FicWad

If anyone had noticed the objects falling from the sky that night, they would’ve assumed they were falling stars, or perhaps a meteor shower. But it wasn’t any of those things, it was much worse. The two objects, were the escape pods of a ship that had been blown up in space. The evil Aortin general Pel and his second him command Vishu, managed to get escape. They landed on a small primitive planet, known as earth and quickly camouflaged themselves among the natives. Each went to a different country, Pel to Africa and Vishu to India, where they were revered as gods. Two hundred years passed, and the old ways faded as Christian missionaries began to come into Africa, and Pel knew it was a matter of time before the trackers of the Aortin’s enemies, the Targins, located where he was. So he left the comfort of the home the natives had built him and traveled toward India and Vishu. A young tracker, by the name of Harlen, tracked down Pel and tried to bring him in, but he was no match for Pel’s experience in combat. Pel injured him, then left him for dead in the wilds of India, hoping that wild animals would finish him off. But the gods had other plans for Harlen.

Melesse quickly left the encampment and ran down to the river, she looked around fervently before kneeling with her clay jug. She was part of a band of gypsies which was not only a nomadic life, it was also a dangerous one. She had just finished gathering water when she heard a groan, she set the jar down and stood up, walking toward a dense patch of reeds at the side of the river. Parting them, she gasped. A young man lay partially submerged in the water. Turning quickly she ran back to the camp.
She returned with the men of her camp, who argued wether or not to aid this stranger.
Melesse ignored them and knelt beside him, touching his forehead with her hand. It was like she had been hit by a bolt of lightening when she touched him and she gasped.
“Father,” she said standing up, “I think he is a Magi, we must give him aid.”
Her father nodded, “we will help this man, because it is our duty.” Gesturing, for the men to pick the man out of the water, he turned to his daughter. “I give you the responsibility of taking care of him Melesse.” Then he turned and followed the men back to the camp.

The man slept for a week, burning with fever, a couple of times crying out in agony in his delirium. Melesse cleaned and bandaged his wounds, and they were not from a weapon she had ever seen. She sat beside him every day, hoping his fever would break and she could find out the answers of the questions she had. One day she woke abruptly from the uneasy sleep she had been in and looked at her patient. She realized he didn’t look as flushed, and she reached over to feel his forehead. Suddenly he grasped her wrist and she gasped, looking up into golden eyes.
“Where am I?” he asked in a raspy voice.
“In the gypsy encampment of my father Nav,” she said quietly and he released her wrist.
“How long have I been unconscious?” He asked.
“For about a week,” Melesse said, “found you laying in the river, badly wounded.”
The man swore and tried to get out of bed, but fell back in pain and exhaustion.
“I have to leave,” he said, “now.”
Melesse grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back down on the bed.
“You’re too weak still,” she said, “you wouldn’t last a day out there.”
“You don’t understand,” he said, “the fate of the world is in the balance here.”
Melesse stared at him, “who are you?” She asked quietly.
He looked at her, then sighed, pushing his black hair out of his eyes.

“My name is Harlen,” he began, “I come from a race of people known as ta1he Targins. I have come here, to track down two criminals, known as Pel and Vishu, they’ve committed many crimes against my people and must be punished. Eight days ago, I tracked down Pel and fought him, but he managed to wound me and escape. If I don’t find them both soon and capture them, they could very well destroy humanity.”
Melesse looked troubled, “I will get my father to help you, my people are great fighters.”
“They’ve never fought against weapons like Pel and Vishu possess.” Harlen said quietly, “they may not survive.”
“What choice do you have?” Melesse asked, and Harlen nodded reluctantly.

“My men and I will assist you all we can,” Nav said, after Harlen explained. “We are getting ready to move, and with your help we will track the movements of Pel and Vishu. They will not expect you hiding in a gypsy encampment.”
Harlen nodded, then laid down, his face lined with the pain of sitting up to long.
Nav motioned for Melesse to follow him out of the tent.
“Now that he is awake, do you wish me to have Rashid or Cy to sit with him?” Nav asked anxiously.
She shook her head, “he can be trusted,” she said and Nav nodded his head, his daughter’s gift of knowing people was legendary among the gypsies.

