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"What the hell is that and how did it get there?" Came a shout as I woke up early the next morning, there appeared to be a bit of a commotion at the entrance to the camp and I notice that Alberich looked amused. "Oh you will find this funny when you see it, though I am sure Jake will have a fit over it." Alberich indicated we should head to the entrance of the camp, for some reason I get stuck nearest to the children; even with my capabilities. They're more afraid of something eating our young than me helping fight off rats with two legs. Alberich and I walk over to the entrance, Cheshire appearing to not wake up with all the noise going on. {Knowing how felines are he probably is aware of everything going on around him however.}

As we reach the entrance I notice the guards sheepishly gathered around a stone made wagon designed to be pulled by horses. The wagon hadn't been there the night before, which is probably why the guards looked sheepish. Samuel, a former Ranger who has been working as a guard stiffly walks up to me and hands me a sealed scroll. "It appeared out of no where I swear! This was on the driver's seat with your name on it."

I open the scroll look it over and the chuckle and pat Samuel on the back, "oh I wouldn't be concerned about missing this being dropped off. I am pretty sure Shadow as well as Alberich, Cheshire, and Coal all heard them dropping it off." Shadow nods his head as does Alberich, I then hold the scroll up and read what is on it out loud.

"Hunter, this 'er wagon is to help you travel a might bit faster without causing harm to the young'ins and the oldsters. I would hitch the best of them nags to it as the harnesses we provided will prevent them from bolting or hurting themselves trying to bolt. So you'll have a start on your horse herd, there is a tent inside for you and your guardians. As I am sure Sir horn head would prefer to not sleep in wet weather if he can avoid it. Not to mention what that silly cat thinks of sleeping in the rain, it'll be big enough for all of you as well as those kiddo's you need to train. Oh, tell those poor folks watching your camp they wouldn't have seen or heard us if we didn't want to be. They just don't have the training to spot us as yet."

I look over at Samuel after I finish reading it, he was red faced. "Samuel, it's alright. You didn't see or hear them because there is training you need that a human can't train you, I'm sure we will be able to locate a proper trainer for that skill set so it won't happen again. How about this, Coal is very aware of what goes on around him. I can ask that Shadow tell him to stay near the entrance of camp at night if we provide a spot inside for his herd." Samuel nods but doesn't look relieved, Cheshire lands on Alberich's rump.{ Can you blame him? Based on his training he should hear a flea a mile away, at least he thinks he should}. I nod my head and Alberich nudges me, "go find something to eat I'll have Coal bring over the best built mares to harness to the wagon. It looks like they did provide enough for four to be harnessed to the wagon. I will instruct your people as to how they need to be with these harnesses. Oh, the wagon and harnesses are fireproof."

I pat his shoulder as I head back into the camp Cheshire hopping onto my shoulders as I walk by him. When I get to the center of camp I see Harriet and Tammy are awake trying to start a hot breakfast for everyone while watching the twins. Cheshire sighs and leaps off my shoulders, "OK kids come on I want you two to come with me to help find some fire wood to help out this morning." Cheshire winks at me knowing they didn't need any more firewood, though I wouldn't want to be whom ever tried to mess with the twins while Cheshire was watching them.

I walk over and start peeling potatoes for some mashed, the left overs would be put in the wagon so the kids could nibble over the course of the day. Tammy was putting some dried meat into a pot over the fire to cook it into a meat and gravy everyone could have with the potatoes, while Harriet was working the bread dough that rose overnight. Tammy looks over to me, "I had to sedate her last night. Or I would have hit her, I don't like giving pregnant women sleeping pills force ably. This morning however there was a bag with a note attached saying I just had to add a pinch of what was in it to keep her sedated if necessary and it won't harm the baby. Know where it came from?" I nod my head, "probably the healer who fixed my back up as we were gifted a wagon to carry anyone who needs to be carried. Based on how long this journey will take either she'll give birth on the way or right after we arrive." Tammy stirs the pot while in thought, "you going to have someone train the guards how to best deal with these other 'species' of peoples?" I stop my peeling a moment, "yes; is that a problem for you?" Tammy stops stirring the pot and looks at me, "no; I think it's a good idea. Things seem to have been much easier when we were just at odds with each other, now we have other 'species' to contend with. Wonder what my great granny would have thought of all this." Alberich walks over then and eats a few potato peels, "you might be surprised Tammy. People from that time period were a bit more open minded about things like unicorns and Dragons than people now."

