Here's the rest...

[calic0cat]

***

Rashid shielded his eyes against the stinging sand as he nervously paced the perimeter of the huge stone circle. Each menhir sat upright, just as legend said it had for thousands of years. He touched the amulet at his throat, feeling the warmth it was giving off, a warmth that intensified if he moved closer to the circle. Just as the space between the pillars began to glow with a blue light at the amulet's approach.

His predecessor as leader of the Maguanac had passed it on to him when he took over the position, along with the story that went with it. The story of the man and woman found just outside the circle some fifty years earlier, injured and weak. Of the aid given to them and of their departure back through the circle after they were healed, leaving the amulet as a token that would lead any who followed back to the world - the land - that they had come from.

The couple had promised that, in time of great need, the amulet would open the way "for those of Light or of Shadow, though never for those of Dark". They had also warned that machines and guns were not welcome in Escore. "Only bow and blade, horse and camel and ox..."

Rashid cast his gaze over the shelters protecting the supplies that they had collected. Gems and precious metals for trade. Seeds for trade or to plant. Grain and other nonperishable foodstuffs. Swords, spears, knives, and bows. Tools of all descriptions. The livestock - sheep and goats and chickens - the townsfolk had already owned and had taken with them when they fled during the war. Bringing the animals along again now was not a problem. Horses and camels and oxen they had already owned as well, though they had bought more.

'It will be a very big change - for everyone... But I can see no other way...' Rashid still felt very uncertain of how the pilots would react to this plan. His only reassurance was that Howard and the other Sweepers and Maguanacs had discussed, voted, and agreed on it as well. This was the best chance for true freedom - no hiding out or permanently living on the run - for them all without risking starting another war.

***

"Only minor injuries, boss. Cuts, bruises, a few sprains, a couple of clean breaks. Three minor bullet wounds. And the Kid and his buddies could all use a little more meat on their bones and a few good nights of sleep. But that's about it; we got off pretty damn lightly."

"So far," Howard muttered under his breath. "Thanks, Doc. Make sure everybody's strapped in and anything loose secured."

"Sure thing, Howard," the portly blond responded as he made his way out of the cockpit.

"Boss, the cloak's startin' to go..."

Howard swore viciously at the warning. The ship was never intended to be cloaked and the cloak was never meant for it in the first place. They'd jury-rigged two of the spares for Deathscythe to do the job and it wasn't particularly stable. It was fine for about three or four hours of silent running but it had been up for nearly ten now, with only a few minutes of downtime while they were picking up their passengers from the roof. "Take us below radar!" he snapped sharply. They'd been keeping a higher altitude in order to make better time; flying below radar would force them to slow down substantially in order to avoid low-level hazards.

The lights flickered as the cloaking devices overloaded and died. "Too late, boss!"

"Shit!!" Howard considered options rapidly. Most of the military's mobile suits had already been destroyed but they'd have fighter craft after them in no time. "Get the Kid and Yuy up here and turn over flight control to them; they're the best pilots we've got." He headed towards the tiny captain's quarters, calling as he went, "I'm letting Rashid know there's been a change in plans!" They were going to be coming in fast and hot. Rashid was going to have to start sending people and supplies through the gate *now*.

***

Cursing the worsening weather conditions, Rashid strode from the communications room back out to the edge of town. Threading his way through the people hurriedly loading up pack animals and carts with supplies, he managed to find Abdul. "You will take the first group through. Send a group of fighters through first to secure the area, then begin taking the families and supplies across. There must be no delays; the ship is less than two hours out and is being pursued. Now *go*!"

Abdul nodded gravely and saluted before leaving to gather his advance team. Rashid sighed and sent up a silent plea for things to go smoothly. They *should* have enough time to get everyone through the gate - *if* nothing went wrong. He took the amulet from around his neck and went in search of his chosen gatekeeper. He could not hold the gate open himself; his place was in the com room, monitoring and coordinating.

***

"Port engine two is overheating," Heero reported calmly, fingers flicking rapidly over the console. "Attempting to compensate."

