"She's coming." River's eyes snapped open as she whirled to face the two men squeezed uncomfortably into the back seat of the mule. Both of them started, taken aback by the girl's sudden movement. The larger of the two clutched an automatic rifle to his chest.
"Who? Who's comin'? It better not be no gorram Reavers," he barked, turning to face the man to his right. "Where in the hell are my grenades?"
"Sir?" The woman piloting the mule didn't take her eyes off the controls as she waited for the other man's response, unperturbed by Jayne's cussing as he rifled frantically through a storage compartment behind him.
"I wouldn't worry on it just yet, Zo," he replied. "'Sides, she don't seem to be panickin' none."
It was true. River, who had spent most of the journey lost in an apparent daydream, was alight with excitement, eyes bright. When the Captain pressed her for more details, her reply came in rush of breathless glee; "Somebody like me. Only not. Not broken. Nobody meddled. But she hears!"
Jayne swore again, more vehemently this time, as he emerged flush-faced from the cupboard. "There's more'n one of them? Gao yang jong duh goo yang, Mal, there ain't enough grenades in the 'verse to deal with the one we've got!"
"Calm, Jayne," said Mal, distracted. "Might just be this girl don't mean us no harm. How far behind is she, Riv?"
"She isn't," grinned the girl. "She's there." Raising a pale arm, she pointed ahead, in the direction of the ship. Squinting, Mal saw a speck on the horizon. As they moved closer, the speck resolved itself into a distant figure sat atop a horse. He glanced at River. "She beat us here?"
"On horseback?" added Zoe, slightly more concerned now. River nodded. "She knows the land. Took a shortcut to head us off." Mal was frowning now.
"Nobody knows where we left the boat! Unless someone's been…" He slid his eyes sideways. "Lao tyen yeh Cap'n, this ain't my first job,' growled Jayne. "I ain't said nothin'!"
River rolled her eyes. "I told you, she's like me. Nobody said anything, but you were thinking it, all of you, when we were talking to Carrick". Mal cursed under his breath, while Jayne shrunk back, muttering about ruttin' readers in his ruttin' head. Zoe, meanwhile, looked quizzically at the younger woman.
"You're saying this girl was at the meet?" When River nodded, she raised her voice to address Mal, "Trap, sir? Carrick pays us, gets her to figure out where we're headed and sends her to take back the money?"
Mal frowned again. "Without backup? Though then again, if she really is like River… Could be a good way to get us underestimate her, I suppose." He straightened up. "Well, comes to that, we've got a killing machine of our very own. Though I'd rather not see them in a deathmatch, given the option." He looked at River. "Your brother would be insufferable if you got yourself killed."
She ignored him, eyes trained on the rider. They were only a couple of hundred yards away now, and Mal recognized her from the meet. She was young, couldn't be older than Kaylee. A pretty redhead – he'd thought she'd looked out of place amongst other assorted thugs for hire clustered behind Carrack. She held that gun like she belonged, though, he reminded himself, spying the same weapon holstered on her hip now.
On his nod, Zoe slowed the mule as they approached. The girl smiled and waved, apparently completely at home with the situation. Jayne, on the other hand, was clearly anything but. He clung to Vera with his right arm, while his left hand thumbed at a grenade. Mal reached over and moved his hand away from the pin. Last thing they needed was Jayne fidgeting them all to an early death.
No sooner had they pulled up besides the horse than River leapt from her seat, slithering over the side of the vehicle and onto the dusty ground before anyone had time to grab her. Yeah, thought Mal wryly, as if any one of us'd be able to stop her if we wanted to. The redhead slid from her horse in the same instant, and seized River's hands. The younger girl didn't flinch, just looked up at the stranger, grinning. The two stayed like that for a few minutes, silent but for the occasional giggle. When it seemed like their silent conversation would go on forever if nobody put a stop to it, Mal cleared his throat impatiently. The redhead turned at once.
"I'm sorry, this is rude of us," she laughed, "Just the relief of being heard, you know?" Mal cocked an eyebrow at her, "Well, now, I don't suppose it's anything any one of us could know. Any chance the two of you could use old fashioned words for a spell and give us mere mortals a chance to catch up?" Immediately, River burst into speech.
"It's just like I said, like me but unbroken! She hears and I hear and the sounds make sense together, simultaneous but without discord, and"- the other girl broke in here, placing a hand on River's shoulder. "Breathe, mei mei," she ordered, "How about we let somebody with a little less crazy do the explainin'?" Mal felt Jayne tense next to him, as he did the same. River had gotten a lot better since Miranda, and she did not take kindly to strangers calling her crazy. To their amazement, she just rolled her eyes good naturedly and allowed the other girl to take up the story.
"First off," she began, "I'm Elsa. From right here on Dyton – born in a little mining village 'bout an hour out of Mildon. And its like River said – I'm like her. That is, I can hear people's thoughts. That's why I was at the meet today, Carrick and his like find it useful to have me around in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises." Mal nodded at that, it made sense. River's special abilities had saved all of their skins on more than one occasion. Others in this line of work could certainly find use for a reader.
Zoe broke in, "That's all very well. We know why you were at the meet. What it doesn't explain is what you're doin' in the middle of nowhere with us now." Jayne grunted his assent, though he had put down the grenade and was making do with just Vera now. Elsa smiled.
"Nothing suspect, I promise you. It's just that all this time I thought I was the only one like this. It's brought me my fair share of trouble in my time, though," she added, "nothin' like what it's brought River, by the sounds of it. Anyway, today when I was listenin' in on all your thoughts and I realized River could hear me too, I just had to talk to her properly, find out more. Couldn't do it in front of Carrick – he's none too fond of me at the best of times. He thought I was overly friendly with you folks and he'd make my life hell. So I thought I'd meet you out here."
River nodded eagerly, "And I want to talk to her, too!" Mal squinted at his pilot, "I don't recall ever seein' you like this, little one. That important for you to talk to this girl?" River nodded again, as Elsa smiled apologetically, "Any chance we could do this somewhere with a little more shade?" she asked, gesturing overhead, "Twenty three years on this planet and I still haven't developed the complexion for this heat."
It was true. Aside from a sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose Elsa's skin was a stark white, glowing like marble in the desert sun. It wouldn't be long before the bare skin of her arms and neck began to take on a pinkish glow. Zoe turned level brown eyes on Mal. "Sir?"
Mal shrugged in reply, "Girl knows where the gorram ship is anyway." Jayne leaned forward at that, "What? We meet another crazy psychic killing machine and our reaction is to invite her back for tea?!
Confusion was writ plain across Elsa's features as she stepped forward, "What? Kill- Oh!" She cocked her head to wards River as if listening before continuing. And that, thought Mal, observing their silent communication, is quickly getting downright creepy. "I'm not a killing machine," explained Elsa, "Like River was saying, nobody meddled with me. Out here on the border planets it's a lot easier to slip under the Alliance's radar – no experiments for me. I'm nobody's weapon. I can handle this," here she patted the butt of her gun, "and I know my way round a bar brawl, but that's about the extent of it."
Mal sighed. If River said the girl was telling the truth, chances were she was. Besides… he looked at River's hopeful face, and thought of how different she was after just a few minutes with somebody who understood her. Giggling and chatting like, well, like a girl. He couldn't refuse her this.
"Alright. We're not leaving till tomorrow mornin' anyways. Guess there's no harm in you coming back with us tonight. Your mount alright to follow the mule?" By the time the words had left his mouth Elsa was saddled up and kicking her horse to a trot, while River had reclaimed her seat. "Thanks, Captain," chorused both girls as Zoe started the engine. Gorram readers, he thought as he settled back into his seat.
