Liberation anthem. Part 2
I knew the local land. I've often been here alone with other Seekers. Maintaining friendly relations with the inhabitants of the Wasteland, being ready for dialogue, is the key to obtaining the most reliable information.
With my knowledge of the shortcuts, I managed to catch up with the Ravens and arrived at Terminal-45, almost simultaneously with them. I was first met by silence — no gunshots, no screams, no roaring engines…
And then all of a sudden everything changed. The former ship berth, empty and deaf just a second ago, at once was filled with sounds — joyful voices, shouts. I was approaching a settlement made of seemingly different containers and was amazed at the fair, festive noise coming from there. After a few minutes, the delicate songs of two small violins merged with the voices. The last time I heard the crying sound of this instrument was many years ago, in my distant childhood…
Our allies from the Terminal and the Ravens feasted. I looked at the faces and saw smiles, heard laughter. I guess that's when they thought I was crazy, staring at everyone, like a tunnel dweller, forcibly pulled into the dazzling sunlight.
And the kidnapped kids were there, too. Exhausted, dressed in bright clothes of Ravens, they were surrounded by our allies. Sad, but unharmed.
Seeing my confusion, the Terminal leader asked me to speak to him in private. We walked away from everyone, and I, accepting the risk of possible betrayal by the allies, gave the reason for my sudden appearance. Having listened attentively to me, the local head only grinned and told me… Told me everything I knew, basically telling my own story from the beginning.
The settlement of T has been at war with a large group of raiders for the past few months. Terminal-45 received several disturbing reports, but our allies, suffering in everything due to martial law, could not help. Desperate residents of T hid the children in a bunker nearby and joined the battle which, unfortunately, became their last.
Predatory birds always flock to the battlefield. The Ravens, too, heard the alarm and tried to help the settlers, but, like me, arrived too late. The free people could not be called noble travellers, but they would never abandon defenceless children to starve to death. Taking the survivors with them, the Ravens went to the Terminal, where they completed two important tasks at once — protecting the children and finding allies.
As far as I know, the Ravens are headed west now. They are still easy to find — thanks to the rustling of fabulously expensive scarves made of real silk, the tracks of heated skirmishes, the moaning of robbed caravan men. But Ravens don't take lives just like that.
Thanks for that at least.