Clash

By Janelle Armstrong

Ro’s life changed the minute she was banished from the underground city of Arcadia. Now fearing Gray has betrayed her, Ro and her friends prepare to fight an enemy bent on their destruction. Desperate choices will be made, and lives will be changed forever in the battle to protect their home. Before it ends, Ro will have to face an adversary who will stop at nothing to destroy her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Janelle Armstrong
• Release date: Nov 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370578085

Janelle Armstrong

Since my grandmother's gift of a Nancy Drew book long ago, I've been a prolific reader. From historical romance to mysteries and thrillers, I've always had my nose in a book. Long bus rides back and forth to work went by quickly while caught up in a fictional character's hair-raising adventures. Luckily, I never missed my stop! I have two dystopian series out now. The Barren Plains Series (Exile, Book 1, Brace, Book 2 and Clash, Book 3) and The Extinction Archives (The Drifters, Book 1, The Seekers, Book 2 and The Outcasts, Book 3). My new book is a stand-alone romantic suspense called Entwined. All are available in ebook or paperback.

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CLASH

The Barren Plains Series, Book 3

Janelle Armstrong

Clash

The Barren Plains Series, Book 3

Janelle Armstrong

Copyright © 2017

All Rights Reserved.

Cover design by Dawné Dominique

Smashwords edition

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

Other books by Janelle Armstrong

Exile (The Barren Plains Series, Book 1)

Brace (The Barren Plains Series, Book 2)

For Sierra, Isabella, Dylan and Will

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

CHAPTER 1

RO

I sat unmoving at the edge of the cave opening, watching the torrent of rain pour down on the forest below. Lightning strikes roamed with restless energy across the valley floor in endless flashes of brilliance as they speared into the ground like a barrage of arrows from the sky. Beyond our village, far out on the Barren Plains, huge red storms roved the land, smothering everything in their path with choking dust.

I scuttled back when a gust of windswept rain threatened to drench me. As long as the fury of the spring storms raged both in the valley and on the plains, we were safe from the savages determined to destroy us.

A week had passed since the theft of our horses and Gray’s disappearance. I pressed my fist against my heart, trying to stop the pain. Paulus’s treachery paled next to Gray’s desertion. His promise to never leave again without me brought a crushing hurt I wasn’t sure would ever heal. No matter how many times Darcy told me he had to have a good reason to help Paulus steal the horses, I couldn’t think of any. Despite her continued optimism, doubt continued to erode my mind as the days passed.

It didn’t help that others were quick to condemn him. When the young men and women arrived from Joyner Peak and Wolf Mountain to fight at our side, it came out that Gray was born in the raider stronghold, Storm Locke. Whispers began among the archers, and I was all too aware of the uneasy glances cast in my direction.

I scowled when a man called Holden walked to the opening and looked out. He frowned when he saw me sitting at the entrance and did an about-face, making his way back to the group from Joyner Peak.

I felt a presence behind me and Gavin sat down with a sigh. Ro, you must eat.

I’m not hungry right now. Maybe later.

Gavin shifted to stare out at the rain-drenched valley. The storms are lighter this year. George thinks they’ll end soon.

I picked up a stone and rubbed my thumb back and forth across its smooth surface. In an odd way, the simple motion was comforting. I glanced over at Gavin. It’s too bad Kennedy’s people didn’t bring their horses. We could have used them to patrol outside the valley when the storms end.

They didn’t want to risk them falling into the raiders’ hands. When we told them about Paulus’ betrayal, I think they were relieved they left them behind. He turned to look at the group from Joyner Peak.

I knew something was bothering him. What is it? I could see he was reluctant to answer. Gavin?

He shrugged. It’s nothing to worry about.

My stomach clenched with apprehension It’s about Gray, isn’t it?

Gavin wouldn’t meet my eyes. There’s been some talk.

Vail and Nayati approached and overheard Gavin’s last words.

Vail’s fiery red hair lifted in the cool breeze at the cave entrance, and his eyes were stern. They’re worried that Gray will tell the raiders about our plans.

I felt my anger begin to rise. In spite of Gray’s desertion, I refused to believe he would ever endanger Green Valley or the rest of the villages. Gray would never betray us!