"Crap," Duo muttered under his breath, fighting with the control yoke. The ship was running at maximum speed and it was bucking and shuddering constantly. It was never meant to take this kind of punishment in the first place and the cloaking devices had held the ship redlined long before the desperate race began. Right now, he wasn't even wondering where the hell they were going to go once they reached their destination. 'One thing at a time. Just fucking *get* us all there in one piece and let Howie and Rashid worry about the rest...'

"Come on, baby, just a little further," Duo crooned to the labouring ship. Beside him, Heero snorted at his words. Duo ignored him and kept coaxing the ship with voice and hands, begging for every bit of speed and manoeuvrability that the failing craft could give.

***

"Is there anything we can do?" Quatre asked a mechanic as she returned from replacing another burnt-out fuse.

"Not really," she answered regretfully. "The cloaking devices took out weapons control when they blew; Jensen's working on it but there's not much there to work with. He's pretty much rebuilding the whole damn system with scrap wire and chewing gum. If we can't outrun'em..." She shrugged.

"Thea! Port 2 just blew another one!" came over the speakers.

"Aw, *shit*!" the woman swore. She spun and disappeared back the way she'd came.

Quatre exchanged an uneasy look with Wufei. It was difficult to just sit still and wait; they were used to being in the thick of things. But without a specific job to do, they would only get in the way. So all that they could do was stay where they were told. And wait...

He glanced across at Trowa, who had his angry, frightened sister tucked under his arm and was murmuring to her reassuringly. Catherine had been furious when she'd first regained consciousness but once she'd realized how much trouble she would have probably been in if they'd left her behind, she'd gone from angry to upset. The controlled urgency of the ship's crew and the labouring of the ship itself had turned that upset to fear. 'And with Catherine, fear leads right back to anger again...'

Quatre suspected they were going to have their hands full with her once it really sank in that she could never go back to the circus again. That she was now a wanted fugitive along with the rest of them. He was deeply grateful that none of his own sisters had showed up and suspected that he had the corporate lawyers to thank for their absence. Winner Enterprises was a crucial part of the colonial economy and it needed to be distanced as much as possible from him in order to ensure its safety. The company would be fully in his sisters' capable hands now and he knew that they would do an admirable job. He might have been the official heir but his sisters had been deeply involved in running the company since he was in diapers.

***

Heero's fingers flew over the controls, constantly rerouting power and adjusting cooling systems. The ship was failing fast and pursuit was closing in; making it to their destination would be a very close-run thing.

Beside him, Duo's arms quivered with effort as he fought to hold the dying ship on course. "Landing's gonna be a real bitch," he warned in a strained voice. "Gonna need some help, I think."

Heero grunted in acknowledgement. "Coordinates approaching, cutting forward propulsion in five, four, three, two, *one*. Decelerating and switching engines to lift mode in five, four, three, two, *one*." He suited actions to words and continued, "Switching power to lift *now*."

***

"*Fuck!*" The yoke nearly jerked right out of Duo's hands as Heero cut the forward propulsion and switched to the engines to lift. The subsonic whine of the stressed engines abruptly changed pitches and became all too audible. Duo gritted his teeth and hung on. He winced as the engine noise worsened and the ship began to shudder.

"Heero!" His hands and arms were just too damn tired to keep the ship level on his own.

The response to his warning was immediate; the auxiliary yoke slaved to his and Heero threw his own strength into the battle. For a few moments, the ship steadied. But as their altitude decreased and they dropped into the sandstorm, straining engines fought rising wind and sucked in airborne sand. First one engine, then another, failed.

***

Rashid peered through the swirling sand, desperately hoping to see some sign of movement. According to Howard's last check-in, the ship should be landing very shortly. Despite the howling wind, he heard it before he saw it. And the moment he heard the ship's faltering engines, he knew it was in trouble. It was going to come down *hard*.

