Chapter 1: Riding into Town
A/N: I don't own any of the characters or stories of Bonanza.
Ruth
I rode into Virginia City, tired, dirty, and hungry like no "lady" should be. But I'm not a lady. Never have been. Won't ever be.
The town hotel loomed up in front of me, clean and inviting. I kept riding past it to the livery. My stallion had to be taken care of first. He was tired, dirty, and hungry as well, probably even more so than me. I stopped at the livery, paid the man in charge, and groomed, fed and watered Lancelot. My saddlebags and rifle came with me to the hotel, where I checked in, got my key, and staggered up the stairs to my room. I then promptly flopped onto the bed and fell asleep in my clothes.
Joe
All the girls that usually came into town looked prim and proper and clean. Not this one. She was the exact opposite of all those that had ridden into town before her. Dirty and exhausted, this girl was even more beautiful than all the others. And I had seen lots of other girls. Her brown hair hung limply in a braid down her back, and her pretty face was looking straight ahead.
I was waiting for Pa and Adam to be done in the bank when she rode by. Her saddlebags were packed full. A rifle scabbard was strapped to her saddle, which piqued my interest even more, and she was riding a dun stallion. He looked tired too; they had obviously ridden quite a ways. She didn't even see me. Not that that was a problem. I'd get her to see me sooner or later. She went into the livery, then the hotel, and by that time, Pa and Adam were done in the bank. We rode home, and I was quiet the whole time, thinking of the girl.
Ruth
I woke up the next morning, refreshed from my sleep, but still feeling very dirty. I washed up best I could in the wash basin on the nightstand, then went down to the lobby and out to the street to find a bathhouse.
Soon enough, I found a nice one, paid, and waited for the woman to draw my bath. I closed and locked the door, then slowly peeled off my dirty clothes. Stepping into the hot water, I felt all of the dirt melt off me. I sat there, enjoying myself, letting my muscles relax. They were sore from the many days on the trail.
I was riding away from my family. My mother and sister were dead, and my father had started drinking again. He didn't care about me anyway, so I just decided to leave. Everything I owned was in my saddlebags. I was kinda just traveling, seeing where the roads would take me. I didn't care, so long as they took me far away from my father and my dead sister and mother.
Joe
I couldn't think of anything but that girl. I thought of her when I did my chores. I thought of her in bed, at night, in bed, in the morning. At the table, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All the time.
I had to do something about her.