The Collapse Trilogy (Book 3): Through the Ruins by Carstens Rod

Author:Carstens, Rod [Carstens, Rod]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Post-Apocalyptic | Dystopian
Published: 2017-04-09T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The blow knocked Blondie to her knees. Others continued to pummel her from both sides as she struggled to stand. She was being pushed down a gauntlet composed of Jo’s Shield Maidens. Each had a large wooden stick which they used to strike her as she staggered down its length. They had pulled out the stops for this test. One woman wore shoulder and elbow pads, and leather gloves with the fingers cut out. Another had welders’ goggles on top of her head holding her hair back. One, in just a vest with her hair pulled up in a vertical ponytail and red and blue war paint on her face, slammed her stick hard across Blondie’s back. With her hands tied behind her, it was hard to get to her feet. She was bleeding from her nose and mouth, not to mention her head.

The Shield Maidens had been joined in the gauntlet by younger girls who had the war paint on. They must be Shield Maidens in training. Someone struck her across the back again; the blows were painful but were not doing her real damage. After her years with Bear, this was a mild beating. They hit like girls, Blondie thought to herself.

She regained her feet as they continued to pummel her, then she stumbled the last few feet of the gauntlet and stood in front of Jo, who with arms crossed was waiting for her.

“Well done. Blondie, you have passed the first test. Every Shield Maiden must go through the gauntlet.”

Blondie wanted to say something smart like I’ve been beaten worse than that before. Is that all you got? Instead she kept her smart mouth to herself and played it down. “Thank you, Jo.”

“Take her back to her cell. Tomorrow she will face the next test. If she passes, we will have her take the pledge.”

Two Shield Maidens grabbed Blondie by the arms and shoved her back down the bridge toward her little shack. They threw her in and slammed the door.

Blondie slowly sat down and took some deep breaths. She did inventory, moving her arms and legs as best she could to see if she had any serious injuries. Everything moved the way it was supposed to without any significant pain. Either they were being careful not to seriously hurt her, or they really did hit like girls. None of them seemed to have any training, and they did not wield the sticks with the practiced moves of someone who had trained with them. Still, she was going to be in pain for a few days, and if this gauntlet was any indication of the kind of test she would face tomorrow, she couldn’t wait any longer. She would have to escape tonight. It had been more than twenty-four hours, so Vin and the others should be far enough away by now that she could slip away without endangering them.

Blondie had been studying how the community on the bridge worked and its rhythms each day. The mornings were busy as people fished or went foraging in the woods.

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