"Get back!" he ordered, waving widely. "Back into town! Quickly!" The stretcher-bearers waiting to aid the injured hurried away from the landing field and Rashid followed them hurriedly. He was abruptly very grateful that the ship was landing on the opposite side of town from the stone circle.

Visibility was so poor that Rashid could barely make out the bulk of the descending ship. It had barely even entered his range of view when he realized that he could no longer hear its engines over the wind, despite the fact that it was getting closer rapidly. 'Too rapidly. The engines are dead!' He watched helplessly as the ship dropped far too quickly and without having shed all of its forward motion. In the end, it bellyflopped, bounced, and slid inelegantly across the sand to bury its nose and most of one wing in a dune.

He was running before the ship stopped moving.

***

Wufei released his flight restraints and reached over to check Quatre's pulse. It was strong and steady, reassuring him that despite his continued unconsciousness, his friend was unlikely to be seriously injured. Across from him, Trowa stirred and bit off a faint moan before checking on Catherine's condition. "Quatre seems fine. How is she?" Wufei asked.

"Just unconscious. I think she passed out when the engines quit," Trowa answered.

Around them, other bodies stirred and voices muttered, gasped, and swore.

"Let's see if we can get a door open," Wufei suggested. He bit back a pained gasp as he stood and his ribs twinged. "I think we had best get everyone clear as quickly as possible."

"Agreed."

***

Howard groaned and grabbed hold of his chair to drag himself painfully to his feet. He'd managed to fling himself into his chair but he hadn't got the belt properly fastened before they crashed. The impact had tossed him to the floor. He blotted a cut over his eye with the edge of his sleeve and peered around the cockpit in the flickering light. "Kid? Yuy?"

A mumbled, "Tired. Gimme 'nother five minutes..." and a grunt answered his call.

Semi-relieved, he remarked, "Well, if you'd brought the car home in one piece, Kid..."

An upraised finger in response relieved the rest of his worry about Duo. He obviously wasn't too seriously injured. Yuy, on the other hand, he'd expected something more professional than a grunt from. "Yuy?" Howard tried a step away from the chair's support and nearly fell. Okay, so he wasn't going anywhere without some assistance. 'Broken ankle, I think...' He sat down in the chair and gingerly raised his pantleg. The skin wasn't broken and there was no noticeable lump, so maybe it was just a fracture or a really bad sprain. 'Still no answer from Yuy... Shit.' "Kid, can you check Yuy?"

"Already on it." The terse reply told him that Duo was equally concerned. "Control yoke got him in the face. Don't think his jaw's broken and he hasn't lost any teeth but he's gonna be pretty sore and swollen for a while. Talking's pretty much out. Some bruising on his neck, too, but he's not havin' too much trouble breathing and his pulse is okay."

"Okay. Think you two can manage to get the three of us out of here? Right ankle won't hold me."

"In a sec. Just gotta let Heero put my damn shoulder back..."

"What?! Let the doc..." Howard gave up his attempt to insist that Duo wait and let the doctor fix his dislocated shoulder as an unmistakable sound and a gasp told him that it was too late.

"Not like it's the first time," Duo muttered defensively as he walked over to Howard and caught his glare. Howard just shook his head in resignation. He winced as Heero joined Duo; the control yoke had really done a number on him. No wonder he hadn't been willing - or maybe even able - to talk.

Howard sighed and held out his hands for the two of them to help him up. "Well, let's go see what the damage is..."

***

Rashid helped one person after another make the drop from the door of the grounded ship to the sand below. The first stretcher bearers to leave with an injured passenger also carried the message to send horses and wagons back. The ride would be rough but time was of the essence and the crash had raised the number of wounded. None of the injuries were immediately life-threatening though there were several concussions that would bear close watching.

The wind was still very strong but it was no longer rising. Rashid just hoped that it did not begin to drop. If it did, visibility would improve. And if it improved enough, their pursuers would not be long in taking advantage of that.

***

"Cathy, you have a choice to make. You either stay here and take your chances with the World Nation or you come with us. If you come, it's a one-way trip. If you don't..." Trowa shook his head sadly. "I don't like the odds. I think it is very likely that you will be tried as an accomplice in our escape. The mere fact that you were at the trial will be enough for them."