We finish preparing a morning meal Cheshire stealing a roll as if his life depended on it as soon as they came out of the camp oven. Who knew gryphonic species liked bread? Harriet saw him take it and how he acted over it and put a few aside to keep just for him. We loaded the wagon with people Calliope for now was being quiet, I guess she figured out no one was happy with her now. She did try to shove a young (12 year old) mother of an infant out of the spot she wanted, Tammy who had been watching saw it. Tammy then grabbed Calliope by the wrist and picked her up by said wrist, "girl. That was the wrong thing to do, you are being watched like a hawk now due to your behavior so everything and anything you do is seen by someone. Your snotty behavior will not be tolerated. We are a group that is surviving in this dangerous world. You are not the most important person here, see them children? They are more important than you is right now. I suggest you learn your place as part of the whole instead of a problem we have to deal with."

For some reason after that Calliope seemed to not want to start any trouble, though she did keep looking around. When she would someone would always make a point to look her dead in the eyes. Before we go Alberich shows me how to mount him without a saddle, it involves placing my hands on his withers and back then leaning forward while pushing with my legs. It'll take a few times of doing it to not look silly while in the process of doing it. Lance stifled a chuckle when I made my first attempt, while him and Mauve were on Coal's back in front of Shadow. Harriet was in the wagon and if we ran into trouble Shadow would hand the twins to her if it was safe to otherwise he was to run off to find them a safe hiding spot.

A few days after receiving the wagon we find an 'old world' building intact. ('old world' in this reference is pre Dragon) There were no lights present in the building, even though it was completely intact and surrounded by a fence with razor wire, The building's first floor was solid windows where you could only see a wall with a desk, like for a security officer. The two floor floors above it have only a window every few feet as if they were offices with separate windows. Jake had called me to the front when we 'discovered' it wanting to know what I think we should do.

"I think we should go in and take a look around, something in that good of shape might have some supplies inside still," I had already found a couple of blank books for Jessica who was crying when I handed them to her the night before. I told her to write down everything I have told the group about everything, we might need the information in the future and need a place to find the information in.

"Hey! You travelers!" A voice from the direction of the building shouts at us. A perky looking Japanese woman walks over to us in a tattered lab coat waving to get our attention. I slide off of Alberich's back and she stops, "oh my. Is that a Unicorn? I thought they only came to virgins." I could hear Alberich grumble behind me as I step forward toward the woman. "Greetings I am Hunter Gwen, yes Alberich is a unicorn. No, they don't only come to virgins; and he is intelligent. What is your name and what is this place?" The woman upon hearing that Alberich was intelligent became very red and bows deeply in his direction. "I am so sorry I didn't mean to offend you. My name is Atsuko, and this was a facility to make vaccines and find disease cures. In other words we stored many horrible illnesses we ran testing on. Our power started fluctuating a month ago and the others started leaving while I prepared the diseases for sterilization. I would like to join your group as I do not have any where to go, I also can add to your group in a couple ways. First during my internship I worked in an ER and I have surgical training. Second, I do still have a large amount of fully approved vaccines still in cold storage." She looks at a pocket watch, "For about an hour before the power dies completely. So I can make sure everyone is up to date on any shots they need, but I also know the diseases if the symptoms start appearing, Though this will be the last batch of vaccines ever made unless we can remake power plants and all the technology we have lost now. I've seen via a couple of drones that got eaten what most of the cities look like."

I look to Jake who looked like he was stunned, granted I am a bit surprised as well. This was a stroke of luck, while I knew some might protest the concept of vaccines. Given it would subtract one concern from our minds at least temporarily, not having the youngest children getting mumps and measles would be wonderful.

