

He thought of the ways he had changed in the past years and the things he had done. He had gained a reputation as a very good trainer. None of his students had any trouble soloing and their students didn't seem to have much trouble either. At gathering and circle people came to him with questions on the best way to do things. His opinion was respected. He was also gaining a reputation as someone that kept to themselves and was hard to get to know. His closest friends continued to be Rafe, Crow,Ellen, Sarah, Melanie and now of course Becca. People liked him, his friends liked him, he was companionable but in a quiet sort of way. He didn't have anything to prove and he didn't show off. He was just comfortable and at ease with the situation, any situation. People respected that.

Tyrone was Tobal's fifth trainee and the month of late January and early February went by fairly fast and uneventfully. Tyrone was a tall, wiry farm boy from the appalachian mountains of all places, a real honest to God hillbilly complete with a Southern Accent and an engaging smile that would drive the girls wild at circle. The training came easy to him since he was already an accomplished hunter and trapper.

The nights were long and Tyrone spent many evenings carving a fiddle and then practicing with it. He had learned the skill from his grandfather back home and Tobal watched in fascination at the precision with which the fiddle was created piece by piece and then lashed together and sealed with pitch. He had never seen anything like it and was appalled at the terrible noise it made until he got used to it.

He used to laugh when Tyrone would pull out the fiddle and start to play because the wolves would start howling to keep company. All in all Tyrone was good company and the month went rapidly. Tyrone was a natural story teller and knew how to make people laugh and Tobal laughed often. Tyrone was like the brother Tobal had always wanted.

Once Tobal asked him how he had heard of Heliopolis way in hillbilly country and Tye had thrown back his head and laughed and laughed. He stretched his long legs and shrugged.

"I never heard of it before", he admitted. "I was trying for a city named Minneapolis and got my ticket wrong. My head never was that good with names. I knew it was cold there and didn't give it much thought until we had to start hunting our own meat and making our own clothes. It was so much like back home that I figured something was wrong but thought I'd study on it for awhile."

Tobal had been drinking tea and it exploded from his mouth and nose as he doubled up in laughter.

"Stop, You’re killing me", he waved weakly at Tyrone who was doubled over laughing too.

There were melancholy times when Tobal thought back over the past year and how much he had changed. He was more resourceful and inclined to do things by himself or on his own. He didn't care much about what other people thought. He had learned to judge people not by their appearances, but by what they did and even as important by what they didn't do.

Almost inspite of himself he found his feelings about Becca were deepening. She down played what she did and seemed to have a quiet competence that went unremarked. She had just a hint of melancholy that matched his own. There was an emotion in his heart that stirred and sang when he was around her. As spring drew closer he found himself thinking about her more and he knew he was in love.

Anarchist World Live! Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!

Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?

Anarchistic Knights-a serialadventure is a fiction story based upon survivalism values and principles. Survivalism is not fiction! It is real and the challenges we face in today's world require self empowerment training.

OAK:Foundations-a serialadventure gives the basics for modern survivalism and self empowerment techniques. Empower yourself today!

OAK:Tarot of Love and Romance is about the energy dynamics of love and human relationships. Why love sparks and why it sometimes dies. Can any of us really survive without love?

OAK:Magister Templi shows how modern science and chaos theory are compatable with advanced metaphysical concepts. Science is not in conflict with paranormal and supernatural activity.

OAK:Magick,Mystery and Madness is my own personal book of shadows. If you are interested in magick and energy work this is the place!

Alligator Alley:Modern Survivalism places the ancient knowledge of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons into modern context. Universal truths can be restated many ways but remain valid.

Today's suggested survivalism site is:

Visit DragonDoor and discover the latest in non-traditional health and fitness items!

Anarchistic Knights Technorati Tags : adventure, books, books on line, ebooks, outdoors, fantasy, sci-fi, teens, science fiction, fiction, survivalism

Tobal started. His uncle had said he was in charge of security, not that he had been Commander in charge of the entire project. There was obviously a lot his uncle had known about and not shared with him.

Ellen continued, "The military created a new program that allowed no children or elderly unless they were physically fit enough to make it through the three degree system. It was simply a system designed to create recruits for the Federaton military. The thought was it created better soldiers.

The city of Heliopolis became a city of the elite ruled by the military, a city of supermen and superwomen if you will. The graduates were still human, very human but something about the training acted to eliminate dysfunctional areas within the psyche and built strong healthy individuals that could out compete the average person in all measured areas of health and competency. This continued several years until enough data was available to compare the graduates of the sanctuary program with special military forces. It was here they showed radical differences. The graduates of the sanctuary program did not do well in the normal military. Studies confirmed that military training suppressed the individual and forced conformance to a rigid authoritarian structure that was simply not endurable to the average graduate. The graduates of the sanctuary program were individuals and not team players.

It was at this point the Federation lost much of it's interest in the project and turned it back to civilian control. The Federation continued to recruit graduates for field operative positions and kept a mountain complex manned with military personnel for special training. They also agreed to share medical resources with the medics as they needed them.

Ellen stopped and looked around, "That was when the city was granted the right of self government. But only those that had completed the restructured sanctuary training were considered citizens with the right to vote. They voted to adopt the military's program in favor of the earlier program run by Ron and Rachel Kane. The earlier program had consisted of the creation of a village with children and old people as an important part of the social research that was going on. There was no more interest in the creation of another "village" in the wilderness. It was felt there were too many "Safety concerns".