He watched Cathy's tearstained face as she swallowed hard and struggled to decide. He hoped that she would come with them; she was his sister, regardless of the fact that they had never had their belief scientifically confirmed. If she stayed behind, he would miss her greatly. And he would mourn her, for he truly believed that she would be in grave danger. But he would not stay behind because of her.

Unbelievable though Rashid's story was, Trowa had only to look a few feet away to see the proof. One person after another walked up to the blue-lit circle, stepped across its perimeter, and - vanished. Leaving would at least give them a chance at freedom. And he knew that if he stayed behind, Quatre would stay as well. That alone was reason enough for him to go.

"Trowa?" Trowa waved in acknowledgement of Quatre's call.

"Decision time, sis." Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead. "I'm going now." With that, he turned and walked away.

***

Quatre waited anxiously for Trowa to join him. He was worried both for Trowa and for his sister. The two of them, despite how short a time they had actually spent together, were far closer than he and any of his own sisters. In response to the aching sadness he could sense from Trowa, Quatre impulsively held out his hand in reminder that Trowa was not alone. He smiled in soft reassurance as Trowa took his outstretched hand and the two of them turned towards the gate. Together, they stepped through it.

***

Duo watched as Catherine took several hesitant steps towards the circle. She stopped and he debated going to her. It would be difficult to take that step between worlds alone. 'But I want to cross with Heero...' he protested silently. A small part of him feared that if they did not pass through together, they might somehow be separated. Forever. He couldn't take that chance.

No sooner had he reached that decision than he spotted Wufei studying the young woman. He saw Wufei's shoulders heave in a sigh, then the other pilot straightened his spine and strode over to Catherine. Duo grinned. She would be going with them. She might cross the circle draped unconscious over Wufei's shoulder - but she was going.

***

Heero watched as Wufei and Catherine approached the gate. A few steps away, Catherine faltered. Wufei just grabbed her elbow and hauled her along. In an instant, they were gone.

"Our turn, huh, Heero?"

Unwilling to set his head throbbing any worse than it already was by nodding, Heero merely started walking in response. Duo took two quick strides to catch up to him and they walked towards the unknown together. At the last possible moment, strong, slender fingers twined themselves through Heero's. He heard Duo murmur apologetically, "For luck..." and then the world twisted and dropped away beneath them.

***

Two horses stood patiently beside the stone circle. Rashid once again had the amulet around his own neck. "We're the last," he sighed. "And none too soon, the sandstorm is dying down."

"Won't *this* be a fine puzzle for the good Lady Une," Howard chuckled. He shifted cautiously in the saddle, already feeling distinctly uncomfortable. "All of us, vanished into thin air."

"She will be watching her back for years," Rashid agreed. "Which is all to the good, I think. It just might keep her honest!"

"It might at that. Might keep them *all* honest, never knowin' if a wrong move will suddenly bring us all back to haunt them." Howard shook his head and grinned broadly. He had repeatedly refused to leave until last, wanting all of his people safely away before following. Of course, with his bad ankle that meant that he was having to actually ride a *horse* for the first time in his life but at least Rashid was going to be leading it.

"Let's get this over with," Howard said, gesturing towards the circle, "before all this talk of the devil has her showin' up to spoil our clean escape."

"A most excellent suggestion."

A moment later, all that remained were a few rapidly vanishing tracks in the sand, a fading hint of blue in the stone circle, an abandoned town, and a crippled ship counting down to self-destruction.

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Author's Note/Additional Disclaimer: Escore and Witch World in general aren't mine. They belong to Andre Norton.

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Comments

[dragynville.livejournal.com]

Eventual sequel would be beyond fabulous, I'm dying to "see" this other world and their reactions to it and what happens to them there. :D

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

I think there will be one. I've got a few notes jotted down already but I'm *trying* to resist at least till I get another few bits and pieces finished up.