We only took Nux, Femur, Tommi, The Dag, Furiosa and I. Let's just say we have learned our lesson about leaving home defenseless. Besides, we decided that on the off chance the Leatherbacks wanted to chase us off, we would easily be able to escape unscathed.
I hoped up onto the back of Nux's car, eying the rig Jr. longingly. Furiosa insisted that each vehicle have a lancer. I volunteered to do it, because though I knew Nux would attempt to be my lancer if he got the chance, he was the sicker one of the both of us. If Larry and Berry decided to attack his windpipe in the middle of this raid, he would simply tumble off the side of the war rig before I could get out. I shivered despite the hot sun rolling over my skin. I haven't given much thought to Nux's condition lately, as my mind was crowded with the mounting death toll in these past weeks. He never complained, never bothered to wake me in the night if he was breaking out in fever. It scared the hell out of me, knowing that in his fragile state he may slip into death at any moment. Isn't that why he wanted to die in war all those months ago?
Nux's car started, startling me from my thoughts. Furiosa's gigahorse padded forward, snarling at anything around it. We followed her, the buggie looking miniscule in comparison. Femur's vehicle was behind us, with Tommi's tall figure standing on its back. We filed out of the Citadel's maw, like a pack of wolves on the hunt. As usual our natural war boy habits began to surface, and I whooped into the hot air. It was amazing how a ride could lift my spirits like a well-earned drug. The juice I had consumed the night before didn't even come close to this. It was almost as if Valhalla was at my fingertips, and I could almost taste the chrome.
Alas, the Leatherback's territory was not a great distance away. It had only felt like seconds later when I spotted a large cluster of shelters made from cloth and sheets of metal. People swirled about the area like swarming flies, so much so that it was hard to see the ground between each body. I could practically feel their eyes fixate on us even if we were not close enough to tell. Some of the figures rushed into their homes in what seemed like fear. Furiosa visited the Leatherbacks only once since Immortan's downfall, in order to announce her leadership. They didn't appose the change, for they hardly cared for Immortan. I guessed that they would have liked Furiosa as leader much better. After all, Joe was the one who brainwashed young boys into flinging themselves into death by the hundreds.
Slowly, the village came into focus. Each house was shabbier than the last, and were a thrown together masses of material. It was as if they scraped the earth bare of anything salvageable and they slapped it together into something like a house. The few people who were still outside were decked out in at least one piece of leather. The black of the material seemed to flicker from every angle. I knew what they were thinking, war boys didn't just show up without warning unless something was wrong. Where we here to harm them? To kidnap their children and girls for war pups and breeders? By the tension set in each of their shoulders, they couldn't tell.
Furiosa hopped down from the Gigahorse's towering height, both of her hands up. The stance she was in reminded me of when we stopped to give guzzaline to the canyon riders six months ago. The suspicion didn't leave the Leatherbacks' faces as she took a few steps forward, stopping in front of her car.
"We are here in peace. I need to speak to the chief." Furiosa called out.
A man with long hair pulled back in a ponytail emerged from the flock of black clad citizens. His face had a fox-like quality to it, with eyes that slanted upwards and a long, pointed nose. There was a clean stripe of facial hair running across his jawline, and a pink scar slicing over the corner of his mouth. I noticed that this man was wearing more leather than all of his comrades, including a spiked jacket, pants, gloves, and boots. His ears had piercings running up their lengths, with a horn-shaped plug stretching one of his earlobes.
"Tarnish." Furiosa said with a greeting tip of her head.
The man nodded curtly, his thin lips still a hard line, "What do you want with us, Furiosa?" he demanded.
She lowered ber arms, the friendly demeanor evaporating. "You have heard of Gastown's hostility towards the Citadel, correct?"
Tarnish nodded again.
"They want war with us." Furiosa announced gravely, "They will not stop until they have wiped every last one of us out."
This caught the man's attention. His expression melted away from suspicion to concern, his hands relaxing at their sides. I could still detect his wariness in the way he flicked his gaze to each of our faces.
Furiosa sucked in a slow breath before speaking, "I am here to propose an alliance."
Instantly, the concern was gone, like water turning to steam in the hot sun, "I am sorry you are in this situation, but we cannot help you." Tarnish said, his pony tail swishing from side to side as he shook his head.
My fingers dug into my gloved palm, my jaws squeezing together in order to keep my mouth shut.
"Do you remember what it was like when Immortan ruled?" Furiosa growled, the words rolling off her tongue like acid. "People dying, people being raped, and people treated like objects?"
Tarnish flinched, as if she had slapped him.
"If we allow Gastown to win this battle, it will be like we never escaped." she hissed, "And they will come for you too."
Tarnish spread his arms wide, gesturing to all of the people around him, "Why would they bother us? We are of no use to Gastown." He retorted. "I cannot allow my people to be slaughtered for no good reason."
"They will be slaughtered if you do nothing." Furiosa replied. "Your children will be taken and turned into battle fodder and breeders. You think you will have peace? The only peace is in unity." Her back was to me, but I could sense the fire flickering behind her sea-foam eyes.
The fox-faced man sighed, "There is just too much risk. I can't help you." he said, taking a few steps backwards and away from us, as if cutting himself from the conversation.
That was it for me. My rationality was pulled too tight and snapped. I jumped from my perch, creating a loud thump of my boots on the hardened sand that made everyone look at me. I strode forward, standing beside Furiosa. I could feel her gaze on me, confused, and stern. I didn't look at her, for my attention was trained on Tarnish.
"What she says is true, Gastown'll stop at nothin' to gain full control of the Citadel and everyone else they can get their hands on." I snarled, unflinching under the many stares of the Leatherbacks. My chest swirled with emotion that I fought to keep off my face, "They sent soldiers to our home. They tried to murder our sick war boys while they slept and burned a child alive." my voice shook dangerously with grief and anger.
Tarnish didn't respond, because he seemed to know that I wasn't finished. There was a flash of horror behind his blank expression nevertheless.
"D-do you have children?" I asked him, my words softening. I pointed to him, taking a few paces forward.
Tarnish seemed to squirm under my question, "A younger sister." he croaked.
"A sister..." I whispered. "See, want to know how I got here? With these war boys?" I didn't wait for him to answer, "It is because when I was a pup, Immortan kidnapped me. He killed so many of us, and stole the ones he didn't. Why did he do it? Because I was to become a breeder." I finished, goosebumps running down the length of my arms. "That could be your sister's fate if you don't act now."
I must have hit a nerve, because before I knew it Tarnish was only inches from my face, his eyes blazing. "I wouldn't let that happen."
I didn't react whatsoever. My gaze met his evenly, "Ya wouldn't get the choice, mate." I said.
Tarnish's lips pulled back, baring slightly yellowed teeth. Then he backed off, his head down as he thought it over.
As he considered our offer, I looked over the other Leatherbacks. There were people of all sorts there, dark, light, young, old, male, and female. All seemed strong enough to go into battle. The sick or infant must be hiding away in the flimsy homes. There had to be at least a hundred able-bodied soldiers that would be of use to us right here.
Tarnish threw his hands up, his face pinched with exasperation, "Fine. We'll join you." He declared. He approached Furiosa and I, jabbing a finger in our direction, "But, preserving life will be a priority. I will not let all of my men die out there." his tone was savage, as if we had asked him if we could slit all of his camrades' throats. "And we will need food, water, and guzzaline."
Furiosa extended her flesh hand, "Deal."
Just like in Fury Road, Tarnish clapped his hand against Furiosa's, sealing the agreement.