The Citizens of Heliopolis maximized individual qualities under a loose structure of cooperative effort. The city itself gained in political power and influence even as it remained closed to normal trade and commerce. It's citizenry were active in the outer world owning companies and making directives that influenced world politics. They formed an elite pool of superior resources that fought for it's own place in world politics. It was whispered that government research continued at a nearby secret mountain complex where Special Ops field agents were trained."

"The rest was classifed and I couldn't get into it", Ellen said. She hesitated as if with an internal struggle.

"Our base is part of the secret mountain complex. We are only allowed to use the emergency room and some nearby areas. It is under high security with lots of armed guards. There are field operatives that come and go from the complex all the time. I shouldn't be telling you this so please keep it to yourselves."

"Wow", you've certainly given us something to think about", Rafe shook his head. "This doesn't sound good to me. There is something wrong. Especially if the rogues are really field operatives. Why would field operatives attack us?"

"And attack the Village", Crow spoke up. "There have been several incidences of villagers being attacked by rogues and we always believed it was clansmen that attacked us. It is beginning to sound like someone wants the clansmen and the villagers to hate each other. Perhaps someone is trying to provoke conflict between us. We need to go to the village and prove we are not attacking them. Too many people have died already."

"Yeah, and my parents were right in the middle of it", Tobal said bitterly. "It killed them and it might kill us if we are not careful. He turned to Crow who had been listening intently to Ellen's story.

"What can you tell us about any of this? It sounds like your grandfather, Howling Wolf was as much in the middle of this as my parents and he is the only one still alive that I know of except Sarah's father."

"This is all new to me", he said. But I will talk with him about it. I will return with any information I feel is important. More than ever I feel there is danger to my village and they need to be warned."

Tobal was thankful Crow never mentioned the special training on bi-location and the secret meeting place under the waterfall. He was certain that Ellen was too.

"I'm concerned about Apprentices leaving the area and visiting the village", Ellen told them. "We will be ordered to stop you from going there even though there are no specific guidelines preventing it. Crow seems to have found a loop hole in the system only because he is from the village himself and because it is within our area of coverage. Our orders don't contemplate such unlikely scenarios. You need to travel as fast as you can."

She continued, "As long as the air sleds continue to monitor your med-alert bracelets you should be alright". She paused, "That does mean we will need to patrol further to the west then we have in the past."

She looked straight at Crow. "They are going to try to stop you from reaching the village you know."

"I know", he said. "It will be alright. Grandfather is expecting us."

They left things at that and the conversation moved on. The group gradually broke up and began talking about other things. Tobal and Becca stayed together holding hands as they wandered around the group chatting with other clansmen. They slowly made their way to the beer keg where Rafe had rejoined Dirk.

Rafe and Dirk were both still on the beer task force and grumbling because they had twice the beer to brew since the reserves had been consumed at the Yule party last month. Still they were good natured about it and said they were trying a new recipe that should be quite interesting. It was just as well there was only a small group that month though. They wouldn't be drinking quite that much.

Becca hadn't heard about the special brew Dirk and Rafe were cooking up and didn't really know what to think.

"When will this new beer be ready to drink", she asked doubtfully?

"Sometime this April probably", said Dirk chuckling. "Rafe and I both plan on being medics by then. We can administer first aid to anyone that needs it. Pump their stomach or something."

Tobal snorted and blew beer all over.

"Hey, watch it", Rafe complained. "It's not that funny."

Tobal turned to Dirk, "How did that sure thing match go?"

Dirk turned red, "Not so well."

"He got his ass kicked", Rafe chuckled and proudly displayed his own fifth chevron. "Some people actually win once in a while."

Anarchist World Live! Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!

Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?

Anarchistic Knights-a serialadventure is a fiction story based upon survivalism values and principles. Survivalism is not fiction! It is real and the challenges we face in today's world require self empowerment training.

OAK:Foundations-a serialadventure gives the basics for modern survivalism and self empowerment techniques. Empower yourself today!

OAK:Tarot of Love and Romance is about the energy dynamics of love and human relationships. Why love sparks and why it sometimes dies. Can any of us really survive without love?

OAK:Magister Templi shows how modern science and chaos theory are compatable with advanced metaphysical concepts. Science is not in conflict with paranormal and supernatural activity.

OAK:Magick,Mystery and Madness is my own personal book of shadows. If you are interested in magick and energy work this is the place!

Alligator Alley:Modern Survivalism places the ancient knowledge of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons into modern context. Universal truths can be restated many ways but remain valid.

Today's suggested survivalism site is:

Beyond Bodybuilding is a masterplan to eliminate those cheap, cosmetic, skin-deep looks - and move to strength-from-the-inside-out. Experience a new level of confidence as your power does the talking for you.

Armed with the new knowledge Pavel gives you, you'll find yourself with the power-body of a wild animal - but the mindset of a skilled strength-scientist.

After all you've put yourself through already, you owe it to yourself to get Pavel's Beyond Bodybuilding - and make history of your past failures.

When you feel ready to take action on this - to own this masterly guide on how to constantly succeed in your strength and muscle training - to bust through your previous training plateaus - to feel and look stronger than you ever imagined possible - CLICK HERE NOW.

Anarchistic Knights Technorati Tags : adventure, books, books on line, ebooks, outdoors, fantasy, sci-fi, teens, science fiction, fiction, survivalism