When she entered the tent, Harlen was laying on the cot, eyes closed, breathing shallowly. She quietly walked over to the chair next to the bed, and sat down. For a moment she stared at him, he was such a handsome man with his thick black hair, and strong profile. She wondered if he had a wife at home, then shook the thought away, he would leave after capturing his enemies, it was better not to get attached. She sighed, laying her head against the back of the chair, and fell asleep quickly.
She awoke suddenly, not sure what had awakened her, then realized Harlen was thrashing around and moaning in a language she couldn’t understand. Quickly, she reached a hand out and touched his arm and he came awake swiftly, looking around as if he expected an attack.
“You were having a nightmare,” Melesse explained and he looked away, but not before she saw the tears in his eyes.
“It’s the same nightmare I’ve had for years,” he said, “when I was eight years old I watched as an army of Aortins raided my village, killing everyone except for me and my sister. We managed to hide in the trees, I saw things that a eight year old boy should never see.” He looked at her with haunted eyes, “I vowed at that moment, that I would spend my life hunting down Aortin scum, that I would make them pay for the pain they caused me and my sister.”
Slowly Melesse reached a hand out, and caressed his cheek, he turned his head so his lips grazed her hand. For a moment, they stared at each other, then he gently grasped her hand and tugged her so she lay beside him.
He rose above her, “I need you Melesse,” he said softly, “but I’ll understand if you say no, we haven’t known each other that long.”
In answer, she grasped his head with her hands and kissed him wildly.
Harlen groaned and kissed her back with a savage intensity, using his lips and tongue as if he could make himself forget his nightmares by drowning himself in her.
Melesse arched up, Harlen was drawing the skirt of her dress up her legs, and she shuddered as she felt the cool air brush up against her. He finally drew the dress over her head and tossed it across the room, so that she lay before him, wearing only a thin shift that he could see through to her dark nipples and the dark thatch of hair between her legs. His eyes grew even more golden with the heat of arousal as he explored every inch of her with them.
Melesse gasped, when Harlen grabbed the front of her shift and ripped, leaving her body bare to his hungry gaze. Slowly he sucked the peak of one breast into his mouth, causing her to cry out his name.
She gasped as Harlen suckled the aching tip of one breast, his tongue rolling the little peak against his teeth, then drawing it hard into his mouth.
“Harlen!” She groaned as one hand moved up her body and claimed her other breast, stroking it softly until she whimpered. The other hand probed her, slipping between her thighs, and delved into her slowly.
“Please,” she groaned, not sure what she was pleading for and he tested her with a finger.
“You’re a virgin” he whispered hoarsely, “I won’t take what is rightfully your future husband’s.”
Then he moved down her body to settle between her thighs, “I will give you something to remember me by,” he murmured, then catching her behind the knees, he lifter her legs and spread her wide. Melesse propped herself up on her elbows, watching Harlen with curiosity. He lowered his head, and she found herself holding her breath.
The first pass of his tongue made her arch off the bed with a gasp. He groaned with pleasure, then began devouring her, tonguing her creaming flesh, suckling her clit until she writhed. He reached up her body and found her breasts, squeezing and rolling her nipples as he licked her.
She screamed, as her climax ripped into her, grasping onto his hair, holding on for dear life.
She came back to earth, and realized that Harlen, was still fully clothed and cradling her naked body in his arms.
He gently kissed her, “I have never met a woman like you,” he said softly, “I wish that I was free to marry.”
He kissed her again, “sleep now,” he murmured.
After her breathing evened and he knew she slept, he slipped out of the bed, covering her up with a blanket. Grimacing he looked at the large erection that strained against his pants, as much as he longed to take her, he didn’t know what the future held and he refused to dishonor her in that way.
He took one last look at her, then strode out of the tent, to find her father and make plans.