Samuel, George and others believe as you do, and that’s good enough for me, but people are risking their lives, and they can’t understand why he helped them. They worry he might question his own loyalties.

I squeezed the stone in my hand, not knowing how to answer his logic when I couldn’t explain why Gray helped the raiders steal our horses.

Gavin gave the Joyner Peak man a hard look. Gray is our friend. He didn’t grow up in Storm Locke, and his mother fled from there when he was just a child. He knew nothing about that place until he saw it last fall. He was just as disgusted and repulsed by the raiders as we were, so I don’t want to hear any talk about his loyalties.

Vail nodded. Maybe so, but it doesn’t explain his actions.

Nayati, the Wolf Mountain man who had been silent, spoke with gentle rebuke. My grandfather has a special gift. He can look into a man’s eyes and see the truth. He looked into Gray’s eyes and saw a young man with no deceit in his heart. My grandfather would never have sent us here otherwise.

Thank you, Nayati. I was grateful he hadn’t turned against Gray.

Vail raised his hands in surrender. I believe you. I’ll try to get them to stop being so quick to judge. Before he walked away, he looked back at us, They’re just scared. We all are.

Nayati’s blue eyes scanned the swaying trees below us. He turned, and the wind caught and tugged at the feathers in his braided hair. We should be scared. If we don’t drive the raiders away, everything we have will be lost.

After he and Gavin left, I shivered, knowing he was right. With a last look at the stormy skies, I got up and went to find Darcy. She was with some of her friends from Joyner Peak. I approached them with slow steps, unsure of what they were talking about. When Darcy saw me, she waved me over. All of them greeted me with smiles. No one mentioned concerns about Gray, and I was grateful it seemed to be just a small number of the men who were suspicious.

Ro, we’re just trying to decide who should go on patrol after the storms end.

I thought for a moment. I’m going to ask George if I can go on the first one. I paused, and added with a bit of defiance, I have to do something.

Darcy’s eyes were sympathetic. I understand. Adam has already volunteered.

I will go with you too.

I looked up in surprise at the tall athletic woman with short dark hair. She gave me a brief nod and a small smile. Her name was Gert and she never spoke much—whether from shyness or a natural reticence, I didn’t know.

Thank you, Gert. With a plan in place, I felt a little better.

Darcy clapped her hands. That’s settled. We’ll choose the other patrols later. She shooed her friends away and linked her arm with mine. Let’s go see if Martha has any leftovers. I know you didn’t eat.

My stomach rumbled in agreement and Darcy laughed. We headed to the part of the deep cave set aside for cooking where George’s wife Martha ruled. Smoke from the cooking fires rose up and escaped through a natural chimney at the top of the cave, and strong winds from the higher elevations dispersed it into the air.

The village cook gave me a look of approval and filled a bowl with stew she had simmering over a fire. Our meals were simple here away from the convenience of the village kitchen, but there were no complaints. A hot biscuit was pressed into my hand as I sat down with Darcy.

Twig lay on a rug near the fire and tried to greet me with his usual eagerness. He got to his feet, wobbled a little, and then made his way over to me. He was still recovering from the effects of the poison Paulus had given him, but was getting stronger every day. I put my bowl down and buried my face in his fur. I knew he missed Gray just as much as I did. If Gray was with the raiders, it made sense he would leave Twig behind. The raiders wouldn’t hesitate to kill his loyal hybrid wolf/dog.

I picked up my bowl, and Twig’s yellow eyes followed my movements with the most pitiful look he could muster. With a whine, he lowered his massive head and eyed me with a pathetic huff as though too weak to beg. I couldn’t help but laugh as I broke off part of my biscuit and tossed it to him. It was gone in one quick gulp and, satisfied with the snack, he curled up at my side.

Darcy shook her head and giggled. He knows how to get a treat with just a look. I think he’s stronger than he acts, too. She eyed Twig, and he gave her an innocent thump of his tail. She laughed, reaching out to scratch him behind his ears. I heard some of the men from Joyner Peak talking. Holden’s voice is the loudest, and he’s always the first to question everything. He was an irritating boy, and nothing has changed since he’s grown.

I put down my bowl. He’s just saying what everyone is thinking.

