Rebel's Revenge Chapter 1

Rebels on a Lost World

Book 2 – Rebel’s Revenge



Chapter 1



Jimmy watched with eager anticipation as the great trout stuck its pointy nose into the opening of the willow trap. The fish was so big he doubted the small trap would hold its heavy bulk. Like a miniature shark, the trout swam around and around in circles, stopping occasionally to nudge the entrance to the strange contraption which barred its path to the best feeding waters just downstream.

Jimmy glanced over to where his cousin stood in the shallows trying to spear fish with the barbed lance he had made for her. He put his fingers to his lips as a signal for to her to remain in place and not to disturb the water with her noisy splashing back and forth.

The huge trout finally gave up its slow circling motion and headed into the narrow mouth of the basket like trap. He waited breathlessly until the fish had squeezed its enormous body through the smallest part of the trap's opening, then, with lightening quick reflexes, he drove the barbed spear deep into its side.

For a few breathless moments it was undecided who would win the battle. The trout spun and flipped about with all its might and weight trying desperately to escape from the searing pain in its side. Jimmy fought with all the strength he had to prevent the prize fish from escaping the hooked end of his makeshift spear. Finally, with a loud growl and sharp grunt of triumph, he pulled the heavy bulk of the trout up onto the grassy bank of the gently flowing stream.

"Wow!" he yelled, dragging the fish further from the safety of the stream. It was by far the largest fish he's ever caught. It must have weighed at least fifteen or more pounds.

Jimmy jumped up and down waving his arms in the air. He looked like a small primitive warrior doing a victory dance over his latest kill, which in fact he was. He was twelve years old, but for all his young years, he'd been providing his family with a fresh fish dinner for at least two nights a week for the past six months. The fish was a welcomed change from the antelope like animals and wild birds brought in by his older brothers.

"Over here! Come here Talia!" Jimmy yelled to his young cousin, who was looking in his direction with a puzzled expression. She was his cousin by marriage and not by blood since she was a member of a race of feline like people called the Ionar. Jimmy's Uncle, Monday Stiehl, whom everyone called "The Top," and who was leader of the New Americans, had married Talia's sister Tanitha. By Ionar law and custom Monday was legally bound to marry Talia also, however, since she was now only eight years old, that law had been overlooked for the time being and for the sake of the American's customs.

Talia hurried over to where Jimmy continued to dance around and yell like a mad man. Although only eight years old, her people matured much faster than humans and it was not uncommon for them to wed and have children of their own by the time they were eleven or twelve years old.

It was a custom of her race not to wear clothing since their entire body was covered with soft downy fur, except for their faces and the breasts of the females. The Ionar females were prized as wives by the humans and other races because of their exceptional beauty and Talia was no exception. Her young body already showed the beginning signs of a maturing beauty, which would make any woman envious. She was not yet aware of the incredible grace and supple movements her young body was making nor the latent hunger she produced in the minds of many of the young men of the new settlement, both Ionar and human.

"Oh Jimmy!" she exclaimed, as she ran over to where he was still hopping up and down in his victory dance. "That fish is big enough to feed both our families." She went down to the grass on her knees and begin to gently stroke the back of the enormous trout. Jimmy looked down at her with pride and boastful childlike arrogance.

"Only a real warrior could catch a fish that big," he blurted, "it's easily the largest fish ever caught by anyone. The largest fish in the entire world." His arms were flung out in pantomime to measure the length of the great trout.

"But I found this fishing place," Talia interjected, her young voice sounding upset. "I should get some credit shouldn't I?"

The spot they were fishing in was very far from the new settlement. In fact, it was the farthest they'd ever been and it was definitely much farther than Monday would have allowed them to wander had he known. They had only been in the new settlement for eight months, a beautiful little valley snuggled into the foothills of a gigantic mountain range. No one knew for sure if there were hostile people living near the valley, although no signs had yet been found of other inhabitants. Monday and the Governors had placed a limit on just how far the hunters, and especially the women and children, could safely go in their fishing and berry picking expeditions. Jimmy and Talia were far beyond that specified limit and they knew if they got caught they'd be in deep trouble.

"Don't tell anyone where we came to fish," Jimmy suddenly whispered, "If you do they won't let us come back here ever again." He had purposely put an angry grimace on his young freckled face, enough he hoped to scare her but not to get her too upset. They often fought like most young children and he wasn't sure he could handle the strong little girl, especially since she was so fast and cunning. Not only that, Uncle Monday was very protective of Talia and woe to he who harmed her in any way.

To his surprise, her beautiful young face turned into a sudden mask of frightened terror and she begin to back away from the fish she'd been petting.

"I didn't mean it that way," Jimmy yelled, his young voice high pitched and cracking! He then noticed that her frozen gaze was not directed at him, but behind him. With a sinking feeling of foreboding, he slowly turned around.

About twenty feet behind him, spread out in a semi-circle, stood half a dozen incredibly large and mean looking men. They were tall with long blond hair and beards and conical helmets, some with horns on their heads. Most wore leather or sheepskin jackets, leather pants, and boots with laces up their calves. Some held up large axes, others long spears or bows, and all carried large round shields with designs painted on them. The man in the center was dressed different than the others; he wore black shirt, black pants, and polished black boots that went high on his calf. He carried a pistol on his hip and wore a cap with a skull on the front of it.

Jimmy almost fainted when their leader, the man in black, gave the others a signal to capture the two young children. All thoughts of the prize trout were quickly forgotten.