When Melesse woke, it was morning, she moved under the blanket and realized she was naked. Last nights events came back to her, and she smiled, reaching for Harlen. When she realized he wasn’t in bed with her, she sat up and looked around. She was alone in the tent.
Quickly she got up and dressed, shoving her feet into some boots, before walking out of the tent. She saw Harlen and her father standing next to the communal fire, and she walked toward them.
“Should you be out of bed already?” She asked him angrily, “you run the risk of infection.”
“My kind heals fast,” Harlen said, not looking at her.
“Excuse us father,” she said, and grabbed Harlen’s arm, “walk with me.”
They walked until they were out of earshot of the camp.
“What is the matter?” She asked, “do you regret last night?”
Harlen shook his head, “I will never regret last night,” he said, “but I can’t expose you to the danger that I’m going to face. It’s not fair to you, even if I do catch Pel and Vishu, I still have to go back to put them on trial. I can’t stay and be a husband to you, so as much as I want to make love to you, as much as I want to be near you, I have to stay away, for both our sakes.”
“I can take care of myself,” Melesse said.
Harlen shook his head, “you’ve never seen what an Aortin can do to a woman,” he said, “it’s not a pretty sight. I won’t allow that to happen to you, do us both a favor and stay away from me.”
He turned and walked back toward the encampment, leaving her standing alone.

“I got word today, that another gypsy camp spotted a man meeting Pel’s description, traveling north.” Nav told Harlen, “there is a rumor, that a priest is trying to set up a new religion, in a small town named Para, we think this man is Vishu and Pel is going to meet him.”
“When do we leave?” Harlen asked.
“As soon as we can get the wagons packed.” Nav said, “we should arrive in Para, in two weeks.
“Good.”

They traveled for days, before finally reaching the forest that bordered Para.
“I’ll send Rashid into town tomorrow to make inquiries,” Nav said, as they sat by the fire in the council tent, “once we know wether they’re both there, we can decide on how to make our next move.”
Harlen nodded, before standing up and leaving the council tent. He stood outside for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the bright light. Then noticed Melesse walked toward the river, with a clay jug in her hand.
He narrowed his eyes angrily and walked after her. Silently he slipped through the trees, and waited until she had knelt in front of the water. Then he grabbed her, clamping a hand over her mouth and dragged her against his body. With a muffled shriek, she kicked him between the legs, causing him to curse and let go of her. Panting wildly she whirled around, intent on running, then realized who it was.
“Why did you do that?” She asked wildly.
Groaning, he held himself, before gasping out, “I wanted to show you how easily, you could be taken.”
“I don’t want you to protect me,” Melesse said coldly, “you made it very clear that you didn’t want me, so just stay away.”
She began to walk away, and Harlen grabbed her arm.
“I never said I didn’t want you,” he said, before kissing her hard.
For a moment, she sank into his body with a groan, allowing the force of the kiss to wash over her, then she wrenched away.
“No,” she said, “you’ll be leaving soon, I won’t allow you to break my heart.”
She turned and walked away, leaving Harlen standing by the river alone.

“There are two men in Para who meet the description you gave me,” Rashid told Harlen later that day. “They’ve built a temple for a new god and are passing themselves off as priests.”
Harlen nodded, “it sounds like them.”
“What is the plan?” Nav asked, “we can’t just walk in there and take them. I doubt the people of Para will let us.”
“With the men we have, they won’t be able to stop us.” Harlen said, “we take them tomorrow at dawn.”
The men nodded and the meeting broke up, each man leaving the tent to return to his home.


Harlen was the last one to leave, slowly he walked out of the tent, and looked toward Melesse’s. For a moment, he just stood there staring, then with a curse he walked toward it.
He knocked on the flap and Melesse opened it, stepping out.
“What’s wrong?” She asked in an alarmed voice.
“Can we go inside,” Harlen asked, “what I need to say is for you only.”
Melesse looked around at the people openly listening to their conversation and nodded.
She walked back into the tent with Harlen following behind.
She turned to say something to him, and found herself yanked against his body, his mouth ravishing hers.
“I can’t seem to stay away from you,” he said hoarsely.
They stood there, kissing for what seemed like an eternity, then suddenly he stepped away.
“Marry me, right now,” he said quietly.
Melesse looked at him in surprise.
“I love you, and I want you, but I won’t dishonor you,” he said. “I won’t take you without being your husband.”
Grabbing his hand, Melesse pulled him out of the tent.
“Father,” she called out, and he stepped out of his own tent.
“What is it daughter?” Nav said, looking at them curiously.
“This is my husband,”she said and he gasped.
“This is my husband, this is my husband.” She repeated twice more, as the gypsies gathered around them.
She turned to Harlen who was watching her curiously.
“In my culture, we are married now,” she said quietly, then turned and walked back into her tent.
He looked at Nav, who nodded.
“You are Melesse’s husband ,” he said.
Everyone in the camp, began to celebrate, soon dancing and music had commenced.
Harlen broke away from the well-wishers and walked back into Melesse’s tent.