Darcy shook her head. Only a few. You know what? I think Gray is out there and has a plan. We just don’t know what it is yet.

I knew she was trying to cheer me up, and I appreciated her loyalty to Gray, but I couldn’t imagine how helping the raiders steal our horses would be an advantage for our village. I held out what was left of my biscuit to Twig. He leaned forward, and with a delicate grip of his teeth, took it from my fingers.

Darcy propped her chin on her hand, and her expression was somber. I almost wish the storms would end tomorrow. This waiting is hard on everyone. She plucked at the dark material under her shirt. At least we’re getting used to the body armor. It’s actually very comfortable.

I gave her a rueful smile. Gavin is anxious to try it out. I think he wants someone to shoot an arrow at him.

Darcy made a face. I’ll volunteer if he keeps that up.

I stroked Twig’s fur, and he gave a little moan of doggie bliss. Do you wonder what’s going to happen to us?

She gave a ragged sigh. I’m not sure about anything anymore, but one thing I do know is we’re fighting for a way of life that took us decades to achieve, and we won’t give that up easily.

You’re right, I told her, feeling a surge of pride for my new home. Castor and his raiders will find we’re not his usual easy conquest. I raised my fist and bumped it against hers. Twig lifted his head and gave a small woof of approval.

Darcy chuckled. Come on, let’s go talk to George and make sure you’re on the first scouting patrol.

After securing my place on the first trip outside the valley, there was nothing to do but wait for the storms to end. Day after day the lightning continued its assault on the valley. Sometimes heavy rain accompanied the blinding arcs, and other times the dryness in the air caused the hair on my arms to tingle. On those days, we kept watch for signs of smoke from the direction of the village.

Mike and Thomas had been experimenting with a natural substance that, when coated on the rooftops of the cabins, kept fires from igniting. It was proving to be a success this year, and combined with the thick stone walls of each structure, no fires had started. The only buildings not coated were the barn and stables. This would be remedied when the storms ended and the barn was rebuilt.

As the days passed, I didn’t tell Darcy or Gavin about the nightmares that began to stalk my nights. Was Gray in Grippen? Or Storm Locke? The savagery of the raiders haunted my dreams, and woke me in the darkest hours bathed in a cold sweat. Why didn’t Gray call out and draw attention to the raiders? There was help nearby and Paulus was outnumbered. He could have been stopped. Or did I believe like Darcy that Gray had a plan? The endless questions tumbled around my mind over and over.

Three weeks after the start of the spring storms I woke up with a start, looking around me for danger. Outside the cave was silence. I squinted my eyes against the bright sunlight pouring into the entrance. A strong breeze pushed away the last of the dark clouds, and the fresh smells of wet leaves and damp earth replaced the sulfur-tinged air.

I stretched and got up. An area of privacy was set up at the far end of the cave, and I found Frances washing up.

She gave me a smile. It’ll be good to take a proper bath when we get back to the village.

I hurried to change into clean clothes. I thought the storms lasted longer?

Frances smoothed down her shirt and combed her fingers through her hair. They do, but for some reason this year is different. She turned to me, and her eyes held worry. I heard you’re going out on the first patrol.

I nodded. I am.

She pulled me into a quick embrace and then held me at arm’s length. Please be careful. She hesitated. I don’t have any doubts about how much Gray cares for you. I’m sure there’s a good reason for doing what he did.

I know. I just don’t know what it could be.

She gave me a steady look of confidence. We’ll find out when he returns to us.

I nodded and left her, making my way to the cave entrance. There was too much to do, and I needed to put Gray’s strange behavior out of my head for the time being.

George made sure we were well stocked in our new shelter, and although we were comfortable enough, we were all getting to the point where we were more than ready to leave our safe haven and get back to the business of preparing for the coming attack by the raiders.

A group of us left the cave, and made our way down to the village to check on any damage. Droplets of moisture rolled off the leaves of the trees, dripping down on us as we hurried through the dense forest at the far end of the valley. To everyone’s relief, when we came out onto the open meadow and fields, the distant buildings looked untouched. Other than the barn burned by Paulus, there was little damage.