I step closer to Atsuko and bow to her slightly, "welcome to our group. Just so you know we will be traveling the land bridge to the other side of the ocean. So there is potential for injury or even death if you go with us." She smiles, "thank you for being forthright with me. I am not concerned, I know who you are and I am certain you will get us to where ever you are planning to go;" She then looks around me to Alberich and Cheshire who is again sitting on Alberich's rump. "A thousand pardons, but are you subject to horse ailments? And is your friend subject to cat ailments? I have animal vaccines as well, I highly recommend everyone get a malaria and west Nile vaccine though due to how many mosquitoes we may have this year due to all the things that can capture standing water. I also have a stock of basic medicines for diabetes as well as some synthetic thyroid pills that I suggest we take just in case they are needed."

Cheshire leaps off Alberich's back and glides to where we are standing and executes a perfect landing and sits next to me. "Why thank you, as to my horn headed friend he is subject to some of the illnesses that horses are. Giving him a tetanus and a west Nile would be best. I honestly do not know if I am subject to cat aliments as I am technically of gryphon lineage, though I know I can use things designed for cats. Therefore I am willing to try."

Atsuko did her best to cover the shock when she heard Cheshire talking, and bows to him. "Thank you Sir, if you can inform me as to how many shots I need to prepare and ages everyone who can, um.. fit can wait in the entry way. I wouldn't want someone wandering someplace dangerous inside there and being hurt." We inform her of how many people and horses as well as the ages of the people I also inform her that if there were any special writing implements lying around I had a child who was working as a historian. Atsuko let us know that she had run out of food two days ago and despite her complaints I told her Shadow would go with her and handed her some bread stuffed with some grilled venison. One of our guardsmen was becoming quite proficient at shooting a bow from horseback and he had taken down 2 bucks the previous day, while he was scouting ahead. The children had been so excited to have fresh meat, they were getting tired of the dried meat.

The process of administering the vaccines took the rest of the day, most of the children in the group had never received a shot at all before and weren't happy with the concept. Though Jessica decided to talk to the older ones, as in the ones who could understand; about what could happen without them. Apparently she had seen children with chicken pox before we found the group of five she had been with. They had been a group of twenty she had told them, and the fifteen who caught the "red spots" as she called them kept getting sicker and sicker till they had died. The children were then very happy to get the shots if they didn't have to live with that.

My entourage waited till everyone else had been done the horses included and I asked her to go prepare a couple she hadn't for me, Shadow, and the twins. I ask her for smallpox, knowing we'd have to keep away from the smallest children and Calliope for three days after. I was concerned as we would be traveling more than the rest of the people in our group if that might pop up somewhere. I wanted to be prepared just in case.

Tammy had overheard me request smallpox and demanded one as well after telling Harriet how to sedate Calliope if she needed to. "If it were to break out in your city after we are all there you'll need people who can't get infect to help treat people, we can't have everyone get it as I believe there is a limit to how young you can get it." Atsuko nods her head in agreement, "yes. Children under a year can't get it and it is best to not give it to expectant mothers. All it does is introduce a related illness into your system that your body fights off quickly thereby making you immune." Jake who was listening to the exchange comments, "I didn't know that. Most people think it is the small pox virus you are getting, nice to know even if at this point it's useless data."

We had set up sleeping arrangements inside the building till the next day when we would head back out onto the road again. Though my group and I were still sleeping in our tent just because it was easier to separate ourselves in this manner from anyone who couldn't be near us for those few days. Alberich assured us the tent itself could not possibly retain any germs on it's surface so it could still ride in the wagon, he also agreed to let Tammy ride with me till she could rejoin the group of women. Interestingly in that group of women who were rescued, Jake found a young lady who he was interested in. Calliope tried one time in the last few days to find a way to mess with the young lady and Tammy sedated her. It seems what ever was in the powder the herbalist left while putting the girl to sleep made her feel an insane amount of guilt after. Not a bad idea for what it's being used for.

Jose, our guard with the perchance at being an excellent marksmen rides up on one of the spare horses. "Gwen, about a day's walk there is some kind of wooden compound which people guarding it. It is in our path we will have to deal with it before we move on." I sigh, what's that old curse? {May your life be always interesting.}