He tied the flaps shut, then turned around to find Melesse standing behind him, clad only in her shift. He felt his mouth go dry as she untied the laces, and let the shift drop to the ground, leaving her naked.
He stared at her firm breasts, with the dark rose colored nipples, then lower at the triangle of dark curls at her thighs. Finally with a groan, he crossed the tent, and yanked her to him, kissing her hard. She groaned, and cupped his head, kissing him with abandon. Finally he pulled away, and shrugged off the shirt he was wearing, then pulled off his boots and pants. He swept her up into his arms and lowered her onto the bed, blanketing her with his body. Dipping his head, he laved her nipple with his tongue, then drew the taut peak into his mouth. Melesse cried out in pleasure, arching against him. He slowly moved his hand along the curve of her hip, until he reached the raven colored curls between her thighs. He softly stroked her, causing her to cry out his name and part her legs farther. He pushed one finger into her, groaning as he felt how tight and wet she was. Moving his finger, he began to strum her clit with his thumb, as she moaned softly. Finally she tilted her pelvis in a invitation as old as time. He took his cock and slid it gently into her, pausing when he felt the resistance of her maidenhead. For a moment he stopped and looked at her.
“Please Harlen,” she gasped out and arched her hips.
He moved deeper and she cried out softly, biting her nails into his arms. He braced himself on his elbows and began to thrust.
“You’re so tight,” he panted, “I could stay inside you forever.”
She wound her legs around his waist, and he saw the pleasure building in her eyes, with each thrust. She threw her head back and whimpered, as he thrust harder, then screamed as her climax hit her, rolling over her like a tidal wave and drowning her in pleasure. She felt Harlen arch and stiffen, driving in his full length so deep, she cried out. Then he fell against her body, panting softly.
He gently cradled her in his arms as she fell asleep, dazed and exhausted from the force of their passion. He knew that he should sleep as well, he would need his wits about him, when he went after Pel and Vishu, but he was loathe to waste any of the precious time he had with Melesse.
“I love you,” he said softly, then closed his eyes and fell asleep with her cradled on his chest.

Melesse felt someone kissing her softly and she opened her eyes, Harlen lay beside her.
“Good morning,” he said.
She smiled, then stiffened when she realized what he had to do that day.
“This will be the last time we see each other won’t it?” She asked brokenly and broke into tears.
He gathered her close and shook his head, “after I deliver Pel and Vishu to my people, I’m coming back. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
She put a hand on his cheek, “I love you too,” she said.
He lowered his head and began to kiss her again, then someone shouted a greeting outside the tent. Reluctantly he pulled away from her and got off the bed, finding his pants, he donned them before untying the tent flap.
Rashid stepped in, pointedly averting his eyes away from the bed.
“The men are ready to go,” he said, then turned around, and left the tent quickly.
Harlen let the tent flap fall, and turned toward Melesse, she got out of the bed, heedless of her nudity and flew into his arms.
“Be careful,” she whispered, burying her head into his naked chest.
He tightened his arms around her and breathed in her clean scent.
“I’ll come back to you,” he said softly, “I promise.”
“I love you,” she said, backing away from him.
They quickly got dressed, then he held out his hand, and they departed from the tent together.
The whole gypsy encampment was gathered by the communal fire, and Nav smiled, stepping up to Harlen and Melesse.
“You are now part of our family,” he said, “and we protect our own.”
Then he turned toward the gathering men and raised his hands, “we ride!”
The men cheered and ran toward the makeshift corral where the horses were kept.
Harlen stayed behind, and softly pressed a kiss on Melesse’s forehead, “I love you,” he softly whispered, then walked toward the corral where the other men waited.
They mounted horses, and galloped out of the encampment, as Melesse and the other women watched with fear in their eyes.