For the time being, we would move back to the village, but keep the larger portion of our supplies at the cave. Martha was happy to get back to her kitchen while Frances hurried to her infirmary, hauling back some of the medical supplies she’d taken to the cave in case of need.

Adam, Gert, and I began to prepare for our journey to scout outside our valley. We’d be on foot, so we packed just the bare necessities together with our bows and arrows. I wore my knife, and it felt like an old friend in the scabbard that hung on my belt. I was glad I hadn’t been wearing it the day Paulus took me captive because I had no doubt it would be adorning some raider’s waist by now.

Before we left, Samuel summoned us. We stood before him and I was afraid he would try to persuade us not to go.

I have a favor to ask of you.

There were new lines on his face, and I realized just how much of a burden this expected attack on the village was for him. Green Valley had been at peace for decades, and the village elder was not quite prepared for what faced us now. For all his knowledge and wisdom, this was an unforeseen event. He had the archives to draw on, but if he worried the dark days were about to return, I couldn’t blame him for feeling the heavy weight of uncertainty. Since coming to Green Valley, I’d learned much about that time when lawlessness ruled the surface.

His expression was grave. If you see anything that would be useful to us, even if it’s a cloud of dust on the horizon signaling a large group is coming our way, please come back as soon as you can.

Adam and Gert looked at me, and we all knew many lives were at stake. I promise you, Samuel, if we see anything, we’ll come right back.

Thank you. He seemed to stand straighter. Be careful and return to us safely.

I gave him a brief nod, unable to form any meaningful words when my throat was about to close up with emotion. He was counting on these small patrols to give us an early warning.

The three of us left and went to pick up our backpacks. Twig was back to normal, and he raced around us, anxious to get started. The rain had washed away any scent of Gray long ago, so I had no fears Twig would take off on his own. Since Gray’s departure, he stayed close to me and I was glad of his company. He would let us know of any danger on the trails.

Gavin and Darcy were there to see us depart. I hugged both of them and promised we’d be back soon. We headed across the open meadow to the trail that would take us out of our snug valley, and when I looked back to wave at my friends, I saw Samuel standing alone, watching us before turning away with his shoulders bowed.

CHAPTER 2

GRAY

For three days, we fought our way across the Barren Plains. Strong winds whipped across the dry, red earth, swirling into whirlwinds that scoured and pummeled our exposed skin. Paulus took my suggestion to blindfold the horses to protect their eyes and calm their panic, but I wasn’t as fortunate. With my hands still tied behind my back, and Athena’s tether and my chain still held in Seth’s hand, I was forced to keep my head down to avoid the brutal scrub of grit across my face.

Behind us, the lightning fanned out across the plains, and I knew the endless strikes would cause the barren surface to rise up into giant walls of suffocating dust. For weeks, the devastating red storms roamed the plains one after another until their energy was spent.

I remembered how frightened Ro was during her first storm, but I wasn’t there to comfort her now. The image of her face in my mind kept me focused during the many days of hard travel.

I could see the raiders were nervous astride the horses and their progress was slow as they stayed at a plodding walk. At this pace, the red storms would be on us before we reached Grippen. Paulus stayed silent and ignored the worried looks the others cast over their shoulders at the red dust swirling in the distance. They grumbled among themselves, but none dared to address Paulus. I had no idea what he thought, and didn’t care. A fearsome red storm might give me a chance at escape.

We were still a day away from Grippen when the first storm struck. The dust swirled in the distance, rising from the earth to form a wall of churning dry, powdery dirt. Not as immense as the storms that would come later, this one was still lethal. Lightning began to arc into the ground, creating eddies that rose up, pushing the fast-moving wall of sand toward us. The banshee scream of its approach began to panic the horses, and they reared up, pulling their tethers free and dislodging their blindfolds.

It was too late to make a run for Grippen, and Paulus shouted orders as the raiders sought to grab at the loose tethers. Athena reared up and lost her footing as she plunged sideways and fell, rolling down a small hillock. I tumbled off and the collar bit painfully into my neck as the chain was jerked from Seth’s hand. The dirt mound blocked the main force of the wind, but left me helpless. While my captors were distracted, I hurried to work at my bonds until I could get one hand free.

Athena, her sides heaving with distress, lay in front