Patterns

The group of travelers which included the woman ceased to be travelers after they found the tubes of metal. When the tubes were breached, they dribbled and spilled liquid similar to that which had been in the pools far underground. This brought them great joy. The former resident's death was forgotten. The group settled into its new residence. The woman who once had worn the red mantle became a leader. Others took note of her suggestions and wisdom. He felt this was somehow natural. The woman had experienced much. Without her, they would still be thralls of the strangers in red.

They found kernels and seeds which the former resident had stored away. They placed these into dirt and used the mechanisms the former resident had crafted to rotate the small, green things which had sprouted into and out of the light which pierced through the cracks in the wall of their new residence. They grew, in time, and were consumed.

They put effort into hiding their presence. They were mistrustful of others. Anything which was not used routinely was hidden in the tunnels. These objects were only brought up or used when needed. It allowed them to react swiftly without worry of leaving those items scattered for others to find. He suspected they still feared the vengeance of the strangers in red. But they also feared more. Members of the group were always on watch, looking in all directions across the barren landscape for signs of other life.

Occasionally others passed by, large groups which resembled the woman's own, who bore weapons and had an air of violence about them. The lookouts would give shouts of warning. When this took place, the woman ushered everyone deep into the tunnels below. He would go with them. They would bring the containers of dirt and green which needed the light and the liquid to grow along with them. Then they would wait. They did not have access to the pulpy mash which the strangers in red harvested to use in their pale, green lanterns. They crouched in darkness.

Other times those on lookout would give a shout and the woman and others would venture forth with weapons. He followed them and watched as they killed beasts. Some were similar to the great, gangling-legged creature the woman had hunted with her companions when she was a young woman. Others had a more feral and ferocious look about them. They fought back and injured or killed some of the group. Still others were covered in great plates of horn or chitin that resisted the thrusts and stabs and slashes of the group's weapons. These were killed in more inventive ways, by collapsing stones to crush them, or luring them to topple and fall in a way that exposed their vulnerable underbellies. The meat and blood and viscera and bones were taken and prepared over fires fueled by their dried-out refuse.

And other times the lookout would give a third shout. This alerted the group to the existence of small bands or lone wanderers who crossed the dusty wasteland. They carried possessions of their own. Sometimes in crude carts, as had the woman's companions. Sometimes in their arms or on their backs. The woman and her companions would fall upon those groups and seize their belongings.

Those who resisted were killed. Those who surrendered were taken into custody and moved in places below the earth where they were kept under close watch and tested. Those who failed the tests were also killed. Those who succeeded were allowed to join the group, though they were treated as lessers and were made to do much of the difficult and dangerous and monotonous work and labor. They were not allowed access to any of the group's tools or weapons.

He felt this was somehow natural, as well.