The men reached the edge of Para in record time, and dismounted from their horses.
“We’ll leave the horses here,” Harlen said, “it’ll be easier to sneak into town on foot.”
The other men nodded and they quickly circled around, toward where the temple had been erected on the outskirts of town. They could hear chanting come from inside and Harlen swore.
“I don’t want any innocent people hurt,” he said, “Pel and Vishu don’t care what they have to do to escape.”
“We’ll hold off,” Nav said, and the men hunkered down to wait for the ceremony to be over.
Finally the worshipers filed out, and Harlen nodded to the other men. Quietly they snuck into the temple.
Harlen gasped, when he spotted the statue over the alter.
“That’s general Gal,” he said, “the ruler of the Aortins. I think that their setting up for an invasion.”
“What are we going to do?” Nav asked, and for a moment Harlen was silent.
“We need to destroy them, now.” He said quietly, tightening his grip on his sword.
Suddenly laughter filled the temple and Pel appeared next to the statue in a puff of smoke.
“I won’t be the one getting destroyed today,” he sneered, “you can’t stop me, no one can.”
Harlen looked at him with disgust, “I won’t allow you to kill more people,” he spat, “your reputation for savagery is well known on Targin.”
Pel laughed again, then snapped his fingers, fifty large warriors appeared out of thin air.
“Enjoy my Aortin warriors,” he said, then disappeared.
“Go,” Nav said, as the warriors rushed them, “find those villains and destroy them.”
Harlen ducked as one of the warriors lunged at him, then vaulted over his body, and landed next to the alter. He smiled, grimly when he spotted the door, partly hidden behind the statue.
“Trickery,” he said, then opened the door, slipping inside.
He found himself in a large sumptuously decorated room, which he assumed was part of Pel and Vishu’s living quarters. He heard movement in a room off to the side, and quietly he moved toward the door.
“We must leave Pel,” Vishu said, “they’ll destroy us if we don’t”
“Vishu,” Pel laughed, “they are but peasants, what can they do?”
“The one who leads them is a Targin,” Vishu whined, “he could harm us.”
“He won’t get past my warriors,” Pel said.
Harlen stepped through the door, with his sword drawn, “I already have,” he said quietly.
Pel and Vishu turned in surprise, then Pel shoved Vishu, “kill him you clod,” he snarled.
Vishu came at Harlen with his sword drawn, and he jumped back away from the blade.
They circled each other for a moment, then Harlen saw the weakness he was looking for, he lunged and caught Vishu in the stomach, gutting him with one swipe.
The big man gasped, and dropped his sword, before falling to his knees, into a pool of his own bright blood.
Harlen turned toward Pel, but before he could take a step, Pel hit him with a bolt of light. Harlen realized in horror, what it was, and tried to step away from it. But it was to late, Pel drew information from his brain, then smiled in triumph.
“You have ruined it for me here,” he snarled with venom, “but I will return the favor.”
He threw another bolt of light at Harlen, that rendered him immobile, then ran out of another entrance. Harlen struggled against the bonds of the light, finally breaking free, then grabbed his sword, ran past the body of Vishu and out the other door.
“We need to get back to the encampment,” he said to Nav, “NOW!”
Nav nodded, and motioned to the other men, who were just finishing off the rest of the warriors. They all ran out the temple door, and back toward the horses, they mounted them quickly and galloped back to the encampment. As they neared, Harlen’s heart seemed to drop into his feet, as he heard a female’s screams. They galloped back into camp, just as Pel came out of Melesse’s tent, with her held against his body, a knife to her throat. Melesse’s mother and the other women, stood helplessly by as they watched in horror.
“This is payback you Targin bastard,” Pel snarled, and tightened his grip on Melesse, digging his knife in her throat.
Melesse whimpered with fear, and looked at Harlen, her long black hair, hanging partially in her face, her brown eyes wide with terror.
“Think about it Pel,” Harlen said, “she’s not only my wife, but she’s also the camp leader’s daughter. If you kill her, you’ll be torn apart.”
“Then I’ll use her as a hostage,” Pel said, “maybe I’ll use her to found a race of Aortins, she’s comely enough.” He licked the side of Melesse’s ear, and whispered, “how would you like to be the next Eve?”
She gagged and began struggling again, only stopping when he pressed the knife into her throat.
Suddenly Harlen had an idea, “do you remember that day by the river Melesse?” He said, and she met his eyes, then nodded. Suddenly she kicked back, and caught Pel between the legs, he gasped with pain and loosened his grip enough, that she managed to wrench away. She dropped to the ground, just as Rashid brought a knife up, catching Pel between the eyes.
“Bitch,” Pel whispered hoarsely, then fell over onto the ground. Nav went over and kicked him to make sure he was dead, while Harlen helped Melesse up.
“You saved me,” she sobbed, as he hugged her tightly. He didn’t say anything, he just held her closely.

“What are you going to do now?” Nav asked Harlen quietly.
He looked toward Melesse, then looked at Nav.
“I still have to take their bodies back,” he said, “to prove they’re dead. But I’m returning, I found a good thing here, and I’m not giving it up.”
Nav nodded, then walked away, Harlen watched him go, then approached Melesse.
“I have to return to my people, with the bodies,” he said, “but I’m not abandoning you.”
Melesse nodded, and touched his face softly, “I understand what you have to do,” she said quietly.
“I’ll return as soon as I can,” he said, drawing her into his arms, “I love you, and I want to be with you.”
They kissed softly for a moment, then he reluctantly drew away. He walked over to where the two bodies had been thrown over a horse, then mounted the horse they were attached to. He turned and looked at Melesse standing there, tears running down her beautiful face. Then he kicked the horse into a gallop and left the encampment.
He waited until he was far enough from the encampment, then he unloaded the two bodies off the horse. After he had them laid out on the ground, he pushed the stone on his amulet. It sent a homing signal on his location, and soon a large light, shot down from the skies sending him up.

“Harlen,” a young woman’s voice called excitedly, and he turned to see his sister, hurrying into the transport chamber, her black hair done in the latest Targin style, her gold eyes snapping with excitement.
“Hello Zuri,” he said embracing her, “I didn’t realize you were on the ship. I though the elders had sent you back to Targin.”
“I refused to go, when I found out you were on a dangerous tracking mission on earth,” she said, “why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I knew you would worry,” he said.
“Did you get them?” She asked, and he nodded, gesturing behind him.
Suddenly he heard someone clearing their throat and he turned.
“General Vash,” he said warmly, “it is good to see you again.”
The portly general, smiled, “I see you finally got those bastards,” he said, “this will earn you a medal and a reward.”
He gestured toward the door, “the elders are awaiting you,” he said, “and it’s not good to keep an elder waiting.”
Harlen nodded at Vash, then turned to Zuri.
“We’ll talk later,” he said, “I have some wonderful news for you.”
She smiled, and watched them leave, before hurrying out herself.

“Tracker Harlen, we are pleased that you succeeded on your mission,” the chief elder said, “as thanks we want to offer you anything your heart desires. What is it that you want the most Tracker Harlen?”
He thought for a moment, and pictured Melesse, then saw her, holding a chubby baby, with black hair and gold eyes.
“I want to return to earth,” he said quietly, and the council gasped.
“Are you sure?” The chief elder asked and Harlen nodded his head.
“I’ve fallen in love with a beautiful woman and I want to be with her. I want to have children and grow old with her, this is the only thing I want.”
The chief elder nodded, “kneel Tracker Harlen,” he said.
Harlen knelt before him, and the elder, stood over him.
“You will have the thing you want most,” the elder said, and chanted a few words.
Harlen felt sparks fall over his body and when he looked up, he was back in the meadow, he been taken from.

Melesse stepped out of the tent, and looked toward the direction that Harlen had left, just like she had done every day for almost a year. When the two horses had returned without Harlen or the bodies, her father and brothers, had taken men and gone out to search for him. They had found no trace, and she had feared the worst. Now so much time had passed, she was beginning to wonder if he would ever return.
She saw nothing and her heart dropped with disappointment, trying not to cry she turned to go back into the tent. Suddenly she heard the barking of the camp dogs and she turned back around to look. A small figure was coming out of the woods, and as it neared, she realized it was Harlen.
She ran toward him and when he caught sight of her, he broke into a run as well. They met halfway between the camp and the forest, hugging each other as if they would never let go.
“I wasn’t sure if you were coming back,” she said, as she sobbed.
“I will always return to you,” he said, kissing her on the mouth.
The rest of the camp finally reached where the two of them were standing, and Melesse turned, taking a plump baby, with curly black hair from her mother.
“I want you to meet someone,” she said, “ this is Sef, he is your son.”
Harlen looked at the baby with away, slowly taking him into his arms.
“Now we are a together,” Melesse said quietly, “now we are a real family.”
Together, with the gypsies around them, they walked back toward the encampment, and toward their home.